The Scene

THE SCENE

IVAN J. WAGAR

A 1967 Illinois law forcing motorcyclists to wear helmets was recently declared unconstitutional by the Illinois Supreme Court.

The court’s decision reverses the conviction of Donald Fries, who was arrested in Madison County, Illinois, for not wearing a helmet. Appellant Fries contended that the law was “unduly restrictive upon the individual freedom for a motorcyclist to choose to wear or not to wear a helmet.’’ The Illinois Supreme Court agreed with Fries, indicating that the legislature overextended its police power as defined in the U.S. and Illinois Constitutions. The court also said that “regulation of what is essentially a matter of personal safety cannot be justified.”

State Senator Robert W. Mitchler, whose bill repealing the helmet law was recently passed by the Illinois Senate, welcomed the decision saying, “It will be interesting to see what they (the U.S. Transportation Department) will do now that our Supreme Court has said it is unconstitutional.” Mitchler was referring to the Transportation Department’s threat to cut off $25,000,000 in federal highway funds from the state if the law was repealed.

In the same vein, the federal government is trying to force the state of California to adopt similar legislation or jeopardize millions of dollars in highway construction funds.

Since 1967, though, at least three bills dictating motorcycle riding apparel and equipment have met sound defeat in Sacramento.

The U.S. Department of Transportation derives its intimidating impetus from the National Highway Safety Act of 1966. This holds that if states do not show progress in adopting traffic safety guidelines issued by the department, federal matching funds for highway construction will be reduced or withheld.

It is extremely gratifying to see a state resist the Federal Blackjack to protect the individual’s personal rights. The helmet law repeals of Michigan and Illinois, and California’s performance under similar browbeating, show admirable independence from federal directive and exemplary strength to buck Big Brother.

AS you Park will advertisement notice in the on Saddleback page 16 of this issue, the incomparable Sammy Miller will return for his second visit to our country. Notification of Sammy’s appearance date, July 27, arrived at CYCLE WORLD on deadline day. The Southern California Trials Association, co-sponsor of the Annual Sammy Miller Trials, did not learn of the date until the same time as CYCLE WORLD. The SCTA has, however, rallied in their normal enthusiastic manner to again supply the warm bodies necessary to perform all of the jobs dreamed up by Maestro Sam. Sammy is a perfectionist. He rides around Saddleback like a Canadian sergeant major. He pokes people with sticks and even throws stones at those not working hard enough. He grumbles about the terrain, but when the trials is over he says, “You know, we could easily make better sections here than those at the Scottish.” Sammy is, without doubt, the greatest rider in his field in the world.

Sammy is trying a world tour this year. The U.S. portion of his trip is to follow stints in Australia and New Zealnd. At this time, no other dates are known; it is hoped that Sammy will do his thing at several venues in Canada and the U.S. during his circumnavigation.

Progress on the soon to be released Sammy Miller trials book is going very well. The book will be the most current, authoritative book on the subject.

IF immediate you think association of Count Agusta, is with the the famous MV Threes and Fours raced by champions like Hailwood and Agostini. But it is less widely known that Agusta built a 500-cc in-line Six, raced once or twice by John Hartle just prior to the factory’s temporary retirement from “official” racing in 1958.

Later the Threes and Fours appeared, while the Six remained hidden away from photographers and reporters in Gallarate. Now, use of a similar sixcylinder design is again imminent. While the present MVs have more than held their own on European road racing circuits, their superiority has dwindled under the pressure from competing designs. This year, it is not MV’s Agostini but Benelli’s Pasolini who is Italian champion in the 350 class.

So Count Agusta is laying plans for a 350-cc Six that may see action on the world championship circuits before the end of this season. The only features known about the new engine are that it will be in-line, sitting tranversely across the frame, and it will be a completely new design. But the old Six-photographed for CYCLE WORLD by Volker Rauch-may give a rough prediction of what the new machine will look like. It should be fabulous to see and hear. [O]