Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128147
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o Continued from page 3 Mojave, California, area. According to friend Jim Cooke, Balentine broke the femur on the remaining part of his amputated leg and had to drag himself to a road for help. He is currently recuperating at home, where readers can send cards and letters to 15335 Leslie, Mojave, CA 93501. The National Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame in Anamosa, Iowa, recently acquired a 1947 Indian Chopper owned by the late Steve McQueen, including his sleeping bag and leather saddlebag. McQueen needs little introdu<:tlon to motorcycling fans as he starred in the popular "On Any Sunday.' McQueen's other credits include "The Great Escape," "The Blob," "The Magnificent Seven," "The Hunter," "The Cincinnati Kid," "Papillon," "Tom Horn," "The Thomas Crown Affair," "Bullitt," "Le Mans," "Nevada Smith," and "Sand Pebbles.' The McQueen bike can be viewed at the museum daOy. For more information, caD 319/462-3925_ Triumph Motorcycles issued a statement that distribution of the Triumph range of motorcycles, parts and accessories and their warranty service will continue following a fire Friday evening, March 15, which has affected part of one of their British manufacturing facilities. Karl Wharton, managing director of the Hinckley-based motorcycle manufacturer, says that work on rebuilding a section of their Jacknell Road production facility is due to start later this week. -The fire, which was confined to a section of the assembly area, was quickly brought under control and has only affected certain areas at one of our four production and distribution centers in Hinckley. No one was hurt and all of our 650 UK staff are being informed that their jobs are secure, - said Wharton. "It will have no immediate impact on motorcycles ready for distribution held in our network of bike stores in the UK, Europe, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and other countries, - he added. Many staff have been working throughout the weekend with the Triumph management team, preparing for Monday's clean-up and contacting the company's worldwide dealer network to inform them that they can order parts and accessories on-line as usual. • Stocks of spare parts and most ranges of motorcycles are available to meet immediate requirements in the UK. It is also the company's policy to hold stocks of bikes at other distribution centers in Europe and the United States," said Wharton. The preliminary investigation suggests normal manufacturing operation in the affected areas will recommence within four months. ·Over the past three years, Triumph has significantly expanded their manufacturing facilities in the UK to meet growing demand. This specific incident will not hinder the on-going success of Triumph,· said Wharton. Point Karting Center will feature a scoreboard, two transponder-timing systems and bleachers, as well as a kart maintenance and storage center. The track, which was designed in part by Jim Russell International Karting, was built to CIK/FIA standards. The Jim Russell School has been based at Sears Point Raceway since 1996. o o o o Richie Neace, 50, a longtime eastcoast drag racer from Hilton, New York, died March 8 in an ATV accident. Neace, along with brothers Dudly and Hayward, formed Neace Bros. Racing in the late 1970s. Along with drag racing, Neace Bros. operated a small speed shop, building many high-performance o o o street and sportbikes throughout the '70s and '80s for Western New Yorkers as well as helping several New York racers get their start. An engineer by trade, Neace's passion for speed, high technology and life showed in everything he did. Also an avid sportsman, Neace is survived by his wife, Pam, and son, 8 o o o o o o Todd. British motorcycling has been handed a massive potential boost with the news that bikes are excluded from controversial plans to make motorists pay per mile. The scheme, officially revealed by the Department of Transport's Commission for Integrated Transport (CFID, would see all cars and lorries fitted with satellite tracking systems, allowing the government to tax drivers depending on the amount they contribute to congestion. The busier the road you use, the more you'll get charges. But the 39-page report never refers to bikes. The CFIT reckons they help prevent congestion rather than adding to it. CFiT spokesman Martin Helm said: • Motorcycles haven't Sears Point Raceway recently unveiled another element of its comprehensive $50 million Modernization Plan as track officials took the wraps off the Sears Point Karting Center. The Center will feature a twisting 16-turn, threequarter-mile road course that will be 28feet wide and can be divided into six different configurations. Some of the track highlights include an 850-foot sweeping straightaway, and another 450-foot 8 o o o o o o sweeping straightaway that leads into a challenging combination of turns, according to the racetrack. The Sears 100 MARCH 27, 2002' II: U II: I _ been looked at specifically, as we are mainly looking at cars and lorries [trucksl. The decision whether to include n _ _ 55 bikes would be one for the government as and when the plan is implemented. But motorcycles are not part of the problem, as they don't cause congestion, In fact, they're part of the solution," The Women's School of Motocross will hold a session on April 3 at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California, the first of eight schools the WSMX has scheduled between April and May 19. For more information, call 949/837-2206. The fourth annual U.S. Open, the world's richest motorcycle race, wili take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas October 11-13, and tickets will be on sale nationally March 23. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster at 702/474-4000, www.ticketmaster.com, or WWW.ussx.com. A Supermotard race will be held on April 28 at the Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo, California, using a track consisting of a large parking lot and a large dirt section. For more information on what will be round four of the SuperTI series, call 916/408-0758. to Kawasaki. The KLX125L will feature a 19-inch front wheel (the standard KLX 125 gets a 17-inch wheell and a 16inch rear wheel (the standard model gets a 14-inch wheell. The L will also feature a front disc brake and an inch and a half higher seat height. Suzuki, meanwhile, will soon begin selling a version of the Kawasaki KX65, Kawasaki says. Gary Bailey will hold a motocross school in Lake Elsinore, California, May 13-14 in conjunction with his son, David Bailey. The school will be held at the Lake Elsinore Motocross Park on the Monday and Tuesday after the opening round of the AMA National Motocross SerieS at Glen Helen Raceway in San Bernardino, California. For more information, call 276/650-1759. The 2002 Xtremmy Awards were held recently. Among the winners of the video awards were Las Vegas Extremes ' 2, Good Times With Carey Hart, life Behind Bars, Steve Lamson's Racing Techniques Video, Slednecks 4 and Revelation 1999. The Honorary Achievement Award was presented to Malcolm Smith. According to a press release issued by Scott Powersports in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, the shop is currently building a Honda RC51-engined dirt tracker. The bike is being built in a BRP Racing frame and will be ridden by Raun Wood. One of the most significant benefits of the recently announced alliance between Kawasaki and Suzuki will be a broader range of off-road motorcycles available in Kawasaki dealerships, according to Kawasaki. Among the first of Kawasaki's product line expansion will be a KLX 125 and a KLX 125L - both of which will be available in June, according The third annual West Coast Thunder Memorial Day Ride will be held on Monday, May 27 with the parade starting at the Skip Fordyce Motorcycle Center in Riverside, California. For more information, call 9091789-1995. The Pacific Coast Dream Machines Show has been scheduled for April 28 in Half Moon Bay, California. The 12th annual event will feature some 2000 antique, vintage, classic, custom and exotic displays, according to event promoters. The show begins at 10 a.m. and will run until 4 p.m. For more information, call 6501726-2328. eN