Letters

LETTERS

Moonlighting King

In his August editorial, “Too tough to tame,” about the current state of affairs in grand prix racing, was David Edwards speaking to Kenny Roberts, GP team boss or Kenny Roberts, linoleum salesman? In every Roberts interview I’ve previously read, Roberts has made it clear that he is against grand prix meddling of any kind. It is hard to believe he’d say, “That’s not a bad idea,” to NASCAR-style carburetor restrictors as Edwards contends that he did.

Brian Halton

San Francisco, California

He said it, and, remember, you read it here first. We don 7 put words in KR's mouth. If we did, first, he'd come and kick our behinds; second, we'd stop getting those killer deals on kitchen flooring.

I, for one, applaud Kenny Roberts’ support of Formula USA and WERA, as reported in your Race Watch section (see “Formula for Success?,” CW, August, 1990). We are decades overdue for a restructuring of motorcycle racing in the U.S. The AMA has had its chance—a long, long chance—and failed. I cannot believe that in this day of television starving for quality sports programming that the most exciting sport of motorcycle racing cannot be marketed.

I maintain that all motorcycle racing should be sanctioned by a profitmaking (read motivated) organization along the lines of NASCAR. Look what Bill France has accomplished with hopped-up bootlegger’s cars. And I nominate Kenny Roberts to head up such an organization. He may be the only motorcycle figure with the stature to make this type of venture successful.

Also, AMA Vice-president of Professional Competition Ron Zimmerman’s comment that Roberts owes the AMA because it, in effect, made him. boggles the mind. Does he really think Mr. Roberts would be flipping hamburgers were it not for the AMA?

Jon W. Given Xenia, Illinois

No, but there's always that linoleum gig to fall back on.

Numbers game

Why is a Honda CBR600R faster than a 750? Cycle magazine (April,

1990) says the CBR has a top speed of 152. Cycle Worlds July, 1990 test of the Honda VFR750 notes that the bigger bike has a top speed of 148 mph. Why should I spend $2000 more for a slower motorcycle? I’ll have a CBR, thanks very much, or is Cycle “out to lunch” with its numbers?

David Sparks

St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada

We can 7 vouch for the other magazine's eating habits, but we do know that you 're comparing apples to oranges. Cycle World is alone in being the only major motorcycle publication to actually measure the top speed of its test bikes, which we do with a radar gun after the bike has accelerated for approximately 2 miles. Other magazines generally print “calculated" topspeed numbers, derived from a formula that tells what speed the bike should do at redline in top gear. The problem is that most bikes won 7 pull redline in top gear. Our 1990 CBR600,for instance, recorded a measured top speed of 138 mph, some 14 mph below the calculated figure. Conversely, while our test VFR 750 actually did 148 mph, calculation would wrongly lead you to believe that it would do 10 mph more. Obviously, we think our way gives the reader more useful information.

Standard issue

Standard motorcycles, standard motorcycles. Come on guys, get real. Motorcycling is for individuals. If I wanted something standard, I’d be driving a four-door crackerbox.

Jim Lee

Tempe, Arizona

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