A letter to Rep. Charles Jenkins
To the Editor:

I have just e-mailed our state representative Charles Jenkins concerning the growing problem of dangerous and illegal operation of high speed motorcycles on our public highways. I believe that this letter should appear in the appropriate place in your paper. Thank you, Paul Pohl

Representative Charles Jenkins,

I have read with interest and viewed the several TV investigations about the unsafe practices of high speed motorcycles in the mountains. I have also personally experienced first hand and second hand the results and many times tragic endings of these escapades. The highways of Georgia are not the place for speed enthusiasts on high powered illegally high speed motorcycles. But I am dismayed to hear law enforcement people say that there is just nothing that they can do to stop this problem. I feel that this is a cop out. There is something that can be done. Police say that they cannot catch the offenders because of their speed and I too believe that it would be hazardous to try to intercept them on the highway in a conventional chase. But, that would not be necessary if these motorcycles were outlawed from the highway. Many vehicles are classed as 'not street legal.'We have 'dirt bikes' and stock cars for race tracks. I see little difference in the modified cars for race tracks and these 200 mph motorcycles. It is obvious that there is a good

sales market for these machines, but that is no excuse for allowing manufacturers and dealers to continue to sell vehicles that threaten the safety of others on the highway and give the beautiful North Georgia mountains a bad reputation. I propose that you sponsor legislation immediately that would outlaw any motorcycle on a Georgia highway or public road that is capable of speeds in excess of the legal limits. Just look at the speedometers and compare them to legal automobiles. We don't see speedometers labeled 180 mph in our cars. Because there is a large price tag on these vehicles it would hardly be fair to force them off the highways for normal use. Manufacturers can easily install restrictor plates to reduce the top speeds and make other modifications (possible even replacing speedometers for 180 mph) and other modifications to eliminate the illegal operating speeds of these machines. An act of the Georgia legislature could accomplish this. Then our law enforcement people could apprehend any of these without a chase, impounding the vehicle until modifications are made by licensed dealers and inspected by law enforcement agencies. There is no excuse to let this behavior by a few owners and dealers continue to jeopardize both the rider and the other citizens on our highways. I will ask our newspapers to print this letter so that all the voters can consider this action by our legislature. It should be at the top of your 'to do' list.

Paul Pohl Blairsville"