Intake

Intake

SLOWDOWN -> TEST THE BEAST -> ARIEL ACE -> INSURANCE

KICKSTART THE CONVERSATION

First, slow the hell down. I’m still trying to read and fully synthesize all the information in the February issue. I barely have 300 miles on my S1000RR, and I am already going to be steamrolled by a 200-hp Yamaha R1? All I can say is Suzuki better step up to the plate quick or else the GSX-R name will be quickly forgotten. One note to bike designers: Is it possible to make a fast, functional bike that also looks good? All these additional sweeps and strakes are just bad ornamentation. Remember the Ducati 916 and the 1990 GSX-R? TREVER SKILNICK CYCLEWORLD.COM

WANTS AN H2R TEST

I quote Mark Hoyer from page 30 of the February 2015 issue: “The H2R trackbike remains the fire-spitting, glowing-hot, 300-horse no-holds-barred monster we showed in our December issue, even though its $50,000 price tag means most of us will never throw a leg over one.”

I think there are many riders who would build/buy a track-only bike.

When I consider that a bike with more horsepower than a MotoGP machine is priced at $5oK, I would say the greatest obstacle to ownership is the limited availability. I must agree with Hoyer about the Kawasaki H2R’s weight though. I don’t think I would enjoy wrestling a bike that weighs in excess of 450 pounds around a track. I am anxious to see the actual weight of the H2R when the magazines get one to test.

RUSSELL SMITH CYCLEWORLD.COM

Russell, we are anxious to get our hands on an H2R. Look for a test in an upcoming issue.

UNDER RECTANGULAR?

With the Ducati 1299 Panigale bore at 116mm and stroke at 60.8mm, is the term “oversquare” outdated? Should not it be considered slightly under rectangular?

FRED WEECE MADISON, Wl

RIDE AND PREJUDICE

In his February column (“Ride and Prejudice”), Editor Hoyer’s frustration with an insurer refusing to recognize motorcycles as “regular use” vehicles reminds me of another discriminatory practice that is seemingly the norm.

The APR for motorcycle loans at my credit union is higher than those for automobiles. This is justified because all bikes are presumed to be “recreational

vehicles” regardless of being designed for onor off-road use.

There is an obvious disconnect between motorcyclists and those who provide products for our community. Everyone would be better served if blanket assumptions were set aside and the real-life use of motorcycles was evaluated.

DAVE MURRAY BEAVERTON, OR

Hoyer's column struck me as a bit onesided. Any insurance company operates on the “law of large numbers,” or “odds.” Your position as a full-time rider might be possible in parts of 10 or 12 states.

And the odds of you using the 1930 Olds to go to work go up radically when it rains or snows. As a full-time rider with a classic car, you are a small minority, and you need to spend some time looking at the other side.

TOM ¡INKS

FRANKLIN, Ml

ACE IN THE SLEEVE?

The Ariel Ace (February) has a nice “machinery” look to it, but why didn’t they apply all the radical minimalist ideas used on the Ariel Atom car? The car is very light, but the bike is too heavy and clunky. I’d like to see what they could do with a weight target of, say,

300 pounds. That show-off frame looks like it could be a lot smaller; the girder fork looks heavy and probably adds lots of unsprung weight compared to an ordinary upside-down telescopic fork; and I don’t think they need the shaft drive. They could probably find a lighter engine too. Let’s do it, Ariel.

MARK OIFFIN LOS ANEELES, CA

Comments? Suggestions? Criticisms? Write us at intake@cycleworld.com.