Issue No. 500

Issue No. 500

UP FRONT

David Edwards

GOOD THING I’M BOSS ’ROUND HERE—otherwise I’d have to issue myself a severe reprimand, maybe dock myself a couple of days’ pay. This column is hopelessly late, see, but like any good deadline journalist I have an excuse-actually 499 of ’em.

That’s how many past issues of this magazine I’ve been thumbing through.

Yep, the assemblage of paper, ink, articles and ads you hold in your hands, Vol. 42, No. 8, is a milestone, the 500th edition of Cycle World to be printed since the magazine’s premiere in January of 1962.

The history of this magazine nicely parallels the history of modern motorcycling, but what struck me as I scanned 42 years’ worth of mastheads is the shear number of talented people who have had a hand in shaping CW.

Chief among those, of course, was Joseph C. Parkhurst, Cycle World's founding father, a man who thought motorcyclists deserved a better magazine, then proceeded to build it. Joe guided the magazine from Issue No. 1 to No. 178, when the mega-corporation to which he sold CW—one of his few regrets in life-ushered him out. Lung cancer took Parky in 2000, but 500 issues after he hocked all he had to finance his dream, we make sure a little bit of Joe goes into every magazine.

Cancer also felled Dan Hunt, who followed Parkhurst as Publisher. Hunt logged several stints at the magazine, starting in 1966 as Associate Editor, then crossing the aisle to become a marketing and circulation guy, before moving up to the big office. In all, Hunt played a part in 122 issues. He died in 1997.

Two of the magazine’s early contributors, Tony Hogg (No.’s 9-83) and Dean Batchelor (No.’s 11-63) also are no longer with us. Though both men would eventually become Editor at Road & Track, they loved motorcycles, and their reports gave the fledgling CW authority and credibility, sorely missing then in the bike-mag biz.

Nobody better at both those attributes than CW's first Technical Editor, Gordon Jennings (No.’s 1-55), racer, tuner, enquiring mind, “prickly Granddad of American motor-journalism,” said current Tech Ed Kevin Cameron in a 2001 eulogy after cancer got Gordon, too. In 1965, Jennings jumped ship to edit Cycle (Parkhurst eventually forgave him), then remade Car and Driver into a real magazine.

As Art Director, lovable Leo Bestgen (No.’s 82-137) played a big part in setting CW apart from the gray masses of competing magazines. He passed away peacefully last year while taking a nap. Not so lucky was another of our art directors, Peter Vamvas (No.’s 181-197), who left work on a Ducati testbike in 1978 and never made it home.

And then there was Editor-at-Large Henry Manney III (No.’s 1-251), wonderful and wacky, who never met a sentence he couldn’t fracture-for the better. “I’m trying to fix that diabolical clothespin tweeter the British always use to run the oil pump behind that trap door where they pile all the shims...” is how our Peter Egan remembers conversations with Henry about his beloved Velocette or Manx Norton or ISDT-replica Triumph. Incapacitated by a stroke in 1982, Manney lingered in a coma until passing in ’88. I never got to meet the man, but I surely wish I had.

I have had the pleasure of meeting Betty Jean Parkhurst (No.’s 1-132), Joe’s first wife and the magazine’s Business & Circulation Manager, then CoPublisher. “Sure, I get all the credit,” Joe told me a few years before his death, “but without Betty Jean there would never have been a Cycle World."

CW alumni are pretty good at movin’n-shakin'. Early contributor Marvin Foster (No.’s 43-63) was instrumental in the success of Hodaka, the little trailbike that could. Race reporter Gavin Trippe (No.’s 64-92) was co-founder of the ABC-TV “Superbikers” races. Contributing Editor Joe Bolger (No.’s 73137) probably holds more motorcycle-related patents than any 10 Honda R&D engineers. Art Director Chuck Clayton (No.’s 27-37) left the magazine to start Cycle News, still run by wife Sharon 11 years after his death. As Executive Editor, John Ulrich (No.’s 200-270) kept readers on edge (and insurance adjusters busy) riding exotic racebikes; he now edits Roadracing World, runs Team Valvoline EMGO Suzuki and is considered a kingmaker when it comes to up-andcoming race talent. Another Exec Ed, Mitch Boehm (No.’s 371-380), left the fold to become Editor at Motorcyclist. Former Managing Editor Ron Lawson (No.’s 274-346) is top man at Dirt Bike. Associate Editor Doug Toland (No.’s 328-352), one-time Willow Springs Wunderkind and a World Endurance Champion, is now a Product Evaluator at American Honda, responsible for wringing out upcoming models (and try as we might, he still won’t give away any secrets). As Publisher, Jim Hansen (No.’s 181-351) guided CW through tough times in the lean Eighties; he’s now Publisher for the Rider group of magazines.

And at a time when mainstream motomags were abandoning dirtbike coverage, CW's all-purpose content was cemented by Senior Editor Ron Griewe (No.’s 190-378), Baja maven and Thumper fanatic, who was lured away after 16 years by a management position at ATK. Recently retired, the “Ogre” has been slightly slowed by health woes, his heart now pumping though titanium valves-the only surprise being that Ron didn’t install them himself!

There are dozens more ex-staffers worth mentioning, but I’ll close with this party advice given to me years ago by a well-lubricated D. Randy Riggs, former Senior Editor (No.’s 132-188). “Cycle World is the best job in the world,” he said wistfully. “Stay as long as you can.”

Speaking for myself (232 issues and counting) and the other long-timers around here-Larry Little (249), Allan Girdler (248), Elaine Anderson (233), Paul Dean (230), Peter Egan (220), Steve Anderson (197), Don Canet (148), Matthew Miles (147), Kevin Cameron (142), Robyn Davis (140), Jimmy Lewis (122) and Brian Catterson (113)-you’re right, D. Randy, and we’re working on it.O