To: The Dallas Morning News 
Date:  September 10, 2008
Subject: "Ninja" motorcycles
Result: not printed (see note below)

Dear Editor,

I like motorcycles. As a boy of 8 or 10 to 12, I read a bunch of kids' novels on the theme of adolescent motorcycle racing. Now, 44 to 46 or 48 years later, I maintain the fantasy of getting a nice 1970's Honda 500-750, with a "banana" seat like motorcycles ought to have, just to ride around the neighborhood and during times when the traffic is very light.

Back then, reading all those motorcycle books, I understood that there was a distinction between street motorcycles, that were used for transportation on public roads, and sports motorcycles such as were restricted to race tracks or dirt trails.

It seems to me that we have forgotten that distinction. We have racing-style motorcycles, which are built with the express purpose of going fast and doing tricks, all over the place on our roads. One of the main times I see them is on the expressway, when I'm going along, minding my own business, trying to drive defensively, and then suddenly one or more "ninja" motorcycles come zooming by at a very high rate of speed – scaring me half to death, for one thing. And there's no need to concern yourself with an empty lane when you can just zip right through the gap between the cars traveling in adjacent lanes.

"Ninja" racing motorcycles should not be legal on our roads. They are a danger to those who drive them and everybody else.

Thank you, John Vehon
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note: this letter written after another of the regular reports of people getting killed while driving very fast and/or performing stunts on this type of motorcycle.   Not printed, but they had front-page Sunday article 4 weeks later that this letter could have been the outline for.