Letters
LETTERS
The headache...
Mr. L. Randall Yates, President Whitehall Laboratories 685 Third Avenue New York, New York 10017 August 4, 1987
Dear Mr. Yates: Our membership is appalled with your current Anacin television commerical in which you depict two-wheel motorcycles in an extremely negative way. This commerical is very damaging to the image of our products and will materially impede the sale of them. It certainly seems that there are any number of headache causes that could be illustrated effectively in your commercials without creating a devastating and unfair effect on a specific product and industry.
The Motorcycle Industry Council ii a trade association representing 102 companies that do business in the two-wheel motorcycle industry. This membership includes the major manufacturers who collectively produce and sell more than 90 percent of all motorcycles sold in this country. 12,845 motorcycle and accessory retailers employing 62,000 people depend on this business. 7.7 million motorcycles are ridden by 38.9 million people. I believe a large number of them will be similarly offended by your commercial.
Because of the serious, negative effect this commercial is having on our industry, we urgently request that you discontinue its use immediately. We respectfully ask that you respond quickly to this letter and advise of us of your intention concerning our request. Sincerely, Alan R. Isley President Motorcycle Industry Council
... and the relief...
Mr. Alan R. Isley 3151 Airway Ave., Bldg. P-1 Costa Mesa, CA 92626 August 28, 1987
Dear Mr. Isley: Your recent letter to Mr. Yates regarding one of our Anacin television commençais has been forwarded to my attention. Please be assured that we did not develop this commercial to be derogatory toward motorcycles or motorcyclists.
We believe that the proper use of motorcycles and their equipment do represent a safe form of transportation. We regret that your initial reaction to this commercial produced a negative reaction that we never intended to create.
However, we have re-examined our advertising copy, and as a result, we have already removed this commercial from national television.
As the makers of Anacin, we are very concerned about how people, such as yourself, perceive our product and advertising (just like you are regarding the image of motorcycling) and we are always willing to rectify any misunderstanding created by our advertising.
Thank you for calling this matter to our attention. Sincerely, John Casey Group Product Manager Whitehall Laboratories
See, we motorcyclists can win battles with formidable opponents. But to do so, we first have to let them know we've declared war.
... but Mom’s head still hurts
In response to Mark Peper’s assertion in your October Letters column that riding motorcycles has nothing to do with headaches (i.e. the Anacin commercial), well, he’s obviously not a mother! I know my husband's 12 years of riding have caused my mother-in-law numerous headaches, although perhaps unwarranted. The commercial is valid from a mother’s point of view (especially if the motorcyclist involved is a novice). By the way, my husband also hated the commercial. Leslie Reynolds Palatine, Illinois
Reader Information
Editorial offices are located at 1499 Monrovia Ave., Newport Beach, Calif. 92663 Editorial contributions are welcomed, but must be guaranteed exclusive to Cycle World. We are not responsible for the return of unsolicited material unless accompanied with a self-addressed, stamped envelope. 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.
Subscriptions in the U.S. and territories are: one year, $13.94; two years, $22.94; three years, $29.94. Canadian subscribers, please add $2.50 per year, all other countries add $5.00 per year. (Remittance by money order or draft on a U.S. bank payable in U.S. funds.) Single copy $1.75; $1.95 in Canada.
Subscription service: P.O. form 3579 and all subscription correspondence should be addressed to Cycle World, P.O. Box 5338, Boulder, CO 80302. Please allow six to eight weeks for a change of address to become effective. Include both your old and
new address, and if possible, a mailing label from a recent issue. For faster service, call toll-free (800) 525-0643; in Colorado (303) 447-9330.
Back issues from 1984 to current year are available for on a prepaid basis for $3.75 each from Cycle World, P.O. Box 754, Holmes, PA 19043; 1-800-345-8112. Advertising: See SRDS. Circulation audited by Audit Bureau of Circulation.
Just in case there were any doubts, Mark Peper will be thrilled to learn that he isn 7 a mother.
Time is money—and so is speed
Regarding his editorial, “The high cost of performance” (September 1987), how can Paul Dean reconcile his arguments with the price of a Kawasaki 600 Ninja at $3899 and that of a Moto Guzzi V65 Lario at $5045? Similar comparison may be drawn between the Japanese sportsters and the BMW range.
Perhaps the high price which you allude to may be more a reflection of high service charges, limited lifespans and low resale values of the Japanese machines rather than in their initial purchase cost. C.S. Bailey London, England
The point was not to make an oranges-and-apples cost comparison between Japanese bikes and European or American machines. Rather, the message was simple: that developmental expenses for any given factory increase exponentially when that factory tries year after year to make substantial performance increases. The law of diminishing returns begins to apply very quickly, making every additional mph in top speed or every . 1second reduction in quarter-mile time cost considerably more than those before them.
Life-saving hat trick
I have to differ with Steven L. Thompson and Jim Adams (“Sherlock and the Golden Hour,” October 1987) on a couple of points. As far as the quality of Emergency Medical Services goes, it’s still a jungle out there. Just a few weeks ago, a team of professional paramedics failed to splint the fractured femur of a downed racer at the track where I am a corner marshal. It wasn’t a first, and I’m afraid it won’t be the last time. As far as the removal of downed riders’ helmets is concerned, the traditional advice is still the best—Don’t Do It!
As a corner marshal, and as an Emergency Medical Technician with four years of experience, not only have I never encountered a rider who needed to have his helmet removed before he got to the hospital, I’ve never heard of one. The skills required to remove a helmet would have to be very carefully and capably taught and frequently practiced. Neither EMS teams nor the general public will devote the time or effort. So the best advice is not to do it until X-rays are taken. Then, cut it off with a cast cutter. David C. Murray Lansing, Michigan 0
