Letters
LETTERS
"UNFAIR!" HE CRIES
I presently own a Honda SL350 and a Bultaco dirt bike. I read your article on the 350 and I really felt sad that you didn't give it a fair chance, by having an opinion of what it was to be before you even laid a hand on the throttle. I think you have the wrong idea about the machine as a whole. You can't compare an everyman's machine with an out of the box racer.
I think Honda did an outstanding job. Look at Honda's past machines, six inches of fork travel on a Honda? knobby tires? rim locks? 4.00 tires? chain guide? spark arrestors? raised fenders? Man, progress doesn't happen overnight. The handling is fine.
MICHAEL LAPOINT
Vallejo, Calif.
While you are entitled to your opin ion about the SL350's traits, you do us a disservice by saying we had a precon ceived notion of what the bike was to be. How could we know, when even American Honda didn't know? We re ceived the machine, rode it for many miles under all sorts of conditions, and then we made our judgment. This should be patently obvious from reading the SL350 test. We, too, think the SL350 is an outstanding everyman's machine, and we said so. -Ed.
"LIKE IT IS"
I don't know who wrote the Honda SL350 road test, but that reporter can really "tell it like it is." I couldn't set it aside until I had finished reading it.
DAVID P. PRICE
Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J.
LETTER TO THE AMA
"AMA
P.O. Box 231
Worthington, Ohio 43085
Dear Sirs:
I have been told that the minimum age limit for a sporting AMA rider has now been raised to 16 years of age. This comes as a complete surprise to me since so many young people, boys and girls alike, are riding motorcycles at organized events. This should be of some importance to our entire society since there are so many other young people participating in unacceptable ac tivities such as smoking pot, protesting, and some other unworthwhile activities. It behooves the AMA to do everything in their power to help keep American boys and girls involved in organized sporting activities.
I hope that you shall reconsider the minimum age rule and leave it as it has been in the past."
DAVE EVANS
Grossmont, Calif.
DARE TO BE DIFFERENT
The purpose of this letter is to commend Roger Hull for writing, and your magazine for publishing, "29 Qualms" (CW, Nov. `69).
My husband and I are members of the AMA, a motorcycle club and are long time residents of 29 Palms. We have been to almbst every major tour in Southern California, Nevada and Arizona in the past few years, so I feel qualified to speak out.
First, the "29 Palms Spring Tour"! By all rights, this should and could be one of the best, just as the article stated. The people of this community are anx ious to help make this a tour to remem ber. I know-I've talked to them. The RRC need only take advantage of what the community and its people have to offer
Second, this tour is just an example of what’s happening to almost every other big tour. There often are stale routines, dragged out drawings and badly planned events. So much could be done if only the sponsors of these tours would take a second look and dare to be different! Why not ask the participants what they would like? It might surprise some people to find out that we all aren’t a bunch of dead heads who go to a tour just to get a pin, watch drill teams, drink beer and wait for a trophy. I’m not knocking those things, but there’s got to be more to it than that! Come on, you touring riders—let’s hear your ideas! Tell them to anyone—the magazines, the clubs, the RRC, the AMA, your friends, everyone. Let’s get some life into our tours again.
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ALICE J. TURNER 29 Palms, Calif.
MORE ON IGNITION
May I first congratulate you on a fine magazine. I read it cover to cover each month and find it genuinely interesting.
However, in the November issue I found a technical fault in “Understanding Electronic Ignition.” On page 55, the sentence which reads, “The system will work in essentially the same manner without the capacitor, though point life will be very short because of arcing” is not totally correct. To prove my point, either try starting any similarly equipped (battery coil) machine with the capacitor disconnected, or disconnect same while running! Although the reduction of arcing is an important function of the capacitor, the more important function is the achievement of higher secondary currents (fatter spark). This function is accomplished by the current charging and discharging effects of the capacitor with relation to the primary input voltage. Further, with point opening the condenser delays the decay of the primary voltage in the primary winding of the spark coil achieving a greater magnetic saturation of the secondary windings when the magnetic field collapses. Because of the hysteresis of iron cores, magnetic saturation is not instantaneously achieved. In turn, the discharge of the capacitor deliberately delays this action, achieving a more complete saturation of the secondary winding (mutual inductance), a greater secondary voltage and subsequently higher current flow through the ionized gases at the spark plug.
The enclosed figures represent what might be seen with an ignition analyzer with (1) the condenser (capacitor) connected and (2) with the capacitor disconnected. The figures are further la beled to describe the mechanical and electrical events with regards to time and voltage.
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As can be seen by the foregoing illustrations, the P2 and P3 voltage are considerably reduced by Figure 1 versus Figure 2 (your contention with regards to arcing). However, the vast improvement is slope T0-T1 and T3-T4 with a subsequent improvement of several kilovolts in peak secondary output. In addition, the improvement of S2-S3 brought about by a combination of voltage and current improve the spark quality.
The figures illustrated are, of course, idealized. Many other phenomena occur associated with hysteresis, etc., which become too detailed to pursue at this time.
CHARLES G. MISHLER Lee Center, N.Y.
IT'S A RUDDY SHAME
Congratulations. “The Story Behind the Making of ‘Little Fauss and Big Halsy’ ” (CW, Dec. ’69) is superb. You are to be commended for “telling it like it really is.”
Mr. Ruddy’s attempts at cheap pornography via motorcycle racing leave much to be desired. The efforts of a highly skilled professional group of men who risk their lives setting records in the “two-wheeled” world have just become living sacrifices to the “God of Whoope.”
If Mr. Ruddy believes a reproduction of the nation’s top motorcycle racing events with all the daring and excitement would not appeal to the public— without injecting abundant swearing, dope and sex-then he has delivered a very sad commentary on profession race drivers and the aeneral i,ublic.
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I believe all the public would love to view the "real motorcycle thing" as only the pros can deliver. Who doesn't thrill to someone else's danger? Not so with past movies. Hell's Angels isn't their bag and the remainder have X-rat ings. Shot down again. What light will motorcyclists be cast in this time?
Mr. Ruddy believes his movie will help motorcycling. I'm sure it willstraight to hell on a jet. He further believes it will increase attendance at the tracks. I'm sure it will-every bum in the country looking for the "goodies." He still further believes it will make people aware racing exists. I'm sure it will-in a cesspool!
The attitudes of Mr. Ruddy, his actors and stuntmen are somewhat less than overwhelming. They would be piti able if they weren't so condemnable. The audience they are catering to would have remained with them through any effortless, themeless movie that featured dope, nudity and anti-establishment undercurrents. Why then the flagrant use of competitive sports?
Praise to the companies that refused Mr. Ruddy the use of their products and shame to those who donated. If the industry does not stand up and be counted on this one, then we deserve just what Mr. Ruddy has given us-may we wear it well.
ALYCE DEWALT Taylor, Mich.
CELLULOID GARBAGE
Please accept my thanks for your write-up on the forthcoming movie, "Little Fauss and Big Halsy." I shall add this film to an ever-growing list of celluloid garbage about motorcycling. Though I have ridden bikes for 12 years, I am still unable to identify with drug addiction, rape, Hell's Angels, mate swapping, and the fathering of illegiti mate children. I deeply resent films which invariably link violence and de generacy with motorcycle riders. This letter is in no way a criticism of your magazine, which is the best in the business.
DOUGLAS M. HARRIS Norman, Okia.
CAN ANYBODY HELP?
We are in the process of planning what we hope will be a border-to-border motorcycle trip traveled exclusively on dirt roads and trails from Canada to Mexico. A relief map of the United States indicates that the most natural route would be through central Mon tana, central Wyoming, through Colora do just west of the Rockies, and down through central New Mexico to the El Paso area.
Could you direct us to a source of information on the location of motor cycle trails in these general areas?
DALE W. MURPHY Associate Director Wandering Wheels Taylor University Upland, IN 46989
ON CHOPPERS
In reference to the letter from David Turner in the December issue of CW, I would like to say that choppers do not "give motorcycling a bad name." Some of the people riding custom bikes pos sibly do, but on the other hand, so do some people on stock street machines.
A chopper used to be a Harley 74 with the usual teardrop tank, solo seat, and high-bars, but now a bike like that is commonplace on the streets of Amer ica. Custom bike builders and riders have turned to fancy fiberglass mould ing and sculpturing, wild candy, metal flake, and pearlescent paint jobs, con tour seats, etc., and it has gotten to the place where a lot of choppers are truly works of art. All this effort to have the bike that is "different" from the one down the street, or across town, or wherever.
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Custom motorcycles are becoming wider spread in America all the time, and not wanting to sound wise or sarcastic, I would like to say that in giving Mr. Turner that type of answer you have failed to show American motorcycling the way it is.
Ignoring the fact that choppers exist will not make them fade away. I am for the sport of motorcycling in all forms and shapes, but choppers just happen to be my thing. What’s the difference between bike racers, chopper jockeys, trail riders, etc.? We all dig bikes, don’t we? To me, that’s American motorcycling; that’s where it’s at.
Thank you for your time, and hopefully the space for this letter in your magazine. As long as you’re bike people, you’re OK by me.
WAYNE CHANDLER The Chopper Shop Connersville, Ind.
Thank you for a considerate, intelligent answer. There are, indeed, choppers that are “works of art. ” And the talent, time and thought which go into the most exemplary custom machines are often amazing. Amazing, because this outstanding individual does not call himself “Artist,” but has created a graphically beautiful work of art. Such honest, un-self-conscious participation in an act of creativity is one of the most sublime of human experiences.
But certain riders who put choppers on the street become suspect for the following reasons. Their motivation is directed not to the creative experience, but obsessively to the moment they may hold an exhibition on the street. We all have, in varying amounts, the desire to exhibit ourselves, or what we have made. In normal doses, this “preening” is healthy. It speaks of a proud human animal. What bothers us is that almost delirious preoccupation with superficial beauty, in preference to inner substance. Equally disturbing, and inappropriate in a street machine, is the near-complete subordination of function to a loud, insensate deification of form and color. When individual exhibitionism reaches that level, it may be the warning signs of a dying culture. How does the cycle go? Ah yes: subsistence, growth, philosophical strength, affluence, excess, decay.— Ed.
IMPOSITION
I enjoy your magazine very much. Would like to see you emphasize safety a little more and individual freedom possibly a little less. Even if the individual has the right to scramble his own brain if he wants to, I’m not so sure he has the right to impose the expense of care for himself and his family on his fellow tax-payers, possibly for several years to come.
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ALAN W. MORGAN, D.O.
Detroit, Mich.
FASCINATING
I just got through reading the October issue of CW. Your interview with Neil Keen was well done. Dan Hunt did a commendable job of showing the man as a man and the man as a racer. The interview had to fascinate every bike enthusiast.
PFC RICHARD TRAVNICK APO New York
“CW INTERNATIONAL”
Since I was introduced to motorcycles three years ago, I have faithfully read your outstanding magazine. CYCLE WORLD seems to be the only American attempt to produce a magazine of international scope.
RAINEE MARTIN Minneapolis, Minn.
H-D FOREVER
Your magazine is undoubtably the best motorcycle magazine on the market today. From your factual, technical road tests to your interesting fiction features, such as “The Golden Red Racer” (Oct. ’69) CW just can’t be beat! Other magazines at most only mention the name Harley-D avid son in a faint whisper, while CYCLE WORLD ran road test on both electric start and kick start Sportsters. After all, Harley-Davidson is the only American-made motorcycle left. More attention should be given to this fine old marque. Keep up the good work.
EDWARD C. HAMWICK Marietta, Ga.
HE CAN’T UNDERSTAND
After reading your road test on the H-D “CH” I find myself at a loss to understand why anyone would care to buy this bike. Top speed and quarter mile speeds are nothing phenomenal compared to some of today’s super bikes. Handling is rather good according to your statement, but you didn’t seem overly enthused. The gas tank is small and weight of this 56-bhp machine high.
In Canada these machines sell for about $2500. For that price, who needs something with all these faults plus a speedometer that is 11.2 mph out at 70 and who knows what at 100. What kind of person needs this aggravation?
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BRIAN STUBBS Toronto, Canada
Speedometer error is a small consideration. Logically, you may be right about the Sportster’s other points. But if you ever get the chance to spend a few days on one, you may change your mind. The Sportster is an affair of the heart-an exciting riding experience, rather than a bundle of impressive statistics. —Ed.
HE LIKED “CLOSURE”
I would like to commend you for publishing “Closure” in your superb magazine. Though I did not expect to find a piece of fiction in your primarily factual magazine, it was one of the most pleasant surprises I’ve had. “Closure” will rank with such greats as “The Thunder Beetle” and other short fiction.
PHIL SMITH New Orleans, La.
DISGUSTED, BUT WRONG
I’m thoroughly disgusted with your road test on the Sportster CH (Nov. ’69) because two of the photos were of the XLH, not the XLCH. I expect to find accurate information as well as accurate pictures in a large magazine such as CW.
XLCH OWNER West Chester, Pa.
Sorry, but all the pictures were of the XLCH. Maybe you’d better go see a ’70 model at your H-D dealer, and follow it with a visit to your optometrist.— Ed.
TAKE THAT, BRIAN!
I really liked the way you gave it to Brian McLoughlin. He didn’t have any right to knock your great mag. Keep up the good work.
SHANNON KEITH Winnemucca, Nev.
“CHEERS, CALVIN. . .
Please print the following in your magazine, or see that Mr. Calvin Rayborn gets it.
“Mr. Rayborn, on your next visit to the U.K. do you think you could cut down a bit on the loud mouth act? We are, of course, very impressed with the U.S. scene (I have lived in California), but you are by no means God’s gift to the circuits. Come over next season and put your horsepower where your mouth is. And one more thing—lay off Phil Read. He’s better than a dozen Rod Goulds and two dozen Rayborns put together. You’ve only been up against him when he had decided disadvantages, so from where do you know? As far as the whole of the European racing public is concerned (and the number outweighs that of the States) he is the cream, and one of the classiest riders this world has ever seen. By the way, could you beat Agostini? I think not—I’ve seen you race! But Phil Read has several times. So, Mr. Rayborn, less mouth. Don’t forget—we’re paying your expenses if you come here. So show a little of what we call dignity and savoir faire.”
M. CARROLL London, England
A BRIEF ASIDE
I thoroughly enjoyed the article by Gene Bizallion on sidecars. Change everything around to suit driving on the other side, and many experiences were like mine with my old A7 BSA and Watsonian sports chair, back home in England.
A note of caution on the statistics, though. Insurance agents in England automatically cut the premium by 50 percent if you add a sidecar because “they are inherently safe.” I don’t think it’s really got anything to do with the vehicle. A man who rides a sidecar outfit is keen (he’s gotta be with all the problems) and must be a good driver. If he were just average he wouldn’t bother with a chair; he’d have a mini. They’re cheaper.
ALLEN F. DAMP
