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/126435
r-.. M QJ ,.c e QJ > o Z America's No.1 Weekly Motorcycle Newspaper Sharon Clayton. Publisher Tom Culp. Marketing Director Caroline Gcndry. Sec. to the Publisher Nancy Gorak. Sec. to the: Mlltog. Dir. Advertising Skip Johnson. Sales Manager. Terry Prau, Sales Manager. Linda Brown, Advertising Coordinator. Editorial Charles Morey, Managing Editor. Dale Brown, Editor. Bobi McCann, Editor. Graphics and Production Judy Klinger, Production Ma.nager. Pamela Wood. Production AMiswlt. Marion Hawhita, Cindy Torres, Typography. Dennis Greene, Laboratory. Accounting M:\e Klinger, Manager. Jeanne Hammond, Acea. Receivable. Donna Bryan, AssL Accu. Receivable. Terry Dailey, Credit Manager. Circulation Rheba Smith. Manager. Tammy Taylor, Shirley Short. AMistantJ. Reader/Dealer Service Gin Harper, Want Ad Sales.' Harry Fisher Dealer Sales Manager. I Service and Support Chris Aitchesoo, Dickinson, SI:S. Receptionist. Sam West 2201 Cherry Ave.• Long Beach, CA P.O. Box 498, Long Beach. CA 90801 (215) 427·7455; L.A. Line 656·8844. East 4190 First Ave.• Tucker, GA. P.O. Box 805, Tucker, GA 50084. (404) 954·7850. Cycle News/West (USPS 141·540) is published weekly except the first and last week of the calendar year for $18 per year by Cycle News. Inc., 2201 Cherry Avenue, Long Beach, CA 9080l. Second cia.. postage paid at Long Beach, CA. POSTMASTER: Send form 3Ii79 to Cycle News. P.O. Box .... Long lleec:h. CA 90101. Subscription rates: One year, second class mail, $18; two years. R-cond class mail. $30; three years, second class mail, $41; 25 weeks, $10. Cycle News welcomes unsolicited editorial material including stories, cartoons, photos, etc. Such material. if published. becomes the exclusive property of Cycle News. Such accepted material is subject to revision as is necessary int he sole discretion of Cycle News. Unsolicited material which is not used will be returned if accompanied by a self· addressed stamped envelope. All unsoliticated material w;l\ be handled with reasonable care, however, Cycle News assumes no responsibility for the safety. Joss or damage to such material. Reprinting in whole or part only by permission of the publishers. Advertising rates and circulation information will be sent upon request. See S.R.D.S. Copyright 8 Cycle News. Inc. 1979. Tredemerk Cycle News registered U.S. Patent Office. All rights r..erved. ON THE FRONT PAGE: New for 1980 is Yamaha's Maxim I, a 650cc four-eylinder with "Special" series styling. Lots more information and photos of the 1980 Yamaha lineup starts on p. 8. Photo courtesy of Yamaha Motor Corp. 4 Write! Ride! Being a second-generation desert racer. and watching our desert fade away due to.the actions of the BLM. I think it's about time to face the facts. We must all write letters to our State Senators and our State Assemblyman. and let them know just how we feel about Mr. Hillier and his band of BLM robots. We must overrride the veto of AB 1407 (the Sagebrush Rebellion) to save our desert. We have people that have taken great time and energy to try and save our desert SO that we may all enjoy the peaceful. wide open space of our land. But now is the time for us. the masses. to get involved. Not later. but now, to send letters and to protest. In the not-too-distant past. we have had two very good events cancelled due to the political antics of the BLM: the So. Cal. M.C. State Championship at Olancha and the Checkers M.C. Check Chase. And who knows how many more in the near future? So send in those letters and ride the trail from Barstow to Las Vegas. for the sake of protest and for the sake of the desert and its people. TIM SAUERESSIG So. Cal M.C. #v161 1he Lame Camel backs the Duck So, the Duck is dead, Long Live the Duck! Now it's up to us. The way I see it. the court-ordered BLM/Duck agreement simply takes the initiative away from the Duck and passes it to us riders. So the Duck cannot incite illegal acts. So what? 1.) The Duck has never incited illegal acts. If he had. why wasn't he tried and convicted? The answer is, the BLM never had a case. 2.) Riding from Barstow to Vegas on existing travelways is not illegal. AnybQdy can do it. provided they refrain from reckless and/ or dangerous behavior. 3.) During my three "Duck Rides" of 1975.1976 and 1977, I personally witnessed no illegalities. The only risk. of "illegality" is in running an "organized event" without a permit. If the BLM still does not understand the difference between an "organized event" and a grassroots movement, I'D be glad to come down from Seattle to rub their noses in it. on the Saturday after Thanltsgiving. I'd like some companions to teamdrive down and back so I can make it without missing work. Any Seattlearea Duckbackers. give me a jingle at 206/823-8561, days. before noon (I work second shift). THE LAME CAMEL PubIIehed 1 - . do not - . l l y rwflect the poeltion of Cycltl N - . Inc. Send letters to Voices. Box .... Long lleec:h. CA 90101. Guest Editorial Parks & Rec director acts to abolish OHV Fund During the Oct. 12 California Parks and Recreation Commission meeting there occurred a blatant, orchestrated attempt t.o abolish the OHV Fund. sabotage recreation areas currently in development and to close areas currently in operation. It might have happened if we had not found out about his plans. What happened was that Russ Cahill had his Department prepare a seven-page report of current recreational areas concentrating on erosion problems. Supplementing this report was a 15-minute slide show narrated by a staff member. The slides were the usual horror story of erosion effects. The slides were provided by. you guessed it, Mr. Howard Wilshire. The Department's report was presented by Mr. James Whitehead, a Parks and Recreation Commissioner. Whitehead. as indicated by his comments and votes on other agenda items, is of obvious preservationist persuasion. Some of Mr. Whitehead's comments on the issue of OHV recreation were: "I don't see how it's possible to manage OHV recreation." "Parks and Recreation should get out of the business of OHV recreation." "OHV recreation is inconsistent with traditional Parks and Recreation aims." and "OHV recreation areas should be limited to sand and gravel pits, strip mines and areas of sacrificed land." How can Cahill get away with it? The Director has a Commission with virtually no continuity because nearly all of its members have been appointed during the past two years. All of them have been appointed by Governor Jerry Brown and for the most part are preservationist oriented. The Commissioners are painfully ignorant of OHV recreation and therefore easily led. Responding to the presentation. members of the audience reminded the Commission that these same areas were discussed at previous Commission meetings and each time the Director was instructed to take appropriate action. It was further noted that the Director had failed to carry out the Commission's instructions. Why has the Director preferred to do nothing? By ignoring the; problem he was assured that it would become more serious. I t then would be possible to lead the Commission to the conclusion that the State should not be in the business of bringing OHV recreation to the public. This elitist attitude is repugnant to most OHV enthusiasts and is in conflict with the OHV act. Illustrative of the importance which the Director and the Commission place on legislative direction is their handling of another agenda item. The Commission detennined that a hostel was to be deleted from the Mt. Tamalpais State Park master plan in spite of legislative direction to the contrary; $900.000 having been previously appropriated for it and two other hostels. If the director and the Commission can act contrary to legislative direction. it is clear what they will do with their broad discretionary powers when it comes to OHV recreation. It would seem that this commission is a prime opportunity for legislative oversight. What should be done about Director Cahill's flagrant mismangement of the OHV Fund? Commissioner Whitehead's suggestion that the OHV Fund management should be trans· ferred out of the Parks and Recreation Department has considerable merit. There appears to be considerable support for this action by many segments of the off-road community. From his remarks. it is believed that Commissioner Whitehead will support legislation to accomplish this transfer. Several members of the Legislature have indicated a willingness to work with the off-road community by sponsoring legislation to transfer the OHV Fund management out of Parks and Recreation Department. Such legislation can be introduced in January. What you can do to help things along is to show your support for OHV recreation by attending Parks and Recreation Commission meetings when they are held in your area. The next meetings will be Nov. lo-n in the Ft. Tejon area, Dec. 13 in San Simeon and Dec. 14 in San Luis Obispo. A letter to Doris N. Lewis. Administrate Assistant to Chief Deputy Director, P.O. Box 2390. Sacramento, CA 95811 will get you the time and location of the meetings. Let's form a truth squad and report their doings to Cycle News. The main reason they get away with as much as they do is that no one is watching what they are doing with our money. Chuck Williamson