And as a reminder to you youngsters, Parkhurst and Jennings revolutionized motorcycle journalism when the two of them were the entire show at "Cycle World" in the early 1960's. Gordon did many things superbly well, and he will never be replaced.
In this time of loss to the entire motorcycling community, I think it's also appropriate to pass along a thought in a lighter vein. Gordon did many things as an editor and writer, but he was also the inspiration to make at least one other journalist write one of the all-time inspired headlines ABOUT Gordon Jennings.
In the mid 1960's Jennings put all of his spare time and most of his spare cash into developing home-brew race bikes. It's to his all time credit that he went the way of a typical reader, trying to do it himself on a shoe string (not getting factory support, as he could have done with his press connections). One partial exception was when he got a temporary loan of one of **** O'Brien's Harley race engines, which he put into a pretty much home brew frame, along with a home brew striped fairing.
Whether Harley or the Japanese, the engine builders of that era were 'way out in front of the tire makers. Gordon had his hands full keeping that monster - with all of its 70 or so horsepower - on the track. Many folks in southern California, including me, wondered how Gordon would make out in the various road races. One weekend, Gordon was taking the Harley out on a significant race, at Willow Springs or Riverside (I can't recall which, and it doesn't matter) which I wasn't able to attend. The following week I picked up the local motorcycle weekly newspaper to see what had happened. The headline said it all:
JENNINGS UNLOADS
Best summary in a two word headline I've ever seen. Thanks for the memories, Gordon.