Around the Industry
AROUND THE INDUSTRY
MIRROR MIRROR ON THE TANK . . .
We have seen motorcycle gasoline tanks put to some unusual uses but the young lady seen here is using the first portable, self-propelled vanity case we’ve ever seen. The photograph, furnished us by Gene Shillingford of Shillingford & Sons, Enfield distributors for middle and south Atlantic states, appeared in the Daytona Journal during racing week. Staff man S. A. Satterwhite was the photographer. The vanity is the new 250cc Enfield five-speed scrambler, one of the most portable of them all.
FORD HITS THE OREGON TRAIL
Long-time service manager and chief tuner for Ed and Eddie Kretz’ stable of competition motorcycles has struck out for himself on the Oregon trail. Fred Ford, who established himself as a fixture at race tracks throughout the country for many years, has moved to Grants Pass, Oregon and opened his own shop to service motorcycles, Volkswagens, and outboard two-stroke engines for countless boating enthusiasts in the area. The address is 2910 Foothill Blvd., just off main US highway 99 north of Medford. Fred and his wife Goldie offer an open invitation to any of their friends traveling through Grants Pass to stop and do a little “bench racing.”
JOHNNY GIBSON OPENS SHOP
Coincidental with the running of the Daytona races is the news that former Daytona 200-mile winner and National Number 5, Johnny Gibson, has opened a new Triumph and Yamaha dealership in La Habra, California. The popular exracer is enthused about his new undertaking and invites friends and fans tot visit the shop, which is located at 901 West Whittier Blvd; and CYCLE WORLD adds its best wishes for his success in the venture.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON COMPLETES “OPERATION INFORMATION”
The Harley-Davidson Motor Co. completed its “Operation Information” recently when the last in a series of 15 dealer meetings was held. Beginning in Dallas, Texas, the series included meetings in Los Angeles and San Francisco, Calif.; Portland, Ore.; Denver, Colo.; Sioux Falls, S.D.; Kansas City, Mo.; Birmingham, Ala.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Greensboro, N.C.; Philadelphia, Pa.; Boston, Mass.; Syracuse, N.Y.; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Milwaukee, Wis.
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Two teams of Harley-Davidson executives conducted the meetings, aided by District Managers for each of the areas where meetings were held. One team handled meetings in the west and the other handled the east. Between them, they flew about 8500 miles to cover the 15 cities in 29 days.
Executives who participated included: Wm. H. Davidson, President; O. P. Resech, Secretary-Treasurer; Gordon Davidson, Vice President—Manufacturing; Walter C. Davidson, Vice President—Sales; Wm. J. Harley, Vice President—Engineering; John Harley, Manager, Parts and Accessories; Sam F. Greco, Domestic Sales Manager; Gerald Johnston, Advertising Manager; R. A. Gaedke, KFC Vice President, Manager; Roy Benkendorf, Sales Promotion Supervisor; James Gaylord, Credit Manager; Gerald C. Cessna, Police and Commercial Sales Manager; and David Morton, Assistant Service Manager.
Reason for the large number of meetings, probably the most ever held by any motorcycle manufacturer in such a short period of time, was to introduce dealers all over the country to the new HarleyDavidson Dealer Operating Manual. The Manual covers all phases of operating a H-D dealership, from selecting the proper location to servicing customers’ motorcycles and motor scooters, and is expected to help Harley-Davidson dealers everywhere do an even better job of serving motorcyclists.
Exemplary of the 15 meetings were the three shown here; above is the meeting in Syracuse, New York, with dealers from Canada as well, below are the nearly 100 in attendance at the Philadelphia conclave .
SPORTSCASTER IN TRIUMPH AD
Mr. Gil Stratton, popular CBS-TV sportscaster, is being featured in current Triumph ads prepared for Sports Illustrated, Hot Rod. CYCLE WORLD, and other national magazines. Gil, a longtime owner of Triumphs, regularly uses his machine to beat the traffic to and from various engagements in his position as director of sports for KNX-TV in Los Angeles.
The ad which features Stratton (shown in the photo with Mr. Don Brown, sales manager for Johnson Motors, Western Triumph distributor) is the second in a series which will reach nearly ten million readers through various prominent magazines during 1963.
PARILLA DEALER SCHOOL HELD
Over 50 Parilia dealers received four days of intensive instruction at the recent service school session sponsored by Cosmopolitan Motors of Philadelphia. Factory technician Joe Rottigni (center in photo) provided latest methods and information on maintenance and repair, with the last day devoted to racing, and specific individual problems. Mr. Ernest Wise, President of Cosmopolitan Motors, spoke at the “graduation” banquet, as did new Parilia roadman, Mr. Bob McLaughlin, a specialist in motorcycle financing.
UPHILL ALL THE WAY
Ever wonder how a hillclimb champion gets started in his profession? Well, in the case of two-time National Champ Joe Hemmis, it just ran in the family. His father and uncle competed in tournaments during the twenties and young Joe got the bug at an early age. He won the national amateur championship when only 19, took the Canadian title three years ago, captured the Class A national championship in 1959 and 1962, and holds at least 80 percent of the nation’s hillclimbing records. He has about 30 trophies to his credit and in 1954 was honored as outstanding athlete of the year by his home town, Cumberland, Maryland.
The Muskegon, Michigan hill which is the site of annual championship battles is 350 feet long and 20 feet wide, with an angle of 75 degrees. Riding one of his considerably lightened Triumph TR-6's, Hemmis holds the course record at 6.47 seconds, and estimates that he's hitting about 70 mph at the top. But crossing the finish line isn’t the highpoint of the ride for Joe. Cut into the hill are two “breakers,” deep wedge-like furrows which must be taken very slowly, with a resultant loss of time — or leaped over. “The greatest feeling in the whole race” says Joe, “is when I know that I’ve cleared a breaker well. Right there in the middle of the course I get so pleased I feel like laughing out loud.”
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Shown in the photo with some of his trophies, 34 - year - old Hemmis has no intentions of forsaking his profession, hoping to compete as long as possible. And Joe Hemmis, Jr., at 13, is already learning to ride. “I expect,” says his father, “he’ll get into the act just about the way I did.”
BMW REPRESENTATIVES AT DAYTONA
Among the many business and social gatherings during the week of racing at Daytona was the meeting held for BMW dealers attending the races and motorcycle show. In the photograph from left to right are; Mr. and Mrs. Albert Bondy, President of Butler & Smith, U.S. distributors of BMW cycles, Mr. Michael Bondy of Butler & Smith,land Mr. P. Rinner (standing), of the BMW faclory who spoke of their extensive activities and plans.
CYCLE WORLD’S Parkhurst and Fullwood spent an enjoyable lunch hour with the group and are quite pleased to announce that Butler & Smith have joined the ranks of CYCLE WORLD’S advertisers with this issue.
DAYTONA MOTORCYCLE SHOW
One feature of the furious motorcycle activity that abounds during the week of the Daytona races is the motorcycle show held at the armory in town. The accompanying photographs show several portions of the elaborate display of models being presented by the various exhibitors. Distributors and manufacturers represented include; Harley-Davidson. BSA. Triumph, BMW, Ducati, Zundapp, Matchless. Parilia. Capriola, Jawa, Pointer, Tohatsu, Yamaha, Honda, Bridgestone. Accessory makers displaying their wares included Cosmopolitan Mtrs., Webco, McHal, Harman & Collins, Hap Jones Distr. Co., Florida Cycle Supply, and several others.
The speedy looking gentleman in the racing crouch on the BSA at their display is the famous former motorcycle champion Floyd Dreyer, who gained additional renown as an Indianapolis race car builder and now operates a BSA, BMW and Honda dealership in Indianapolis. He is seated upon the BSA Edward Moran rode to victory in the 70-mile novice race, the first competition outing of the new unitconstruction 500cc twin. In the other photo, taken some 30-odd years ago, Dreyer is seen leading Floyd Clymer in a sidecar race at Denver, Colorado.
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Thousands of enthusiasts pass through the show each year, the only one of its type held, unfortunately, we must add.
NEW FALCON MOTORBIKES
Bird Engineering in Omaha, Nebraska, are now offering their Falcon mopeds in two models; standard and deluxe. Both are powered by a 5()cc engine; the standard employs an automatic clutch, the deluxe a vari-speed gear selector with an automatic clutch. Hand operated caliper-type brakes are used on the front and an internal expanding unit on the rear of the standard; the deluxe employs internal expanding brakes on both wheels.
Full lighting is operated by the engine magneto; an extra quiet muffler is standard as is a twist grip throttle. The standard Falcon sells for $139.95, and the deluxe for $169.96, from Bird Engineering, Dept. CW, Box 427, Omaha, Nebraska. Factory direct financing is available.
MEDAL FOR DUCATI RACER
The accompanying photograph shows young Frank Scurria during a recent visit to the Berliner Mtr. Corp. in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, and Mr. Joe Berliner. Mr. Berliner is presenting Frank with a gold medal from the Ducati factory honoring his efforts on behalf of racing and promoting the Ducati machines.
BERLINER BIRTHDAY PARTY
Among the many festive occasions celebrated during the Daytona race week was a special party given in honor of Mr. Joseph Berliner’s 50th birthday. Guests in attendance were Berliner Motor Corp. dealers of Ducati, Norton and Zundapp and their wives, and families in some cases, plus CYCLE WORLD’S Advertising Manager and Editor.
In the photo below Mr. Joseph Berliner is shown presenting a Ducati-Meccanica Award of Merit to Mr. Kenny Hayes of Johnson City, Tenn. The next photo shows Mr. Mike Berliner congratulating Rochester, N.Y. Ducati dealer Ron Andrews for the splendid effort Ron made in tuning and directing the competition efforts of Ducatis in the Northeast and Canada during 1962. The next photograph shows the
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five Ducati competition riders who scored victoriously in 1962, left to right, Kenny Hayes, Johnson City, Tenn.; Ronnie Dahier, Rochester, N.Y.; Ron Andrews, Rochester, N.Y.; Ray Hempstead, St. Petersburg, Fla. and Chuck Andrews, Rochester, N.Y. In the last photograph
Mr. Berliner is seen blowing out the candle on his birthday cake. •
