Oil Drippings: News and Opinion

By Bud Wilkinson of RIDE-CT.com

Honda’s recalling Gold Wing/GL1800s for the model years 2001-2010 and 2012 for a possible braking system problem. The company reports that “the compensating port hole inside the secondary master cylinder can become blocked… If this occurs, the rear brake temperature and pressure progressively increase.” The potential risks are a crash or a rear brake fire. Owners of affected Gold Wings will be contacted by mail by the end of January to bring their bikes in for inspection and, if necessary, the replacement of the secondary master cylinder by their dealer.

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Leslie Porterfield, the world’s fastest woman on a motorcycle, has been added to the lineup of several upcoming stops on the Progressive International Motorcycle Shows tour, including this weekend’s event in her hometown of Dallas. She will also be appearing at the New York show on Jan. 20 and 21. Porterfield, who owns High Five Cycles in Dallas, set a land-speed record for a woman going 232 miles per hour in Bonneville in 2008. Meanwhile, Victory has been teasing the introduction of a new model on Dec. 9 at the PIMS in Long Beach. A press release from the event also suggests that new models from other makers might be unveiled.

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Condolences to the family and friends of Bob Lavoie of Bantam who died after sustaining serious head injuries in a motorcycle accident last Sunday. My gut always churns when I read newspaper accounts such as the one for Lavoie that include the words “…wasn’t wearing a helmet.” Why riders don’t do everything possible to protect themselves when riding escapes me. Protection works. I’ve been doing some storm cleanup lately and two friends advised me to buy protective chaps and wear them when using the chain saw. They noted, “You don’t ride without a helmet, do you?” So I went and bought chaps – just in case. That’s the point of protection. So sad.