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letters, motomedia

Letter Of The Month

Nurturing The Young

When my daughter got the mail a few days ago, she took the August American Motorcyclist issue. I found it a day later. She had flipped through the whole thing and colored the Indian FTR750 purple. I encourage my daughter, as well as my son, to enjoy motorcycles and to be confident in learning and growing their ability to ride and maintain their machines. I know the lifelong benefit of riding and how it connects a family and makes people stronger. When my daughter saw Megan Griffiths on the cover, I believe her interest in the sport we all love jumped.

Jim Erickson | Costa Mesa, Calif.

Feeling The Pain

I share Utah Rep. Walt Brooks pain (“Utah Lane Filtering,” July). No, really. I, too, was rear ended at a stop sign by a distracted car driver.

Lucky for me, I wasn’t seriously injured. But I did suffer a torn tendon in my elbow due to holding the motorcycle up and not dropping it. The bike suffered a bent rear fender and damaged tour pack, so we both bore the battle scars of the encounter and had to see the doctor.

Now to some of my safety thoughts about lane filtering.

  • Pull up far enough between the cars so the drivers can see you; don’t stop in a blind spot like the rear half of the car.
  • If you can make eye contact with the car drivers, all the better. Maybe nod and smile.
  • When the light turns green for you, look both ways before you go. There may be a vehicle running a red light. You would be the leader of the pack and the first thing to be hit.
    Thank you Rep. Walt Brooks and the AMA for all you do.

Ted Pasche | Argyle, Texas

One More Tip

Your “do-it-yourself” article in the May issue (“Motorcycle Maintenance Basics”) is an important reminder of the crucial need to keep our machines in peak condition.

Allow me to suggest one extra step to chain lubing. Since all chain lube needs time to “set up,” get in the habit of lubing your chain as soon as you’re done riding. The chain will be warm, encouraging the lube to better penetrate the links. Plus, no more worries about throwing the lube off by riding before the lube sets up.

Not an easy thing to remember, but your bike and you are better off for it.

Scott Poley | Elmira, N.Y.

Focus On Two Wheels

We want more of “Focus on Two Wheels” (August).

A great article, very interesting. Skip the tiny pictures with no text and do more of the full-page pics with a story.

Thanks.

Barry Brooks | Lakewood, Colo.

A quick look at what’s happened in social media recently.

Join the conversation: facebook.com/americanmotorcyclist,  @ama_riding, @ama_racing, @ama_rights.

““Are you loyal to a specific motorcycle brand?”

Bart Man

“Buell American motorcycles. Best handling bike I’ve ever ridden. Erik Buell is an amazing, innovative engineer, and an honest, down to earth person.”

 Appreciative Winner

I’ve been riding for 50 years and an AMA member for a long time. I’m especially grateful for the lobbying AMA does on our behalf—absolutely vital to our sport.

I’d like to thank AMA and Nelson-Rigg for the beautiful Defender Extreme Adventure Cover I won in a recent AMA drawing. When I made arrangements with Nelson-Rigg for shipping, I decided to add their Commuter Sport Tail/Seat bag to the order. In my years of riding I’ve owned a lot of covers and soft luggage, and I’ve been largely satisfied with all of it. But I must say the quality, smart features and attention to detail with the Nelson-Rigg products are the best I’ve ever owned. I’m extremely pleased with these items.

And a special mention to Nelson-Rigg’s representative, Ms. Drinan. My bike is a Yamaha Tracer 900 GT (a relatively new model), and she guessed their sport bike cover would be the best fit. It turned out to be rather snug but acceptable. But she insisted on swapping it for the slightly larger Adventure model, and that one looks and fits great!

Thank you, thank you.

Paul Moreton | Walnut Creek, Calif.

 

CORRECTION: In the September issue of American Motorcyclist, the name of the 2020 AMA Flat Track Grand Championship was listed incorrectly in the table of contents and an article.

Rick May cancels September ride

AMA member Rick May—a senior national adviser on recreation at the U.S. Department of Interior—has canceled a planned 4,000-mile adventure ride with his 31-year-old son, Hunter, due to work obligations. The ride was featured in the September issue of American Motorcyclist.