n
U
aJI~1
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America's
Number
weekly
motorcycle
newspaper.
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MOTOR~~'1tt
INDUSTRY
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Howie Fowler. . .
Larry Groves'
~
...
RE-DETONATION
Recco tly, we came across an anicle
by Amos Gardlin in the September 6
issue of Cycle News ("Detonation, Part
2. __ "). While Mr. Gardlin does a fine job
of converting a somewhat difficult
subject to good, readable laymanese,
our research and developmen t people
questioned several poin ts in the story.
Mr. Cardlin states that engine knock
will cause a loss in power output. While
knock is, or course, unwanted, research
work conducted by American Oil
Company indicates that "under
ordinary circumstarrces. knock .never
causes loss in power Oll tpu t."
While Mr. Gardlin is entitled to his
opinion, his appeal to your readers to
"never use no~lead" seems to be
founded on his belief that it "sticks up
the rings and is suspected of causing
holes to bum in the piston tops." Word
here is that this statement is simply
untrue. Our scientists responded to Mr.
Gardlin's claims in this fashion:
"There is no component in lead-free
fuel that would cause ring sticking, and,
in fact the use of lead-free fuels will
probably reduce the tendency of ring
.ttiching in that lead components are
eliminated from the combustion
chamber.'" (1 talics are mine.)
Although some two·cycle engine
manufacturers have claimed that
phosph rus in unleaded gasoline could
result in piston damage, you might like
to know that our lead-free fuels do not
contain this additive. In fact, our
unleaded gasolines have the same
additive packages used in our leaded
gasolines; namely, AMQTONE.
Our researchers tell me that gasoline
does not separate in storage t and
wondered at ~rr. Gardlin'5 statcmen'l
that "gasoJjne begins to separate after
approximately two weeks." According
to product developmen t people here.
"loday's motOr gasolines may be SLored
for extended periods without noticeable
effects of oxidation."
ince your readers - and Mr. Cardlin
- are obviously in teres ted in engine
maintenance, I'm sending along all SAE
paper, "Saving Maintenance Dollars
With Lead·Free Gasoline." It might
answer some questions posed by readers
intrigued by Mr. Gardlin's stand on the
subject.
WILLIAM C. ADAMS
Manager. Media Services
American Oil Comp,my
The Society of American Engineers published paper reflected a survey regarding
cost per gallon of maintaining cars using the
unleaded and leaded gases. Costs with
unleaded gas were lower. It has been
established for some time in racing circle~ that
American gasolines produce honest power
boosts without significant carbon buildUp.
Too bad they aren't more widely available in
the Western U.S ..__ Ed.
THERE ARE OTHER THINGS
IN LIFE
Ron Sch~eiders' November II
"Gambit" was the most inteUigenL,
enlightened, and humane piece of
writing I have seen in reading six
months of Cycle News. I only hope that
there are many other cycle enthusiasts
who can put things into Schneiders'
perspective. Motorcycling is great, but
life is more than just motorcycling.
Important as this activity may be to
one's livelihood or recreation, it pales in
comparison to such problems as war,
inflation, unemployment, government
corruption, and the clear and obvious
deterioriation of our natural
environmen L If we don't give first
priority to these great problems, even at
some sacrifice to the sport we love, our
motorcycles will provide us with cold
comfort.
BOB BRONSOJ
Sacramento, Calif.
Cycle News West, P.O. Box 498, Longo
Beach,
Cali fornia
90801.
(213)
427 ·7433~ L.A. 636·8844.
TELEX
NO. 673-474
• Manon Hatashita .....•............Typographer
Melvin Phelps.....
.
Assistant Typographer
Randy Dietzel
Bookkeeper
Barbara Bebeck
Bookkeeping Assistant
'J1arilyn Kirk."..
. Bookkeeping Assistant
queekyAHa' Ynes
'Co" .Genera , ~retary
I
ector 9Ulera
mputer Tc\"lInlClan
Published weekly except the first and
last ,week of the calendar year by Cycle
News, Inc., Post Office Box 498, Long
Beach., California. Also publishers of
Cycle News East, and Dixie Cycle News.
Second Class Postage paid at Long
Beach, Calif. Editorial stories, cartoons,
photos, etc. are welcome. Add rejised ,
stampf;ld envelope assures return of
editorial matter. Reprinting in whole or
in
. .. Production Assistant
Lab Technician
(Mfi )
,..
National Advertising Director (Cycle
News West, Cyc Ie N E t C yc Ie
ews
as,
News Dixie): Tom Culp.
Subscription:
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Copyright@CycleNews,lnc.1972
all rights reserved
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B
R
Major Inside Reports
DEAR JEALOUS
I find dI1 occasional picture in Cycle
News of a girl wearing a midriff blouse
rather refreshing. I know several girls
that wear that type of clothes and I
don't consider them featherbrained sex
objects. Most of my friends feel the
POOP: News and noise
, ...•......•...•
7
SNEAK PEEK: The Honda two strokes
8
SMOOTH TRACK: Flat and flashy ........•..............•...... 11
OPINION: Cycle Noise .....................• , .....•...•......13
LOCAL MX: Lions last leap ......•......•..........•... :
17
TRANS·AMA: 'Dog bites man ............•..........•......... .20
DESERT: 2500 madmen can't be wrong ....•......•
.24
SECTION: North tQ Canada ....................• , .....•...... .28
CALENDAR Bulldozer races?'
,,
32
RESULTS: Did ya score? ..................•..... , •...•.......37
NEW PRODUCTS: Whatin the world .....•..........•...•..... , .41
0
0
0
••••••••
•••••••••••••
same way.
Don't get me wrong. I've seen a
couple of girls in leathers that were
pretty cute and I even thought Theresa
Martin was kind of sexy in hers. ] really
hate to sbock you, but I did happen to
see Theresa in a bikini top and the
bottoms to her leathers between races at
Bakersfield Speedway last summer!
I like girls no matter what they have.
-on.
TOM
Dist. 37
South Gate, Calif.
••••••••••••
FREE
MEDICARD
GET
YOURS NOW
VOICES OF THE WEST
ENDURO CHAMP
Your idea of a National Enduro
Champion being decided on (our or five
even ts is very good. That these even ts be
open only to qualified riders is also a·
good idea.
I see twO major problems that would
have to be solved before your ideas
could be realized. The first problem is
the present non~standardization of
ehduros and second is the lack of any
efficient rider ranking. I feel, as you do,
that the AMA has the potential to
organize and run a National Enduro
schedule. The AMA could reqUIre a
standard set of rules for the running of
qualifying and Championship enduros.
This is something that is presently
non-existent in our California enduros.
The AMA could provide for enduro
rider ranking at the District and
National Level, again something that
isn't being done at presen L These
problems do not seem insurmountable
and maybe with enough urging from the
enduro community something will
happen not only to give us a true
National Enduro Champion but also
improve al] enduros.
RON RILEY
CERA North
San J uan Bautista, Calif.
Anyone with additional ideas on the National
Enduro sc.ene should contact Ron and/or the
AMA ... Ed.
IN DEFENSE OF LAS VEGAS
Often when I read motorcycle
articles in magazines I don't let them
"shake me up" as I feel most people
wri~ing them are trying to get some
recognition in the first place. And
rightly so, that's their learning and how
else would they get to be known. Righ t!
I just couldn't pass by your article
(The National Papers) without a word
of fairness to a lot of great people in our
sport.
You are really so wrong in your
assumptions of the so called old adage
of "I f it was OK last year its good
enough for this years" in connection
..
.. .
with the old Competition Commillee.
That attitude was never taken by these
people. They were and still are real
dedicated motorcycle people; even tho
they are "non voting honorary
members" today.
nfortunately some
are
not
honorary
members,
onJy
because they were not members at the
closi ng 0 f t he old Competition
Commillee in Miami Florida several
years ago. This to me was a bit unfair as
all in previous years h ad worked very
hard for the Competition Committee. I
p~rsonal,ly felt they all should have been
made honorary members.
These people are still giving of their
own time and money for what they
believed in to help our sport. How can
anyone put them down? (Om sure they
wouldn't if they realized all the time
and hard work they had contributed.
Whether anyone wants to believe it
or not, they were the back bone of our
sport today: it didn't just happen. They
tried to work for the good of all.
It disturbs me at grea.t length to
think that people would ever suggest
tlrat the old "Competition Committe
met at numerous parts of the country
to renew old friendships". The reasons
for having the meetings in different
places was to be fair to the people in
those areas. These people didn't have to
ren e w friendships at Competition
Committee meetings, they saw each
other all thru the year at the differen t
races, carrying on their volun tary help
wherever needed with
our
compensation,"
Thats dedication! and love of our
sport in my book.
In behalf of our new AMA Congress,
we have another great group of hard
working people. Believe me, I've seen
them in action. I ts a proud feeling to
know we have young people that are
willing to carry on for the great sPOrt of
motorcycling - Good luc.k in your
future meetings.
MISS JUDY HORKY
.
...
The Little Company of Mary Hospital
in Torrance, has printed, as a public
service, hospital consent cards for
minors or adults. These cards authorize
emergency room treatmen t at any
California hospital. Tbere is room on
these cards to list any allergies, special
medical problems, family physician, etc.
The Torrance Traffic Commission
Cycle Awareness Committee gave these
away at the Cycle Safety Clinic at
Ascot, October 28th. Readers interested
in obtaining cards can send a self
addressed stamped envelope to Little
Co. of Mary Hospital, Community
Relations, 4101 Torrance Blvd.,
Torrance, Ca. 90503. The cards 'are free,
but you must send a stamped, addressed
envelope.
The Cycle Awareness Committee is
proud of the City of Torrance for its
role in cycle safety and for it's
leadership and interest. Little Co. of
Mary Hospital-has shown it's concern by
ta4ng an active part in our safety
program.
BARBARA HONEYCUrr
Secretary
Cycle Awareness Committee
ad hoc to the Torrance Traffic Commission
AR ISE AND AMASS
I was wondering if you had a list of
names and address of clubs for Desert
racers in the Burbank area. I would
appreciate having this list and also how
would I go about joining one of these
clubs.
I am a ]5 year old High School
studen t and I race desert. A group of
guys like myself and a few police
officers are trying to open our hills for
riding and [ would appreciate any ideas
anyone might have about fighting City
Hall and Opening this land for dirt bike
riding. But as of now all we have had is
a mini·bike course which was too
expensive and too hard to pass
equipment inspection (muffler, speed
govenors, eeL) so it flopped on its face.
JIM SLOAN
920 Grinnell Dr.
Burbank, Calif. 91501
Listing clubs in the valley area is no small
task. Hopefullyrhey might get in touch with
you now ... Ed.
HEY, YOU GUYS!
On the Preview of the Trial de
Espana: First, you didn't say that it was
a preview. 1t was. The Trials won't be
until December 10.
Second, the chairman's name· was
spelled wrong: it is Vie Conaway.
Third. Those pictures aren't mine, as
the article would lead one to believe.
Properly, credit should be, given to Red
Richardson.
You wanna' tell folks the straigh t
story?
ALlCE RHEA
Santa Ana, Calif.
We knew all that. .. Ed.
