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/125831
October Page 5 23,1973 ··Clean Up your act by 1976" EPA announces nevv emission standards WASHINGTON, D.C., OCT. 15 Th e Environmental Protection Agency today announced final transportation control measures to lower air pollution levels in several of the nation's largest cities. Regulations applicable to the registration and operation of motorcycles were included in the transportation con trol plans of Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and the San Joaquin Valley areas. The Motorcycle Industry Council said they were "gratified" that the EPA modified the drastic and 'unfair motorcycle transportation controls which they originally proposed on June 15, 1973. The. MIC believes that the new motorcycle transportation controls for certain areas in California, while quite restrictive, are nevertheless a ~ore r~aJis tic approach to regulating motorcycle emissions. The new controls recogqize proposals for setting national motorcycle emission standards. The MIC was also gratified to note that the 1974 "lid" on motorcycle registration is not contained in the new transportation con trois. While questions remain concerning the required 50 percent motorcycle emission reduction bY.model year 1976 and the registration aspects of the new controls, the MIC will continue to work with the EPA in this critical area. The Board of Directors of the MIC will meet next week in Los Angeles for further consideration of the new regulations and it is anticipated that a mo~ in-depth s~,,!ent will be issued at that time when. all parties have had an opportunity to consider the ramifications of today's action_ The new controls provide that: •• Motorcycle Restrictions: Prohibits registration. of motorcycles in California and their operation within the region between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. during the moo. ths from May to October unless the 1~76 model motorcycles are in compliance with Federal emission regulations effective for that year and those regulations will provide for a 50% emission reduction. In 1979 new motorcycles must either meet inore restrictive emission standards or the o~ration ban will occur." These standards will likely be similar to those required on 1976 automobiles. _n't Tony, it was Rick Mirical, his buddy. If you haven't read Roxy Rock wood's letter to the editor in this issue, do so. Then give three cheers for Ron Grant. I'M BOUND TO WANDER: Mark Room recently rode his 90cc Kawasaki MC-1 from Escondido, Califomia to Bangor, Maine. Must have been a girl. We can't think of any other reason for riding a mini-enduro all that way. We .can think of a girl in Maine... Suzuki has tried to hire Bengt Aberg. as Roger DeCoster's teammate for 1974. Aberg was the 1969 500cc World Champ. Dick MaDn has finished in the top ten National positions for the sixteenth time in seventeen yean. In 1966 he finished twelfth after riding only half the season. Hoo, boy! We can't think of anybody who has ever equalled this feat. Pierre Karsmakers' brother, Frans, came over to watch his big brother race. He ended up on a borrowed Yamaha. He didn't do too well at Mid-Ohio but we're told he'll get faster. Maybe it'll'be the Pete and Fred Show. AI Hendricks we the winner of the Sandy lane National Enduro. It's amazing how many people in the motorcycle industry don't do it. Even a great many moto-journalists don't ride. A common reaction to admissions by CN staffers that they actually race is great su~rise. The stench of burning camel dung once again wafts through the Editorial Department of old Sickle Noise, announcing to the world that John Huetter (and his pipe) have returned from Europe and once again taken up residence within these walls. We're not quite sure yet what he's doing here. Former Penton·mounted Bruce MacDougal will be campaigning in the future in the 125 and 250 classes on Hondas. Seems like American Honda is serious about keeping their national motocross efforts up to strength and have the Elsinores to put the pro riders on. Another one for the ex-VP: The cretinous cacaphony of corruption currently coincides with the catalogue of calculating campaigners on the carpet for cankerous behavior. Caveat emptor, Spiro. Bruce McDoupl he switched from Penton and Yamaha to Honda and Honda in the 125 and 250 classes. Bruce will be Elsinoring out of Norris Roberts Honda in San Clemente. One of the problems with being a Novice is that not everyone is a cherry picker. Some of those guys out there are real Novices and fall down in front or you or run into you. Being a Novice can be downrigh t dangerous. The Ontario National continues, unfortunately, to lose spectators each year. The reason seems to be that the track is too sprawling and flat to allow the spectator to see much from any point except the grandstands. The problem with the grandstands is that you can't see what's happening - really happening - down on the track. Nor is there any place where the spectator can get close enough to _ the-action close up. 'Meanwhile, the gate figures at Laguna Seca showed improvement this year, At Laguna you can sit under a tree, have a beer, and sit and watch motorcycles sI ide and Wiggle around a few yards away in the Monterey sunshine. Carl Shipman, "The Dirt Rider", stopped by our orifices the other day to .drop off a copy of his new book, How to Ride Observed Trials for Fun. He tells us that he has passed the "Dirt Rider accessory business on to his son and has gone to work for H.P. Books, 4058 North 14th Avenue, Tucson, Arizona 85705. He finds writing more fun than the goodie business, he says. As soon as we read his book, we'll tell you what we think about it. If you want a copy before that, it's available from the above address for five bucks. U IT WAS A MIRACLE: Last week we told you that a certain picture of a rider at Baymare was of Tony DelaTorre. It This year's Baja 1000 will meeure 875 miles going from Ensenada to La Paz over a new route that Sta rts off back-tracking on the Baja 500 course so that the stretch from Ojos Negros to Punta Final Will, for the first time, be run in daylight. Even with all the road improvement in Baja in the last three yean, the stretch of course from Puertecitos to Alfonsina's is probably the roughest in Baja. Wide World of Sports is missing a bet by not filming it. Will the increased difficulty of the course favor the bikes? Somehow we still pick one of the 400 or whatever horsepower four-wheel creations to win overall but they won't have nearly as much pavement to run on. Too bad Rolf Tibblin is out of it. Plans are virtually finalized for the Long Beach Minibike park with the U.S. Navy donating a grader to scrape away the garbage and an insurance liability program set up. American Honda has helped in establishing it and the Long Beach City Council is writing to the other Japanese Big Three to see if they will assist. "Minibikes" up to 250cc will be allowed. DeWayne Jones says that he is still working for Honda. He will ride in the last races of the Trans AMA after recuperating for another month or so from a crushed right hand suffered at Pocono. He said Gary quit the Honda Team because he did not want to do R&D work, but rather just ride. According to the Japan_ trade press, Kawasaki p1ens to build a $20 million manufacturing facility in the U.S. The location is expected to be in the south or midwest and the plent i1 slatlld to be operational within a year. Dave Phelan is a D-37 desert racer, which would not nonnally distinguish him for thousands of other intrepid types who engage in the weekend desert wars, except that he is also a Los Angeles high school teacher who, on his own, has started teaching a course in Motorcycle Safety, Instruction and Maintenance at Monroe High School. However, the school district allowed him no budget for the class and he needs the visual and tactile aids to actually teach the young riders something about bikes. If any of you have any running or junked bikes, tools, engines, forks or any motorcycle components that can be used to illustrate the lectures, call Dave at 213/892-4311 Lxt48 when he's at school or at 213/349-2625 when he's at home. All donations are tax deductible and it is a good way to get high schoolers started in motorcycling in a safe, responsible way. We applaud Dave's efforts and hope, that if you can help make it a 's~ccess, his pilot program could lead to a regular .course in L.A. City Schools. . On the way to ESClIP4l CoUntry for some moto Jesting laSt week, one of our staffen·.we cited fot "excessive noisemodiffed system" in his van. Upon questioning the officer we discovered the following facts: The maximum noise standard for automobiIU is 82 dbA at 50 feet, 86 for motorcycles and 90 for trucks. However, the officer explained, if the exhaust system has been modified " i1 illegal even if it produces less than the maximum noise level allowed. Huh? We intend to check the exact wording in 'the law, and to run a sound check on the van (which does have hot dog glass-pack dool pipes.) So if anyone has an "A Scale decibel metllr we can borrow, please give us a eall. Maybe we'll make a tlIst case out of this. H CORONA ISN'T CLOSED! Despite what you may have read in Maureen Lee's column last week, Corona is still open. Only the Sunday AMA events have been scratched. At the District 37 meeting, Maureen was told that all events had been moved to Elsinore. Ain't so. Corona is again involved in court hassles over noise, and the judge has 60 days to render a decision. It appears that some restriction might be forthcoming (perhaps a curfew) but Corona should still be in business. The I track will be closed in Decemher for renovation. Stay tuned for coverage of Corona events and Dews on the outcome of the latest difficulties. Motobecane, a French company, has introduced a 500cc two stroke triple with electronic fuel injection to the crankcase. The bike, to be available in 1975, is said to have a reduced pollution level because of the fuel injection. We11 probably see more of it. Seen at the Paris Motorcycle Show was a Harley·Davidson Trials bike, produced by their Italian ann. The SX Trials will be available next year. CZ, has also announced a n_ triels bike,a 250. The trouble with lubing your chain with chocolate syrup is the ants that collect on your wheel every time you park it. The Mint 400 is going to be March 17 through 20. Entries will be sent out on October 20. Drawing for starting position will be held December 1. Valvoline has agreed to provide oil at all M.O.R.E. benefits'. A very friendly thing, and one that will keep motorcycling's watchdog mechanism well lubricated.