Ups And Downs
UPS AND DOWNS
ROUNDUP
UP: To San Jose, California’s Heritage Bank of Commerce, for its art exhibit entitled “Hit the Road.” Complementing the work of artist Patricia Sherwood, who often includes a streak of asphalt in her landscape oil paintings, were 10 classic motorcycles owned by shareholder Dave Scoffone. Shown on display in the bank lobby is a 1929 Harley-Davidson JD sidecar formerly owned by Steve McQueen.
DOWN: To The Associated Press, for not consulting the experts. A chart recently released by the news wire service gave a motorcycle’s “estimated” stopping distance from 65 mph as 575 feet in the dry (and 705 feet in the wet), inexplicably longer than the distances given for passenger cars or tractor trailers. Cycle World's testing typically sees streetbikes stop from 60 mph in less than 120 feet, and Road & Track recently recorded CWs Road Test Editor Don Canet stopping a Kawasaki ZX-9R from 100 mph in only 320 feet. Maybe what AP meant to say was “guestimated” stopping distances...
DOWN: To Sony, for perpetuating a myth. Reader Michael J. Graphix notes that in a pamphlet included with his recently purchased Sony portable CD player, a decibel level chart lists motorcycles alongside subway trains, lawnmowers and truck traffic. Rating given: 90 dB, far louder than the federal noise standards new streetbikes must meet. Graphix, who says that the exhaust note of his 1996 Kawasaki ZX-9R is “quite quiet and pleasant,” knows what loud is: An audio engineer by trade, he just wrapped up a tour with heavy metal act Nine Inch Nails.
