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/126757
heart will be with each and everyone of you. I would like everyone to know that I am going to be working in the area of motocross training and also with Christian-centered youth-development programs. Any churches. civic groups, school or tracks interested should contact me by mail at Steven Wise Ministries, P.O. Box 3840, McAllen, TX 78501. Again, let me say thank you, and may God richly bless each and every one of you. STEVE WISE McAllen, TX WEST America's weekly motorcycle newspaper Crisis Sharon Clayton. Publisher CarolineGendry. Executive Secretary to 'he Publisher Nancy Danger. Advertising Editorial Assistant. Editorial Dale Brown, Senior EdiLOr. Lance Bry. son, Editor, Kit Palmer, Edi'or, Advertising Skipjohnsol1, N;:llional Sales Man~l~er. Terry Prall. Sales Manager. Mike Spencer. Sales Manager. Linda Brown. Advertising Coordinator. Tina Bowen. Advertising Assistant. Graphics and Production Gene Benneu. Graphi Anisi. Lori Tyson. Graphic Artisl. Marion Halashila, Typography, Sheila Larsen, Typography. Dennis Greene. Laboratory. Accounting/Data Processing Mike Klinger. Controller. Donna Bryan. Account Recei\'able Coordinator. Geneva Repass. Assistant. TefT}' Dailey, Credit Manager, Circulation Rheba Smith, Manager, Michelle Hanna, Sarah Taylor, Debbie Walker. Lyna Hood. Assistants. Dealer Sales and Service Tim Ryan, Dealer Sales Manager. Want Ads Robert Ellioll. Want Ad Sales. Service and Support ChrisAiLcheson. Receptionist. Gregory Hanson,S&: . West 2201 Cherry Ave.. Long Beach, CA P.O. Box 498. Long Beach. CA 908010498 (213) 427-7433: L.A. Line 636·8844. East 4 100. First Ave., Tucker, CA. P.O. Box 805, Tucker, CA 30085-0805. (404) 934-7850. . Cycle News/We" (USPS 141:340) IS published weekly except 'he firs' and lasl week of lhe calendar year for $25 per year by Cycle News. Inc.. 2201 Cherry Avenue. Long Beach. CA 90806. ond class postage paid aL Long Beach. CA. POSTMASTER: Send form 3679 to Cycle News, P.O. Box 498, Long Beech, CA 90801 -0498. ubscriplioll niles: One year. second class mail. 25: LwO years. second class mail. 545: three years. second class mail. $68; 25 weeks. 14. Foreign raLes a\'ail· able on request. Cycle News welcomes unsolicited edi· lorial material including storie. car· Loons. pholOS. etc. Such ma.Lcrial. if published. becomes the exclUSive property 01 Cycle News. Sucl1'a cepted material is subject to revision as IS necessary in the sole discretion of Cycle News. Unsolicited maLcriaJ which is not used will be returned if accompanied by a sell addressed stamped envelope. All unsolicited material will be handled with reasonable care. however. Cycle News assumes no responsibility for lhe safety, loss or damage LO such maLerial. Reprinting in whole. or part ani.>,. by permission of Lhe publisher. AdveruslIlg rates and circulalion information will be sent upon request. See S.R.O.S. Copyright\!> Cycle News, Inc: 1 98~. Tredemark Cycle News registered U.S. Patent Office. All rights served. r. 2 ON THE FRONT PAGE: Freddie Spencerand Kenny Roberts (inset' will be beck at it again at Daytona. Photos by Henny Ray AMms end Dale Brown. Winning: 99% preparation and 1% luck The above words were used in 1967 by Al Stucky, who was .the service and racing manager of Tnumph Motorcycles of America, to inspire the people in his department. To prove the point he loaned Gene Romero, then a first-year Expert, a book on roa? racing by John Surtees. Surtees IS the only person to win both t~e mo.torcyc1e and car world champtonshlps. Recently readers of Cycle News read about a public meeting of the California Air Resource Board to be held on March 23 at 10 a.m. at the State Building, 107 South Broadway, Los Angeles. The Board will be considering alternatives prepared by motorcycle manufacturers that .would eliminate the need for catalyllc converters on 1985 and future models. Those who wish to attend and be placed on the agenda as a speaker should obtain a copy o( the 43-page booklet on the manufacturers' proposals and on the information thaI the California Air Resources Board ha prepared. Letters should be addressed to Fred Baumberger, Information Officer, Air Resource Board, Haagen-Smit Laboratory, 9528 Telstar Avenue, EI Monte, CA 91731. His phone number is 818/575-6888.. I feel we are fortunate that the meellng IS being held in Los Angele , in tead of Sacramento, and that our industry has taken a positive position which we all houltl actively support. Shortly you will be asked to write letters defending the manufacturers' position. A short, polite note will be enough. Just be sure to mention that you are a taxpayer and a voter. It seems that on this type of issue the number o( envelopes received is important. Dirt riders, please remember the efforts of many road riders who helped get the Barstow to Vegas race back on the calendar. Cycle News played an important part by spons?ring the first three B-to- V road bike support events and raffles. We now hope that those of you who only ri~e dirt bikes will support us on thiS issue. Al Stucky, whom I mentioned earlier is now a very successful Hondal Ya~aha dealer in Hutchinson, Kansas. If you were to ask "Big AI" about this issue his reply would probably be that winning on March 22 isn't everything, it should be the only thing. PAT OWENS Instructor Motorcycle Repair Los Angeles Trade-Technical College H-D price clarification Apparently there is considerable confusion among motorcyclists about the price quoted by the Harley-Davidson Motor Company on police motorcycles to the California Highway Patrol. I would like to clarify this issue. There are three major reasons: I: Harley-Davidson sold to theCHP on a direct basis; this n:'Iakes us competitive. It is a very unusual situation because in all other cases our products are sold through our franchised dealers, 2: Price always relates directly to quantity. Wecan produce 135 units at one time less expensive! y than we can fewer units. 3: A large police fleet, especially one as visible a the CHP, has undefined advertising value, resulting in selective discounts depending on quantity. In the case of our recent CHP sale, there are tremendous residual advertising and promotional benefits. Thank you for your continued interest in Harley-Davidson and the opportunity to explain this issue. BUZZ BUZZELLI Public Relations Manager Harley-Davidson Motor Co. Milwaukee, WI Wise retires I would like to take this opportunity to extend a warm and sincere than you to the fans, official, promotors and my fellow racers on the AMA circuit. You have all made my career in racing as exciting and memorable as anyone could ask for. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the people at American Hon~a for making my unique career poSSible. This letter is the official announcement of my retirement from professional motorcycle racing, and even though I won't be on the track, my Professional motocross in this country is heading for a crisis. Attendance figures have peaked at many Supercross races, and some (like the olltdoor Nationals) have declmed. Now factories are only giving big new contracts to riders under 17, after these riders have proved themselves in the "mini- ational" arena of NMA, AMA or CMC competition. As a result many factory riders find themsel~esdemoted to a support ride, like Erik Kehoe and George Holland. Pri~ateerriders over the age of 17 are pursuing factory rides that j ust.ar~n '( available. The factones are sllckmg with their superstars, and as a result, only two "new faces" have been fast enough to hang on in the I.ast two years. Ricky Joh!,!son dl.d It. m 1982, and it was Ronllle Lechlen m 1983. In the meantime, the factories are finding it harder to finance their teams, so they are forced to drop riders. A solution to these problems has already been offered by Yamaha's Kenny Clark when he suggested that all the factories go to stock machmes to lower costs. This has been largely ignored by other factories (w.ho perhaps hope to capitalize by running works bikes against Yamaha's stock bikes). But, by going (0 stock bikes the factories will be able to I.) lower costs; 2.) increase the number of salary-paying factory slots; 3.) Expand the now-slacking factory support programs; and, 4.) Increase the level of competition. I will use Team X as an example of how costs can be decreased. Say they fielded a four-man team at all of the events. Team X would supply each rider with two bikes for Nationals and two bikes for Supercross. Using $30,000 as the conseryative cost of a works bike, Team X Will spend a mmimum of $480,000 on bikes alone for four riders. Add to this total $50,000 for hand-made parts alone and the factory teams can expect to. spend half a million dollars for eqwpment this year. Compare this cost to 64,000, based on an estimated $2000 for a stock bike and 2000 for parts. Some riders and team managC!'S have voiced the opinion that eliminating factory bikes would eliminate development. I think development could be taken over by test riders. The factories would constantly improve their factory bikes because they'll be forced to race them. I say "forced" because I am suggestin~ that there by an AMA .rule requiTIng all riders to race stock bikes. Of course, there would be rules allowing for different tires, modified stoc.k suspension and other mm?r modlf~ cations. All we wain to ehmmate IS the motocross "arms war." . BILL SPARKS Spring, TX Published letters do not necessarily reflect the position of Cycle News. Inc. Send letters to Voices, Box 498, Long Beach, CA 90801.