Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

pany learn a va ua e esson uring the lean years. "We are not in the motorcycle business, we are in the people business," and later added, "We're in the cruising, styling business, not in the canyon racing business. " When asked who was buying the majority or the public stock, Beals said, "It's fairly broad. A lot or people want a piece of Harley." • Vaughn Beals A 1924 BMW R32 and a 1986 BMW K75C are part of a show of machines and photos depieting BMW's design and technical achievements at the BMW Gallery in Manhattan. The gallery, located at 51st St. and Park Avenue, will host the showing through September, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. weekdays and 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturdays. Wind ",d' -(Continued ttq'r!J:pageo ~, J)j TL ,- . The .July 21-~'1 Utah Salt Flats Racing Association meet at the Bonneville Salt Flats was rained out. The next scheduled speed meet is the annual SCRA Bonneville Speed Week which takes place August 16-23. Sign-up at the AMA National Amateur Motocross Championships at Loretta Lynn's Dude Ranch in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee opens at 5:00 p.m. Monda)', August II and closes at 9:00 p.m., re-opening Tuesday, August 12 rrom 8:00a.m. untiJ noon. Practice starts Tuesday arternoon with a riders' meeting at 8:00 p.m. Tuesday. This year's sign-up and practice schedule is advanced compared to the schedule used in previous years. Kawasaki Team Green will provide technical assistance and emergency race parts sales after practice only at the AMA National Amateur Motocross Championships August 11-17 in Hurricane Mills, Tennes.... Team Green will not have tires for sale at the event. The 1987 Kawasaki motocrouers will be shown. Team Kawasaki professional motocrossers JeH Ward, Ron Lechien and Eddie Warren will be on hand to sign autographs at the NMA Grand National Motocross Championship in Ponca City, Oklahoma, August 6, and Kawasaki Team Green will hold a rree product give-away with signup at the Team Green tent. a..g_tion signed into law by President Ronald Reagan on February 27 takes effect on August 27 and bans the advertising of smokele.. tobacco products on television and radio. Under the new law, Skoal will no longer be able to sponsor the Skoal Motorsporta Report, carried coast-to-coast and reaching an audience of 1.6 million on over 300 radio stations; the producers of the show ara looking for a new sponsor; mora information is available from Charlie Roberts at 201 / 938-2662. ..22 Ted Taylor, the July 19 winnerofthe Junior NationaJ Half Mile in Parkersburg, West Virginia, is sponsored by BuHalo Number Plates/Knight Frames/lzumi/Rocky/Hap Jones/ Oilzall/Shoei/Continental/Carlisle/ Hayward TiJ:es/Kosman specialties/ Farley Custom Paint. Taylor's sponsors were listed incorrectly in our Parkersburg report. Taylor won the West Virginia Junior National on a motorcycle rined with Continental's new Conti/Blitz dirt track tires. • ~RCYCIR INDUSTRyLJ "ANGE Named Vice President, Account Supervisor for Chiat-Day Advertising, in charge of the Yamaha Motor Corp. U.S. account, effective July 7, endurance road racer Tim O'Kennedy, 26; rormerly assigned to the Pizza Hut and Apple Computer accounts for the agency; co-holder or the U.S. record for miles covered in a 24-hour road race, 'co-winner of two U.S. 24hour races and the 1984 WERA National Endurance Road Racing Championship; originally from Dublin,Ireland, formerly a rider in World Championship endurance races in Europe, with a best finish of seventh place. Quit As accessory department manager for Husqvarna Motorcycle Company's Husky Products, Bill Berroth, effective August ~ I, for" ... personal reasons related to ~giva's plans on moving Husqvarna's national sales headquarters from San Diego to Torrance, California." Re-assigned American Honda Motor Co. Communications (formerly Product Development, formerly Product Research) Department secretary Adrian Pavich, after ~-I /2 years, to the Motorcycle Customer Relations and Warranty Department; handled magazine test bike paperwork and information requests by motorcycle journalists. Re-assigned Team Honda Race Support Technical Specialist Bill Wright, to duties with the American Honda Technical Division; formerly supplied technical inrormation to motocross privateers, race support dealers, mechanics, aftermarket representatives, race promoters and track owners. • Beals giYes H-D's state of the company address By Paul Carruthers PASADENA, CA, JULY 24 "We have all the pieces of the puzzle together and I think Harley-Davidson is on a roll with a solid foundation," Harley-Davidson Chairman Vaughn Beals said as he concluded what was basically a state-of-the-eompany address at a press conference at the Pasadena Holiday Inn in southern California. Beals said that Harley-Davidson has gone from the survival to the recovery stage following the company's lean years of 1981 and 1982, and is now ready for the prosperity stage. The company is orr to a fresh start following its recent offering or public stock and notes and, according to Beals, $92 million has been raised in the public maI:ket. "We are very pleased with the market's response to the stock," BeaJs said. The company is $70 million in debt, but Beals pointed out the positives of the debt. According to Beals, the loan isat 12.5%and is fixed where as the company's previous loan was based on a non-fixed, interest-overprime rate; the loan is also payable in one lump sum in 1996. "It is all unsecured and none of it is mortgaged to the banks anymore," Beals said. "With $~O million in the bank, really the net debt is $40 million," he said. "So we've gone from a $85 million debt to under $40 million. We are in an infinitely better situation today, but that doesn't mean we can relax. We still have to run it mean and lean to compete." The company will hold its first board meeting next week and will include three board members from among the new stockholders. "The people are three bright and independent people," Beals said. "We want an active board. We picked guys that will say what's on their mind." Beals outlined Harley-Davidson's top priority: Improving quality and cost parity, but said. "We don't have a desire to sell a Harley-Davidson for the price of our competition. We think they are worth more than that." Beals also said that the Nova and Tri-Hawk will again become a priority within the company's immediate plans, but said. "We are talent-limited and will work on one or two things at a time. We will get our thoughts planned out." According to figures shown at the press conference, Harley-Davidson is second only to Honda in above-65Occ market share; Honda has ~8.6% with Harley at 18.6%. Yamaha's 15.9, Kawasaki's 11.9 and Suzuki's 11.4% follow. . Harley spokesmen at the conference also emphasized that the com- By Charles Clayton "Daytona" Fine Art Print Artist: Jeff Gundlach Art that imitates life went out with the invention of the camera. Now there is art that goes beyond what a camera can see, an image that only a talented artist can give us, using the latest painting technology. Such a one is Jeff Gundlach, who has mastered the technique of "Mylagrafy." Mylagrafy is a recent development of the lithographer's craft that lets the artist literally "paint with a printing press." Most of the modern Limited edition prints being offered by such artists as Dali and Picasso are made by a similar process. Daytona is the latest in the series of limited editions that resemble posters that never were. From a distance it conveys the dizzy thrill of road racing on the high banked track. Viewers invaribly cock their head at the picture. Up close the wheels seem to spin. The two riders in the foreground (obviously Kenny Roberts and Freddie Spencer, staJked by an impressionistic Eddie Lawson) seem to be made of the same stuff as their motorcycles. It is a scene I witnessed from afar once in the early 19805. If I ever forget it, I will have this print to remind me just how fine it was. The picture is printed in seven permanent colors on museum quality, handmade, acid-free rag paper. Each is siKned and numbered by the artist. As long as it is properly framed and displayed out of direct exposure to ultraviolet light, it should last forever. Only 171 of the 21~ original prints in the edition remain unsold, and they will probably increase in value. But we recommend that you own this print, not as an investment, but rather as an artifact that will make your world a little better looking. Order from Cycle News Products, $70.00 includes shipping. See order blank on page 49. •

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