Letters
LETTERS
NATIONAL SIDECAR RALLY
1st Annual Sidecar Rally of 1979 hosted by North America’s nationally organized and operated Sidecar Association, “USA,” will be held in Bland, Missouri at a private campground known as Jasper’s Hollow, owned and operated by our host Don Jasper. Facilities include: hot showers, modern sanitation, a swimming pool, tennis court, club room, store, a lake for swimming and fishing, plus canoe and paddle boat rental. This will be a prime time rally, June 22, 23 and 24. The fee at this private campground is $2 per adult per night and the rally fee is based on this figure. Pre-registration (May 20) will be $9 per person, children $1 per day extra. Pets on leash only.
For more information contact:
Bill Espe 1019 28 Ave. NE Minneapolis, Minn. 55418 (612) 789-6237
OOOPS!
The February 1979 issue of your magazine was in error concerning the 1978 Honda CB550K owned by Mr. K. Mathison. All 1978 CB550K motorcycles were manufactured prior to January 1, 1978 and therefore are not subject to the emission control laws governing motorcycles manufactured after January 1, 1978.
Marc Cole, Engineer Motorcycle Emission Lab. American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Gardena, Calif.
MORE RESULTS?
You have a fine magazine, however, your reporting of results in Race Watch on Camel Pro Series could be enhanced by complete listings of all heat events with rider placements.
This is not a kid complaining, it comes from a senior citizen who still enjoys setting in the saddle, having started in 1931.
Alex Novogrudski Aurora, 111.
We wish we could list complete results, hut because our space is limited and the number of races, flat track, road, motocross, enduro, grand prix, etc., is less limited, w e can only cover the highlights. For more details (and quicker news) we'd suggest a subscription to Cycle News.
CLUB RACING
“Seeking Pavement Thrills On A Budget” was a terrific “how-to” for what many street riders dream of trying—legally. ,
I had no idea club racing existed until three years ago. The bug bit and I nov*# have two production machines I bought used and they’re my hobby and passion.
Our Box Stock classes are the biggest, though the gamut runs to Superbikes and TZ750s. Road racing popularity for riders and spectators has doubled over the past three years. Because it’s amateur (trophy* awards), competition leans towards camaraderie rather than win-at-all-costs. Several members of the fair sex are regular competitors.
I’d like to add some tips to yours. If full leathers are unattainable, many riders find M a leather jacket and pants and duct tape^ them together at the back to prevent “crouch gap.” If you don't want to risk your street bike, invest in a used one—some of the older two-strokes are very competitive-some converted dirt bikes even race and do well, though they may not qualify.1 for box stock. Use stock tuning settings until you know what you're doing (1> didn’t—I paid). Any leathers you use should be slick or shiny-suede nap or rough leather will grab the pavement instead of sliding.
So if the urge exists, don’t hesitate to try club racing. All clubs look forward to new members and competition. It’s a great way to cut loose, and it guarantees exhilaration and satisfaction. Your street riding may become a little more sane, too.
Gary F. Pilgram Central Roadracing Association P.O. Box 22472 Robinsdale, Minn. 55422
PREMIUM IDEA
Roundup for January 1979 portends gloom and doom for premium-burning motorcycles, but there is good news of which I think you should know.
‘Oak’ Okleshen, technical contributor to BMW News, newsletter of BMW Motorcycle Owners of America, has conducted extensive research into the problem of obtaining adequate octane-rated fuel for such bikes in the face of diminishing availability of leaded premium. He uncovered the fact that unleaded premium, now becoming more available, obtains its octane .qualities from superior crudes and/or refining processes in total absence of leadadditives. And that lead-additives have a synergistic effect in that the first small additions produce the greatest amount of octane-boosting.
Octane requirements for BMWs, other European bikes, and perhaps Harleys, are about 98 RON (research octane number), va rating scale which is about four points higher for a given fuel than today’s government-inspired PON (pump octane number) rating system ... so that figured by the PON it would be about 94 points required.
Unleaded premiums are in the neigh__ borhood of 91.7 PON and if this is used in a blend of 20 percent to 30 percent of either ordinary leaded regular or residual leaded premium in the tank, the 80 percent to 70 percent unleaded premium and, in fact, the total mix will be boosted about 2Vi points to the required 94 PON (again, 98points on the RON scale).
> Coupled with the octane-boosting discovery is the pleasant fact that the amounts of lead obtained in these blends will be more than adequate to provide for valve ‘lubrication’ needed by engines designed to operate with leaded gas.
‘Oak’ obtained the information through *the Ethyl Corp. and prevailed upon AMOCO to do laboratory tests to determine the octane ratings of these blends and the information is supported by Shell, whose unleaded premium is called Super Regular. One gallon of leaded gas with three gallons of unleaded premium is ideal> but. as indicated, a variance of five percent either way works fine. Road tests with' BMWs have confirmed the lab tests.
The February issue of BMW News will have full details; if you ride a BMW. join the club to get a monthly copy of this helpful publication.
Tom Murphy
Box 2
Chesaning, Mich. 48616
EUROPEAN SYSTEM
As an Englishman living in your great country, it never ceases to amaze me every time I follow a vehicle braking and signaling a turn, that the DOT does not accept4 the infinitely safer European system of red brake lights and orange turn signals. I always feel safer in my MGB than my wife’s Pinto (gas tank problems aside). At least the motorcycling industry has got itright. Keep up the good work.
Alan R. Norris* Sanford, N.C.
P.S. American bikers don’t know when they are better off. My Yamaha SR500 cost me $1350. A lesser equipped (spoke wheels) version in England costs $2000.
TRIUMPH ANYONE?
I think it is time someone started a Triumph road rider organization on the west coast. How ’bout it Triumph fans? Interested parties contact;
Kevin McDonald 735 St. Helen Way Salinas, Calif. 93905
HELP FOR HOT BIKES
Thank you so much for making us instant millionaires! (December 1978 Test Report.) As you are probably aware there is a worldwide energy crisis and man is con-> stantly looking for new' w'ays to create energy. In your test report on the KZ10001 air temperature of 100°, oil at 180° base, the Halo 6000M motorcycle filter/cooler unit increased the oil temperature by plus 5°. What you have found is a new' way of creating energy. I can see a mountain in the desert covered with Halo motorcycle units creating enough heat (5° x 1 million = a lot of heat) to power a steam generator that provides enough electricity to light up Los Angeles.
Seriously, there was a testing error on the report. The 1200M unit should have been used instead of the 6000M on the big bikes. Note that on the Yamaha TT500. the* Halo unit achieved a drop of -20°, equal to or better than the others.
Jerry Gress Halo Products Oakland, Calif.
MESSAGE FROM MEXICO
I'd like to let you know that I'm an enthusiast of off-road riding since 1973. as well as my group of colleagues. However this sport has mushroomed lately in Mexico. mainly the last two years, being the socalled “exploring riders" the larger group.
The majority of the Mexican sport rideri are in the off-road group. This group is mainly composed of the mentioned explorers. going to our woods every weekend. There are also a good number of pure motocrossers, practicing in the few clubs and tracks we have and a smaller group of riders on trail type bikes.
Due to the severe import restrictions, there are rather few imported machines? home-made Carabelas and Islos (or Coopers) being the majority. The local manufacturers of those motorcycles are only producing motocross and enduro types (considering only sport bikes).
On the other hand. Mexico City is the most important place in this country fot< sport motorcycling, and Monterrey City is the 2nd. but with many less fans.
Speaking of local competitions, we have about six per year for motocross class, about 10 for enduro class and about three for trial class. There are actually more races but they don’t count for the National Championships.
This is a rough panorama of what this sport is in Mexico and 1 hope this letter becomes helpful to your magazine.
Jose Luis Rangel Mexico
YAMAHA XS500
Regarding Yamaha’s XS500. I bought a new 1978. trucked it home, and learned to ride. We went 14.000 miles last summer, including a straight-through run of 1150 miles from W. Palm Beach, Fla. to Bloomington, Ind. involving many hours at 75plus mph. It’s made me a believer. I’ve got my eye on an Eleven now but I’ve no intention of parting with the 500. You printed my letter in the January 1979 issue and I’d like to say thanks. After aligning the kick indicator on my XT the bike starts first kick everytime now even without throttle.
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The bike has always been a willing companion and one of the best lookers on the road, so I was quite surprised when I learned it had been eliminated from the 1979 Yamaha lineup.
In consolation I can pat myself on the back for having bought one before the axe fell, with the added bonus that I won’t be seeing any newer XS500s this year. Discontinuing the XS500 just makes me appreciate mine more.
Doug Daughhetee Madison, Ind.
THANKS
Joe Izzo
Glen Cove, N.Y.
YAMAHA RD400
Can you tell me what happened to the great two-strokes? I have been a mechanic for 15 years and worked on every major brand. I am a street rider and I look for the fastest, most reliable, best handling, and economical machine my money can buy. My answer has been my Yamaha RD400 1976.
I can take this machine out of my unheated garage in the middle of January after not being run for two weeks at temperatures down to 10° above zero, and start it with a single kick. No warm up is necessary if two blocks are covered with choke on.
Having owned everything from Adler to Zundapp, I must say that the RD400 is the smoothest, most comfortable, most efficient and best handling motorcycle I have ever owned. I have over 20,000 miles on the machine and I’m only on my second set of plugs. (I clean them every 1000 miles.)
Ron Janesky Stratford. Conn.
RARE II
The RARE II inventory of federal lands is just about completed. In their next session Congress will decide which of the more than 61 million acres in the study will become wilderness.
The Pacific Northwest 4 Wheel Drive Association has looked at some facts and developed a program called “Adopt a Member of Congress.’’ It is the PNW's attempt at getting all recreationists in-> volved in writing letters to Congress on the RARE 11 Bill. A special issue of our newspaper. Tri Power, will be sent to as many recreationists and groups as possible.
The special newspaper will contain the land issue voting records of the legislators, a land breakdow n, interesting articles, how to write letters instructions, and other important facts and information.
Tri Power—RARE 1 1 issue 5319 SW Westgate Dr. Portland, Ore. 97221 Attn: Darilee Bednar
HONDA 750 HONDAMATIC
I have read vour magazine for a number of years now and I always look forward to looking over the new bikes in your winter issues. (It gets my spring motorcycle fever started.)
I ride a 1977 750 Hondamatic and Eve been puzzled bv the non-appearance of said breed for the 1979 model year. And more puzzling still is that I haven't read one line anywhere as to the reason.
What gives?
Douglas Parish Sr.
Kalamazoo. Mich.
The Honda 7'50A was a fine piece of engineering and was not a sales success. Honda withdrew the model when they cante out with the new 750 Four. The 400A is still in production and we wonder if perhaps the CX500 may be enlarged and fitted with Hondamatic, but for now, no more 750/1®
