Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

'OAVSIX 'By Kit Palmer t's Sunday, and for once I have no major plans. No race to cover, no race to compete in, no plans at all, except that later on I'll be loading up my truck d heading for one of my local riding areas for some quality trail-riding time. After all, it's been raining aU week and, traction is abundant. It's days like these that simply overrule a day at the track. . gs are going good. The yard work's done - it'll be a good day. But first things are first. I make a fresh brew of coffee, pull up a chair and unravel my Sunday paper. Big mistake. What do I see for the second time in less than a month on the front page that begins to make my blood boil? Yet {lnother motorcycle slam job by the mainstream press. I am no longer at ease. lnstead I'm mad as hell and my dog has left the room seeking safety in the garage. He can tell when I'm pissed and doesn't like it when I cuss. You see, in my area there's a big brouhaha about a proposal that would add pre-existing off-road, "Green Sticker," trails in my local mountains. Mind you, these trails are already there, but about half of them have been closed off to motorcycles and off-road use for one reason or another in recent years. Of course, there are many environmentalists and local residents fighting against this proposal, and anytime there's a controversy, the local press is all over it. The actual controversy isn't what's bothering me so much, but it was the one-sided, anti-motorcycle reporting on lhis particular issue - and many other such issues in the past - in my local newspaper. 1'he first article on this particular subject a few weeks ago got me so irate that I irnrnediately wrote a letter to the newspaper, telling the editor of my displeasure with their reporters one-sided and biased piece. And no, he wasn't on the side of the motorcyclist. I was taught that to be a good journalist you had to be objective. Maybe this guy should go back to journalism 101. No doubt, this article was written by, someone who knew absolutely nothing about motorcycles or the sport. Again, keeping in mind the main issue at hand here - reopening already-existing OHV trails in the mountains - the word "motocross" was used in one of the headlines. Motocross? The overall headline basically insinuated that by opening "new" OHV trails, it would attract thousands of motocrossers to the mountains. In another headline the words "offtrack" was used, again another sneaky reference to "racing." And we all know that Joe Blow Public does not like racing, or the idea that hundreds of "motocrossers" will be racing around the mountain if these trails are opened up, which, of course, they wouldn't. And then, to top it all off, the photograph the newspaper chose to use to accompany the story was taken about fi -ire years ago of a start line a t an AMA/D-37 hare and hound race in the . desert. What does a photo of 50 or 60 desert racers have to do with opening up a few Green Sticker trails in a National Forest? Nothing, except to scare· your neighbor into joining the fight against off-road motorcycling. I thought this was a blatant slam against off-road motorcycling and a prime example of poor journalism. The article itself was filled with wrong terminology and misinformation about off-roading and motorcycles, mistakes .that only those of us who ride motorcycles would catch. This also makes me wonder about the accuracy of other newspaper reports on topics that I don't know anything about. An.d then there's today's paper. Again, the controversy is on the front page, photos and all. This time, though, the headlines aren't so negative toward motorcycling, and there isn't any reference to "motocross" or racing anywhere in the writing. However, the photo isn't much better. At least it's a recent photo taken in the area of discussion. The color photo shows a man, standing off to the side of a trail, restraining his .two dogs by the collars as a motorcycle rides past, . "near his property," the caption reads. It's obviously a staged photo, but I just hope the rider in the photo had nothing to do with it being staged. If so, I'd like to have a word with him. The well-dressed man in the.photo doesn't like motorcycles. He complains that one of the OHV trails runs too close to his house. I wonder, what was there first, the trail or his home? This is kind of like the airport syndrome. People build houses next to airports then complain about airplane noise and want to close down the airport. I have to admit that this recent article does a better job showing both sides of the story, but, of course, the author still has to throw in a few damaging words, such as "blare" as in motorcycles blaring "... past manicured, upscale homes." And then there's "...engines crackling 10udIy." And, of course, we are always being referred to as "bikers." I wonder what my neighbors think when they see this word? I think I know. In both papers, in a small corner at the top of the front page, the readers were asked questions in an "unscientific sampling of public opinion," regarding this land-use controversy. The first, question - should these proposed trails be opened up? Of course, the majority called in and said, "No." In today's issue, the' question is, "Do you think motorcycles should be banned from mountain trails?" Banned? Now we're talking about banning motorcycles from riding on Green Sticker trails (that we all pay to keep maintained) in the mountains? How did we get from opening up a few more trails to banning motorcycles ou tright from the mountains? I think I know what the outcome of tlus poll is going to be. Sometimes lean' t help but think we live in a selfish country. "Bob" is so quick to ban what "Jane" enjoys doing just because Bob doesn't like something about Jane's hobby, especially if Jane's hobby sometimes affects Bob in a negative way, no matter how minute it may be. Bob thinks the world revolves around him and has no tolerance for what other people like to do. Hey, I'm not a big fan of guns (I find the noise irritating), but I think those who are gun enthusiasts should have legal and quality places to use them, even it is within earshot. I'm not a big horseback-riding fan, either, but I think horseback riders should have just as much access to public trails as motorcycles. Sure, it would be easy for me to say, "ban'em," simply because I don't partake' in these forms of activities and that, at one time or another, they might inconvenience me, but that would be selfish. I respect their right to enjoy whatever it is they like to do, even if I have to pull off to the side of the trail to let a horseback rider by. Anyway, I'm drifting off the subject here a bit, but I just hope that in the future, the local newspapers study up a little on us off-roaders and the sport and get their facts straight before handing out tfie wrong information to people who don't know any better. We have it tough enough as it is. CN I" American position in the final point standings, which also earned him the AMA 500cc National Championship, by one point over CZ's Brad Lackey...BSA announced that it was dropping its AMA Grand National Championship team, although it would continue its racing department to support BSA riders and contingency money would still be posted. Bill Cook rode a pair of Maicos to victory in the 250cc and 500cc Expert classes in an MX event in Goose Hollow, Oregon. Chuck Sun won the 250cc Intermediate class. David finished 5econd on a CCM and Phil Larsen got third on a Honda. . LOOKIN.G BAClt·.·.·1 'Reynard to a six-year clothing contract, the longest in terms of years in motocross history... Neil Lane stole the show in the Top Fuel class at the Dragbike! USA National Finals at Gainesville Raceway in Florida over Major Frierson, who gambled and red-lighted in the final. 1.7<1 15 YEARS AGO... DECEMBER 9, 1981 25 YEARS AGO... DECEMBER 14, 1971 uzuki's Roger DeCoster finished off the 1971 Trans-AMA series with a win in the 500cc International class at Saddleback Park in Southern Calliornia. Teammates Joel Robert and Sylvain Geboers finished second and thin:!, respectively, with Geboers winninS the Trans-AMA Championship over second-place finisher Adolph Wei!. Husky's Mark Blackwell finished ninth overall, earning top American honors. In doing so, he took the'top S " w e t " was how Louis McKey, . the fabled Phantom Duck of the Desert, described the 1981 Barstow to Vegas Trail Ride on Thanksgiving weekend, which was run in protest of the BLM's closing of the Barstow to Vegas Hare and Hound. The Cycle News Barstow to Vegas Motorcycle Road Ride and Poker Run was run on the same weekend and over 880 entries attended, raising $2,643 for the Phantom Duck of the Desert Legal Fund and the AMA Legislative Support Fund...Honda factory test rider Ron Turner won the 500cc Pro class at the CMC Four-Stroke National Championships when Donnie Hansen had a mechanical failure just half a lap from the finish. Michael 5YEARS AGO... DECEMBER 11, 1991 uzuki's Stefan Everts won the twoday Maastricht Supercross in Holland, splitting wins with secondplace finisher Larry Ward. Dean Matson finished in third place...HarleyDavidson's'Scott Parker was named the AMA Pro Athlete of the Year after his championship dirt track season at the AMA Professional Awards Banquet held in Redondo Beach, California. Wayne Rainey was honored for his second straight 500cc World GP road-racing title. Fox Racing signed 14year-old motocross sensation Robbie S \,Q 0\ 0\ ...... «:t" 5:l "8 Q) u Q) o 47

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