Hotshots
HOTSHOTS
Master Repli-Race
Enjoyed your article, “MasterBike 2006,” in the August issue. Who could have guessed that an Aprilia Twin could pull off a victory over that kind of competition? Grover Cramer Todd
Galt, California
Kudos to Aprilia for its win in the MasterBike ’06 test, but let’s hear it for Kawasaki and the still-badass ZX10R! Two MasterBike wins and now a runner-up in three years is phenomenal in this era of sportbikes. Now if they would only do something about those ugly twin exhaust cans...
John Revilla South Riding, Virginia
I am not convinced that an almost$20,000 Aprilia RSV Factory that barely beats a $12,000 ZX-10R is really king of the hill. Thomas Smith
Washington, D.C.
In July’s Ten Best Bikes, you classified the Suzuki GSX-R750 as the Best Superbike of 2006, but then I read in
your August issue that you picked the Aprilia RSV Mille Factory as the MasterBike of 2006. Let’s see, the GSXR750 has a base price of under $ 10,000, while the Factory is $18K. Hmmm,
what modifications could I do to a 750 Gixxer with $8000? Wonder how it would compare to the RSV after modifications. Joe Chiappa
Orlando, Florida
Six not enough?
How come Kawasaki’s Z750S wasn’t included in your “Six and the City” middleweight shootout? I did not expect to see a Z750S in your MasterBike article; based on its price, however, I believe it is worthy of being considered one of the “Best Bikes for Your Bucks.” After all, it’s less expensive than two of the machines tested (Honda 599 and Ducati Monster 695). It also has more horsepower and torque than all of these bikes and would probably leave all of them for dead in a 60-80-mph top-gear roll-on. It is a shame this bike gets little recognition by most American cycle publications. Alex Manganaris Woodbridge, Virginia
Great article about real streetbikes that can be ridden on a daily basis in a real riding
environment. I have one question, though: How can you not include Kawasaki's Z750S in this comparo? It falls well within the price range ($7099 MSRP), though I got mine for $6499, with a couple of free helmets to boot! Brent Kidney Fort Wayne, Indiana The article should have been titled "Seven and the City." There is a bike that has fully adjustable suspension front and rear, the midrange grunt the FZ6 and 599 are missing, a full fair ing and comfortable seating for crosstown or all-day riding. Yamaha has been building it for 10 years. It's the oftenforgotten but highly capableYZF600R. This bike will take you to work, won't embarrass you at track days, can sporttour with soft luggage strapped to the back and has a great support group (www.yzf600r.com). It's not the sexiest machine on the market, just a great allaround bike for a price that is less than the Honda and Ducati and not much more than the FZ6 and SV6505. Kevin Jonely St. Joseph, Missouri I thought your critique of the Monster was harsh. No one buys a Ducati be cause it is inexpensive. Performance, personality and history-these are fac
tors to consider when looking at any Ducati. You didn’t mention that the Ducati Monster has a tremendous amount of factory and aftermarket performance enhancements available. It can start out as a beginner bike and be modified to suit as the rider’s skills and inclinations change. It is a friendly, flickable ride that can be made into a track-day bike, a daily commuter or a canyon-carver. It has a low seat height, and very approachable and predictable behavior. Scott Poole
Tampa Bay, Florida
Your articles generally support safe riding. I was highly disappointed, however, when I saw the lane-splitting photo on page 64 in “Six and the City.” It shows one of the stupidest and most unsafe traffic maneuvers a rider can do-squeezing between vehicles, illegally passing. It is one of those actions that give the rest of us a bad name.
Jonathan Brubaker Cocoa, Florida
Sorry, Jonathan, but lane-splitting is legal in California, where the photo was taken. Here and in virtually all of Europe, where threading between lines of jammed traffic has been recognized as a fueland timesaving practice for decades, lane-splitting is also vastly under-represented in accident statistics. It should be legal and encouraged in all 50 states.
Must-See TV?
I’m not into that scream-and-yell chopper-family drama on the Discovery Channel, and I’m not crazy about Speed’s boltit-on infomercials or their chopperlifestyle shows, either. While the girlies were a plus, “Texas Hardtails” was otherwise unwatchable. “Build or Bust” is more reality game show than motorcycling program. The now-defunct “2 Wheel Tuesday” had a pleasantly broad format but suffered from too little real content and a less-than-thrilling host. The new “Superbikes” that took its place is entertaining despite flirting with the reckless tendencies of some of the racerboy/hooligan/squid types.
In contrast, motorcycle print journalism is much more robust, while its TV cousin is nichey, tedious and often suffers from poor production quality. Any insights into the nature of the moto-TV beast? ' Am I asking for the impossible?
Dr. Corey Shouse Tourino Collegeville, Minnesota
My thoughts on Speed TV’s latest show “Superbikes?” What trash! It’s bad enough that we see this type of behavior on the road. I am no angel and I like to go for a spirited ride now and then, but to have
Speed treat stunting like it’s the norm for sportbikes makes me wonder how long ’til we are legislated out of existence. Thanks, Speed! Darrell Overbey
Vernon Hills, Illinois
a
Garbage! For a company to represent motorcycling in this manner is appalling. How can we expect to teach our teenagers to respect the laws of driving when “Superbikes” glorifies breaking them?!
Don’t enough teenagers get killed every year from drinking and driving? Now they want to teach them to do stunts, as well?
Dennis Couch Riverside, California
La Dolce GT
Thank you, Ducati for com ing up with the GT1000! I could not get the August issue open fast enough to read about it. I had been drooling over the PauV~ Smart model, but $14,000-plus will
dry your mouth out in a hurry. But now a full-liter Duc for under $10,000! Ah, boil the pasta and open the vino, life is good again! Jeff Barber Gadsden, Alabama
Malaprops-R-Us
My August issue of Cycle World ar nved today. As is my usual habit, I turned first to Up Front and L (as, again, is my usual hab it) found myself caught up in Editor Edwards' wonderful ability to directly address the reader but main tain a conversational, even intimate, tone. And then... Immersed in the warm remembrances of three late, great men-Otis Chandler, Larry Grodsky and Johnny Chop-~ I was just curl ing over David's graceful transi tion from Otis to Larry when I badly stubbed my toe on the word epithet.
I don’t think that’s the one you wanted. Epitaph? Ah, yes, that’s the one you meant to use. As I’m sure you’re already aware, an epithet is an abusive or disparaging word, phrase, remark or comment. An epitaph, however, is something written in memory of a dead person. It’s entirely possible for an epitaph to also function as an epithet-Q specially if you’re speaking or writing an obituary about someone you despised! But that’s clearly not what Edwards was reaching for in writing admiringly about Chandler, Grodsky and Chop.
Sorry to be such a nitpicker. I promise to write again soon, just to let you know how much I admire your writing and all of the work your wonderful crew of editors, artists and production staff puts together every month. In other words, don’t expect any epithets from me...now or ever. And no epitaphs, please, for at least 30 or 40 years! Kevin McClearey
Professor Emeritus Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Illinois
Epithet or epitaph? From the Editor-inChief, no less! Does anyone prooofreed anything anymore? John Lucas
Southboro, Massachusetts
If there’s even a remote chance of a highschool graduate (pre-1975) proofreading Dave Edwards’ work before publication, please take advantage of it. That Dave writes for a living and doesn’t know the difference between epithet and epitaph speaks volumes.
Epithet: Dave, the Ignoramus.
Epitaph: “He couldn’t ride very well, so he wrote instead. Alas, he rode better than he wrote.” John Leddy
Leon, Virginia
You may very well want to hurl epithets at the fates for taking Chandler, Grodsky and Chop, but the families would probably prefer a heartfelt epitaph.
Art Dunn
Posted on www.cycleworld.com
Last time in your column, it was gesticulation instead of gestation...this time it’s epithet instead of epitaph. I think it’s time you gave CW's proofreaders a swift kick in the testaments. Chris Parry
Corinth, Texas
Dagnibbilit! There you go again, gesticulatin’ and excommunicatin’ all over our nation. Norm Crosby
Palm Springs, California
Am I too late? I hope not. I’d like to enter the monthly Mystery Word Contest. Anyway, I already have my prize...until it expires in April ’08, then I’ll have to renew! Terry Hanney
Des Plaines, Illinois
It was probably a pesky spell-check program that screwed things up. I’m sure that no one at CW would contribute to the linguistic decline of American life.
Nancy Beck Altamonte Springs, Florida
I love your magazine. The occasional linguistic slip-up just makes you appear less God-like. Bruce Brown
Tupelo, Mississippi
David Edwards, Editor of the world’s best-known motorcycling magazine, died this past week after being beaten by a herd of angry grammarians wielding hard-bound dictionaries and hurling epithets. Dibs on his Norton. Jeff Davis
Alpine, Utah
Edwards says thanks for all the epistles and epigrams. He ’s had an epoch-making epiphany and wants to put the whole epithet-epitaph episode behind him.
