Cycle Round Up
CYCLE ROUND UP
JOE PARKHURST
PAK JAK TOUR OF GARDNER RANCH
ONE OF THE MOST honored invitations I have received came recently from J. W. Black Jr., of Paradise Motors, makers of Pak Jak trail scooters, inviting me to meet him and tour the Erle Stanley Gardner ranch near Temecula, California. I had the immense pleasure of meeting "Uncle" Erle, as most of the hands call him, and we discussed the growing problem besetting the off-the-road, two-, and four-wheel enthusiasts: that of losing access rights to the back country. J.W., and Sam Hicks, foreman of the 4,000-acre Gardner ranch. took me on a scooter tour over part of the vast property. and of course gave me the chance to try out one of the Burrito models of Black's Pak Jak line.
I will not be led into tiny further discussion of the merits of trail scooters vs. motorcycles. I have ridden both a great deal, and under conditions that have been perfect for each. Both have their merits; one will do something the other will not. though on this side of the subject the motorcycle does have a g rea t advantage. A trail scooter has a definite place in the cycle world, however, anil supporters of these little machines will not be swayed. They are just as avid as the most determined motorcyclist.
Black's little Burrito sells for only $260.00 and will go almost anywhere. Wherever it won't go. you can carry it. Power is supplied by a 6V2 hp Lauson single-cylinder four-cycle engine that is quiet anil dependable, it drives through a Salsbury torque converter so the drive is automatic, with everything reduced to its most basic simplicity. I recommend the Pak Jak as one of the absolute liest handling and most tractable scooters I have tried, and I've been on almost all of them at one time or another. Their address is 5651 Skyway. Paradise. California, and I volunteer that information not as a free plug, but as thanks to J.W. for introducing me to his old friend, Erie Stanley Gardner, and for the great privilege of being able to talk with the creator of Perry Mason and see his personal kingdom, dedicated to the great out-of-doors.
I am not a naturalist, but have come to love being on the desert, in the mountains, deep in a forest, or simply roaming over foothills and wastelands, and the thing that introduced me to this world was the motorcycle, many years ago when I was a boy. Perhaps I sound a little like a sloppy sentimentalist and an old dirt digger, both of which I am. at least a little. My point is
simply that to some of us there are few things that compare to freedom of movement and the grand sport of spending a hard day in the boondocks on a motorcycle of some kind. My second love is a little ketch-rigged sail boat on which my wife (CYC! i w ORI u's Business and Circulation Mgr.) and I spend what time we can tear away from our work.
Erie Stanley Gardner has championed the cause of free use of the hunting and fishing country for all. whether on foot, horseback, mule. Jeep, trailscooter or motorcycle. He has written many things, spoken at countless meetings and dinners, for the rights of all to use this country. He has pointed out as almost entirely false the supposed damage mechanical devices have done, particularly compared to the imagined perfect condition in which hikers and horsemen are supposed to leave things. We, as motorcycle enthusiasts, owe a great deal to Mr. Gardner, but more important, we owe him our support and assistance. If we do not soon get an effective national motorcycle organization to fight this battle, or at least organize all off-the-road cycle riders into some kind of a group, we will be ruled right out of the areas we love to rille in, and have a legal right to use.
Every day. narrow minded and selfish (to their own interests) groups such as the Sierra Club and Desert Protective Council, both in California, and hundreds of other influential groups and individuals, come closer to reserving these areas for themselves. They have no more special right to them than we, but their pleas are organized and form a uniform front. Members of these bigoted groups write letters by the
thousands to State. County and Federal legislative bodies, asking that we be kicked out of everything — National Forests, Federal Reserves. National Parks, and wilderness areas, and almost any open country. Motorcyclists, as well as the fourwheelers, need a more collective voice. Each and every person interested should support a concentrated effort to preserve our freedom to go where others are permitted to go.
To say that I was impressed with Erie Stanley Gardner is an understatement. I spent a wonderful day at his retreat. Rancho del Paisano. It is tucked into a corner of a beautiful valley, packed to the ceiling with treasures anil mementos from every corner of the globe. I confess to being inspired to try lighting a fire under the people who moan anil groan about their loss of rights to enjoy their sport, and to inspire others to get some action started before it is too late. I hope I have succeeded in starting it at least.
PEACE CORPS ON CYCLES
One incentive for joining the late President Kennedy's Peace Corps, not described in most of the enlistment propaganda, is the chance to learn to ride a motorcycle. At the University of North Carolina’s School of Public Health, a group of students spent a studious summer learning to ride motorcycles and sing the new national anthem of Malawi. The group of 47 young men and women were preparing for their two years of service with the Peace Corps in Malawi, a new African nation. The bikes will be the only mode of transportation in the former protectorate of Nyasaland where they will be setting up a tuberculosis control program.
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Red Nabors of Meridian Motorcycle Co. in Fayetteville. N.C.. conducted the school of riding. The machines were Ducati 175cc Mountaineer models, part of over 100 machines donated to the Peace Corps by Joseph Berliner, head of Berliner Motor Corp. in Hasbrouck Heights. New Jersey. U.S. importers of Italian-made Ducatis. Mr. Berliner's extremely generous offer was rewarded by a personal letter from Sargent Shriver. Director of the Peace Corps, who cited the gift as one which exceeded all of the Peace Corps’ contributions and surpassed them in spirit and manner. CYCLI WORLD'S belated congratulations and thanks go to the first American team to enter the International Six Days Trial, further, for bringing home two Bronze and one Silver medal. The team, as most of our readers know, particularly if they read the report in last month's CYCLI WORLD, are Steve McQueen. John Steen. David F.kins, Cliff Coleman, and Bud Fkins. in that order in the photo.
We would like to add our congratulations and thanks to Mr. Berliner for the fine and generous act of patriotism; he has not only furthered the cause of motorcvcling but has offered support to a very worthy cause.
AMERICA'S I.S.D.T. TEAM
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One member. Steve McQueen, received more than his share of publicity since he is well known as a motion picture and television actor, plus being sponsor of the team. McQueen is rare in that he is not simply playing with motorcycling as a means for notoriety, but is a real enthusiast, and an excellent rider. We followed the team's progress through F.urope with great interest, and though the rather staid British were a bit taken back by their joi d' vivre and raucous enthusiasm, we approve of their impressive image.
David Fkins. brother of the well-known Triumph desert riding Bud. is a superb competitor who receives too little notice in the shadow of his brother’s blazing trail. Bud is a Triumph/Honda dealer, David a Suzuki dealer. Bud has two previous Gold medals and one Silver to his credit but did not finish this year’s trial. David, riding for the first time in the I.S.D.T., brought horne a Gold. John Steen, maker of Stecn-C oil and proprietor of the Steen accessory firm, brought back a Silver Medal. Cliff Coleman, a movie director, secured the other Gold.
I both enjoyed, .anti take umbrage with, the reactions of the British motorcycling press, who in part seemed to shrink from the verve of the boy’s riding styles and set about explaining why ours won so much and theirs didn’t, by saying it was the easiest trials ever run. It may have been, but we don’t need that kind of press. Perhaps I am overly sensitive and a bit protective. but some of the British magazines seem to take sport in throwing darts at American motorcycling. A recent snipe was at our expressed desire to improve the way motorcyclists dress at touring events and I can assure you. the British are in a very bad position to be criticizing our efforts.
Not content with cracks at our I.S.D.T. team, cute remarks about “sickles”, and such, several have belittled the efforts of the two American entries in the recent International Drag Festival, which was a flop as far as motorcycles tire concerned. We were of course happy to see the two Americans. Bill Wood and Don Hyland, accept the invitation of the British Drag Racing Association and represent America, but they were not the best we have to offer so the victory of the British is hollow. We have gone faster than their best tit Lions Drtig Strip and Mickey Thompson’s strip in Fontana. Calif. Dick Rios’ twin-engined Triumph recently turned a 9.99-second elapsed time run. with a terminal speed of 154 mph. At the same time, Clem Johnson. running his I50()cc Vincent Barn Job II for the first time, turned 150 mph in the quarter with an engine only half running, and he has recorded an F T, as low as 10.2 seconds. Our method of an absolute dead start has been met with skepticism also, but pet haps the sight of the American dragster cars going so god-awful fast has convinced them we know what we tire doing.
Bill Woods' Harley, and Don Hyland’s twin-engined Triumph did credit for our sport and our thanks are due them. I tried to encourage as many competitors as I could to attend, since the Festival originally called on me for recommendations. Unfortunately, such riders as Rios. Johnson, and Jim Leineweber, were unable to devote the necessary time away from their businesses. Perhaps the event can be run in the space of one week next year; I can predict a considerably improved American participation if it is shortened.
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F.I.M. REJECTS A.M.A.
Making me feel like I have been supporting the losing team, the Federation Internationale Motorcycliste rejected the American Motorcycle Association's application for membership and affiliation with the International body. Reason given was simply that it was not according to the F.I.M.'s rules and regulations which state, according to them, they may not change or abandon an affiliate organization, in this case Motorcycling International Committee of the United States (M.I.C.U.S.), without the approval of the group being dropped. A very democratic rule I admit, but it seems most unlikely that a group with the size and power the F.I.M. boasts could not cancel an affiliation with a group when the organization in question, M.I.C.U.S.. is doing nothing.
Secretary General F. D. Goode of the F.I.M.. explained the whole situation to me and requested our support of their affiliate in the United States as the F.I.M. feels they are determined to act in the best interest of the sport in this country. I feel reasonably certain this is true, but they are still doing little more than nothing in this direction. They have no members, they have no support; they are affiliated in this country with two groups, one very active, the other even more nebulous than M.I.C.U.S. They run only one race a year, plus the motorcycle event held during the Sebring 12-hour sports car race early this year.
In this column of the November issue I stated I was in favor of seeing the A.M.A. become the associated motorcycling body of the F.I.M., and I continue to feel that way. We are by no means declaring an editorial war against M.I.C.U.S.; they are our official representatives in International competition and as such will receive their fair share of whatever support we can give them. But.
I will continue to press for better representation for the United States, with the organization that has the support of most of the motorcycling industry and fraternity, that is the largest and most effective body, and one that I feel would do the best job. It's that simple.
