Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

Baja The complete story of the Baja 1000K-1976 won 't be told until you mention the cost of equipment lost in Ensenada to thi eves. While they caution against camping alone in Baja, I lost my trailer and three bikes chained in the Ramada Inn parking lot . Two friends lost bikes off their trailers in downtown Ensenada in separate events. RALPH NEVIS San Pedro , Calif. Old Mexican proverb: "L ock 'em in a van, sleep in the van , keep the van in your sight , or else risk losing your scooters, senor . " . . . Ed. Why didn't yOU . . . 7 In reference to "tri al Search" in Voices Of The West , why did you not provide Jim Low with the addresses of any trials club in Orange County? MANFRED LAUXEN Anaheim . Calif. Write to the A merican Trials Association, JJ8 N . Glen Rose, Ed . Orange, CA 92669 Laverda racers . It 's the time of the year again for the International Laverda Owners' Club to select its Rider of the Year , an award given to the Laverda Racer with the best record. The U.S . -Chapter wants to nominate an American rider or two for this award but I do not ha ve any addresses of Laverda racers . I do have a few names . but need addresses for Peter Samuelovch, Rick Bebout , Ed Whidden. Fred Godwin , Bob Dugger, Tony Murphy, Lance Weil , John Samways, Wayne Sullivan, John /lO#,FA,e loti GtJlJY~ ? \ - LOJ COYt7JD",4J{j) X£I1II/(J. O~ mAr:JONLY A "- C/ll/,PL£ OFNORE BLt?CKS: . . . YOtt .KNON I ~/.Y;P K liP /C \ lI/rCIl-JlIK£~5 OJ{ . : MY 811<£... ~ t: '-- t - '\ Bettenc~urt , Wayne Sullivan , Ted Henter, R od McNally and David Kuntz. LA VE RDA O W N ERS CLUB (USA) 5322 Will Scarlet Ln. Indianapolis , IN 46208 Clymer pays off .. . A funny thing happened on the way to repairing my 250 Ducati. I recently purchased one of the Clymer repair manuals which are for sale in most cycle shops. In attempting to use the manual , I found that it lacked sufficient data to do the repairs I wished to perform . In this day of consumer " rip- offs" and false advertising . I decided to write the publisher and tell him that I wanted my money back and t he reasons why . Can you imagine my surprise when I received an $80 reward check for , my , suggestions. which he stated would be incorporated in the next publication. I felt you would be interested when someone finally works for the motorcyclist instead of against him. lousy paper of yours about a member of our family . there is no name below the p icture or in the story. Last time it was my husband Larry making Number One motocrosser , th is time it was my four-year-old son , his picture on page two of the November 16 issue with no name or anything. I've had a lot of people ask me if he's my son, beca use there was no name on the picture. His n am e is Jimbo (father known as flying La rry Bird ). He was three years old in the p ictu re, I wou ld appreciate it if you people would let everybody know who he is. After all , he is only four years old . He has rights , too. MRS. BONNIE BIRD Lakewood. Calif. letter to 5.1. Hayakawa I think you r paper stinks for th e simple reason that every time there is a picture or story on anything in that On reading a re-print in Cycle News of your article in the Bakersfield Californian, February 1976 . I became very upset for it seems that here is an example of speaking off the top of you r head. You quote extensively from an article written by Roger Luckenbach, a graduate student at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology at UC Berkeley. I am not clear as to his particular field or whether desert ecology comes within his area of specialization. I should think not after reading his words. His statement that a total of219 ,OOO bushes were destroyed or severely damaged by 3000 bike riders in the Barstow to Las Vegas race means literally tha t e ac h of t he ri ders accounted for 73 bushes . Do you think that the object of dirt riding is to crash through b ushes? What method did Luckenbach use to arrive at this number? I have been going to the desert for about 20 yea rs. My husband and ch ildren and grandchildren ride motorcycles . We go approximately twice a month from September to May and hav e seen the desert in all seasons and I completel y disagree with everyt hing that was printed in you r I A?N'TI1II/P PICKING tiPLtWG HA/Kf TI/Clt/GII 11 j O;1lG/lAIK5' 0JT HPr ~N6 HA11/5. LO,.fG IIA/R5' A!?E MELlOW'i /lClW CtJtlJ.jJ WV' R .R. HITE Red ondo Bea ch , Calif. According to PublisherJeff Robinson, Clymer has a regular reward program for readers . Find any error in Clymer manual, and they send you 110 . You found eight, so got 180, plus a refund on your book. In addition , your suggestions will be incorporat ed into th e next edition oj the manual . . . Ed . You stink! I PICK t/PARE 57Z!IJEJ{lY ANt> C,4I//r ArrO~P AIIYJ}/ING ELf£. ~£5/P£5, 7JlEY Mil?";t1IIVP RIP/NO' ON 7JI£ &'IeK tJFA Ik£. LtJIVG11-411(5 Af?£ Ctl?l, I ;11E;J~ AllY tJTlIE/? lYI'E CIIAMCTE~ YtJt/P EXfPECT Tt? iRl AtVP ft/Lt 5tJl1E7J//NG, YOI/k;VtJJy;: ( RIPYdIIdrF'·.. liB.?SlIT i~V'5T It P£~5tJN Nllt? j.(JtJ/(f 517 • •• ff) P/lGAI,'/C/' I I ileAl? YA;fI1AAI. flff/?E~ YOtl,{' CO~£R. \. FAI? Off! I II£Y; TlfANK5, NAN. .\ article. I th ink the desert looks better now th an whe n I started cam ping there. There is more vege tation, more small animals and last year there were more birds than I had ever seen there. Incidentally. my oldest son holds the PhD in biology and joined us there last year after several years absence. His specialty is not desert ecology either but he did comment with wonder at the increase in vegetation and other life forms. For sheer destruction it is hard to surpass a wind storm or hurricane such as swept through the southwest early in September. The crust is broken , the vegetation is uprooted , the little desert animals are drowned in their burrows and their territorial systems are destroyed by the terrible noise of rushing ' water and wind . No environmental protection law will ever legislate the weather. Something could be done to halt the devastation created in the deserts by using them for bom b ranges . germ warfare experiment sta tions. borax and soda works (visit Tronae.in the Mojave). power companies drilling therm a l wells. Certainly great desert areas of the Imperial Valley were des troyed by agricult u re. The Bureau of Land Management is a complete waste of money and I should like to see it improved or discontinued . They once proposed a plan to close a section of desert to bikers and build a concrete highway out to a giant sand dune so people with cars could drive out and look at the sand dune. • Please. Dr. Hayakawa , keep an open mind . The environmental ideologists are building bureaucratic empires and it is often not a question of facts but propaganda such as this nonsense about the Barstow-Las Vegas race that brings in the funding. MRS . RICHARD L. BOLLINGER San Diego, Calif. To the Adelanto GP riders ) WE know you were greatly disappointed to learn that the race course had to be modified in order that it would not close Highway 395 : The sponsors of the Adelanto Grand Prix are in no way at fa ult or to be held responsib le for t his u nfort unate occ urrence. Withou t elaborating, th e p ro blem was one of co m m unication between the City of Adelanto and CALTRANS . It is hoped that all of the participants will accept our sincerest apologies and be assured that if a Grand Prix is sponsored in Adelanto again. the advertising and the description of th e course will be accurate . Thank you for participating in the Adelanto Grand Prix. JOAN T . ROBINSON Mayor, Adelanto, Calif. 0#£ or TIfE5£ PAY5/ In GClA'IIA' HAVE lA'N/?/TEA 8fJ(J/( A8CJf/T AU 711£ PrJOK ftP8J WHO:! /fJC/(ET.5 I'Yc PltK£J); I COIJLt> Wtflrt'A WHOtE CHAf7!E/? 0# TII15 TU/l.l

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