Cycle Round Up

CYCLE ROUND UP

JOE PARKHURST

NEW ASSOCIATION IS LAUNCHED

As though in answer to my insistence on what the motorcycle industry needed most, the American Motor Scooter Association in a San Francisco meeting and conference, changed their name to the American Motor Cycle and Scooter Association. During the two-day conference and meeting at which many important members of the motorcycle industry either took part or witnessed, a marvelous new constitution and by-laws were introduced to accommodate the swiftly growing needs of the motorcycle industry and to include all members of the two-wheeled industry in their well-established organization.

I had the immense pleasure of serving on one of the panels and taking part in the group discussions of the National problems and needs of our booming busi ness. We heard speakers representing some of the important State and Federal Asso ciations and organizations with which the beginnings to the solutions to our present and future difficulties lie. Such thorny problems as various legislations that would restrict the use of motorcycles and scooters, require the instituting of unreasonable regulations, deprive certain groups of cyclists of their rights as taxpayers and citizens, etc., must be fought at industry level with the power and financing that is available only to groups supported by all members of the trade.

The American Motor Scooter Associa tion, in the years prior to their re-organiza tion, was a powerful and effective body of motor scooter industry members including Harley-Davidson, Sears, Lambretta, Vespa, and others who accomplished many minor "miracles" in combating anti-scooter legis lation and laws, even though they were a comparatively small group. Now, with the backing available from the entire two-wheel fraternity, our power can be increased tenfold.

I took part in the San Francisco meetings primarily as a reporter, and at the invitation of the Association which flatters me with their opinion of my value to such intentions. My fellow panel members were Don Brown, Sales Manager of Johnson Mtrs., distributors of Triumph in the 19 Western States, and Jack Mc Cormack, President of U.S. Suzuki Corp. I am pleased to point out that among the several motorcycle industries joining the Association on the spot was the U.S. Suzuki Corp., and that McCormack ac cepted the nomination to the Board of Directors as Vice President of the A.M.C.S.A. Other new members included Bell-Toptex Corp.'s Frank Heacox, who is also to be a member of the Board; Pacific Basin Trading Co., distributors of Cotton and Hodaka motorcycles, repre sented by Henry Koepke; Projects Un limited by Harold Wyse, also a member of the Board of Directors; Daytona Sports Co. and the Joseph Buegeleisen Co.

The list of speakers who took the time to address the members of the motorcycle trade began with Dr. Robert Montgomery, Jr., Executive Director, National Com mittee on Uniform Traffic Laws and Ordinances; Vern L. Hill of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administra tors; Donald C. Lhotka, Traffic Consultant of the National Safety Council; Charles M. Connaughton, Regional Forester U.S. Forestry Service, and California State Assemblyman Tom C. Carrell. It is need less and lengthy for me to relate the details of the subjects discussed at endless depths; it is important only to point out the profound importance of what these men had to say and what effect it had on those present. Points of special interest were the Association's intensive traffic safety and driver education program.

Membership in the A.M.U.S.A. is not expensive in terms, of its worth, nor is it complicated or involved. In no other industry have I seen so much reluctance to join in a unified front or to make even a single effort in the direction of joint interest. Members of the motorcycle trade must lay aside the narrow prejudices of the old days and realize that the goals are the same, whether you sell a 650cc English built machine, 250cc Italian bike, or 90cc Japanese made product. Our strength is in numbers only and the future of the motor cycle industry will be laced with problems that can be dealt with only by the industry as a whole, represented by a well-financed and authorized Association. We now have the proper group.

This is not meant to be construed as an anti-any-other-group-Association. It was born out of a need and is being expanded to accommodate the demands of one of the fastest growing businesses in this country. It will not promote races in any form, nor will it be an organization made up of racers or any other user or enthus iast group. Most important, it is not, and cannot be run by any one member firm. I witnessed their business meeting and election of Board of Directors. I was given a copy of their by-laws and have studied them thoroughly and endorse them to the fullest. I saw an organization, made up of representatives of an important segment of the trade, conduct a fully democratic meeting and attend to the needs of a truly unified industry.

Readers are familiar with my feelings toward the American Motorcycle Asso ciation, a group that claims to be a rider's organization. We have never hesitated to criticize them when we disagreed with their policies or actions. I will also not hesitate to point out something they are doing that is worthwhile and noteworthy. Such is the case with their actions in the State of New Jersey where, following their motions alongwith those of the American Motor Scooter Association (now the AMCSA), they last year procured an injunction against the Garden State Park way Commission3s intentions of enforcing a no-motorcycle rule. The AMA is now attempting to get the ban on cycles on the Parkway lifted by encouraging everyone to write the New Jersey Highway Author ities, protesting the bill.

On the other hand, I cannot help but comment on an action of the AMA during their proposed merger talks with the AMSA a month or so ago, the outcome of which could have been the biggest boom to hit the industry since the dying-out of the making of motorcycles in the U.S. AMA withdrew from negotiations in the closing stages. The reason given was that the AMA, which is a major portion of the M&ATA, had little interest in scooters and their problems. This came at a time when they were discussing the making of a motorcycle association from the merger, dropping the scooter as the principle device, and making motorcycles the lead ing influence.

Andrew Rocco, re-elected as President of the AMCSA, accepted the dropping of the merger as he felt the Association should not have interest in an enthusiasts or users organization; I could not agree more. I fear we may be facing an East vs West, two-front industry war for power and control. I sincerely hope not; it can do nothing but slow progress, impair free dom, create unnecessary ill-will and hinder our goals. I do not mean to sound so naive as to believe that two organizations cannot exist side by side, but anyone even casually familiar with the motor cycle industry and the people that comprise it know full well what I mean.

BIG DOINGS IN "BIG D"

Anyone who gives any attention to the state of motorcycle racing in this country will surely realize that it is in a mess. Var ious independent clubs would like to run events to more liberal rules than exist un der the once all-powerful AMA, and the AMA seems determined to stamp out the heretics as quickly as they appear. As for the heretics: none of them are strong enough, alone, to work any appreciable change in the AMA's attitude.

Now, it may be that we have an answer. MICUS (Motorcycling International Com mittee, United States) recently called a meeting in Dallas, and invited all inter ested club representatives to attend. Many did, and what they were offered by MICUS was, first, an explanation of the MICUS position (something that we confess we did not fully understand), and second, a rather attractive alternative to the present chaos.

MICUS is, as you probably know, the American affiliate in the FIM. People, generally, have assumed that the MICUS organization was trying to grow into a motorcycle club, and "take over" here in the United States. That is not quite the case. What they propose is to be a central agent for all of the clubs, giving each club a tie with the FIM and the opportunity to run under FIM rules and with FIM sanc tions. Each individual club would agree to follow FIM rules to the letter for inter national events, but some of the rules would be altered slightly to conform to conditions in this country. These slightly altered rules would apply to national events, and there are plans being laid for a series of national championship events in road racing, scrambles, trials, etc. One important point is that all clubs joined un der the MICUS banner would be issuing FIM competition licenses, the license fee would be uniform, and licenses would be honored by all MICUS-affiliated clubs. Finally, MICUS will obtain low-cost in surance for all member clubs, and will help with organizing races and with publicity.

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It is important to realize that member clubs will not have to become vassals of MICUS. They will be permitted to run local events to any rules that please them, and there will be direct club representa tion in any major decisions made by MICUS. Even the• AMA is welcome to join in this federation of motorcycle clubs, and it would not be necessary for them to abandon their curious practice of handi capping progress by giving a 50-percent displacement advantage to side-valve en gines. All that would be required is that they allow their riders to compete in events held by other member clubs. Of course, membership in MICUS also means that riders from foreign countries, holding international licenses, would be free to enter any of our events. And, as the other side of the coin, any of our riders could compete in other countries' events by ob taining an international license from MICUS, through their local affiliated club.

At this time, and based upon the roundtable discussion in Dallas, MICUS is pre paring a formal agreement, which will be ratified by affiliating clubs. If enough of the independent clubs join, it will mean that, at long last, we will be in step with the rest of world motorcycling. On the face of it, at least, it would seem that MICUS more nearly represents what the average rider wants (even though they do not, as yet, represent the average rider) than the AMA appears willing to give. We are going to keep close watch on the situ ation, as it develops, and will keep every one informed.

One thing looks absolutely certain at this point: that the AMA has no intention of giving an inch. On the contrary, they seem intent upon squashing MICUS and the independents. We understand that in this connection, they will suspend any rider who competes in the USGP, at least until after the following AMA Daytona Na tionals, and there is a rumor that District Referees have been instructed to suspend any rider who competes with any MICUS affiliated club. Being somewhat disturbed by this development, we have written to AMA headquarters, in Columbus, asking for a statement of policy with regard to the USGP/AMA Daytona affair, but at this time we have not been honored with any kind of answer.

CYCLE WORLD RECORD SHOP

It is with great pride that I tell our readers of a new department in the CYCLE WORLD store, that of motorcycle high fidelity recordings. We have spoken pre viously of the exciting and genuinely re markable recordings of the Stanley Schofield concern in England and their fantastic reproductions of the sounds of road racing in Europe. Long playing albums of road racing in the Schofield library go back as far as the 1957 Isle of Man TT races, and include a special series of recordings devoted to the "Stars of Speed" which record the outstanding highlights of the lives and careers of such world champion riders as Bob Mclntyre, Mike Hailwood, Derek Minier, Gary Hocking, Tom Phillis, Geoff Duke, John Surtees, Luigi Taveri and Jim Redman.

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We will initiate our library with the 1964 Isle of Man TT recordings, a twovolume 12-inch long playing high fidelity recording set made on the spot, capturing every bit of the thrill and drama of the most fantastic road racing event in the world. Murray Walker, assisted by another Englishman, Norman Sharpe, is responsible for the script and narration, and an acquaintance I made on the Island, Norman Pitt, along with Allen Hayes, recorded the unforgettable event.

Few things I know of are more stimulating than the sounds of the Yamaha RD-56, Honda four, Benelli four, Suzuki four, Jawa twin, and a horde of Honda CR twins during the 250cc race. To say nothing of the indescribable noise of the Honda 125cc four and the Suzuki twostrokes in their race, and the genuinely out of this world sound of the 500cc MV four as Hailwood laps the Island at over 103 mph. Each is captured with uncanny accuracy and faithfulness of reproduction on these LP's, from the howling Hondas to the Czechoslovakian CZ and the East German MZ's, to the solid and mellow echoing roar of the G-50 Matchless and Norton Manx double overhead cam singles. I have attended many European races; from each I have returned home with my ears ringing, and with each I have tried in utter frustration, to describe the sounds and excitement of this form of International racing. Shamelessly I admit I am no Peter Ustinov; as shamelessly I have played samples of the Schofield Sound Story recordings for my audience and become an instant hit.

An advertisement on page 62 of this issue contains an order blank for the first of our offerings, the 1964 TT recordings. Soon we will be able to supply the entire Schofield/cycle WORLD library of motorcycle recordings, along with some other surprises we have in mind. We are extremely proud to become the distributors of these records. I sincerely believe that our readers, whether close followers of scrambles, TT, flat track or road racing will be as thrilled as I was the first time I heard them. Prices are $5.95 for each of the two volumes devoted to the 1964 TT events, one with sidecars, lightweight 125cc and 250cc TT's, the other with the Junior 350cc TT, 50cc, and Senior 500cc TT races.

An added reason for including these albums in your library are the handsome, four-color jackets painted by the noted British artist Bernard Wragg, reproduced on page 62. We will be selling the entire library at our booth, and playing them as well, during the CYCLE WORLD National Motorcycle Show at the Los Angeles Sports Arena on April 29th, 30th, and May 1st and 2nd. Drop by, if for no other reason than to hear the sounds of motorcycle racing in a different world. We will of course be offering our special show subscription rate, plus two volumes of Road Test Annuals as well as the CYCLE WORLD Technical Manual by Gordon Jennings.

COTTON IN OUR EARS

We performed a classic boo-boo last month, while doing a double disservice to Pabatco's Cotton scrambler we road tested in the February issue. We first called it a Cobra on the cover, then referred to it as a Cougar in the test. It is indeed a Cobra; the Cougar is the similar Cotton but one powered by the familiar Villiers ' square barrel ' engine. The Cobra mounts the new Villiers Starmaker engine. We also mentioned the Villiers engine's Achilles heel as being its coil, a very expensive to replace unit that actually does its job extremely well. What we meant to say was its condenser, which is the shortestlived element on the machine and can be replaced by a Chevrolet 6-volt unit that will last. We apologize to Pabatco, and to any of our confused readers, and above all, to the Cotton dealers who must exrlain this mess to their customers. G