Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

ronmental impact, as you like to say, on a pile of rocks? There is a fifth alternative open to us; kick out the BLM and let each state control the public land within its borders. A lot of us are on the fence about this "Sagebrush Rebellion," because we realize the fuzzy·minded programs of federal bureaucrats are far less injurious to public land users than the cunning schemes of local political puppets controlled by greedy land developers; however, if you continue to propose plans to gel rid of us, we may be obliged in self·defense to support state control. How about a simple, sen.sible alter· native, such as reserving for recreation public land we want to use, and preserving for posterity public land we do not want to use? You know where these places are - you're always out there watching us and counting us. o 00 0') WIST America's only weekly motorcycle newspaper Sharon Clayton. Publis~r Tom Cu.lp, Markning Director Caroline Gendry. Sec. to the Publisher Nancy Gorak. Sec. to the Mhog. Dir. WINSTON BEAUMONT Wrightwood, CA, Editorial Charles Morey, Managing Edi,or. Dale Brown, Editor, Mark Kariya, Editor. Sleeping Beauty Syndrome Advertising Skip Johnson, National Sales Manager. Terry PraH, Sales Manager. Linda Brown. Advertising Coordinator. Graphics and Production Judy Klinger, Production Manager. Pamela Wood. Production Assistant. Marion Hatashita. Typognphy. DenniJ Greene, Laboratory. Accounting Mike K1ingu. Manager. Jeanne Hammond. ACClS. Receivable, Donna Bryan, Asst. Accts. Receivable. Terry Dailey, Credit Manager. Circulation Rheba Smith, Manager, Shirley Short, Sarah Taylor, Michelle Allan, Aaistanu. Duane Johnson. Dealer Sale. Mgr. Want Ads Leslie Tharp. Want Ad Sal~. Service and Support Chris Ailcheson. Receptionist. Jim Leal, S&S. West 2201 Cherry Ave.. Long Beach. CA P.O. Box 498, Long Ikach. CA 90801 (215) 427· 7455; L.A. Line 656·8844. East 4190 First Ave.. Tucker. GA. P.O. Box 805. Tucker, GA 50084. (404) 9!l4·7850. Cycle News/Wes' (USPS 141·540) is published weekly except the fint and lasl week of the calendar year for Sl8 ~r year by Cycle News. Inc.. 2201 Cherry Avenue. Long Beach, CA 90801. Second cia.. postage paid at Long Beach, CA. POSTMASTER; Send form 3li19 to Cycle Ne_, P.O. Box • . Long Beech, CA..,. Subscription rates: O~ year, 5CCond clalS mail, $18; two yean, Ittond class mail $50; three yean, second class mail, $41; 25 wttks, $10. Cycle News welcomes uftlOficitcd editorial material including storics, cartoons, photos, etc. Such material, if published, becomes thc exclusive property of Cycle New•. Such accepted material is subject to revision as is necessary in the sole discretion of Cyclc News. Ufll()licit~ material which it not used will be returned if accomPanied by a s<:lf·addreu<:d SUlmped en..,lope. All unsolicitated material will be Qndled with reasonable care, however, Cycle News assumes no responsibility for the safety. loss or damage to such ~terial. Reprinting in whole or pan only by permission of ,"" publishen. Advertising ratcs and circulation infonnation will be """ upon requnl. SeeS.R.O.S. Copyrigtrl Cycle N _ Inc. , • . TracI_k Cyde ntgleteracl U.S. Patent OffICOI. All rlghte N_. .-wcL ON THE FRONT PAGE: Team Suzuki's Brian My....cough _the Nnewey wimer In the 125cc portion of the AMA NBtionel MX SerIes round lit SBddIebllck. coverage of which begins on Po 6. Photo bv Ch8rtlIs 4 Morey. Took the money and ran As a family member of a participant in the 1979 motocross race held at Mammoth Lakes, I want to express my feelings and congratulate Ihe promoter for pUlling on a fantastic race. All the family looks forward to participating again this year. As much as we enjoyed the race, we did have one bad experience that we feel we should share with anyone who is considering entering this annual event in 1980. A photographer named Aesthetic Images took photos of the riders and then took orders for reprints. It was necessary to pay for the pictures in advance, and I paid $40 for a color poster. It is nine months since June and as of yet we do not have our picture. I made numerous long distance phone calls, each time resulting in different excuses as to why we had not received our order. It seems a shame that someone is allowed to solicit and then take ad· vantage of unsuspecting clients. "Even though this has been a bitter and expensive lesson, we will again be returning to Mammoth Lakes. ELLA MAE SNOW WestSacramento,~ if you are interested in joining the Over The Hill Gang or entering the Veteran's Pro race, call me at 213/ 242·4516 after 5 p. m. PAT MURPHY President, Over The Hill Gang Green Stickie money? AB 2914 is a bill introduced by Assemblyman Mike Gage (Sonoma, apa and Vallejo) to transfer Green Stickie money to the general fund to be used for Governor Brown's pet pro· jects (as per Cycle News, Mar. 26, 1980). We don't need Governor Brown's welfare programs. Please write your local assemblyman today! Let him know that motorcyclists are first class citizens - that we have a right to vote and intend to use it! California Vehicle Code 138240 states; "Off Highway Vehicle Fund to be used for; Planning, aquiring, devel· oping, constructing, maintaining, administering. operating, or conserving trails, areas or other facilities for the use of off-highway motor vehicles." Suppon your local duckbacker! Quack! Quack! Don't look back! GRANDMA DUCKBACKER Over the hill7 Go for it with OTHG BLM asks for comment. getS it... After a slow rainy start, the 1980 Over The Hill Gang racing season is beginning to take shape. One of the high points of the year is already ap· proaching with the Third Annual Over The Hill Gang MX National to be held Apr. 26-27 at Huron Cycle Park in Central California. This should be the biggest national ever held, For the first time, we have picked up major sponsonhip: Kal-Gard is providing sportsman contingencies, and Pro·Trac Trailers is providing a purse for our first annual Veteran's Pro Challenge. Combined with contingen· cies from over 20 other suppliers and dealers, we will have over $2,000 in prizes for sportsman riders. By the way - there is no membenhip required for the Pro race. Check our ad in Cycle News. As usual, we will be running support classes for our wives, girlfriends. and kids. Although past history and present actions ,of the BLM clearly indicate you are going to do as you damn well please, I feel it is my civic duty to comment on your "Plan Alternatives" for the southern California desert. I will be blunt and brief, None of the four alternatives (Pro· tection, Use, Balanced and NoAction) is acceptable, because you want to eliminate people from nearby, energy-conserving outdoor recreation sites such as El Mirage, Shodow Mountains, California City and Red Rock Canyon. These areas have nOI been .and never could be devastated by motorcycles and dune buggies. simply because nature rou· tinely changes the terrain far more drastically than man's puny toys can. In live minutes a flash flood can wipe out the tracks of a thousand vehicles. And in the Shadow Mountains, how can motorcycles have a negative envi- We seem to be suffering from a disease. For want of a beller name, we may as well call it the "Sleeping Beauty Syndrome". The victim of this disease has fallen into a state of coma. He co.ntinously dreams of the day when he will be awakened by a kiss from the beautiful princess and told "It is all right." The only cure is a swift dose of reality. If anyone is under the impression that SOlTl<'how, magically, we are going to win the land use light and keep the desert open, then it is time they woIte up. It is going to take a lot of hard work, and that work does not seem to be being done. How about the Desert Conservation Plan (sometimes known as the BLM Blockbuster)? Have you commented yet? Have you made your views known? You must - the stakes are too high. If the "Protection alternative" is put into effect, we could find the desert closed to us within a couple of years. Do you think that they will ever give it back? What about the B·to·V? Recently there have been rumors that the Phantom Duck has been negotiating with the BLM for a permit, and that things were looking good. This could be, I don't know. But I do know that the BLM has never given us anything. . We have always had to fight for every· thing. If we continue to let one man fight the BLM - alone - then we haven't got a chance. The only way that He will get any consideration by the BLM is by making them know that we are all going to oppose them. Going to Barstow once a year is not enough. We are only going to change the BLM by going on the offensive. We have to bring their actions and abuses into the spotlight. Does your local paper cover land use mailers? Why not? Have you contacted your Congressman and Senators and told them why you feel that we need a federal investigation into BLM's abuses in California? We are going to lose the desert: unless we all become our own "phantom ducks," unless we all take personal responsibility for our own futures. If we continue to suffer from the Sleeping Beauty Syndrome, we may get something from the BLM and "environmentalists." But I doubt that it will be a kiss. THUMPER FREAK Published letters do not necessarily reflect the position of Cycle News, Inc. Send letters to Voices. Box 498. Long Beach, CA 90801.

• Cover