Letters
LETTERS
AN ECOLOGIST WRITES
I am not in the habit of responding to letters, but the one submitted by H.J. Jewett in your August 1970 issue was so cleverly written that I shall not pass this one up.
I shall assume that his intent was cynicism when he said that packers leave the country as they found it. I know specifically of one lake in the Washington Cascades where a local church group packs into about once a year to pack the trash out left by an army of hikers (the lake trail is closed to cyclists and can only be reached by hikers and horseback riders). The area has been described by forestry people as virtually destroyed unless it can be closed off for about a 10-year period. The trash left is only one aspect. Hikers, but especially the horseback riders, have trampled the meadows virtually into the ground.
As a college ecology teacher, 1 have my opinions formed as to conservation.
1 am also a bike freak, and firmly believe that both sides should be fair to each other.
Here’s to open, objective honesty and fairness.
RON PHILLIPS
Bellevue, Wash.
NO HALO FOR HIKERS
I have just read the letter ot H.J. Jewett (August '70). I would like to take issue with some of his remarks. He has been a very fortunate person to have hiked the John Muir Irail three times. I hope some day 1 can make that trip, hiking. Circumstances in some families, employment and physical capabilities don't always permit prolonged hiking trips. A few years ago my greatest ambition was to go on a pack trip, so with my youngsters and a couple of others, we went into an area accessible only by foot or horse. We had a wonderful trip. But. Mr. Jewett, we saw much litter and live trees being destroyed for firewood and shelter. Just because a person is willing to carry a forty-pound pack in does not mean he'll be willing to carry it out again. You give the impression that any damage done must be done by motorcyclists. We dirt riders don't have a halo, but neither do hikers or horseback riders.
Just because a bike can cover a larger area than a hiker can in the same amount of time does not mean he doesn't see anything. Since I started trail riding, I believe I have seen more country and have stopped to take a close look and really have come to appreciate the privilege of enjoying our national forests.
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I have seen a great increase in hikes just in the last year in the Sierras of Northern California and don’t like a lot of the bikers’ actions. We will have to work harder in getting to these people before they spoil it for all trail riders.
BEVERLY JENSEN Hayward, Calif.
SLOW, BUT FRIENDLY
1 was very interested in your road test of the Triumph 250 Trophy. I’m glad someone has pointed out that a good many people are only looking for the most power for the dollar. 1 was so impressed with your test that I went out and took a test ride, and I may end up purchasing the “slow, but friendly” machine. Out of all the cycle magazines 1 subscribe to, yours is number one. Keep up the good work.
HANK NESMITH Lear wood, Kan.
WASHINGTON CYCLE LAND
Like most people 1 know, I read your magazine every month and enjoy it thoroughly. As members of the motorcycle riding public, we (Rut Riders Motorcycle Club) of Seattle. Wash., are trying to do our part to make the sport more enjoyable, and also more widely accepted by the general public. As a start, we have recently been able to lease about 800 acres of land from the Burlington Northern Railroad, just outside Cle Elum. Wash. It is leased for the sole purpose of motorcycle riding and secondarily, for camping grounds. So far as we in the state of Washington are concerned, it offers some of the best riding available anywhere.
To get down to more serious matters, the land is leased to us as a non-profit organization. Eor a membership fee of $2 one may become a member of the association and can ride the entire area for one year from the date of purchase of the card.
There are miles and miles of trails and lots of hills for motorcyclists to try their luck at.
The Washington Trail Riders Association would appreciate it very much if you would publish this letter, if for nothing else than just to let the public know what has been accomplished here and maybe could be done in another place as well. Any inquiries should be sent to Washington Trail Riders Association, P.O. Box 127, Richmond Beach, Wash. 98160.
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TOM ROBERTSON Washington Trail Riders Assoc.
Seattle, Wash.
FEEDBACK DEPT.
Influenced to no small extent by your favorable write-up of the Norton Commando, 1 recently sold my Honda 450 and am now the owner of Commando Fastback. Some of your readers may be interested in a few impressions gathered during the first month of ownership.
On the credit side: the amazing
power of the machine, its great steadiness on the corners and its smoothness at speed are all magnificent . . . but there is a debit side too.
1. The first time out, both the exhaust pipe clamps came loose. Very embarrassing. I have since had to wire them to keep them in place—an unexpected defect on so expensive a machine!
2. 1 was amazed to find that the ignition switch was only one-way, so that when I removed the key, boys could stili play with the horn, lights and flasher. A new two-way switch cost $5 (Ü.S.).
3. In the three weeks 1 have had the Commando it has leaked more oil through various gaskets than the Honda 450 did in four years.
4. It cannot be said that the Commando is a difficult bike to start-one prod with the full weight of the body behind it will generally do the trick — but, oh how I long for that self-starter on my Honda!
What really amazes me is that this machine costs more in America than the Honda 7,5(7.
RICHARD KENNEDY, S.J.
Howloon, Hong Kong
DRAGSTER WHEEL MASKING
Enjoyed your article about the Murray Twin Triumph dragster in the August issue.
But, I don’t agree about that sheet metal mask on the front rim. If three to four inches of area were that effective, why not mask the entire front rim?
The extra area is provided as an aid to more convenient staging. Without the added area, wire wheels also might not break the light when t he y come out of the trap. Rails and funny cars running wire wheels also use this device.
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V.E. SWANSON Treasure Island, Calif. You forget one thing. As the starting lights are only a few inches from the ground, the wheel mask also blocks the light, even when the wheel center is passing through the beam. Ed.
APERECIATES MESSAGE
I am writing this letter to express my appreciation to the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC.') for their “Earth Ride” advertisement in the September '70 issue of CYCLE WORl I).
I think that it is really refreshing to see that an organization of that size is interested enough in the environment of America to spend the time and money to publish a bulletin such as this.
I sincerely hope that all riders will take heed to the efforts of the MIC'.
Craig Baumann Chatsworth, Calif.
PEOPLE, THE PROBLEM
I don’t ride off the road much but gather from what I read in CYCLE WORLD that off-road enthusiasts are having areas closed to them that were previously open. I have read lots of opinions about why. Here’s mine.
'the “problem” is not conservation groups. The problem is lots of bikes battering ecosystems that are already hard pressed because there are too many people all over. In short, the closing of trailing areas is another manifestation of the population problem.
So are helmet laws. So are special licenses for motorcycles, restricted highways like the Garden State, point systems for traffic violations, difficult bureaucratic procedures to get bikes registered and high insurance rates. Do you think we would need all these stupidities if there were 55 million people in the U.S. instead of 220 million?
Manifestations of the population problem can be dealt with “locally” (e.g. by closing lands to motorcycles or by fighting their closing) or by attacking the underlying problem itself, and working toward population control. In fact, all the local efforts are stopgaps that will soon be swamped out anyway. For example. Saddleback Park has been set aside for motorcycles, but overpopulation will soon become so serious that all internal combustion engines will be outlawed, at which time Saddleback will be nice for bicycles.
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The irony is, population control will come. The only question is when and how. The nicest alternative is to do it now, voluntarily, within our present government. Zero Population Growth is an organization promoting that. Two other alternatives, not so nice, are: by means of laws dictated and enforced by a power group that takes over control of the economic and social chaos toward which the U.S. is now sliding; and, a natural catastrophe, such as plague, famine or something else nobody has thought of yet.
So, my point is, committed motorcyclists should work for population control.
BRUCE R. HENRY Syracuse, N.Y.
DANGEROUS AT ANY AGE!
I always look forward to the Round Up column in each CYCLE WORLD issue and certainly was pleased to read that a Vespa scooter model has been added to your available assortment. But I must take issue with your statement that scooters are a vanishing breed.
Perhaps you are thinking back two or three years when the factory was considering the manufacture of a motorcycle. They have had to abandon plans to use the scooter plant facilities, as they are working it to capacity now. World wide sales are up and deliveries are at a premium.
As for this country, our sales to dealers came within a whisker of doubling the volume of the previous year, and if we could get the units, we would expect another 50 percent or better performance this year. Our advanced orders have never been at this level.
Vespa is a transportation vehicle, and while we have been overshadowed by the recreational aspect of the motorcycles during the past years, we are far from the hazy memory you have relegated us to.
And as for your statement that the Vespa rear seat, with a handsome sidesaddle girl passenger, is the most dangerous in the world, 1 can only say that at your age, it probably is.
R.H. REMENSPERGER, President
Western Scooter Distributors San Francisco, Calif.
LIKED NIXON BOOK
1 have just finished reading Racer. I was very sorry to see the book end. Joe Scalzo really does “tell it like it is.” I am glad to say that only the book has come to an end; the story has not, and neither has the great Gary Nixon. Gary Nixon is one of the greats, a real showman, who has only begun to show his stuff.
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MRS. DARRYL HURST
Houston, Texas
OUR RIGHT TO TRIAL
I am writing CYCLE WORLD in response to the letter written by David R. English, concerning the article, “If You Get Busted” (April ’70). I think that his attitude towards the article is revolting. From what he writes, I gather he isa state or county employee. He should know that a person has the right to a trial or hearing, whether he is guilty or innocent. If you think people’s using their right to a hearing is hard on the system and its employees, then you do not belong in the state or county legal system. The courts may be full, but you should not try to deny people one of the basic rights that make t his country what it is.
By the way, I thought that the article “If You Get Busted” was one of the best articles l have read in a longtime.
WAYNE ERECKER Buena Park, Calif.
ISMA ADDRESS
In your July issue you promised to publish the names of the motorcyclist action groups that cared to write to you. Well, in Illinois it is the ISMA (Illinois State Motorcycle Association), Box 276, Bridgeport, 111. 624 l 7.
In one of your previous issues you carried an article on the history of the ISMA and how the organization defeated the helmet law in this state. We are now pushing for the repeal of the headlight law and need the help of every cyclist in Illinois. All I can say to everyone interested is: JOIN!
The ISMA is now forming a permanent study group to work together with the legislature for better motorcycle laws.
JOHN L. WITTNER Chicago, 111.
THE SILENT MAJORITY
I am a newcomer to the sport of road riding. Besides using it for transportation, l also enjoy exploring on my 1969 250-cc Yamaha Twin. When will the AMA wise up and include some racing events exclusively for the road rider. We are definitely the majority and deserve some consideration.
A.J. KILPATRICK
[Ô] Homestead, Fla.
