Feed Back

FEED BACK

Readers, as well as those involved in the motorcycle industry, are invited to have their say about motorcycles they own or have owned. Anything is fair game: performance, handling, reliability, service, parts availability, lovability, you name it. Suggestions: be objective, be fair, no wildly emotional but ill-founded invectives; include useful facts like mileage on odometer, time owned, model year, special equipment and accessories bought, etc.

WINTER RIDING

I’m a 17 year old high school senior, with some winter riding experiences I would like to share with other CYCLE WORLD readers. With the on-coming winter season blowing into New England, I’m looking forward to my second winter in the street.

The weather can be really cool in the morning and can create several problems, both mechanical and physical. When temperatures dip below 32 degrees, trouble starts. If any moisture remains inside the cable housing, it will seize the cable solid.

The throttle cable seized on my Honda CL one morning. It was enough to really wake me up when I rolled off the throttle at the last second for a stop sign only to find the bike still going strong!

The CL handles like a drunken cow in the snow, so I use my Honda XL when snow covers the roads. The bike is equipped with knobbies front and rear so it does not have the tendency to follow the ruts made by other cars in the snow. The roads I use while en route to school are quite hilly and there’s lots of those fun-tolean-into-’em-type curves. When the snow flies, I really have to take it easy, since the same fun curves become slick rutty bends. There is one very steep hill that is a real circus when people in cars start trying to climb it under mildly slick conditions. The knobbies on my Honda keep right on digging in, so I have it made.

Cold air has certain physical properties that plague motorcycle riders, exposed as they are to the elements. A still air mass has a relatively low level of thermal conductivity. Set a motorcycle rider in motion through this cold air, and no matter how well insulated the person may be, he is still cold. I have found that no matter what kind of gloves I wear, the best they can do is to buy time against the cold.

The bike also has some difficulty in severe cold. Ice may form on components near the engine. This ice becomes caked on so thickly it impedes movement. One morning it was -5 degrees with a high for the day of 0 degrees. This extreme cold effected the rear shocks. They froze in the fully compressed position which made for a very rough ride, to say the least, and an inoperable side stand.

All things considered, I bet I’m about the only motorcyclist on the road in the severe weather conditions I have described. To anyone who would like to try it, I recommend a fairly light trail bike with trials tires and a four-cycle engine, (the smaller two-cycles have a tendency to load up in very cold weather). Trials tires have more rubber in contact with the road and still produce a good bite. This, along with trail bike steering geometry, handles the uphills, downhills, and slick rutty bends quite easily. With these experiences I’ve proved that any determined rider can ride in almost any weather condition.

Jon Ives Wilton, CT

APPRECIATING THE BRITISH

Your excellent articles dealing with the British motorcycle industry have struck a responsive chord and prompted me to write about my ’66 Royal Enfield Interceptor. I bought it as a basket case in ’74, mileage unknown. It has been rebuilt as stock with new paint, tires, wiring, chrome, etc.

It takes a true British motorcycle fan to appreciate this machine in spite of its shortcomings. It leaks oil and vibrates. On the other hand, it’s light, has good handling capabilities, good power and allaround thoroughbred characteristics which make it a delightful machine for the right person. That person must be willing to do his own maintenance, and more, he must be able to put up with the hassles that a bike like this can bring. He’ll be rewarded with an excellent traditional British bike and the knowledge that he owns the only Royal Enfield in town.

John Giglio Petaluma, CA

A WORD FROM DOMI RACER

We were pleased to be included in your recent listing of British parts suppliers. It is true that we specialize in Nortons from 1960 on, but we also supply a large line of hard parts and accessories for all popular makes. We offer no mechanical service.Domi Racer deals exclusively with the motorcycle trade, although we have a subsidiary corporation called Accessory Mart which does a mail order retail business.

Bob Schanz President Domi Racer Distributors, Inc. Cincinnati, OH

HONDA CB500 WOES

I am what you might call a loser when it comes to motor vehicles. In 1974 I bought a Vega, in ’76 I bought a Honda CB500T, and if I had been adult in ’57 I probably would have bought an Edsel. But it doesn’t really have to be that way, especially when it comes to a white elephant disguised as a motorcycle.

I bought my Honda CB500 Twin five months ago, put 600 miles on it and four major tune-ups. Does that tell you anything? Knowing that I have to live with this two-wheeled Edsel, I went about looking for aftermarket performance and dress-up parts. I found junk. In addition to the non-availability of parts and other things, the CB500T has a clutch that belongs on a tricycle, where it won’t hurt anybody. If the machine is the least bit hot, you can forget about using your clutch normally. To get away from a light safely (without flying over the bars when the bike stalls), you have to ease the clutch out ever so slowly, and over-rev the engine a la novice biker. I know this subject has been addressed before, but so far, 1 haven't seen a remedy. If the foregoing isn't enough, there’s more. The seat for instance. Don’t plan any long trips on your 500T because your derrière will feel like it's been dragged over the concrete beneath you rather than on a padded seat.

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In conclusion, I must say that 1 feel taken on this machine. Anybody who doesn’t spend the extra bucks to get a CB550 four, or a Kawasaki 500 Triple is nuts.

Keith S. Barber Virginia Beach, VA

HAPPY WITH HIS YAMAHA

My bike is a '73 Yamaha TX500. It was purchased new in August 1973 and now has 22.850 miles on the odometer. Even though the 500 isn't perfect, 1 have been very satisfied with it.

At 10,000 miles. I tore the engine down to replace a leaking cam case gasket and discovered a cracked head. Yamaha would not replace it even though it was obviously defective. My dealer, Jim Thompson of Yamaha Mississippi, sold me a new one at his cost. A dealer like this deserves much praise for giving a customer such great service.

It seems like many 500 owners who write to CYCLE WORLD have cold starting problems. I find this hard to believe because my bike has always started easily, even in 20 degree weather. The secret is to put the choke on and leave the throttle off all the way.

As for performance, the 500 isn’t the fastest bike in its class, but it’s not all that bad either. The TX500 isn't perfect, but then, what bike is?

Richard Honsinger Artesia, MS

My bike, a 1974 Yamaha TX750, was my first street bike. 1 bought the bike in June ’75, one year old. but brand new. Everyone told me the bike would be nothing but trouble. I decided to ignore w hat I had heard and give it a chance.

A friend and I packed her up and took off. We left with 2000 miles on the odometer. From North Dakota we went to the Bad Lands through Wyoming, the Rockies, Denver, Colorado Springs, New Mexico, the Grand Canyon, all Arizona, Texas through to Atlanta and then onward to Floral Park, New York. We saw some very bad weather, roads and had one or two spills, but the bike held up to the maximum. I never changed my points, plugs, oil filter or even put water in the battery. Hard to believe but the absolute truth. I must admit that by the end of the trip my TX750 could use a new chain and back tire plus a professional tuneup. But for 10.000 miles of riding, how can I be critical?

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I would like to hear more about the TX750. Pro or con, my mind is open. Any readers who would like to write, feel free. A 1C James P. Mateo PSA 2086 Minto Air Force Base Minot, North Dakota 58705

MORE ON ENGLISH VS. JAPANESE

I would like to comment on Mr. Daniel Jessup’s letter that appeared in the November ’76 “Feedback” column. My views on the pros and cons of English versus Japanese bikes almost matched his when I had the equivalent of his experience as a motorcycle owner/operator.

While my Honda 750 is no match for my Triumph, in handling it has proved itself far superior in terms of reliability. My Triumphs never really let me down. However, after four years and almost 55,000 miles on the Honda I can’t say the Triumphs were as maintenance-free.

The Honda has given me a few problems, but the Triumphs were a constant battle against the same old things: oil leaks, burned out headlights, taillights, etc. Even an occasional Zener diode.

As for the handling, the Japanese are starting to get it together. Not all Oriental bikes handle poorly. My own 750. with the addition of Goodyear Eagle A/Ts and some suspension modifications, handles much better than stock. I was also very impressed with the handling of a Honda 400 Super Sport which I had the pleasure of riding. 1 compare its handling to that of my Bonneville. I’m sure there are other Japanese bikes that are fine handlers also, but unlike Mr. Jessup. I won’t let my mouth get ahead of my experience.

On the subject of quality between the two countries, the English generally have nicer looking components. But again I haven't found the quality to be superior in terms of durability.

Incidentally, with a custom paint job. 4 into 1 headers and a little tasteful chroming, my bike doesn’t look like a million others on the road. I only regret that it’s not built like a sani-can. That must be a terribly convenient feature when it unexpectedly rains.

Don Dahl Santa Clara, CA