Hotshots

HOTSHOTS

Smokin’

I’ve been an avid motorcyclist for over 40 years and a Cycle World reader for many of those. Your magazine has always had an interesting mix of cycle tests, custom bikes, new products, articles and, of course, the never-ending story of Ted on the last page. I love all types of motorcycle racing, but when I read about Boris Murray’s Triumph Dragster ( World s Coolest Bikes, October, 2010), I couldn’t agree with Cook Neilson more. That is definitely a cool bike, and the photo of Boris smokin’ the rear tire, front wheel in the air on his way to that 175-mph run, was the coolest picture I’ve ever seen. Keep doing what you do and I’ll keep reading. Don’t ever let the whiners tell you that you are not waving the flag for their brand enough or you were too harsh on a road test. Motorcycling is not about brands, ccs or top speed; it’s about enjoying a sport that can help you look at life differently every time you swing a leg over the saddle and feel the wind. Mike Hagan Streamwood, Illinois

Scratching

I don’t know much about Steven Thompson, but his “Scratching” story in last October’s Racewatch section was GREAT reading. It’s apparent he not only has vast and detailed recollections of his roadracing experiences in England in the early Seventies, but he writes with such sensitivity and wonderful “phrase turning” that I felt compelled to let you know. I’ll bet he and Egan are good friends. Looking forward to future stories from this gifted and worldly motorcyclist/author.

Dick Jones South Portland, Maine

Steven L. Thompson was Editor-at-Large for Cycle World from 1985 to 1992, in addition to being about 50 other things in life, and has written six nov-

els, including co-authoring a New York Times best-seller, “The Wild Blue.”

Armchair aestheticians

I read and enjoyed your Norton 961 SE road test in the October, 2010, issue. I have owned and ridden my Norton 750 Interstate Commando since purchasing it in 1973. My take on the new Norton: It is a good thing it handles and performs well, because to me it looks like a bug with a pointy tail that eats its young. John Morrissey Lee’s Summit, Missouri

The photo illustration by Yann Bakonyi of the new 2011 Triumph Speed Triple in the November issue caught my eye.

Nicely done headlights,

Street Tripleish frame, low-slung aftermarketlooking exhaust, inviting seat pan, properly done chin fairing, cool denim blue paint. Not at all like the fugly Speed Triple of now. After some Internet searching,

I found pictures of the “for-real 2011 Speed Triple”— with odd-shaped headlights that stick forward too far, same old twintube frame, bulky underseat exhaust and cheap-looking chin fairing. What gives? Shouldn’t the younger, new pig look better than the old one? Next time, use a little more lipstick! Or at the very least hire Bakonyi to design your bikes.

Rick Benham Denton, Texas

I read the headline on your November cover, “Kawasaki Gets Serious,” and thought, “Not yet they haven’t.” Kawasaki is making the same blunder that crippled the American automobile industry for a generation, namely, ignoring their customers. Kawasaki bet the farm on their flagship lime-green color, a color most American males wouldn’t be seen dead on. Apparently, Kawasaki believes that advertising can convince millions of rough-hewn bikers that lime green matches their Ninja machismo. If they’re right, lime-green jeans and other paraphernalia are just around the corner. But I wouldn’t bet the farm on it. I would bet the farm, however, that any advertising focus group of riders would echo my sentiments. BTW, I ride a Ninja. A red one.

Bob Catalano Derby, New York

Go ahead and pack up the plantation, Bob. Kawasaki informs us that Lime Green outsells other available colors by far, and that dropping it would result in rioting. Then again, the only other ZX-10R option this year and last was basic black. In any case, they hope none of that keeps you from enjoying your red Ninja.

Advertising debate

Enough, already! Your November issue arrived and just for curiosity I totaled the pages of advertising compared to the total page count. I counted 92 pages including the front and back cover in which there are 45 pages of paid advertisement: 48 percent of your magazine is commercial advertising! Enough is enough. Focus on content, set a fair subscription price and let the readers enjoy. Steve Rangeloff Jefferson, Texas

Actually, Steve, the number of editorial pages we do each month is dependent on the number of advertising pages sold. More ads equal more editorial content, and the ratio for which we’ve been shooting since 1962 is about a 50/50 split.

I just received my November issue and immediately noticed a lack of advertising from the manufacturers. Only BMW, Ural and Can-Am placed ads. While you glorify their products, most manufacturers don’t bother to support their own industry by advertising in the most influential media publication on the market. Bring back the Norton girls! Doug Strange Kutztown, Pennsylvania

Starting in gear

In your October test of the V Star 950, the “Downs” panel stated the bike would not start in gear, but that is incorrect. Upon examination of your test unit after its return, we found that the clutch-lever interlock switch was not seated in its holder. This switch prevents the electric starter from functioning unless the clutch is disengaged. Once the switch was reseated on that bike, the engine now starts in gear when the clutch is disengaged, as will all Yamaha and Star motorcycles. We thank you for allowing us to follow up on this detail.

Kevin Foley, Media Relations Manager, Street Motorcycles Yamaha Motor Corp., USA Cypress, California

Egan’s ribs

Peter, Peter, Peter, we can all sympathize with you on your recent mishap. We have all been there. While your three basic laws of motorcycling are very good, I have three more for you to consider. First, when you find a place that you describe as, “three days of the best riding imaginable,” don’t tell everyone about it! When you and the brothers Mosiman were riding away from Betsy’s Moonshine Gulch Saloon, the last thing I hollered was, “Don’t tell anyone about this place.”

Great, now there’s going to be a ton more riders, and we might see more than two people on the trails in a day. Second, when you go to the hospital all broken up, you always say, “I fell off a skateboard, down the stairs, out of an airplane, on a bar of soap,” anything but “I fell off my motorcycle.” You are now officially a statistic for the insurance companies to use to raise our rates.

Third, never admit to turning over a boulder. Undoubtedly, the writhing grubs you saw are an endangered species, probably something like a Red-Headed Booby Faced Boulder Grub. Right now we can be assured that some group of green weenies somewhere is lobbying to shut down all riding in the area in which your ribs displaced said boulder. Just this year, we lost 90 percent of the riding area in the Black Hills and would just as soon keep what is left open for riding. Maybe this could be condensed into just one law: “Keep your mouth shut and don’t admit to anything.'

Nah, then we wouldn’t get to read your column every month and laugh our asses off learning about the escapades of a 48, er, 62-year-old wiseacre.

Dan Van Eldik Westfield, Iowa

Wondering?

I know why riders use their knees to touch down when racing, but what is with this new thing where they stick their legs out like they’re gonna flattrack it but instead hover out without touching down before a corner? Is it for braking? Calvin Kandarian San Carlos, California

Esteemed Road Test Editor Canet says: ‘As you get older, you find that your knees begin to bind up and require a bit of a stretch now and then, and Rossi is no spring chicken.” Actually, “The Dontor ” added that hanging the leg offers some assistance in getting the bike turned in while also making oneself wider and more difficult to pass up the inside. Mark Cernicky offered that he feels the wider weight spread helps keep the front from tucking when braking really, really hard—and it moves weight toward the turn. But, direct from Valentino Rossi in an interview by our own Matthew Miles: “I put one foot out when I brake very hard,” says the ninetime world champion. “I feel it is possible to brake deeper. But I don’t know if this is true. The first time, I didn’t decide, ‘Now I take my boot off the footpeg to brake harder.’It came naturally to me. Now, I see also a lot of dijferent riders doing the same thing.”