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THE SATTLE OF THE EDITORS: Art "the blunt dart" Friedman (C-N)
is about to get 'cooked' by Clarence Neilson of Cycle Magazine.
AKE JONSSON and Yamaha have
developed a suspension for his bike that
he says handles even better than the
Maico that he rode last year. He has
spent most of this seas.on sorting out the
bike and hasn't had much success, but
after his pair of third places in the West
German GP, he says that he is looking
forward to the remainder of the season
with renewed enthusiasm. What Yamaha
has done, apparently, is to copy the
Maico and then improve upon it. Ake
prefers the present arrangement to the
unique single shock system.
Meanwhile, Suzuki is trying a new
longer front fork on DeCoster's bike.
Roger acknowledges that the Suzukis
don't hll¥8 the obvious superiority that
they did a few years ago.
John Banks had his BSA come apart
again at the West German GP. Seems
like America was good for him.
They're still trying to decide whether or
not to allow the Sikhs, members of an
eastern religion, to go without helmets
in Britain. The Sikhs' religion requires
that they waar turbans, but the helmet
law doesn't allow for such exclusions.
One Sikh was arrested for violation, but
his case was' adjourned until Parliament
made a decision. He showed up at court
on a bike, waaring a turban.
Phil Read almost wasn't able to race in
the Czech GP because of foot and
mouth disease. He found a border that
was closed because of it and they almost
didn't Jet him pass.
The latest unofficial skinny on what's
going on in the Enduro world this fall is
that the Jackass Enduro will not, in
fact, happen. The additional unofficial
story, seeking to supply optimism in
days of pessimism is that the Double
Crossers M.C. is going to do one instead.
That comes unofficially from the
unofficial District unofficial.
It's great sport to go touring with a
friend who has one of those burglar
alarms on his bike that are activated by
something moving the bike. You wait
until he is just getting to sleep in his
motel. room, see, and then you go out
and bump his bike. Everyone will come
out of their rooms to see him run in and
out of his room. He'll have to do it
twice because the first time he'll forget
his key.
Another fun thing to do is to go touring
in Colorado without the required
reflective tape on your helmet. That
way you can get to meet Officer Picky.
Are there Suzuki works replicas in the
making? There's a chance.
The Austin, Texas (Home of Cycle
News Central I Aqua Festival is getting
ready to happen again. It includes two
motorcycle events, a $1500 motocross
on July 29 and an amateur road race on
August 5. The unique thing about the
road race is the fact that it is ru n
through city streets, by the river, and'
through some parks. Two ottier items
thrown in are a wheelie contest and an
antique mosickle show. It's all done
with the city's blessing. More info at
512/4534555.
safety is to chase away dirt riders,
according to Terry Magnan, City
Director of Public Safety. We think we
llon't like the way the city non-thinks.
Along with tickets being handed out to
bicylists in La Mirada rampantly, you,
too, can get busted on your bicycle_ You can buy a 650 chicken power
auxiliary bicycle motor and strap it on
your ten speed. At least .that's what we
discern from a press release we received.
What's next, a California to Africa ride
with the contraption? Or will somebody
offer it as the ultimate solution to
problems of motorcycle safety?
Of course, it was bound to happen
eventually. As motorcycling becomes
increasingly a family sport, your
potential for enjoying it as a family
sport increases, too. Now, if you would
like to ride Trials in a family way and
then you happen to be especially taken
by the desert, you can ride a family
trials in the desert. On July 8 the Desert
Observed Trials Club put on their event
in Acton, California. The same novice
type traps were used for men, women
and children. The course was set up by
the powder puff members of the club in
hopes of attracting more family
members into competition.
But, if you're looking for a long way to
go on a rather absurd vehicle, it would
be hard t9 beat riding across the United
States on a Kawasaki mini-enduro, with
saddlebags. We aren't really that freaked
out about the logistics of doing it. We're
just amazed that anyone would want to.
If you didn't gather, someone is doing
it.
All contributors of race reports, results,
editorials, etc., PLEASE send in TYPED
AND DOUBLE SPACED copy if at all
possible. Copy which is double spaced,
type written wili always be considered
first. Staff editors are staff writers, too,
and have better things to do than
re-type someone else's work.
To Mark Hansen and other concerned
desert people: If you're concerned
about the location of the pi ts for the
Desert Turtles/Jackrabbits race on
August 12, they will be in Lucerne
Valley. Gas stops will be in Lucerne
Valley, Lucerne Valley and Lucerne
Valley. Though the race is billed by the
AMA as proceeding from "the greater
Mojave area to Parker, Arizona," and
the AMA has sent a sanction for the
non..existent race, it is in fact a
Dual-European Scrambles.
Aub LeBard was elected president of
the California Motoreycle Industry
Council last week. Now maybe they'll
do something spectacular, like getting
an EPA exemption for Gold Stars.
B.O. Buck of the La Mirada Horseman's
Association is seeking the support of
motorcyclists and other interested
groups in the formation of a La Mirada
Trails Council. ln the past, the La
Mirada Council has been able to deny
motorcycle and horse trails to the
public because of many groups opposing
each other and cancelling out each
other's efforts. Mr. Buck hopes to unify
these user groups and preserit a unified
front working for the multi-use concept
of recreation and trails areas within the
city_ It may sound incredible, but it's
true, and it seems from conversations
from Mr. Buck that he is the man to
pull it off. lnterested bikers should
-contact Mr. Buck at 213/692-0651 or
213/943-.7625. And to think it all
started with the Sierra Club Series....
MeM'lwhile, the City of Lakewood seems
m think that the best way to promote
-
It's always sad to see a long time biker
cashing it in, so everyone ought to give
Louie Thomas a fme going away party
by boogeying over to his going away,
quitting business, retiring after 40 years,
sale. Jt starts on July 25 and he's
located three blocks south of the
Po mona Freeway on Atlantic
Boulevard.
Lack of geographic knowledge has
caused us to be had by the calendar
clowns. Someone decided that it would
be fun to make up an item for a Grand
Prix in the Santa Monica Mtns., in
Tanana. Someone call ed to say that the
President of the United States couldn't
even hold a race there. All we can say is
that he could if he owned it which
wouldn't seem unlikely, and sorry to
anyone who tried to go.
lt was amazing, after all the furor about
safety here and abroad, to see long
unpadded stretches of guard rail on the
outside of turns at Laguna Seca. At least
two turns were lacking in haybales for
the National. C'mon AMA, get on the
ball!
TO B OR NOT TO B: Yvon DuHamel
and Art Baumann are considered to be
the ·faster members of the' Kawasaki
road racing team. Gary Nixon and Cliff
Carr are considered by the same people
to be the second stringers. They call
Yvon and Art the "A Team" and Gary
and CI iff the "B Tea';'''. In victory
circle Cliff's tuner Kevin Cameron
turned to Gary's tuner, Irv K_moto
and muttered "B Team your ass'"
Mert Lawwill is a better road racer than
you migh t think. His bike isn't terribly
fast, but Mert does quite a job with it. It
was also interesting to see Bob Bailey
qualify for the National.
.
WORLD CHAMPS: Phil Read, in
beating his MV teammate, Giacomo
Agostini, won the world 500cc road
racing championship at the Swedish TT.
Then the following week Agostini won
the 350 dass in Finland to keep his 350
title after T euvo Lansivuori ran off the
track. Kent Andersson also cI inched the
125 title in Sweden with a second.
Besides Read's win at the Swedish TT
other winners were; 50cc, Jan De Vries;
125cc, Borje Jansson; 25Ooc, Dieter
Braun; 35Ooc; Teuvo Lansivuori.
Gary Fisher's
broken collarbone,
sustained in practice at Laguna Sees,
will probably keep him from going to
England as planned for the Silverstone
International on August 11th.
Kenny Roberts had a son on July 26.
Kenneth Lee Roberts weighed in at six
pounds, three ounces.
Frank Gillespie and' Phil Franks were
injured in Sunday morning practice at
Laguna when they crashed together.
Gillespie was reported to be in fair
condition with a brain concussion and
Frank received a punctured lung.
Information on Submission of
Written Comments and Public
Hearings
The EPA is accepting written
comments and holding public meetings
on the proposed restrictions as listed
below.
California
Written comments must be
submitted (preferably in triplicate) by
August 15 to: -Regional Administrator,
Environmental Protection Agency, 100
California Street, San Francisco, CA,
94]]J.
August 6, 9:30 a.m.: Fresno
Convention Center, 700 M Street,
Exhibit Hall Wine Room, Fresno, CA.
August 7,9:30 a.m.: California State
Bldg., 1350 Front Stree~, Room
Bl09-Auditorium, San Diego, CA.
August 8,9:30 a.m.: Federa:l Bldg.,
450 Golden Gate Avenue', Ceremonial
Court Room, San Francisco, CA.
August 9: Los Angeles, CA. Location
not announced
August 10, 9:30 a.m. Resources
Bldg., 1416. 9th Street, Auditorium,
Sacramento, CA.
Arizona
Written comments must be
submitted (prefer.ably in triplicate) by
August 15 to: Regional Administrator,
Environmental Protection Agency, 100
California Street, San Francisco, CA,
94]]J.
Public Hearings:
August 6, 9:30 a.m.: Phoenix Civic
Plaza, Flagstaff Room, 225 E. Adams
Street, Phoenix, AZ.
August 8, 9:30 a.m.: Tucson
Community Center Theatre, 260
Church Street, Tucson, AZ.
