Letters
LETTERS
Cruise for Victory
September's tech feature and riding impression on Polaris' Victory V92C were outstanding! I was very im pressed with the new prototype and how it was designed and tested. I had been saving for a new Harley FLST, but after reading your articles, I can't wait to learn more about the V92C. As an industrial-arts teacher, I can ap preciate the extensive engineering effort that the Polaris team invested in this project. I can't help but think Polaris is going to put a serious dent in H-D's market share. Chuck Confar Columbus, Ohio
The Polaris articles written by Kevin Cameron and Steve Anderson were excellent. Hopefully, a complete roadtest of the bike is forthcoming. I need another motorcycle to complete my collection. Michael H. Hartney Hanceville, Alabama
Polaris' engineers, designers, man agers and technicians have great courage and virtue. Just like other fine Americans Alexander Hamilton, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roo sevelt and Martin Luther King, they understand the power of reason. That's why the V92C will be a great motor cycle. Please sign me up for the first one in production. James Juneau Downey, California
The Polaris Victory is truly a striking machine. For what it's worth, though, my 1966 Yamaha Catalina 250 had its tachometer mounted inside the spe edometer atop the headlight shell in ex actly the same fashion. Mark Schalow Holland, Ohio
Regarding the Polaris Victory: Ho hum, just another "Farley" (Fake Harley). Pity. A clean slate, zillions of dollars, untold man-hours, and we end up with a 600-pound, 75-horsepower Vulcan 1500. While I understand Po laris' pursuit of the cruiser market (that's where the money is these days) the company should have built some thing other than a cookie-cutter clone. After all, Honda, BMW and Moto Guzzi all managed to create interesting cruisers that no one will ever mistake for Harley wannabes. Dave Wood Vancouver, Washington
Read your article on the new Po laris Victory V92C, and I like every thing with the exception of the $13,000 pricetag. I just can't justify paying the prices asked for 99 percent of today's cruisers. I think the lotto is up to $8 mil this weekend should I be lucky enough... Mike Rigsby Dallas, Texas
Yes, I do recall speaking to Polaris' Mark Bader last year (after running the V92C motor on the dyno for the first time, Engineering Manager Bader told his wife, "I spoke to God today"), but if I remember correctly, it was only to tell him that he is a hopeless copycat. Ms. God Garden of Eden, Paradise
Daytona Duck
Thanks for the excellent articles in the September issue about "Old Blue" by Mssrs. Neilson and Schilling. That an icon such as the California Hot Rod has survived intact and acquitted itself so well at the Daytona reunion is tribute to the fundamental soundness of Dr. Taglioni's genius and the creative em bellishments wrought by Cook and Phil. While I wasn't at Daytona this year, it was a treat to reunite in print with the authors' eloquent prose that roused my affection for Ducatis in years past. Last ly, it appears in the photograph on page 66 that Neilson is wearing the same Bates leathers he wore 20 years ago. If this is correct, that is really amazing. Richard A. Danks Kirtland, Ohio
Had to write to say thanks for the "Hot Rod Reunion." Without the California Hot Rod, I might not have survived my senior year of high-school English. I ac tually looked forward to going to the li brary. If I was lucky, the latest issue of Cycle was in, and I could sneak a peek at Phil and Cook's latest adventures. I may have missed my 20-year high school reunion, but I'm glad I didn't miss the Hot Rod Reunion. Thanks for the memories. R. Lunsford Houston, Texas
Pass the popcorn
Hallelujah! After years of watching Kevin Cameron take one question about motorcycles, break it down to the mole cular level and examine each part and function from every angle, both physi
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cally and philosophically, I was beginfling to wonder if the poor man ever re ally relaxed and enjoyed himself. Lo and behold, Kevin comes up with a col umn ("Counting Sheep," September) that poses not one, but several ques tions. He concludes with, "Maybe I should just eat popcorn and enjoy the show." Right on! As Peter Egan says, "There's much to be gained by sitting and looking." Charlie Harris Eagle, Idaho
Byte me
Regarding David Edwards' Septem ber column, "Artificial Intelligence," about the computerized thesaurus func tion: Not only does his brown-nosing word processor suck up to its master, it also caters to the advertising manager who solicits those lucrative Harley ads. Harleys are harmless? My Windows `95 Word doesn't pull punches. Harley: Hare-brained idea, harmful to the ears. Nor does it butter me up about my sta ble. Bonneville: Booby trap. Honda: Honky-tonk. Suzuki: Suspicious. Yama ha: Yank off Yank off? Yikes! I must talk to my RD400. Vernon Versatile Whittaker King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
Interesting, verrry interesting. But if your computer is so smart, why didn't it tell us what Paula Jones thinks about draft-dodging eggheaded Rhodes scholars who like to perch precarious ly on illusory points of law and logic? H. Dumpty Washington, D.C.
Hey, hey, hey, Dumpty! That no way to talk about our esteemed leader the Clinical Climax Clincher.
Tit for tat
If I wanted to see womens' tits ("Dingo Photo," August), I'd buy Play boy. I buy Cycle World to see motorcy cles. It's pathetic you can't keep the two separate. Shanna Caulkins Beaverton, Oregon
I truly enjoyed "Cruisin' KoreanStyle" (Roundup, September). The Cruise 125 is hot! hot! hot! So is the sexy biker balanced upon its sweet seat. Who is she? Maybe Associate Editor Wendy Black? James Birkelt Wisconsin Prison System
What, they don `t let you guys have Playboy in prison?
