Around the Industry
AROUND THE INDUSTRY
NEW SIMPLEX SENIOR
The Simplex Mfg. Corp. in New Orleans, La., has announced an addition to its 1964 line of Sportsman Compacts; the Sportsman Senior, a full-size motorbike. Features include; 51-inch wheelbase, 20"
outer diameter tires on 12" wheels, telescopic front forks and spring dampened swinging arms in the rear, automatic chain oiler, center floor stand, 10" x 14" carrying rack and full lighting equipment.
Power is supplied by a 175cc Continental four-cycle, single-cylinder engine rated at 6 horsepower. An adaptor is also available that holds the engine to 4.9 hp for use by Juniors in areas where the law denies them the use of more than 5 hp. A compression release is standard on the engine to facilitate easier starting. The engine drives through a multiple speed torque converter employing variable ratio pulleys driven by belts and using a centrifugal clutch.
Alterations to the standard Simplex Sportsman Compacts for 1964 include; improved torque converter mounting, fully keyed crankshaft, non-creep neutral, compound sprockets of 20 teeth and 10T — one for selection of a highway and level terrain ratio and the other for terrain demanding maximum traction. A 20 tooth sprocket now replaces the standard 10 tooth, increasing top speed and decreasing vibration, heavier gauge tubing is used throughout as are specially hardened washers, and bolts.
Simplex, at 540 N. ,Carrollton Ave., New Orleans, Louisiana 70119, states that dealerships are still available in many choice areas and inquiries are invited.
CYCLING HERO DIES
Leon G. Roth, 66, who unknowingly carried to General John J. Pershing the
news that World War I was over, died at his home in Springfield, Ohio recently. Roth, who received the Distinguished Service Cross and France’s Croix de Guerre, was a motorcycle-mounted messenger. His journey was over difficult terrain and through shell bursts, and at one point he was knocked from his bike by a close hit.
BERLINER NORTON ORDER
Associated Motorcycles in England has chalked up another big U.S. export order, worth well over one million dollars, the company announced in London. The order was placed by Mr. Joe Berliner of Berliner Mtrs. in Hasbrouck Heights. New Jersey, and covers several thousand machines, mostly Norton Atlas models plus spare parts. Deliveries were scheduled to start in late August and be completed by January, 1964.
At a penthouse meeting in the Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane, Mr. Berliner handed to Sir Norman Hulbert, M.P., Chairman of AMC, a bank draft for $250,000 as a first payment. In addition to the one million dollar plus deal, Berliner put in a substantial order for a 750cc Scrambler model of a promising new specification, for delivery “as early as possible.” (Ed., hmmmm).
At the same time, he had talks with AMC chiefs on ways and means of stepping up delivery of supplies of all the AMC products Berliner distributes in the U.S. Six months ago, Mr. Berliner gave AMC another order worth $1,400,000 for the Norton Electra 400, now being delivered. Mr. W. J. Smith, Managing Director of AMC said, “We shall now have to make a further increase in our labor force; this will be particularly welcome news to certain adjoining districts at present affected by redundancy.” Sir Hulbert added, “This is another export tonic for Britain as well as AMC.”
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BSA STARFIRE ENDURO-TRIALS
The 1963 BSA Starfire Enduro-Trials machine, equipped with an entirely new frame, new front end, centrally mounted oil tank, alloy gas tank, alloy fenders and complete direct lighting set, is now avail-
able from BSA dealers .throughout the country. As an enduro and trials machine, it is set up with a modified compression
engine, wide ratio gearbox, special trialstype cams and Trials Universal tires, though a quick sprocket change converts it to road trim.
BSA is also introducing a Starfire Roadster model, very similar in appearance to the Enduro-Trials but with highcompression engine, larger carburetor, competition type camshaft and scrambles gearing. This machine is virtually the same as the scrambles model but is equipped with Trials Universal type tires, sports muffler and complete direct lighting set, making it a versatile high performance on-or-off-the-road model. Additionally, BSA offers basically the same motorcycle as a full scrambles machine, without lighting, and all three models are now in good supply coast-to-coast.
BONNEVILLE DISPLAYED AT INTERNATIONAL EXHIBIT
Johnson Motors executives are shown with British-American Chamber of Commerce officials during a recent International exhibit in Long Beach, Calif., where products from all over the world were represented. Right to left, Clarence Fleming, vice president Johnson Mtrs., Inc.; Roger Courtin, executive secretary B.-A. Chamber of Commerce; Edward Glad, president B.-A. Chamber of Commerce; S. H. Gamble, British Consul General; Don J. Brown, sales manager Johnson Mtrs., Iric.
Motorcycle in the foreground is a 1963
Triumph Bonneville on display at the 10day International exhibit through the cooperation of Johnson Motors, western states Triumph distributor, and Norm Lee, Long Beach Triumph dealer.
DEATH VALLEY RUN SCHEDULED
Saturday and Sunday, October 26th and 27th will see the 9th annual running of the Death Valley Motorcycle Gypsy Tour, the largest participating touring cycle event in America. The Death Valley Committee has advised us that now is the time to get ready as entries close October 19th, one week before the tour.
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They expect more than 5000 participants again this year and are preparing the beautiful Furnace Creek Ranch in the center of Death Valley to receive the
enthusiasts. See your nearest motorcycle dealer or write for illustrated color brochure to: Death Valley Committee, 2531 S. Main St., Los Angeles 7, Calif. No post entries will be accepted; entrants will receive map kit, souvenir frying pan pin and other pertinent information one week before the event.
GIBSON FEATURES SPECIAL TIRES
This attractive Triumph and Yamaha dealership is the present domain of Johnny Gibson, formerly National Number 5 and one of the nation’s finest competition riders. In addition to providing motorcycle sales and service at his immaculate new location, the popular ex-racer now offers specially treated (and Ascot proven) hard tread Pirelli racing tires, for the first time commercially. Inquiries from both dealers and individuals are invited at Johnny Gibson’s Motorcycles, 901 W. Whittier Blvd., Dept. CW, La Habra, Calif.
BMW's BIRTHDAY PRESENT
Never in the history of motorcycle racing had any factory won a World Championship ten times in a row. With a great victory in the 1963 Belgian Grand Prix, however, Sidecar Champion Max Deubel, and his companion, Emil Hoerner, assured for the BMW factory their tenth consecu-
tive Sidecar World Championship. This also constituted a fitting birthday present for BMW who celebrate, this year, their 40th Anniversary of producing world-famous BMW motorcycles.
LADY ON A HONDA
The attractive, helmet-clad young lady is Barbara Myers, of Santa Monica, California, who recently returned from an extensive sight-seeing and photographing tour of much of the Southwestern United
States on her Honda 50. Starting out in Los Angeles, with Santa Fe, New Mexico as her goal, Miss Myers traveled 1,434 miles through Blythe, Phoenix, Flagstaff, Gallup and Santa Fe.
Her interests were centered around Indian culture and lore; she carried a 21inch suitcase, saddle bags and two cameras. She encountered very little trouble, outside of having to push the bike one morning to start it in Flagstaff, since it refused to run in the rarified atmosphere of the almost 7,000-foot altitude. Traveling alone, her complete gasoline expenses reached a grand total of $3.73.
MINI-BIKE AT WORK
Robert L. Chandler of New Orleans, Louisiana, has solved a difficult transportation problem with a mini-bike. Chandler, a merchant seaman, carries the bike on board ship and uses it as transportation at whatever port he is visiting. According to Chandler, his ideal in a machine is one that he can carry up the gangplank and that will carry him up steep hills.
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His machine, a Little Gen mini-bike with a Power Products engine, has been ridden through many of the Gulf ports of this country and the Mediterranean. In the photographs he is shown sitting on his
machine in front of the leaning tower in Pisa, Italy, and in the shadows near the Jama Mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey. Though he has now replaced the minibike with another vehicle. Chandler switched to a “near mini-bike” machine with a moped engine.
HAPPY BSA SMILES
Upon his return from a recent trip to the BSA Factory in England, West Coast Distributor Hap Alzina visited the Eastern U.S.A. Factory branch at Nutley, N.J. and was pleasantly surprised to find that
Laconia winner Jody Nicholas was also paying a visit that day. Left to right in the
photo are T. A. Hodgdon, President BSA Inc., Jody Nicholas and Hap Alzina.
TRIUMPH AT LACONIA
Triumph home office representatives at the Laconia, New Hampshire National road races, line up on Triumph cycles used on the 1000 mile-plus round trip from Baltimore, Maryland. Left to right are
Cliff Guild, Chief Mechanic; Rod Coates, Service Mgr., with Mrs. Coates; and Ed Nemec, in charge of the Triumph exhibit at the Laconia cycle show. Practicing what they preach, we’d say.
NEW BUILDING FOR T & M
Completed at a total cost of $40,000. and utilizing an abundance of glass, terrazo floors, mahogany paneling and matching mahogany showcases, this new home of Dwain Taylor’s Triumph and Honda shop ranks as South Georgia’s Largest Motorcycle Dealership. Other features include separate parts and work shop areas, naturally lighted paint room, and a rider's lounge. Shown in front of the attractive showroom window are, left to right, James Thorne, mechanic; Thomas St. John, salesman; Ernest McDonald, mechanic; Betty Taylor, parts manager and Dwain Taylor, owner.
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COMMUNITY FAIR
The recent running of that time-honored American tradition, the Community Fair, in Hawthorne, California, saw an innovation we like to report on. Lawndale Cycle Shop, BSA and Yamaha dealers, gave away a Yamaha Omaha Trail 50 in a drawing held at the Lawndale Cycle Shop’s booth at the Hawthorne Community Fair which was sponsored by the Hawthorne Kiwanis Club. Little Debbie Hayashi, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Frank Hayashi of Los Angeles, is shown making the drawing with Marian M. Malm of the cycle shop.
Winner of the trail bike was Harold Tenney of Hawthorne, and they all lived happily ever after.;
OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAIN
Howard Mitzel of York, Pennsylvania started racing and hillclimbing in 1917 at Pittsburgh, Pa., and he’s been at it ever since. Now known as the “Old Man of the Mountain,” with 12 National Championships to his credit, and a few Canadian Championships, too, he recently received a letter from the A.M.A. informing him that he was one of ten top men in the 1962 Outstanding Rider Contest. Son Gordon has followed in his father’s
tracks, with hillclimbing as his main in terest also. Now 66 years of age, the elder Mitzel is currently enjoying his 46th year of active competition, an excellent example of motorcycling as a great sport for all ages.
PENNSYLVANIA COMPETITION STAR
Rider #84X is Percy Sholly of Camp Hill, Penna., shown with his rapidly growing trophy collection. Percy is a hard man to beat in scrambles and cross country events in his area as is well shown. With him is Bill Sholly, proprietor of Sholly’s Cycle Shop in Camp Hill.
SWISS CYCLE SHOW
CYCLE WORLD’S European Correspondent Henry N. Manney sent us the accompanying photographs of the motorcycles in the Geneva, Switzerland automobile show. Several exhibits were interesting; particularly the CZ/Jawa display showing the 350cc, overhead cam factory road racing machine and a 250cc scrambler equipped with twin ski runners for playing on ice; Sweden’s beautiful Monark, a 500cc single-cylinder four-cycle scrambler, was prominently displayed looking purposeful as only Swedish motocross machines can; a handsome Czechoslovakian Eso 500cc scrambler continued to whet our appetites to try one of these hard to find machines; hidden among Nortons, Triumphs, Harley-Davidsons, etc., were many of the lesser known European makes.
H-D DIST. MGRS. MEET IN MILWAUKEE
Sixteen District Managers of the HarleyDividson Motor Co. met in Milwaukee recently to inspect all the new 1964 H-D models. Their program also included briefing on advertising, merchandising and promotional plans for the coming season, as well as individual conferences with factory department heads. Social highlight of the week was a picnic held on the spacious lawn of Harley-Davidson’s plant on Capitol Drive. Shown relaxing in the photo are the District Managers and factory personnel who enjoyed a day and evening of socializing, horseshoe pitching, softball playing, dining and — what else — motorcycle talk. •
