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/126785
Risk (ContinI/I'd (rqll/ page 5) petroleum-based engine oil holding up. We ran a box-stock GSllOO in a four-hour race once, never saw the oil temperature gauge budge from 320 0 F: we finished econd. And when the engine came apart it was juSt fine: when the oil was analyzed, it was fine. The oil company researchers weren't in the business of spreading B orself-illusion. They.ran test involving other brands of F-rated petroleum and synt\1etic-ba ed motorcycle oils; none turned in.to carbon gel at high sump temperatures. What thi all means is this: if you run your street bike near the redline for any length of time, engine oil temperatures 'will probably approach or exceed 300 0 F in the sump. If you run SF-rated oil intended for use in motorcycle engines, and if you change that oil at 1000 or l500-mile intervals, you will not have oil-related problems with your motorcycle. So when you see 300 0 F creep up on the gauge, don't panic; and if you encounter magazine-type doomsayers, ask 'em when they were last involved in an oil R&D program. • I/q~;II~t GOVf:RNMENT B.S. By Matt Benson· Behs. bags and bikes Strange new things are afoot in the world of government regulation of automobiling. And those things may.well bring on a revival of motorcycling's most persistent legislative and philsophical problem, the helmet law. Midway through July, two thirrgs occurred which were coincidental but intertwined. First, on July I I, U.S. Transportation Secretary Elizabeth Dole announced the federal government's long-anticipated decision on crash-protection rellurrements for automobiles, a complicated batch of rules that mayor may not require an airbag in your 1990 car. Second: on the following day, New York Governor Mario Cuomo signed the nation's first law mandating seatbelt use for a large portion of a state's population. For several reasons, these two actions point toward a resurgence in Slate helmet-use legislation, but before discussing helmet laws it will be enlightening to look at what Dole and Cuomo have done to alter driving. The federal Department of Transportation has for years been wrestling with the issue of "automatic crash protection" - generally viewed as airbags or automatic seatbelts - as a means of reducing highway carnage. After much proposing, unproposing and litigating. Dole and the DOT came up with their unique solution. . Beginning with the 1987 model year, 10% of the new cars sold in this country will have to be equipped to meet a 30-mph, head-on crash test which means using automatic belts, airbags or "friendly" interior .In the following ears1lhe level go l.\P 2~ ,j 1 l' '" 1 • • ... \ and 40%. finally reaching 100% with 19OO-model cars. Sound simple enough? Well, there's a big Cinch. 1£ by April Fool's Day, 1989, enough states adding up to two-thirds of the nation's population enact mandatory seatbelt laws, the DOT"s automatic-protection rules will be rescinded. 0 it's safe to say that you may have an airbag in yq.ur 1990 car, or you may have to buckle up because of Slate law, or neither. As the DOT sta(f was putting the finishing touches on that bureaucratic masterpiece, ew York lawmakers were quickly moving their seatbelt bill through the legislature. After its introduction on May 8, it took enate Bill 9250 only until June 28 to reach the governor, a short time for such landmark legislation. After December I, all front-seat car passengers on New York highways will be required to be belted in. After January I, 1985, police can begin i suing $50 citations to the unrestrained. Exempted under the law are those in trucks, vans, buses and pre1966 cars, as well as those with valid medical excuses. Though New York legislators weren't acting with DOT's new rules in mind when they passed the belt law, we can chalk up the Empire State and its 17.5 mi Ilion people as £irst on the seatbelt scoreboard. 1£ the country's most populous states fall in line, it will take 15 more states to reach the two-thirds seatbelt-Iaw quota. That New York actually passed a seatbelt law and that the federal DOT tied its crash-hardware requirements to state belt laws are two unlikely occurrences. As recently as two years ago, the DOT was predicting that seatbelt laws were unfeasible. But the grassroots outrage over drunk driving and the popularity of childrestraint laws has altered the public's perception of highway safety. What will this mean for helmet laws? It's safe to predict that as long as New York has a seatbelt law, it will also have a helmet law. The parity argument - the one that goes, "1£ drivers don't have to wear sea tbelts , why do bikers have to wear helmets?" - is defunct now in New York. And parity will overshadow the freedomof-choice argument as well. On a broader level, as state legislatures begin to seriously consider seatbelt legislation, I believe we'll also see them work on helmet-use bills or against helmet repealers. One federal official confidentially promised that once a state has its seatbelt law, the feds will also encourage legislators to make sure the state's motorcyclists are helmeted as well. One group which aims to see that enough states do pass seatbelt laws is our domestic automobile industry. Most carmakers have said they'll push for belt laws rather than gear up to put airbags or other safety technology in their cars. Additionally, there have been belt bills introduced in many state legislatures in the past couple years, and the DOT action will give the legislation a real sense of legitimacy. Before long, car travelers may be as confused about the patchwork of state eatbelt laws a touring motorcyclists are about today's helmet laws. Motorcy lists' - and drivers con erned about protecting their freedom to choose are warned to be alert to the changing mood toward highway safety. The push for belt laws will bring a renewed interest in motorcycle safety, which to most people means helmets. Just as motorcycling activists were able to begin to put the helmet-law debate behind them somewhat and move on to more po itive goals, here come a new reason for the do-gooders to get back into motorcyling. I • ~~ r< t) ... 1)1 II r-=-===- YAMAHA PARTS WAREHOUSE Yo"'- of Downers Grow INtu... 0 hugoo - o r t of gonulna Y _ ports, .. "'1 .. 0 ............ otocIc of rte•. wo·.. got M ollin ..ocl<, .-y 10 .hlp 10 you. wo 0 _ lho _ _ pricos _ lho _ oorvtc:el Or-. clroc:t _ ....! REAR SPROCKETS Yl8O f14.1().'3S...96 Yll00/125/250 .••••• "8 5O-t3S!t5 Yl4Q0/4S5/49O .•..•......... t36.95 CHAIN Yl80 . . . . . . ••. •••. ..•. "4.95·'30.95 VIl00 '1495·13595 Yl125 lhru 490.. 124 95·US 9S 428 and 520 "oded ." all lenvth. ptSTON KITI. RINGS GENUINE Y... MAHA ptSTON KITS Con.j.~ of pt.ton. nng•. _1St Pf" & c,rclll)l' Yleo '22.50-132.50 Yl.l00 '22 50-125.95 Yl125 .........••.. ; .. t23.50·'39.SO Yl250 '37 90,'56.30 Yl4(X)/485/4.9O ••.... • 4.2.7().'55.SO PI.... Indte:ate vear and l'TIICIdIIl. plus bore SIze: 5td-l't·2nd·3rd·4th. CLUTCH PLATES Genu,ne Vemahe ptau" FilER PLATES Yl80 ....•.........•.. U 00-54 40EA Yll00/125 4OEA Yl2SQ Chru 490 ...•.•. '6 zo..7 lOEA STEEL D .. IVEN PLATES • Replace '!"Our .tDdt aluminum Ol'wen plate. WI,h ge"u"", Vamaha opuonal .t..1 ptate. GENUINE VAMAHA RINGS YlSO t48S·.,2.50 VZl00 '4.95 YZ125 .........•........ 'S.JO."4.BO VZ250 '9 go·fl4.eo VZ400/"S5/490 . . .. .. 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KE SHOES GENUINE VAMAHA SHOES CRANK'KlTS CRANK REBUILD KITS GenuIM V.mahe pans • con~Il' of con· r'leCting rod. u~r and lower rod beer· .ng•. cr..... pin and two thrult wa.hers Yleo ....••.•.• _...... .33.80· ... 5.95 Yl100 ...•..•......... 134.80,'40.95 Yl125 ....•........... 134.80-'40.95 Yl250.. .. .. .. . . . . . . .. 139.80·......90 VZ4(X)/48S/490 142.eo CMNK MAIN BEARING AND SEAL KIT G.nu,ne Vamaha r>aru . Con'1SIS of two ma." beerings and I\IIWJ cra" ... 1 •. Yl80 •• .• . . . . . . .. . .. .. "2 70·121.30 Yll00 "7.50 VZ125. '17.50·"9.40 VZ250 ..............•. 122.SO-131.00 Yl.aoo/46~49O ..•......••... t22.50 M" _. _ •••••••• Front 512 80·'13 BO/PR VZ100 ...................•• 13.40/PR Yl12S ........•..••...••.•• 5990/PR YZ250 thru 490 .... '"9.90-'12.00/PR Rear Ylao t8 20"13.90/PR Yll00 ••..•............... S11 90/PR Yl125 "1.90-f1S.90/PR Yl250 "2.40-122.90/PR. Yl4(X)/"SS/490 .. " 5.90-S22.90/PR SPROCKETS. 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