SabMag Welcome Message
Updated April 15, 2006

Welcome to Sabmag, the mailing list for owners, riders, and fans of Honda's family of V4-powered motorcycles. The list's administrators are Phil Ross (phil_ross@comcast.net) and Katherine Becker (kbecker@stilyagi.org), with sponsorship from Charvak Karpe (charvak@mit.edu) and Ken Marr (kmarr@mit.edu) of MIT's Easy Riders motorcycle club.

The list was founded in 1994 by MIT alumnus Jude Federspiel, and his founding philosophy and concept of what this list should do, and be, still guides its management. We're now in our twelfth year as the internet's preeminent enthusiast group for Honda's family of V30, V45 and V65 Magna, Sabre, and Interceptor motorcycles, and to a lesser extent other obsolete Honda V4s including 1994-up Magnas, pre-VTEC  VFRs, and ST1100s. We're known variously as Sabmaggers, Sabmaggots, or  simply 'maggots. Not all listmembers ride the first-generation V4s that this list was built upon anymore, but we encourage former Sabmag riders to stay with us—partly for their continuing expertise, but also because we have an addictively fantastic culture that we've nurtured over the years, one that's much more like a family than an email list. See for yourself. Once a 'maggot, always a 'maggot!

If you'd like to become a 'maggot too, please read the following carefully before joining the list. Your membership denotes your implicit understanding and acceptance of list rules and culture. If there's anything here you can't live with, please don't join. You'll save yourself, and us, from certain grief.

First off, you will find considerable value in lurking for a while after you sign on to get a feel for the tone of the list. When you're ready to come out, introduce yourself, tell us what you ride and where you live. You'll probably find that another listmember is nearby. This list is different from many other email lists in that many of the listmembers know each other personally through events and get-togethers. There are probably a dozen of these organized each year.  They are what make this list special. Attend one if you can and you'll see. Most folks find they have much more than their bikes in common.

Please post in plain text. Avoid using different colors, fonts, and backgrounds. If you are replying, quote only the relevant part of the preceding post, snipping unneeded text--but please leave in the context. Don't post pictures, and don't forward HTML-rich messages. You should also understand that written English isn't everyone's forte. If you can't tolerate customized spelling, grammar, capitalization, and/or punctuation, spare us your erudition and use your filters.

There are some topics that generate nothing but bandwidth and seem to defy consensus. Avoid discussing oil preferences, helmet laws, and off topic subjects such as virus warnings, urban legends, politics, guns, and jokes. This is a motorcycle list. The subjects are motorcycles, motorcycling, and motorcyclists. Please try to stay on topic.

You should think of this list as my home. It is not a democracy, and free speech has its limits here. I make the rules. All list members are my guests. Behave as a guest. Don't tick off my other guests or ask them to leave. I reserve that prerogative for myself.  Personal attacks on other list members will not be tolerated.

You may see some listmembers taking liberties with each other regarding insults and other behavior that might seem contrary to the personal attack rule. If this is going on, it's likely that the "combatants" have met, ridden together, and/or shared a few beers in the past, and the prods are all in good fun. Here's a simple rule: Don't insult anyone you haven't met in person.

I take a dim view of trolling for flames: e-mail that is expressly intended to cause controversy or arouse strong feelings. You get one warning.

Violation of any of these rules will not be tolerated. In the event you accidentally or unwittingly break any of these rules, a warning (usually offlist) will be issued, in addition to the flames you will likely receive onlist. To get back in the favor of the list and the administrators, all you have to do is admit the mistake, apologize, and make sure it never happens again. We are not hard to get along with.  The list administrators have the unlimited and arbitrary power to remove anyone from the list or otherwise restrict their subscription privileges for unrepentant or repeated transgressions. The decision of any list administrator is final.

Political correctness, while perhaps appropriate to other kinds of mailing lists, is not nurtured here. SabMag is a self-censoring list.  Regulation of taste is determined only by the personal character of individual posters. But this is an adult list with some diverse and unique personalities—including a couple of certifiable nuts—and motorcyclists are not always the most genteel of folks. If you walk into a biker bar, you probably wouldn't be surprised to hear colorful language, and you will probably read similar things on Sabmag from time to time. Still, the most eloquent posters have a number of creative ways to soften the impact of their profanity. If you're pushing the envelope of your vocabulary and you feel the need to cuss, you would probably do well to follow their example. Remember that the sum of your posts will define your character here.

New subscribers: you should be aware that if you are here to sell their bike, this is a highly saturated market and you won't find a group of people more knowledgeable about its real value and going price. You can use this knowledge to your benefit--but listing it above its market value will expose you to near-certain abuse and ridicule.

Because of past abuses, we have our own take on copyright here. Please read the following paragraph carefully:

On behalf of Sabmag's membership, the list owners and administrators reserve all rights to material posted on this list, with the presumption that all intellectual property belongs to the original poster. We expressly forbid public archiving, as well as forwarding of discussions to other lists without the explicit permission of the original poster(s). "Fair Use" (17 U.S.C. Sec. 107) does not apply.  Violators will be permanently removed from the list upon the first complaint. You might have an argument in court, but it won't get you back on the list.

Please see the extensive Sabmag FAQ and other valuable information about Honda's first-generation V4s elsewhere on this website.

Now, if you're ready to join the list, go to http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/sabmag, read the Welcome Message once more for good measure, and then follow the instructions for "Subscribing to Sabmag."

Have fun and ride safe. Maggots rock!

Cheers--Phil