Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-11-08
TWO SCORE MOTOR
BIKES IN CONTEST
RIDERS START THIS MORNING
ON ENDURANCE RUN
Course Presents Many Difficulties as
Well as Much Scenic Beauty-tIis-
toric Home of Ramona on
Line of Run

Suffering, popping motorcycles will
form a line some eight or ten miles
long this morning when the riders who
have entered for the endurance run to
Ventura and return get out on the
road.
Nearly two score machines began to
roll away from the club house on San
Pedro and Twenty-second streets this
morning at o'clock, and every minute
after that time the riders were started
in pairs.
Today's run is somewhat harder than
any single days run ever before at
tempted by the local organization, as
it includes much rough billy road and
considerable sand in the 164 miles of
the course.
An average speed of fifteen miles an
hour will have to be maintained to
make a parfect score, and besides the
contestants will have to arrive at ev-
cry control within five minutes of the
time specified or forfeit one point for
every minute late or early.
The course as laid out would have
been considered impossible for mo-
torcycle even four years ago, as they
did not develop the power that they do
today.
The first hard pull viii be the New
hall grade, with it's 20 per cent grade
and rough surface. After Newhall
found past Saugus and Castiac until
the ford of the Santa Clara river is
reached. At that place the sand is
deep and on the other side there is a
bad grade, usually deep in dust and
rough. When the road keeps UP near
the hills 1t is fairly good, but in one
or two places where 1t gets down near
the streams, and fords have to be
made, it is hard work for even the
higher powered motors.
Ramona's home is directly on the
road that will be Travelled, and can be
clearly seen.
Beyond Fillmore there is consider
able good road, but after Piru comes
more sand, which lasts we'll up toward
Ventura.
On the home stretch rough going will
be found in many places among the
Calabasas hills. The Conejo is a long
grade, but will not offer any particular
troubles for single ridden machines,
but may force tandem riders to walk
It is ONE of the most scenic grades in
Southern California.
At Calabasas the route will leave the
main Travelled road and go through the
beautiful Topango canyon.
The scenery through that defile is of
a very beautiful order, but the road,
with its many twists and turns and nu-
merous grades, will occupy so much OF
the attention of the rider that many of
the scenic beauties will be overlooked.
The canyon opens directly on the
beach several miles beyond Santa Mon
lea, to which place the beach road is
fair in places, but after Santa Monica
is reached the road is good all the way
to the club house, which will be the
finishing point.
The contests on the road and track
that the Los Angeles Motorcycle club
hold with considerable regularity have
done more to make the motorcycle
popular in Southern California than
any other one thing. as the club MEM
bers have been constantly demonstrate
ing that the little vehicles are rot only
a source of pleasure to the riders but
are highly successful from a CONNER
ciaI standpoint as well.