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/128210
c c c Continued fram page 3 Response Center at www.AMADirectlink.com. said Ryan Young. six-time AMA National Champion and founder of Ryan Young Products. -We're back again, not only because it was an ove'rall success. but because we believe that supporting the sport is important to our company.- AMA Sports is excited to be working again with both Ryan Young Products and the NATC for the upcoming season, - said Bill Amick, vice president of AMA Sports. "The support that Ryan and his company give the series makes a big difference, and we're looking forward to more exposure this year." The 2003 AMA/NATC Ryan Young Products National Championship Observed Trials Series will open April 25-26 in Pomona, California. with the finals scheduled for August 9-10 in Davis. California - 13 rounds in all. three more than the 2002 series. The AMA held a successful "Introduction to Washington" seminar in Washington, D.C., March 1-4 that featured some heavy hitters from motorcycling and government. About 30 participants gathered at the Phoenix Park LJ Hotel to meet and leam from the AMA's Washington staff as well as other political experts. Besides learning about state and federal issues facing motorcyclists today, participants got tips on building relationships with government-agency officials and on lobbying elected officials. Ed Moreland, AMA vice president for government relations, led a session, as did Tom Wyld, vice president for government relations of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation. Others who took part in seminar panels include Joey Syner, manager of the national motorcycle safety program at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: Karl Simon, deputy director of the Assessment and Standards Division at the Federal Environmental Protection Agency, who advises EPA management and others on rulemaking and enforcement issues: and linc Wehrly, a mechanical engineer who works with Simon at the EPA and is involved in developing rules and evaluating technology. Joel Blackwell, head of the Issue Management Company, which is a media relations and grassroots lobbying firm, also took part in the seminar, as did Joshua Penry, staff director of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health. Seminar participants '--' also put what they learned into practice, lobbying their members of Congress in face-to-face talks on issues ranging from health-insurance discrimination against motorcyclists to the need for comprehensive research into the causes of motorcycle crashes. "We had a very 11 successful program this year and want to thank the speakers, panelists and participants for making it such a success,Moreland said. Meanwhile, members of the Mid-South MILE from Missouri. Kansas. Arkansas. Oklahoma and Texas made the trip to Washington, D.C.. in mid-March to lobby lawmake'rs to bar health-insurance discrimination against C C o o o o o o o o Ducati North America has announced a nationwide price rollback on all new 2001 and 2002 model year Ducati motorcycles. The price reductions range from S300 up to $3200 off on some models. according to Ducati. "These price rollbacks are important first steps towards not only sales growth, but also towards our long-term goal of making Ducatis more affordable and price competitive in North America." said Michael Lock. CEO of Ducati North America. "We want every knowledgeable. bargain-hunting rider in the land to take a second look at Ducati this season." Among the more notable models offered in this sale are: The 2002 Monster 7500 - was $12.175. now $10,995: the 2002 900 Sport - was $16.195, now $13,995; the 2002 ST2was $18,295, now $15,995: and the 2002 998 Superbike Mono/Bip - was $28.195. now $23,995. For more information, visit Ducati's website at www.ducatinorthamerica.com. o c c J J J C According to newspaper reports in Northern California, Corbin Motors president Tom Corbin has announced that his company has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Corbin's 15 employees had been locked out without warning since March 21, the newspaper said. In bankruptcy. Corbin and his father. Mike Corbin, will no longer be in charge. like larger and more public corporate bankruptcies filed before them, the CEOs were singing the company's praises to investors until the end. "It was the same old story," former employee Oliver Woehrmann. who worked as the web master for the company for three months in 2001 before quitting, told the Pinnacle. "Tom kept saying there was money coming in, but it never materialized. Their business ethics was something I wasn't comfortable with." "Essentially what this means is Corbin Motors is thrOWing in the towel." said Gerard Rose, a Carmel attorney representing G o o o o o 8 J motorcyclists and to support new motorcycle-crash research. bolstering the lobbying efforts of the AMA and Motorcycle Riders Foundation. The AMA has announced that AMA Sports and Ryan Young Products have reached an agreement to extend the company's title sponsorship of the AMA/NATC Ryan Young Products National Championship Observed Trials Series through the 2003 racing season. "Last year we stepped up and took the challenge of becoming the first-ever title sponsor of the AMA/NATC National Championship Observed Trials Series.- o o o 8 o c 108 APRIL 23.2003' cue I "" 0.""5 dozens of people who are currently suing the Corbins, in the report. "That is a pity because the upshot of it will be to leave scores of investors high and dry. Many of those investors were not in the position to afford the kind of betrayal represented by this type of bankruptcy." The bankruptcy does not affect Corbin Pacific, the motorcycle seat company. Corbin Motors was producing the Sparrow. a threewheeled car. Road racer Jason Perez has been signed by BMW North America to contest the BMW International Boxer Cup Series. Perez qualified third for the opening round of the series at Daytona but crashed on the ninth lap while running in the lead pack. On May 16-1 7. supercross amateurs and top professionals will do battle at Spirit Mountain in Duluth. Minnesota. for purses in excess of $3000, according to event promoters. The races will be held under the lights as a grandstand event with live music. food and drink. The action will take place both nights, starting at 7 p.m. For more information, visit www.Motokazie.com or call 952/6011169. The AMA is asking motorcyclists, ATV riders and others involved in recreation to urge their federal lawmakers to support legislation to protect the forests. U.S. Rep. Scott Mcinnis (RColorado) has introduced legislation to carry out President Bush's "Healthy Forests Initiative" to help protect the forests from devastating fires. Bush unveiled the initiative during his State of the Union address to Congress on Jan. 28. In his address, he told lawmakers. "I have sent you a Healthy Forests Initiative to help prevent the catastrophic fires that devastate communities, kill wildlife and burn away millions of acres of treasured forest. Even more, I ask you to take a crucial step and protect our environment in ways that generations before us could not have imagined. In this century. the greatest environmental process will come about. not through endless lawsuits or command and control regulations. but through technology and innovation. " The Healthy Forests Initiative streamlines procedures to allow critical forest-restoration and fire-prevention projects to proceed qUickly in forest areas that could easily be devastated by fire. The measure provides an alternative to the current appeals process and directs the courts to take into consideration the long-tenm hanm of inaction against the alleged short-term harms of forest restoration projects. "This legislation is vital to help ensure that our forests are protected from catastrophic fires so the forests can be enjoyed by current and future generations," said Ed Moreland. AMA vice president for government relations. "If Congress doesn't act now, we could see more devastating fires like we did last summer. And those fires ruin forest recreational opportunities for all." Motorcyclists, ATV riders and others are urged to go to the AMA Rapid Response Center at the AMA website at www.AMADirectlink.com to send a message to their federal lawmakers asking them to support the Healthy Forests Initiative. The Riders Association of Triumph (RAn. in conjunction with Atlanta Triumph/Ducati, will meet on the first Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Prince of Wales Pub in Atlanta. For more information, call 404/876-0227. The Emerald Trail Riders Association, Inc .. will once again be hosting the Funky Chicken AMA National Hare Scramble at the Big-K Guest Ranch in Elkton. Oregon. The fourth round of the AMA National Hare Scrambles Series will be a two-day event on May 24-25. All Amateur classes will run on Saturday, while Pro/Expert classes run on Sunday. allowing racers to take advantage of great spectating opportunities on the course and to relax for a day. The earlier date this year brings with it the likelihood of a dust-free ride and the possibility of a true Oregon mudder, according to event promoters. The course will be a demanding combination of high speed meadows, woodinfested single track, gnarly descents and the traditional one-mile ISDE grass track. ETRA has designed the ll-mile Amateur course to be fun and challenging for Saturday's racers. Pro/Expert racers. however, will face numerous additions to the course on Sunday. Early test rides of the course have confirmed that new sections, such as: "Dave's Black Diamond," "For Pity's Sake, " "See der Cedar" and "Flounder" are indeed worthy of National caliber. With the exception of course work and test rides. the Big-K is only ridden once a year, during this event. Oregon's premier off-road event promises to be a true test of skill. endurance and motorcycle savvy. Printable flyers, entry forms and additional information are available at www.etra.net. Pre-entry by May 15 is recommended due to the 200-per-day rider limit. ACS Motorcycle Tours says it is the first and only company in the Republic of Panama to offer all-inclusive, guided motorcycle tours. ACS offers tours throughout Panama on 2003 KTM 640 Adventures. Panama offers riding for all experience levels - from smooth, wellmaintained twisty roads to extreme jungle riding, ACS says. For more information, call 507/317-1173. eN