Letters

LETTERS

THE DO-GOODERS

During the past few years, motorcycle sales and use have grown rapidly in the Roanoke metropolitan area.

Unfortunately, the incident (sic) of accidents; injuries and fatalities involving motorcycles has grown even faster. Most fatal or permanently disabling injuries have resulted from the lack of proper safety helmets.

We hope to gather sufficient information and support to bring about effective local legislation requiring all motorcycle operators and passengers to wear safety helmets.

We are in no way attempting to style motorcycling. In fact, we feel that bringing about a better motorcycle safety record may encourage motorcycling, both as a sport and a mode of transportation.

Our project is in the development stage at present. We need ammunition in the form of information on what effect helmets have on injury prevention.

What information could you provide us? We need photos, statistics, and research reports in order to sell our program to the legislators, motorcycle riders, and the general public.

Any assistance you may be able to offer would be appreciated, and certainly would encourage increased sales of motorcycles and accompanying safety equipment.

Our goal is to have a much improved safety situation here in Roanoke by early spring, when the riders come out again en masse. As you can see, we have a lot of work to do in a brief few months.

Thanks in advance for your help and support.

JOHN C. HARRIS Roanoke Jay cees Roanoke, Va.

We of CYCLE WORLD Magazine believe motorcyclists should wear helmets-at all times while riding. However, we believe the choice of whether or not to wear a helmet should be up to the individual. We also believe that laws which require the wearing of helmets are unconstitutional. Such laws have been ruled unconstitutional in some states which have passed them.

Your contention that the number of motorcycling accidents has increased at a greater rate than the number of motorcycles is totally false. Federal statistics bear this out.

And, your belief that helmets “prevent” injury also is in error. A helmet can only reduce severity of injury. In some cases, a helmet may tend to contribute to injury. For example, a rider wearing a helmet believes himself

well protected and thus may enter situations of risk that he would not, were he without a helmet, and thus more fearful of injury.

We decline to offer assistance to you and the Roanoke Jaycees. We recommend to you another course-perhaps one of charity, or seeking to improve racial brotherhood in your state, the cradle of our freedom. Motorcyclists are a minority. You, sir, are deliberately working toward reduction of freedom of this minority.

One more thing: Do you buckle your seat belt while driving a car? Do you believe there should be a law which requires YOU to wear a seat belt, shoulder harness, knee pads, a face guard, and, yes, a helmet while driving? These would reduce the severity of injury of a great many more people than the mandatory wearing of helmets by motorcyclists.

There are too many restrictive laws now in the United States of America. Your organization should not contribute to abridgement of individual rights.— Ed.

WEIGHTY ISSUE

One of the important functions of journalism is the reporting of all points of view on those issues facing us today. This is, too, the most weighty obligation of the journalist.

This principle could have been exemplified in Roger Hull’s article (CW, Oct. ’68), “Riding Habits,” and it nearly was.

Through the use of “preferably,” “may,” and “should,” Mr. Hull faithfully outlined the views of the two schools of thought regarding the rather controversial topic of Riding Habits.

But he failed miserably, and I fear deliberately so in his description of the “Old Timer.” This was not through misstatement; rather, he used journalism’s most insidious tool—omission of facts.

Many of us, commonly referred to as purists, have insisted for years that the “Old Timer” cannot be classically performed as a single rider. I’m sure Hull knows this.

To completely satisfy all the criteria necessary for the classic “Old Timer,” one must have as a passenger, one middle-fortyish bleached (to corn yellow) blond. She is typically underweight (or overweight). She must be dressed in pastel pedal pushers, pastel blouse, and pastel tennis shoes. Low boots, however, are not uncommon. Head gear may be a pastel scarf. Perfect form holds that this scarf secure a black soft cap, of the Harley-Davidson type. She may smoke as she rides; her smile must display at least one browned tooth. Typical riding time is from 7 to 9 a.m. on a freeway.

I thank you for allowing me to bring this to your attention. I look forward to hearing more from the improved Roger Hull.

JAMES Q. HOLLEY Los Angeles, Calif.

Your letter to the editors of CYCLE WORLD has been forwarded to me. Apparently, sir, you belong to the loyal opposition. While I concur—it is obvious-that the Old Timer frequently uses a passenger as an accessory (and of the type so adroitly described by you—except, possibly, for the oversight of including those big fat curlers under her pastel scarf). There may be occasions, however, when he rides alone. These might include, for example, such trips as from the garage to the front door, or from the gas pump over next to the Ladies Room.

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Therefore, and after considerable self-debate, I choose to distill my description to the basics (and, incidentally, to maintain solo riding habits in all categories). I am aware, of course, that such a decision seemingly places me in the ramparts of those middle-of-theroaders who differentiate by placing this type in a tandem or plural category, i.e., Old Timers.

Actually, I am inclined toward a more “Neo-Left” attitude, one which holds that human accessories should be granted equal rights and, therefore, defined as a fully accredited and distinct group-as Buddy Riders.

This, I believe, explains the omission you detected in my description. Also, although we may hold unlike doctrines, I do wish to congratulate you-not only on your interest, but on your deep felt concern with the vital issues which face us all today. Too many others would have failed to speed up. ROGER HULL

TAKE THAT, DOC

I read your article “Crash Program” (CW, Aug. ’68) with alarm and despondency. Do-gooders like Dr. Bothwell abound wherever there’s any fun going. The automobile has suffered from its Dr. Bothwells.

Take a good look at it. Safe? It’s prophylactic!—loaded with crash padding, restraining straps, shatterproof glass, collapsible steering mechanism, child-proof locks, and often furry dollies on elastic strings, boxes of tissues on the rear shelf, flower holders, and Mr. Blotworthy Dripp and family. That’s great, and there’s need for such transport, and that’s all it is.

A motorcycle is not a means of transport, Dr. Bothwell, it’s something to enjoy. What are we going to use when we get the urge to get away from the crowd and get a lung full of fresh air? An antiseptic rig that a certified schizophrenic could handle with one hand on a skid pan? No thanks, Doc, your idea of Heaven differs from mine, and I’m betting you’ve never done 20 consecutive miles on two wheels anyway. Go and buy a car if you want 100 percent crash protection. I’m no teen-age twit with his first 650 and a Death wish. I’ve been riding 20 years, mostly in and around London, wet and fine, and I’m no Mike Hailwood.

There’s only one safety device really necessary—common sense plus enough luck to get away with your first few prangs. Everyone comes off a bike half a dozen times until he’s got the hang of it. No-one is any good with a bike until he’s hit the tarmac at least once. We don’t need one of Dr. Bothwell’s flying hip baths, at least I don’t, not at present—maybe when I’m older—a lot older.

One last thought. Maybe the Doc missed his vocation. He’d do a swell job designing invalid carriages.

S. HODGES London, England

HELP!

I noticed a plea for parts for a hard-to-find, little heard of 1951 Norton ES2 (CW, Oct. ’67). I can appreciate the help to a fellow cyclist!

Readers, I have two such problems on my hands now. One is a 1960 Yamaha 250-cc, and a 1939 Harley-Davidson 45-cu. in. two-wheeler! The Yamaha needs a main countershaft and all gears that go on that shaft. Also, I need a shop manual and any additional information as to street-legal hop-ups.

My Harley 45 is a real gem—original throughout! I need a complete clutch control (cable, adjusters, tube brace, and miscellaneous nuts and bolts), and a rear fender, transmission adjusting bolt, and chain guard.

I enjoyed your cycle road tests of the new trail scramblers, and am looking forward to next summer to hit the trails with a new Kawasaki 175-cc Bushwacker. Keep up the good work and keep smiling!

DONALD HUBBARD 1437 Kenmore Rd. Columbus, OH 43211

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SCOOTER SUITED

CYCLE WORLD is to be commended for its belated recognition paid to the motor scooter in the road impressions of the Vespa 150 Sprint (CW, Sept., ’68). Motorcycling publications have tended to completely ignore this mode of transportation for far too long. However, I must take exception to the generally patronizing and deprecating tone of the article. CYCLE WORLD felt it necessary to point out at least six different times that scooters are neither intended for, nor capable of long distance touring. Quite the contrary— scooters are not only well suited for this purpose, they exceÜ at it. Let my own experiences serve to illustrate.

Since 1963 I have “scootoured” a cumulative total of 95,000 miles (75,000 Vespa, 20,000 Lambretta). One of the Vespas, a 1964 160-cc Grand Sport is still going strong at 51,000 miles, the other, a 180-cc Super Sport, still less than 1 year old, has 22,000. This has included long distance touring throughout every part of the U.S. and 25 foreign countries. The most ambitious trip so far has been a 12,000 mile jaunt to Panama and back (the odometer registered over 34,000 miles before the trip even began). The extraordinary reliability of the Vespa has given me such complete confidence that I am already planning trips throughout all accessible parts of Latin America, Africa, and Asia (areas which, I might add, have been traversed by Vespas many times in the past). With such features as a spare tire and direct drive transmission, these machines offer reliability far superior to any machine on the market (including BMW).

CYCLE WORLD cites the proverbial cyclist covering 500 miles in 10 hours. Without demeaning this, may I point out that I have on one occasion covered 650 miles in a 13-hour period, and 850 miles in 21 hours on another. These experiences are far from unique. One British rider drove a 200-cc Lambretta from London to Milan in 17.5 hours (FIM time). And scooters are slow! Please.

Further ignoring those (lamentably the great majority of American cyclists) who are unable to outgrow a childish and irrational fetish for speed, power and noise, scooters offer a number of other features ideally suited to the tourist. Chief among these are a superabundance of luggage capacity (glove compartment, provision for front and rear luggage carriers), a roomy and comfortable floorboard for moving one’s feet about, and a legshield-windshield combination that substitutes for a $200 fairing.

What other machine at any price can even begin to remotely compare?

JOHN GERBER Menomonie, Wis.

GRIND GRIPE

I would like to take issue with the letter from Mr. Hunter on the BMW (CW, Sept. ’68). He summarized the essence of the marque’s appeal and the quality of the road test you did on it very eloquently, but he, like all too many BMW owners, attempts to justify the transmission. After three years of trying every possible variation of shifting style, I have not yet learned to shift perfectly each and every time, and I might add that I have heard some grinds from far more experienced riders than myself.

The bare truth of the matter is that, despite the many great virtues of the BMW, the transmission is far behind the rest of the industry at large. I wish mine had the excellent syncromesh and almost instant shift of most of Hunter’s disparaged “Ah So!” machines. I cannot believe that anybody can advocate living with an obvious fault in such a finely made motorcycle. A good shift is one of the delights of riding, a delight I wish I didn’t have to sacrifice to enjoy the smoothness and reliability of my BMW. It has now run nearly 25,000 completely trouble-free miles, and I look forward to many more.

BOURKE RUNTON Canton, Mass.