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/126509
No frame blues WIST America's weekly motorcycle newspaper Sharon Clayton, PublishcT. Ex«utivC' Secretary to C~ro1ine Gendry, the Publish~r. Editorial Chari.. Morey, Man.aging Editor, DaJ~ Brown, Editor. Mark Karlya, Editor. Advertising Skip Johnson, National Sal.. Manager. Tury Pratt, Sal.. Manager. Linda Brown, Advertising Coordinator. Graphics and Production Kn.tin COOp«, Graphic Artist. Barba.. Traven, AIIiatant. Marion Hatuhita. Typography. Dennis Green~, Laboratory. Accounting Mike Klinger, Man.ager. Donna Bryan, Accts. Receivable. Pat Batty, "-t. Acct>. ~. Terry Dailey, c..dit Mauap. Circulation Rheba Smith, Manager. Shirlq Short, Sarah Taylor. MichdJc Allan. Asoistam•. Duanr Johnsoo, Dealer Sal.. Mana~r. Want Ads YY~tt~ Gock~n, Want Ad Sal... Services'and Support Chris Aiccbcson, Jamison, 5&5. ReceptionUt. Joe West 2201 Cherry Ay~ .. Lnng Beach, CA P.O. Box 498, Long B~ach, CA 90801 (215)427·7453; L.A. Lin~ 656·8844. East 4190 First Ay~., Tuck~r, GA. P.O. Box 805, Tuck~r, GA 50084. (404) 934·7850. Cycl~ News/W..t (USPS 141·540) i. published weekly except the fint and last week of the calendar year for $20 per y~ar by Cycl~ New., Inc., 2201 Chury AYmu~, Long Beach, CA 90801. S~ond cia.. posta~ paid at Long B~ach, CA. POSTMASTER; Send form 3&79 to Cycle N_a. P.O. Box ..... Long BelIch. CA 908ltI. Subscription rates: One year, JeCond class mail. $20; two yean, second class mail, $55: three yean, second cl~ mail, $53; 25 weeks. $11. Foreign rat.. aYail· able on request. Cycle News welcomes u.nsolicit~ edi· torial material including stories, cutoons, photos, etc. Such material, if pub· lished, bttomes th~ exclusive propeny of Cyck N~. Such acc~pted material is sub.p:t to revision as is necessary in the sole discretion of Cycl~ News. UDIOlicited material which is not used will be returned if accompanied by a self· add~ stamped ~nYelo"". All un· solicited material will be handled with rea50nabl~ care, howev~r, Cycle News assum.. no respomibility for th~ safety, 1011 or damage to such material. Rc· printing in whole or pan only by permiaoion of the publiahen. AdY~rtising rates and circulation infonnation wiU be smt upon request. See S.R.D.S. Copyright. Cycle N-. Inc. 1181. Tnod....... Cycle New. r-v~ U.S. P_nt Offlce. All rlghta . . ..",ecI. ON THE FRONT PAGE: New trend. from H"'y-Oevldsonl Project Nove. we heer. Is the code name for their new V-2,. V~ end V-8 powwpl8i,lS. More on the new dMigns on p. 22. lIIuatretlon by Jeff Guncllech. 4 District ':f1 replies I was quite dismayed to read Rid Gochnaur's letter in the Feb. 11 issue of Cycle News. For someone who claims to normally refrain from com· menting on internal politics. he cenainly seems to be doing a fair job of promoting divisiveness with his unsupponed and unsupponable accusations. While AMA and District 37 have joined with other public land users' groups, including NOC, CORVA, and several non·ORV groups, in providing input (most ignored) to the BLM's Desen Plan Staff, we had long ago picked our battleground. In order to fight that battle, the one we have the best chance to win and that will do the most good for all of us, we had to work quietly during the fonnulation of the Desen Plan by the BLM, We have not had the resources to file suit at the drop of a hat (If there really is a "very plump legal defense fund" somewhere in District 37, I wish Rick Gochnaur would find it for me, We could use it. Attorneys are expensive!), but we're conserving _ our limited funds (compared to the Sierra Club's war chest) for the fight that we could win. We are now suing the BLM in federal coun to ovenurn the entire Desert Plan. if we succeed. it will mean a plan based on real multiple use and sustained yield, which means more ground for all of us. Don't be misled by people telling you that the BLM is the enemy. The real enemy is the Sierra Club and other preservationist groups: The BLM is merely the battleground. The BLM is composed of bureaucrats who really don't care about ORVs or pre· servationism. They care about keeping their jobs. Bureaucrats will go which· ever way they are pushed and the best way to push is in the courts. I do agree though. that Louis McKey and his supponers, including many District 37 riders (remember, B-to·V is a District J7 event, and we have filed for a race permit every year aince the last legal B· to·V race). have done our cause a lot of good in keeping people involved and motivated. But in the meantime. the Sierra Club has been filing harass· ment suiu like the one we are involved in over the Check Chase (and the Seirra Club does have a "plump legal defense fund"). Rid Gochnaur is right on one thing. It is time to get on with it. and getting on with it takes money. Lots of it. Maybe more than we have. And yes, this is a pitch for money. If you can afford to, send a donation to the District 37 Legal Ikfense Fund, 206 Via Pasqua!, Redondo Beach, CA 90277, and stay home from the desen some weekend instead. Otherwise, you'd better go out to the desen now. While you still can. LONNY SHEEK President, District 37 Long Beach, CA No H-D mention This letter is regarding your cover· age of the 1981 Short Track National held in Houston, TX. I'm sure Mr. Van Voorhis didn't de· liberately exclude mentioning that Jay Springsteen's first place effons were aboard a two·snoke Harley·Davidson. But nevenheless, I am bothered by a new trend in motorcycle journalism that places most of the readers' attention towards the Japanese·manu· factured motorcycles. I am aware, as are all racing enthusiasts, that the Japanese manufacturers expend a large amount of money and effon in their quest for a championship title or such status. Of course this is all very exciting and spectators and newsmen alike are thrilled by this overwhelming display of technology and expediency. However; Race coverage is just that! And when the race is over, there is only one winner, and there is only one manufacturer, and it is they who should receive all the applause. Every· thing else has no regard . Which brings us back to Feb. 7 at the Astrodome. Every notewonhy Japanese marque was repreaented at the season opener that mght, as Mr. Van Voorhis' coverage refleeu. But Harley·Davidson won the event. and they weren't even mentioned. That gentlemen. is very sad. JOHN FORD Lodi,CA When the Knight'framed, Jerry Greer·built Kawasaki flat tracker featured in your November issue was won by someone other than myself. I immediately went down to Long Beach Kawasaki and ordered an engine. I then got on the phone to Knight Frames (I was going to be ready for the 1981 District 57 season). Despite my efforts the season starred without me. Engine? I had received my engine five wttks earlier. Frame? What a jokel The closest I ever got to that frame was the one on the front page of Cycle News. I ordered the frame on Nov. 25 and was told by Knight that they had a frame already built and in stock. It would take a week to plate and I'd receive it two days later. I called every week after for two months. and every time I was assured that I'd have it in a few days. It was obvious that I was being shuffied back to accommodate other riders. Unless your name is Kenny Robens. Men La_ill, or even Pete Hames, rather than get the runaround, order a frame from someone else, anyone else. I still don't have a frame. I just (215) now got my money back after having to call Cycle News and getting them to talk to Knight. Thanks for the help, but next time you feature a mail order flat tracker, find someone who has something to deliver. J. WARD McKEE Long Beach. CA We contacted Terry Knight of Knight Fabricalion. and he immediately denied the charge of accommodating other n'ders at McKee's expense. "We didn't have them built. There were no other Kawasaltis given to anyone else. There were other n'ders who ordered before him. and theyjust now got their bikes. We build a lot of different frames and they have to be done in sequence. We probably had the run scheduled for earlier than it was actually done. They're handcrafted products - we take our time and do it right. If we misschedule a run it does create some problems. and we missed our commitment on Kawasakiframes. But in the frame business the lead time is J·4 weeks. Our mistake was in not informing him of that - I won 't dispute thal. There was a lack of communication on our part, and I'm not happy about that. But it was nothing premeditated or a case of putting other people in front of him. " Concerning future projects. Ward. we're presently worleing with Jerry Greer on a totally expen'mental TT bike, a 490 Maico. Knight is bwlding a special frame - which we assume he'll be abk to reproduce should orders warrant that - and Maico has already promised to malu the 490 motors availabk sometime in May... Editor. Publiahed Ietten do not necesurIIy reflect the pcMition of Cycle News. Inc. Send Ietten 10 Voicea. Box _ Lang Beech. CAI0801. Next Week: Supercross • resumes In Atlanta