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/126023
Anahe im MX The cl ub scribe wo uld draft an outline and cover t he m ain p oints. Paper and pencils would then be passed around and each member co uld compose his/her own letter , using the outline as a guide. This lead-them-by-the hand method may seem juvenile, however, it appears to be the only reliable way to get apathetic motorcycle riders off their butts. Our club is doing this so I know it's possible for others to do the same. 6 Tony D. and "Rokon Don" Last Chance to endo 8 Dez •• . ....• . .•• •• .. • . 10 DRA, D-37 and D-38 events The Search , Part I 14 Quest for the Great American Motorcycle begins Unlikely Duck ling TOSHKONYA Desert Do n key s M.C. 18 Fan mail A TM400 in cafe clothing? MR250 22 I can only think of one thing worse than your recent editorial spread on Mr. Goodwin. That is . . . that any part of it migh t have been true. FiIling the Enduro Gap Central 24 North • . . . . . . •• • .• . . . .28 IVIX Cat .. . . . ... • ..•.. .31 R.J . SARBACKE R Newport Beac h, Calif. Sal uting the squirrels Trail of Willie Boy 34 Recapturing the last great manhunt Poly Hotline Bud Ekins at work Champions "XTC" 500 37 38 40 42 Yamaha revives the brut e single, softly 350cc of roses Rocky Hi 48 49 ON THE FRONT PAGE: Greenery in Colorado captured by Phil Briggs. Right on Campbell Adams withdraws Sound off This letter will serve as formal no t ificatio n of my withdrawal as a candidate for the position of Trustee for the Western region of the American Motorcycle Association. I wish to sincerely than k every one who supported m e previously for the nomination, and urge you all to vote for the incumbent t rustee, Ron Sloan. Ron is highly qualified, has the benefit of his ex perience in the office, and is best sui ted to represent us all as Western Region Trustee. Thank you, . BILL AD AMS I've been a m o to rcycle rider for eight year s, fro m trials, MX Expert to a street co mmuter. LatelyTve been ashamed to be associated with the sport of motorcycling . It's about ti me motorcyclists got off their anti-Sierra Club, anti-EPA bandwagons and faced reality. Global ecorogy is slightly more important than the motorcycle sport, al though most cyclists I know don't seem to think so. The Sierra Club is one of the few influential organizations trying to save our natural resources. As long as cyclists continue their anti-Sierra Club sentiment, their image will be further blighted. Motorcyclists and the Sierra Club basically want the same thing, open land, so they should work together against their common enemy; land developers. Lane Campbell's article on E.P .A. smog control for motorcycles was both illogical and inaccurate. The reason L.A. 's smog is still around, after seven years of control regulations, is because there are more cars. The ACPD has imposed strict control over industrial emissions from power plants, refineries and other sources. Campbell's inference that Phoenix does not have smog is ridiculous. The smog produced in Phoenix is dispersed into the at m osphere because there are no mountain ranges to contain it. It is also ridiculo us to accuse Honda Motor Co . of breaking anti-trust laws sim ply because t hey realized the value of the fo ur-stro ke engine sooner than their competitors. If car manufacturers can meet emission requirements, so can motorcycle manufacturers. Lighten up motorcyclists, the government isn't ruining your sport, you are! The candidate wears leathers Sharon Clayton , Publisher Robert I.. Nor Velie, General Manager En na Mc:wton. Secretary to Publish er. Advenising Linda Clark. Advertising Manager. Chris Kolber, Advertising Assistant. Edito rial Ch artes Clayton. Editor -In-Chie f': Lane: Campbell. Senior Editor, Bobi Sc ott Editor & Dale: Brown. Ass't, Editor. Art and Produ ct ion Catherine Lampton . Art Director; Barbara Mizuno . Advertising Art Director; Dennis Cox, Lab Technician ; Marion Hatash ita, Typographer. Circulation Rheba Smith. Manager; Pam Hobbs and Jan e t Phelan, Assistants. Oay lene Zaionz, Manager: JuUy Fouts. ~Iike Klinger. Jeanne Hammond. Assistants; Tom Hunter. Rhonda Van Doren. Credit Dep artment. Services & Support Bill Run yan . Tom Luehmann . Ju~n ita Blanton . reception ist . West P.O . Box 49 8. Lon g Beach , CA 9 08 0 1. (2 13) 4 2 7·743 3 : I•.A. Line 636-8 844. (Tele x 656 -330 ) East P.O . Box 80 5. T uc ker. GA 3 0084 . (4 04 ) 9 34-7850. (Telex 542-77 7) Subscription One yea r . second class mail S 12.50 ; 2 yea rs . second class mail , $22.50; 3 years. sec ond d ass mail. 530.00; Single c.:opy price. 50 cents. Copyright Cycle News. Inc . 1975. Trade mark registered U.S. Patent Office. All rights reserved. Published weekly except the first and last week o f the calendar year by Cycle News, Inc.• P.O. Box 498, Long Beach, California. Second class postage paid at Long Beach. CA. 90801. Editorial stories. car to ons, photos. et c. welcome. Addressed, stamped are envelope assures return of unpurchased editoriaJ matter. Reprinting in whole or part only by permission of the publishers. Advertising rates and circulation information will be sent upon request. Sec S.R.L>.S. 4 I would like you to know that Steve McLaughlin has my full support in his quest to be a Class B representative to the American Motorcycle Association. Although Steve and I do share some differences of opinion, I sincerely feel that his interest and involvement will be beneficial to the AMA, for several reasons. First, I think Steve will keep them awake. Second, I concur with a good number of his suggestions about rules and structuring of Class C road racing, and problems both present and in the future. And third, I think his sensitivity co ncerning the importance of promoters - and his history of working with some of th em - can do the AMA a lo t of good as it continues to try to create a big-time aura for our sport. COOK NEILSON Editor, Cycle Magazine Westlake ViIlage, Calif. In tribute to Jim West I've raced and followed motocross since 1969. I watched Jim West grow in ab ilit y and fame here in sou them California and across the U.S. I can remember the first time I heard of him. A story in Cycle News told o f how he had beaten "Ironman" Gary Bailey, who was motocross king in 1969. From then on, Jim West was someone to watch for. Jim grew with the sport and helped to mold it, as did DeSoto, Wilson, Hart, Bailey and Rapp, who were the heroes and pacesetters. When these guys came to the races, everyone watched them to see what new equipment they had, if they wore their leathers to the races or put them on at the track, or what stickers they had on their tanks and most of all, how they took downhills, turns and straightaways. By watching West, and the others, we all learned to ride better ourselves. I never knew him personally except to say "Hi" and race with him. But, I knew hi m well as a racer because we all watch and read ab out ou r heroes and he was one of mine. I'd like to convey my deepest sympathy to Jim's family because they1l miss him the most. But also to the riders and spectators who will miss watchim him do what he did so well. LARRY McCARTY Huntington Beach, Calif. VAL SCHMIDT San Diego, Calif. Val, if you weren't so sincere, I'd laugh. Re-read both your letter and "the logic of smog" piece together - you'll see that the arguments you've raised actually prove my point: As to the Sierra Club, CN has tried for two years and more to establish a dialogue on common ground, but with little success. You can do only so much unilaterally; then there has to be some give from the other side. . . L. C. If donkeys can do it, If every club in District 37 took ten minutes aside from each meeting and wrote letters to the BLM, Sacramento, and Washington D.C., we co uld hopefully fo rce more of the anti-bike legislation to go our way. One club mem ber could be ap pointed "Club Scrib e/ Legal Researcher" and that pe rso n co uld sco ur Cycle News and other publications religiously for pending legal decisions that warrant our support. If there is n o th ing specific found d uring the period between club meetings, write your Senator or Congressman and express your views on land closures, helmet laws, green stickle money, etc. Every one of your club meetings could churn out positive letters for the motorcycle cause. His editorials are most im pressive. I too re member the su per cars of the 60 's an d the early days of moto cross in the lat e 6 0 's. Let's all join ranks t o avoi d having our mo torcy cles of t he 70 's turned into fedmandated jun k. I will continue to drive my 19 64 Avanti po wered Studebaker (un-smogged), m y 1974 right hand shift Greeves and 1974 righ t hand shift Ducati Super Sport. Write now! ROSS CARSTENSEN M t, View, Calif. Joel got it jumbled Your article in Cycle News (December 9, 1975) about Bellflower winning the State Championship is very wrong. Fountain Valley won the State Champio nships with no doubt. We will appreciate you setting everybody straight in the matter. F.V.H.S. Fountain Valley, Cali f. Maureen gets spaced out My editors have turned into veritable scrooges and won't relinquish any editorial space they want for their musings - so there was no room for my last column of 1975. It deal t with stadium motocr o ss, m otocross in general, law sui ts , a new scrambles stewar d , potpourri an d a par tridge in a pear tree . Ha ve a su per neat holiday season! I wish yo u merry! MAUREEN LEE Rokon renders rebuke The Baja report on page 9 of t he November 11 issue of Cycle News West pictured Ron Bishop, and carried a caption stating that "both Rokon Automatics finished des pite a rash of destroyed torque converter belts." I feel it's important you know the facts. Only one belt was replaced on one of the two motorcycles during the entire 80 I -m ile event, and it is our feeling that this is a far cry from a "rash" of belts. Secondly, the article about the Hopetown event on page 6 has a comment stating that the highest placing Rokon was 4th. Enclosed is a photocopy of the results. You will note that the 1st 350 Novice was on a Rokon, the 1st 350 Junior was on a Rokon, and the 1st 350 Expert was on a Rokon, The 5th-placing rider was listed as being on a Rokon, but he was not riding one. How about giving the "Au to matic" winners credit where credit is due? DOU GLAS H. DUNCAN Sales Co ordin ato r Ro kon, Inc. No sooner said than done . . . Editor The views expressed in this colu mn and o th er columns appearing on the following pages are ·solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official position of Cycle News West or Cycle News, Inc. Q;lalified readers wishing free and equal rebuttal space should contact the Editor.