Cycle News co-founder and publisher Sharon Clayton died Monday, March 30th at home in Las Vegas, Nevada. She was 80 years old.

Clayton and husband Chuck, who died in 1992, left a lasting impression on the motorcycle industry by training a long list of motorcycle journalists, layout artists and ad sales people who got their start at Cycle News before moving on to other publications.

The pair also were philanthropists, helping injured racers through a foundation.

Cycle News originally was a printed tabloid newspaper published weekly. At one time in the 1980s, Cycle News also published ATV News every other week and All Terrain Vehicle Industry once a month. Following Sharon Clayton’s retirement, Cycle News encountered problems and ceased publishing. The company’s assets were sold to what was then the Motorcycle Aftermarket Group (MAG), and Cycle News was turned into an online magazine.

Sharon Clayton is survived by a son, Brian, and by three sisters. The family is planning on holding  a memorial service April 10th in Morro Bay, California, where the Claytons lived before Chuck died and before Sharon retired to Las Vegas.

Read Sharon Clayton’s AMA Motorcycle Hall Of Fame biography here:

http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail….

Read Chuck Clayton’s AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame biography here:

http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail….