Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

agreement with the Japanese govern· ment not to sen any motorcycle witl;t over 750cc[s] in Japan. Mr. President, this is analogous to selling Indy racers to teenagers barely old enough to have a license and then turning tllem loose 011 the public streets to 'play.' Law enforcement cannot stop these killer cycles; they are too fast. There is only one way to Stop them and that is to limit the power and ~peed of uperbikes sold for street use in this COUll try. Mr. President, I am introducing today, the 'Motorcycle Safety Act of 1987,' to end this danger. It would require the Secretary of Transportation to develop safety standards that will eliminate the hazards of these killer cycles. My bill would require the Secretary to examine a series of limitations on this new breed of racing·type motorcycle. One limit that must be considered is acceleration. Zero to 60 'in 2.7 second on city streets is too dangerous. The bill would also require consideration {)f limits on the weight-to-ho~sepower ratios of superbikes. "Finally, m'y bill would require the Secretary of Commerce to repo{t to Congress on the extent 1.0 whicl) foreign manufacturers are restricted by their governments from selling motorycles in their home countries which they are selling in our country. Mr. President, I ask unanimous -consent that this bjll be printed in the Congressional Record. Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. The public safety cannot tolerate the continued use of 'rockets' on our public streets." . Danforth bill attacks "killer motorcycles" U.S. Senator John C. Danforth (RMissouri) introduced a bill July 23 which would, "limit the power and speed of superbikes sold for street use in this country." The measure, S1536, w'ould effectively legislate superbikes out of existence by forcing manufacturers to comply with new, yet-to-be-established government standards. Danforth's bill seeks to decrease the rate of acceleration and establish a maximum horsepower-to-weight ratio for all high-performance motorcycles sold in the United States. A statement by Danforth and the complete text of the bill follow . .. Editor. STATEMENT OF SENATOR JOHN C. DANFORTH ON THE INTRODUCTION OF THE "MOTORYCLE SAFETY ACT OF 1987" Duke and Bee Gee Pennell were presented the AMA's prestigious Dud Perkins Award in a special ceremony conducted at the Mansfield (Ohio) Holiday Inn on Saturday night, August 1, in conjunction with the MidOhio round of the Camel Pro Series, The Pennells were honored for their outstanding contributions to the sport of motorcycling. Duke and Bee Gee have served as race officials for approximately 40 years. Bee Gee recently retired from the AMA but continues to serve in the field as a volunteer. . Wind Continued from pa.ge 2) on June 26. Ellis, a former dirt track racer who won Regional Championship titles in the mid-70s, was a Yamaha dealer. He continued. his racing career, winning National titles in ATV ice racing from 1983 to 1986. Ellis is survived by h is wife Terrie and p.is parents, Red and Jo Ellis. Regrets may be sent to 770070th Ave., Kenosha, WI 53142. Ken "Mr. Steel Sho'e" Maely will be in- China from August ·15 through September 15, serving as an engineering consultant for a Chinese motorc.ycle manufacturer. Maely tells us that no steel shoes will be made during that period and there will be no speedway practice at the Maely Ranch in Corona, California, while he's gone. NAMED: Hook Taylor, as marketing manager for Smith Goggle;. Taylor, an avid dirt rider with 15 years of sports marketing and sales experience, will be responsible for motorcycle product marketing programs; sales manager Dick Kryder will concentrate his efforts on domestic ,and foreign sales, advertise ing and long term direction of the motorcycle division at Smith. 12 'Former World Champion- road racer Rod Gould has been given a one-year suspended jail sentence in England for the theft of Mike Hailwood's legendary 250cc six-cylinder Honda GP road racer. The 1970 250cc title holder pleaded guilty to stealing the Honda after removing it from display in the motorcycle shop he owned in partnership with Hailwood. Gould; 44, sold the bike to a Dutch collector after Hailwood's death in a car accident in March 1981. The dealership has since folded. Ownership of the bike 'Passed to Hailwood's widow after his death and she is now trying to recover it from Holland. Although they compete in a seasonlong National Championship Series, AMA Professional HiIlcJimb National Champions are determined in a single event each year. The August 2 Jefferson (Pennsylvania) Hillclimb was the event this year and Steve Krauter (Tri) won the 500cc title and James Clark (BSA) the 750cc title. Dunlop Tire Corporation has announced that 1988 Honda CR125R, CR250R ~nd CR500R motocrossers will feature Dunlop tires as exclusive original equipment. Honda CR models sold in the U.S. and Australia will be fitted with K490 front tires and K595 reartii'es. Honda-CR models sold in.Canada and EurQpe will be fitted with K990 tires front and rear. Francis and Melissa Mings, owners of Fremont Yamaha in Fremont, California, were killed in a private plane crash Frjday, July 31, while en route from Columbia, California to Fremont. Memorial services for the Mings, who were well-known among the northern California motorcycle racing fraternity, were scheduled for Wednesday, August 5, in the Chapel of the Roses in Fremont. The pro.moters ,t New Berlin, New York's Unadilla Valley Sports Center have asked us to remind everyone who plans to attend the September 13 Motocross des Nations that-the following will not be allowed on the "entire" grounds: alcoholic beverages, scaffolding, glass containers of any kind, fir,works, or off-road vehicles. "Mr. President, in 1984, the Japanese began selling what can only be described as 'killer motorcycles' in this country. These are racing bikes that were developed for use on a track but they are being driven on our streets. From a dead stop, one of these 'superbikes' can accelerate to 60 mph by the time it reaches the other side of a city intersection. It takes one of these killer cycles 2.7 seconds to reach this speed. Top speeds for these bikes range up to 162 mph. Some of these 400- to 600pound motorcycles have well over 100 horsepower.' For comparison, a four-cylinder Chevrolet Celebrity weighs 2705 pounds and has 98 horsepower. A four-cylinder Ford Taurus weighing 2886 pounds has. only 98 horsepower. . "Mr. President, \he marketing of these killer cycles is a lesson in corporate irresponsibility. They are made by Japanese manufacturers under names such as the Kawasaki Ninja, Honda Hurricane, Suzuki GSXR, and Yamaha FZ. The advertising is directed at teenage males. A typical one is Honda's slogan 'Zero to 55 mph faster than you can read this.' "Mr. President, the combination of these racing machines and young, inexperienced riders is deadly. In southern California, young riders are racing superbikes on the public streets. Down a narrow, twisting • canyon road such as Mulholland Drive near Los Angeles, packs of six or more riders fight for position in the left lane. These riders frequently run head on into oncoming traffic. The police do not chase these killer cycles for fear of crashing their patrol cars or motorcycles. Unfortunately, this problem is spreading to other areas, particularly military bases. For example, in November 1986, near the Orla,ndo, Florida, Naval Training Center, a speeding cyclist killed two teenagers. Mr. President, this problem is particularly galling because the Japanese have virtually banned the sale 0'£ these killer cycles in their own country because of safety concerns. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, in Japan it is virtually impossible to get a license to operate a motorcycle with more than a 400 cubic centimeter (cc) engine. Only one in 20 of the appli,cants who pay an expensivli application fee manages to get a license. In addition, the Japanese manufacturers have an unwritten IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MR. DANFORTH introduced the following Bill; which was read twic~ and referred to the Commillee. A BILL I To require the Secretary of Transportation to promulgate rule regarding the safe operation 0 certain rapid-acceleration motorcycles, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, that this act may be cited as the, "Motorcycle Safety Act of 1987. " Sec. 2. The Congres!dinds that (l) In 1985, over 4700 individuals were killed in accidents involving motorcycles; and (2) In recent years, the competition among certain manufacturers to produce and sell motorcycles equipped with high-powered engines and engineered and designed to enable such motorcycles to be capable of rapid acceleration and of achieving maximum speeds of up to 162 mph has posed safety hazards to the operators of such motorcycles and other individuals while such motorcycles are used on public highways, roads, and streets and in other public areas. Sec. 3. Part A of Title I of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety act of 1966 (15 U.S.C. 1391 et seq.).is amended by adding at the end the following: "Sec. 126. (a) The Secretary shall _initiate (not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of the Motorcycle Safety Act of 1987) and complete (nOt later than one year after the date of enactment of the Motorcycle Safety Act of 1987) a rulemaking to establish a federal motor vehicle safety standard applicable to any motorcycle equipped with a high-powered engine and engi· neered and designed to enable such motorcycle to be capable .of rapid o

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