Letters
LETTERS
THE INDIVIDUAL RIDER
Membership in an AMA club can be a rewarding experience for the competition rider; it can also be a lot of fun for the joiner who is completely at home among Robert’s rules. But the club has nothing to offer the hot-blooded trooper who for one reason or another, such as lack of funds or fear of failure, does not ride in competition.
For this guy, the ponderous formalities attendant upon the transaction of club business constitute sheer agony. The lectures admonishing against the use of straight pipes in town leave him cold. As an added fillip, he gets to win brownie points or a gold star for perfect club attendance during the season. To this rider, it is not worthwhilè to endure the dry, dull club meetings just for the sake of an occasional road run.
Our rider can have lots more fun batting the breeze with the other riders at the nearest coffee shop or bar. Robert’s rules are seldom invoked upon these occasions. Nobody buys a motorcycle in order to become inconspicuous, and there are lots of ways for our non-competitive rider to let off steam. He can dress scroungily, in The Tradition, and swagger around with cigarette dangling from upper lip. He can wind out his machine in low gear downtown and listen to the reports, from a pair of Chattanooga Rattlers, echoing back and forth behind him. He can do wheelies down the main drag. For that matter, he can drag down the main drag. He can tuck in and grab a handful of throttle at every opportunity.
These activities may be neither lawful nor tactful, but they are a hell of a lot of fun. They permit our rider to express himself most eloquently, which clubs sometimes fail to do. Until the clubs come up with activities of greater interest to the non-competitive rider than the aforementioned ones, motorcycling is going to remain a split proposition.
I read Big Al’s letter with interest. While I agreed with your answer, I was disappointed bÿ it. FRANK CONNER North Syracuse, N.Y.
Perhaps we can phrase it better. We do not presume to say that each and every rider should belong to a club; obviously it is not necessary to join to enjoy a motorcycle. We agree wholeheartedly that club life is a gigantic bore to some, and in truth, the actual numerical majority of riders do NOT belong to to the AMA. The group you advocate includes by far the majority of riders, but we do not agree that they should ban together in unofficial clubs, without rules or sane organization, just to terrorize and do damage to themselves and the sport. Most of CYCLE WORLD’S staff members are non-joiner riders, except those who wish to ride competitively.
We are a bit frightened at the prospects of the reverse^of your philosophy; do people buy motorcycles IN ORDER to be conspicuous? You disclaim the rider who seeks identity and acceptance by belong ing to a club, yet advocate the independ ent rider's own form of identification, dressing like a slob and acting like a spoiled child and raising juvenile hell just so other people will know he belongs to a society of degraded maniacs. We offer the simple fact that all of that wild throt tle twisting, ivheelies, tucking in, dragging, etc., are dangerously familiar symptoms of the competitive rider, though we find it difficult to believe the man you describe is a capable enough rider to do wheelies down very many paved streets. The com petition rider, on the other hand, con fines his feelings for expression to the boundaries of the race course. We believe only one thing; a simple live-and-let-live atmosphere is the only healthy dim ate in which motorcycljng will survive and continue to expand. Join or don't join, race or don't race, ride and enjoy it, but don't ruin the sport for the average and intelligent; civilized rider. Like us. Ed.
PAY ATTENTION
I feel that too much of your magazine is taken up by advertisements, as was said recently in a letter to the Editor. Also, it shakes my confidence in your magazine to see a full page ad for, say, Ducati when you have a road test for the same machine in the same issue. I have found this to be true of almost every issue. For $5.00 a year, I think you could drop a lot of advertising and give us more features, without bleeding too much. BILL CROOKER Park Ridge, Ill.
You haven't been noticing all of those machines in advertisements that were NOT being road tested, nor were you seeing that very same Ducati advertise ment (as an example) running month after mont/i when it was NOT being road test ed. The motorcycles appearing in ads on CYCLE WORLD's pages have no rela tionship whatsoever with the ones being tested, except on the occasions that the distributors or manufacturers choose to run a vehicle in an ad that coincidentally appears with a road test. This occasion is by no means intentional. You also missed tile many, many road tests of machines for which there were no ads for quite some time, as in our first year or so of publishing CYCLE WORLD. You additionally missed noticing that since ii'e have become the leading motor cycle advertising media ii'e have added pages, totaling 68 with each issue now, and that tile editorial section of tile mag azine is the same size, and sometimes largçr, than when we had no ads at all. Ed.
UNO-G UZZI CORRECTION
I would like to correct a very serious misprint that appeared in the June CW. Letter by Clifford Flywheel states that the 164 Uno-Guzzi "Sportsman" is to be equipped with the 50cc engine and 5-speed gearbox. This is incorrect; the `~Sports man" will be equipped with the 50-speed gearbox and 5cc engine. How many other readers caught this obvious error? DAVIDSON HARLEY Secretary, Uno-Guzzi Owner’s Club
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LADY ENTHUSIAST
Enclosed is a picture of my 1952 custom Triumph Tiger 100 with a Martin swinging arm unit. The engine has “Q” cams, oversize valves, is bored .060 over. painted in titian red and has a black and white rolled and pleated seat.
I was pleased to hear you planned on featuring some custom cycles. I enjoy your magazine thoroughly. SHARON LEE WEBB Manitou Springs, Colorado
And we enjoyed your letter thoroughly. Ed.
TRUTH WILL OUT
Sure do enjoy CYCLE WORLD. I like the way you call a spade a spade and don’t try to please everybody too hard. I kind of think that is what has happened to the other cycle magazines. Print what is true and not what pleases everybody. I sure do agree with you on ape hangers.
Hooray for Dick Mann, how about a history of the A.M.A. TED ZERBY Kent, Washington
SUGGESTIONS FOR THE LADIES I would like to point out a few things for the lady motorcycle riders. For instance, for the lady who hates to spend an hour or more under-the hair dryer, eliminate the dryer! Simply cruise around on a cycle for about an hour, and presto, the hair is dry and the time has been spent in a most enjoyable fashion.
Need a facial? Apply medicated ice to the face, and go out for a ride. Stimulation at its best! No need to exercise daily either. Rising up to go over bumps in the road keeps the calves and thighs in firm shape. Also, because the rider has to rely on her own back muscles for support, there is no posture problem.
Mopping the floor? The cycle riding housewife never needs to wait for her floors to dry; she can wring the mop so tightly, every trace of water is picked up. Then too, if your washing machine won’t spin, wringing the clothes out by hand is no strain. Kneading bread will be pure child’s play for you! Just think how the aroma of fresh bread will affect your husband’s disposition after a hard day of work.
After a particularly trying day of your own, there is no better way to tranquilize frayed nerves than a solo ride at twilight. These are not the only compensations for the woman rider, but they do make housework and beauty routines easier and more pleasant. All of which makes a happier wife with a more satisfied husband. What more could a woman ask?
MRS. CARL G. CANTRELL Slidell, Louisiana
74 OWNERS' SPOKESMAN
The following comments are prompted by two consecutive letters that appeared in your June issue. According to those letters, David Potts and Roger Soul peg the Harley 74 as an antiquated bucket of bolts. A reference is made to your forthcoming 74 road test, that it will be of historical interest if nothing else.
It seems to me that the test will be of a lot more than historical interest to the thousands of present and future 74 owners, myself included. Needless to say, I am awaiting the test as eagerly as anyone. The 74 is big, heavy and beautiful. I’m sure no one would argue with the first two statements; as for the last — to each his own.
Personally, I prefer a large, heavy machine — something substantial. It’s my idea of a motorcycle and it is obvious these views are shared by others. For touring the beautiful roads in the country, especially two-up, it is second to none. It would be a sad state of affairs if the market for them ever diminished to the point where Milwaukee considered dropping them. According to a recent conversation I had with a dealer whose family has been selling them for half a century, that state of affairs does not exist.
Something Messrs. Potts and Soul should keep in mind is that the quality of workmanship and materials used in the 74 is A-l. I’ve had several experiences that bear this out. I’ve looked into several other makes and models but they all have shortcomings in relation to a “Big Twin.” When mine wears out I’m going to buy a new one. My present iron horse is 14 years old. DONALD L. POIRIER North Haven, Conn.
CUSTOM INDIAN
Enclosed is a picture of my 1938 fourcylinder Indian I purchased about two years ago and have reconditioned to its present appearance. The basic style of the bike has not changed other than the exhaust system, which I built. I painted the bike candy apple red and scalloped it in metallic gray and white. The seat is not original as it was beyond repair.
I ride it about once or twice a week but I really like to keep it for show purposes, and have fared well in three shows. Since you have featured other Indians I thought you might be interested in mine. BOB SAUER Gahanna, Ohio
FOR DICK MANN
The first letter in your Service Department column in the July CW answered a question I have wanted answered. I believe your answer was as good as any I have seen.
This goes the same for Dick Mann’s letter, which puts forth his point in a very decent manner. I believe he was done a very great injustice; please continue to stand behind him. PHILIP DAVIS Berkshire, N.Y. We are. Ed.
VINCENT EXPLOSION
Ever since your Vincent article (CYCLE WORLD, Feb. ’63), we have had an increasing interest in the Vincent. Robert “Wong Fu” Newcomb of our shop is interested in procuring the name, model number and year, engine number, etc., from all Vincent owners in the Central U.S. We’d appreciate your running this notice.
Due to this increase we have imported several used Vincents from England. This may seem unusual but they were in very good condition. Bob Newcomb is quite interested in forming a Vincent owners club in this area; interested parties can write us at Cycles Inc., Box 2002, Madison, Wise. RODNEY W. KREUNEN Madison, Wise.
CASTING DOUBTS
After reading the Trail Test of the Maico Trailster (January ’63 issue), we tend to doubt your qualifications for making any sound statements concerning any two-wheeled vehicle. The Maico Trailster is precisely what it was designed for, a flat track machine, nothing more!
When planning a trip into the mountains, we found that we were one machine short. By chance, a new Maico flat track bike was available and it was decided that with proper gearing this machine would allow our other buddy to make the trip. When we got it into the rough stuff to our surprise none of us could get the creature very far from the track. Two of the other machines were right off of the street (a BMW R-26 and a Honda Hawk). The Trailster could not be compared with these street machines in any sort of rough country travel.
Just as you did, we found a large smooth flat area and spent the rest of the day playing flat track games. VANCE GRIFFITTS, Granada Hills, Calif. JIM GRIFFITTS, Payette, Idaho ROGER GRIMM, Canoga Park, Calif. DAVE HETZELLER, Northridge, Calif.
MINI-BIKE FAN
Enclosed are pictures of my mini-bike. It is custom built with a Tohatsu tank. Top speed is 55 mph. I like the mini-bike tests in CYCLE WORLD, plus other good features. I would be happy to see my bike in your magazine. Keep up the good work. TONY OPULE San Bruno, Calif. •
