Round Up

ROUND UP

JOE PARKHURST

YAMAHA HAS proven itself for some time to be a farsighted, progressive organization, deserving of a great deal more credit than they receive. An example of the kind of worthwhile promotions that come out of Yamaha is their newly released Common Sense Tips for Safe Sportcycling book. It is described as a "public service,"

and is by no means a commercial for Yamaha, though they obviously supplied all of the machines for photographic purposes. Authors of the book are Jim Jingu, director of advertising and public relations for Yamaha, and Don Gately, his assistant. A very capable pair, by the way, who may be in the wrong business.

The book begins with an analysis of motorcycle accidents, followed by pointers on how to operate a motorcycle properly; buying a used one; dressing right for riding; learning to ride; an elaborate section on the art of defensive driving; and how to ride in the dirt. It is attractively illustrated, quite well written, covers the subject nicely, and is all tied up in a handsome package.

The books are available to anyone interested, particularly if they are to be put to a good use.

ANOTHER MOTORCYCLE GROUP

I received a news release the other day concerning yet another new motorcycle or ganization - the United States Cycle As sociation. They plan on offering protection similar to that provided by the American Automobile Association. A $15.00 annual membership will furnish members with a 24-hour emergency road and tow-in service, bail bond service, rewards for stolen machines, a number of legal fees and a special travel service. Men behind the USCA are Ben Dimond, Joe Rupert, and Mile Arbenz, in Springfield, Missouri. Dimond is a motorcycle dealer in Springfield.

According to the news release, the association was formed to provide riders with a nationwide emergency road service and travel program. They claim to be presently soliciting branch agencies throughout the nation and are offering memberships to riders located in their present service area. Information concerning memberships and branch offices may be obtained by writing USCA, 1701 St. Louis St., Springfield, Missouri.

Sounds like they have an excellent idea, but I predict it will be a son-of-a-gun to make work on a large, national scale.

IAN WARD

We were honored in mid-March with a pop-in visit by Ian Ward, the ACU steward of New Zealand. Accompanied by his charming and attractive wife, Pat, and daughter, Susanne, he is taking an extended globetrotting holiday to have a look at things outside of his frontier country. Ian gave us a first-hand picture of motor sports down under and we conclude that we in the U. S. are indeed a fortunate group. Not only are New Zealand's import duties on motorcycles horrendous ( 40 percent on English iron and 120 percent on all others), but licensed imports are restricted by a cost volume figure that dictates the number of machines that each may import under his license — the Greeves distributor, for example, is licensed to import about 1-1/2 bikes per year!

The lack of suitable late-model machinery hasn't handicapped the Kiwis too much, because they invariably manage to garner a couple of the top spots in the Gold Leaf motocross series each year, riding against veteran European, English and American campaigners who arrive equipped with the most current machinery to be found in the Continental circus. Ian spoke highly of America's two-time emissary to the Gold Leaf, Paul Hunt, and had the pleasure of meeting Paul's father during his stay in Southern California.

Ian asked us to extend an invitation to any American riders who wish to come to New Zealend to race. He assures that they will be provided with billeting and help in finding jobs, if they're interested, and we can ensure that they will have the hospitality of some of the friendliest, warmest people in the world if we were to judge by Ian and his family. In parting, we discussed getting together at the Isle of Man during the TT. Ian said that he wouldn't be there until next year. "However," he said, "I've a friend there who would be happy to see you around if you'd ring him. His name is Geoff Duke ..." A splendid and most international motor sportsman, Mr. Ian Ward of New Zealand.

UNO-GUZZI RETURNS

A few years back in CW's history, we published a gag road test of a uni-cycle, tagged it the Uno-Guzzi, and put it over as straight faced as we could. We've been entertaining the idea of bring the Uno-Guzzi back. Triple A Accessories in Gardena, California, beat us to it, building their own and calling it a Uni-Skuzi, and displaying it at various motorcycle shows. It is bedecked with their products, and occasionally a young lady type rider. Anyone for the return of the Uno-Guzzi?

MOTORCYCLING'S BAD SIDE

We devote very little space in CYCLE WORLD to the "bad element" in our sport. They have cost us prestige, the right to enjoy our sport, and the respect and dignity it deserves. This same element has continuously hurt the "image" of motorcycling while giving it a bad name. We have "fought" them by always presenting the sport's best side. We've ignored their existence, demonstrating to "outsiders" and newcomers to motorcycling that our sport is as healthy, clean and wholesome as most, based on pure sporting enjoyment — not the private domain of the evil and sick who use it as their psychotic crutch.

One of our contemporaries in the field of publishing, Cycle Sport magazine (devoted to the sport on the Eastern seaboard), recently published a letter from a member of the Western New York State Enduro Rider Association, prompted by the loss of one of the oldest, most popular and respected motorcycle events in the country — the Jack Pine Enduro. The wonderful Jack Pine has been canceled due to the actions of a group of the socially unacceptable motorcycle types, erroneously referred to as Hells Angels, who staged a near riot in the Lansing, Michigan, area during last year's Jack Pine.

The letter I mention was from Don VanElk, addressed to Bob Hicks, Cycle Sports editor and publisher. I'm going to reprint it entirely. It contains a message for all of us who are concerned over the loss of some of the best events in motorcycling, such as the Jack Pine, the original Laconia, and several other road races, and, of course, the fabulous Springfield national and the Class A short track races at Lincoln, Illinois. All were lost due to the actions of a few, who set the worst possible example. Public reaction to these thugs has cost us dearly, and control of the situation must now come from within the motorcycle fraternity.

(Continued on page 10)

I think you'll find VanElk's letter most interesting and informative.

It is with deep regret that the members of the Western New York Enduro Riders Association received the news of the decision to cancel the 1967 Jack Pine Run. In my ten years of motorcycling, I have never been so warmly received while wearing a motorcycle jacket as I have been in the city of Lansing, and the town of West Branch, in Michigan. I am certain that their kind of hospitality was offered in complete sincerity.

Being deeply involved in our own local fights to give motorcycling the clean name and proper space in sports reports that it deserves, I can fully understand the Lansing M.C. concern for those persons in West Branch who were subjected to the disgusting acts of those "Hell's Angels" types who came out of Detroit to try to destroy the good name that the Jack Pine had been building for the past 40 years.

When you think about it, one bad incident in 40 years is a pretty good record. Do you know of any major league baseball club that can make this boast?

I do not feel that the Lansing M.C. has made the best decision, for the following reasons:

Ever since the mid-1950s the Buffalo, N. Y. area has been plagued by a misfit gang who call themselves the "Road Vultures." What started out as a basically carefree and fun loving, yet relatively harmless, group, has gradually progressed through disturbing the peace, disorderly conduct, malicious mischief, petty larceny, grand larceny, burglary, robbery, rape, assault in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degrees, use, possession, and sale of narcotics, to now when one of their members has finally been charged with being an accessory to murder in the 1st degree.

In 1959, they showed up at an annual blessing and field meet, horrifying the nonmotorcyclists at the church where the bikes were being blessed, and creating a riot at the field meet, which had to be quelled by the state police. They were fighting mostly amongst themselves, and of course, attacking anyone who looked at them the wrong way. Naturally, all motorcyclists were to blame in the public eye.

The club that promoted this event once enjoyed a several state and Canadian support for their event, but having to endure three years of Vulture attendance at their events, they saw attendance drop from the thousands to less than 100. What was then one of the most active motorcycle clubs in this area is no longer in existence. They were forced out by a bunch of bums!

When 1 first started riding, I would sometimes stop for a traffic light and hear little children nearby ask their mothers if they could have a motorcycle when they grew up. By 1960, it was a common occurrence to hear the little children asking their mothers if that was a "Road Vulture."

It got so bad that good citizens were being barred from public establishments because they rode motorcycles. Western New York activity dropped from something going on every Sunday, to just a few events in a year, in the Buffalo area.

These few events were being put on by three clubs, the Regent Riders, the Themadones, and the Niagara County M.C. who apparently thought they could ride out the storm.

I wonder if the Lansing M.C. wants this to happen in their area?

A few years ago, the Western New York Enduro Riders Association was formed with a few riders, and now numbers close to 100. We are woods riders, but to be such we must have good public relations, and a good reputation. So we set out to see what we could do.

Through cooperation, these clubs have kept trouble away from their events simply by insisting on good police protection at the events, near the events, and also by refusing to allow alcoholic beverages at the events. On occasion we have hired special police to stay with the event from the start to the finish. Last year, at the time of our motocross events, rumors were flying about the Hell's Angels being in town for a conference with the Road Vultures, and also to stir up some trouble. We alerted the local police who had a cruiser stop by a few times to check. We hired two big policemen to stand by the gate. For some reason, every time you looked at a contestant who was waiting for his turn on the track, he was either leaning on a big stick, or had a big wrench in his hand. We must have had some tired riders and big repair jobs that day. A few of the Vultures showed up, apparently acting as scouts to look the situation over. They did not stay long, and the rest of the group never did show up at all. AND THEY HAVE NOT SHOWN UP SINCE!!!!

Eventually public opinion grew to the point in 1966 where someone with political influence found the Vultures striking too close to home. A certain group of policemen were allowed to put some pressure on these apes. It got so no Vulture could go anywhere without breaking some law or other. A few hard heads got broken in the process too. But, guess what? The Vultures don't bother anyone anymore. Oh, they are still around, but the layman cannot recognize them. They look and act more like human beings now.

Things look better for local motorcycling now. But our clubs did have to suffer through 10 long years of really bad public opinion. Who would have thought, therefore, that a motorcycle event would ever be held in Buffalo? Well, this winter, the Themadones staged a motocross in Buffalo's biggest park, right in the heart of the city. AND THE CITY PUT UP THE TROPHIES TOO! Best of all, the people loved it. The city knows it will have some work putting the grass back into shape next spring, but they seem to think it was worth it. They are actually talking about putting in a permanent motorcycle track in the city, at city expense. Now, how's that for a reverse Laconia?

To the best of my knowledge, the Lansing M.C. has never had to go through anything like all this. But I firmly believe they are letting it begin by canceling the Jack Pine. 1 know these Vulture types. Call them Hell's Angels, Road Vultures, or any other name, they are all the same sort. They are losers. They can't make it in life, so they resort to a sort of theatrical life by banding together and pretending to be what they cannot be as individuals. They pretend to be tough. They are not tough. They are not even strong enough to face life's everyday trials. They all, each and every one of them, have sick egos, and personality problems and complexes.

When faced with unsolvable problems, they rebelliously resort to the tactics of spoiled little children. Unfortunately, these children are big enough to hurt somebody. They can't gain fame by being builders, so they try to get attention by destroying.

1 know them well. 1 have observed them closely as a motorcyclist, who as a teenager, looking for excitement, frequented the same places they did. For the past five years, as a policeman, I have fought them with every means at my disposal.

I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING THEY WOULD LIKE BETTER THAN TO BE ABLE TO SAY, "I'M BAD, MAN. I HELPED TO BREAK UP THE JACK PINE."

I sincerely think this can be the start of some real trouble in the Lansing area, if they let these bums scare them into canceling the biggest and most famous enduro in the U.S.A.

Put some trust in the local police. Go to them and explain the problem. Go to the state police, and the county sheriff. Go to the elected representatives and demand protection. Talk to the people in West Branch. 1 think they like us to come there each year. You can get more protection than you ever would need if you scream long and loud enough. Talk the problem over with the community leaders in West Branch. There has to be a workable solution short of cancellation. Look into the possibility of private police protection in addition to that which the public authorities can offer.

Gentlemen of the Lansing M.C. please, let's not do away with the Jack Pine. The Jack Pine is a thing of beauty. Let's do away with the cause of the grief, those bums who try to ruin the sport of motorcycling. You can rid yourself of them if all involved cooperate.

Don VanElk.

MID-TERM REPORT

The motorcycle mechanics course I reported on in April is going great guns, I'm told by instructor Dale Martin. Much of the success of the program must be credited to support from several Southern California dealers and to a number of distributors, says Dale. He has received motorcycles and parts from Bud Ekins, Norm Reeves, Ed Bert, Steve Allen and U.S. Suzuki—who have also supplied him with 15 copies of all of their service manuals. Johnson Motors (Triumph), BSA Western, American Honda and Bultaco Western have jumped in with manuals, charts and special shop tool kits, and Yamaha International has supplied manuals and training aids. Not bad for a starter.

Dale also reports that the attrition rate is lower than average and student enthusiasm is running pretty high. He has agreed to let us have a look-see at the operation as soon as his new workshop and classroom building is completed, so we plan to bring you a feature article on the program very soon. ■