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/126056
Memo To.. ALL PROFESSIONAL RACERS From.. ABC Leathers &Bell HelmetsSubjecLNUMBER ONE HOMBRE SERVICE • Th e AMA Grand National Circu it swings around to the west coast during the month of July ... and ABC Leathers & Bell Helmets wan t to e xte nd a speci al California welcome to you all. We alsowant you to know th at everyo ne at A BC Leathers & Bell Helmets understands it's a busy time of the year for professi onal racers. So while you're on the west coas t you are a NUMBER ONE HOMBRE with us. CYP RESS , CAL.,JULY I One year after Ricky Good lost both legs under the wheels of a train, he "celebrated" the anniversary of the accident by soloing on a motorcycle. Guided, caj oled, sometimes needled by the other members o f IYSA (amput ees, all) and by _their counselor Ge o rge Barksdale, Ricky's skill w ith the cl ub's specially modified Suzuki has improved to the point that he recently co m p leted one loop of a family enduro on his own. Handicapped? No, " in conveni enc ed "; and that's the philosophy that the club (a branch of the Broken Spokes with partial sponsorship from LAPD) puts into practice. Pra ctice -and adaptationis how Ricky and his clubmates do it, For a double-amputee like Rick, with limited funds, it has meant riding, learning to stand on the pegs with one prosthetic leg, steadying himself and prodd ing the relocated shift lever with the still-tender stump of the other leg encased in a protective leather sheath. (Since the photo was taken, Rick h as gotten a second artificial limb to further bolster his capa b ilities.] The left handlebar o f Rick's bike has both cl u tc h and rear brake lever, sin ce the artificial leg gives support only - not eno ugh J co n tro l for foot braking. Whenever possible, the club loads its th ree bikes into the new Chinook donated by Art Kudo's Toyota an d troops out to the desert to " h ike on wheels" as the boys put it, The _motorcy cles h ave given them mobility an d th ey love it. In fact, between h is bike and h is skateboard, Ricky is in some respects more mobile than a kid on two feet! You h ave to see to be lieve. Ironical ly, Rick must still tak e t utor ing a t home because they won't all ow his ska teb oar d in th e halls .of the sch o ol building. Su ch is _the mind-set of so-called "normal" folk that to keep the ru les sacrosanct, Ric ky Good -libe ra ted by wheels- must co m e hobbling back as a cripple - or not come bac k. • R icky, George, and the rest of t he IYSA are eager to rap w ith amputees, y oung or old, to share th eir ex periences, th eir hurt, and th eir triumph. Here's how to reach som e of th em: - George Barksdale, 1321 W. R osecrans Ave., Gardena, CA 90247. Ph: (213) 532-9283. - Ricky Good, 8412 Denni St., Cypr ess, CA. Ph: (213) 824-1140. - Brian Masterson, [r. , 15307 Prairie A ve ., Law ndale, CA. Ph: (213) 772-013 1. - Rick or Ke ith WiUiams, 5 34 E. Leadora sc, Glendora, CA. Ph: (213) 335-6053 or 35 4-6688. The club i 0 en or new m embers. To prove it , we 've created a spe cia lNl.llvlBER ONE HOMBRE SERVICE. And that means th at every one at ABC is ready to bend over ba ckward to qu aran tee BETWE EN RACE SERVICE, on rep airs or addit ions to your leathers. CL AS S B ilM1 Th e folks at Bell have th e same idea to o. The Headpro tcctors can make a special appointment wi th you t o handle anything fro m a simple annual inspection to an all out up gra de of you r protecti ve head gear. MEMBER So while yo u're in th e nei ghb orh ood it 's a per fect time to st op in ... andlet us help you check ou t 'an d up -dat e all of you r protective gear. And remembe r the ABC/B ell Contingency Aw ard s Pro gram. We've got o ur money riding on yo u too. Call us today ... and let us kn ow when you'll be in. WI.,..., you 10....·S THE HEADPROTECTORS ABC/ BELL CUSTOM LEATH ERS 9802 A. Atl ..tie ·A...... South GlItII, c.rofornil (213) 564-17 15 M... - Fri or by appointrn. . t c.l1 Clarice Amberg BELL HELMETS. INC. 2850 East 29th Street Long. BI-=h, Califomil (2 131 426-6191 Mon-Thu rs R'-;r Dept. by appointment All t he answers in th e most complete Baja tour book ever ! 12 detailed, large reference maps in color highlight. Vehicles for various road condition discussed in the " About the Wheels You Drive" section. Over 100 full-col or 'and black and white photographs. And much more! to Name Address City State Zip