Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

~ Trustees Report (Continued from page 5) Or. Richard Schreiber, who was commissioned by the AMA to analyze its image and influence in the Los Angeles motorcycle market, delivered his findings to the board, including the following recommendations: I. 00 not establish a separate office in Los Angeles; 2. Devote more attention from the home oHice to the West Coast motorcycle industry; 3. Proceed with a rejuvenated and more aggressi ve corpElrate mem bershi p program. Vice President of Professional Racing Bill Amick reported that: The dirt track advisory committee has recommended raising the minimum age for Junior and Expert licenses to 18 years of age; The road race advisory committee has concurred with staff plans for stricter qualifications for Professional racing licenses beginning in 1987; Special one-off carburetors will be banned in superbike racing under new rules language being developed; Public relations· and marketing accomplishments include computer-generated press information connected with the new scoring system being used at Camel Pro road races, the satellite news feed taking place after each event, and a new computer interface from Westerville to the Associated Press in New York. The trustees approved the appointment of Tom Tucker to the road race advisory committee. The AMA Trustees will next meet in San Antonio, Texas, on August 17,1986. • e c.o 00 e') ,....; ~ ..... ,....; Q.) t: :::3 ~ Harley-Davidson (Continued from page 3) 28 ing out of a disastrous period in its history. The prospectus provides no information about its brush with bankruptcy and possibly collapse. Butothersources say the company's previous owner, AMF Corp., was ready to halt motorcycle manufacturing because of losses. To save the company, management bought Harley-Davidson from AMF, taking it private in 1981, and cleaned up its act. After getting complacent in the boom years of the 1970s, the company cracked down on shoddy manufacturing and cut overhead by laying off 1600 of its then 3800 employees. Harley-Davidson convinced government regulators in 1982 to impose a special five-year tariff, or tax, on Japanese imports with engine displacements of 700cc or more. The tariff started at 45% and goes down in steps to 10%. It expires in April, 1988. The prospectus said, "benefits from the special tariff have 'been limited" because two Japanese makes assemble thei rheavyweigh t motorcycles a t V.S. plants whose output is exempt from tariffs. (Although not identified, the reference is to Honda's factory in Ohio, and Kawasaki's facility in Nebraska). Despite the gradual reduction in tarif[ protection, the prospeaus notes, "The company's market share has increa ed as the special tariffs have declined." Harley-Davidson may ~ in line for. what is a boost from another source. The dollar has weakened dramatically in the past six months in relation to other currencies. As a result, imports from Japan and other countries will be more expensive because of exchange rates. "It was probably difficult for them to compete because of the cost advantage tpe Japanese had," said Joseph Fillipi, automotive analyst at E.F. Hutton, a major stock brokerage firm. "It will be interesting to see what happens now in the top end of the motorcycle market with the drop in the value of the dollar," which puts pressure to raise prices on imports.• AlitA Nationa' Championship Hillc'imb Series: Round J Chrisco slides to O. C. spdwy win Riddle, Bowlby win Elkhart By Scott Daloisio By Maxine Casey ELKHART, I ,MAY 18 BSA riders Rod Riddle and Earl Bowlby smoked their competition at the opening round of the AMA National Championship Hillclimb Series. Riddle was the 500cc class winner and BowIby topped the 750cc class. The Goshen Iron Horsemen run their hillclimb rain or shine and it is usually rain. Light-to-medium rain fell all day, making the surface of the clay hill treacherous. At 120 feet this is the shortest hill on the circuit but a wide breaker in the middle of the hill makes it one of the most difficult to ride. Several riders fell on both attempts. This included Number Two rider Randy Gabriel and Number Three Lou Gerencer. This is very rare for both popular Harley riders. The 500cc class starts each hillclimb and Triumph rider Robert Krauter of Milford, Michigan was the first one over the hill, with a time of 8.827 seconds. This was fast time until Riddle, of Laurelville, Ohio cleared the hill in 3.575 seconds. The only rider to beat this time all day was Bowlby. Greg Williams of Markham, Ontario, Canada finished second with a 3.657-second ride aboard his STP pecial Honda. Triumph riders Krauter, David Hale of Charloue, Michigan and Grove City, Ohio's David New.some finished third, fourth, and fifth, respectively. John Hislopof Oil City, Pennsylvani.a was sixth aboard a 1955 Harley. Nine-time and current 750cc class champion Earl Bowlby served notice that this is not the year he is going to slow down. He lined the vintage BSA up at a slight angle to the hill. slipped off into a ditch and disappeared over the hill in 3.261 seconds, a full half-second faster than secondplace finisher Charlie Casey of Hillsboro, Illinois. Casey's Yamaha went through the lights in 3.710 seconds, dropping Yamaha rider Doyle Disbennett to third place. Disbennett, of Laurelville. Ohio, was 0.002 seconds slower than Casey with a 3. 712-second ride. BSA rider James Clark captured fourth at 3.755 seconds, in his first ride as a 750cc pilot. Danny Halcombof Rochester Hills, Michigan, was fifth with a 3.986second ride on a Triumph. H-D rider Beeze Wendt of York, Pennsylvania placed sixth at 4.147. David Deaver of Rock I land, Illinois had a super holeshot aboard his 750cc BSA, but ended upside down at 75 feet. Deaver, who finished second at the V.S. National in 1985, dieted off 20 pounds so he could go faster this year. He said if he had kept the 20 pounds he could have held the BSA down. Charlie Casey reported that he had done something right for a change. His Yamaha didn't have enough speed to jump the breaker on his first ride but a slight fuel adjustment moved his finish from 13th to second. • Results 500cc: 1. Rod Riddle (BSA); 2. Greg Williams (Hon); 3. Steeva Krauter (Tri); 4. David Hale (Tri); 5. David Newsome (Tri); 6. John Hislop (H-D): 7. Roben Krauter (Tri); 8. Sam Newman (H-D); 9. Doug Kreeger (Tri); 10. Rict

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