Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

Guest Editorial RACE PREP NO. 9: ADJUST/W. CHAIN The energy crisis is not serious. If it were, our government would be more serious about doing something to reduce the effects of a shortage , not just creating a situation solely to raise the cost of fuel to the general public. Logic would point to their lack of a serious approach to the "energy crisis ." As an example of their casual attitude, you need onl y know the majority user of gasoline in - America is the government. They use 55% of our fuel supplies. Since Jimmy Carter took office, the use of chauffeur driven gove rnment limos has increased, not decreased . There are so many obvious ways our government could show they are serious about conserving energy .. . If they did , perhaps we would get mo re serious too. Let's look a t some glaring examples of energy waste that are designed by our frivilous "big brother." Have you ever noticed most City, County, State and Federal office buildings are under the spot lights? Not only in a political sense but in the literal sense, 100. There are huge carbon arc or mercury vapor lights shining on the outside of these buildings, assorted statues and monuments , all night long. How many tons of coal, barrels of oil or cubic feet of gas could be saved by turning off the switches on all but those involving security? Something else our governments could do would be to time the stop lights in urban areas to help the flow of traffic. It is a known fact that almost 80% of all the gasoline consumed in this country is burned in the cities. Timing the lights to help traffic flow into the business and industrial area's in the morning and out of them at night would save untold millions of barrels of oil per year. Instead of any of these perhaps simplistic solutions, our governments turn their attention 10 the 55mph blackmail. They argue that the lower speeds save lives. Hell , if 55 saves lives, how many more would be saved at 45 or even 25? We ' could use the government's logic to do away with the need for gasoline alltogetherl The proposed closing of gas stations on weekends brought the governors of 14 states 10 the conclusion it would hurt their economy. Most were tourist states. I was amused to hear the voices of these governors raised in a loud chorus of "Not Me Lord." They didn't feel the 55mph law hurt their economy, just the closing of weekend tourist business. That is the kind of thinking we are faced with. The slower speeds are blamed for an increase of over six billion dollars of inflation, due to wasted time and longer delivery schedules. But this didn't affect the governors, just the business men and the public. The plan to ration gasoline will put motorcycles in the category of all recreational vehicles, including motorhornes and boats . This will mean a lower priority for gas . It has been suggested motorcycles should receive about 10% of the allotment allowed for automobiles. Although some motorhornes average only about five miles per gallon 'a nd som e boats even less, the motorcycle, considered one of the most fuel-efficient methods of transportation in the wo'r1d averaging 'well over 30 mpg, will be penalized because it does not conform to the bureaucrats' idea of transportation . Again I say, they ain't really serious. Let's suppose for a minute the governments.decided to give us a real showy example of fuel conservation and had all the lights turned off on the Las Vegas Strip one night a week . Suppose they turned off the lights on their own office buildings and gave all their employees one day off per week with the provision they not use any gasoline or electricity that day . I suspect that within a month there would be such a glut of fuel the oil companies would be complaining and once again involved in the price war to . dispose of their over- production. Some scientists have suggested other fuels be used in autos and trucks, thereby saving the oil for more important tasks such as manufacturing plastics, tires and of course, lubrication. If this were done, the existing supply would. last for an extra few thousand years . The alternate fuel exists now; race cars at Indy have used it for years . It 's called alcohol. This is one of th e best , fuels available for the present internal combustion engine . It not only pollutes less than gasoline, it is self replenishing because it is produced from plants. The pollution from using alcohol is not harmful. It consists of carbon dioxide and water, not the hydrocarbons produced by gasoline. Engineers have stated it would cost perhaps less than $20 to convert present-day autos from gasoline to alcohol. Apparently, the conversion consists of a timing and a main jet change. Because there are no pollutants, all the anti -pollution devices could be removed from the vehicle to make up for the efficiency difference between the fuels. As for the safety factor, a chemical substance could be added to produce a bright color when the fuel is burned in the open air and to prevent some yacko from trying to drink the stuff. There are a few experimental service stations in the midwest offering a mixture of alcohol and gasoline to their customers. The program seems to be working and it is proving a greater benefit than some realized. The farmers love it because they ca n " sell the grain to produce the alcohol. Weeds, like the ones in the South that choke the intercoastal waterways and clog the Georgia hills , can be converted in to alcohol. The by . product of the conversion is a protein that could be used to feed both animals and people. There would be less chance of accidents involving the transportation of this fuel because of several factors . The greatest is there would be little need for huge pipelines criss-crossing t he country. Wherever things grow there could be the facility · to convert that growth into the fuel. To my understanding, there is only one remaining hitch in making th is dream come true. The oil companies don't have a handle on things that grow. They have the control of the oil , gas, coal and atomic fuels but they have no controls on growing things . No friends, I say again , the , government just ain 't serious. When and if I see our governments , not only the Federal but the City, County and State, show me by example, I will do my part and more if possible, 10 help. I suspect all of us will. Until then, if the government is not serious. I see no reason why I should be. . . . . John Wyckoff THERE'SA LOT OF 'EM I used almost as many chain lubes as chains. And a lot of them do more harm than good. You know what I'm talking about .. . lubes that attract everything on the track. W ....TECH IS sOMDHING ELSE When I first used Lubri-Tech Off-Road chain lube, I - for the first time in my life - become a fan 'of a cha in lube. I got bock to the pits and my chain was free of that gooey build-up so familiar with other brands of chain lubes. ' W . .I.TECH OFF.ROAD PENnRATEs The port of the cha in you see never wears out. It's inside the chain at points of metal to metal contact where wear can shorten chain life. Lubri-Tech Off-Rood Chain Lube penetrates to where the action is - cleaning out grit and leaving a layer of amazing "Moly" to minimize wear. HEY,I'M NOT SEWNG CHAIN LU E I just use the stuff, lots of it. Like after I wash my bike. I spray on Lubri-Tech LT-22, a really good moisture displacer to get rid of the water. Then I apply Lubri-Tech Off-Road Chain Lube. Think about that every time you buy a chain. Shouldn't you be using the chain lube made for dirt bikes. Lubri-Tech doesn't call it Off-Road for nothing. SERIOUS NO. 1 T-Shirt. Send $5 and size S, M, L or XL. Serious No. 1 cap, one adjustable size, $5. Lubrl-Tech Products, 1251 N. Kilbourne Rd. Gurnee, III. 60031 Alwaysfollow therecommendationsof motorcycle and equipment manufacture",_ AtwQ)'s use Lubri-Techlubricants and performance chemicalsasrecommended. lubri.TechProducts, 1251 N. Kilborne Rd Gurnee,ll60031 . ., 5

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