Letters

LETTERS

TEMPER TROUBLE

Sunday I had my first accident. It is also my last. I thank God I can say this.

I was wearing a helmet when it happened, and boots, and gloves, and a heavy coat. When I hit, I heard the helmet bounce twice on the concrete. It happened so fast, I didn’t know my leg had been ripped open by the stingershaped metal of the kickstand. All I could see was a beautiful, brand new bike lying crumpled on the curb. All because of one second’s carelessness and inattention to what I was doing.

To all who ride, don’t—I repeat— don’t get on a machine when your mind is distracted by a fit of temper, or anything that disturbs your usual caution. I did just exactly that, and now I am out of money and motorcycle. That instant of stupidity cost me for an ambulance, the hospital, surgeons’ fees for sewing me up, etc.

I was thoroughly aware that no insurance company will insure a rider, so that part was a calculated risk on my part. However, I did not have any insurance on the machine itself. That also was careless. I could have had a collision clause in my policy. However, the agent didn’t stress the desirability of such a clause. I had what the law requires and that was all. Perhaps insurance agents are told to take a “less said about cycle insurance the better” attitude.

All I know is I now have a $200 repair bill for the bike. I suppose that isn’t bad.

Perhaps I’m straying from the point I was trying to make. Proper clothing is so important. Even if my boots didn’t protect my leg completely, if I had been wearing low shoes, I might not have an ankle to walk on, because that boot kept the stand from ripping all the way to the foot. The heavy, sheepskin lined coat took up some of the bruising fall; horsehide gloves I’m sure saved my hands from nasty abrasions on the concrete; and I know that helmet saved my head. However, the thing that would have saved everything was to have stayed away from the machine while I was in that nasty temper, which destroyed my usual care and judgment.

I shall continue to be an enthusiastic reader of your magazine, but I’m sorry to say that I’m giving up riding. I have too many obligations to risk doing something foolish. My first escape was from a piston seizure on the freeway. I coasted out of that one. This second one was too close and far too expensive.

I hope this keeps someone from going near a machine while in a temper.

JAMES R. KOLLER Chatsworth, Calif.

CONN. ARTISTS

In reference to a letter written by Anthony J. Politano (CW, Sept. ’68) regarding scrambles in Connecticut: I would like to point out a minor oversight of Anthony’s and possibly yours, too. Approximately one year ago we, the Central Cycle Club, started construction of a scrambles track. In July of this summer, the track was completed. Our first, and Connecticut’s first, AMA-sanctioned scrambles event was run Aug. 18. Our first race was a complete success and we are looking forward to our next scrambles event.

This scrambles track has been accepted by town and state officials. Next year, we plan to hold more meets than this year.

MICHAEL SOVERO Vice President, Central Cycle Club Central Village, Conn.

AJS ENJOYMENT

I have just read, with much enjoyment, Geoffrey Wood’s story of the AJS (CW, Sept. ’68).

For me it was a nostalgic trip down memory lane to read the names of old acquaintances such as Hugh Viney, Les Graham, Harold Daniels, Bill Doran and Jock West. However, one of the most important names associated with the “Plumstead Porcupine” was omitted. I refer to none other than the great Joe Craig.

Known the world over as “The High Priest of Tune,” Joe Craig came to Associated Motor Cycles from the Norton factory during World War II. His great fame, of course, was the development of the pre-war racing Norton which made such a great showing in international racing.

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It was during his time as chief designer at AMC that the “Porcupine” was developed, and it is somewhat ironic that, on returning to Norton as a director in 1949, he was able to squeeze enough extra power out of the same old Single to make the featherbed Norton a little too fast for the AJS. I believe that, had he stayed with AMC, the Porcupine would have been a lot faster and the Norton a little slower after 1949.

It seems a great pity that a man such as Joe Craig, who in his lifetime made such a contribution to racing, should be omitted from any article on a machine with which he was involved.

K. R. HAWKES.

Midland, Ontario, Canada

DISTURBED

I bought a copy of the October issue of CYCLE WORLD, and I was very disturbed at the results you printed of the Suzuki T305 Raider road test. I own a Raider and mine performs remarkably well!

I have talked to many owners (I belong to a local cycle club), and these owners are all amazed at the performance of the Raider.

I would like to know how steep your quarter-mile uphill track is where this test was run. It must be very steep, since I read the results of another magazine’s road test of the Raider, and the quarter-mile e.t. was 15.3 as compared with your reported 16.2. This is quite an incredible difference, and I feel something is wrong, somewhere. I think you should get another T305 Raider, test it, and compare the results. I feel you will be very surprised as to how it will perform.

A DISAPPOINTED READER Morgantown, W. Va.

IMPROVED CHANCES

Because most of my daydreams take the form of riding down some wonderfully winding country road on a motorcycle, and because I’m seriously contemplating buying my fourth bike, I’m more than a little disturbed when I come across yet another group of statistics which are used to demonstrate the increasing number of injuries and fatalities associated with the motorcycle.

There are, of course, more and more riders competing with more and more traffic to create more and more hazardous situations. I’d like to be a bit more specific and focus on what I think may be one important aspect of the problem. Many accidents involving motorcycles can be traced I believe to the parents who permit their children to obtain and drive motorcycles immediately after receiving their driving licenses, thus leaving them to face the challenges of the road with extremely limited driving experience in any form of vehicle.

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Obviously, driving a car is vastly different from driving a motorcycle. There are, however, some important similarities. Whether in a car or on a bike, one must learn to anticipate and react appropriately to the many situations created by variations in driver reactions, weather conditions, road conditions, traffic density, etc. Realizing that it takes time to learn to appreciate and respond to the above conditions and that nearly everyone, especially during their first few years on the road, makes a number of errors, be they minor or severe, I contend that it is much better to permit the individual during his first few years of driving to make these mistakes with a car rather than a motorcycle. One, two, possibly five years on the road driving a car will provide the child with an opportunity to increase his driving ability while reducing the risk of self-injury.

Once experience is gained, some mistakes made, hopefully some knowledge gained, I believe the individual’s chances on a motorcycle on the open road will be greatly improved.

WALTER H. MANNING Lansdale, Pa.

PARKA CARCASS

I was stationed up in Alaska at Ft. Wainwright, just outside Fairbanks. I was there for two winters. I bought a 50-cc Mobylette motorcycle from my uncle and aunt who live in Fairbanks. My cousin and I were riding out to my uncle’s homestead, about four miles outside Fairbanks. My cousin was driving; I was the passenger. I had a parka across my hands. A gust of wind caught both ends of the parka and they went into the rear wheel. The wheel went around until the ends of the parka locked it up. My hands were under the parka and it had tightened down on my hands.

My cousin couldn’t control the bike, so he jumped off. I couldn’t. My two helmets were out at the homestead, and we were on our way to get them then. The bike fell over with me on it and slid 100 to 200 yards.

The fall and the free ride on the ground gave me multiple fractures. It ruined my sense of smell by breaking some nerve in the nose, and my balance is messed up a little, although I still can ride a bike. My vision is a little worse. I can see double when my eyes are relaxed and I am looking in one direction.

Otherwise, I am in good physical condition. Smell I don’t miss that much.

It all happened because I had no helmet on, and it could have been my fault for the accident only because of my thoughtlessness in carrying the parka on the bike with the ends hanging down.

One thing is sure, I would not give up cycling for anything. I like it so much. Tike a doctor said—if you have something to live for, you will get better a lot faster because you want it so bad.

Now, I am planning to get a Honda 450 and a fairing, plus another helmet with a face shield. I was wondering if I would put two extra lights on the front of the motorcycle (smaller ones), and also a couple of extra taillights on the rear, a few inches from the main one, and also a light on each side of the fairing. I was wondering if the generator could keep the battery charged at night and the lights going without burning them out or getting dim. I know that quite a few people don’t see a motorcyclist until too late. They are looking for a car or something bigger. The lights would give 360-degree lighting.

SP4 SCOTT D. EVANS Walter Reed General Hospital Washington, D.C.

Even two helmets won’t do any good-if they’re still at the homestead. And, long as the sum total of the wattage of the additional lamps doesn’t exceed the load capacity of the alternator system, then the multi-lights are okay.—Ed. [ol