Letters
LETTERS
Dressed to kill
Steve Thompson deserves a standing ovation for his editorial attack in your May, 1986, issue on the prejudice against functional and conspicuous motorcycle attire. I can relate to the bigoted remarks and disapproving smirks Steve has received; I’ve gotten my share for wearing a bright orange hunter’s safety vest over my leathers when riding. However, I’ve taken comfort in the defense that any self-respecting motorcycle-riding instructor will tell you: It’s the street rider’s duty to make himself as conspicuous as possible to surrounding traffic. And indeed, any change in the attitude towards sissified biker gear will have to begin with educating the public to the benefits thereof.
But let’s take the subject a step further. Most will agree that it’s important to wear bright, protective clothing when street cycling—a basic rule for all street riders, right? So why can we turn to pages 112 and 113 of your May issue and find a motorcycle advertisement showing a biker riding at night, wearing a jetblack helmet and black leathers, on a predominately black motorcycle? Dumb, dumb, dumb.
One has to wonder whether the young lady seated in the rear of the stretch limo is giving admiring glances to the rider, or if she is turning to find out why her chauffeur swerved to avoid a shadowy, dark object in the road.
American attitudes toward “appropriate” cycling attire will change when bikers realize that you don’t have to dress like the black knight to be stylish, and when cycle companies and their advertising agencies realize that keeping their rider-market alive through vividly colored clothing and equally brightly colored machines is one of their best assurances of future sales.
Phil Faro Canandaigua, New York
Concerning Steve Thompson’s article, “Dressing Up,” in the May issue, the cause of adverse reactions by others toward his and other riders’ motorcycle leathers is stated in his sentence, “when I walked in, unzipping . . . pulling off my Bell 500TX . . ..” The key is walking in. The proper way is to do all unzipping and removing of helmet, goggles and such before one enters a restaurant, bar or whatever. Unzipping the leather jacket/top and entering with helmet under one’s arm or carried in the hand does wonders toward starting off on an upbeat note with the non-motor-
cycle people inside, and even with the other riders in the place. I have ridden thousands of miles in the U.S., all the time wearing full leathers, even as early as 1965, and never have I had problems or heard unkind remarks.
That’s why I say “jerk” to riders who enter an establishment with their helmet and gloves still on\ They ask for and deserve lousy treatment. They show no manners and no class. Then they really beg to be treated poorly by placing their helmet and whatever on top of the table or bar. Jerks in any language.
I was taught by the British and have had the point driven home by the Europeans: “Hélmet off, jacket/ top unzipped before you walk in. They go back on at the bike.” If you want to be treated like a jerk, act like a jerk.
Gary Lee Bayonne, New Jersey
Maybe that's how things are on your home planet, but here on Earth—an area that includes Great Britain and all of Europe—people with real manners and class don't abuse others for not adhering to some fictitious, pointless code of etiquette. Anyone who behaves that way is rude, which is an even less-admirable trait than being a jerk.
I do not know who Mr. Thompson is but he sounds like many people here in Miami who do not understand the meaning of freedom. It is a two-way street. He and the rest of his ilk can dress anyway they want, and the rest of us yahoos, as he calls us, have the right to laugh and make derisive comments. I imagine Mr. Thompson would be appalled (being too much of a gentleman to laugh and make derisive remarks) to see many Miamians riding around wearing only sneakers and a bathing suit—and a helmet. To each his own.
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James Latham
Miami, Florida
You forget to mention that they wear the helmet only because Florida law forces them to do so.
Steve Thompson’s reflections on the social impact of full leathers was excellent. I own an ’82 Yamaha Maxim 400, and although it’s a lowbuck cruiser out of the box, I had some performance work done on the engine and fitted it with rearsets, clip-ons, etc. These changes and my riding style made me seriously consider full leathers over the winter months. Well, now the season is here, and I just picked up a Spartan “Pursuit” leather outfit. Steve’s article was definitely a factor in my decision. Although I know that I will turn heads and get smirks from the boys at the local drive-in, I’ve drawn the conclusion that Real Men Do Wear Leathers. Thanks, Steve, for your stick-to-your-guns attitude.
Don Smith
Milford, Connecticut
III-fitting Beemer
I read with interest the test of the BMW K75 in the April issue. The tester really carries on about how comfortable this motorcycle is. I have sat on this bike twice and each time found it very uncomfortable. Being a little over six feet tall (200 pounds) with most of my height in my legs, I found the pegs too high for comfort. I also didn’t like the way the handlebars were located. In other words, I found this motorcycle so uncomfortable just sitting on it that I haven’t bothered to ride it.
For a number of years I have wondered why the information given about the test of a motorcycle doesn’t include the size of the tester as to height, weight, age, etc. After reading your K75 test I got the feeling that your tester was a very young man who wasn’t very large or heavy. Tests without this data don’t give all the information a reader is entitled to, especially if the reader isn’t the same age and size as the tester. I sure would like to see all the motorcycle magazines give this information with their tests.
Jack Basham
San Diego, California
Each of our tests is written by just one person, but everyone on the staff generally participates in every test.
Our testers range in size from about 5feet-9 to 6-feet-2, in weight from 150 to 205 pounds, and in age from 23 to 46 years old.
All you 're proven so far is that the BMWK75 fails the all-unimportant showroom test for you. If you don't actually ride the bike, you 'll never know how it really fits you. But if you don't like motorcycles that have a slight sporting flair to their riding positions, you won 7 like the K75, regardless of the age, height or weight of you or any of us.
A woman's woes
I don’t enjoy how you, the editor, refer to the driver of a bike as he, his or him. What about me? I am a female, 20 years old and the owner of a Ninja 600R. I don’t know very many girls who would spend their $5500 Canadian dollars on something like that, but there must some who would. And I’m sure there are many who would appreciate it if you would refer to the driver as he/she or they, them or us.
Also, when I went to purchase a pair of gloves at the nearby Kawasaki dealer, not one pair fit; all of them were much too large. The same applies to boots, leather pants, one-piece suits and jackets.
Hopefully, my letter will make a difference in the future of writing and riding apparel for women.
Samantha Way
Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
Tell us, how much does a Samantha Way? Seriously, Samantha, all we can do about your apparel is to print your letter; and the business about he and she or him and her is out of our hands altogether. The rules of proper pronoun usage dictate that unless the antecedent (the word or phrase to which the pronoun refers) is exclusively feminine, only the masculine pronoun (not "he/she" or "his/her") is used, and that "they" or "them " is acceptable only when the antecedent refers to more than one person. We don 7 make the rules of grammar; we just try to abide by them.
Head-on rebuttal
After reading David Edwards’ article in your April, 1986, issue entitled “Safety First,” about the contraption assembled by Tadeus Carl Winiecki, I felt compelled to write and register my opinion. Mr. Winiecki has certainly expanded on a meritorious idea in designing his “safercycle,” and I would very much like to see a streamlined production model on the market for those who find the blend of automobile safety and motorcycle appeal comforting. However, for Mr. Winiecki to claim that his invention would protect its rider in a head-on crash in which both vehicles are traveling 45 mph appears to be absurd. Indeed, I would not care to be the unfortunate paramedic or ambulance attendant responsible for extracting what would be left of Winiecki from his gizmo after he sustained a 45-mph head-on collision with another vehicle traveling the same speed. Perhaps with a putty knife, crowbar and tweezers ....
Mr. Winiecki, I applaud your efforts in attempting that which motorcycle manufacturers and designers have yet to produce—a safer cycle—but please, do not make outrageous and unproven claims about your invention in an effort to sell the idea.
Mark E. McMullen
Honolulu, Hawaii
Stamp of disapproval
As an on-againoff-again stamp collector, I enjoyed Raymond Schuessler’s article on motorcycle stamps. It really is a pity that with a history of several hundred domestic brands, the U.S. has commemorated only two motorcycles on stamps.
The author’s sampling of motorcycle stamps was quite entertaining and informative but one of them does not belong in the illustrations.
It is the Hungarian (Magyar Posta) stamp on page 77, showing a rider in the process of being run off the road by a car. (Maybe it does belong, after all.) The caption reads, “Put lights on your bicycle!”
John Zucker
Upton, Massachusetts
