Round Up
ROUND UP
JOE PARKHURST
IT IS WITH GREAT pleasure, some pride and a touch of trepidation that I make the following announcement: Cycle World Magazine will send a team of American riders to compete for the team prize in the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy races. I have long thought that a team of the kind we are sending would be good for the sport, as it would help to establish a link between America and International motorcycling. There has been previous American participation at the "TT" but always on an individual basis, with all the shortages in material resources that implies. The American motorcycle enthusiast has been good to us here at Cycle World, and it seems no more than appropriate that we should field this team to wave the flag a bit for that same American enthusiast. So, in a very real sense, Cycle World's team is your team, and I would be pleased if the reader would regard it as such.
Team Cycle World will be staffed with the following riders: Don Vesco, the only American ever to win an International Grand Prix (the USGP, 1963); Buddy Parriott, who has performed brilliantly against the GP Stars and was second, be hind Hailwood (on an MV-four) at the 1965 USGP; and finally, since Tony Murphy is unable to go , we have a suitable replacement in Lance Weil.
You may have noticed that the riders listed would not be classified as "big name" AMA regulars; although all have raced in AMA events. Some people are certain to question my selection, and to them I will say that the choice is logical if you know about the Isle of Man circuit. All but a handful of the Mountain Cir cuit's 219 turns are very fast, and the AMA Faithful run on courses that offer no opportunity to gain experience in the terrible art of 100-mph "ear-holing." The Isle of Man is the wrong place to be making a first acquaintance with that kind of riding.
To the best of my knowledge, the only group of riders in America that get Isle of Man-type experience are the lads riding in the American Federation of Motorcyc lists and American Cycle Association races at the Willow Springs road course. There is plenty of 100-mph ear-holing being done there, and it is significant that the AMA's best have been very decisively beaten at Willow Springs by the local talent. It is also true, of course, that the local stars have been beaten by the AMA's "shoes" on the AMA's tight, turn-left-around-thesilo courses. The point is that for highspeed road racing talent, there are no others in this country like the Willow Springs bunch. The course is a magnificent school for European-type road racing and considering the total number of participants, Willow Springs has produced an astonishing number of first-rate road racing riders — among them, the riders for Team Cycle World.
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Motorcycles for the team will be Yamaha TD-IB twin-cylinder, 2-stroke, 5-speed "production" road racers. The bikes will be prepared in our shop, and will be painted (you guessed it) Red, White and Blue. We chose the Yamaha TD-IB because it was the best thing around when we were making plans for the team, and because the bikes, extra engines and miscellaneous spares were readily available. Others may prove as fast, this season, but that has not been established one way or the other as yet.
Another reason for choosing the Yamaha was that the Team's chief technician (CYCLE WORLD'S Technical Editor, Gordon Jennings) has been racing a TD-1B for a full season. Familiarity with the equipment is half the battle at the TT, where sheer endurance plays a large part. The Tech. Ed. will also serve as a reserve rider, to help insure that we reach the startingline with a full 3-man team. If all three Team riders survive practice without mishap, Gordon will ride as an independent.
With some of the other equipment expected in the 250cc race, it should be obvious that we are not going to the Island with any expectation of winning. The Yamaha TD-IB is astonishingly rapid for being first-cousin to a touring motorcycle, but it is no match for the Yamaha GP V-4 or the Honda-6, or the Benelli-4. Nevertheless, it will serve our primary purpose, which is to give some really good American riders a chance to show their stuff among production racer-mounted British and Continental riders.
MOTORCYCLE SAFETY CONFERENCE
Safety Division of the Wisconsin Motor Vehicle Department, headed by Dan P.
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Schutz, recently conducted the first annual motorcycle/motor scooter safety conference in Madison, Wisconsin. Governor Warren Knowles, along with Commissioner James Karns, addressed the group, consisting of educators, enforcement personnel, motorcycle dealers, several insurance executives and many motorcycle dealers. William T. Berry, Executive Secretary of the Motorcycle, Scooter & Allied Trades Association, was also present. Most of those present professed interest in working with the governmental group, and great progress was indicated in relations between the motorcycle industry and the state governmental body. Registration of two-wheeled vehicles increased from 8,800 in 1960, to over 35,000 in 1965. Over 50,000 are anticipated in 1966, pointing up the increasing need for closer liaison between the industry and government.
Happy trio in the photograph is James Karns and Rodney Kreunen of Cycles Inc., a Madison cycle dealer, and Governor Knowles, seated on a motor scooter. They are pictured on "scooter row," a section of town with special two-wheeler parking meter slots, installed in the late 1950s.
AROUND THE WORLD CYCLIST
Astride a Yamaha Catalina, seen here in Los Angeles, Shig Yoshida, an ambitious young man with ambitious plans, is on his way around the world. Carrying only the barest of essentials, the Japanese national is well on his way to a 100,000mile journey around the world. Twentythree years old, Yoshida works for a firm in Japan, well known to us, Yamaha. Traveling entirely at his own expense, though his employers gave him the 250cc mount, he works when the money runs low.
As a student of Masashi Kogyo University, he wanted for years to see the world, a desire known to many of us. Upon graduation as an engineer in combustion engines, he approached Yamaha's heads regarding his desires; fortunately they agreed to help. He disembarked from a freighter in Vancouver, and began his journey. He leaves the western U.S. for Mexico, then to South America; from there he will cross to Africa, then to Europe. The personable young man is a walking emmisary for the Japanese motorcycle industry.
MEET MOTORBIKES. Never let it be said that we at CYCLE WORLD are ones to rest on our laurels. Hot on the heels of the CW Road Test Annual, we have just completed the first volume of MOTORBIKES. Number one is a "one time" book, the possibility of issuing others depending upon how. well the first one is received by you, our readers. Man behind MOTORBIKES is Wayne Thorns, one of the leading independent journalists in the automotive field, now concentrating his efforts on motorcycles and partner to CW'S Jennings in two motorcycle features in recent issues of Mechanix Illustrated.
Wayne created MOTORBIKES, with some help and guidance from CYCLE WORLD'S able staff of course, as a complete guide to the world of the lightweights. We chose machines of under lOOcc displacement to receive the definition as motorbikes, since no precedent existed, and we had to draw the line somewhere. Also, it is a fact that almost all of the machines involved in the greatest part of the marvelous cycling "boom" we are enjoying, are under lOOcc. MOTORBIKES is a lavish guide to all of the available bikes in this class; how to ride, on the streets and off the road as well; complete tips and advice on riding safety; how to teach new riders to operate a motorcycle, oops, motorbike, properly; a selection of appropriate clothing; a shopping guide to motorbike accessories; advice on racing and social clubs and associations; motorbikes (under lOOcc motorcycles anyway), in competition throughout the world; and a guide to the motorscooters of under lOOcc now on the market. It is the first (so naturally the most complete), guide to sport cycles, fun bikes, lightweights, or as we call them, motorbikes, anywhere. We've done it by popular demand. It will appear on the national newsstands shortly, or we'll be happy to send a copy to you. See the advertisement in this issue.
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CYCLE WORLD BOOK STORE
This seems to be the month for announcements concerning activity around our offices, what with TEAM CYCLE WORLD, the CYCLE WORLD INTERNATIONAL MOTORCYCLE SHOW, our new MOTORBIKES publication, CYCLE WORLD RECORDS and the ROAD TEST ANNUAL. I am happy, to add a new department to our growing efforts, the CYCLE WORLD BOOKS mail order motorcycle book store. Formerly called Motor Racing Books, we completed arrangements for purchase in late March. I understand some of our readers have had difficulties with Motor Racing Books, and I want to assure anyone that has doubts, that CYCLE WORLD is now in charge and 100% behind the store. We plan on supplementing the books with new titles, from both American and foreign motorcycle publishers.
Another new staff member will be added to take care of the books; we hope to be able to find room for him when our new building is completed. We like to think of CYCLE WORLD as being what it is, only because of our readers and their support. We have grown into the largest in the U.S. only because of acceptance by you, our readers. It is my hope that CVCLE WORLD BOOKS will be able to fill a need, and add a new service and scope to our worth to our readers.
