Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

THE LATEST you cere enough to try to say what's going on (We'll correct your g r if need be.). that you can use a cemera. and that you get your story to us on Monday, for doing that _'II pay you. If you think you might even be a little inlllrested and qualified, cell 427-7433 right after New Year and ask for the Managing Editor. Maybe we'll both come out ahead. Why don't you get in an all-biker car pool. Check the "Route Check" on page 73 of this paper. It's free. A1temately, maybe you can help out by listing yourself in that column. It's free, it helps other bikers, and it'l save you gas for weekend racing or riding. Kawasaki finally sent us the bumper sticker that we've been waiting for: "Save gas, ride a motorcycle'" Meybe your d.le' will have them, or write K_asaki. One of the major companies racing four-strokes tried mufflers on their National bikes and found that they were just as fast and accelerated just as bard. Riders, however, had the impression that they were going slower and thought they were until they raced the unmuffled bikes. TRUISM OF THE WEEK: The o_r's manual for the Y-"a MX 250 and 360 and SC 500 ' - this bit of SlIlIlI lIdvice for the purc:huer: "Whether you will win a rKe or not depend (sic) on your driving skill .net your machine (sic) performance. It will not be euy for you to _tch a victory in any rKe, beclIuse the perf_nce of your IIlKhine will be lIffet:ted to a extent by conditions of the rllCing course, _ther and iIle like." We -lIVS knew th~ you couldn't win 'em all, but to SlIV ~ you CM't win My _ms a little hlIrsh. "rgI SELECTED MEMBERSlllP. The Safety Helmet Council of America says you may qualify for the "Saved-by·theHelmet" club if a safety helmet has kept you from serious injury or death. One problem in determining qualifications, seems to us, is how do you tell whether it could have been "serious injury or death" if you weren't wearing a helmet~ Following in the footsteps of the Mint 400, the NlItionel roed rllCll scheduled for Texes World Speedwey on Mey 5 ' - been celled off es hlIve all motorsports at the facility "until the end of the energy crisis." If thlIt's the criteria, it means th~ there will never be any more racing there. Scratch another one and hope ~ the number of events _ lose is minimal. The 24-hour car race usually held at Day tona about this time of the year has been postponed. The reason given was that some of the cars aren't ready, but the gas situation was also mentioned. The race may be shortened to save gas. With our Daytona just about 10 weeks off, and gas rationing likely to appear about the same time, we wonder what is going to happen. A friend from "Dirt Rider" magazine was heard to comment that the ranks of American citizenry should ~II considerably if they don't have any GP's in Europe next Year. Sure is hard to find Pennzoil 2-eycle oil, unfortunately. Seems some magazine decided, witbout proper testing procedures, that they didn't like it. The result has been that dealers aren't prone to carry it. Then, almost by accident, we ran some .of their two-stroke oil and liked it just fine. Now we can't get it when we ask for it. Also worthy of notes is that Pennzoil is concen!rating their raCing support behind bikes and emphasizing bike racing next year over car racing. We'd buy a case if we could fmd somebody who stocked it. The high cost of everything hes finally gotten to Saddlebaek and OCIR motocross racing facilities where the price of admission for racers will rise to $2. It's nothing to kick about; the price is hardly oU1rllgllOus and you can understand their position., There will probably be a general price upping during the year. The gas crisis has brought a ban on motorsports in Ireland. The Yamahll monoshoek suspension could very _II be stand.-d on their 1975 production motocroaers. A monoshock frame is also likely to appear at Daytona on one or more of Yamaha's 700cc road racers. HEY, CLUBS: If you hlIven't been in past Cub Guides as prin18cl in CN or if you've chMged your address or something since _ last prinllld it, send us a listing. We'l print the next Cub Guide in our first issue af1IIr Christmas vacation. If you'd like to know where you can ride in Angeles National Forest, check the Results section. There's a map there. Honde won't be road racing in 1974. They will continue to support a motocross lIIam and analyze the pavement situ~ion. In 1975, providing things go _II, they will field a roed racing team and perhllps even a concerted bid for the AMA Number One p"l11 with dirt track rllCing, too. The question now seems to be whether or not little religious statues that glow in the dark on the handlebars of motocrossers is going to catch on. We stopped at our local dealer recently and _re told about the new Riehllrd M. Nixon Foul Weather Jacket. It comes in red, white, and blue with a yellow stripe down the back and you wear it when the dimalll gets threatening. Economists employed by Goodyear Tire and Rubber say that there will be more bicycles and motorcycles on the road by 1980 than automobiles. More two wheelers than cars were sold in 1973, they say. They foresee an expansion of the number of motorcycles on U.S. highways from 6.6 million to 13 million. If you're a desert racer who is concerned by the ..ek of coverage of desert events, you cen remedy the situation. The editorial staff has been beating their brains out trying to find contributors to cover desert events. You wouldn't think that it would be thlIt h.-d. We don't demand that you be Ernest HemingwllV or the world's greatest photographer. We only ask that you be inlllras18cl in desert racing, thlIt Young John Davidson has been appoin ted President of Harley-Davidson Motor Co., Ihc. Rodney C. Gott of AMF (They make bowling balls and own H-D) got to tell the world the happy news. It only seems fitting somehow that Davidson should be Prez of his namesake company. IT'S ONLY ME FROM OVER THE SEA. Barnacle Bill's, at 1846 E. Huntington Dr. in Duam, Cal., will be showing free movies at 8 pm., JMuary 8, 1974. One of thlIse smash hits thlIt never made the Bijou is on European long track and speedway championships. You have to sit sidewllVS to watch it. As we went to press we heard about another big bummer. Randy Bailey, the rider who showed so much promise as a class C Junior this year, was killed in an industrial accident. In many ways, it's been a very rotten year. The AMA is trying to lilt toged_ a $1,000.000 contingency program for the 1974 Grand National ChlImpionship. The idA is to get people to promise monllV in return for plugging their product at AMA races - down the leg of your "~rs, painted on the ges tank, or whenver. The nagging question is "Does Foamy tooths-1ll really meke you go fas1llr?" Conlllct Dave Welsh, AMA National Headquarters, Westerville, Ohio 43081, for a d81lliled outline on how you cen cepitalize on 50 y.rs of AMA competition. LAND RUSH. Dr. Walter Wilkes who lives in P_O. Box 23, Oak View, Calif. has 100 acres of land which he would like to lease or sell to some club or civic group. The land is off Foothill Blvd. near the Olive View Sanitarium which fell down in the earthquake. Does the land straddle the San Andreas fault? Sounds interesting for motocross if it does. If you aren't a world ehlImpion-level trials rider, don't bring your bike to ride around the sections at Saddleback on January 6. There will be several parking lots loca18cl for maximum access to all sections. Spectating will not be a chore since the "yout, though a nine-mile loop, is being redesigned so the most people can watch the most stars essay the most sections. This is the first points'9llying Inlllmational trial in the U.S. AMAdues reduced! WESTERVILLE, OHIO, DEC. 17 The American Motorcycle Association today announced a revised 1974 program, including a graduated membership plan at a reduced dues structure. Effective January 1, 1974, motorcyclists will have their choice of a $10 Competition membership, an $8 Enthusiast membership, or a $6 Associate memoership, depending upon their motorcycling interests. Acting Executive Director Ed Youngblood described the new program as a response to the desires of the membership, as expressed in the recent AMA report survey, and as an effort to structure the AMA to better serve the averClS(e rider. The $10 Competition membership will entitle its holder to compete in any of the 7000 amateur, semi-pro or road rider events sanctioned annually by the AMA. The $8 Enthusiast membership is designed for the road rider and casual trail rider, who finds the greatest threat to his sport in the area of adverse legislation. The Enthusiast will be entitled to participate in all AMA sanctioned road rider events, while his membership will be aimed at confronting such problems as no-fault insurance and land closure. To maintain the AMA's position as a family association in a family sport, an Associate membership will be available to the spouse and children 16 and under of Competition or Enthusiast members. Associate members will be eligible to enter road rider even ts as riders' or passengers. All members will receive a card, pin, and sticker and will continue to receive .. AMA Report", the monthly association newsletter. Each members will be covered by a death and dismemberment insurance benefit of up to $2,000 in effect while operating, .sitting on, or alighting from a motorcycle anywhere in the world 24 hours per day. The only exception would be if the member were competing in a racing event not sanctioned by the AMA. Youngblood noted that a revision of il1surance policies opened the door to the new-style membership. He said, "Non-racing members will no longer feel that they are subsidizing the medical insurance program for competition riders. Instead; they will support, as a reduced fee, AMA activities which most directly benefit them." On the subject of medical insurance, Youngblood noted that response to the availability of medical benefits had been generally good, but there was considerable resistance to tbe mandatory nature of the program. Thus, as of January 1, 1974, there will no longer be medical coverage for amateur competition provided as a benefit of AMA membership. Youngblood explains, "In addition to the objections to a mandatory program, losses incurred by the carriers made them unwilling to renew the 1973 pro gr am on the same basis. A continuation of the program would have called for another dues increase, and this we certainly could not consider." Thus, for 1974, medical coverage for competing members will be available through AMA, but at the option of promoting clubs. II . ....poltaDIDO~. Cycle News offices will be CLOSED from 5 p.m. December 18 unti I 9 a.m. January 2 so that our staff may enjoy the holiday with their families. There will be no one at any of our offices and no departments will be doing business during that time. See you in '74. , 5

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