It really matters what goes into your gas tank. Just ask Dennis. Thank goodness for several other guys who rushed over to help us roll this Indian into the truck.
I’m picking up where I left off a while ago, offering an overview of what the American Motorcyclist Association listed in their magazine, American Motorcyclist, as the “10 Biggest Threats to Motorcycling.” Let’s continue.
Excessive Sound
Yeah, we’re all familiar with this. Loud pipes save lives. Or they don’t, they just annoy other people. You’ve probably all heard how the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration did a study and concluded there is “little evidence” that louder pipes improve rider safety. This piece also quotes from what they referred to as “an exhaustive study” (pun definitely intended) in Romania that said “The sound produced by a motorcycle is not heard by the drivers of cars in front of you or is heard too late to be able to influence the driver’s decision. Our best advice? Let’s be seen, not heard.”
The downside (per the article): Few other factors contribute more to misunderstanding and prejudice against the motorcycling community than excessively loud motorcycles.” This leads to laws that seek to curtail motorcycling. I guess that would count as a threat to motorcycling.
The fix, as the article continues, includes the AMA’s program of gifting sound meters to AMA-chartered clubs to accurately check the sound emissions of their bikes. “Motorcyclists also have a responsibility to be part of the solution by being sensitive to community standards and respectful of their fellow citizens’ right to enjoy a peaceful environment.”
If you think the issue is valid but the fix offered is a bit week I would agree. Too bad, but can you offer anything better? Then do.
Ethanol
This is simple enough. Federal mandates require use of ethanol fuel, which is generally made from corn. A little is not a particularly bad thing. Too much can damage your motorcycle engine, though not necessarily your car engine. So it’s important that there be good labeling at the gas pumps.
Just a bit more info on the damage: “Ethanol-laced fuel can also be hazardous for bikes stored for weeks or months at a time, as the blend starts to oxidize, separating the ethanol from the gasoline and forming a thick, corrosive sludge that can ravage fuel tanks, fuel systems, and engines.” Not to mention that you get fewer miles to the gallon with ethanol in your fuel.
The main fix they are calling for here has to do with better labeling at the pumps. They also offer measures you can take, such as “using fuel stabilizers, keeping the tank full to limit headspace for air and humidity to get in, or simply filling your tank with ethanol-free petrol.” If you can find it.
You also need to just pay attention. The OFMC was on a trip a few years back and at a gas stop Dennis did not read the signs on the pump carefully and ended up putting diesel fuel in his tank. That was completely on him. That pump was marked. So to the AMA’s suggestion I would add, don’t be stupid.
Biker Quote for Today
Motorcycles are wonderful contraptions, but it’s the people we get to know and hang out with and ride with along the way that make them so special. — Mitch Boehm
Tags: threats to motorcycling