If You Had Asked Me…

Is it really May already? The start of another month means one thing. It’s time for  fresh edition of “If You Had Asked Me, I Would Have Told You…”

It’s kind of a catch-all column for news items and press releases that accumulate over the month infused with a dollop of opinion.

So, “If You Had Asked Me, I Would Have Told You…”

– That I chuckled a bit when watching a recent episode of “Motorweek” on PBS/CPTV. Pat Goss did a segment on what riders should take with them on a road trip and was joined by a Lyndon Abel from Rommel Harley-Davidson. Abel’s first suggestion was that every rider must have a tool kit “to have a little bit of safety.”

Really? A tool kit tops the list? Why?

Sure, I once had an old 1969 Triumph that often stranded me on the side of a road, and I did have a 2003 Harley-Davidson V-Rod that once stopped running on me mid-ride and at 50 mph due when I was 20 miles from home due to a bad battery connection, and, yes, I do have a 1994 Moto Guzzi California that quit on me three miles from the garage last fall – but most modern bikes are so reliable that having a full tool kit is almost superfluous.

Among the items that I would consider more important and useful are 1) rain gear, 2) a charger for my cell phone, and 3) all my meds.

– We need a “dead red” law in Connecticut … and New York … and Massachusetts … and every other state in New England. Only 16 states have a law that permits motorcyclists to proceed at a stop light after a period of time (one minute, two minutes or a “reasonable amount of time”) if the light doesn’t change to green and provided that there’s no traffic coming.

It’s needed because motorcycles don’t always trip traffic signals, which forces riders to wait and wait and wait until a car comes up behind them. Ever pull across a stop line to ensure that a car behind you can trigger the signal? I got stuck in Litchfield, CT recently because the traffic light didn’t know that I was there.

“If you has asked me, I would have told you…”

– There’s no wisdom in offering “free beer’ at a motorcycle dealership as Harley-Davidson of Danbury plans to do at its Cinco de Mayo party on Thursday night to those who RSVP. Drinking and riding simply don’t mix.

As I’ve said before, given the high death rate of motorcyclists who are intoxicated, we all should do everything possible to actively discourage drinking and riding. And what about the liability for the dealership should someone crash after attending the party? Serving barley pop seems risky to me.

– HJC Helmets has cut a deal with Marvel Entertainment to start producing a Super Hero line of lids. Helmets will celebrate Captain America, Iron Man and the Punisher and will cost between $174.99 and 249.99. They will be available this month. Cool idea! How do you hold a shield and ride? The same way you hold a beer glass?

– Some new products are hits and some are misses. Just where the proposed Roame Zeros motorcycle shoes will fall remains to be seen, but I know I’d feel weird wearing them. The Zeros will be offered beginning Monday through a Kickstarter campaign. What makes them different electronics.

The company says, “We have patented and developed our own wireless turn signal and brake light technology and integrated it into the shoe. After adding a small box to your existing motorcycle’s blinker and brake light system, the shoes become wireless blinkers and brake lights. When you use your left blinker, the bottom of the left shoe blinks yellow. When you use your right blinker, the bottom of the right shoe blinks yellow. And when you use your brakes, the backs of both shoes light up red.”

I’m thinking that the saddlebags on the Moto Guzzi Norge would likely block anyone behind me from seeing my feet. And, as I said, I’d feel weird having blinking feet. Then again, I date back to the days of Keds, PF Flyers and Converse All-Stars.

“If you had asked, I would have told you that…”

–  A post last week by Kevin Cameron of “Cycle World” should go viral because of the wisdom it contains. Cameron’s is don’t rev the throttle immediately upon starting your bike. It simply isn’t necessary with modern machines and could be damaging.  On top of that, it reduces the din that pisses off neighbors, drivers and other riders.

– EBR Motorcycles began an online auction today of parts and unused equipment. There are seats, saddlebags, shocks and even milling machines.

Following up in the April edition of “If You Had Asked Me…”

Hamlin Cycles in Bethel, CT has fixed the egregious spelling mistake in a headline on its website that I griped about.

And after taking a dig at the Connecticut D.M.V. by noting how quickly Ohio’s D.M.V. had gotten me a title for the Moto Guzzi Norge that I recently purchased in the Buckeye State, lo and behold, Connecticut delivered me a title for the bike in only six days. Kudos!

Until next month…