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/125978
M.D.R.E. from the Capitol Keep Dlat writing hal limber Pushing people·po er dpr ducts·1rthe gas cmnch-or,'Peddle harder,Jllasr Hard on the heels of President Ford 's latest message for th e masses comes this bevy of products we can use to peddle-oops-PEDAL away from the brink of mechanized oblivion. Or something like that __. Land-use There are two st ate-level committees, both of whi ch have a very significan t impa ct upon ORV use of the public lands. Both of these committees now have a vacancy, and we can get an off-highway vehicle-oriented person appointed to each by writing two letters. Address the letters to Ms. Mellon, Appointments Carlotta Secretary, Governor's Office , State Capitol Building, Sacramento, California 95814. In one letter, request the appointment of Rick Bates to the vacancy in the California Recreational Trails Committee. In the other letter, request the appointment of Dave Marquez for one of the vacancies on the State Parks and Recreation Commission. Off-Highway Vehicle Code As referenced earlier, M.O. R.E . is working with the California Highway Patrol and other agencies and associations in the development of an Off-Highway Vehicle Code. Work on the Code is progressing well. Prime consideration is being given to where ORV's can be legally operated with a 'green stickie,' exceptions to the 'green stickie' requiremen t, and operator licensing. It appears that progress is very favorable to off-readers . - Off-Highway Vehicle facilities Revenues fro m the OHV Registration Program and OHV Gas Tax Refunds are resulti ng in some favorable action, as follows : Hollister Hills Motorcycle Playground has been authorized for lease-purchase from the OHV Fund and will go into escrow on April 1. Opening is scheduled for July I , 19 75 . There are problems, though. At the moment, the General Services Administration (State level ) is dragging its feet over a question pertaining to mineral rights. Also, State Parks and Recreation plans to operate the facility with their personnel . We would prefer to see the facility operated by a concessionaire for the simple reason that a concessionaire wo uld be primarily concerned with users having a good time and returning, whereas the State would undoubtedly be less permissive and more regulatory. Our new Governor is quite cost -conscious, therefore he should be receptive to keeping State expenses to t he min imu m and this co uld best be achieved through operation by a concessionaire. We all should write and tell him so . Assemblyman Ed Z'berg has introduced Assembly Bill 475 for the purpose of giving an OHV-Fund grant to the County of Sacramento for the purchase of the McGill Motorcycle Park in the amount of $292,500. Write to your Assemblyman and Senator ask ing him to support AB 475 . Five areas are under consideration in the Los Angeles area for regional off-road vehicle areas. They are Hungry Valley, Holiday Hills, Jawbone Canyon, Dove Springs, and the m ost likely area for purchase: Bean Canyon. Holiday Hills is predominantly private ownership and the price is too high for very much consideration. But, Bean Canyon is a very likely candidate for acquisition by State Parks and Recreation. Once again, letters of support are needed. Direct them to Director William Penn Mott, State Parks and Recreation, P.O. Box 2390, Sacramento, California 95811. The City of Marysville, the City of Davis, and Orange County were given grants in 1974 for local OHV Iacitilies. At the presen t time, grants are highly favored fo r the City of Tulare, the City of Cerri tos, the City of Baldwin Park, and Sacramento County for 1975. Russ Sanford For brother acts and BXers who are tired of falling off, Thompson Cycle Cars of San Fernando , Califo rn ia has this pedalpowered hack for th e hot sneaker set. Quickly detachable for solo riding, the welded-tube platform carries a 16-inch third wheel laced with No. 10 spokes and should fit most 20 -inch motocross bikes . First moped to go th rough the whole EPA gas mileage and pollution test routine that 's applied to cars is this Batavus , a Dutch scooter brought in by Mits ubishi International of New York. (New York ?) . Calculated fuel consumption was 152 m iles per gallon, emissions in grams per mile were carbon monoxide, 1. 74 ; nitrous oxide, 0.12 ; hydrocarbons, 5.03 . That last figure is a bit heavy with two-stroke oil , but the other two are tiny fra ctions of what's permitted for cars. And he re 's Gary Jones ' Trans-AMA ride following the next Arab-Israeli war, The 48.8cc BombardierPuch moped will be distributed throughout North America through your friendly local Can -Am dealer and/or snowmobile shop . Claimed fuel consumption is 125 miles per gallon , but do you think the world is really ready for a 30 mph top speed and such a savage-looking front brake? Santa Charley paid exactly $64.89 for th is rem arkably light, apparently sturdy black bicycle last Christmas. It was recommended by a leading BXer as being best suited for my six-year-old, who is entering the Beginner class in local bicycle-cross and leaving behind the red and yellow freckled Schwinn t hat carried him through the PeeWee and Super PeeWee classes. The maker, Huffman Manufacturing in Azusa, California, cops right out that their bic ycle "is not intended for stunting or off-road use." A sticker proclaims this disclaimer righ t there on the 'fr am e_ And truly the frame does look a bit flimsy, with its punch-press fabrication brazenly sloppy under the flat camouflage paint. But the wheels, tires, fork, crank and sprockets are first-rate, as bicycle parts go. The 20-inch rims are deep-dished for strength, .like motorcycle rims, and fit the popular Carlisle knobby tires. Big alloy hubs spin on thick axles and the fron t axle is anchored by safety tabs. There are plastic fenders (not unbreakable) and the obligatory motocross handlebars. Stripped for racing, it wei ghs 32 pounds (1 II, Ibs. less than Ignatz, the Schwinn). Junior insisted the wide Huffy seat had to go, so I replaced it with the one off Ignatz - no problem. Ignatz's metal pedals also screwed right in , replacing Huffy's dumb rubber ones. The bike h as so far withstood the rigors of Baja, curbs, "ghost-rides" and c rash es with only minor attention to ad justments and tightening sp o kes. Junior just completed its first real race and it is competitive, despite Huffman 's denials. I'm watching the frame very closely, and if it starts failing, we'll find out how many of Mr. Huffman 's good parts fit Ignatz Schwinn's frame . - --27