flashback 25 years ago
A NATIONAL TELEVISION COM- mercial airing in late 1990 and early 1991 was the subject of much discussion in the March 1991 issue of Owners News. The commercial depicted a male motorcyclist and a female auto- mobile driver narrowly avoiding a frightening head-on collision. The motorcyclist was shown as the bad guy, carelessly taking a sleep-inducing over-the-counter cold medicine before jumping on his bike and recklessly blasting down the highway endanger- ing innocent motorists. The motorcy- clist took Sudafed. An editorial in the issue asked,
“Can you imagine what image mil- lions of television viewers glued to their TV sets during this 60-second, anti-motorcyclist propaganda now have about motorcyclists? The com- mercial for Sudafed would have them believe that motorcyclists are drug crazed, reckless individuals not responsible for their own actions or
for the safety of others on the road who can’t read or abide by the warning labels on potentially dangerous over-the-counter drugs.” Several Letters to the Editor offered a similar disgust for the commercial and “speaking for the hundreds of other offended motorcyclists who have written Owners News and other motorcycle publi- cations” called for a boycott of Sudafed and all products manufactured by the Burroughs Wellcome Company. In Part Two of his interview with Hans
Koudella, Vice President of BMW of North America, BMW Owners News Editor Cecil King asked, “What do you think the motor- cycle will be like by the year 2000 in light of some of recent legislative actions?” Koudella responded, “The motorcycle
will be lighter with certain improvements in the steering area. In the engine, I do not see that much evolution. The tendency to increase horsepower and performance are close to the limits now.” Owners News Safety Editor Jeff Dean’s
article discussed the natural erosion of rid- ing skills riders in the north face, based on their inability to ride during the winter months. Dean’s statements are as true today as ever. “In addition to the fact that the roadway
itself may be more hazardous because of winter road debris and surface damage, an experienced rider should be able to ‘antici- pate and accommodate’ these changes and expect them,” he said. Some of Dean’s additional suggestions
for riders getting back in the saddle after a significant layoff include: 1. Accept the fact that riding skills are likely to have diminished over the winter.
2. The best way to decrease the danger of a hazard is to slow down.
3. Increase your “space cushion” to allow more room for errors. Because skills may be diminished, try to ride smarter and think more about everything going on around you.
4. Check your motorcycle, especially the tires, before taking it out for the first time. Adding under-inflated tires to an eroded riding skillset is a recipe for disaster.
96 BMW OWNERS NEWS March 2016 10 years ago
BENEATH A HEADLINE READING “LIFE’S Curves, Part Two,” Owners News Editor Sandy Cohen recalled her first headline used on her first column in April of 1998 when she slipped behind the editor’s desk after the sudden passing of Don Douglass. The March 2006 issue of BMW Owners News was Cohen’s last. Using her Headlight column, she offered
thanks for the opportunity to serve the MOA and described a t-shirt she found at a dealer years earlier that said, “When life throws you a curve, lean into it.” “No matter how well-planned a journey
may be, I’ve learned that maps will never be able to show all the detours a ride may entail,” she said. “We share the joy of freedom, the appreciation of nature, the contentment of being alone without thoughts and have experienced the instant camaraderie between us; all proving we are indeed a very special group. Thank you all for letting me share in a small part of your lives over the years.” Like no other motorcyclists, BMW riders
are masters of ingenuity. Yet another example of this was illustrated by Gilbert Long’s Rider to Rider letter where he thought the cover image on the previous November issue of Owners News showing a rider with a guitar strapped to his back to be “No Big Deal!” According to Long, the owner of an R 100 and an R 1150 RT as well as the tuba player with the Nashville Symphony, carry- ing an instrument is a simple fact of life. Wanting to ride more often, but needing
to carry his tuba, one day at work Long took the passenger seat pan to a stage tech worker and asked if he could make a rack of sorts that could be attached. Two hours later, Viola! With the new rack, Long was
lifestyle
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