Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

with tb~ Bureau of Land Managem~nt by riding from Barstow, CA, to Las V~gas, NV, on th~ Saturday following Thanksgiving. At first, it was m~rely a protest ov~r th~ canc~Uation of on~ point to point desert rac~. Lat~r the "trail rides" cam~ to symbolize opposition to many of th~ Bureau's policies. The "trail rides" have been on~ of th~ few ~ff~ctive m~ans of focusing public att~ntion on BLM's activities. This y~ar, 1980, is the crisis point. If th~ Bur~au's proposed plan, as currently constituted. is adopted th~re will never be a Barstow to Vegas race (Check out the conditions for competitiv~ ev~nts in Class L, and then look at BLM's map.) In fact. it might no longer be possibl~ to trail rid~ from Barstow to Las Vegas, legally. Mor~ importantly, much of th~ desert wiU b~ closed to our use - o 00 0') WIST America's weekly motorcycle newspaper Sbaron Clayton. Publisher. Caroline Gcndry. Executive Secretary to the Publisher. for no good TIIa:;on. Editorial Advertising Skip Johnson. National Sal.. Manager. Terry Pratt. Sales Manager. Linda Brown, Advertising Coordinator. Graphics and Production Kristin CoopcT. Graphic ArtUt. Barbara Travcrs. Assistant. Marion Hataabita. TypogTapby. Dennis Greme. Laboratory. Accounting Mike Klinger. Manager. Jeanne Hammond, Accu. Receivable. Donna Bryan. Pal Batty. Aslt. Accts. Receivable. Terry Dailey. Credit Manager. Circulation Rheba Smitb. Manager. Shirley Sbort. Sarah Taylor. MkheUe Allan, A.uisunu. Duane Johnson. Dealer Sal.. Manager. Want Ads Yvette Gocken, Want Ad Sales. Services and Support Cbris Aitcbeson, Jamison, S&S. Receptionist. Joe West %%01 Cherry Ave., Long Beach, CA P.O. Bo. 498. Long Beach. CA 90801 (%15)4%7·7455, L.A. Line 656·8844. East 4190 First Ave .• Tucker, GA. P.O. Bo. 80S. Tucker, GA 50084. (404) 954·78S0. Cycle News/West (USPS 141·540) is pu blilhed w~k.ly except the fint and lut week of tbe calendar year for $%0 per year by Cycle News, Inc., %%01 Cberry Avenue, Long Beacb. CA 90801. Second class pootage paid at Long Beacb, CA. POSTMASTER: Send form 3171 to Cycle N_s, P.O. BOlt 498, Long Beech, CA 1OlI01. Subscription rates: One year, second dati mail, $20; two years. second clasi mail, ISS; three yean, second class mail, $S5, %S weeks, $11. Cycle NewJ wckomes unIOlicited editoriaJ material including 1l0ries, car· tooN, photOl, etc. Such material, if pub· lished, becomes the exclusive property of Cycle News. Such accepted material is subject (0 reviaion as is necessary in the sole discretion of Cycle New•. Unsolicited material which is not uxd will be returned. if accompanied by a self· addresoed stamped envelope. All un· solicited material will be handled with reasonable carc, however, Cycle News astumes no responsibility for the safety, 1011 or damage to such material. Re· printing in whole or pan only by per· million of the publishers. Advertising rates and circulation information will be sent upon ~u..t. See S.R.D.S. Copyright Cycle News, Inc. , • . Treclemerk Cycle News reglst.ed U.S. Petent OffIce. All rights reo ..",ed. 4 ON THE FRONT PAGE: Views of Don Vesco's new streamliner, including the two turbo KZ1300 engines, all aluminum front tire, and ready-to-go pilot Vesco. Full report on the craft on p. 6, Photos by Terry WhytaI, P8ate-up by Krlstin "Sorry J.R.. I didn't know the gun was loeded"Cooper. If you hav~ nev~r ridd~n a motor· between Barstow and Las Vegas, I would suggest that you do so - ;oon. No ar~a b~tt~r demonstrates th~ total insanity of the Bureau's proposed plan than th~ corridor along 1·15. With the amount of d~v~lopm~nt and use thi& ar~a has received ov~r th~ years, to assign it to any class more restrictive than Class M d~monstrates the Bur~au's pr~occupation with land closur~, rath~r than land manag~ment. Th~ Bureau's "plan" is scheduled to b~ signed during th~ fll'St part of D«ember. so if you want to trail rid~, legally, between Barstow and Las Vegas. then do it now. Th~re will be a number of peopl~ going trail riding on November 29. If you don't know th~ way, you might ask on~ of th~m - they ar~ a fri~ndly bunch. I will be trail riding that day, to express my personal feelings and position. I consider th~ proposed desert "plan" to be totally inad~quat~ and unfair. It does not meet th~ needs of any user group. It does not ev~n protect th~ things it claims to protect. I bdi~v~ that this "plan" was developed in an unfair, biased and illegal manner. I can not, and will not, acc~pt this "plan" or abide by its pro· visions. If this makes m~ an "outlaw" sO b~ it. ' cycl~ Cbarl.. Morey. Managing Editor. Dale Brown, Editor. Mark. Kariya, Editor. Steve McQueen, a great rider and neat guy 1n 1960 at a motorcycl~ fi~ld m~ at th~ ehino Correctional Institution ( fll'St m~t St~, who was there with his close fri~d, Bud Ekins. After th~ ~vent Stev~ took tim~ to talk to the inmates and give thrm ~ t . Stev~ and Bud rode as a t~am on 650 Triumphs in such gruding events as th~ Grttnhom 500 mi(~ Enduro and th~ ISDT. Stev~'s physical ability and d~t~nnination made him an instant winn~r in th~ Open classes of District • 57 desert events. This past SWl1Jller while at th~ National Antiqu~ Motorcycl~ Show and Rally in Davenport, lA, th~ talk was about how n~at a guy St~ McQueen was. This was an indication of th~ impact Stev~ mad~ in 1979 wh~n Bud Ekins and h~ attended th~ ~v~nt. Steve gave to th~ sport of motorcycling a high d~ of ~tability. St~v~ will be missed by millions and th~ motorcycl~ sport has lost a giant good will ambassador. PAT OWENS Temp~City, CA Drag racing correction In response to your anicJe in the Oct. 15 iMu~ covering the Sept. 20-21 IDBA/ MMA m~ at Frcmom, CA. I would Iik~ to point out the following errors. First of all your statement that Bob Burdick won the Su~ Eliminator class is totally false. I ran a tim~ of 8.65/161 ~ Bob's 9.40 at 144 mph. As stated, I did get the holeshot. making it absolut~ly im~b~ for a quicker and faster 8.65 to (Ole to a slower 9.40. Furth~nnore, in response to your statem~nt concerning my run of 7.95 at 166.66 mph; you stated that my ~xcitement caused me to neglect stopping for a fuel check which kept my run from being credited as official. I would lilt~ to point out that. even though I was extremely excited, th~ staging lanes had just been c10ICd for official tim~ runs. That's the reason the run was not allowm to be official: I ran solely for the purpoee of tCllting new gearing. I would greatly appreciat~ teeing the c:orreaiOllll in priDt. to let matters straight, and to h~lp m~ in my constant search for new sponsors. DALE WALKER Santa Cruz, CA Thanks. California Suzuki I think it's tim~ to recogniz~ California Suzuki, 1915 E. Kat~lla Av~., Orange, CA 92667 for supporting AFM road racing. Not only did California Suzuki sponsor David Emd~ and. on occasion, Charli~ Hennekam on a GS750 in AFM races, they also ga~ a 20% discount on pans to all AFM license holden. When I recently had to buy a set of GS750 crankcases for over Illoo, I really appreciated th~ 20%, $60 discount. Plus California Suzuki is on~ of th~ few Suzuki shops that stocks parts likely to b~ used up in racing, such as cam sprocket bow. JOHN ULRICH AFMISO Ontario, CA La Habra Vam/Saddleback Series winner's thanks For several years I hav~ tried to in special ~vents or series, only to be plagued by mechanical factory defects on new bikes (1977. '78. '79), poor workmanship by a shop (beginning of '80), or injuries. For som~ r~ason unemployment and a baby ~ed to be th~ "rabbit's feet" I needed. So, w~ would lik~ to thank Saddl~back Park, La Habra Yamaha, SSM, CMC, CRC, and all the awards sponsors for th~ La Habra Yamaha/ Saddl~back 1980 Amateur Point Series. We also want to thank th~ following shops, or c~rtain persons at, for keeping th~ 01' Suzuki movin· ... Col~ Bros., Thor Racing, Advanc~d Machin~, Standard Crankshaft, Thompson's Racing and·4x4. and Pit Stop. An ~xtra thanks goes to Tom Sh~ph~rd for giving the bik~ a second Iif~ span. compet~ CRAIG &t PAULA ROBERTSON Burbank. CA Last chance For th~ last five years, motorcyclists have demonstrated th~ir displ~asure RICK GQCHNAUR "Thumper Freak" Panamints revisted In our articl~ "Back through tim~ in Panamints," (Cycle News, July 25, 1980) w~ m~ntioned in th~ story about a locked gat~ and that w~ had permission to go through. W~ went back this week with high hopes of going in. Three days before we arrived, som~on~ on th~ property with th~ gat~ robbed, th~n shot and killed a casual visitor. Th~ victim's buddy was lucky and got away. A suspect is now in jail in Inyo County. W~ also mentioned that South Park _Canyon was impassabl~. It still is. On arrival in Ballarat W~ w~re told it was open. W~ mad~ an attempt at th~ canyon. At 9.5 miles from our base. aft~r a super tough rid~, w~ found that a large section of th~ 10·foot wid~ road, which hangs on a rock cliff called th~ Chinese Wall. had fallen away. Not ev~n a bike can mak~ it. We did it on foot but v~ry gingerly. Two inch wid~ foot holds ar~n't much. Th~ drop into th~ canyon would be a long 200 feet, almost straight down. DONALD E. L. BETSWORTH DONALD W. BETSWORTH Torrance, CA Th~ Published letters do not necessarily reflect the position of Cycle News. Inc, send letters to Voices. Box 498. Long Beach. CA90801,

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