Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126403
IGuest Editorial I Show your Iron I waste gasoline. You waste gasoline, We all waste gasoline, Every time you or I jump into our four-wheel vehicles (you're excused to go out riding if you own a VW Rabbit Deisel or similar four wheeler) we waste gasoline. While our precious motorcycles sit silent in garages. basements. carports. ~torage sheds or whatever, we jump into our cars and trucks and sleepily plod our way to work, lazily drive down to the corner store. .and waste gasoline. A European journalist asked this qu~tion of Harley-Davidson's John Davidson at Daytona: "You Americans talk about conserving gasoline. I've been in America for several days and on the highways of your country I see very, very few motorcycles. Yet in Europe I see many. many motorcycles. Why don't you Americans ride your motorcycles?" Why. indeed? Rather than dwell on why we don't ride our motorcycles - each and everyone of us could come up with some excuse - let's talk about why we should and must ride. In this issue (see page 14), we've presented to you the administration's plans to put you under "house arrest. " }N'hy? They say we're running short of oil. Why? We waste energy. While the EPA is requiring auto manufacturers to meet set miles- per· gallon figures, . motorcycles in JUSt about every case short of a Top Fuel dragster or full -fledged road racer provide miles-per-gallon far in excess of anyt~ ing Big Brother is requiring now or m the future of Detroit. Yet, when gas -rationing was being talked a bo u t we were told we'd receive 10 % of the amount of gasoline allocated for each registered car, light truck , etc . ~hy? We don't ride our motorcycles. It s a cold da y in hell (or Atlanta) when I don't ride a bike to work . Yet there are many, many days that in my l l -rnile trek I don't see another motorcycle. Just hundreds of cars, O~ one rainy day last winter, I received the attention that comes from bei~g the "Lone Ranger." It was d~nng one of Atlanta 's monsoon-type ramy seasons and I was attired in my baby blue Dry Rider rain suit. While waiting for a traffic light to flash green , I was mooned. That's right mooned! The youngster who mooned me was perhaps telling me I was an oddball. Would he have bothered to moon me if I were one of hundreds of motorcyclists on the road and he was the only or one of a few four-wheel vehicle operators out there? You know the answer to that , I'm. tired of being the oddba1I. I'm tired of being the Lone Ranger. I'm tired of pulling up at our office and pulling into the "Bikes only" parking space and being the only one to do so, I'm tired of visiting motorcycle manu facturers' offices and seeing nothing but cars parked outside. I'm tired of reading letters about why "we motorcyclists" don't receive attention in Sports Illustrated and in daily newspaper sports sections. and on TV. Hell, we're invisible. Why should we receive attention? Why should we be thought of when gas· rationing is considered? . End .all my woes and end all your complaints. Be a motorcyclist. Not just on the nice-weather weekends. Not just in Sunday's motocross or enduro. Be a motorcyclist every day. Every damn day . You'll conserve energy. You'll have a b~ll . And you'll beco~e somebody. You 11 , be rta -mororcyclist . Isn't that what you tell everyone you are? /' r: YOU WANT A HIGH V.I. FORK OIL I know thot Lubri-Tech High V.1. fork Oil maintoins fork performance for longer.than ordinary fork oils. Hey, Lubri-Tech invented fork ail for motorcycles alm~st ten years ago and they have kept up With the .s p~rt. Th~m high~r viscosity index (V.I.) means that their oil retams consistent thickness through a broader range of temperatures. Jack Mangus TREAT YOUR FORKSRIGHT I don't take chances with my suspension . You haven't . been racing in the dirt very lang if you don 't mspect your forks regularly. If forks are leoking, the seals are probably shot . . . and it might be caused by the oil you're using.lubri-Tech keeps seals from drymg out .or swellmg. Some other fork oils actually cause a swellm~ of the seals. I don't want that, you don 't, and certamly no manufactu rer of quality forks recommends distorting the seals . "DIAL IN" A WINNING FEEL If you know your bike like I do, you can play around with various . we ights of Lubri-Tech High V.I. Fork Oil to ge t the feel· . and response you want. B!end Lubri-Tech oils to get the viscosity . you know you can wm With. Change fork oil weight as track conditions require. But, remember to care for your forks. .When I follow the Lubri-Tech 12 step race prep and use Lu~n-Tech q~?hty products, it reminds me to have my bike ready when ,t s lime to race, When you're your own tuner, you need all the help you can get. Alwa ys follow the, r ecomm e~dafjons of motor cycle and equipment manufodurers. Alwoy:s use lu~n -Tech lubnconh and performance chemicals as recommended. Lubri-Iech Prcdccts, 1251 N. Kilborne Rd .• Gurnee . Il 60031. . .. . .... .. - - - - - ---- '- ------ 5