Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

VOICES America's weekly motorcycle newspaper . Letters 1 0theeditor.: The return of Ricky The motorcycle industry is awa re of the prob lems I h av e h ad w ith dru gs an d alcohol throughout m y racing ca reer, but rather than tal kin g about the problems I h ave h ad, I'd ra ther show yo u, buy livin g example, the changes I have made. I have opened a ne w chapter in my life, both per sonally and p rofessionally. I am now , more than ever, excited about what the future holds in store for me. I feel I h ave proven m y ab ilities on the race track and am now sharing m y years of experience and kno wledge with up and comi ng future dirt trackers in ano ther new ventu re for m e, m y training schoo l. Although m y goal is to win th e Gr and Na tio nal Cham pio ns hip, I also have a new goal and that is to build the futu re of Am erican dirt track racing. I would like to open the eyes of corp orate American to the cred ibility of d irt track racin g. I w oul d lik e to th ank all m y loya l fans and sp ons ors w ho have rem ained by m y s ide throu ghout m y u ps an d downs and have every intention of making thi s year another phe nomen al comeback year. Ricky Graham Salinas, CA Tri al run Well d one. Brilliant reading in the trials issue (Issu e #7, February 21). I just hope it hasn't upset too many of your other rea de rs as Dirt Bike d id a few years ago. Ride rs looking for a fun sport that is relatively cheap to com pete in could do worse th a n lo o k at observed tria ls . There mu s t be q u ite a few guys ou t there who p rob abl y h ave an old Bu ltaco / Os s a / Mon tes a si tting aro u nd in th eir garage. Co me ou t and ride . Th e loca l even ts cater to all levels of riders and yo u coul dn ' t w ish to meet a nicer bunch of guys. The y mad e me welcome when I m oved here from the United King do m five years ago . Peter Thatcher 103047.2247@compuserve.com And more... I am delighted to see yo u producing an iss ue d e v ot ed to tr ia ls . I' v e rid de n m ot or cycles for 30 years, both on and o ff- road (I was a su bscriber to Dixie Cycle News) and un til last year always th ou ght tria ls w as ju st for those guys IN ID ' : S E . Issue#8, February 28,1996 who liked to see how slow the y cou ld go. I was wrong, it' s a great sport. Especi a lly for u s 40 -plu s guys for w hom m otocross crashes seem to be increasingly painful. So count on me as a devoted rea de r w ho likes trials as well as everyt hing else about motor cycles and appreciates yo u r coverage o f t ri al s. I read other cycle rags, but if I could only get on e it . wo u ld be Cycl e News. Dan Brown dbrown@eng.auburn.edu Supercross fights Have you ever heard the expression "I went to a bo xing match and a hockey ga me broke ou t"] Well, the expression cou ld be changed to "I went to a boxing match and a supercross broke out." After n ot having attended a supercross in seve ral years (w ith m y age push ing 40 and my interest in dirt bikes switching to the desert man y years ago), I loo ked fo rward t o th e San Die g o Su pe rcross, seeing McGrath, Huffman , Emig, etc. The racing was everything I expected - with great heat ra ces an d M cGrath' s total d omination of the final. What I had not expected -were the number of figh ts that broke ou t. Now, I migh t expect thi s at a Ch argers /Raiders ga me, but at a su percross? I mean, w er e these people re a lly th at ups e t w hen Em ig b e a t McGrath in a heat race? The last tim e I saw anyone reactin g this way was whe n An dre the Giant beat Hulk Hogan and m y six-year-old nephew went ballist ic. A lot of these fans see m ed to have the same mental level. After some kn u ck le hea d th re w a spark ler from the leve l ab ove us and the m in i-ri ot in th e p ark ing lot after th e race, I h ad to come to the realization th at perhaps I am getting too old for this . I think it mi gh t be a wh ile before I a tten d another su percross. I feel a lot safer racing in the desert . B.F. Graham Laguna Beach, CA Way to go I enjoyed the guest ed itorial in the Februa ry 7 (Issue #5 ) Cycl e News an d wanted to say to Kim Orn dor ff - way to go . I commend her on being tough and be ing a "rea l wo man ." Women can be just as tough as men and don't req uire any special treatmen t. Welcome to th e club. Abou t a year and a hal f ago, I broke my leg while trials riding and had to rid e my motorcycle out of so me stee p terrain to get back to the truck and eve ntually to a hosp ital. It' s m ade me a so li d trials rider and boosted m y se lf-es teem . I'm th e on ly woman competitor in ou r trials club and the gu ys have finally learned not to run over and ·pick up m y bik e for me . Keep on rid ing, Kim. Laura Bussin g Sequatchie, TN Helmets? Th is is in response to M r. Dan Cather (Voices, Issu e #50). The m otor cycle helmet controversy goes back further than I can remember, an d most probab ly will continue well beyond ou r lifetimes. It is su rro un ded by rhe toric, twisted sta tistics, outright lies and facts. . Fact Helm ets can reduce the severity of h ead injuries in some accidents. Fact: Helm ets ca n con tribu te to n ec k and spinal inju ries in some accidents. Fact: Helmets can add to a ri der's comfort and sense of securi ty. Fact: Helmets can be hot, heavy an d can adversely affect hearing. Fact: Helm ets do not reduce the incidence of motorcycle accidents. Onl y rider ed ucation and p ub lic awareness programs hav e been proven to accomplish this. Fact: This country w as founded on certain princip als that separate the federal governmen t from state governments. It is su pposed to be im prope r for th e federal governmen t to bl ackmail state governmen ts into passing legislation of any kin d . Thi s was a ve ry dangerous preced ent that h ad to b e addressed an d overtu rne d . Fact: Mot orcyclists who oppose helm et laws are not anti-helmet. If a rider feels it is ap p ropri at e to wear a helmet, w e s u p por t their decision 100 percent. I s u gges t yo u co n tac t th e A MA , Motor cycle Riders Foundati on, or your local mot or cyclists rig h ts organiza tio n for in forma tion regardi ng insurance rates, and facts ab ou t motorcycle acci. den t victims on p ubli c assistance. You' ll b e s urpri sed how mu ch m is le a d ing info rmation you 've been led to believe. Ride sa fe, ride free, ride respo nsib ly James V. Viverito Past President Abate of Illinois,. Chicago Chapter. Letters to the editor should be sent to Voices, Cycle News, P.O. Box 498 Long Beach, CA , 90806-0498, faxed to 3101427~685 or e-mail edi, Advertising Terry Prall, National Accounts Manager Mark Mitchell, Eastern Accounts Manager Mark Thome, Western Sales Manager Thomas Gonter, Western Sales Manager Forrest Hayashi, Western Sales Manager Greg Mitchell, Eastern Sales Manager Rick Matheny, Eastern Sales Manager Rhonda Crawford, Western Ad Coordinator Carla Allen, Ea stern Ad Coordinator Laurie Snow, Assistant Marketing & Promotion Mark Thome, Manager New Media Development Mark Mitchell, Director . Rick Matheny, Operations Classified Ads Sharon Van Hazelen Graphics and Production Ree Johnson, Production Supervisor Mandy Loo, Production Manager Dennis Greene, Lab. Tech. Stacey Guest, Graphic Artist Amy Faught, Graphic Artist Admin istration Judy Klinger, Coordinator Leanne Sims , Administrative Assistant Acco unti ng/Data Processing Donna Bryan-Diamond, AIR Coordinator Geneva Repass, Assistant He- lane Lewis, Credit Circ ulatio n Rheba Smith, Manager Alma Anguiano, Processing Coordinator Pam Klein, Billing Coordinator Ca rol Begovic, Dealer Coordinator Service and Support Bridgell Bobrofsky, Receptionist Leonard Herring, Serviceand Support National Headqu arters 2201 Cherry Ave.. LongBeach, CA 90806, P.O. Box 498, Long Beach, CA 90801-0498 (310) 427-74 33; (213) 636-8844. FAX (310) 427-6685 Eastern Office 4188 First Ave., Tucker, GA, 30084; mailing address P.O. Box 805, Tucker, GA 30085-0805. (770) 934-7850. FAX (770) 934-3112 necessarily reflect the position of Cycle News, Inc. Letters should not exceed 200 words and all lellers are subject to editing. Anonymous letters wi ll no t be consi dered for publication. All le tters should contain the w riter 's na me, . addressand daytime phone number ... Editor. e-mail editorfscyclenews.corn subscribe®cyclenews.com advertisin g@cyclenews.com Internet http :/ /www.cyclenews.com Cycle News (USPS 141-340) is published weekly except the last two weeks of the calendar year for $50.00per year by Cycle News. Inc., 2201Cherry Avenue. Long Beach CA90806. . Second dase postage paid at Long Beach. CA and at additional mailing office. Canada Post International Publications Mail '54 6615. FEATURES DAYTONA FEATURE ISSUE Daytona 200 Preview Dayton a Schedule Road Racing Season Pred iction s Dirt Track Season Predictions Interview: Am erican Honda's Gary Mathers Interview: Dirt Tracker Joe Kopp Tech: Dunlop's New Compound Interview: Smokin Joe' s Steve Crevier Interview: Dale Quarterly Dayt ona SX Preview Review: BEARSSeries Interview : Mat Mladin Editorial Paul Carruthers, Editor Kit Palmer, Associate Editor Donn Maeda, Associate Editor ScOIl Rousseau, Associate Editor Mark Hoyer, Managing Editor Keith Bush, Copy ~ditor to r@cyclenews.com.. Pubtished 'Jetters do n ot . ROAD RACING NASB Willow Springs RR V olume XXXIII Sharon Clayton, President Michael Klinger, Publisher POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Cycle Box 498, long Beach, CA 90801-04 98. History : Agostini's MV Agusta .......48 .4 8 12 16 20 22 .26 .30 32 38 .40 44 46 NEW BIKES 1996 Kawasaki Vulcans Subscription rates: Rates ior the United States and its posSt"Ssions for one year.(50issues), $50.00;two years (100issues), $95.00; six months. (25 Issues), 526.00; trial sub OS Issues), 519.00. Canada and Foreign. one year (50issues). $90.00; two yeaI'5(100 issues). $175.00: six months (25 issues), $4S.(XJ; trial sub (15 issues), $38.00. 52 MOTOCROSS CMC Golden State Nat' I.. 54 Cycle News welcomes unsolicitededitorial material including stories. cartoons. photos. etc. Such material, if published. becomes the exclusive property of Cycle News. Reprinting in whole or part only by permission of the publisher. Advertising rates and circulation infonnation ",.i11 be sent upon request. See S. .DS. R DEPARTM ENTS PRODUCT EVALUATIONS EVENTS RESULTS CALENDAR : WANT ADS INTHE TAPES LOOKING BACL .34 56 51 59 64 80 80 P.O. To determin e the npiration dat e of yo ur s ubscri pti on, check the four num bers on the firs t lin e of yo ur address label. The first two digits indi cate the last issu e nu mber you'll receive and the l.lst two ch.lracters indicate the year of th e I.., t issue. 14 ARENACROSS Milwaukee Super Are nacross ~eW1. ONTHE FRONT COVER WIlrA ~~TION A Dayton a p otp ourri of Camel Mo to rcy cle Week 1995. Ph oto s b y Kinney Jones. Printed in U.S.A. Co~yright" Cycle News Inc. 1996 Trademark CycleNews . registered Pate nt Office. All rights reserved. u.s. 3

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