Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

cylinder motor was cleaner in terms hydrocarbon emissions than a wa ter-cooled four-va I ve- per-cy I inder en~ine. Butto stay competitive in the marketplace, Hagie argued, the latter design was necessary, and that Kawasaki had responded to that need with the Ninja. Hagie said that while . Kawasaki currently has a 1.2 g/k corporate average (they went with air injection beginning in 1979), the Ninja was dirtier, clocking in at about 1.6. C.A.R.B. Chairman Gordon Duffy responded to that with indigation. "You mean to tell me that you're producing a dirtier motorcycle? You have a responsibility to the health of your customers." Although Duffy responded with indignation at that particular moment, he and the rest of the Board seemed to respond to the testimony, and at the conclusion of the public input, the Board was solidly, if not overwhelmingly, agreeable to the 1.4 standard. or .Deukmejian 'declares war' on riders By Donna Carnagey SACRAMENTO, CA, MAR. 19-23 In the space of one week, the Deukmejian Administration seems to have done something to offend just about every segment of the motorcycling and offroading community. I traveled to Sacramento last week to provide testimony on one of the OR V bills which would have allowed "Green-Stickered" mOlorcyclists to use short designated stretches of roadway near 0 R V parks to access trai Iheads or fuel supplies. The Highway Patrol and Cal TRans (apparently with Administration approval) vehemently argued against the bill. The Department of Parks and Recreation who is supposed to be in charge of the Green Stickie program for the state, and who should have been able to provide some assistance, was noticeable only by their absence at the hearing. Parks and Recreation did~ however, find time to decide to publicly oppose the off-roaders' bill which would allow OR V organizations to compete for grant money to perform off-road vehicle trail maintenance or safety projects. In comments before the Slate's ORV leadership at Saturday's OHV Commission meeting in San Bernardino, Parks Director William Briner made some extremely offensive remarks about the ORV community in general. He repeatedly remarked that his Department did not have time to "babysit" the OR V organizations, and he therefore could not support a bill to let these organizations receive grant funding from their own ORV fund. To compound the week's apparent anti-motorcyclist posture of the administration, ORV representatives were surprised to see that arch-environmentalist and anti-OR V activist Howard Wilshire still occupied a seat on the OHV Commission. Although the seat has been technically vacant since Jan uary I, the Governor still has not appointed a replacement for Wilshire. Under the rules of the Commission, Wilshire may continue to serve until a replacement is named. In effect, Wilshire is- serving as a defacto appointee of the Governor. In what seems to be a continuing pattern of anti-motorcyclist postur- Board Chairman Gordon Duffy was the group's most vocal. ing by the Deukmejian people, the Department of Finance tried to kill a motorcycle safety bill which was being heard in an Assembly Committee on Wednesday. This is a bill which has been a goal of the road riders for years, a similar bill was vetoed by Jerry Brown several years ago. Should motorcyclists begin to gear up for the same type of treatment 'by this administration? A quick check with Sacramento motorcycle lobbyist, Bob Ham, indicated that the situation may not be as dismal as it looks on the surface. "It should be noted" said Ham, "that the Air Resources Board which is now controlled by Deukmejian appointees voted on Friday to grant another The 1984 Suzuki Open House is here Which means now is the best time for y'ou to be here. while just about every Suzuki in the store is seiling for a lot less. Street OUR ' 8 3 GR 6 5 0 D T E M PTE R • NOW 51849 BEELIN' ILIN: OPE N B 0 USE * SUZl.I

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