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/126328
give up. The workshops were wonhwhile. We have to keep trying. NOEL PARK San Pedro, CA State ABATErs seek national association WIST ByCC STURGIS, SO, AUG . 12 A dozen representatives from state ABATE chapters met in the shade of City Park to settle the future of the biker legislative America's No.1 Weekly Motorcycle Newspaper Sh~ron Clayton. Publisher Caroline Gcndry. Secretary to the Publiohcr Bobi ~COtl. Executive Assistant Advertising . Jim Ryan . Sales Manager. Larry Little. Sales Manager. Skip Johnson. Sales Manager. Chris Kolber. Assistant. Editorial Charles Morey. Managing Editor. Dale Brown . Editor. Brian George . Asaistant Editor. Graphics and Production Dav Pauli, Production Manager. Judy Klinger, Production Assistant . Marion H..ashita, Karen Farhat. Typography. Dennis Greene. Laboratory. Accounting Mike Klinger. Manager. Jeanne Hammond. Accts . Receivable. Donna Bryan. Asst. Aero. Receivable. Holly Hale. Collection and Credit. . Circulation Rheba Smith. Manager. Sherry Kaufman. Sandye McKay. Christy Bell. Assistants. Services and Support Pat Cardenas, Receptionist. Gin Harper. Want Ads. Steve McKay. S&S. West %201 Cherry Ave. • Long Beach. CA P.O . Box 498. Long Beach. CA 90801 (%IS) 4t7 ·74SS; L.A . Line 6S6·8844 . East 4190 Fint Ave.. Tucker. GA. P.O . Box 805. Tucker, GA SOO84. (404) 9S4·78S0 . Subscription One year, second class mail, S15 ; two yean. second class mail . $27: three yean. second class mail, $S7.S0 . Copyright" Cycle News. Inc . 1978 . Trademark Cycle News registered U.S. Pa tent Office. All rights reserved . Published weelr.ly except the lint and la.. week of the calendar year by Cycle News. Iec.. P.O . Box 498 . Long Beach. Cali fornia . Second class postage paid a t Long Beach . CA 9080 1. Cycle News welcomes unsolicited editorial material including stories, cartoons. photos . etc . Such ma terial, if published. becomes the excllUive copyright property of Cycle News . Such accepted material is subject to revision as is necessary in the sole discrerion of Cycle News. Unsolicited material which is not used will he returned if accompanied by iii selfaddreloed stamped envelope. All unsolicited material will be handled with reuonable care. however. Cycle News _ e s no responsibility for the safcry. loa or damage to such material. Re printing in whole or part only by permis sion of the publishen. Advertising rates and d rcu lation information will be lent upon request. See S.R .D.S . POSTMASTER: Send form 3679 to Cycle New.. P.O. Box 498. Long Beech. CA 90801. 4 ON THE FRONT PAGE: Team Yamaha's ·Rlck Burgett begins his 500cc National romp In Charlotte, as Gary Scott commands his Des Moine. battle with · Ted Boody. Photos by Jack Wtlglit and Gary Van Voorhis. Clear Creek. Lodge isolated .•• by motorcyclists Clear Creek is one area of public domain that is used by off-road enthusiasts from both northern and southern California. The Picacho Trading Post, campgrounds, general store, bar and cafe has been a popular mecca for motorcyclists who ride the Clear Creek area. The "Lodge" as it is often called, is connected to the BLM land by an ancient mining road which has provided the only off-highway access to the riding areas. This mining road has now been gated and locked, isolating our campgrounds and the "Lodge" from Clear Creek. Another land closure to plague our struggling sport. Who closed this long time public access? The BLM? An irate rancher? The Sierra Club? No, it was a motorcycle club! A very old and affluent motorcycle club has purchased a piece of land over which this mining. road passes. It is they, motorcyclists, that have erected the gates that now prevents all egress. Motorcyclists are now locking out other motorcyclists. The cause for unity .within our own ranks to perpetuate our sport has received the ultimate insult. . . R.B. LAWES V.P., Santa Clara Riders Unltd.M.C. Salinas. CA Can't get no respect I've been wanting to drop you a few lines for some time now, but thinking times would change, I delayed it. Well, times are getting worse , so here's the letter. I cannot for the life of me figure out why today's promoters don't treat the Old Timers and Vet classes as they should be treated. After all, we arethe ones - one way or another - who are responsible for the younger riders of today. I've raced at Watsonville for years and consider it to be a great tracIr. - a little dusty at times. But the way they treat Old Timers is something else. To give you an idea. I went to the July SO race, signed up and attended the riders' meeting. After a while, it was announced that the Old Timer Expert and the IOOcc Expert would not receive a trophy even if we won . A friend of mine and I went to the referee and asked him what was up. He replied, "Arnold, you win all the time. so we are not giving you a trophy." That is a damn poor rider/track relationship. That man must not realize that I joined District S6, joined the AMA, had to purchase an Old Timers' card, had to pay to get into the track, paid to race, brought two spectators, brought two Expert riders and own a motorcycle accessory shop where I tell my customers to go to Watsonville for a good motocross race. Plus, I think I have paid my dues over the years to become an Expert. 1 moved myself through the ranks. not promoted by the AMA or anyone else. I say that if I can go out and beat all the Novices, Intermediates and other Experts in all motos, I deserve an award for doing so. I've talked to other Vets and Old Timers, and they think that we are looked upon as a couple of classes that can be brushed aside. Well. the promoters better get with it because both classes are growing more and more every year. G.D . ARNOLD . SR. . TricIr. Cycle Accessories San Jose. CA Keep on attending those BLM workshops I would like to urge everyone interested in the desert to attend the workshops to be held by the BLM to discuss the Wilderness Interim Inventory Map. I felt that the first workshops held on the wilderness question were interesting and productive as opposed to the large meetings which turned into shouting matches and seemed almost a waste of time. . The BLM staff at the workshops. panicularly Chuck Tullos , the Wilderness Coordinator, seemed very fair-minded and willing to listen to the ORV users' side. They stressed the need to make written input so tha t our views will be represented in the reports. If you went to one of the first public meetings and were discouraged . don't organization. It seems that the name "National Abate" is copyrighted by Easyriders magazine or the Hell's Angels M.C. . depending on who you hear tell it . "W e don't want to spin our wheels fighting another biker organization. " said the delegates from California and Pennsylvania. "It's . a dumb name anyway. " California said. "A biker asks you what ABATE stands for . and you tell him tA Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments' and he says, 'huh?''' "A Black and Tan Edsel," another delegate offered. Everybody giggled. Finally someone brought up the possibility of throwing in with AMA . " W e've got ' the only state organizations . and AMA is the number one national legislative program working for bikers' rights," the delegates all agreed. The state abaters all knew (they read the papers) that AMA recently opened six seats on its IS-man board of trustees to $12 a year "consumer" . members elected by their peers. The swing vote between the industry and consumer members is reserved for the past president of the AMA , currently an industry member. It is conceivable that the state abaters could join AMA en mass, vote in their slate (these bikers do vote . din bikers don't) and take control of the American Motorcyclist Association. Of course, they might off-load 'th e AMA racing program to concentrate on ' biker rights . like AAA did with USAC some years ago , but that's something to be brought up later. I am sure that the industry members would have a lot to say about voting for any such drastic changes. I can imagine what's going through the minds of the present AMA trustees of AMA as they read this. Imagine Padre of Pennsylvania with his "Go to hell or join the Biker Church" T-shin seated at the big table in Westerville, Ohio with the likes of clean and clubby John Davidson. spiffy copish R . Hull, and the Prince of Style himself, Robert Rudolph. Things cenainly look good for the . struggling bikers. Will the din racers move over without a fight? Will Rogue be the Nonheastern or Southeastern candidate? Will AMA be thus enriched by close association between the industry and motorcyclists? Will the biker bloc be able to break one vote loose from the industry side and elect a biker president? Is this the beginning of a new kind of two pany system in America? Will the administration of AMA change for worse or better? What new delightful possibilities and vexing problems are in store for US bikers? What new force to counter the government's power is lurching toward Westerville to be born? Stay tuned to Cycle News for the answers. •