ou no doubt saw the great photo of rising MotoGP star Jorge Lorenzo on the cover of this issue. He is one of the many riders in the series that runs on Michelin tires and Michelin is what we refer to as our Cover Sponsor. And going way back to the fall of 1995, Michelin was with us then too.
     The headline on the cover of that September/October 1995 issue was “Michelin Meets the Press.” The story inside told of a big press introduction by Michelin at the Misano racecourse in Italy with over 100 journalists from around the world on hand. Included were North American publications such as Cycle World, Motorcyclist, Cycle World and others.
     What else was going on in the fall of 1995? The “Internet” was a new term people were getting familiar with. Our Publisher Don Emde’s column reported that early trips online to the World Wide Web reminded him of the bar scene in “Star Wars” with all kinds of strange characters popping up. It’s funny today to read those early impressions of what is now such a big part of our life. The strange characters are still there though.
     In 1995 Parts Unlimited was getting its “We Support the Sport” campaign introduced to the dealer network and we covered events they held at the Houston Astrodome, Sacramento, Elkhart Lake and Pontiac, MI.
     Parts was also unveiling its first catalog devoted 100% to ATVs. Clymer Publications was on the ATV bandwagon also and had lots of new manuals just out for the latest Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha ATVs, and K&N showed their overall selection of ATV filters, chemicals and handlebars.
     Pirelli was another tire brand with something to talk about. The company released news about its MT18 and MT320 off-road tires, as well as the Strada tire for cruisers. Slippery When Wet was supporting Team Big Red in watercraft racing, while Thor was reminding dealers that the Mini-Motocross market was bigger than people might think.
     Cruisers was a category just taking hold in 1995 and Cobra was there with the reminder that “there’s more to building a quality exhaust system than bending pipes.” Champions Choice had top racers like Larry “Spiderman” McBride using its cleaners and polishes, with Factory Concepts making graphic kits to help bikes have their own look.
     Vesrah was supplying clutch plates and springs in 1995, with Drag Specialties pitching a line of Boyd’s Wheels. The new Moose “Trophy” line of riding gear looked great, as did the new Z1R line of helmets.
     There had been a huge earthquake in Japan in the summer of 1995 and Dunlop was talking about its plan to adjust production around the world to meet demands. Other Parts suppliers with lots of demand included Slipstreamer, Dow Canvas, Yuasa Batteries, Wiseco Pistons and Vance & Hines.
     1995, just another year in the 14 that we have covered so far. Watch for our look at other issues in the upcoming months.