Letters

LETTERS

Habitual offenders

For years, my mother, wife and non-riding friends have required me to rationalize the expense of my assorted motorcycles. Then I read Peter Egan's column, “The buck-a-day, 25-year habit." in the December issue. Why I didn't think of breaking the expenses down before, I don’t know. From now on, I'm going to see how many of their vices run a paltry 73 cents a day.

Darían De Jong Iowa City, Iowa

It looks like Egan has his habit whittled down to a bare minimum. My motorcycle vice really has a hold of me—my tire bill alone gets me into the $2.75-a-day range. You're basically on track, though: Owning motorcycles doesn't put you in the poor house, it's the riding of them that costs the money.

Jonesy National City, California

Egan says all bets are off if smoky burnouts are a regular part of your riding regimen.

Boob-tube racing

I’ve seen more than enough automobile racing on television, while the few motorcycle events (except for ESPN's wonderful coverage) have been short highlights, hardly proportional to the viewers interests in motorsports.

There has never been a motorsport so exciting to watch as grand prix motorcycle racing or stadium motocross. I have never seen a sight as beautiful as a pack of riders chasing each other through an Sturn at 100-mph plus. Four-wheel motorsports are dull by comparison.

Several of my friends, who had never before seen motorcycle racing, were amazed at the sport. The riders, they noticed, were visible and obviously extraordinarily talented athletes who pushed their machines to amazing limits; something unobserved in auto racing.

How can we encourage network television to promote this sort of thing?

David Stine Boulder. Colorado

Short subjects

I have just received the November issue and I am very pleased with it.

Brian Keller Cleveland. Ohio

There is only one guy in Wisconsin who has a motorcycle that is of legal drinking age, and yet he is not. That guy is me!

Mark Brandt Port Edwards. Wisconsin

“Cubic liters," to repeat, is redundant.

Bruce Sikkema Minneapolis, Minnesota

We know, we know.

I was returning a stray dog to his home tonight on my wife’s Vespa moped with the magneto lights.

Need I say more than the lights were poor to nonexistent. But by the “flashlight-in-mouth" method, I was able to travel at 10 mph through densely wooded trails.

Don Larson Mountain View, Missouri

In 1 947 or 1948. my brother bought a used motorcycle. It was a Servi-Cycle. Could you publish a picture of that machine?

Pierre Haché Saint-Agathe. Canada

How about a 1 989 FZR600 or something? Wait a minute. I’m 6 foot 2 inches; better make it an FZR1000.

Paul Hollar Fort Gibson. Oklahoma

Sorry Paul, you're too late: The FZR has already been given away.

Can we interest you in a Vespa moped with magneto lights, or a 1947 ServiCycle?