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Your Letters
Your chance to have a say and tell your side of the story
We like to hear from you, so drop us a line at the the.bear@optusnet.com.au.
Where’s the cheese?
Bear,
There’s been a lot written and said regarding wire rope or “cheesecutter” barriers.
Most have been questions, such as “what about motorcyclists” or “what about occupants of small convertible cars” and “do these barriers stop semi-trailers”?
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I haven’t heard any answers to these questions! I mean it’s obvious what will happen to a motorcyclist. Why is this stuff still proliferating faster than a teenager’s acne?
Prime movers literally roll over the top of the barrier and small cars can wedge through under it, I’ve seen some photos of it happening. The general road-going public has no idea that they can still have a head-on collision with a prime mover or small car. Why aren’t they informed? Who do these barriers really protect?
String a wire cable across or near any thoroughfare and see how far you get! The coppers will throw you in the slammer for attempted manslaughter! However, the Roads and Traffic Authority, to whom we pay inordinate sums of taxpayers’ money, are legally allowed to erect a device that has the potential to kill some 10 per cent of the nation’s road users.
Why are these barriers still being erected? There should be a moratorium while these barriers are properly tested for ALL road users and those findings made available to the public?
Years ago, a couple of guys devised a way of encasing the wire ropes in a sheath making it safer for bikers. Has their meritorious idea been adopted by the RTA? No!
Write to your state and federal members of parliament, also the Ulysses Club, motorcycle councils, motoring magazines, newspapers, the RTA, ask the questions and demand answers!
Ian Parks Newcastle, NSW
July 07 - Loud but lawfulHi Bear,
Reading “Your Say” in the previous issue I agree with Ashley about the lack of exhaust note from standard bike exhausts. Unfortunately, as you said, we must comply with noise laws but looking around and with a little research there are exhaust suppliers that design mufflers and exhaust systems that still comply. My VFR800 came with a fully compliant Staintune under-seat set-up and it sounds awesome. (Aussie built and designed, too). It makes sense to me that if you spend a little time listening to other people’s bikes to find out more about what sounds good, you won’t end up with something you aren’t happy with.
With regard to being run off the road, we have all been taught in our advanced or defensive riding courses to ride in such a manner as not to put yourself in a “risk area”, haven’t we ? Assess threats and adjust your position to avoid conflict (sounds like a battle strategy, which it is!). I have found trouble with other car/road users comes when I have not followed this strategy – brain fade I guess.
Ride safe and enjoy the moment guys...
Michael Brisbane, Qld
Michael, mate, on some mornings the entire road is a “risk area”. – The Bear
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July 07 - Happy SteveHello Peter,
I personally wish to thank you for the write up you did for my Keysafe key rings in the Bitz section. It has helped with sales and even though I have only been in this industry for a short time, finding the correct magazine or paper to advertise in took some time. I have not received any support from the motorcycle shops at all. It now seems Road Rider and the Ulysses Riding On work well and will be getting the bulk of my advertising budget.
Steve Peters Peters Accessories
And we’ve been getting some really complimentary mail about you from your customers, too, Steve (see last issue)! – The Bear
July 07 - Women want…Hi Bear,
I’m sure you’ve heard that women are impossible to please; in fact, without having met you I’ll bet you’ve been known to mutter those words yourself. Well, I’ve recently discovered how true this is, even though as a woman I hate to admit it.
I very much enjoyed the recent stories on what women want and girls’ day out and agree with the general consensus that the options for women are increasing. But, I’m impatient! I know what I want, I do research to be knowledgeable about my choices, but I simply cannot get what I want in Australia.
Let me give you examples by way of my Christmas wish list.
1.’07 Harley Davidson Sportster 1200 Low
2.Shoei J-Wing open-face visored helmet
3.Sidi Women’s Violet touring boots
The 1200 Sporty Low would have been the perfect Chrissy gift from me to me, but it is not being sold in Australia. Sure I could settle for the 1200 custom and then change the bars, seat, forward mounted controls and the wheels. Or I could get the 883L and be dissatisfied with less power and tank capacity. But it hurts to compromise when the perfect bike for me is available, just not in Oz.
Then there is the helmet. I’m actually looking for any visored open-face (legal) helmet that will fit. I really don’t think my head is particularly small but the wonderfully retro Zeus in XS and the R-Jays City in XXS (in the very girly scooter-chick colours) are too large to be safe. So I went looking for a Shoei equivalent, as that is what my current helmets are, only to find that it, too, is available in North America, Europe and Asia, but not in Oz.
My third wish was for practical touring boots. I found the Sidi Violet on the web with great reviews and fell in love with the styling. I went looking for the stockist to find that the Lei (women’s) Sidi range is not brought into Australia.
I could buy online from the US and pray they fit…
Christmas was looking grim. My hubby was starting to panic about gift-giving. Not perfume again! But, you’ll be pleased to know I’m not absolutely impossible to please. With thanks to HD’s extensive range of clothing for women, my hubby found a pair of fingerless gloves that, as the saying goes, fit like a glove. I guess I’ll just have to keep wishing for the bike to match.
Tracey Wongawallan, Qld
You girls are not the only ones, Tracey. We’ve had a huge number of requests for the helmets in the Moto Guzzi ads, for example – and the Guzzi importers are now trying to get Australian approval for those helmets. So just keep letting the importers know what you want! – The Bear
July 07 - Eat zis, Englander!Bear,
The Germans not only name bikes after worms [ARR 8.6] but actually eat them, too! I refer you to “The Diet of Worms”. This was a major cooking festival held in the city of that name in 1521, when the main item on the menu was the ceremonial roasting of Martin Luther. Sort of Eiserner Küchenchef.
I think I prefer a Belgian beer, although a Hefe Weizen goes down real well. Next time you are in Brugge go looking for Westvleteren, a king among beers. It’s so good they don’t even put a label on it, just the crown cap to identify it. Or a St Bernard Sixt.
Brian and Ann Watsonia, Vic
And when they asked Luther for his secret recipe, he said “'I just stand there and do what I have to,” right? – The Bear
July 07 - Not drowning…Hey Bear,
Guys, don’t you wave back, here? It’s been only a short time since I moved to this fantastic country of yours and even less time since I sorted out my paperwork with the RTA and bought my first Aussie bike.
Recently I went for my inaugural Sunday Ride and there was certainly no shortage of bikes going in all directions. I waved to every single one of them and, to my surprise, I didn’t even get a single reply. I know there are plenty of ways to show camaraderie and waving back doesn’t necessary need to be one of them, but riding in my native Spain I remember coming back from weekend rides thinking I might’ve spent more time with my left hand waving than holding the handlebar.
A wave in itself doesn’t mean anything, what I probably miss is that fuzzy feeling of knowing that I have 500,000 friends out there that will be there for me if one day if need them, same as I will be there for them if one day I find them in trouble.
I will continue waving to you guys, no need to reply, but if one day you cross a Suzuki DL650 and you wave back at me, you will make my day.
Pablo Diez del Corral Carlingford, NSW
Welcome to Australia, Pablo. Look, some people wave and some people don’t. Worrying about it just gives you something else to worry about. I think you will find Australian motorcyclists just as helpful as any others when it comes to the crunch. – The Bear
July 07 - More motto mootingDear Bear,
With reference to the motto suggested in Furball #38, I think “Australian Road Rider: Why we ride, more than what we ride” is more balanced. As a reborn bike rider I am very interested in both the why and the what (and so are your advertisers), but the “why” is more important to me. Also, I think the “why” largely determines the “what”.
Phil Dook Perth
July 07 - Woman gets itHi Peter,
I read your article regarding vertically challenged women and what women want. I would agree through experience that the two best bikes I have owned and ridden have been a 750 Bonneville and a street custom Softail that I now own. I have been riding bikes for 20 years and I have also noticed the increase in women motorcyclists. I was glad to get some advice regarding the bigger offerings of women’s clothing and was impressed with the Blackmax vest (getting one for Chrissie) and am checking out the Bikiechic site, as a women likes to look good. Keep up the good work.
Karen
k.mitchell@westnet.com
July 07 - On the booze?Good morning Peter,
I read your recent article on the addition of ethanol in fuel and the effect on engine components. My bike is a Triumph 955i RS (2000) with 33,000km on the clock and well maintained.
Recently I filled up with 98 octane BP petrol and headed off into the Adelaide Hills to bed in a new rear tyre. Forty minutes into the ride my right ankle felt like a bee had stung me. It didn’t hurt too much so I kept going. About 20 minutes later I arrived at the fringe of suburbia and stopped at a red light and decided to check out the bee sting. Fuel was being pumped into my sock and boot, splashing on the exhaust pipe and forming a puddle on the road. Now that did get my attention! I switched the engine off and pushed the thing off the road. Fuel was also over the right side of the tyre tread. Thankfully the fuel to air ratio was not sufficient to catch alight and I had not lost grip on a right-hand corner.
The hose had ruptured where it connects to the metal elbow that enters the tank. The rubber around the tail piece of this connection was like mush. Away from this small area it seemed normal. This fitting took some convincing to fit into the fuel hose (possibly the wrong size hose for the fitting). However, I squeezed it over and re-clamped it. The general fuel hose condition seems good, still supple. The bike normally does 5.5lt/100km. It used 17 litres in 70km. It pumped at least 12-13 litres overboard!
Whether the hose went weak because of age or stretch and compression caused by the barbed connector fitting and clamp or some unpublished substitute additive in the petrol, who knows. I never wittingly buy petrol that contains substitutes.
Richard Martin Parafield Airport, SA
As you say, Richard, it’s hard to know – Triumph Australia has not seen a similar problem, but ethanol is only just becoming generally available. – The Bear |
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