Round Up
ROUND UP
JOE PARKHURST
THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, or "DOT," as the Feds refer to it, has made available its third consumer booklet and two companion publications, dealing with safety performance of all domestic and foreign automobiles and motorcycles. For those who are interested in such things as stopping distances, acceleration and passing ability, and tire reserve load, the information is available in the booklet entitled "Performance Data for New 1972 Passenger Cars and Motorcycles." Friend of all motorcyclists, Doug Toms, Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, was quoted as saying: "I am very pleased with the improvements in safety performance characteristics. This will help us in our continuing efforts to provide consumers with comparative information which will assist them in making a more intelligent choice in buying a car or motorcycle."
The second pamphlet is entitled: "Tires, A Comparison of Tire Reserve Load for 1972 Passenger Cars." Doug Toms also remarked: "I am concerned about the poor braking characteristics on some motorcycles. With this in mind, my agency is planning to issue a new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard on motorcycle brakes in the near future." Interested parties can obtain copies of the three publications from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. The booklet is priced at $2, the brake pamphlet is 50 cents, the tire pamphlet at 45 cents.
While on the subject of the Feds, one of the visitors to the recent indoor Nationals in the Houston Astrodome was Presidential Press Secretary Ron Zeigler. He expressed considerable interest in motorcycle racing and wanted to know more about it. He'll be finding out soon.
BRONCCO VS. SKI-DOO
Another round in the protracted legal battle between Engine Specialties, Inc. (Broncco) and Bombardier, Ltd. (Ski-Doo) has been decided in favor of E.S.I., Croydon, Pa., distributor of Broncco mini-bikes, mini-cycles, motorcycles and fun karts.
In a ruling handed down in Boston on Jan. 20, 1972, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit affirmed an earlier Boston Federal District Court Order enjoining Bombardier from carrying out its announced plans to enter the minicycle market with Broncco-type minicycles manufactured by AgratiGarelli, S.p.A., Milan, Italy, former supplier to E.S.I.
In one part of its appeal, Bombardier questioned whether Bombardier was subject to the jurisdiction of the Boston Federal District Court. On this matter, the Court's opinion, written by U.S. Senior Circuit Judge Breitenstein, held that, "Bombardier significantly entered the business life of Massachusetts. Having done so, it may not now avoid the 'distasteful consequences' of suit."
In this appeal, Bombardier also sought to show that the preliminary injunction served no purpose other than punishing Bombardier. The Court responded that, "The injunction is preventative because the record shows that Bombardier's marketing of the Agrati minicycles was irreparably injuring E.S.I. The record convinces us that 'the balance of hardships' clearly tips in favor of E.S.I, and that the Court did not abuse its discretion in granting the preliminary injunction."
The preliminary injunction in question was granted in an E.S.I, suit filed in Jan., 197 1 charging, among other things, that Ski-Doo had maliciously induced Agrati to breach its agreement with E.S.I, and violated the anti-trust laws. In its suit, E.S.I, is claiming compensatory damages, treble damages and punitive damages from Bombardier.
In a separate development the Boston Federal District Court has also denied a request by Bombardier that it be permitted to sell replacement parts to its distributors and dealers for resale to persons who purchased Agrati-Garelli-built minicycles prior to the injunction.
MOONLIGHTING
As some of our readers may kno^r Bond and Parkhurst Publishing Companies are now part of a new and bigger scene. We recently sold the company to a new division of Columbia Broadcasting Systems, Inc. We are now a unit of CBS Publications. No, we have not "sold out." The new affiliation will give us far wider scope in many business dealings and offers us expansion capabilities far beyond our abilities as "small" publishers.
CBS Publications intends to be the largest publisher of special interest publications in the sport, hobby and enthusiasts fields. It is a grand step forward for us, and one that will benefit our readers as well in the long run.
Other publications in the division are, of course, Road & Track, plus one of the oldest and finest outdoor publica^ tions, Field & Stream. We are als^B joined by Popular Library, paperback book publishers whose efforts now include Curtis Books. CYCLE WORLD and Road & Track will remain intact, operating in the same way we always have. We expect to expand many of our efforts in the near future, with particular emphasis on our products division.
IF YOU'RE THIRSTY
Because I cannot afford national advertising, I am telling my readers now that if you are in Laguna Beach, Calif., and thirsty, try the Fleur De Lis. The Mojo Company plays there—that is CW Senior Editor Dan Hunt on Fender Rhodes electric piano, Steve Simmons on guitar, Win Muldrow (the off-road racing photographer's photographer) on conga drums, and me on drums. Thanks to CBS I realized an almost lifelon^^ dream when I bought the Fleur. I don'l^ work there—Kevin Eagan, an occasional CW contributing photographer, is the manager. I just hang around as much as I can without losing too much sleep. It's a nice pub, drop by.
