Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Cycle News 2002 04 17

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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CElm G'lJ:KB C~ c==Jc=JCJCJD o o o o o Leonardo Upucho" Bagnis (Hon) {PrJfif@[lD@ffI fifJf§)\il@[l [§)@@O@'l!D 7J @f?J@of?J@@f?J topped the Premier class in round two of the SuperTI American Racing Series held in the parking lot outside California Speedway in Fontana, California, on April 7. The Argentine native took the win by a convincing 10-second margin Trev Deeley, Canada's most famous motorcycle businessman, ctied on March 28 at his home in North Saanich, just outside of Victoria, on southem Vancouver Island off the coast of the province of British Columbia_ Bom on March 15, 1920, in Vancouver on B.C.'s lower mainland, Deeley was the founder and chairman of Fred Deeley Imports - the Harley-Davidson distributor for Canada. As well, Deeley was a past director of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company, and a trusted Milwaukee insider. A successful racer in his own right, Deeley later sponsored many front-running dirt and pavement pros, most notably as the importer of Yamaha Motorcycles. Yvon DuHamel, Jim Allen, Jim Dunn and, most successfully, the pairing of Washington state racer Steve Baker and top Canadian snowmobile tuner Bob Work, all rose to fame with the support of Deeley Yamaha. later, Deeley backed most top Canuk H-D-mounted dirt trackers, including top all-arounder Jon Comwell and Grand National victor Steve Beattie. Recently, knowledgably motorcycle historians may have noticed Deeley at a few AMA Nationals, driving his orange-and·black painted golf cart and watching the VR project with more than a little interest - Trev was an outspoken critic of the operation of the now canceled Harley-DaVidson Superbike effort, Deeley was a true all-around Canadian success story, famously documented in the sometimes wild tale of his life, a successful bio titled "Motorcycle Millionaire," penned in 1994 by B.C. bike writer Frank Hilliard. The most extensively covered Deeley saga in the book was a trip from Canada's west coast to the American southeast for the 1948 Daytona beach race. Given the fact that there were few highways in the post-war era, it's not surprising the joumey to the event was at least as wild as the race. Deeley's grandparents emigrated from England to Vancouver in 1914, opening a motorcycle and bicycle shop on famed Granville St. in Canada's biggest "left coast" city, In 1917, Fred Deeley ltd. acquired the Harley-DaVidson line, making Deeley the second oldest H-D dealership in the world. Deeley joined the family business as an apprentice at the age of 15, and was soon involved in all aspects of the business, inclucting competition and the big club scene typical of the era. While National-level racing had yet to evolve, Deeley's west-coast flat-track career was particularly successful. In 1957, Deeley gambled on Importing the first Japanese motorcycles to Canada, but his efforts to establish the Honda marque met with limited success. Still sure that new, small-displacement "high tech" machines could sell, Deeley established a relationship with the Yamaha factory, serving as Canada's importer until Yamaha Motor Canada was formed in 1973. Wh.en Yamaha took control, Deeley continued as a consultant. However, at the same time, Deeley's family business came full o o o o o over a tight. three-rider pack made up of runner-up Mark Cernicky (Hon), third- placed Casey Yarrow (Hon) and fourth-placed Don Canet (Hus). Former 500cc World Champion Kevin Schwantz (Suz) finished fifth after falling while running second midway through the race. With consecutive wins in the first two series rounds, Bagnis extends his points lead over second- 8 o 8 o ranked Cern icky. Round three of the series will be held at the Solano County Fairgrounds in Vallejo, California, April 27-28. Round three of the AMA Yamaha/Maxxis Tires Western Four-Stroke National Motocross Championship in Boise, Idaho, was won by Sean Hamblin Spud Walters (Hon) finished second on the day with a 3-2 tally, while Lance Smail (KTM) taking third. (Yam) after posting a 1-2 tally. o o 8 8 o John Kocinski in "Architectural Digest?" It's true. The shelter magazine of the rich and famous is to feature the home Kocinski is having bUilt in the Bev- erly Park section of Beverly Hills some time this fall. Construction and landscaping on the 7500-square-foot spread, built on his $8 million three-acre lot, should be finished by the end of April. It 8 o circle with Harley-DaVidson asking Deeley to become their Canadian distributor in 1973, Joined by long-time associates Don James and Harold Lenfesty, Deeley was deeply involved with Harley during a period of great upheaval and eventual large-scale success. Deeley's first action as the new Canadian brand boss was to ride across Canada on a "hog," visiting dealers throughout the world's second biggest country. in 1985, Deeley joined H-D's Board of Directors, one of the first three outsider ctirectors in the Companies' history, As well as business planning, Deeley pursued a bands-on dectication to product development. The first stand-alone BueD retailer was Vancouver's Deeley's House of Buell. Later in life, Deeley enjoyed serious yachting on the west coast, as well as flying fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Always a traveler, Deeley's official obituary listed his homes as Maui; Indian Wells, Callfomia; Vancouver and Victoria, B.C. Deeley played an important ~oll in many fundraising agencies and actiVities, but probably his best-known public service, at least to motorcyclists, is the Trev Deeley Motorcycle Museum in Vancouver. Opened in 1993, the free-to-the-pubUc facility has 54 different brands of motorcycles on display, over 200 bikes in total with the collection. Everything from military to race machines are offered for regular viewing, many of theme quite rare. Other generous Deeley contributions included a $750,000 gift to the Motorcycle Tech. Program at Alberta's Fakview College, backers of the famed "Numb Bum" 24-Hour Ice race. Before wife Joyce died of cancer, Deeley donated one million doliars to cancer research. Deeley has received many significant honors, none more prominent than the AMA's Dudley Perkins Award, presented to him for outstanding contributions to motorcycling in 1997. The first Canactian to receive the award, coverage of Deeley's honor at home in Canada underlined just how much Canadians value American recognition. In 1995, Deeley was one of the first motorcycle-oriented inductees to the Canadian Motorsport HaJJ of Fame. Deeley was also the first motorcycle racer to make it into the B.C. Sports Hali of Fame, beating fellow homeboy Steve Crevier to the punch. Deeley is survived by his daughter, Dawne Elizabeth, and his Persian cat, Tiffany. A memorial ride is scheduled for Sunday, April 21 in British Columbia. Tbe ride will leave Trev Deeley Motorcycles, 2375 Boundary Rd., Vancouver at 12:20 p.m., ending with a celebration of his life starting at 1:30 p.m. Pacific time at the Trev Deeley Motorcycle Museum, 13500 Verdun Place in Richmond. Condolences may be offered at www.mccallbros.com. in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Saanich Peninsula Hospital Foundation, 2166 Mt. Newton X Rd., Victoria, B.C., V8M 282, Canada. Colin Fraser will take another month to complete the interiors, which include 15 pieces from owner Bob Maclean, is filming a docu- The AMA is urging off-highway motorcy- prelude to additional closures," the the Miami home of the late Gianni Ver- mentary on Grand Prix racing. The work- cle and all-terrain vehicle users to tell AMA said. "Additionally. it is difficult to sace. One of the house's four garage ing title is "Faster: The Ultimate the federal government that they oppose believe that a full 40 percent of the trail Reality Movie." Directed by Mark motorized trail closures in the San system is comprised of redundant and Neal, a documentary filmmaker and Rafael Swell in Utah. The federal Bureau of land Management (BlM) ed that "by its own admission. the o o o bays will house his $500,000 Bentley Azure Mulliner convertible. According to meaningless trails." The AMA also stat- Kocinski, his neighbors in the tony music-video director who's worked with neighborhood include Denzel Washing- U2, the movie is a behind-the-scenes recently proposed a plan that would shut BlM's failure to perform even the most ton, Samuel L. Jackson, Sylvester Stal- look at the world of motorcycle racing. down 40 percent of the motorized basic management duties has con- lone, and Vanna White. The Yamaha test "It's about the sport and the people routes in 1.1 million acres of the San tributed to many of the problems that Rafael Swell and surrounding area. the route designation plan claims to Specifically, the plan would reduce the address." You can view the AMA's full 8 o rider, who's liVing in Boynton Beach, behind the sport," said Maclean, who's Florida, dUring construction of his house, working with Dorna, the GP rights hold- was scheduled to leave Japan on Sun- ers. Maclean has full access to Dorna's day, April 7 to fly to los Angeles for film archives, which date back to 1992. meetings with his architect, his land- o o o o "Dorna wants to increase their presence scape architect. and his interior design- in the U.S. and worldwide," Maclean er. Kocinski said that his architect has said. The end product will be an 80- shown 15 homes in Architectural Digest. minute, feature-length documentary. The photo shoot is scheduled for "We'll try to get it in some festivals. If it August. Kocinski said he already has gets some acclaim, we'll put it in the- ideas for building another home. Kocins- number of miles of motorized routes comments by going to the "Protecting from the current 1,074 to 663. The San Your Right to Ride" section of the AMA Rafael Swell is a 900-square-mile area in Web site at www.AMADirectlink.com central Utah that features spectacular and then clicking on San Rafael Trail scenery and rugged terrain, including Closures. The public has until April 22 to mesas, cliffs and canyons. The Swell is comment on the BlM's plan, and a final actually an uplifted area of eroded, lay- decision is expected this spring. Written ered rock. In comments submitted to the comments should be sent to: Bureau of federal agency in response to an envi- land Management, Attention: Route ki is also developing a 300-unit apart- atres," he said. With a budget of ronmental assessment of the San Rafael Designation Plan, 125 S. 600 W., Price, ment complex in Sacramento, California. $800,000, the project should be able to Route Designation Plan, the AMA UT 84501. recoup its costs. Filming, which is being strongly opposed any route closures, o 8 o Hollywood invaded Japan during the done in high-definition video. began at suggesting instead that the BlM step up The AMA has announced that motocross Japanese Grand Prix with a los Ange- the IRTA test in Spain and continued in legend Jim Pomeroy will serve as les-based film crew working the paddock Japan, before moving to the Italian its efforts to properly manage motorized trails. "Given the agency's history of at the Suzuka Circuit. The crew, headed Grand Prix at Mugello in May. After film- inaction and the [environmental assess- cle Days West. to be held April 26-28 at by executive producer Ian Maclean, the ing Is completed, the post-production ment's] anti-access tone, the proposed Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma, Califor- son of Red Bull Yamaha WCM team work will take three or four months. action seems to be little more than a nia. Pomeroy, who was inducted into the o 2 APRIL 17, 2002' cue I e n e _ s Grand Marshal of AMA Vintage Motorcy-

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