Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125825
September 11, 1973 Page 22 BAY AREA BU1TACO BIG SAVINGS WHILE THEY LAST! By Ron Schneiders The Sticky Situation 125,175,250, & 350 PURSANGS 125, 175, 250, & 350 ALPINAS A few weeks ago I wrote a couple of columns on the subject of Green Stickies, Orange Stickies, license plates and such. I asked that the readers give me their views on the subject. Motorcyclists are not known for writing letters so I didn't expect very much and I said I would prin t the replies. I received over 50 letters and phone calls. (r, still haven'r figured out how so many readers discovered my unlisted phone number. Lots of ingenuity out there!) At any rate there were far too many to print and some writers were so candid that I'm afraid r migh t embarrass them if r listed their names, so I am going to use only fint names, and quote from tbose letters that seem to represent views most accurately. 1 will be happy to show the letters to anyone with a legitimate in terest. Here then is synopsis of opinion. (Set up the way you like!) w the home of: K.. z., .... Canis Brooks, Mn Cook, Bry. HokoIIIb, Tom Poteet, Ray Lopez, ... Browa, sq. Kreps, - L.-ry Itoffn.. . ... IY1 I Ii c: ... "" B' santa Monica Blvd . -co w+' N u ImrDOj ... ~~ 'tI c: ::J III Only one letter in favor, that from Bill and Nancy in Simi who write "Why can't the Green Stickie program be continued but make it enforceable as you describe the Orange Sticke act to be?" Many were violently opposed such as Ward, from Downey who be,gan his letter, "Hey! Ron, Right On! Screw' Orange Stickies!!" Less dramatic but more constructive was the letter from Terry in Menlo Park: "I also have a Bultaco short tracker which goes no where except on a track and I think it would be really unfair to make me get a sticker for it." 0 i5 . c: III S S~nta Orange Stickies ! Monica Frwy 1352 Centinela, W. Los Angeles Corner of Santa Monica Blvd. & Centinela Open 9 to 6 Tues. - Sat. 9 - 9 on Thursday Green Stickie ~anong~ono~ono~ono~ Mandatory the readers were in favor of A few of ~ .~T~O t.. YAMAKA (l "SPECIAL OF THE WEEK" • ~. :.iiI1~ . or t 24020 NARBONNE AVE" LOMITA, CA. 90717 ~O :t"t; 0 t"r." 't/;" .r ~ ,,;:) ,. ~ 't", tE.O t"tO T< " 'fEC) 1'(. COMPETITION SHOCK ABSORBERS : : * CHROMED & , ;. • ~ Phone (213) 534·2311 f}' FIVE WAY ADIUSTABLE 'H* ~, VENTED MX JERSEYS ADULTS SIZES REGULAR PRICE $10.95 ... SALE PRICE $6.95 KIDS SIZES REGULAR PRICE $ 8.95 ..• SALE PRICE $5.95 ~ " LIMITED QUANTITIES " c., "(' t: " i DISTRIBUTED BY ; ;; q. ~ POLISHED Sammy Tanner Distributing' • 734 No. Avalon 81w. Wilmington, Calif. 90744 Phone: (213) 830-4040 DOUBLE DAMPENING l1 • REBUILDABLE , "STREET OR RACING Belor Forks and Shocks Make the Difference FOR Hod.k. HODAKA·.ILITY see your local HODAKA dealer Distributed by Tiger Distributing 653 W. Broadway, Glendale, Ca. 91204 jiM FisltbAck's fIMAIIA.. FDJ'r1J.\N;\ @ (714) 822-2252 9008 Sierra Ave., Fontana,Ca Motorcycles >t • ..,U-ue4t tit "~J Mont... f:~r:,,,.I' ~~"c"t,nsSport Cycle Malco GUY R. LOUIS (714) 893·7057 7219 Westminster Ave., Westminster, Ca. DIRT BIKE WEST ~ MOTORCYCLES • THE MEXICAN CONOUEROR" $.II., $.I'VIC. Accenor ••• either mandatory Green Stickies or voluntary compliance. Typical of the reasoning was this commen t from the Oops Racing Team (Yes, for real), "We feel that the Green Stickie should be made mandatory so that all vehicles will be registered and a beneficial parks system will result." Licensing Program The largest percen rage of, readers favored a program of licensing for off road vehicles with some of the money going to a trust fund for trails and parks. George, who lives in Apple Valley, states, ''I am a desert rider, but as a desert resident also, r many times enjoy riding my bike around our area. This sometimes entails street riding. 50 I slip my license plate and rear view mirror back on my bike and have never had any CHP problems. The fact that some of my annual $22 could go to a fund for off-road recreation developmen t would certainly be much better than now." Bill, of the Chapparells MC writes, "I go for the license scheme with a portio.n of the funds going to obtain land or land use. Plush park or camps we don't need. Nothing more ornate than Ballanger Canyon." , What To Do With The Money The most positive comments I received had to do with what might be done with the money, if and when any is accumulated. C.R.L. from Gardena comments, "For my part I'd like to see some of the money spent on a trail that would eventually run the length of the state. The horsebackers and the hikers have theirs, why not the cycle rider?" A fellow named Martin from Long Beach writes, "Even if we had truck loads of money, what would it be used for? Crummy motorcycle parks. The concept of a motorcycle park is all wrong bikes are linear by nature... After five or six laps around a motocross course r lose concen tration because of boredom... l wouldn't want my money to be used for one." William, from Compton says, "I would like to see a portion of the fee from off road registration go to pay for upkeep of the trails in the mountains and deserts. How about some trall signposts in the desert to keep people from getting lost." Skip, from Carson, would like both trails and areas but preferred "trails that go from someplace to someplace else, not just loops." He also mentioned that the areas and trails should remain primi tive. "Most bike riders would rather rough it." Quite a number of the letters made specific reference to the Forest Service areas in Los Padres, around B'aIIanger and Snowy trail and up in the Sequoia Forest as being places they liked and hoped would remain open. The Other Side The comments I have quoted so far represent more or less positive attitudes, or at least the willingness to consider the question, but the majority of letters don't fall into that category. More than half of the letters reflected a kind of hopeless resignation, pessimism or cynicism at the treattnen t they were receiving. Shirley from La Habra begins her letter, "Stop! Talking about stickies, s tickies, stickies!" Her group has apparently bought stickies for their bikes. "We're trying to get reconciled to the present system. Please, it's bad enough." (Shirley also wants me to quit reporting SRA enduros and stick to the tougher ones. Gosh, Shirley, that's the only thing I've won all year... ) "The Green Stickie is a ripoff because it won't keep you from being -routed by the law. I prefer a license plate." ''I t seems that the Orange Stickie is inevitable, They always give us the shaft one way or the other." ''We racers are already ren ting the land via the BLM fees. By buying an Orange Stickie we will simply be paying more rent. This does not guarantee continuing access any more than paying BLM fees does. The money collected will probably go into a general fund or for swimming pools... lt's a proposed ripoff, pure and simple." "Let's not be forced into financing a big police force either!" Although the cynicism and pessimism reflected in these statements is very disturbing, it is not nearly as disturbing as the despair and bewildennent reflected in several Ie Hers. R.C.E. writes, "I have a Green Stickie and r really can't tell you why, because I don't feel I am getting anything for the money spent and at the same time I don't believe it is necessary because most of the others don't have a stickie and they ride everywhere and do everything I do with a stickie... If the Orange Stickie goes through and it costs less than the Green one and you must have one or the other, the majority of riders are going to get the cheapest one because they feel they are going to get nothing from either one." George from Concord, Ca1Uomia, mentioned several of the recent threats to motorcycling including the Orange Stickie, Red Rock Canyon. the EPA proposal and such, and said, "I am both frustrated and saddened at hearing so many proposals launched against us. I don't understand why they are so 'against us. .. All we want is a decent place to ride without being bothered." Mrs. H.W. of Anaheim wrote, "As a member of a biking family, I know we are finding it increasingly difficul t to find areas to ride. As a result of the land closures, we sold our bikes and trailer but due to the unhappiness it cause, we started over. We have three bikes. One is licensed and two have Green S tic kers which entitle us to absolutely nothing. Now my husband arid I are wondering if we didn't make a big mistake. "We ride with a group owning about thirty' bikes and we seem to spend all our time driving around. Everywhere we go, sooner or la ter our friendly neighborhood polceman shows up. Cycle parks are just too expensive as a steady place to go, "It is frustrating to kn~ we are losing more land all the time. The original concept of the Green Sticker seems to have gone astray. My husband bought his Green Sticker in May of '73. Therefore it cost $15 for one year Continued on page 29