Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

mula will be introduced in which fourand two-strokes will coexist. It is also likely that the World Superbikes will be toned down andjwill become more production-based. After a negative reception from riders about the new "arrow" starting grid propo ed for World Superbike racing, series organizers have scheduled a meeting to be held in Misano, Italy, on March 9, at w~ich the top team clubs' riders and team managers, FlM representatives and Superbike International will further discuss their respective positions. A final decision about the new starting procedure by the FIM will come after the meeting. Leroy Winters, 69, died at his home in Fort Smith, Arkansas, on February 20 aft r a brief illness. Winters was a wellknown pioneer in off-road two-stroke motorcycles and was the first rider to win the overall in the Jack Pine Enduro on a lightweight (l65cc) Harley-Davidson. He also was a member of American ISDT teams during the 1960s and '70s and most recently hosted the ISDT/ISDE Riders Reunion in 1997 and '98 in Fort Smith. Winters was also a Fort Smith Honda dealer for 25-plus years. He is survived by his children, Bart, Mike, Patti, Paula and Robin. Cards and letters can be sent to the Winters family at 10303 Highway 45 South, Fort Smith, AR 72916. Dunlop road race coordinator Jim Allen said the company has responded to the failure of one of their tires during the December tire tests by producing three new rear tires. "Out of the three test compounds, y,-e selected two of them for superbike," Alien said. "They have a new rear casing, which was designed since the December tests. The fronts are the same as they were at the test." Allen said there were two front tires and two viable rears, with a third that was probably too hard for all but the fastest riders. According to a press release from University Honda-Yamaha in Seattle, Washington, the dealership - originally known as Wa hington Honda - will celebrate its 40th year of continuous operation with an anniversary sale and party at the dealership on March 13. Honda archivist Art Ridgeway has confirmed that University Honda has the distinction of being the first Honda mot~rcycle dealer, with dealer designation #100001. Recently, a panel of lawmakers in August, Maine, unaniij"lously decided that bikers do not deserve special protection under the umbrella of the state's Human Rights Act. Some motorcyclists were claiming that their tough, tattooed and leather-clad appearance often leads to discrimination when they look for a place to dine or spend the night. The proposals would have amended the rights act - which bars discrimination based on race, ex, religion, national origin or disability - to include people who operate motorcycles or who wear clothing displaying the name of a motorcycle group. It was rejected in the Judiciary Committee, 13-0. One week after reducing the price on its HRC parts, Thousand Oaks Honda HRC Suzuki has announcecl that it has slashed the price on its inventory of RS125 and NSR250 motorcycles. The road racers are now priced at $17,999 for the 250 and $9899 for the 125. For more information, call 805/371-3000. The 1999 Laughlin River Run, scheduled for April 22-25 in Laughlin, Nevada, wLU kick off the AMA National Road Riding Convention Series as the AMA Sou.thwest Regional Road Riding Convention. Some 50,00 riders are expected to participate in .the Laughlin event. For more information, call 909/340-0094. Former Daytona 200 winner Dave Sadowski will host a two-day Fantasy 500 motorcycle school at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia, June 6-7. Sadowski will also teach a school on July 8, prior to the July 8-11 WERA Cycle Jam at Road Atlanta, and March 13-14, prior to the WERA regional a t Road Atlanta. The History Channel will air a show titled "Modern Marvels: Harley-Davidson" on Tuesday, May 11, at 10 p.m. (Eastern) and 11 p.m. (Pacific): The onehour documentary will delve into the history of Harley-Davidson and will reveal how it has become a phenomenon. "It's an American story about four young men who believed in the future and thought they'd put the world on two wheels," according to a release from the History Channel. Speaking during an exhibition tour of New Zealand and Australia, IS-time World Champion Giacomo Agostini has predicted that Mick Doohan will win his sixth straight 500cc World Championship in 1999, according to Cycle News contributor Darryl Flack. "Doohan is the best ride'r at the moment, but he cannot break my record," said Agostini, who won eigh t titles on 500s and seven on 350s. "If . Doohan raced two classes, he could come close to my record, but he only rides one class. There is no doubt about it that Doohan is a champion racer. He has to be the best of today's racers, because he wins all the time. But it is impossible for me to rank him in a list of all-time greats, because I have not raced against him. I can only rate riders who I raced against in my time, like Mike Hailwood and Kenny Roberts. I'm sure Doohan is up. at the top somewhere, but exactly where is impossible for me to say." Road racer Richie Morris has signed a contract to ride the entire NASB HarleyDa vidson and Buell Series under the banner of [(MC Telecom Racing. Longtime sponsors Daytona Harley-Davidson and the Ocean Deck will continue their support of Morris. Richard Zinsmann of Yucca Valley, California, recently purchased the first new BuHaco motorcycle sold in California in 16 years. Zinsmann purchased the 1999 Bultaco She reo trials bike through Harry's Cycle in Citrus Heights, California. According to a press release from Donington Park Leisure, Donington .Park very nearly became the host of what would have been a World Superbike/ World Endurance doubleheader, May 23. Donington Park will host the World Superbike round on May 2 and had made a proposal to Superbike Motorsport to also hold an eight-hour World Endurance round on May 3. A Superbike Motorsport spokesman, however, said, "It is impossible to organize two events together without risking enormous problems." • According to Cycle News contributor Darryl Flack, five-time World Champi- Canada's new Stallion J unior Motorcycle, the first manufacturer of street bikes in Canada, unveiled one of its two lLClt1~~r.!;:;'::~ models in Montreal on February 24; the 1570cc Vtwin-powered Stallion. _ According to Junior Motorcycle, this marks the first time that a Canadian motorcycle company has obtained approval from Transport Canada's.Road Safety and Motor Vehicle Regulation Directorate for' this type of vehicle. Junior Motorcycle plans on selling its two models in the North American market. Both the Stallion and the Typhoon feature S&S 1570cc engines, five-speed . transmission (a six-speed is an option), detail adjustable handlebars and disc brakes. According to Junior Motorcycle, about 65 percent of the motorcycle parts are manufac.lured in Montreal by Hexco Inc., for a total Canadian content of about 80 percent. "Each component of the motorcycle has beel) carefully designed and selected," said Michel Cote Jr., the designer of the bikes. "If we were unable to manufacture the parts ourselves, we opted for the best available on the market. Our bikes are as good technically and mecllanically as they are attractive." The Stallion will carry a suggested retail price of $43,200 Canadian. on Mick Doohan and his longtime girlfriend, Selin~ Sines, are expecting their first child in August. sightseeing in Europe or motorcycling in the Alps. For more information, call 800/241-1223. The 10th anniversary races for the Fire and Police MX Nationals will be held at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California, April 12-13, with the fall round scheduled for October 4-5. The main purpose of the Fire and Police MX Nationals is to raise funds for charities and for the surviving family members of fallen firefighter; and police officers. The event is open to all full-time firefighters and law enforcement officers. For more information, call 909/2477377. NAMED: Robert Brown, as the director of operations for Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma.. California. by president and general manager Steve Page. Brown replaces Mike Yurick, who held the post for 11 years prior to accepting a position at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada. Both Sears Point and Las Vegas Motor Speedway are owned by Speedway Motorsports Inc. According to reports in ~he Brockton Enterprises newspaper of February 19, off-road riders_ are optimistic that the state of Massachusetts will lift a twoyear ban on riding the trails of the Myles Standish State Forest after the first of three statewide hearings brought an avalanche of suppo.rt. "To have a public hearing and have all the speakers in favor of opening more trails is very encouraging," said Mark Bettencourt, a member of the Pilgrim Sands Trailriders of Plympton and a leader in the fight to reopen the trails. About 150 enthusiasts packed the state's heari.ng in Fall River, and 29 spoke in favor of the off-roaders. The state closed Myles Standish two years ago, forcing motorcyclists to travel to Freetown and other parks where the season has been limited. Written commen ts regarding the situation can be directed to Todd Frederick, director of forestry and parks, at 100 Cambridge St., Boston, MA 02202. Elf Fuels and Lubricants will have a support truck on hand for Bike Week at Daytona. The support vehicle will be located at the Klassix Auto Museum on West International Speedway Blvd. in Daytona from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. TravelCraft is le(lding a group of riders and race fans to Europe to train with Randy Mamola at the Kenny Roberts Training Ranch. The trip will also include two Grands Prix. The trip begins with the Roberts training camp on June 13, then moves to Catalunya for the Barcelona GP and then to Assen for the Dutch GP. With free time between race weekends, tour options include MOVED: Torco Jnternational Corp., to 19652 Bloomfield A ve.. Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670, 562/906-2120, (fax) 562/908·2130. OPENED: GS Battery's home page on the World Wide Web. The site can be found at the following address: http://~w.gsb3ttery.com. RESCHEDULED: Round five of the GFl California Winter Series will be held at Hollister Hills Raceway in Hollister, California, on March 14. bl addition, the North/South Showdown event will be held at the Oatfield Raceway in Turlock, California, on March 28. For more information, call 909/656-96 2. PROMOTED: Shari Leventhal, to vice president of marketing for Speedvision, effective immediately. Leventhal will be responsible for the network's onair promotion and aU brand communication for consumer, ad sales and affiliate constituencies. AUTOGRAPH SIGNING: At the Kawasaki display tent at Daytona International Spet."Clway during Bike Week. The following are expected to appear: Kawasaki Team Green's Larry Roeseler, Fred Andrews, Destry Abbott and Jeff Fredette (March 3 from 3 to 4 p..m.); Team Kawasaki drag racers Ricky Gadson and Steve Rice (March 3-5 from 1 to 2 p.m., and March 6 from 10 to ]1 a.m.); Team Kawas.,ki's Ricky Carmichael, Jeff Emig and Damon Huffman and Team SplitFire's Nick Wey (March 5 from 3 to 4 p.m.); Muzzy Kawasaki's Doug Chandler and Aaron Yates (March 6 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.). ANNOUNCED: The addi.tion of Scott Goodwin as a partner in the advertising agency that will now be known as Davis. Leib and Good\-vin Advertising, by Dale Davis a~d Don Leib. For more information, call 909/337-3566. AUTOGRAPH SIGNING: At Indy Cycle 'N' Ski In lndianapolis, lndiana. on April 13 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Team Kawasaki's Jeff Emig, Ricky Carmichael and Damon Huffman and Team SplilFire are schcd.uled to appear. For more information, caB 317/899. 1600. OPENED: Shoei Safety Helmet Corp:s North American home page on the World Wide Web. TIle site can be found at the following address: www.shoei-helmets.com. OPENED: Washougal Motocross Park's home page on the World Wide Web. The site can be found at the ". following address: www.washougalmx.com.

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