When is it time to downsize?
Emma Franklin’s article on her Hayabusa (MCN, July 7) really got me thinking about my next bike. When is the right time to move down from litreplus models? We all know that today’s big bikes are so finely balanced that weight is not an issue on the move, but pushing and parking is another matter. I’m now 61 and have to admit that although I think I have a similar body shape to Sly Stallone in Rambo and look just like George Clooney, my wife assures me this is not actually the case. Seriously, I’m suffering with arthritis but am determined to stay young via biking among other things. So what should I be riding?
Mark Bonner, email
Norton’s V4 dilemma
Much as I wish the best for the new Norton company owners, I fear that the poisoned chalice that’s been created by the flawed V4SS produced by the old regime won’t be emptied unless their owners are provided with new bikes free of charge. Parent company TVS may argue that it’s not responsible for the errors of old Norton but ‘goodwill’ gestures are thin when most of the outside world won’t be able to see the difference between ‘old’ bikes and ‘new’. The V4SS is bad news in their eyes. TVS has a mountain to climb in building credibility as it is without having to having to start making new V4SS machines on the back foot. Why not cut your losses new CEO Robert Hentschel, give the aggrieved owners free bikes and crush the old ones in a public display? John Nutting, Kent
They can bob right off! What is it with people cutting the arse end off classics to make ‘bobbers’? Most of these creations are not only ugly but there’s a lot of bodge jobs too. I can’t see the fascination in ruining a bike. A good example is a Honda Super Magna I saw on a well-known auction site which looked like it had just had its back end hacked off. Just rebuild old bikes as they were meant to be. Steve Goodman, North Yorkshire
Sammy saves the day
My wife and I rode down to the Sammy Miller Museum on Sunday as we’d not been before and they had an Italian Day. We took our Moto Guzzi V10 Sport and were a bit annoyed when about 15 miles before we got there the exhaust cross over fractured. It made it a tad noisy but didn’t stop us having a great visit. Eventually it was time to go and we went back to the now very loud V10, I put it in gear and… the gear change ball joint sheared off. Called the AA, got a truck booked for about three hours later (never breakdown on a Sunday by the coast). Sammy went past and we had a chat, he had a look at the problem and agreed there was no way to bodge it for a 100-mile ride home. He went past again about an hour later and said: “Oh no you’re still here, bring it over to the workshop, I’m sure I can fix it.” And he did. He removed the sheared ball joint, fitted a new one, got the old thread out of the gear lever and put in a new socket screw. Thanks Sammy, you saved the day. Julia & Ray Hall, email
I’m not past it after all… For as long, as I can remember I have been having pain in my right forearm which has been becoming worse and worse and made me think I was getting too old for sportsbikes. But then I went to see a sports therapist and it turns out I have two big muscle knots in my forearm. I always cover the brake with two fingers and this has been causing the pain as my hand is in an unnatural position. I’ve now moved the lever downwards so I can still cover the brake and my hand is at a more natural angle. It took a few goes to get it right but it’s made a big difference. The therapist described it as ‘body ergonomics’, adjusting the things you do (bad habits) to reduce the risk of injury. Gary McMullan, email
Get radical at the TT
The TT re-think, with two weekends, extra races and live TV, has maybe missed an opportunity for a more radical overhaul. Speed is not the only skill. The world needs to slow down and explore less damaging skills, entertaining us in different ways. Wouldn’t it be great if the TT was a test, not just of racing around the Mountain Circuit, but also of other classes such as trials and motocross. Just doubling up on the existing races leaves less room for innovative alternatives. Sean Wood, Hove, Sussex
Just let the lads race!
Michael Scott has it spot on – all these potty rules are ruining racing. It all seems to be going the same way as F1. To the FIM stewards, I say: “Come on guys, let’s have a bit of common sense and let everyone race.” I’ve been following motorcycle sport since the early 70s and also raced for two years at club level. So please, let’s get this sorted. MA Chapman, Rutland