Letters
LETTERS
EAGLE-EYED SIDECARIST
You have a fine magazine, but for one thing, you frequently enter the wrong caption, or photo, or both.
There are two examples in the new Sept. ’66 issue: one on page 12, the other on page 123. “Dave Croxford on a Velo” and Dave Degens behind him. Us English chappies like to keep things straight, you know.
Thanks for the articles on our chair outfit.
REG PRIDMORE Santa Barbara, Calif.
Yes, we blew it, Reg. The Mi-Val captions are reversed and the photo on page 123 shows Dave Croxford, Velocette leading Dave Degens, Triumph. The picture was taken during the 500-mile production race at Brands Hatch, England. Please turn to page 112 for the photo that should have been with the earlier caption. —Ed.
SEE YOU AT RIVERSIDE
It is with much consternation that I read your June issue of CYCLE WORLD magazine. I think your “criticism” of my Indian Chief and insinuation that I am a “nut” are entirely uncalled for and unwarranted from the editor of any magazine!
It is unfortunate that you are such a biased editor, unable to distinguish currect fact from past fiction. During the year 1953, Indian may not have been capable of achieving 150 mph in a stock machine but today, 13 years later, it is another story, and it is unfortunate that you do not realize that changes do occur! With today’s improvements in metallurgy, etc., it is very easy for yesterday’s Indian to proficiently perform 140 mph as my personal Chief has done. It is comparatively easy, because the power is there at the onset. With a few improvements as my machine has had, this Indian illegally clocked over 140 mph on the New York State Thruway while racing against a Jaguar!
Now, if you are so darn blasphemous about the incredibility of an Indian “even reaching 140 mph,” then put your money where your typewriter is and back up your ribbon!
I will take this machine to any fine area of your suggestion at any time, and when I “easily” pass 140 mph, I will be gracious enough to allow you to pick up the tab on my traveling expenses to and from here, if you will be man enough to back up your fine publication! Fair enough?
You must understand that many things of today were impossible yesterday! Regardless of whether you do or do not accept my acknowledgement of your challenge, you will prove your manliness by publishing this under “Letters” in an issue of CYCLE WORLD.
(Continued on page 42)
Another point: An Indian Chief and two 45" Scouts just won three first places out of three events at the recent hillclimb near Altoona, Pennsylvania during mid-May, competing against a Vincent, Charley-Davidsons, and the top performing machines of various other makes and breeds!
Whether you realize it or not, there has been a tremendous comeback of the Indian motorcycle on the East Coast during the past couple of years and I find a great demand for Indian motorcycles and parts throughout the world. The Indian motorcycle is now a classic and much soughtafter item, worthy to be in anyone’s collection! You cannot imagine until you own one, exactly how gratifying it is to ride to a motorcycle meet, rally, or even antique car club meet on an Indian motorcycle. These just cannot be bought in the corner m.c. shop!
So, until you prove otherwise, I will continue to call my Chief the “Fastest In The World,” easily capable of performing 140 mph, that is . . . until you can possibly prove otherwise.
“CHUCK” Myles
Sea Cliff, Long Island
The CYCLE WORLD timers and Riverside Raceway have produced many red faces in the past, and will in the future, we are sure. We will gladly pick up the tab for you and your motorcycle round trip, if it will do 140 mph on the Riverside back straight. We did not say there was anything wrong with Indian motorcycles; we have many reasons to be sorry that Indians have not been built for more than ten years. Since your pamphlet a local Vincent owner has changed the handlebars and is calling his bike a 1967 model.
See you at Riverside; be sure and bring the 1966 model.
CLASS FOR STOCKERS?
I would like to take this chance to agree with, and expand upon Mr. Barry Robert’s letter of the July issue. Since 50cc novice road racing struck my fancy a while back, I looked into it. Not to my surprise, prices of competitive factory prepared type machines start a bit higher than $215. So I took a second look at my street YL-1 Yamaha. Not only is lOOcc more than I care to race, but a fat chance even a hopped-up 100 would stand against a factory 16 bhp @ 13,000 (13,000!?) rpm machine. The factory can afford a blown engine. I can’t. Also, I need my bike for school, etc., and full race bikes aren’t the best things in traffic.
Around my high school there are perhaps 50 or more under lOOcc bikes. All these guys want to race, but the men in black and white cars aren’t too keen on stop light grand prix. With the advent of Japan, more people have small bikes with no place to race. How about a new class? Street-stock-off-the-showroom-floor road races! It has been done with cars, sedan racing, where the Monday through Friday family bus is suddenly (come weekends) turned into a race car, and Joe Doe into Jim Clark.
(Continued on page 44)
Not only would this be good for motorcycle sales and interest, but it may also produce future pros. I hope something will be done in the very near future.
GARY JONES
Huntington Beach, Calif.
In your part of the country, Gary, two groups — the AFM and the ACA — run road races for production street hikes about once a month. All you need spend is the price of leathers, gloves, boots, helmet and entry fees. — Ed.
DR. GOOD GUY
I have been a subscriber to your magazine for a year and a half, and have been personally riding a motorcycle for three years now. I use it to ride to and from my office and also on my hospital rounds when the weather permits. I also ride for pleasure on weekends or whenever time allows.
I have found motorcycling to be a very pleasurable and enjoyable pastime and a real release from the tensions of my daily work. I feel that my motorcycling experience has certainly made a better automobile driver of me.
In your July issue, which I received recently, I noticed your comments on the allegations of the American College of Surgeons Trauma Committee. The majority of the unfavorable comment by the medical profession in regard to motorcycling, which 1 have come across in the medical literature, has been published in Medical Tribune, which is a small newspaper-type publication sent to all physicians twice a week, free of charge, and apparently supported by advertising. I personally wrote a letter to the editors of this publication pointing out the unfairness of the accusations and trying in a rational way to show the advantages of motorcycling. I think you will find the statistics which they have used to be somewhat erroneously derived.
I am sure you will find that those who would do away with motorcycling among the medical profession are a real minority.
I enjoy your magazine very much and look forward to it every month. Please keep up the good work.
JACK L. GOLDBERG, M.D.
Columbus, Ohio
KS-601 OWNER
Recently I came upon a Zundapp KS-601 (1952) in excellent condition except for a clatter on the left side, supposedly caused in the valve train. As I don’t have a service manual for this machine, I would appreciate any help your readers can give me concerning the manual and securing engine parts. I also wish to thank you for turning out such a fine magazine, which is worth far more than the 50(price tag.
TIM WHEAT
1217 River Drive
Calumet City, 111.
THE FACTS, PLEASE
I wonder if you could clear up the following discrepancy:
In the Kawasaki advertisement on page 5 of your August issue, the weight of the Kawasaki 650 is given as three hundred ninety-eight lbs. In your road test (page 53) you give the weight as 476 lbs.
EDDIE ZEBETZ Montreal, Ontario Canada
Our figures are obtained with the machine in “road ready” condition including oil and a half tank of gas. — Ed.
GET OFF AND WALK
“Get off and walk,” is what the girl meant when she giggled and ran away.
Re. “The Bug Meets the Fly,” by Elliot Fried.
I enjoyed the article very much, but “‘BMW absteig und geh” (roughly meaning, “BMW gets up and goes,” was a little too rough a translation for me. I would say it means, “Get off and walk.” Now, if you were to say in English, “Gets up and goes,” it would sound something like this in German. “Steig auf und geh.” Follow me? And that’s the reason the Fraulein giggled and ran away.
M. A. PENROSE
Westminster, Calif.
THINKING AHEAD
I plan to go into serious road racing very soon, but I’m stuck on deciding the right machine to buy. The two bikes in question are: the Greeves Silverstone,
1966 model and the 1966 Bultaco TSS 250. Would you give me a non-partisan appraisal of each bike, especially how they hold together after a crash; will the frame bend and how strong are the transmissions?
HANS BERTELSEN
Hawthorne, Calif.
These are both good machines. However, the manufacturers build them for racing, not for crashing. — Ed.
MORE HELMETS
I think you are making a somewhat vague and sometimes bad impression on younger cyclists about the use of protective headgear. Some of your advertisements show cyclists using helmets while riding motorcycles . . . but many do not show the use of protective gear for the head.
Since your magazine is widely read by motorcyclists and non-riders also, I believe you could stress the use of helmets and clearly state why such safety gear should be used. I also think that your magazine could start a campaign for the use of helmets for national use — and get results.
I believe that many riders’ accidents could be avoided, if they would observe the safety rules of the road and wear the necessary safety gear for their own protection. I wear a helmet at all times when I ride my motorcycle; I don’t aim on being CAUGHT DEAD NOT WEARING MY HELMET, either!
(Continued on page 48)
CHARLES H. GEORGE Greenville, Michigan
TOURING IN THE TULES
This is a picture of me on my Honda 305 Scrambler. It’s my first machine and I love it!
I’d just finished swimming in the river, which you see in the background. I’m 22 years old and get much use out of my bike. At the particular time this was taken, I was about 300 miles from home. It’s certainly surprising where you can go with a Scrambler and not with a car.
MILDRED A. JOHNSON Clio, Michigan
PROSE FROM A PROF
I would feel remiss as a college English teacher if I did not submit a little piece of copy for your perusal. Though far from being deathless prose, it is a valid thought that has occurred to me banging over the rocks on a trail bike or rocketing along the highway. Perhaps it would strike a responsive chord in the hearts of some of CW’s readers.
No activity persuades a man he is immortal, yet convinces him that he is mortal, as does riding a motorcycle.
Thank you for your time and for CYCLE WORLD.
J. HAL WHIPPLE Department of Language & Literature Kansas State College of Pittsburg Pittsburg, Kansas
JAWA CLUB
I am writing to you as the secretary of the Jawa Owners Club of Great Britain, hoping you will publish my name and address. We would like to hear from Jawa owners in the U.S.A., who might want information regarding their machines, or just correspond. We all read your magazine and I think it is one of the finest I have read regarding sport and technical details. So if you would publish my name and address at your convenience, I would be very grateful.
All the best of success to your magazine.
F. W. FOLLEY 19 E. Evelyn Gardens London, S.W. 7 England
ANOTHER DR. GOOD GUY
I am one doctor who recommends motorcycling as a valuable, exhilarating, psychological experience. I own a Bultaco Metralla and enjoy this sport more than my many other hobbies.
Your magazine is excellent and I have no criticisms to offer. However, I think that, considering the number of movie fans, you should prepare 8mm and 16mm movies of techniques for scrambling, trial riding, motocross, etc., utilizing the best experts to display their techniques in regular and slow motion. This would serve to improve the technique of amateurs who have no other opportunity of learning the¡ fundamentals of different styles of riding.
As a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, I object to those physicians who view motorcycles only from the standpoint of physical trauma in accidents. More people die or suffer accidents in bathtubs. Should we also declare war on bathrooms?
(Name witheld on request) New York City, New York
YOU TELL ’EM, RICH
I say fifty lashes with a brake cable to Conn Le Geros and Gary Bradley for their snide and degrading remarks about you and your fine magazine.
I think you look rather dapper on the cover and inside the mag. Also CYCLE WORLD is the magazine for cycle fans in the U.S.A., not the British Motor Cycling Import. It’s ok, but CW is better, so appear on or in your magazine as much as you like. Don’t add any lime juice or gin to your ink and CYCLE WORLD will continue to be the best.
RICHARD E. VAUGHAN
NO APES
In the August 1966 issue you had a catalog of different types of competition. In the row labeled Road Run or Rally under Seats and Controls, it says “no ape hangers.” Why should I not be able to participate in a Road Run if I outfit my bike in risers? If it is because whoever put the no ape hangers restriction in thinks that this automatically puts one in the hoodlum class, then I think that he is guilty of the same sort of prejudice that makes some people say that anyone who rides a cycle is a hoodlum. Ape hangers don’t make a person a hoodlum any more than owning a motorcycle does.
JOEL ZINK Niles, 111.
There are several states in the union, Joel, which have declared ape hangers illegal on motorcycles because they ruin the machine’s maneuverability. Safety, rather than prejudice, is the issue; if you participate in an event run on public roads, your machine must be in legal operating condition. — Ed. ■
