I read with interest Arthur Pentney’s letter (OBM September). There is no doubt that there are changing attitudes towards old bikes on our roads. One in particular concerning riders of two stroke machines.
I am finding that the smoke trail left by my Greeves is causing annoyance to other drivers. Last year I was subjected to a particularly nasty road rage attack where a van driver overtook me on the brow of a hill, narrowly missing a head on crash with another vehicle.
Further down the road, when I caught up with him at traffic lights, he hurled four letter abuse at me, ranting on about my stinking, polluting old bike.
With the governmental moves to get diesel cars priced off the road, together with other ‘save the planet’ measures in the pipeline, the humble two stroke is, I fear, going to be a target for the green brigade.
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Whilst I have as yet not had another case of road rage, I am conscious that cars are staying well back until they see a gap to get by me. I would add that I am using less than the original 20-to-1 petroil mix recommended by Villiers.
John Wakefield,
Cambridge
As you may know, the two stroke engine has already been legislated off the road in several areas, despite the fact that small capacity two strokes can be very fuel efficient. In California, for example, they’ve been banned from road use for many years. – Ed
Read more Letters, Opinion, News and Views in the October 2018 issue of OBM – on sale now!
