Letters, August 2008

Transcript

Letters SEND LETTERS TO THE EDITORS OF MCN By mail to:. MCN—Letters, P.O. Box 6050, Mission Viejo, CA 92690 Results article great! The conclusions paragraphs reveal your true character. Don & Sandie Yarbrough [email protected] By fax to: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 949-855-0654 Over the Internet to: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] From our web site at:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.mcnews.com Benefits of ABS And Automatic Shifting I began riding scooters when I was in junior high in 1950. My first was sold by Sears & Roebuck in Dallas. I think it had about five or six horsepower and would top out at 30 to 35 mph depending on the wind and whether you were going uphill or downhill. Last year, at age 70, I purchased a Suzuki Burgman 650 Exec. I chose that scooter over other scooters that were available primarily because of the horsepower and ABS. The fact that it has two modes for gear shifting was a bonus. I do not understand motorcycle manufacturers’ reluctance to offer ABS and automatic gear shifting on all of the street bikes that they manufacture. The Suzuki dealer said that those are expensive features and that most riders would not purchase them. After a career in aviation, I can tell you that ABS saves lives every day in aircraft and automobiles. The argument that Volume 39 / Number 8 August 2008 Editor-in-Chief Dave Searle Associate Editor Franke Santos Associate Editor Patti Carpenter Designer Isaac Fatigoni somehow ABS is not as safe as skilled manual braking is weak at best. As experienced riders and influential writers, you and your staff could be a great help in promoting that important safety option. The dual mode electric gear shifting option on my scooter works reasonably well. It could use a few minor improvements but it serves me very well. I find arguments from those who oppose automatic transmissions on motorcycles similar to the opinions of those who, in the ’50s, thought automatic transmissions in cars were a passing fad. Who won that argument? Last week I told the Suzuki dealer in Panama City Beach that I would buy his only new C109R Boulevard on the spot if it had ABS. This morning I renewed my subscription to MCN. When I started riding last year, I subscribed to every motorcycle and scooter publication that came to my attention. Yours is the only one that I am renewing. I found your Crash Survey Production Coordinator: Ann Richmond Consumer Marketing Manager: Penny Stewart Fulfillment Specialist: Candice Brackett Consumer Marketing Specialist: Emily Gaitan Prepress Team: Annie Savillo, Karen Bartz, Paul Rosales, Frank Esteinou Imaging Team: Gina Cioli, Pamela Hunnicutt Motorcycle Consumer News® is published monthly by Copy Editor Marcy Toschi World Reporter Doug Jackson Contributing Editor David L. Hough Contributors to this issue: Mark Barnes, Danny Coe, Ken Condon, flash gordon md, Glynn Kerr, Gary Prickett, Fred Rau, Ian L. Shuttler, LT Snyder, George Streeter, Michael Sullivan, Matthew Wiley Editorial and Production Office: P.O. Box 6050 Mission Viejo, CA 92690-6050 Tel: 949-855-8822 Fax: 949-855-0654 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.mcnews.com (A Division of BowTie, Inc.) NORMAN L. RIDKER, Chairman of the Board; JEFF SCHARF, Vice President, Advertising; NICOLE FABIAN, Senior Controller; CRAIG WISDA, Controller; DOLORES WHITLO, Consumer Marketing Director; CHERYL DAY, Collateral Sales Director; RICH GOMEZ, Manufacturing Director; MELISSA KAUFFMAN, JUNE KIKUCHI, Editorial Directors; CHERRI BUCHANAN, Human Resources Director; CHARLES LEE, IT Director Motorcycle Consumer News (ISSN 1073-9408) is published monthly by BowTie News, a division of BowTie Inc., 3 Burroughs, Irvine, CA 92618-2804. Corporate headquarters located at 2401 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90057-0900. Periodicals Postage Paid at Irvine, CA 92619-9998 and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Motorcycle Consumer News, P.O. Box 37191, Boone, IA 50037-0191. © 2008 by BowTie Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material from this issue in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. Don, MCN has long been a proponent of ABS, even though we often find that non-ABS brakes can produce shorter stops under test conditions that don’t involve the element of “panic” common to many emergency situations. Like you, we suspect that automatic transmissions will be more common on motorcycles in the future. However, because the transmission designs are so different, we think it’s more likely we’ll see special-built automatics, like the new Aprilia Mana 850, rather than automatic versions of very many popular manual-transmission machines. Airhawk: No More Tightness Just read the report on seat cushions. I have about 40,000 miles on an Airhawk and find that turning it backward on the seat allows me to have enough air in it and not get the “too small speedo” effect. Ron Cooper [email protected] Belton, TX Ultimate Bike Raffle: Bob Fills Us In I really appreciate the exposure for The Ultimate Bike Raffle (June issue) to raise For subscription inquiries or change of address: Motorcycle Consumer News P.O. Box 37191, Boone, IA 50037-0191 Tel: 888-333-0354 • Fax: 515-433-1013 Visit us online: www.custmag.com/mcn Back issues and reprints: Ian Smith Information, 303-777-2385, www.mcreports.com Subscription rate in U.S. and Possessions: $44 for 12 issues, $65 for 24 issues. Canadian and foreign surface, add $18 extra per year payable in U.S. funds. Single copy price, $7. Please allow 6–8 weeks for new subscriptions to begin. When changing address, give six weeks notice and address label from latest copy as well as new address with ZIP code. Occasionally, we make our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies that offer products and services that we believe would interest our readers. If you do not want to receive these offers and/or information, please write us at Privacy Policy, P.O. Box 6040, Mission Viejo, CA 92690 or send us an e-mail at [email protected]. Please view our Privacy Policy at www.bowtieinc.com. All contributions are welcomed on an exclusive basis, but must be accompanied by return postage. No responsibility is assumed for loss of or damage to unsolicited material. A guide to editorial requirements is available upon request. Permission to reprint or quote excerpts is granted only upon written or e-mail requests and must be approved in writing or e-mail by the editor. Specific reprint guidelines are available upon request. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40612608, Registration No. R126851765 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 6B2, CANADA Printed in the United States of America Motorcycle Consumer News Accepts No Paid Advertising Visit us at WWW.MCNEWS.COM ● AUGUST 2008 3 Letters funds for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (PBTF) as part of the Ride for Kids program. But I was dismayed to not see the actual name of what I created nor any contact information in the brief MC Bulletin. Without those details how could readers learn how to actually support this exciting fund-raiser? So here goes: One grand prize winner will have their choice of any of the new BMW F800 series machines including the F800ST and F800S and the soon to arrive F800GS. It will start as a loaded bike including ABS. That same lucky person will get to select up to $1500 in accessories for their dream BMW and another $1500 in riding gear, both from a wide selection of great suppliers that have helped make this happen. There is a budget for travel since it’s likely the winner may not be a local resident. It includes up to five nights in hotels (local and on the road), three meals a day (some with various members of my dealership) plus gas for the first 500–600 miles while we either get a novice trained, possibly with their license (one on one) and provide some solid and basic on-the-road training courtesy of the Flying Wheel or take an experienced motorcyclist out on a multi-day adventure courtesy of Jim Ford of The Riders Workshop. There’s still more attached to the winning ticket and there may be as many as two dozen secondary prizes based on what is selected by the lucky person who purchased the Grand Prize winning ticket and gets the F800S, ST or GS. At the end, before we send one very lucky person home, we will even be performing the break-in service, and if riding home is not an option then Haul Bikes will deliver it to their door. The funds raised by September 20 will be turned in at the Baltimore-Washington Ride for Kids on September 21. Any remaining tickets will be sold up until the drawing during the Annual Oktoberfest at my dealership in Maryland on October 4. As of this writing, we have sold over 800 of the 3509 tickets available, so it’s possible we may sell out before October 4. Complete details are available at www.bobsbmw.com or at www.theultimatebikeraffle.com. Tickets can be securely purchased online 24/7. Purchasers of three tickets get a reduced rate of $100 versus the $40 individual cost. Bob Henig Owner, Bob’s BMW Motorcycles Jessup, MD Tall Bikes, Revisited This is in reply to “No More Tall Bikes” (Letters, July). 4 AUGUST 2008 ● I sometimes wonder how many sales have been lost because a potential buyer found a bike was just 1" or 2" too tall to safely put his or her feet firmly on the ground. In my case, I passed on the ST1300, FJR1300 and a 250 dirt bike. Albert Easterling [email protected] Metairie, LA From my experience as a motorcycle salesman years ago, I witnessed this happen on an almost daily basis. I’m sure the numbers are huge. —Dave Practical Bikes You may wish to examine why Americans don’t appear to be very interested in highly practical bikes such as the efficient and versatile Z750S (which I ride), which is popular in Europe but not here. My bike is great for commuting, touring and just fun riding! It averages over 51 miles per gallon. It didn’t cost much relative to other bikes (not that there’s many in the 750cc standard class). Do Americans only want big, loud, gas guzzling polluters? Do they really enjoy bad air, frequent gas stops, noise and the world’s contempt of our overindulgence? Have they lost their ability to appreciate the pleasures of efficient, comfort and allaround competence in a motorcycle? And why would the average rider need anything more than almost 100 horses, 50 lb.-ft. of torque and exceptional reliability? The Z750’s engine runs like a Swiss watch, the bike has great wind protection, handling is excellent with great stability in adverse conditions, and with stomp pads on the tank, the slightly forward-sloped seat is quite comfortable. Well, you get my point! Wendy “Hairpin” White Glenhaven, CA Beware: Used Bike Values Plummeting I just looked over your July Used Bike Value Guide. Based on my own recent experience, and at the risk of sounding totally disenchanted, I would like to highlight a motorcycle industry practice that is harming both dealers and buyers. Last week, using eBay, I sold my lowmileage 2006 Yamaha Star Stratoliner Midnight to a nice guy from a neighboring state. According to NADA, that bike should have had a value close to $12,470. The selling price, however, was only $9600 (23% less!) and I was glad to get that much! The MSRP was $15,480. What? How could this fine machine have depreciated by $5880 (38%) from MSRP in just two MOTORCYCLE CONSUMER NEWS years? I am not even considering the $1200 worth of desirable accessories I had added. And to be fair, I did receive a considerable discount when I bought the ’Liner—$12,000 in 2006 before tax and title. However, even that number does not make sense when compared to the NADA estimated current value. In truth, there are probably lots of reasons why new and used larger bikes sell for considerably less than their theoretical value. This would include a general slowdown in metric cruiser sales, higher unemployment, lack of consumer confidence, the higher cost of gas, the rising cost of food and so on. However, the single biggest reason for this sizeable depreciation is overproduction by the manufacturer. As I was setting up my eBay auction, I carefully scoped out the competition by checking the prices of used ’Liners sold in the previous weeks. What I found in the closed auction archives was a real jawdropper. A number of dealers in several states were selling large numbers of leftover brand-new never-titled 2007 ’Liners for as little as $9999. Some were the Smodel, dripping in chrome and stickered over $16,000. Argh! My used bike was depreciating faster than the big SUVs down on the corner car lot. So, what happened? When the manufacturer overproduces a particular bike and they are not selling, there is an auction at the end of the model year. Dealers come from all over to pick up these bargains. It seems like this is good for the dealers. It is certainly good for the buyers who buy these discounted rides from the dealers. However, in the long run the dealers will suffer. They will have to offer discounts on future sales too. A segment of buyers becomes trained over time to expect the discounts, much as car buyers expect rebates and low cost financing to entice them. There is also a segment of the buyer population that is hurt by this practice: the early buyers who paid a price closer to MSRP because they bought early in the life cycle of the model. NADA should pay more attention to all the factors that affect the cost of used bikes. Mike McCaffrey [email protected] More Clutch Discussion I’d like to add my comments to the debate regarding having your clutch engaged while stopped. The rider beside me at the intersection who had a clutch cable failure was lucky to experience only embarrassment when he lurched into cross traffic, stalled and fell over. On another occasion I was rear-ended by a blue-haired elderly lady whose reaction to her boo-boo was to lock all her doors while I put the bike in gear and pulled over, out of harm’s way. And unless you’re riding a BSA Royal Star or Harley-Davidson Duo Glide, just get everyone on board and comfortable, and then push the start button. R. W. Tennent Salem, IN Surging Solution Re: “Surging K1100LT,” Downtime Files, March, from [email protected] and Damien DiPace. Advise these guys to contact Techlusion (techlusion.com, 406-388-2377, talk to Matt Stoxen). They used my BMW 650GS as a test bike, and solved a surge problem excellently in ’02. On my way east last August, they updated my unit at no charge. They make most of the units on the market. Nice people and they really know their stuff. Boyd Reynolds Boise, ID Folding Pegs Re: LT’s article on rearsets in the June issue: he should be informed that folding pegs were originally required in AMA racing because a sliding bike is safer to the rider than a spinning one. They weren’t intended to reduce damage to the bike. Dan Shoemaker [email protected] Cocoa, FL Thank you for your response, however aftermarket rearset manufacturers insist the reason for their non-folding footpeg design is because racers want it that way. I prefer the folding design, but I seem to be in the minority. —LT Snyder Re: Vicarious Voyages Sometimes your magazine contributes to an ongoing problem that the entire motorcycling community is trying to erase: division among the ranks. In your “Vicarious Voyages” article (July issue), you talk about the new DVD Gaurav Jani’s Riding Solo To The Top Of The World. You make demeaning and belittling comments about “bellyaching Hollywood ‘adventurers’ who are closely followed by convoys full of backup equipment, doctors, mechanics, assistants, and camera crew.” So what?! Instead of badmouthing these guys you could have just commented on how different some people consider adventure. I’d jump at the chance to go around the world on someone else’s dime and have all that support along. Between going that way or sitting at home reading about it, I imagine most would too. Besides, these guys made a double DVD of it so we could all watch and see what it’s like. Instead of propagating the division among bikers with belittling and demeaning comments, you guys should be helping to bridge the gap between all riders and all forms of riding. If we don’t all stick together, we all lose in the end! David Compton [email protected] HJC AC-3 Helmets In the July issue I noticed that the HJC AC-3 failed the DOT impact testing. So I contacted HJC about my concerns and to find out what options I had to replace the helmet. Here’s HJC’s reply, “In response to your inquiry, please visit your local dealer in regards to this matter, and they will make the determination on which steps to take with the issue.” Then it was off to the dealership where we purchased the helmet. The entire staff was not aware of the failure and had not received any notices from HJC regarding the failure. The result, neither the manufacturer nor the dealer will take any action to remedy my situation. Curious. John Post [email protected] Sealing The Deal I’ve just read the Cycle Attorney column in the current issue of MCN. I live in the SF Bay area of northern California. I’ve no idea what the laws are in Ohio, but as a former car salesperson in California, when a person buys a new or used car/truck, the deal isn’t complete until the buyer drives the vehicle off the dealership’s property. Sales managers would encourage us to have wavering customers to take ownership by driving off the lot. We would do this during the delivery process; while going over features of the vehicle post purchase (contract signing), we’d have the buyer drive off the lot to further demonstrate features. Once they drove across the property line, the purchase was complete. I’ve witnessed a few occasions where customers would sign the purchase contract and ask to return the next day to pick up their new vehicle—overnight they’d change their minds and cancel the deal. If we knew in advance a customer was not going to take possession of their purchase the day they signed their contract, we’d delay the signing. I’m not sure if the same applies for motorcycle sales in California. I bought a ’05 Hayabusa Limited after being on a waiting list for several months, there was no need for me to test the law to see if it applied to motorcycles. Peter S. Humphrey [email protected] Braking Training The section in your Crash Survey on reactions confirmed my long held belief and verified the findings of the Hurt report—under pressure, at least half of all riders failed to use their brakes to the full extent. Your survey appears to include more experienced riders with better than average skills. I suspect that more than 50% of riders in full panic mode will fail to perform threshold braking with both tires. Schools, trackdays and regular drills are a must, but in true panic mode they do little good in changing behavior in a full braking emergency. They certainly help control a motorcycle in 99.9% of our riding. But, that once in a lifetime event where 20% more braking will avoid certain serious injury is when we “freeze.” Egos aside, we are human and are sometimes not very honest about what really happens when our life flashes by. Years ago, I trained police officers how to react in a shooting situation. It was an infrequent event but obviously very stressful. We found that unless the officer was receiving SWAT-level training, his/her reactions were based on their innate ability to handle stress, and were not related to training. Unless you are training eight hours or more weekly, don’t expect said training to make that much of a difference in a truly life-threatening event. You must practice to such a level that there is no thinking during the event, there is no time. Few individuals practice threshold braking often enough to get to that point. ABS has its pros and cons but we have resisted it. We have failed to demand that the manufacturers make it available on all street machines. There is no single safety device except ABS that could result in less injuries and fatalities. The fact is for almost 30 years, we have known at least 50% of motorcyclists facing serious injury or death fail to use their brakes properly. We either don’t learn from experience, fail to acknowledge history or ignore research. You don’t have to use your brakes if you choose not to. The rest of us should demand ABS should at least be an option on all street bikes, from beginners to us old salts. [email protected] Visit us at WWW.MCNEWS.COM ● AUGUST 2008 5