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/128314
"This is not a high school football pep rally." letters to the editorshould be sent to Voices, CycleNews, PO Box 508.4, Coste Meso, CA92628·5084; faxed 10 71<1-751-6685 or emoiled 10 edilor@cydenews.com. Published letters do not neceuarily reflect the position of Cycle News, Inc. letters should not exceed 200 words, and all ore subject to editing. Anonymous letters will nol be consideredfor publication. All letters should containthe writer's name, address and daytime phone number... Edifor. Helmet Laws Every time I see a lette r like the one from Doug Newberry regarding helmet laws and the AMA, I cringe. For the record, I wear a helmet and believe anyone who doesn't is a fool. That said, I don't know how anyone cou ld consider "safe , sane and in-place helmet laws" a good thing. I've got news for you, Doug, riding a motorcycle isn't the safest mode of transportation with or without a helmet. I know - I live and ride in Southern California, so if you are concerned about safe and sane, why not just drive a car or "cage" as bikers call them? And that's the whole point here: It's about freedom that's why most people ride. The analogy of AAA turning back child restraint laws is just silly. You can't compare a child to an adult with a driver's license. If you are old enough to have a driver's license, you are old enough to read the scientific proof that helmets save lives. If you choose not to educate you rself, or just simply not to wear a helmet, so be it! The California state legislature is infamous for its law-making abilities. Take firearms, for instance : banning certain guns because of nothing more than their appearance, not how they function or what they shoot, but how they look! This same idiocy is app lied to things like motorcycle laws, and the helmet law is a toe in the door. What if these same legislators decide that new streetbikes are too powerfu l? Should they make laws limiting horsepower or engine size? Don't th ink that these things aren't being considered because they are . Let's spend the energy educating riders on the benefits of helmets, not encouraging more laws to protect us from ourselves. The AMA isn't perfect to be sure , but this is one battle that needs to be fought hard, and I am behind them I00 percent. Joel Rule Buena ParI<, CA Helmet Laws II Regarding the letter in issue #7 from Doug Newberry: Mr. Newberry has obviously bought into the mistaken idea that helmet laws somehow makes motorcycling safer, when in fact safer motorcycling is achieved through education - education of riders to equip them with the proper skills to be safe riders , and education of the motoring public to be aware of motorcycles on the open road. Mandatory helmet laws are an approach dedicated to "safer crashing." Most of the 4 MARCH 10,2004 • people who are against helmet laws prefer a "safer riding" approach to motorcycle safety. Helmets themselves are injury reduction devices that have a limited effectiveness. In view of those limits, adults, especially American adults , should have the freedom to choose for themselves whether or not to wear one . The child restraints and seat belts that Mr. Newberry points to as an analogy are infinitely more effective in their intended use. Helmet laws have no bearing on the medical insurance issue, nor do they have any bearing on insurance rates that riders pay to insure their motorcycles. Mr. Newberry's statements about the AMAand A.B.A.T only show that he is in .E desperate need of education about how those organizations work and what motorcycl ists rights are all about, and how important it is to the survival of motorcycling. Mandatory helmet laws are the first shot of those who wish to attack and ultimately eliminate motorcycling altogether. takeout moves are back in play we can , expect the sport to resume its slide into WWF land. For a brief moment there, I thought my AMA dues were something other than a compete waste of money, required only to race. Wrong! Harry RItter via the Internet Ban The Sprinkler Bubba Stewart's sprinkler dance was the single most embarrassing moment in te levised motorcycle history. That kid is unholy fast, but somebody had better introduce him to "cool" in a hurry! Shawn McAtee Jim Viverito via the Internet A Real Biker? After my ride this weekend, I have come to the conclusion that I am not a real biker. Despite having ridden several times a month for almost 20 years, I just don't fit in. I wear a helmet every time I'm on a bike, dirt or street. All my bikes are quiet . I don't own any black leather. I obey the speed limit (well, most of the time) and have never done a wheelie or a stoppie. I keep both hands on the bars. I don't hang a $400 custom-painted lid from my helmet lock when I'm riding. I wave to all other bikers. I don't ride a straight-piped V-twin. I don't ride a lSO hp sportbike. In sandals. With my cap backwards . 50 if you ever see a guy quietly rolling along on an older Honda CB, or a newer KDX, wearing all the protective gear he can buy, just smile and wave back. Even if I'm not a real biker. Scott Heinrich Denver, CO Back To Normal? So it looks like all is back to "normal" in the supercross series. That is, Steve Whitelock has been slapped down and told to go with the status quo . Must have been the great racing we saw when the racers thought that the AMA would actually enforce something. Now that Kevin Windham's penalty has been reversed and the front-wheel CYCLE NEWS 40t h An niver sa ry Yorba Linda, CA Good And Bad We attended the Atlanta Supercross for about the sixth or seventh year. As someone who started watching supercross in 1977, I've seen a lot of changes. Many for the better and some that are disappointing. In Atlanta, we (my children and I)were impressed, as always, by the smoothness of the top riders . The three fights that we witnessed - one in the stands and two on the track - gave it a bit of that distasteful WWF flavor. However, I think the AMA will probably deal with the extracurricular track activity just fine. We thought that Tyler Evans coming to the platform shirtless and using foul language was kind of tacky, but we were not really surprised. Most of the other riders were very pro fessional in their interviews. z I On the pos itive side, the pres how intros and fi reworks were very creative wand first class. As is the case every year, GJ we got really tired of hearing the t;; announcers yell, "How 'bout it Atlanta! >m We want to hear some nooiiissseee!" Come on, guys, give us a break. This is iE not a high school football pep rally. People will cheer when there is something to get excited about. As I see supercross grow ing in popularity, it is good to see so many new and young faces coming out to see such a great sport. Keep up the good work, Cycle News; your coverage is always firstclass! Jack Underwood Knoxville, TN ffi 5 MotoX Moms Rule Being assured that taxis would be waiting when the event was over, we took a cab to the Houston Supercross. With our two daughters (ages 4 and I) in tow and in bitterly cold weather, Reliant Stadium atten dants directed us through the pits where they said the taxi stand would be. You guessed it. There were no cabs, no stand and nothing but miles of traffic. Cell phone, you ask? Yes, but the cab company responded that there were no cabs available. With no option other than several miles of walking while carrying two cold and crying youngsters, we noticed a single rental car (with its heater on) idlingin the pits. It was none other than Davi Milsaps' mom, Colleen . And she graciously delivered us, toasty warm, to the front door of our hotel. So many thanks to Mrs. Milsaps from two little girls and their parents. Go get them, Davi, and thank your mom for us. Rick Luedtke Baton Rouge, LA