Letters
LETTERS
OVERHEAD VALVE YAMAHA?
Due to the fact that all Yamaha motorcycles are two-cycles, including the 55cc trail model, how in the world do you get a four-cycle OHV (overhead valve) rotary valve engine? Just by chance do you happen to have a one-cycle proof reader that misses once in a while? JOHN BUSHLACK San Diego, Calif.
We did have, but we gave him a tune-up. Sorry, Ed.
MORE DRAGS
We were pleased to see pictures of drag bikes in some of your issues. Enclosed note a picture of our dragster, a 90 cubic inch H-D which turns 120 mph with an 11 second e.t. on gas. We would be happy to see our machine in your magazine.
The boys out East are really going for drag bikes.
CIRCULATION PUZZLE
I must admit that I am confused by your cover statement: "America's largest selling motorcycle magazine." Doesn't one of your competitors claim to out-strip any other magazine's circulation? Aren't you both required by law to publish your cir culation figures?
Also, it is my understanding that all money from the sale of Czech products in the U.S. must be used only to purchase U.S. products. There is no dollar drain due to purchasing Czech cycles, only an even swap. I have been told that it is even better than a swap as in addition we charge duty and they do not. JOHN STEED North Little Rock, Ark.
We understand your confusion, so we will endeavor to set the record straight. The law makes no requirement concerning publishing such figures, though the Post Office Dept. does require a once a year statement but makes no verification of its truth. Only an audit by an independent circulation auditing firm, such as the most important and prominent Audit Bureau of Circulations, or ABC, the firm that verifies our claim, is verified to be truth ful and accurate. CYCLE WORLD's cir culation is the only audited figure; any other must be treated as a hopeful claim and its source well considered. CYCLE WORLD is, without question, America's largest selling motorcycle magazine, and we will furnish an audited statement to that effect upon request.
RAGING CONTROVERSY
I was pleased and surprised to see my letter in CYCLE WORLD; I agree with you on many points and I realize we can't all ride the same brand and that progress is good for the business. But what happens when foreign competition does away with our own industries?
If we do not support these "vast" in dustries, why do they look to us to take the majority of their machines. We cannot sell our stuff to them at our prices as they cannot afford it, but they reverse the process and make a profit. This is happen ing in all phases of business; cycles are only a small part of it. Though only In dian fell by the wayside, this sounds like half of our industry to me.
It is nice that we can provide work for other countries while many of our own go without work. If we are not working here, how can we buy theirs, or our own equipment?
I am not starting personal arguments, I only want to voice my thoughts; this goes beyond brand names and cycles alone, it concerns our whole economic setup. As far as CYCLE WORLD goes, I said it was the best and I still feel that way. The fact that you took the time and so much space to voice your opinion proves it. HERB GOEDICKE Marion, Ohio
Thanks Mr. Goedicke, it's things like this that make our system continue to function freely. We disagree completely with you and feel that you miss the point. We do not sell the majority of any country's machines, i.e.; Honda made over one mil lion cycles in 1962, Americans bought less than 50,000 of them. Your attitude, though seemingly patriotic, is actually quite un-American as you ask to have American trade restricted or eliminated. What of the thousands of A mericans earning a living selling and servicing for eign-made products?
(Continued on Page 59)
Your estimate that buying foreign pro ducts will put a large number of Ameri cans out of work is sheer panic and does not take in the entire picture, as an ex ample; Volkswagen is the largest selling foreign automobile and sells many more machines than any motorcycle distributor. It has put no auto maker out of business, but has stimulated one of the most in teresting and profitable automotive indus tries in history and given birth to the "compact" car. It would seem that your outlook, though righteous and well found ed, is narrow and not fully informed. Ed.
....AND THEN HE WROTE
When you say that "only one" manu facturer has gone by the way, don't for get that it was half of the American in dustry. Please tell me why, if importing is so damn good for the American industry, don't the Japanese and British allow Amerit~an cycles to be imported to help their business improve even more?
Secondly, Mr. Jennings, in the Service Department, tells Warren Moore to get rid of his FLH and get an XLCH in order to compete with the T-l20's. He doesn't seem to show much respect for the FLH and according to a 1955 74" FLH H-D road test in a popular magazine, this machine did the ¼ mile in 14.60 seconds. CYCLE WORLD's test of the T-120 for the quarter was 14.5; this doesn't seem too spectacular compared to a machine seven years older. Thanks for listening, I enjoy, and sell, yOur magazine. CAL CON~KLIN SR. Conklin's Cycle Shop Lake Parsippany, N.J.
Well, Mr. Conklin, the Japanese and British do indeed import American ma chines; the problem is selling them in any quantity. Several countries do not even impOse much duty on them, compared to what we impose on theirs in this country. Regarding Mr. Jenning's apparent lack of respect for the fine FLH, we think you are misinterpreting the meaning of the state ment that it was not designed for per formance. The XLCH answers the Harley fan's desire for high speed, and we rather doubt that anyone ever achieved such a low e.t. with an FLH, unless of course the machine was stripped and was not in standard trim. We will soon road test the FLH and satisfy our curiosity. Ed.
CORRECTION PLEASE
In your December issue you had a list of winners for the National TT Scrambles Championship at Edgewood, Md. One mistake; Class S Amateur 3rd place should have been Carl E. Blizzard Jr., on a BSA. CARL E. BLIZZARD JR. Baltimore, Md.
WE KEEP ON TRYING
Your subscription card came which stated that you assumed that I had for gotten to renew my subscription; nothing could be farther from the truth. The notice found its way into the garbage can very quickly for I have found your maga zine to be in the same class as the other cycle magazines; too full of caboose statis tics on trials and meets and too little technical information.
However, I have had reason to change feelings about your publication with your December issue and the article on Vin cents. It was one of the best you have ever published. The January issue also renewed my interest with its fine collec tion of technical information and road tests. I will ride along with you for an other year in the hope that the last two issues are to be the pattern for the rest of the year. A. E. PETERSON Daly City, Calif.
Thank you for your show of faith. We have examined the two mentioned issues and can find little that differs from most of our other efforts and we have adhered to this format since the beginning.
CUSTOM FAN
I feel you are leaving something out of CYCLE WORLD. there are a lot of riders around like myself who don't race but just like to fix up their machines and try out new ideas. Call my bike a "chop per" or whatever you like. Car custom izers and car racers seem to get along but I don't see any custom bikes in your magazine.
There are a lot of bikes entered in shows that are pretty sharp and I think would open up a whole new field and provide many new articles of interest. How about it, a lot of us would really appreciate it if you did show a few in CYCLE WORLD. DAVE WALLIS Chicago, Ill.
Good idea Dave, as soon as we see some customs that don't look like circus freaks with ape hanger bars we'll feature them.
