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/125880
Dot and Betty Robinson were early members on the Motor Maids with Dot becoming the first president. and Allied T rad es Association. T o m Hen de r s o n of t he He n de rson M o t o r c y cl e C omp any was elec ted pre side nt , A rth u r Dav i dson of Harley-Davidson Mo tor Co mp an y w as treasure r and E .F. Hallock w as na med sec retary . A n avowed p u rpose of t ha t o rganization was to re-vita lize the FAl\1, but such was not to be the case . Instead, the M&ATA qui ckly be came the dominan t force in motorcycle sport, less through its own design than because of the inability of the FAM to survive falling rnernb e rhip and the d evastat ing effect of the first World War's drain o f y oung men from the mo torcycle market. In 1918 , th e FA.\1 made a last-ditc h effort at reorg ani zatio n. turni ng h aving t o do wi th sp orts and God help th e sp ort th at doe s no t fight it off an d p ermits it to ad here to its b od y . On ce firml y at tac he d . it is merel y a m atter of t ime before the leech will sap its vitality . T he professi on al seeks o nly th e d ollar and cares n ot a fig fo r th e spo rt. Th e m o ment t he dollar fails h im, t ha t moment he deserts t he sport: Napoleon rem ar ked , ' I know of no way t o judge the future, save th e past : wh ich is another way of saying experien ce is the best teac her." With that , the Federation of American Motorcycli sts, founded upon such high p r i n c i p Ie s and having · ' t ur ne d ( m o t orcy cl ing ' s) prow t ow ard a purposeful destin ati on" just 16 years prior. unceremoniously went o ut of business. extensive authority over to the st at e organizations. mo un ting a concentrated member ship drive and trying to breathe life into a failing organization. The effort came too late an d different view s o f the d em ise of t he first nat io nal or g ani z at io n of motorcyclists were chronicled in MOTORCYCLE AN D BICYCL E ILL USTRATED . In t he September 5, 1918 editi on , motorcycle enthusiast Ge orge A . Elli s wrote that th e problem with the FAM was that th e contr olling peopl e were not motorcyclists and that co nt rol of the organization through the offices of president, c o m p e t i t i o n chairman, secretary and treasurer sh ould be pl aced en tire ly in th e hands of motorcyclist s. He describ ed the organization as "aflounder.' . T .R. Thomas, FAM se cr etary, responded that the state organization pl an Was' a totally ne w one and in fact made the F AM a n en tirely new organization, built from the ground up on rider co ntrol wit h rid ers in variou s states electing their d istrict governors , the governors in the 48 states ele cting directors and t he d irectors electing officers. ! ew o rganiz atio n or not, FAl\t w as d oomed and its president , R.G . Betts , took another view of the fall wh ich occurred in 1919 . "My firm conviction . and reply is one word-professio nalism. It is a leech which sooner or later seeks to fasten itself to all organizations M&ATA··ANOTHER ANSWER D e s p i t e its industry control , th e Moto r cycle a nd Allied Trades Association ha d in co mm o n wi th the riders o f the n ati o n a genuine des ire to inc rease the sco pe of organ ized activity . Wo rid War I had cu t deepl y in to p rogr ess o n th at front and, whil e th e War had p ro vided a health y mar ket fo r s ervic e machin es, th e post-w ar era dictated that ac tivity b e o rganized no t o nly for t he b en efit of the rider s, b ut als o to ge ne ra te a dem and for m o tor c y cl es . T h i s s o me w ha t self-serving, but none the less healthy , po sture on the part o f th e manu facturers was to characte rize the dev elopmen t of organized motorcycling for the next 45 ye ars. With t he demise o f th e FAM , th e M&ATA qui ckly w ent about th e business of registe ring cl ubs . Noting th e wealth of motorcycle act ivit y, including competit ion events. tours . endurance runs, hillclimbs, race me ets and record . trials to be enjoyed during the 191 9 season the M&ATA urged clubs to register with its Education Committee in order that the clubs migh t in turn be made aware of this activity . Th e Education Committee also o ff ere d val uable information fo r the club s on the promotion of club events. From its headquarters at 326 West Madison Street in Chi cago . Illinois , th e Congratulations to the AMAon their Golden Anniversaryl FCS @ G TSITALL TO TH Florida Cycle has something for everybody. [A) FCS Kangaroo Kushion with Pouch. [BI FCS Bolt.On Pad. leI Steel Coffin Type Gas Tank. [DJ Peanut Style Chopper Tank. [E] Slipover Sissy Bar Pad. [F] FCS Adjustable Sissy Ba r. [Gl Goodyear Tires. [HI Arthur Fulmer Helmets. [IJ Foster Grant Goggles. [J) FCS Moto-X Gloves. [K) Yuasa Batteries. [L) Diamond Chains. 1 Oil Filters. [N) NGK Spark Plugs. [0) Koni M] Shock Absorbers & Springs. The Humber Valley M.e. all dressed up and ready to ride. Florid~ Cycle Supply P .O. Box 5245, Jacksonville. Florida, 32207 (904 ) 733-3363 See Your Local Dealer