Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

route to ninth out of 45. The amazing thing was that it 100t a good bit leas oil, as a result of our unfortunate upset in tum two of practice, than all thOle four·cylinder Suzukis that left their alternaton in turns one through nine. Bopper still wants to Ir.now where the five quarts of BeI·Ray went in the CBX. At least, although they did not finish, they were blessed with the dreaded case saven. Why hell, boys, we even put thOle things on our din bikes here in Texas! P.S. We've already got a thumper and a six·and·a-half gallon tank for next yearl BILL WALLACE Team Flat1and Lubhoclr., TX \VIST America's weekly motorcycle newspaper Good new, bed news. Sharon Clayton, Publisher Caroline Cmdry, Executive SeCTetary to tbe Publiaher. Victoria Smith, Advertising/Eclitorial Auittant. Editorial Dale Brown, Smior Editor. Mart. Kariya, Editor. Lance Bryson, Editor. Advertising Skip Jobmon, National Sales Manager. Terry Pratt, Sales Manager. Duane Jobnson, West Sales Manager. Linda Brown, AdvertiJing Coordinator. Grephic8 end Production Kristin Cooper. Craphic Anist. Barbara Traven, Assistant. Marion Hatashita, Typography. Dennia Greene. Laboratory. Accounting Mike K.linger. Manager. Donna Bryan. Ace Receivable, Shelly Zaionz. Asst. Ace Receivable. Terry Dailey, Credit Manager. Circuletion Rbeba Smith. Manager. Micbcllc Bernier, Sarab Taylor, Laura McQ.uct:n, LaNette Vallar, Asoiatan... OeelenllWent Ads ZU/4Z7·7455. Services end Support CIuU Aircbeson. Rct:eptioniat. Gregory .Hanson. S&S. West ZZOI Cherry Ave., Long Beacb, CA P.O. Box 498. Long Beacb, CA 90801· 0498 (U5) 4Z7·7455; L.A. Line 656·8844. Eut 4190 Fint Ave.. Tuder, GA. P.O.-Box 80S, Tucker, GA 50084·0805. (404) 954·7850. Cycle News/West (USPS 141·540) is pub· Iished weekly except the fint and last week of the calendar year for $ZO per year by Cycle News, Inc., ZZOI Cherry Avcoue. Long Beach, CA 90801·0498. Second cia.. pootage paid at Long Beach, CA. POSTMASTER: Send form 3&7lI to Cycle N_, P.O. Box . . Long 8Mch, CA.-n.Q4a Subscription rates: One year lCCond dOl mail, $%0: two yean, second clUi mail, $55; t~ yean. JeCond cia. mail. $55; Z5 wccb. $11. Foreign rates avail· able on request. Cycle News wdcomes unsolicited edi· torial material including stories. cartoons, photos. etc. Such material. if published, becomes the exclusive propcny of Cycle News. Such acccpred material is subject to revision at is DeCelU.ry in the sole diacrcrion of Cycle News. UDIOlicited material which it not UJed will be rcrurned if accompanied by a ocIf addr...d stamped covelope. All un· solicited material win be bandied with rcaoonable care, however, Cycle News _ e s no responsibility for tbe safety, la. or damage to luch material. R.eprinting in wbole or pan only by per' million of the publiabcn. Advertising rates and circulation information will be ICDt upon request. Set: S.R.D.S. Copyright. Cycle N_, Inc. 1111. I TrH....... Cycle ~ Ng.-ed U.S. ..-nt OffIce. All rights . . MrVeCI. ON THE FRONT PAGE: New for '82 from Suzuki Is the RM2IiOZ. their first production 2&Occ WlIter-cooled MX.r. Other new mod." from the big S are pictured on p, 12. Photo ~ of U.s. &m*l 4 Beginning revisited Regarding your Sept. 9 issue, I enjoyed very much Russ Whittinghill's article "In The Beginning."1 hope the following comments are considered friendly. I had the pleasure of interviewing Bobby Hill and Dick Klamfoth a few motnhs ago. part of my research for a forthcoming book. It was Bobby Hill, not Dick Klamfoth, who rode the rigid frame BSA twin in the 19&4 Daytona 200. In fact. Bobby was the only one of the five BSA team memben to ride a hard tail, and for this decision he en· dured a lot of friendly kidding in the days preceding the race. However, Bobby reasoned that rear suspension was not worth the 40 pounds of extra weight, particularly since the course was smooth and amounted largely to an acceleration and braking contest on each of the two long straights. He still considen the decision played a mean· ingful role in his victory. Mention was made of Hill's 1947 Indian at the 1854 Columbus National. There were no 1947 Indian racen. The last full year of Indian 750cc pro· duction was 1941, and only a few 1942 models were built before Pearl Harbor called a halt. A small number of 750cc machines were built for the Army during World War Two, and these were the last 750cc Indians from the normal production line. For the 1948 season, 50 racen were hand built by a two·man crew, mainly usin'g stocks of spare parts. My booIr. Amnican Racing Motor· cycles will be published next year by Haynes. The research included two coast-to-coast trips, full access to Harley·Davidson's historical files, in_views with over 20 kq people, and review of over 1100 articles and books dating from 1905. JERRY HATFIELD Lancaster, CA Everyone helped I'm sure that I share the proud Ietlti· ments of mOlt of us that are involved in the sport of motocrOll, in regard to the fantastic performances of Danny LaPorte, johnny O'Mara, Donnie Hanaen and Chuck Sun in the Moto· crOll and Trophee des Nations. By winning these prestigioua World Team Championships and doing it in such style thq have truly established the fact that American motOCTOll finally has something to point to when tbe question - who is better - arises in the ongoing controversy of European versus American. There is one thing, however, that I would liIr.e to set the record straight on. Although all the riden were on Honda's, the effort itself, was fmanced by private funding through donations from the sport and the industry alike. Kawaslr.i, Suzuki, Yamaha and Honda made non·partisan committments to contribute $5000 apiece in matching funds to the money we raised from all of you. Thq did honor their committ· ments and paid the agreed upon sums. Even though there were problems with the initial selection of the team with some of these companies' racing departments, thq were still a part of this effon and we couldn't have done it without them. Our cOlts were over $40,000 and we will have lOme left over monies to start next year's effort due to the fantastic response and gen· erousity of the motorcycle community. Thank you all! DICK MILLER Editor, Motocrou Action Encino, CA Roed recer cae severa?1 We, Team Flatland, decided to go to the Seventh Annual Aspen Six·hour run-what·you·brung crash·a-thon. I saw the track back in 1974 and knew a Trident geared to run Bonneville wouldn't work. Whats that you say? Nine hundred dollan flTllt prizel Let's put on the mags and double the ignition; joe Lucas wouldn't believe it, neither did Warner. This thing hasn't run in six yean, and it's box stock! Well, if Buddy Elmore can do it, we can. We didn't do it exactly liIr.e Elmore, but we did give them an eyeful. Mike Cameron, you looked good on the track and were friendlier than anyone else, but we still can't believe that after pre·entering and paying an· other 20 bucks to practice, we were charged five dollan a head to get in the day of the race ',' And you, Stan1q Michael, a 1968 TlOOC did actually outrun (crippling around on one and a half cylinden and two and a half gean the last 50 minutes) five or six of the finishers en Fint, the good news. As everyone who reads Cycle News has probably noticed, the Checken M.C. haYe begun advertising the 1981 Check Chase. Things look very good for this year's ChecIr. Chase; the BLM has been very cooperative, also San Bernardino County, all the paperwork is in order, and the pennits should be issued for thence. And there's more good ~. San Gabriel Vallq M.C. -and District 57, after a meeting last month with the BLM, have submitted a proposed plan amendment for the COCA Desert Plan. This amendment, if adopted, would allow a point·to-point race course starting in johnson Vallq, going nonh to the B to V course just east of tbe traditional B to V starting area, then alonJ the Bamow to Vegaa route to Stateline. (The Stateline to Vegaa section is under Nevada BLM jurisdiction and has liner been a prob. lem). This amen4ment has passed the administrative review by the BLM and is going to the Citizen's Advisory Com· mittee. If thinp go wdl, and we expect that they will., it shou1d be implemented by june of 1982. By the way, the date for this propaRd race course is Thanbgiving week· end. Yes, you heard right. &lntow to Jfegas. A little modified perhaps (longer) but a real adrenalin puinpin', banner drop, points paying, sanctioned, honestogawd Bantow to Vegas ruce. The fint one since 1974. Maybe. But before the bad news, a word of thanks. To all the people who have donated to the Desen Defender campaign and supported District 57, CORVA, NOC, tbe Phantom Duck and the other organizations working to protect ORV recreationisq' rights to enjoy public lands, thank you. Without your help, we couldn't do anything. And now the bad news. We need more help. Last year the litigation over the ChecIr. Chase COlt District 57 and the AMA $11,000. We won last year and set a legal precedent that should help in the future. But, the Sierra Club seems to liJr.e using harassment techniques, and there is a good chance we will face litigation again this year on the CbecIr. Chase. Next year, a Bantow to Vegaa race will he liIr.e waving a red flag at a bull, and we are sure the Sierra Club will charge. We must raise the money now . to be ready to answer any legal challenges to a 1982 B to. V. Look. for the Desert Defvender ad in this iaue. Please join Louie McKq, KooIr.ie III, and all the others who haYe donated so far'. See you in Vegaa. LONNY SHEEK President, District 57 Long Beach, CA Published Iett8rs do not necesurIIy reflect the poeItIon of Cycle News. Inc. &end Iett8rs 110 VoIcee. Box . . Long Beech. CA9OI01,

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