Letters
LETTERS
A LONE VOICE
I do not want to renew my subscription to CYCLE WORLD due to one or two reasons; you have a good magazine, for the ones who want road tests and technical. Specifications, road tests and such don't mean much to me. I am interested in racing, hill climbs, endurance runs and pictures of races and of race riders, both boys and girls, and the trips riders take.
To me, that is what a good magazine is. Please don't think I am selfish or rude, but your magazine, at this time, just does not fill the bill. Please let me hear from you, and don't think my letter too critical.
HERMAN C. O WIN GS Columbia, S.C.
PLAYING PERCENTAGES
As this was my first copy of CYCLE WORLD, I must admit I was greatly unimpressed. The articles themselves were good, but any magazine with advertisements which constitute approximately 46.43% of the total magazine is inexcusable.
Naturally I expect advertisements to a certain degree and I understand that you must have it to cover the cost of publication — but 46.43%?
STEVE M. CROW Baton Rouge, La. 46.43%? We didn't realize we were doing so well! Ed.
BMW CUSTOM
Enclosed are pictures of my customized BMW. It is rebuilt throughout.
The apparent concern over the popularity of foreign machines in America can be remedied by lowering production costs, which seems next to impossible viewing today's labor situation. This is not unique to the motorcycle industry.
I doubt that we lack the engineering know-how to produce a better handling, lighter, and more technically advanced bike. If the lack of engineers is holding up design of new machines I think we could endure the humility of copying others. In any case, I would really like to see Harley and any other American manufacturer capture a larger share of the sales in this country, and even abroad, but they will have to do it on their own.
DAVE GRIBBON Greenfield, Mass.
HIGH RISERS AGAIN
You are always cutting up ape hangers, risers, or high handlebars. Why? A custorn cycle is not a custom without them. All of the show bikes I have seen have risers, so why don't you do a sketch and a picture in every issue? Hot Rod has pictures of the better rods but does CYCLE WORLD have custom bikes? No!
(Continued on Page 51)
JERRY VIGUS Modesto, Calif.
I hope this will help "us readers," to get you "the editor" to add more on machines of the custom nature and drag bikes too, to CYCLE WORLD. You are leaving out what would make your magazine great. You may not like high bars, chopped frames, fenders, etc., or as you put it "circus freaks" with ape hanger bars. May I ask who is the magazine published for if not us readers?
I would subscribe if you desired to publish those things. So, how about us 10,000, 20,000, or how many guys like myself, are we going to see more on this? The test on the T-120TT Triumph was great; how about H-D and some more of the big bikes.
SP/5 BORST - 16700330 APO 225, New York, N.Y.
Gentlemen, we re-emphasize; we like custom bikes, next month's CYCLE WORLD will demonstrate this, but we do not like ape hangers or high bars for several excellent reasons. A custom by no means needs these stupid and dangerous bars to be a custom. We have seen many good looking customs without them, and next month we will show several. We are not now, nor have we ever been, against chopped machines; we tike them. We are only against those insipid high riser bars. What is "Hot Rod?" On the subject of drag bikes, we have never seen one with high riser bars; if they are such wonderful bars why aren't they used on drag and racing bikes?
DERBI ANYONE?
I have a 49cc Spanish Derbi motorcycle. I believe this is the only one in the country but if there are any more, I would like to correspond with the owners.
FRED SACKSTEDER 22 Kelwynne Rd.
Scarsdale, N.Y.
DICK MANN AND THE AMA
Enclosed is a copy of a form letter (reproduced below; Ed.) sent to all "Matchless" motorcycle entries for the Daytona events. This letter was sent to Dick Mann and was received by him, but his was the only Matchless motorcycle which did not pass technical inspection because his frame did not conform to the rules.
Had Dick Mann chosen to do so, he could have changed over to the approved frame and his equipment would have passed inspection as did the other Matchless G-50 CSR motorcycles entered in the Daytona events.
Joe, I think that most motorcycle competition riders and owners of competition motorcycles are very intelligent people and for this reason I am certain that most of them know the difference between an approved Matchless G-50 CSR and the non approved G-50 road racer.
I hope that you left Daytona with a high opinion of our AMA Daytona races and I will be looking forward to seeing your Daytona AMA issue. LIN KUCHLER Secretary
American Motorcycle Association Columbus, Ohio
We have received your Daytona Road Race entry and note that you have entered a Matchless motorcycle. If your Matchless motorcycle G-50 CSR is to pass technical inspection at any AMA road race, it must conform to the following AMA Road Race rule:
"Frame — The frame must be exactly the same as fitted by the manufacturer to the approved model in question. No basic alteration in design, construction or material is allowed. In the interests of safety, the addition of reinforcement plates or struts may be added and brackets or lugs may be removed or lightened."
At the special meeting of the Technical Committee held on February 6, 1963 at Columbus, Ohio, the Chairman of the Competition Committee was advised that he had errored in advising Mr. von Schonfeld and Mr. McConney that a special road racing frame has been approved for the Matchless G-50 CSR. The Technical Committee did not at any time approve a special road race frame for the G-50 CSR. The Matchless G-50 CSR was approved with duplex-front-down-tube-luggedand brazed frame. Further inspection verified that there were twenty-five (25) G-50 CSR Matchless motorcycles available. The G-50 Matchless with its special road racing frame was never approved.
For your information, we have enclosed a photo of the Matchless G-50 CSR as it was approved for AMA road racing.
AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE ASSOCIATION Jules Horky Competition Director
DICK MANN COUNTERS
I feel that my machine is no more special than any other top contending machine and that the road racing frame, being all welded and sturdier, is safer than the approved model. The Matchless is competitive in weight, about 10 pounds heavier than some of the BSA's and about 10 pounds lighter than the lightest Harleys. It was admitted to me by more than one member of the Technical Committee that the frame was approved at a special meeting in Daytona before the 1962 200-miler. I rode it throughout 1962 and if there was any doubt about its approval, I would have been told.
Jim Hill and other members of the Technical Committee told me at Daytona last year and again this year that the road racing frame was submitted at the same time as the G-50 CSR. There seemed to be some doubt after the 1962 meeting of the Competition Committee so there was a special meeting at Daytona in 1962 and it was done again to make sure. The large road racing gas tank was okayed at the same meeting.
(Continued on Page 52)
In a letter from Lin Kuchler dated December 12th, 1962, I was notified that the frame in question had in fact been approved. Then on February 19th I received a letter from the AMA saying that the frame was never approved. This discrepancy was my reason for taking the machine to Daytona. I thought it would be straightened out, as most of the Committee members seemed to think the same way about it as I did.
During the winter I worked 2 or 3 nights a week on my machine, plus taking at least 3 weeks time off my job since November 1962 to test it, including a week of testing of the fairing. This meant driving 1,000 miles round trip to Riverside Raceway, at my expense. The trip to and from Daytona took three weeks and I had to sell my Greeves to pay bills.
When I got to Daytona I went to a lawyer to see what my position was under Florida law. At no time did I plan an injunction to halt the race after seeing the lawyer. He advised me to wait and see if my machine was turned down officially, and I never saw him again. At the technical inspection on Monday, my machine was passed by most of the Committee members, but turned down by Rod Coates. I was then assured by Kuchler that there was "nothing to worry about" and he advised me to try again the next day, saying that he was sure there would be no trouble. The next day (Tuesday — 2nd day of practice) I was again refused by Coates. That afternoon I was informed by Kuchler that since the Technical Committee couldn't come to agreement on the matter, it would be put to a vote before the Competition Committee. He said he had "every confidence" that I would be allowed to run and I was sure this would come about.
That evening a newspaper article was printed implying that I had threatened to take legal action in the event I was not permitted to ride. I had had no conversation with any newspaper people and I explained this fully before the Committee the following morning. Later in the day (Wednesday) I was informed that they had voted my machine down. Their excuse was that the newspaper article had put them in an "embarrassing situation." They said all I had to do to race was change the frame. I told them I didn't have a frame and even if I did, it would be impossible to do all the work in the time remaining. It would have taken me three months at least to change my machine over, considering work to be done, not including testing. I would have had to: put engine in CSR frame; lighten the frame 15-20 pounds; rework front forks to take large front brake; build a seat; build a complete set of footpegs and brake controls; rework rear swinging arm to take Matchless racing rear brake; build gas tank mounts; get complete new fairing and brackets; change rear shock absorbers; build front chain case mount.
They seemed fully satisfied that their decision, based on a newspaper article, was quite just and natural, and seemed to think I was trying to be a martyr by not changing frames. I'm not stupid enough to go down there just to be a martyr. I got in touch with the newspaper and they printed an article retracting the statements I reportedly made and stating that I wished to comply with the rules if I could. I suggested that if they thought the frame had a weight advantage I would try to compensate in any way possible — add weight, etc., so as to be able to race. Kuchler said he would take it up with the Committee, and I haven't heard anything on the matter since.
I do believe they intended to approve the frame in 1962. Most riders and the majority of the committee members believe the frame offers no great advantage and only a technical loophole of signatures on the back of a photograph is keeping it from being raced. I think they made the decision on personalities, and that "embarrassing situations" are making rules, instead of common sense. I don't want to cause trouble, I just want my motorcycle (and other riders' machines) approved so that they can be raced safely. Safety is the reason behind most AMA rules and I hope the AMA can alter their Daytona decision.
DICK MANN
Pinole, Calif.
