Cycle World Letters
CYCLE WORLD LETTERS
April Fools
One day I will get out of prison (save the applause) and I plan to get one of those Honda Aspencade Gold Wings (no I'm not going to steal it!) Anyway, Where can I get the Dual Rear Wheel
Conversion Kit? I think it’s a useful accessory. Or have I been locked up too long?
James Harris Richmond, Va.
Sorry, Ted’s Accessory Mart is only open once a year.
The current Cycle World’s spoof of the mail order catalog business, Teds Accessory Mart may be clever and amusing in some quarters.
However, if you are in that business and your name is Accessory Mart and you have worked many years to earn a good reputation among motorcyclists world wide, you might take a different view.
You must have noted over the past year or two, how some of the consumer and dealer publications have been going after some mail order firms who appeared to be less than reliable and honest with their customers. While it is unfortunate for all that such firms do exist, it is all the more important for those other reliable mail order firms to be totally remote from any controversy.
While I feel sure your title was only descriptive and coincidental, it is our title and this service mark has been
registered with the U.S. patent office since 1975.
We don’t want our name associated with anything questionable, foolish or negative in any way. So if Ted’s enterprise is to become a semi-regular feature, I’d be grateful if he found a different title.
Bob Schanz
President.
Accessory Mart, Inc
No, Ted, the hero of Slipstream, isn’t going into the accessory business. For those readers unfamiliar with the real Accessory Mart (P.O.
Box 26116, Cincinnati, Ohio 45226), it has probably the world's biggest and best supply of parts for British and European motorcycles. The series of excellent catalogs offered by Accessory Mart are nothing like Ted’s advertisement.
Vision views
This is a reaction to Ken Binegar’s letter in your April issue regarding the Yamaha Vision.
How could he say such mindless things about such a wonderful bike? I happen to own one of these “Valley boy bikes.” What exactly con-
stitutes a Valley boy bike? Looks? Handling? Exhaust note? What makes it super for cruising suburb streets or going to a hot tub party or to the beach to look at bods? Acceleration? Braking? Cornering clearance?
My Vision has 12,000 trouble-free mi. on it including about 7500 mi. of twisty mountain roads without twitch, wobble or want for more power. Em enjoying my Vision while Mr. Binegar is barfing out vague and untenable conclusions on why the Vision made your Ten Best list.
Jeff Volk
Irvine, Calif.
About Mr. Binegar’s comments on your selection of the Vision as one of the Ten Best motorcycles.
He is absolutely right. The Vision is ideal for cruising to hot tub parties or rides to the beach to look at some bitchin’ bods. It’s even better if the journey is over 50 to 100 mi. of twisty roads where you can experience all the other things this bike does so well. The only thing wrong with the Vision was the price tag. Sadly, there are few Yanks willing to look past the old ccs-per-$ ratio as a major in-
fluencer of purchasing decisions.
As for me, I’m having a bitchin’ time with my Vision because it’s so totally “rad.” (To say nothing of the fact that owning a quarter of a Cosworth engine is better than no Cosworth at all.)
Bob Denby Bellevue, Wash.
The Old Man and The Hill
I loved your story on Earl Bowlby in The Old Man and The Hill. I’ve seen him win the Devil’s Staircase climb at Oregonia, Ohio twice. Back in ’79 or ’80 he rode a 750kitted BSA Twin and I swear it had Amal monobloc carbs on it. He beat Terry Kinser, Lou Gerencer, Randy Gabriel, Beece Wendt and Mike Sabatt by a couple hundredths of a second.
I’ve always wondered how many riders got into hillclimbing because he made it look easy.
Dave Skriletz Marysville, Ohio
That story was fiction.
That the hero bore a resemblance to a certain legendary hillclimber is simply a coincidence.
Race Watch query
On most of the race bikes shown in Race Watch, the front brake master cylinder has a wrist sweatband on it. What is the purpose of this?
James Congdon Pavilion, N.Y.
Racing brakes produce so much heat that no seal can contain the heat-expanded brake fluid in the master cylinder. The wristband is wrapped around the housing to soak up the fluid that always manages to escape. >
Reader information
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Letters cannot all be answered. Nor can all Service inquiries be answered. We appreciate correspondence sent to the editorial offices and will use the most interesting and appropriate letters in the magazine.
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Advertising: See SRDS. Circulation audited by ABC.
Psychological abstracts
In the April issue’s Letters Steve Michaels asked, “why is it I have never seen a motorcycle rider follow rules of the road?” The answer is fairly simple.
People have a tendency to remember only extreme events and when they are asked about them, they almost always overestimate. A motorcyclist weaving in and out of traffic without a proper muffler is an extreme event. As you
pointed out, motorcycles make up only two percent of the traffic stream. A motorcyclist not following the rules of the road is a minority of two percent. They don’t see the riders who are obeying traffic laws; they just see the one who isn’t.
Stephen Reinschmidt Eugene, Ore.
Plastic Painting
I am concerned about your article on plastic painting in the March issue. While I’m not familiar with the Stits paint I do know that DuPont Imron is very toxic and the operator must wear a cartridge respirator when applying it. It must be used in a well ventilated area, preferably a spray booth. I feel these words of caution should be given your readers.
Jim McAllister FPO Seattle, Wash.
Slightly puzzled
After studying the photos of the Nighthawk 700 I began to look at some of your pictures a little closer. In the April issue I noticed that the GS1150 that you say is new, has a tag that expired in 1982. Is the bike older than it looks? Are you doing these things just to keep us on our toes?
Chris Parker Norwalk, Calif.
Far from being a plot, the expired license plate means we are at the mercy of the various fleet managers, some of whom don’t keep their floater plates up to date. So we ride the bikes anyway, hoping to talk the officer out of what we deserve. Sometimes it works.
Insurance blues
I am a 22-year-old male who is singing the insurance rate blues. After working like a dog the last three years to pay for my 1980 Kawasaki KZ1000, my insurance company has jacked my bike rates by 25 percent. This is justified by > no better reason than my turning 22 years old. They don't seem to notice that I have no tickets, no accidents, no claims at all against my policy.
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I’ve decided to put this three years of my life in cold storage. Maybe when I'm 25 some agent will want to buy his kids some presents and the $1000 per year I'm paying now will look good to him.
David Loyd Springfield, Mo.
Before putting your bike in storage, you might try a telephone call to the insurance firm working with the AMA (you are a member, of course). You might be surprised at how prices can vary from agent to agent, and with the attention paid by insurance companies that really want the motorcyclist's business.
Tunnel ban
In regards to Mr. Girdler's editorial on discrimination of motorcycles in public parks I thought it might be of interest to your readers to know that motorcycles are now banned in the Detroit-Windsor tunnel. There have been two motorcycle accidents over the last couple of years and the tunnel corporation is concerned over the high cost of -their insurance. If I were to follow their logic to the next step I would have to conclude that were there to be two automobile accidents in the next couple of years the cars and buses would be banned, thus creating the world’s largest underground footpath.
Kenneth Leche
Battle Creek, Mich.
Follow Up
I think your Follow Up department is a good idea. This section gives a great account on what happens after some miles are put on a bike. I'd like to add that I own an '81 Honda CB900F and an '83 VF750F Interceptor. The CB900F has cost less in maintenance than any other motorcycles I’ve owned (three Suzukis and five Hondas).
Barry McAteer Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Snow Belt sidecars
I can’t believe your editorial comment in your March Letters column. Anybody who enjoys snowmobiling will probably love a motorcycle with a sidecar in the winter. You can actually go places rather than being restricted to snowmobile trails.
My 1970 BMW 60/5 with a Spirit >
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Eagle sidecar has gone over 240,000 miles every single day; winter or summer, blizzard or hurricane. Riding in a snowstorm is not like rain. The snow blows off and you don’t get wet at all. Dressing comfortably in below zero weather is no problem.
A ride over snow-covered backroads, especially with snow still falling, is as fantastic as any other motorcycling.
Fred Tausch
Lexington, Mass.
I must take issue with your remark that attaching a sidecar for winter riding eliminates much of the convenience and sporting nature of motorcycling. As to the sporting nature of sidecars, all one has to do is spend a little time learning to properly handle a rig and it will become quite apparent that sidecars can be every bit as sporting as the solo motorcycle. They're unique, practical for all-weather riding, and suitable for the entire family.
Please no more gratuitous put-downs of sidecars.
Dan Doyle
United Sidecar Association
Penryn, Calif.
Prospective
Thanks for The Old Man and the Hill. After owning four motorcycles (the last one being an ’82 GSI 100EZ) I finally felt what riding was and can be all about.
Joseph McGraw Smyrna, Ga.
March mixup
Hey, what happened? I think your March issue has page 130 where page 128 should be, or is page 130 .. . no, 128 is where 130 should be, but ... oh well, forget this letter.
Todd Davis Dubuque, Iowa
This is a news magazine, which means stuff is coming in right up to (and sometimes past) the last minute.
We told the printers to swap the ads on pages 128 and 130, but somehow it came out, swap the entire pages. Which they did as you know.
Subscriber service
I’ve always enjoyed receiving your magazine but now I appreciate it even more. I recently called your toll-free number ( 1 -800-525-951 1 ) with a change of address problem and was
delighted with the immediate and friendly service offered by your subscription office.
My helmet’s off to a great magazine that serves its subscribers well!
Mark Lunde Onalaska, Wise.
How motorcycles work
I’m extremely impressed with your new series How Motorcycles Work. Mr. Anderson’s clear, concise and precise style made it possible to get a good grip on some pretty complicated scientific principles. With today’s high-tech motorcycles it’s easy to forget about, or worse yet, never learn about the basics of design and function.
In the future I hope you’ll cover suspension systems and frame geometry.
Scott Jackson Tacoma, Wash. E3
