The Scene

THE SCENE

IVAN J. WAGAR

THE Motorcycle, Scooter & Allied Trades Association (MS&ATA) takes a really constructive step to assure industry uniformity in forthcoming safety recommendations to motorcycle manufacturers. It is MS&ATA opinion, and ours, that governmental bodies will adopt laws to regulate minimum standards for motorcycle and motorcycle equipment manufacturers; how much better it is for everyone, from the manufacturer to the rider, if knowledgeable people within our own group make suggestions toward the standards that should be met.

To initiate the new program, the MS&ATA has sent to all members a lengthy brochure which outlines nine problem areas likely to come under fire during future legislative discussions. Enclosed is a ballot, whereby all members may vote, so where we stand can be truly determined.

The nine categories are: brakes; electrical systems; handlebars and controls; mirrors; seating; sound level limits (although this has little or nothing to do with safety directly, it is generally agreed that we would not have the legislators on our backs if it were not for the inconsiderate few who ride machines with noisy exhausts); tires, tubes and rims; vehicle control location; and windshields.

It will immediately be obvious that helmets have not been mentioned in the brochure; it is not an oversight, as industry already has agreed to recommend Z 90.1 where minimum helmet standards are required. And, as of this date, the majority of helmets currently manufactured will meet Z 90.1, but before one buys a helmet of any description, he should be sure it carries the helmet manufacturer's guarantee to that effect.

In legal terminology, the MS&ATA proposals seem "reasonable and proper."

For example, the trade group seeks standardized identification coding, based on coefficient of friction, thus standardized quality, for motorcycle brake linings. In addition, the association believes minimum brake performance should be deceleration at 20 ft. sec.*, current requirement for passenger cars.

The electrical-illuminating systems standards proposal is for all "motorcycles, and motor driven cycles" to be equipped with battery, headlamp and taillamp; recharge capability; side reflectors; high-low beam switching and high beam indicator; and license plate and rear stoplight illumination.

Among standards proposed under the handlebars and control levers section, the MS&ATA seeks strength and safety in tubular steel bars, with the exception of cast aluminum units for some scooters; minimum width of 24 in. and maximum rise above seat level of 15 in. for handlebars;

and termination of hand control levers in balls of 0.5-in. minimum diameter.

Under the rearview mirror category, the association recommends either flat mirrors or convex mirrors with moderate arc of coverage.

Recommendations for seating basically are that seats designed for two riders be large enough to accommodate two of moderate size bottoms; and that foot pegs and hand holds be provided for the passenger.

Sound level, the MS&ATA recommends, should be limited to 86 db, with a 2-db allowance when sound is measured at full throttle, in an open area, with carefully calibrated electronic test equipment, by trained personnel.

The MS&ATA reports a tire manufacturing firm is preparing standards proposals for incorporation into federal standards, and recommends that motorcycle and scooter wheel rims be standardized in dimensions in order that tires and tubes of identical size from various foreign and domestic manufacturers will be interchangeable.

Perhaps the most striking recommendation on the part of the MS&ATA is that "all motorcycles have the same method of operating the most important controls such as throttle, clutch, brakes and gearchange." The trade association calls for right hand twist grip throttle, right hand lever front brake, right foot rear brake, and left foot gear change controls. This aspect of the proposal may not sit well with some importers, particularly those who deal in British, Spanish and Swedish machinery, and scooters with oddly varied controls systems. Thé change from right to left for gearchange mechanism, if the standard is adopted, will require some re-engineering and re-tooling on the part of manufacturers and re-thinking on the part of riders. On the plus side, standardization will eliminate spills which result when riders change from left to right, or right to left, gear selection, then employ reaction habits learned with the "other" foot.

Also under the controls category, the MS&ATA also recommends positive stop gear change mechanism and location of headlamp beam and horn controls for operation without removal of hands from grips. In addition to positive stop gearboxes, it also recommends a positive limit, which could eliminate the inadvertent and disastrously abrupt first-to-fourth gear change possible with some of the rotary gearchange equipment found on various small displacement machines. Positive limit can,to some extent, prevent both engine damage and rider injury. It would be well if such were standard.

With the view that current federal standards are adequate, the MS&ATA makes no recommendation on windshields.

All in all, MS&ATA proposed standards are very much what now exists. Recognition of the proposed standards by the National Highway Safety Bureau and their incorporation into federal safety standards will but put practice into writing, generally without harm to our sport, perhaps with some benefit.

I OHN POHLAND, in these four photos, caught Cal Rayburn's tremendous fulllock slide as he passed teammate Roger Reiman at the Indianapolis 110-mile AMA National Road Race, reported in CW last

month. Pohland, an amateur photographer, used an 8 mm home movie camera. Cal feels that being able to slide the H-D in this manner at 100 mph is proof of how good the low-boy really is.