'Sayonara, Hayabusa', says ESPN Writer.

"Except that the federal government has no constitutional authority to regulate"



The courts seem to think otherwise.



"Lots of things cause far more harm than sport bikes"



Sure, but that’s hardly a reason not to ban sports bikes. Legislation will follow what folks demand. A lot of motorcyclists out there are doing their best to have bikes banned, and they’re going to succeed.



"regulatory fascists need to stay (the f**k) out of peoples' lives"



Sure thing, but then many motorcycles invade folk’s lives by creating hazardous situations on public roads. I pay taxes and I vote. Why should I allow my child’s life to be put in danger each time she crosses the street to go to the store?

here is my email:



Mr. Easterbrook,



Your column entry titled "Sayonara, Hayabusa" was very interesting. Interesting and very wrong. There are too many points in your opinion that are misguided, but let's start from the beginning.



1. "Acceleration of max-performance motorcycles is wildly disproportionate to driving needs. The only real use of the acceleration ability is road rage -- to drag-race from stoplights, cut others off in traffic, speed like mad."



- This is flat wrong. These motorcycles are built to showcase a manufacturer's engineering capability, much like your mentioned Corvette. Do you also wish for any car with such power/performance to be banned? To my knowledge, there have been at least 5 Ferrari Enzos (about $500K apiece) destroyed by their owners in high speed accidents, in the United States ALONE. Should we send Ferrari out of business? How about Porsche? Mercedes? How about ALL car manufacturers who make cars that have the POTENTIAL to exceed posted speed limits? Shall we regulate the maximum performance capability of all private vehicles?



Yes the acceleration is breathtaking, but in the hands of responsible riders (which comprise the majority of motorcycle owners) this power and speed is easily managed. To simply assert that this performance capability is simply for lawbreaking is flat wrong.



2. "High-performance street motorcycles are socially irresponsible, and designed without regard for the safety of riders. Roethlisberger and others who buy high-performance bikes don't wish anyone harm, they're just looking for an ego rocket."

- This point is fails the "laugh" test. By your reasoning, ANY vehicle which has a higher performance potential would be deemed "socially irresponsible." Where would you draw the line? A Honda Civic Si has tremendous performance potential..FOR ITS CLASS, but it is economical and somewhat practical. But compare it care to a Chevrolet Aveo, and it moves into the realm of "socially irresponsible," since its performance is definitely beyond what an Aveo can achieve.



"Ego rocket" - all vehicles are bought with one thing in mind: APPEARANCE. Things like roominess, fuel economy and feature set are all secondary to the most elementary factor in vehicle purchases; IMAGE. It influences all purchases, and especially in vehicles, since we have used cars to identify or express our own self image. An SUV is an "ego tank", signifying ruggedness, and individualism. A BMW is an "ego sedan," signifying your affluence and success. And a Corvette is an "ego rocket," signifying your racy nature and competitive spirit. Motorcycles are the same. A Hayabusa can signify that you are "fast and daring." This point of your article is, unfortunately, pointless.



3. Our nation's laws do not confer any "right" to operate on public roads a high-horsepower bike.."



- And neither do those same laws confer any right to NOT own such vehicles. What a smart person should look at is not only what a law prohibits, but what it DOES NOT PROHIBIT. THe law confers no right for people to own fuel guzzling SUVs of questionable practicality and it enormous consumption of resources, but you are allowed to have them. SUVs are more dangerous to vehicles which consist of substantially less mass, but there is no call to regulate their ownership. If safety is truly your goal, elimination of vehicles above a certain weight/mass rating should be the target.



Did you know happen to forget or gloss over the fact that Big Ben was not speeding, but was in fact taken out by an INATTENTIVE DRIVER? Horsepower had nothing to do with Ben's accident. It was all the fault of a CAR DRIVER who failed to maintain situational awareness. Ben could have been riding a scooter and the result would have been the same.



But, let's drill this down to the basic point: PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. As you said later, Ben made the decision to NOT where the "Revolution" helmet, even knowing the risks of not wearing one. Ben also made the choice (albeit a very dumb one) to not wear a helmet, again, knowing the risks. But it is his responsibility, and that of the nation, to encourage and promote the safe operation of motorcycles, and the fitment of proper attire. It is also our responsibility to promote better driving habits and education, so incidents like Ben's will be kept to a minimum. The banning of motorcycles will do nothing more than to put many people out of work, deny many the passionate pursuit of their hobby, and put more people in cars, which would further burden our already overburdened road/highway infrastructure and even more consumption of precious resources.



Thank you for your time.

This is what I sent to him ...

Re: Goodbye, Hayabusa

Dear Mr. Easterbrook,

If the standards for the discussion are a) impracticality and b) safety, then I really think you picked the wrong vehicle to castigate. It isn't the Hayabusa we need to ban, it is the Hummer and all vehicles like it.

What is more impractical, a 200 mph crotch rocket or a 5500 lb. military grade sport ute? No one on America's roadways needs either one, to be honest, so why do you choose to pick on the 'busa instead of the Hummer?

Safety? Hardly. The 'busa is more dangerous for the rider, but far less dangerous for other drivers on the roadway, for the simple reason that there is only so much damage a 600 lb. motorcycle can do, even at ludicrous speeds. Riders of any motorcycle make the conscious choise to increase their risk, but with a socially responsible silver lining - they make everyone else a bit safer when they choose that bike instead of a car.

The Hummer, on the other hand, is about as socially irresponsible as you can get. The driver greatly increases his or her personal safety, at the expense of everyone else's safety on the road. You are far more likely to survive an accident when you are hit by a Honda Civic than when you are hit by a Hummer. It is simple physics. Mass matters far more than velocity in a world where virtually all accidents happen at less than 70 mph.

I won't even go so far as to point out the drastic difference in resources to build, mileage, emissions, etc. We live in a world of diminishing resources and the Hummer is a gigantic F*** You to the rest of the world, on a lot of levels. If you are going to talk about banning, let's at least work from the worst on down.

"if he were as concerned about public welfare as he claims, he would have called for the ban of Corvettes in that column"



Well he won’t because he probably owns one himself. Most people are to small to see the error of their own actions; which is why the majority of posters here do not consider exceeding speed limits as wrong, nor do they think owning a 200mph motorcycle for road use as irresponsible.



"And he mostly skirts the real point, which is stupid behavior"



No, I believe he is saying owning and operating a 200mph motor vehicle on public roads is stupid behavior. I think he is quite right.