Hotshots
HOTSHOTS
K vs. K: The question of money
So, BMW’s new six-shooter finally dethrones the Concours 14 but costs 40 percent more (“There’s a New Sheriff in Town,” September)? Come on, guys. Not all of us are multi-millionaire Cycle World employees, and in these times, we must make the wisest choice for our money. BMW has built a great motorcycle here but should be embarrassed at the dollar amount it took to take out a now-five-year-old bike from the competition. I’ll take the Concours and spend the extra $10 grand on my wife. Yes, I own a Concours. Rob Myers
Davidson, North Carolina
Except for top-gear time-to-speed, the C14 is faster or quicker and outperforms (or equals) the BMW. Yet, you pick the BMW as “defying the laws of convention,” “unmatched” and so on. I guess for $9000 more, it should be. Because of price, I really don’t think the same groups of riders will consider one or the other. I can buy the C14 and still buy my daughter a decent used car. I have ridden motorcycles for 42 years (I’m 48) and have found most bikes, when properly compared, are pretty close in performance. I haven’t ridden either bike, but I am considering a sport-touring machine. I can’t believe the BMW is worth $9000 more. CMS Barton
Fort Worth, Texas
We have justifiably lauded the fantastic Kawasaki Concours 14 since Day One, "and, as we’ve pointed out repeatedly, it remains a great choice for sport-touring, particularly for the money. But the BMW K1600GT represents a clear step forward in comfort, ease of handling,
refinement and amazingly good overall performance—it s a machine with ability to rapidly eat miles both curvy and straight in a way that no other bike with bags ever has. Yes, it ’s significantly more expensive, but it truly is an incredible motorcycle.
EBR: Best Superbike?
The EBR 1190RS as Best Superbike? I remember when a bunch of magazines decided the Cannondale dirtbike was bike of the year just before it was launched. I bet they wished they hadn’t done that! I love Erik Buell and want him to succeed, but his bike has just started racing in AMA. Are any production models actually for sale yet? Have any been ridden in the real world yet? Heck, I don’t know if there is even a dealer network yet. How does his new production bike stack up against the competition? Is the EBR traction control competitive with the BMW, Ducati, Kawasaki offerings? You make several mentions about who would have won if the EBR hadn’t come along. Seems like a big leap of faith to pass up current competitors for an untested bike that isn’t for sale yet.
Gall Weaver Modesto, California
First off, Gail, order one here: www.er ikbuellracin g. com/motorcvcles/1190rs/. Second, our initial track test of the bike was mighty impressive and has since been followed up with a short street ride (see Up Front, p. 10). No, neither were exhaustive head-to-head tests with the shootout-winning BMW S1000RR or other major players, but both rides showed the 1190RS to be an incredibly good-performing motorcycle that has every indication of being competitive on the street and track. Add to this the sheer tenacity that Erik Buell & Co. showed in bringing it to production, and the bike is indeed a worthy Best Superbike.
Ouch, that Burns
What’s all this about Frank Sinatra, dogs in heat and you’re gonna mingle with all the crazy chicks, then howl at the moon and reconnect with your boys?! I’ve been riding dirt, trials and street for a little while—43 years. I’m 59, and some 16 machines later, including seven Gold Wings and many years of Cycle World articles, this is the strangest comparison piece I have ever read.
If you think we all ride the superslab in a recliner, you are sadly mistaken. And now that the Wing has a built-in double SD card in the nav system and an online trip planner is available, we find many more backroads than we ever imagined. And no, I don’t break the speed limit and scream down mountain roads in the dark like a dog off its leash. But I could if I wanted to. Please get freakin’ real and buy yourself a ’Busa. Then you can wheelie for all the crazy chicks you mingle with when you roll down the hill. I will cruise past with my monogamist wife of 33 years and wave as we put another 7000 or 8000 solid, reliable and comfortable miles on our 2012 Gold Wing. Vic MutO
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Burns has one talent that is undeniable: He can make any bike look bad by having his picture taken on it. Brian Crates
Boston, Massachusetts
Mule Street-Tracker
I took one good whiff of that two-page color spread on the Baisley Mule streettracker and, after rolling my tongue back into my head, thought, “Finally, a real street-tracker that’s not all tattoos and ponytails (poofy poser pastry).” I saw the dual-carb heads, the twin-plug coils, the nice frame and swingarm, and my second thought came in question form: “When can I buy one?” So, it was a bit of a letdown to find that it was a one-off, but then I thought (by now, you’ll have noticed that I do a lot of this “thinking” thing), “Sell it as a kit!” At least to me... I’ve been riding since 1967 and am now haunted by the unavailability of the first new motorcycle I’ve wanted since 1986.
James Ray Crenshaw Greenwood, South Carolina
No, no: thank you
I finally settled down with the September issue and was compelled to send this note after reading Hotshots. I want to encourage everyone out there in Cycle World-land to keep those cards and letters coming. They alone are worth the price of subscription. I can barely wait until next month to see how many more readers cancel their subscriptions.
I don’t know how you guys will stay in business after your rekindling of the Planet of the Apes/NRA conflagration. I’m practically beside myself to see if my old high-school classmate will write another letter and make an even bigger ass of himself. Thank you, CW, for a thoroughly enjoyable, cover-tocover magazine. And, thank you, all you knuckleheads out there, who take everything so seriously. Brian McCavitt
White Salmon, Washington
I nominate your September, 2011, issue for Best Motorcycle Magazine Issue Ever! Thank you. John Bonsett-Veal
Madison, Wisconsin
Open and shut case
I am a newer rider and prefer cruiser motorcycles. Your magazine does not cater to this market, but that is one of the reasons why I like it, as it opens my eyes to a wider segment of the sport. After reading your last two editions, it is clear that you view the cruiser segment with disdain. Choosing the Ducati Diavel as the Best Cruiser of 2011 is just plain ignorant. Enough said. I will be cancelling my subscription. Please print this. Mark Finnigan
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Sadly, Mark, you won’t be around to read it. □
