Letters

LETTERS

DT-1 DILEMMA

Concerning your test of the Yamaha DT-1, did you test two different models, one stock and one GYT kitted? The copy of the story centers around the stocker, but the pictures, except for the opening one, seem to emphasize a modified machine. Were there any differences in the front forks of the apparently two different machines tested? I noticed one had flat black lower fork stanchions, while the others were lighter in color.

One suggestion I have long wanted to make: In the already excellent data page following the text of your road tests, you would do potential buyers and enthusiasts a great favor by simply listing the countershaft and rear wheel gearing as tested. This, along with the transmission ratios and tire sizes already provided, will complete the data necessary to accurately evaluate the performance of the motorcycle in top speed and acceleration.

Congratulations on producing the magazine I consider to be the Road and Track of the motorcycle publishing field.

TIM RISNER Dayton, Ohio Although the DT-1 road test was to evaluate the standard machine as you would buy it from the dealer, we also gave our impressions of the GYT kitted version, which will be available through Yamaha dealers at extra cost. The forks on either version are identical. Data panel gearing figures are the overall ratios as tested. Otherwise they would be meaningless. — Ed.

FOR THE OLD TIMERS

You just put us old Harley-Indian-Triumph men right down to the ground. If I'm so old that the "shift right, brake left" system is obsolete (page 34. CW, Feb. '68), then I'm trading for a rocking chair.

But I do want to know one thing: When you're cornering to the left, as most racing in the Western world requires, how in old Billy's hell do you manage to shift with your left foot?

The Japanese and Chinese used to race to the right (at least in horse racing), and I always thought that this was the origin of the "'off-side" shift system.

DONALD F. RIEDER Tulsa, Okla.

Unless a rider is from the old school, it is far more natural to brake with the right foot. It matters little if a racing rider turns to the left or right, providing the footpegs and lever are properly positioned; the Isle of Man has 107 lefts and 112 rights. Fortunately, most new designs feature a through-shaft to accommodate the old timers, myself included. — Ed.

THE ARMY WAY

I would appreciate it if you would print this letter for the benefit of S/SGT John R. Grimsel (CW, Letters, Nov. '67). I too am a GI who loves to ride, only I didn't even succeed to license a motorcycle! In my division, the ARs state the commanding officer of a company has the right to grant permission for the purchase and use of a motorcycle.

(Continued on page 28)

I asked permission. He discouraged me, so 1 demanded my rights. I have permission all right, but also extra duty as my name appears quite often now on duty rosters.

Everything went fine until 1 tried to license my machine. Seems there is an AR which requires one to have an Army motorcycle license before he can license his machine and he has to have his machine licensed before he can get his license! I ride a bicycle; it's easier to obtain and use. Only have to have it inspected by the first shirt!

SP/4 AL LAHTI APO Wyoming

SA ROLEA SEARCH

About six months ago I bought an old beat up motorcycle. It seems I have a rare bike. I have gone to several motorcycle shops in this area, but no one can help me on parts. All I have been able to obtain was a little information. The name of the bike is Sarolea. It probably is a 600or 650-cc machine and is suposed to be made in Belgium.

Can you or any of your readers tell me anything more about it, like for instance is it supposed to have a wet clutch, where can I find parts, and how can I tell what year it is?

ED MACK

Box 92

Alstead, N. H. 03602

TORQUE VIBRATION

I read with interest Mr. Herbrandson's article on engine balancing (CW, May '67). I felt the article gave the impression that the only source of engine vibration was the inertia of the reciprocating parts. Another source which certainly is worth mentioning is the internal engine couple which results from combustion. For simplicity, imagine an engine with a weightless piston and connecting rod, a balanced flywheel and no external load. As the throttle is opened and the flywheel accelerates, a reaction torque is felt on the engine. This is the same torque that causes handling problems in machines with longitudinal crankshafts. It is commonly experienced and my mention of it will amaze no one. It is less obvious however, that because this torque is produced by a series of combustion impulses, the average value of the torque is accompanied by a vibrational torque.

If we assume that the 500-cc BSA Goldstar mentioned by Mr. Herbrandson has a full throttle torque of 40 lb.-ft., the resulting vibrational torque would have a peak level near 160 lb.-ft. This will cause shaking in addition to that caused by inertia unbalance.

There is an important difference between these two sources of vibration. The reaction vibration is dependent on throttle opening, i.e., the higher the torque output, the worse the vibration. The unbalance vibration, on the other hand, is only dependent on engine speed.

(Continued on page 30)

LOU SCHULTE Lawndale, Calif.

OVERSEAS PURCHASE

I am an avid motorcycle fan and I own the Spitfire Mk II model BSA. I will say one thing about the bike — I liked the GP carburetors. They were touchy and hard to tune, true, but when they were tuned correctly! I plan to keep the bike and use the GP carbs for a fuel bike.

When 1 return to my home, Detroit, Mich., I will buy a new bike. I am interested in a 650-750-cc machine — either the Norton P-11, Royal Enfield Interceptor, the BSA Spitfire Mk 4, or the Triumph TT. I know the strong points of each bike and the limitations.

Here is my problem: I know that because I am a serviceman overseas I can purchase cars, at a substantial savings, either through the PX for American cars or through Jaguar or Nemit International. I would like to know if there is some way that I could purchase a motorcycle and take advantage of tax savings? There are many others here in Viet Nam and in my company, who would like to buy motorcycles rather than cars.

SP/4 THOMAS LABOWITCH APO San Francisco, Calif.

The rules governing bikes should be identical to those for cars. First, contact your PX officer and see if a deal can be made. The U. S. embassy in Saigon could help with interpretation of local law. Best of luck in Viet Nam, and with your motorcycle on return to Detroit. — Ed.

10,000-MILE BREAK-IN

I must take this opportunity to suggest that Mr. Betz (Letters, CW, Oct. '67) see his local BMW dealer for a tune-up, or if his machine is in proper running condition, that he put at least 10,000 miles on it before attempting any timed high speed runs.

There are the facts: (1) A stock R69S, with over 10,000 miles and well tuned, produces 15.4 mph per 1000 rpm in top gear; (2) 7500 rpm is possible in 4th; (3) 15.4 x 7500 = 115,500; (4) The R69S will pull 8000 in top gear with heavy duty valve springs, if very finely tuned; (5) No speedometer is accurate and the NDO is no exception. The Vegel replacement is better, but not much; (6) The stock tires are terrible; (7) Ditto the carburetors; (8) The optional steel wheels are much more rugged than the stock units. They will not hamper performance by any measurable amount; and (9) The flywheel is too heavy and should be replaced with an aluminum one.

My own mount is a vintage R68 which has been refined to the point at which it is not only armchair comfortable, but extremely dependable and yet will give even the really great Mamut a good run.

In closing, may I add that I will be most happy to pass on to any "Be Em" owners any tuning for performance and reliability information I can.

RICHARD GORIS 128 Fort Washington Ave. New York, N. Y. 10032

HOW TO OPPOSE BILLS

Legislators are trying to ruin our sport, but we, the riders, do nothing to stop them. Perhaps if you were to print a standard form letter in your magazine, we could simply cut it out, fill in the blanks and send it to our senators or congressmen. I myself have started letters to these people many times, but tear them up because I don't have the ability to put across what should be said.

ROBERT KARPOWICZ APO San Francisco

Due to the many and subtle differences of proposed motorcycle legislation now in the hoppers of our state legislatures, it is impossible to create a form letter that would properly voice opposition to every bad motorcycle bill up for discussion.

However, if you know the number of the bill to which you object, you could write them something like this:

"To The State Legislature,

Capitol City (fill in), State (fill in): "I would like to voice my serious opposition to Bill No. (fill in) pertaining to motorcycles now up for your consideration. Sincerely, (Your Name)."

This is a very simple letter to write and lets them know you're out there.

If you feel that any bill up for consideration has an objectionable part, oppose the entire bill. For example, if a bill combines separate motorcycle licensing and compulsory crash bar mounting on street machines, then oppose the entire bill. Even if you liked the idea of separate licensing, don't sweat it; some legislator will undoubtedly propose separate licensing on a new, alternate bill.

If you would like to add something more specific to our simple one-paragraph letter, try a few of these on for size. If you can't find one that fits your exact purpose, improvise:

CRASH BARS

"I object in particular to the feature about compulsory crash bars on street machines. Crash bars offer a danger equally as horrendous as the one they purport to cure, in that a motorcycle skidding on its side may be held up by the crash bar in such a way that the tires will suddenly catch again and cause the machine to flip wildly. I suggest that the man who proposed this bill should spend some driving time on a motorcycle before he makes such dangerous proposals."

SAFETY BELTS

"The man who proposed that the motorcycle rider be held on by safety belts should realize that this is more dangerous than just leaving the motorcycle the way it is. It is better for a rider to get away from his machine in an incident, so that he has less chance of being hit or crushed by his own motorcycle."

CRASH HELMETS

"While wearing a crash helmet is indeed to be encouraged through a good public relations campaign, I feel that compulsory helmet wearing is unfair, discriminatory, and unconstitutional. The rider of a bicycle — even one who doesn't have an operators license — is allowed to ride the streets on an even flimsier machine; often the bicyclist reaches speeds greater than 25 mph and sometimes 40 mph in town. Yet no one has yet suggested the bicycle rider must wear a helmet. And what about the automobile driver? In addition, implementation of a compulsory helmet law will cost us taxpayers many needlessly spent dollars. These dollars might better be spent on safe driving educational programs. Safe driving is the ultimate self-protection." FREEWAY BANS

(Continued on page 34)

"I feel that freeway bans are discriminatory to people who cannot afford fourwheeled transportation, and who rely on the freeways to get to their places of livelihood. If it is safety you're worried about, any automobile involved in an accident — because it is so much heavier and much more of a projectile — will cause a great deal more damage and loss of life than a relatively small motorcycle. So would you ban all automobiles from freeways?"

GENERAL ROAD BANS

"In trying to enact legislation that would ban the two-wheeled vehicle from our highways, you are wreaking heinous discrimination on those of us who cannot afford four-wheeled transportation, and force us to get faulty, worn out automobiles that greatly contribute to air pollution and are much more dangerous to others in an accident because of their great mass and weight. You are also aggravating parking problems. You should be doing everything possible to encourage two-wheeled vehicles, not to get rid of them. In the future, they may be the salvation of our cities and towns."

So, do yOu have the idea?

Okay! Start writing. Wax florid if you must, but always be respectful and serious in tone. Remember, you're trying to convince the legislator that you're right, and to do that, you must present a favorable impression — not insult him, or come on like a smart aleck. — Ed.

SALES AND SERVICE

I have noticed a few letters lately, such as that of Mr. Donald C. McDougall (CW, Dec., '67), complaining of poor service from motorcycle dealers. I agree this has become quite a problem most anywhere in the U. S. The trouble stems from several sources. The main one, I'm afraid, is this: Any businessman, if he is to stay in business, must offer the buying public what it demands. Unfortunately, the motorcycling public demands hardly anything more than cheap prices. I doubt if more than one buyer out of fifty ever thinks of service until after he has purchased a motorcycle.

As Mr. McDougall mentioned, there are "new wave" dealers who take advantage of this and aim their sales at the first-timearound customer, disregarding the service end of the business. This type dealer, because he has little money invested and little overhead, is a hard one for the more reliable dealer to cope with when it comes to "bargain" prices. The buyer should show enough responsibility to buy from a reputable dealer if he expects adequate service later. Another large problem facing the motorcycle industry is the shortage of competent motorcycle mechanics. This, of course is caused by the tremendous growth of the industry in the past few years, and compounded by the competition with the "new wave" dealers, plus the demand for lower prices, making it difficult to offer appealing wages to prospective mechanics.

Another factor that will always be with us is the fact that motorcycling is highly seasonal, even here in the South. It is impossible for a dealer to hire good mechanics for the summer, then lay them off in the winter. Still another problem the customer suffers, but doesn't see first hand, is the difficulty the dealer has in obtaining the necessary parts, in too many cases, to offer quick service.

I'll be the first to admit that our own service department was a little short of being top grade during the past busy season. Through July and August, we found ourselves bogged down in more shop work than we had dared to predict. I would like to apologize to our customers who were inconvenienced because of delays in service repairs. I would also like to say that we, for one dealer, know the problems and are already working toward expanding our service facilities and streamlining our procedures for next year.

C. W. BRAZZILLE Ft. Worth Cycle Mart Ft. Worth, Texas

0.00001 PERCENT IMPERFECT

I take the time to write this letter to inform you that the cover photograph on your October 1967 issue is printed backwards.

If our society assigned an arbitrary scale by which it judged magazines (a score of 100 being perfect), this fault would cause your rating to fall to 99.9999 ad infinitum.

I am a devoted reader and subscriber to your magazine and by no means expect you to be perfect, like so many others expect. If there is one road test, an article, or even one pictorial essay that I enjoy, then I am satisfied.

I am not interested in all phases of motorcycling, but certainly do not find fault with you for including articles that do not interest me. I fully comprehend that you attempt to reach the greatest possible cross-section of the motorcycling public. With this goal in mind, you are bound by its very nature to offend some people, but may I say this: For every letter of complaint you receive, there are 500, 5000, or even more people who read your magazine each month, and are perfectly delighted with another issue well conceived.

At the risk of being trite I say, "Keep up the good work," because there are so many who appreciate and enjoy the magazine.

ALAN R. SCHEFFELS Roslyn Heights, L.I., N.Y. Thank you, SIR — Ed.