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/126797
tute, Professor Hun is a critic of the Snell standards in part because of the above mentioned reasons, Dr, Hurt and his staff have investigated virtually thousands of helmet-related injuries and he is regarded as one of the nation's foremost authorities and experts on head protection, You may also contact Ivan Wagar, past President of the Safety Helmet Council of America, When JT Racing set out to design a helmet, we were and still remain dedicated to producing the highe t quality, state-of-the-art product. Our research convinced us that a nonSnell helmet would be safer and more suited for its intended use - off road riding, It would have been neither more expensive nor more difficult for JT Racing to produce a helmet that met the Snell standard than it was to produce the ALS-I, We feel we have not made a mistake, JOHN GREGORY President JT Racing Inc., Chula Vista, CA WEST America's weekly motorcycle newspaper Sharon ClaYlon. Publisher Mik~ Klinger. Comptroller Skip Johnson. Associtdt Publisher/ National Sales Manager Caroline Gendr)'. Execut;1Jt! Secutary to the Publisher Editorial John Ulrich Editor Kit Palmer, Associate Editor' Rex Reese. Feature Editor Advertising Terry Pratt, Sales Manager Mike Spt.ncer, Sales Man4ger Tim Ryan. Sales Manager Linda Brown. Advertising Coordinator Nancy WaslclJ, Advertising/Editorial Assistant Look for a Cycle News investigation of helmet safety standards in an upcoming issue, In the meantime, we'll be wearing Snell-approved helmets ... Editor, Grephics end Production 1.;ori Tyson, Graphic Artist Larry Gill. Graphic Artist Marion Hatashita. TypueUer Sheila Larsen. Typesetter Dennis Crff:ne. L"b. Tech. 5 addleback Accounting/Deu Proceaaing Donna Bryan. Accounts ReceiV4b~ Coordinator Gcn('V3 Repass. Assistant Fran Hamwey. Crt-dit Circuletion Rheba Smilh. M4nager Michelle Hanna. Assinant Sarah Taylor. Assistant Lyna H()(K:I, Assistant Deeler Seles end Service Bob Elliott, Dealer Sales M4n4gn- Went Ads Judy Hjl_berg, Won' Ad Soles Service end Support Chris Aitcheson, Receptionist Gregory Hanson. SbS W.st 2201 Cherry Ave" Long Beach, CA P,O. Box 498, Long Beach, CA 908010498 (215) 427-7H3; L.A. Line 636-8844. Eeat 4190 First Ave., Tucker, GA, P.O. Box 805, Tucker, GA 30085-0805. (404) 934·7850. Cycle NewsIWesl (USPS 141·340) is pub- lished weekly except the first and last week 01 lhe calendar year lor 525 per year by Cycle News, Inc.. 2201 Chary Avenue. Long Beach, CA 90806. Second claM pos. lage paid al Long Beach, CA, POSTMASTER; Send form 3679 to Cycle~.P.O, Box 498. Long 1Ieech, CA 90801 -0498. Subscription rates: One year. second class mail. $25; twO years. second class mail. 545; three years, second cia.. mail $68; 25 weeks. SIS. Foreign rates available on request. 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Copyright Cycle NIIWa, Inc, 1984, Tr.demerk Cycle NIIWa regl_reel U,S, Petent Office, All rights ....._d, ON THE FRONT PAGE: Eddie Michetti ·.tyl. . hi. trick '84 CR600R Honde et DeAnza Cycle Park, For more infonnlltion ebout our big-bore Honde hop-up. _ pege 12, Photo by Kit Pelmer. 2 California's governor The picture of John Ulrich with then-Governor Ronald Reagan (Cycle News Nov, 21) leads me to write regarding the policies of our present Governor, George Deukmejian. toward motorcycles, Following the forced resignation of Russ Sanford from the State Parks and Recreation Dept. (as was well documented in Cycle News), I, in August, wrote a letter to the Governor and asked him to account for the actions of State Parks Director appointee William Briner, who, when I talked to him on the phone, told me he essentially didn't recognize the off-road commission, that as far as he was concerned it was only advisory in nature, he wasn't bound by anything they adopted, and he could do as he pleased regarding off-road issues, I attached to that letter a photo copy of a letter from Deukmejian that ran in an October 1982 issue of Cycle News promising support of motorcycle issues and full and fair representation in return for the motorcycle vote. When I hadn't received a reply by the end of September, I called the Governor's office, I spoke with an aide who said she checked their letters log and could find no record of my letter. I was asked to resubmit my letter and was assured that all letters, save those of threat on the Governor's life, were answered as a matter of policy. I mailed my copy of the original letter and reattached the copy of his letter to Cycle News, as well as attaching a cover letter in addition protesting his veto of the motorcycle training bill. When I again hadn't received a reply ,by the end of October (some 60 days arter my initial letter) I tried to call back the same aide I'd talked to, After many phone calls to be told she wasn't in and she would return my call, after being put on hold for 15 minutes at a time - phone calls that were never returned - I finally insisted I would stay on the line until I spoke to her, After a lengthy delay she finally came on the phone and was supposedly surprised I still hadn't received a reply. She put me on hold for a couple of minutes and came back with the news, "The Governor will refuse to address the issues," It doesn't take much to figure out we've been duped by yet another smooth-talking politician who knows us at election time but then it's "Thanks for your votes, suckers." I hope you'll remember George Deukmejian's actions next election, I know I won't be fooled again, JOE STEPHAN Rancho Cordova, CA Snell vs. non-Snell Thank you for your recent preview report on the JT ALS-l Helmet. I feel two things need clarification, First, the ALS-l helmet is plastic in the same sense that a Bell or an Arai is plastic. They are all made of fiberreinforced polyest r resin - fiberglass. The ALS-l uses the new technology of bag-molding such as used in the Arai for more accurate wall thicknesses unlike hand-layed fiberglass helmets, Secondly, in your product evaluation of the JT ALS-l helmet, you state ..... but without the '85 Snell approval, we would think twice before buying one," Such a statement suggests to the public that off-road helmets that are not certified by Snell '85 are less safe than helmets that are, With this statement you have touched upon the most controversial issue in the helmet industry today, We at JT Racing feel that the Snell standard, when applied to off-road use, is in fact unsafe, primarily because the Snell standard requires such high energy absorbtion levels. When impacted under typical off-road conditions, the helmets that are made to this standard transmit more energy to the head than hel mets haVing a softer liner. Don't just take our word for this, You have a perfect opportunity to do some very meaningful reporting on a subject that affects every off-road helmeted rider in the country! Contact Dr. Harry Hurt and his staff at the University of Southern California's Head Protection Research Insti- Reading that Saddleback Park had closed was a big shock for me. Saddleback was not just another motorcycle park, it was something to shoot for, a goal. Because I live in Iowa, where a place like Saddleback is almost non-existent, I have always wanted to go to California and ride at Saddleback, Saddleback was the place that my heroes raced. Just getting the chance to ride on the same track Bob Hannah, Rick Johnson and Roger DeCOster raced on would have been the ultimate for me. Hopefully I may still have my chance to ride at Saddleback, I hope that Stu Peters, the CMC, and the other people who are fight.ing to save Saddleback are successful, not just for me, but for the countless other guys like me who want to make the journey to California and ride Saddleback, Add my name to the Save Saddleback petition, MIKE LARSON Ankeny, IA Ex-Hailwood BSA Recently Cycle News ran an article by Alan Cathcart about an ex-works BSA Rocket III owned by Greg Philipi which was touted as the same machine ridden by the late Mike Hailwood at Daytona in 1970, Thereafter several people including Don Emde and Dave Aldana publicly questioned the authenticity of this bike, In actual fact theex-Hailwood machine is owned by Team Obsolete, It is now being rebuilt by Jess Morris and will be ridden by Don Emde (who rode it in 1971) at the 1985 Daytona Formula 750 Historic race. ROBERT T. IANNUCCI Team Obsolete Brooklyn, NY Published letters do not necessarily reflect the position of Cycle News. Inc. Send letters to Voices. Box 498. long Beach. CA 90801.