Letters
LETTERS
TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY
Reading through your August issue, I found myself on a roller coaster in the “Letters” section.
I was pleased to read Mr. Cantelon’s letter, “Ridin’ Proud.” I was responsible for handling his case. There was nothing particularly special about the way it was handled, but it’s always nice to hear from a happy Yamaha customer.
That good feeling didn’t last much further than the following page. Mr. Russell’s letter, “All Dressed Up and No Place To Go,” could have been avoided if I had done my job correctly. My error was a failure to respond promptly and assure the customer we were interested in helping him.
I received a letter from Mr. Russell on April 8, 1977. He opened by stating, “I’ve owned three Hondas and one Suzuki, and never had a single problem with any of the bikes.” He closed his letter with, “As far as I’m concerned, it (his motorcycle) can sit in the garage until somebody comes along that wants it.”
The main body of his letter followed, closely, what was published for example, ( 1 ) He paid a cut-rate price for his bike and received a poorly prepped motorcycle. (2) He was waiting for an oil seal which was on back order.
I investigated his situation and found everything he stated to be true. There was nothing I could do to solve his problem. The general tone of his letter did not prompt me to go to any extraordinary means to help Mr. Russell. His dealer was handling the warranty and parts problem satisfactorily. I did not respond to Mr. Russell’s letter.
My spirits were somewhat lifted when the letter directly below Mr. Russell’s indicated that American-made Harley-Davidson could not provic e a cylinder for one of their customers.
All the motorcycle manufacturers face parts back order problems from time to time. My advice to customers is to politely inform the appropriate manufacturer of the problem and avoid the old cliche, “If I’d only bought a (insert your favorite brand name), I’d have never had this parts problem.”
John Odell Customer Relations Yamaha Motor Corp. Buena Park. Calif.
“SOS” ANSWERED
I would like to thank you for printing my “SOS” for hints on a ride to Alaska in your June issue. The response of fellow readers and riders from several different states and providences was fantastic, including a letter sent by one of your staff. Thanks, Jean!
My plans for the trip had to be modified because of the time factor. Instead I rode to Seattle and flew to Alaska from there. The entire trip on the bike covered over 3300 miles and except for a few small problems, was good riding. The knowledge gathered from the letters was invaluable, and hopefully will be used next year for a trip to Canada. Thanks again for all your help.
Edward A. Willson Rawlins, Wyo.
VELOCETTE OWNERS CLUB
The British are mighty proud of the many intriguing bikes they have produced, even if nearly all of the once-famous factories have disappeared. They form into groups and swear that their individually favored marques will never die.
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One such setup is the Velocette Owners Club. Its aim is to keep as many Velos running as cheaply as practical for as long as possible. To achieve this they operate an elaborate spares scheme, manufacture their own spare parts and publish a regular magazine which is full of regular interesting stories and classified adverts.
In their own country they arrange the one-make camping weekends and race days w here nothing but the fascinating big Singles can be seen and heard.
For more information, your readers may contact me at the following address.
Dave Masters 174 Casewick Rd. West Norwood London, England
ONE MAN'S OPINION
I have been riding motorcycles for 26 years. I started with a Harley-Davidson w hen I was 14 years old. Until about 1970 I thought H-D was the best motorcycle money could buy. As far as I’m concerned, after AMF took over. Harley has been living on its reputation. They were the best motorcycle but not now.
I think Harley is just trying to blame someone for its own mistakes. If HarleyDavidson had advanced like the other companies, it would still be Number 1. In other words. I think it didn't try to compete with the Big Four or anyone else. It's the company’s own fault it is losing sales and not because of the price of other bikes. If you get a full-dressed road machine, regardless of make, it costs dearly, and a few bucks makes no difference at all when you want engineering. In my opinion HarleyDavidson doesn't have it.
T.E. Williams Norman, Okla.
NEW VIEW ON CHAIN LIFE
I am a final year student in the mechanical engineering department of N.E.D. University of Engineering & Technology in Karachi, Pakistan.
I own a Kawasaki G5 lOOcc trail bike. Trail bikes and their spares are expensive here. 1 bought mine for Rupees 9000 (U.S. S900). For the last six years I've been riding off-road and have come to the conclusion that the most vulnerable and maintenance-demanding part on a trail bike is the chain.
In my experience, chain life in our hot and dusty climate (normal temperatures 80 to 110 degrees) can be improved considerable by using a different technique than w hat is recommended by the owner’s manual. Always liberally apply a good grease instead of SAE 90 oil or any other chain lube. Grease not only provides a good lubricating medium but also prevents those embarrassing oil blotches on your back. The purpose of using grease instead of ordinary chain lube is that it stays on the rollers longer and won’t fly or dry off as quickly as oil will under heat and constar^ high speeds.
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Additionally, it’s a better cushioning agent and protects the chain against shocks. I never wash the chain, I supply apply more grease when the chain looks dry enough. It may sound strange but I’ve found that the more you try to keep your chain clean by washing it in some highflash-point solvent, the more you wear the chain out. I know that many of you in the U.S. aren’t bothered so much about chain life but here we have to be!
Khalid Uqaili Karachi, Pakistan
SPRINGIN’ FOR SPRINGER
I am starting a Jay Springsteen # 1 AMA fan club. Many of your readers may be interested in belonging. They should send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to me at the address below.
Bruce Papes, Jr. Springer # 1 Fan Club 614 N. Broadway St. Joliet, 111. 60435
NEWTON’S LAW & PULL RIGHT, TURN LEFT
I’ve been following the “pull right, turn left” letters in your magazine for a couple of months now and since nobody has offered the correct answer (I didn’t know I was the only genius that read your magazine), I have taken it on myself to enlighten the motorcycling public.
The answer is yes, and no. You do pull left to turn right, but you also pull right to turn right. Confused? Turning a bike is more a function of the position of the tire’s contact patch relative to the center line of the forks than it is to the direction in which the wheel is pointing. Ergo, at moderate speeds, a greater lean angle is necessary to move that hunk of metal from the straight and narrow. (An object in motion tends to travel in the same direction until acted upon by some outside vector.) Even though the handlebars may be pointed slightly to the left, the contact patch is still to the right of the fork’s center line (because of the curvature of the tire). Simple? Sure. Unless you're going slow.
Low speed turns are commonly executed at lesser lean angles than are high speed turns (Newton’s Law of Bouncing Motorcycles). With a moderate lean angle, the curvature of the tire does not so greatly affect the turning of the bike. To make the short radius turns which characterize low speed riding, the offset contact patch must have an aid to cause the directional change—namely the rolling resistance of the turned tire.
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So it’s all really pretty simple. Try pulling left to turn right from a dead stop and after you complete the turn you'll notice you’re sitting backward on your bike. Conversely, if you pull right to make a high speed, high lean angle, right-hand turn, the combination of the greatly offset contact patch and angular rolling resistance will cause the bike to swap ends with astounding force, casting its rider asunder.
Russ Couey Lebanon, Tenn.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
Recently some buddies and I planned a trip touring the island of Luzon in the Pacific Islands. I developed a float problem in my number three carb. I pulled out your March issue and read the carburetor article, went step-by-step and tore down my complete bank of carbs.
On base I have taken courses on motorcycle repair but I had never attempted to tear down a quad carburetor assembly by myself. But with your article and my owners' manual. I did it.
Sgt. Jerry McEwen
USAF
Philippines
FAIRING FRUSTRATION
I read the article on new ideas in fairings in your August issue. Try putting the Vetter on a Honda 750K4. You might agree that the price is not worth the work involved. A $300 plus fairing should fit anything easily.
R.L. Huffman Marlette. Minn.
DEBATING THE HAWKS
I was disappointed when I read the review on the 1978 Honda Hawks in your September issue. I have been involved in the motorcycle industry for more than 15 years and have ridden almost every Japanese bike on the market. If Honda tried to change some of what you suggest, it could only cause problems and/or injuries. ( 1 ) If the kickstand tab was made any bigger you would scrape your leg on it. (2) We are very happy not to see the integral fork lock as they are hard to work on, and (3) The federal law requires all 1979 motorcycles to have the headlights come on with the ignition.
Jeff Reiner
Reiner’s Harbor Honda
Aberdeen, Wash.
While we're pleased to receive feedback from individuals involved in the actual sales and/or maintenance of Honda Hawks, we're puzzled by these rather minor disappointments. For example, we fail to see how a bit more kickstand tab is going to result in injury to Hawk riders. But we're certain that having something more substantial to kick the stand down with will cut down on injuries to the bikes themselves. The integral fork lock may indeed be more difficult to maintain and/or repair, but it's much easier for the rider to use, which ought to be a primary consideration of the designer. Finally, the fact that federal law will require headlight/ignition interlock systems in 1979 does not in any way reconcile us to their installation on this year's bikes. We don't like them. Like almost every rider we know, we want to turn the lights on and off for ourselves.
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We agree that implementing our suggestions could cause some problems—for the manufacturer. But all the changes would make the bikes easier to live with for their riders, and that 's our sole concern.
FALLEN FAVORITE
Last summer I purchased a Honda CB360T. I had defended Honda in many arguments based on Honda’s performance and dependability. My apologies.
About six months after I bought the bike, it began missing. I thought a tune-up ought to take care of it though it hadn’t been long since the last one. I have since had my bike in the shop no fewer than five times for that problem and three times to have the electrical system fixed. In its first year of operation the bike has spent a total of one month in the shop and cost me over $200 in repair bills.
I have been told, “We can’t tell what the problem is,” and “We’ve put in a part and though it isn’t the right size, try it out and see if it works.” and “We think we know what the problem is but we can’t get the part (mid-range jet) to fix it.”
I’m tired of all the hassle and expense and would like to sell it but who’s going to buy a bike that misses? I asked the original owner to buy the bike back because I figure he could get it fixed but received no answer.
I’ve taken good care of the bike and in spite of the money I spent, it remains unfixed. What about the myth of Honda dependability I used to staunchly defend?
Pepper Adams Austin, Tex.
