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letters, motomedia
Letter Of The Month
AMA Roadside Assistance And A Can Of Fix-A-Flat
I read with interest about starting to tour on motorcycles (April 2020). I have been riding for 62 years, so this was more of a critique of instructions than a learning experience. I agree with each of the suggestions, but I would add a couple of items.
Having motorcycled in all 49 continental states and each Canadian province, and my longest trip being 25,995 miles, I have learned the hard way. I always carry a can of Fix-a-Flat and a tire-repair kit, including a compressor, on my bike.
I heartily endorse AMA Roadside Assistance and have it. But when you have 300 miles of no-cell-phone service in northern Canada or parts of Alaska, you need to be able to save yourself. Even in the lower 48 states, there are spots where cell phones are useless.
So be prepared, especially if you ride alone, as I usually do.
What You Can’t See
The heartfelt column by Russell Groover (“That Day Has Come,” May 2020) hit home with this rider and instructor with failing night vision. Groover’s comment, “No one knows what you can see except you,” is quite true, but not as important as one left unsaid: “Everyone knows what you can’t see except you.” Keep that in mind when physicians, family, friends, and the law start suggesting you limit or eliminate
driving and riding.
More NSU Goodness
I much appreciated your photo spread on the 1957 NSU Supermax (April 2020).
A similar shot of the same model hangs over my shop bench. Not mentioned in your great detail is the fantastic suspension setup, beginning in 1955: twin “swingarm” front suspension and hefty dual shock absorbers, assisted by the leverage-spring solo saddle. By 1957, NSU even offered an electric-start scooter, the Prima. NSU’s motorcycle manufacturing, begun in 1901, deserved your recognition.
Three Wheel Thoughts
I want to give a tip of the helmet to Cathy Seckman for her excellent guest column in the March 2020 issue, “Dispatch From The Trike.” I am 75 and quit riding a few years ago. I sincerely miss it. Many riders suggested that I should get a trike but, somehow, I did not see myself on three wheels. Reading Cathy’s article might have changed my mind. I think her article will open the eyes and minds of a lot of baby boomers. We will see the light and get back out there in the wind.
Paper Routes Path To Motorcycling
I laughed out loud when I read Mark Bowron’s December 2019 article, “A Motorcyclist’s Memoir,” and again when I read Larry Lulf’s April 2020 “Letter of the Month.” I, like Bowron and Lulf, had a paper route with no motorized wheels. All the well-to-do neighborhood kids had shiny Honda Mini Trails, Kawasakis, Hodakas and, in one case, a Sears Allstate. I begged for financial assistance to join the fun until my father finally brought home a 1959 Tote Gote. Wow, that was it for me. Forty years and 30-some bikes later, motorcycles remain one of the only constants in my life. God bless the AMA for bringing folks like us together to share these stories and represent the best interests of our sport.
A quick look at what’s happened in social media recently.
Join the conversation: facebook.com/americanmotorcyclist, @ama_riding, @ama_racing, @ama_rights.
“What’s the farthest you’ve ever ridden a motorcycle from home?”
Steven Christensen
Thirty-nine hundred miles in 2003. Kansas City to Anchorage and Fairbanks across the ALCAN Highway.
See America On Two Wheels
I just read “Motorcycle Touring 101” in the April issue, and a great article it is. Since retiring in 2013, I’ve logged around 75,000 touring miles. My first trip was a 28-day, 7,000-mile run on the East Coast. I left my home in northern West Virginia, rode to the top of Maine and down the coast to Key West. Coming up out of Florida, I headed west into Alabama. I’ve ridden across the United States four times, and I need nine states to finish the lower 48. A normal day for me is 250 to 300 miles. There’s a lot to see on America’s two lanes and wonderful people to meet.
More NSU Goodness
I much appreciated your photo spread on the 1957 NSU Supermax (April 2020).
A similar shot of the same model hangs over my shop bench. Not mentioned in your great detail is the fantastic suspension setup, beginning in 1955: twin “swingarm” front suspension and hefty dual shock absorbers, assisted by the leverage-spring solo saddle. By 1957, NSU even offered an electric-start scooter, the Prima. NSU’s motorcycle manufacturing, begun in 1901, deserved your recognition.
Kudos To Sportbike Chic
Last fall, American Motorcyclist published an article about the Women Riders World Relay. My impression was a desire for greater emphasis on riding apparel and accessories from major manufacturers. When I read the article about Lashundra Rucker creating Sportbike Chic (May 2020), I was very excited and pleased with her entrepreneurial spirit and drive to meet this growing need. It is my hope that Lashundra has great success and fellow female riders find her online and support her efforts.
A Tear For Russell
I received my May issue of American Motorcyclist and turned to the back page to read the “Guest Column.” Everyone who writes these is like me, and I always learn something. But the column by Russell Groover brought a tear to my eye. Here is a man who loves motorcycling and has dedicated his life to it, and now the state says he can’t ride anymore. I can’t imagine how hard that must be. At 54, I sometimes contemplate how long I will be able to ride. I have ridden since I bought my first bike at 12, and I love it. I say when I reach the age that I can’t hold up a bike, I’ll go to a sidecar rig or a trike. I never even considered what Mr. Groover is dealing with. Thank you, Mr. Groover, for your dedication, service to your community and state, and to motorcycling. I pray something can be done to help you to continue to enjoy the sport.
