Intake

Intake

KICKSTART THE CONVERSATION

Having read your review on the Triumph Thruxton R after just getting home from a Northern California BSA Club ride where a rider showed up on one, I agree with you on how Triumph nailed it in making a thoroughly modern retro bike. There is only one place where they missed the mark: There needs to be a tickler on the fake Monoblocks that dribble a little fuel on the outside of the carb bodies when they are depressed.

JIM ROMAIN CYCLEWORLD.COM

WHAT IS REAL?

Replacing the fake Amal carb overlays with fake Mikuni overlays on the Triumph Thruxton R would make a vast improvement over stock.

LUKE MEISENBACH

LOS CATOS, CA

But would it still be authentic?!

How a motorcycle looks is equally as important to me as how it goes. Witness the new Yamaha MT-io naked bike you ran in your August issue. I’d expect to find a picture of one under “hideous” in the dictionary. Live and learn, Japanese manufacturers: Your crazy Star Wars styling isn’t playing in my neighborhood. You’ve forced me to do something I never thought possible: buy my first nonJapanese motorcycle in over 40 years, a Triumph Thruxton R.

DAVID PARSONS

SAN DIEGO, CA

COMPARISON TEST 101

I have been waiting for a recent cycle test or comparison involving the Honda CBR1000RR. Finally I see in your August issue a good liter-class review and comparison. But for some reason you folks can’t seem to include the ever-popular Honda literbike. I realize it’s a little bit down on power compared to the very best ones, but it’s used in racing and is again very popular in the cities. The Ducati Panigale and Aprilia RSV4 are high end and hard to repair or get a good tune-up on. The Honda would fit in this category and be a better comparison for your article. I am guessing you folks haven’t looked at this model in a couple years at least. I own a Honda CBR1000RR, and I can barely hang on to it when I give it a lot of throttle. Keep my subscription going, and I’ll live with whatever you folks care to print.

GREGORY GRATNY

CYCLEWORLD.COM

Nothing wrong withyour CBR1000RR,

Gratny. Our comparison test policy is to include only past winners and all-new or significantly updated machines. The liter-class Honda hasn’t seen a major update since the last time we tested it, so it doesn’t make the cut.

STEPPING STONES

John Stein’s article “Stepping Stones”

(Ride Smart, August) was spot-on. Too bad Cycle World didn’t have a road test on a bike that would fit those requirements in the same issue. Back in the late ’60s and early ’70s CW fueled my lust for motorcycles I could afford with a parttime high school job. Hodalca Ace 100s, Yamaha DT-125S, Honda SL125S, and plenty of other small bikes were all treated as “real” motorcycles. What happened?

LLOYD REEVES PORT CHARLOTTE, FL

We review a balance of all sizes and types of motorcycles. For smaller bikes, consider the Kawasaki Z125 Pro (July) or the KTM 390 Duke (June), the latter of which was part of the Cheap Thrills theme that included lots of under-soocc bikes.

Fantastic short write-up! When I lived in Paris we could ride up to 50CC mopeds and motorcycles. My introduction to riding on the streets in all kinds of weather at 14 years of age on a Malaguti 50 taught me a lot. No motorcycle test—just proof of insurance. At 16, you could ride up to a 125CC. At 18, up to 350 with a test. Then after that another test and you were free to ride any displacement. I wish we had a similar motorcycle licensing structure here in the States.

TOM WAGNER SAN MARCOS, CA

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