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/126401
IGuest Editorial I - Do you have what it takes? I , , During the motorcycle trade 'shows in Anaheim and Houston , I talked to a lot of people who seemed resigned to their fate . They acted like helpless victims, lemurs sitting in the branches of trees waiting to be devoured by more powerful animals. They didn' t seem to have the will to contin ue to fight. There was m uch sighing and m a ny half-hearted excuses about how they had spent so much time fighting the system , and that no w they were tired and would let some one else ta ke up th e ba ttle. Some talk ed a bou t getting ou t of - motorcycli ng an d becoming "involved" in ot her activities or businesses. All they have seen for the past couple of years has been defeat. They have complained. fought , gotten angry. in some rare cases sent letters to their representatives but mostly just bem oaned the loss of their freedom . It's too bad, really. Now that we have finally come up with a common e!'emy and a common goal behind which most of the nations' 6,000,000 motorcyclists can rally . The leaders in industry and most repsecred of riders are "too tired to continue the fight. " The macho motorcyclist isn 't macho enough to give Ms. Joan Claybrook a dose of what sp irit is or an example of what freedom of choice means. We ha ve been lied to . betrayed. cheated, manipulated and legislated against while being told to be patient and work within the system. This is the democratic process and th ings will come out OK as long as we don't make too m any waves, they said. To this line of thinking I have but one word: Bullshitl The time for be lieving what (our?) government tells us is past. We should be just about out of patience . We sho uld be getting so damn mad we wan t to do something about it. Now I realize most of us are candyasses and will onl y complain to ea ch other . We will strut around ou r living rooms and complain to our old ladies about how we have been wronged . And how "they" shouldn't treat us that way . We 're great at corn plaining to each other a nd telling ourselves what we would do if we were the ones in authority. Dear friends . we don't have the authority , probably never will have the authority, and , if the truth be known. don't deserve the authority. Why shou ld we have it ? We haven't worked for it. I would like to m ake one last -d itch effort and plead just one more time for you to do something worthwhi le to m ake you proud of yoursel ves before I 'suggest the next inevitable step. I really can't believe that the "ou tlaws" are the only ones with the strength of their convictions to p rotect themselves . There must be some of you readers with enough guts to stand up and be counted before the inevitable step, Before I go too far , let me ask you to do that one thing that might , just might , buy us the time or change the grinding gears of the bureaucrats so we are not ground into submission: Join the goddamn AMA . Whether you like the associat ion or not , they are the only ones with a big enough voice to be heard by those deaf to everything but numbers of voters. They need us now more than ever. They are less than 125,000 strong. That is a piddlin' number when you realize th ere are over 6,000 ,000 motorcyclists in America. Ed Youngblood , in the AMA legislative department , has done more fighting for us than most of you will ever know. He needs more dollars and numbers to have a chance of winning, If you don't want to become a member. send money anyway. Mail to AMA , P.O . Box 141. Wes terville , OH 43081. Now for what I have ca lled the inevitable ste p: If not enough of you rall y to th e cause. if the majority of you continue to sit on your hands, I will call for those of you who have the guts to start the next revolution in America . Contact your friends . Twist their arms to help , Be aware that if you don 't do something now, you don't dese rve to be allowed to continue to rid e. Earn you r right to wear the pin . John Wyckoff --- --- - -- ~ -....~---- .... . .... / , - - / ...... ~ M ~ /111( ! 1( ~ ) Ilil '- -----.../ . Il/I((~ IfI J1Jfill I J -,... .I J ",,- ~ .---.-. I ITORCYW' PAINT _II - EOPLE A IWA:rClIftNG I don 't have to wheel ie post Solly. My bike's really spot-on with bright Lubri-Tech point on the frame and expan sion chamber. Wow, her foxy cous in is with her . IliS WANT TO .un Whe n I prepa re my mach ine for touch-up I'm do ing more than that . , , I'm checking for crocks in the fra me and pipe that could be a rea l d isaster , I'm preventing can cerou s rust from getting a footho ld on my bike. SP ClALA.. 91EM........ j IEn m .. OTSP0T5" Super Hi-Temp po int stands up to extrem e heat (1200 degrees F). But, I've learned that lubri-Tech makes Hi-Temp po int with heat curing resins. Normal ope ra ting temperatu re cures Lu bri-Tech Hi-Temp on " hot spots " like the expansion chcimber. rr'S DOUI.u I think it' s just bos ic ma intenance to useLubri-Tech po ints. And here 's the only compa ny in the world that manufactures genu ine moto rcycle po ints a nd makes them available at cycle shops. l.ubri-Tech po ints match factory team color right-on and engine case po ints are brilliant block or silver. Your bike loo ks sharp with Lubri-Tech po ints whe n you head for the starting line. And following the lubri-Tech 12 step race prep , you know you 're ready to ride as good as you look. 5 Al wa y s follo w the rec ommenda tions of motorcyde and equipment manufacturers. Alwa ys use Lvbn-Iech lubrica nts a nd performa nce che micals as recommended. Lvbei-Iec h Products , 1251 N. Kilbo rne Rd., Gur nee,ll60031. ~ ~ ... - - - ~ - - - ... ~ ... _ ... _ _ .... __ -:. -:. _. _. _ _ J