Intake
Intake
BIKES THAT SUCK TZ LOVE AMERICAN CRUISERS
HÊEHSTHHT THE EOfíVEHSHTÈOn
After reading the April 2016 issue, I must say I can’t take it anymore! The flat-black paint job trend needs to stop. On bikes, cars, hot rods, and everywhere. Our eyes have six million cones in them for a reason-wake up people. In color!
JEFF WILKENING ELK RIVER, MW
We’ve addressed this problem by putting a ton of color on the cover of the issue in hand; we just forgot to put a motorcycle on there.
BIKES THAT SUCK
A better editorial has not been written (“This Bike Sucks,” Bike Life, April). All should thank you for your up-front struggles to be forthright with your readers. I do believe you guys try to best capture/convey fair evaluations using your up/down notations on bike reviews. I do appreciate the several comments by each test rider who has ridden the test bike.
MARK LORENZ CEDAR RAPIDS, IA
Enjoyed Peter Jones’ rumination on bike testing. Readers do tend to take said articles for granted, but writers still sometimes mistake opinion for evaluation. EIC Hoyer’s reporting of Harley-Davidson’s sales figure was interesting. Their obvious dominance surprised me, especially at those price points. An interesting comparison would be number of miles ridden compared to the other brands. What percentage of bikes sit versus go? Just curious.
STEVE BROOKS VALENCIA, CA
TZ IT LOVE?
Thanks a lot, guys! I was in bed yawning my way through the cruiser issue (in spite of the cool S&S bagger) when I came across one of my favorite motoscribes, Nick Ienatsch, beautifully describing his experience on one of my bucket-list bikes, the TZ750. Even after buying and racing an ’86 GSX-R1100,1 always wished Yamaha would market a street-legal lightweight four-cylinder 750 to i,ooocc two-stroke for “spirited” riders! (Current ride: ’07 Tuono; also love the V4.) More Nick stuff please!
DAVE BOOTH BEAVERTON, OR
Then thumb forward to page 84 and read Nick’s impressions on the wonderful Britten.
X-RATED OKAY
As a professional graphic designer and owner of one of the most beautiful motorcycles built—a 1972 Honda CB500 Four—I was quite taken with the Ducati XDiavel featured in your April issue. It looks futuristic, powerful, and graceful. This lifts it above the current crowd of cookie-cutter models with virtually identical silhouettes of jagged jutting angles, which look to my eye like they were designed either by a Walmart boom-box manufacturer or the set designer for Lost In Space.
My only quibble with the XDiavel: Who embedded the pair of stainless-steel locking medical clamps on the right side? Not sure most riders want to see such a stark reminder of their mortality every time they go to mount their bike no matter how sexy the overall package. Still, can’t wait to schedule a test drive.
KIM P. COONEY REDMOND, WA
’MERICA
Cruisers dominate the American market primarily because our roads and highways are straight and smooth. What need you of Ducati handling? HarleyDavidson dominates the market because it adheres to the best business model; it doesn’t sell motorcycles, it markets a distinct “lifestyle.” And those stories of unreliable Harleys? Nonsense. Along with many other brands, I’ve owned three different models of Milwaukee Iron, and none leaked, all gave good service, and they were totally reliable. The worst thing about Harley-Davidson motorcycles? Their owners.
RICHARD CREED
BELTON, TX
Regarding April’s Up Front, I had to smile when Mr. Hoyer spoke to the “vehement” reactions whenever somebody posts something about Harley. It’s okay. We learn to deal with the haters. We feel the same way about Ducati. Ride on!
DAVE COOK OTSECO, Ml
Comments? Suggestions? Criticisms? Write us at intake@cycleworld.com.
