Intake

Intake

HIPSTER ART FAIR ALA D’ORO JONESING FOR MORINIS

MÊEHSTHRT THE ERnVERSRTiOn

Your August issue cover story features “Hand-built” motorcycles. The article states, “Our sport’s future is right here.” What?! Have you guys been watching too many reruns of American Chopper and Junkyard Wars? Handbuilt? This article shows “garage engineering” at its best. Why do you people drool over these cobbled-together cartoonish and unrideable machines? Counterculture embracing counter-engineering. This is not the future but a fringe element of motorcycling. Didn’t you learn anything from the ’90s chopper craze? Save your printed space for real motorcycles, not the Hipster Art Fair.

DAVE ROGERS CYCLEWORLD.COM

Dave, the artistry of these bikes is what has inspired great machines like the Ducati Scrambler and BMW R nineT. Yes, some of the Handbuilt Show’s bikes would be virtually unrideable, but the twin-engine Indian on the cover, for example, was built from nothing and holds two records at Bonneville. Real motorcycle.

NOT PIMPING

Excellent story and photos of the Handbuilt Show (August). It was so enjoyable to view actual and amazing creativity instead of the usual “pimped” Harleys. Amazing bikes. Wish I’d been there.

KEITH INGRAM CLOVIS, NM

Mark Hoyer labeled the nice Honda pictured in Up Front’s “On a Wing” as “the first bike to wear ‘Gold Wing.’ ” Photo #31 from the Quail Gathering event gallery on your website shows Dick Hammer’s H-D CRTT/Aermacchi Ala d’Oro (Gold Wing) racer. Aermacchi offered the 175 and 25OCC Gold Wing racers in 1961, much earlier than Honda’s 1975 model.

MICHAEL MOORE SAN FRANCISCO, CA

MOTO WHAT?

I enjoyed reading Peter Jones’ column in the August issue, but I have to point out that the Moto Guzzi V7 also has heron heads with the combustion chambers in the piston tops. Peter, if you want to see some Moto Morinis, check out the Italian Motorcycle Owners Club (IMOC) meet in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, every September. Plenty of Morinis, as well as other defunct Italian marques. Excellent work.

RON SANTOS WEST WARWICK, Rl

Oh, I have not laughed hard enough to bring tears to my eyes in so many years. You get kind of jaded when you’re older. Thanks for the laughs, Peter.

I tore out the page and saved it!

MARKAMABLE CYCLEWORLD.COM

Peter, I read your bit on Moto Morini and being from the area of Pennsylvania you mention, I thought I might have some luck finding one. Sure enough, on craigslist.org there’s a 1978 Moto Morini with 6K miles on it near York. Only $3,900. Do it!

ADAM HAMPTON CYCLEWORLD.COM

Peter Jones replies: “Thanks?”

WALK A MILE FOR A CAMEL

“Questionable Camel”? I found mine to be a great-handling and good-looking bike that kickstarted easily. Perhaps not as cool as my 31/2 Sport with the gorgeous Grimeca front drum. Though Peter Jones and I haven’t met, I am an American and have owned two Moto Morinis (as well as a Guzzi Eldorado). Still have my Cagiva 650 Elefant, and that, my friends, is yet another lovely machine.

DR. E.F. SANDERS CYCLEWORLD.COM

URINE SAMPLE, ANYONE?

For the love of God and all that is holy, please ask manufacturers to stop mounting Urine Specimen Cups to the top of our handlebars.

These egregious eyesores make me wretch. Not only are they visible in every image of the hot new Yamaha YZF-Ri, but they ruin the centerfold (July on page 45). And to make matters worse, you feature one as a full page under the Service column (page 80).

Surely Kevin Cameron could write a doctoral thesis on why these ugly things are used. But I don’t care. And stop calling me Shirley...

JOHN LOCKWOOD BLAIRSVILLE, CA

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