Letters

LETTERS

Letters to the editor are welcomed and should be addressed to: Cycle World Editor, 1499 Monrovia Ave., Newport Beach, Calif. 92663. All letters are subject to editing and cannot be returned.

INSIDE THE NEW HELMETS

We want to express our sincere appreciation for the exposure given to JEB’s helmets in the September issue. The comments were favorable, as we expected.

However, you did not mention the aerodynamics which we think are very important. The groove helps reduce turbulence and the rear shape eliminates drag and lift.

Also, the stripes are painted on, not decals, and the price of the model shown is actually $179.95. Without ratchet and with two-color paint scheme, it retails for $162.95.

As a point of interest, JEB’s was the first (we think) to use D-rings with a cloth tab. They only changed to the bar this year for reasons unknown to us.

You mention that JEB’s is not Snell approved. Several people have told us that this implies (to them) that it failed the test, whereas JEB’s has not been tested and will not compromise their current production models. They have a new helmet which they intend to get approval

on from Snell but which we don't think

will function as well. A, .

Alexander Stuart

Quadrifoglio, Inc.

Phoenix, Ariz.

Just finished reading your review of new helmets in the September issue.

Nice job! However, Ed like to bring a couple of things to your attention:

First, our “Classic” open face model is Snell-80 approved not Snell-75 as indicated in your review.

Second, when referring to the USC study by Dr. Hurt it should be borne in>,(

mind, and pointed out, that the study basically covered urban accidents which would likely occur at lower speeds than many of today’s motorcyclists are willing to go.

If memory serves, the median speed at which the 990 accidents occurred was 28 mph. If the study had covered accidents happening well above the double nickel the extra protection afforded by a Snell approved helmet might well have become obvious.

Roger B. Weston

Arai Helmet, Ltd.

Tenafly, N.J.

High speed accidents weren’t excluded from the Hurt report, and there are hundreds of miles of high speed roads covered in the reporting area. It just happens that the roads where people ride at higher speed are much safer than the areas where people must ride more slowly. —ed.

In reference to the “Inside the New Helmets” article in the September issue of Cycle World, we wish to thank you for sharing your evaluation of our KRW, Turbo and the other major models, with your readers.

The Turbo model featured in your article was reportedly troublesome with respect to the shield closing, snap, and ratchet-lock (tensioner device). We are aware of the difficulties and are well on the way to correcting them. As far as the air vents, or “Dimples” as you term them, this particular design was not chosen lightly, but rather was proven to achieve controlled air flow. If you feel they are unattractive and know of another method by which we can produce the same substantial air flow in a way more cosmetically appealing to the consumer, we would be more than happy to have you come to our plant to share your ideas with us. Any suggestions you or your staff wish to make in these instances will be greatly appreciated.

Charles Palmgren American Sports Co., Inc. Compton, Calif.

RIGHT RIDING GEAR

After moving to California I found the weather just too beautiful not to ride in shorts and sandals. After a dip in my friend’s pool we headed out to the store. Upon arrival I laid my bare leg across the bike’s exhaust pipe and now I have a very bad burn on my calf muscle.

I’ve learned my lesson and should have listened to you and your readers in the first place. From now on my shorts will be under my jeans and I'll be wearing the boots to go with it.

David Miller

Poway, Calif.>

FIXING THE FIX

Let’s start from the top . . . again. This is in reply to Fixing the YZ490 Fix (Roundup, September 1982). You have the cut and the shim reversed on the chain guide. Please get it right this time.

I don’t think I can stand another fix of the fix for fixing the YZ490 fix!

Wayne D. Teel Charleston, W.Va.

To anyone still having problems with a YZ490, the solution is to position the swing arm so the chain runs through the center of the chain guide. This can be done by cutting and shimming.

HARLEY HINTS

Many thanks for giving the Great American Machine its due (Harley-Davidson Sportster test, July). With 15,000 mi. on my ’81 Sporty I feel it’s the most satisfying bike Fve ever ridden.

Here’s a few hard-earned tips to en® hance the Sportster’s safety and comfort:

1. Replace the brittle stock chain with a Diamond XDL 530 x 106. This cuts chain maintenance in half (and could have saved me a 4-mi. push into Kit Carson, Colorado).

2. Another safety item worth its prie# is the H-4 conversion headlamp, which Harley sells for $35.

3. Vibration at any more than a pleasant level is usually caused by chain maladjustment. Most common varieties are primary chain too tight; or drive chain too loose. Adjusting both chains is easy, using the owner manual.

4. Spend a few bucks on dealer servie^ during the break-in, then use hell out of the warranty. Exclusive Harley dealers really care about both the machine and the rider and give prompt warranty service on the road.

Thanks again for recognizing Harley . . . not all cycle magazines do.

Allan Slaughter Albuquerque, N.M.

EXPLOSIVE BAGGAGE

September’s Up Front column recommends the use of an aerosol tire sealer. say don’t store one in a tank bag or anyplace near where you store your valuables.

One day while riding in Vermont, I noticed a motorcyclist with only one saddlebag. When I asked him about it, he replied, “I thought it was the end of th^ world.” He was referring to the aerosol tire sealer that blew his saddlebag to smithereens when it exploded.

Bronson Murray Whippany, N.J.

TRUE SPEED

I am an avid reader of your magazine as well as a lover of fast and beautiful motorcycles, but I have one question. In your July issue your test showed that the Honda V45 Sabre turned out a remarkable 156 mph. This seemed like an enormous amount of speed for a 750cc. Tell me why was the top speed so drastically reduced in the August test summary?

( 1 23 mph.)

If its true top speed is 1 56, I must look into buying one. Besides being so fast, it’s also a very nice looking bike.

Mark Bouscaren Lompoc, Calif.

Maximum speed in gears is a calculated speed that shows what the motorcycle could hit at redline in each gear, providing there is enough power. Often there isn't. It is a useful demonstration of the gearing of a motorcycle. The top speed we record for each test bike is clearly shown on the data panel, and that’s the speed shown on the test summary. It’s measured with a radar gun at the end of a half mile straightaway at the local d ragst rip. Often fast bikes can exceed this speed with a long enough straightaway, but this is the most useful and consistent top speed that can be measured.

WOLF IN SHEEP’S CLOTHING

Just how fast can a Yamaha 650 Seca be! Your test in the April issue was very good however your 12.78 quarter mile time hardly did justice to this rocket of a motorcycle. After dusting off the supposedly awesome GPz550 and, my latest conquest, a Honda CB750F, I decided to take my wolf in sheep’s clothing to the dragstrip. A remarkable 12.60 sec. and a

12.59 sec. came up time after time with regular consistency.

It makes me wonder how you arrived at the 1 2.78 time.

R. McFarland Nashville, Tenn.

Our test bikes are prepared by the factories and obviously aren’t broken in. Were glad your 650 Seca is turning

12.59 and 12.60, but ours turned 12.78.

NEW INTERESTS

There are two articles in your September issue that really caught my interest. I’m a motorcycle enthusiast but I’ve never been interested in the older motorcycles or cared much about Speedway racing. The Indian Chief and A Day at the Speedway broadened my interest in both these areas of motorcycling. B3 Thomas Walker, Jr. Minneapolis, Minn.