Hotshots

HOTSHOTS

Baula movement

The two-wheel world is a richer place with E1 Solitario’s stuff on the road (“El Solitario,” February). It’s bold, it’s fun and from what I hear, the bikes work. They look hand-built, too, nicely so, ready to use, not to show. The big factories will be watching, then soon copying, albeit in watered-down form. Look at Triumph: At first, the factory was dead-against using names like Thruxton, but when the prices of old Bonnies and Tritons kept rising, there they were, raiding their own catalog. David Lancaster Submitted via www.cycleworld.com

Okay, somebody has to say it: The Baula featured in the February issue is hideous. The bought-at-a-hardwarestore switchgear and steering-damper knob, né countershaft sprocket, are an embarrassment. Evidently, no one noticed that the starter lever will foul the linkage for the (needlessly) rearset shift lever. And then there are the 5.00 x 16 vintage Firestones. What a poorly conceived and executed POS. Bob Sheehan Nederland, Colorado

Maybe somebody had to say it, but does it always have to be you, Sheehan?

Just finished reading about Baula—an interesting and nice-looking bike. My question is, did BMW manufacture a /5 in 1969? To the best of my knowledge (limited, I admit), in 1969, BMW produced the /2 series, which used plungertype frames and, I believe, had the pushrod tubes on top of the cylinders. The bike in the article clearly has a newer /5 engine and the 1970/5 or ne wer-type frame. I enjoy the mag and look forward to seeing it each month. Please correct me if I am wrong. Jerry Mulcahy Pembroke, New Hampshire

Mr. Mulchay, you are correct. According to Ian Falloon ’s The BMW Boxer Twin’s Bible, the first /5s were released as 1970 models, with R60/5 production commencing in September, 1969, followed by the R75/5 and R50/5 in the next two months. A few R75/5s, however, were released by BMW in A ugust, 1969, for press and dealer evaluations.

Wunderlich world

I really enjoyed the February issue.

The Wunderlich BMW S1000RR is a welcome new pipe dream. And while I’m on the topic, thank you very much for constantly beating down the Suzuki B-King. It enabled me to get a new 2008 ABS model (unsold dealer stock) in 2011 cheap. It is a bucks-down blast to ride, and it provides me with some exclusivity. Also, I never see the ugly you tagged it with except during the small amount of time between uncovering and mounting it, and a similar window of time when I dismount and cover it back up. Blaine Dugas Port Arthur, Texas

I want to thank you for the nice feature on the MadUSA project bike that we helped Wunderlich America put together. Like you, we are looking forward to the day when BMW makes a naked S1000RR for the masses, but until that day comes, we’ll happily build more MadFiSAs. By the way, thanks to a new combination switch, the Dynamic Traction Control is fully adjustable and can be completely turned off as originally designed. Lastly, please note that the name of our shop is “BMW Motorcycles of San Francisco.” When we acquired the rights to the motorcycle franchise from BMW of San Francisco, we agreed to never use their name when referring to our store. Ride safe!

Eric Wight San Francisco, California

Texas Tornado timeline

C’mon, Burns! Colin Edwards (“Texas Tornado Boot Camp,” February) won the 2000 Superbike World Championship at the hands of the committee that gave Nori Haga a points chop for testing positive for a banned substance. Consistent he was and extremely impressive, but he won by an allergy pill. It was 2002 when CE won the championship in the last round at Imola (I have it on video) in probably the best SBK race weekend in history.

I still get excited watching it. In 2002, Edwards broke the record for most wins in a season (since eclipsed) and most points amassed in a season (still stands). Edwards won the AMA 250 GP title once (1992), SBK twice (2000, 2002), and has finished top-five in MotoGP three times, as well. Love your articles, just don’t short-change my fellow Texan! J.D. Daniel Waxhahachie, Texas

CE does seem to know how to ride fairly well. Thanks for the correction.

Posers, continued...

This letter is a little late in coming, like eight years late, but since there has been a discussion of adventure riders posing, I’d like to introduce a fellow we met on the homeward leg of our great Alaska adventure in 2004. We had ridden from Michigan on our BMWs