Motorcycles get tune up for safer rides
American motorcycle tuner Dave Moss spent an additional three hours adjusting riders’ bikes in Nelson last Saturday because interest was so high.
Organiser Pat Lithgow said Moss was originally due to tune bikes outside Speight’s Ale House between 10am and 1pm but stayed until 4pm. In total, he adjusted the motorcycles of an estimated 60 to 70 riders.
‘‘He did the whole lot for free,’’ Lithgow said.
Ulysses Club member Hank Verhoeven, who had his bike tuned by Moss, said the adjustments made a difference.
‘‘I was having quite a hard ride on my bike [previously],’’ Verhoeven said. ‘‘It’s much more comfortable now. Most of us there had never really given our suspension much thought; we didn’t realise you should actually make these adjustments.’’
Lithgow said it was hoped Moss would return for a week in February.
Moss was one of two Americans involved in free events for motorcyclists at the weekend.
On Friday night, Brittany Morrow spoke about the importance of wearing safety gear every time riders got on a bike.
Known as the Road Rash Queen, Morrow was catapulted from the back of bike in 2005 and had to receive skin grafts on more than 50 per cent of her body.
On the day that she got hurt, Morrow was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt over her bikini along with tennis shoes and an oversized helmet. She said that passing on the safety message was her life’s work now.
Morrow encouraged people to consider the possible effects of a bad decision on the people they cared about.
‘‘I put my parents’ lives on hold for several months,’’ she said.
If she could speak to her precrash self, Morrow said she would tell herself to pay attention to the things that really matter.
‘‘That’s the people that I love the most and my health,’’ she said. ‘‘It’s not about how cool I look.’’
It could be uncomfortable to put on the protective gear especially in summer but Morrow had learnt the hard way of its importance.
‘‘I wear all the gear all the time [now],’’ she said.
Both Moss and Morrow were planning to head to Invercargill for the Burt Munro Challenge, which is due to be held this weekend in Southland.