Letters
LETTERS
No drag is bad drag
As professional motorcycle drag racers, we are offended at, disappointed in and neglected by your publication’s lack of coverage of motorcycle drag racing. Your articles on Dave Schultz (“King of Quick,” CW, November, 1988) and Terry Vance (“An Era Comes to an End,” same issue) were well done. However, more can be done.
Buddy and Claire Bozzano
Round Rock, Texas
Two articles in the past year— including a-cover story—about drag racing hardly rate being called “neglect. ” Our title, after all, isn 7 Drag World, and there are a lot of different people, motorcycles and events that we need to cover. We understand your enthusiasm for drag racing, though, and maybe this issue's Built for Speed" story and accompanying articles will hold you until our next dragrace feature.
Earthquake report
I feel compelled to respond to Steven L. Thompson’s At Large column, “Earthquakes in dealerland,” in which he bemoans the demise of the “old-fashioned” motorcycle shop.
Does he really believe that dealers who remodel their shops are “soulless sharks” only interested in making a quick buck? Should a motorcycle dealership be a greasy hole-in-the-wall that you are scared to take your wife and kids into? I think not.
In most dealerships, you will still find old-fashioned service, still find a place where ideas are realized and dreams come true. If you’re ever in Houston, please stop by for a visit and a free cup of coffee.
A Honda dealer Houston, Texas
Steven L. Thompson’s “Earthquakes in dealerland” hit the nail right on the head. I hope that the “sales gurus” of motorcycling’s Big Four read the article.
Richard Marz Statesboro, Georgia
Steven L. Thompson deserves a standing ovation. And a raise.
Gil Diekhoff Delavan, Illinois
Shobert update
While I understand that there must be some lag time between current events and story publication in a monthly magazine, I think your June, 1989, issue fell way behind the power curve. To publish a column {GP Notebook) by Bubba Shobert in that issue without acknowledging his horrendous accident with Kevin Magee at the USGP is unconscionable.
Jack Nation
Mt. Carmel, Illinois
Not unconscionable. Jack, just an unfortunate result of the lead time necessary to put out a magazine. At the time of the Shobert I Magee crash, the June issue, including Shobert 's first column for us, was already in the printing process. We are happy to report that Shobert is doing great. He has completed his physical therapy in Lubbock, Texas, and has returned to his Carmel Valley, California, home. He is beginning a strict workout program and playing golf to get back in shape. At this writing, Shobert is heading for England to watch the English Grand Prix, and will spend the rest of the year recuperating. Shobert has not yet been back on a motorcycle, but he hopes to be racing again next season.
Low-cost cycling
I see in the Letters section that some Cycle World readers are moaning about the high cost of motorcycling. I couldn’t disagree more.
1 currently own three 650cc Japanese bikes—two 1981 models and a 1983—which I bought used. My total investment in these three machines is around $3000. I spend about $600 a year on insurance for all three, and probably another $500 a year for gas, oil, tires and other routine expenses. Each of my bikes is a comfortable, quick, good-handling, reliable machine which works great for commuting, cruising city streets, scratching around on backroads or taking long road trips on. And I could sell any one of my bikes tomorrow for what I have in it. I own my bikes, they don’t own me.
John Alldredge Kalamazoo, Michigan
Weight for it
Judging from your road tests, all your riders all seem to weigh about 160 pounds. That doesn’t tell me how the motorcycle will work with someone who weighs over 300 pounds on it.
Marvel Purnell Houston, Texas
Rest assured that not all our test riders weigh 160 pounds. In fact, in the interests of better reporting, some of us are diligently working our way up the scale. >
Coast criticism
I held up the picture of the Honda Pacific Coast on pages 46 and 47 in the CW June issue to show my wife.
I asked her what she thought of it. She said, and I quote exactly: . .It
looks like Jimmy Durante.”
Ed Farr Laclede, Idaho
What is this Honda Pacific Coast, the first motorcycle for people who hate motorcycles? I can’t imagine who’ll buy the thing. If you want a motorcycle that looks like an electric mixer, you don’t want a motorcycle at all. The best motorcycle styling isn’t even styling; it’s just the simplest, most-functional juxtaposition of engine, gas tank, seat, wheels, etc. In short, the KISS principal (Keep It Simple, Stupid). Honda at least shows they understand this with the GB500. The Hawk GT and the CB1 are steps in the right direction, too. Now, if only simplicity was reflected in the price, I’d even buy one.
Burt Bryan
Norwell, Massachusetts
Free heads
I would like to address laws requiring that motorcycle riders wear helmets. I have been a motorcyclist for 31 years, covered over a half-million miles, and I’m opposed to these mandatory helmet laws.
Safety is not the issue, individual liberty is. It is my life and not someone else’s. If, on a warm day, I decide to go without a helmet, that’s a calculated risk I take. I choose to give up a certain margin of safety in order to enjoy my existence. This is the very essence of my personal liberty. If I am not allowed to take a risk, how can anyone claim that I am free?
The idea seems to be that if I hurt myself, either insurance premiums or taxes may go up. To a population which only understands the concept of money and ever less the concept of liberty, this seems a powerful argument.
I see that law enforcement is now a primary supporter of helmet laws. The police are no longer satisfied with enforcing laws, now they want to write them. That’s a safe, solid way of life: legislation by police agencies. Just ask any elderly European.
Allen V. Schwarz San Jose, California
Absurdly English
In reference to Peter Egan’s column “Common threads” (February, 1989): I find Guiness stout to be a mite hefty, and in lousy weather. I’d much rather take the Volvo. If, however, I promise that-at least once a year—I’ll put the Blues Breakers on the turntable, nuke some fish & chips and sit down to read the factory manual for a 1969 Triumph TR6 that I sold in '72, might I maintain my status as a latent British bike nut (Whitworth, of course)?
Peter Swanson Ramona, California
Peter; we wou/dn 7 have it any other wav. Just say three “Hail Mike the Bikes " before going to bed.
Subscription drive
Perhaps you would consider reviving my now-lapsed subscription. I’d consider it a true mark of professional courtesy in exchange for printing my letter.
Ric Moy
St. Louis, Missouri
Prove that you 're a professional magazine subscriber and you 've got a deal.
The moon is full
In 23 years of riding a motorcycle, I’ve only seen two guys in suits on one.
Craig Capers Garland, Texas
If a rider is blasting down a country road, can’t hear too well due to helmet obstruction and a huge bug smacks against his faceshield, does it make a noise?
Jon Koch
Sacramento, California
I have a little piece of Eddie Lawson’s fairing that was sent to me by my mom's third cousin in Australia on her brother’s side when his friend was in Poland and knew someone who was staying with one of the marshals at the French GP the weekend after the 500s were testing in Russia and they all had that 23bike pileup that was kept secret from the press which is why we never heard about it.
Gary Smith Burbank, California
At last, the truth comes out.
Reader Information
Editorial offices are located at 853 W. 17th St.,Costa Mesa, CA 92627. Editorial contributions are welcomed, but must be guaranteed exclusive to Cycle World. We are not responsible for the return of unsolicited material unless accompanied with a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
Letters cannot all be answered, nor can all Service inquiries be answered. We appreciate correspondence sent to the editorial offices and will use the most interesting and appropriate letters in the magazine. Subscriptions in the U.S. and territories
are: one year, $15.94; two years, $27.94; three years, $37.94. Canadian subscribers, please add $3.00 per year, all other countries add $5.00 per year. (Remittance by money order or draft on a U.S. bank payable in U.S. funds.) Single copy $2.00; $2.75 in Canada.
Subscription service: P.O. form 3579 and all subscription correspondence should be addressed to Cycle World, P.O. Box 51222, Boulder, CO 80321-1222. Please allow six to eight weeks for a change of address to become effective. Include both your old and new address, and if possible, a mailing label from a recent issue. For faster service, call toll-free (800) 456-3084; in Colorado (303) 447-9330.
Back issues from 1984 to current year are available for on a prepaid basis for $3.75 each from Cycle World, P.O. Box 754, Holmes, PA 19043; 1-800-345-8112. (Canada and overseas: [215] 532-8687). Advertising: See SRDS. Circulation audited by Audit Bureau of Circulation.
MOTORCYCLE INDUSTRY COUNCIL,INC.
