Letters
LETTERS
LUCIDITY RETURNED
Your very literate prose and your forth-right views on the issues which from time to time tend to cripple the sport of motorcycling have interested me for many months. As an English teacher I have peculiar affection for CYCLE WORLD'S literary style, and as an owner-rider of a rather rapid Harley-Davidson CH I find great satisfaction in your staff's technical acumen.
Particularly I here want to compliment you on your position vis a vis the AMA and its way of doing things. That worthy organization is, it seems to me, one of the most unfortunate examples in America of oppressive, monolithic bureaucracy. It is my hope that your lucid remarks and honest reporting (as in the April '64 issue piece concerning Grand Prix racing) will awaken American motorcyclists and help to give them courage to legislate their own destinies. Your magazine is a success. Please, oh please, resist the narrowing and thickening which seems always to attend success.
J. HAL WHIPPLE Department of Language and Literature Kansas State College of Pittsburg
COMMERCIAL SUCCESS TOO
I am starting a cycle and machine shop here in Carson City, Nevada, and I want to tell you how helpful your magazine has been in getting started. Not only have your advertisers helped me to locate things I need, but your articles have helped me to decide which machines to carry. Besides this, I really look forward to and enjoy every issue.
This is Nevada's Centennial, and a good year to visit the state. If any of you people are ever in Carson City, be sure to stop in.
M. H. MC CONNELL Carson City, Nevada
Happy to be of some help, and thank you for the invitation. Ed.
A RHYMING CORRECTION
Mike Duff, a Canadian of no mean renown,
On your Daytona write-up will heavily frown,
He raced on his Norton,
Not Matchless that's certain,
And Arter not Kirby's his sponsor's last noun.
EVE WHITE Canadian Motorcycle Association Islington, Ontario, Canada
That's just about the nicest way we have ever been informed of a mistake we are quite sorry we made. Thanks, Eve. Ed.
FOR THE DELANO CRANKERS
I want to start a Legal Fund for the Delano Crankers Motorcycle Club. I think a legal ruling on the Club's activities would be in order (cycle WORLD Letters, April 1964 issue), as the Deputy could be wrong. If they are not getting the proper consideration from the authorities of Delano County, let's get the issue in Court where a just decision can be rendered.
I have enclosed $5.00 to start a legal fund for them; come on readers of CYCLE WORLD, give these fellows a little help with a small contribution.
HUNTER YATES Charlottesville, Va.
We have forwarded Mr. Yates' money to the Crankers for them to use as they determine; we will keep our readers posted concerning the status of the Crankers' situation. Ed.
STAFF AWARD
Your April issue was to say the least superb, all except for some of the letters. Not many magazines have the honesty and nerve to print derisive letters, and fewer people will keep telling the truth when they receive these letters in return. The entire staff of CYCLE WORLD should be given an award of some kind for the job they do in presenting the facts about motorcycling in a factual and truthful manner.
Concerning men; any idiot can ride up and down the main street with his greasy crew behind him, but people aren't watching him and his crew and admiring them for being big brave men. It is more likely that sickened citizens are wondering when their mothers will call them home to put them into their beds. Little Joey Petz is more a man than all of them put together. I have nothing against road riders, most of them are nice people, but not because of the bike they ride. Riding a Harley-Davidson 74 doesn't make a man of anyone, and riding anything else wouldn't help the seeker's masculinity either.
LARRY W. ELLIOTT Great Falls, Montana
ANOTHER TYPICAL HARLEY RIDER
I am writing in direct retaliation to Woose Fisher and his colorful interpretation of the "typical Harley rider." Knowingly or not, he is directly hurting the motorcycling sport both by his attitude towards the general public, and perhaps just as important, his false feeling of superiority towards owners of smaller machines. I started out on smaller machines and I have never regretted it. At present I am the proud owner of a "full-dress" Harley-Davidson 74, and wouldn't own anything else but. I wear black leather jackets, boots, and on occasion, levis, but type of clothing or size of the machine, do NOT determine the man!
Mr. Fisher aptly displayed his mentality by his letter. Motorcyclists display their individuality by choice and size of machine, and individuality makes this world a nicer place in which to live. I am currently a member of the A.M.A. and our locally organized Road Ramblers, which is now in the process of getting an A.M.A. charter.
I am not certain what Fisher's definition of "kissing the public's behind" is, but if it means common courtesy and decency on the road to other motorists and pedestrians, then I'm all for it. The public's attitude towards motorcycling is changing, fortunately, and just as fortunate is the fact that Mr. Fisher's type is vanishing. As far as "the industry" and the "racing scene" is concerned, I am sure most people will agree that in part it substantially contributes to the development of safer, more dependable machines, such as the one that Mr. Fisher rides. Yes, Mr. Editor, we too are well aware of the Woose Fisher effect on motorcycling and are extremely gratified in knowing that his class of individual is diminishing.
DAVID L. EARLE Los Alamitos, Calif.
ADVERTISING CRITIQUE
In "The Insolent Chariots" author John Keates notes that the advertising, if not the machines themselves, for American automobiles is designed to appeal to one's character defects. Let us be honest and admit the same apparently applies to American motorcycling advertising.
JOHN T. WEIGEL Riverside, Calif.
U.S.G.P. ECHOS
I read your report of the so called U.S. Grand Prix; it should have been called the j No Prix of the U.S.M.C. I competed in the 500cc class and was told I finished 11th so wouldn't get paid. Tony Murphy, who rode a beautiful race on his 350 Honda, got the worst deal I've heard of; after coming from California they disqualified him after letting him start. So, I was placed 10th in the standings. I wrote two letters to the U.S.M.C. headquarters in New Jersey, no answer and no money and this has been over a month.
It now becomes obvious that nobody got the prize money promised to the 10th place man. As far as I am concerned the officials took the $50.00 and went North; my only hope is this group never gets the sanction for the race again. I believe most riders feel as I do. We were harassed most of the week at Daytona, and then cheated out of what little money was due us. I will never ride in another race with the USMC again.
CHARLES WILLIAMS Pompano Beach, Florida
PRAISE FROM AFAR
CYCLE WORLD is the best magazine in the world covering a sport or a hobby. I mean as a whole the layout, printing, contents, etc. are tops, comparing it also with some of the pretty good American automotive magazines. Some of the magazines are beginning to show that your influence on them is strong. Your magazine is pure artistry; I won't suggest anything for use in it as you read my mind. The Italian report was long needed and I hope it is to be a regular feature. I was about to ask about the whys and wherefores on Norris Rancourt's Parilla, then you had it in your March issue. Now, if you will devote several pages to the various movie and TV stars that ride motorcycles I will be happy. My only complaint is trouble getting CYCLE WORLD over here.
STEN GUSTAVSSON Gothenburg, Sweden
FAMILY FANS
My wife and I have been reading your magazine for a short time only, but your message has gotten to us!! After a period of stern devotion to the world of sports cars, we are about to begin again, on your side of the fence this time, with a new
Honda. Since our change of heart (we are selling our Triumph TR-4) is all your doing, we hold your publication and staff personally responsible. Modern lightweight cycles are not popular in our community yet; I feel that a really beautiful machine on the road here will really make the local people want to see more.
I'll promise you enough people in our part of the country will be impressed to help make a start here for your honest editorial attitude and factual and informative reading material. For my money, and I buy all of the publications I see, you share a position in your field equal to that of Road & Track among the sports car group.
BILL CLOPPER Hagerstown, Maryland
POINT OF VIEW
The eagerly awaited test of the HarleyDavidson FLH utterly disappointed me. I cannot but feel that somehow you were prejudiced against this machine from the start. I would have not minded constructive criticism, such as the suspension not being superior to European motorcycles, the wide section tires, the need for an even larger displacement engine (my God, larger! Ed.) in a still more rugged frame. You obviously have little experience with really fast riding (within 5% or less of the machine's capabilities) over open roads or you would not have written about "design goals of reducing weight and size." One needs all the weight and wheelbase a motorcycle affords to ride fast. There is no machine capable of as high average speeds as a Big Twin over ordinary roads, nor is there a safer one.
With what other motorcycle could one cruise at over 85 mph over good roads, in the rain, cutting in and out of line at over 100 mph, with utmost precision, attain 85 mph on a narrow 11 % mountain road, downwards? And I could go on and on. Some of your remarks make me feel you do not ordinarily ride so big a motorcycle often. 1,200 miles experience should be enough to substantially better the times you reached in your test; it should have reached a good 120 mph equipped and geared as you tested it, and it should come very close to 130 mph in street form. But even more incomprehensible are your acceleration figures. If an experienced Harley rider cannot about halve your time then something is wrong. Not with the motorcycle, but with the conditions under which it was run. While I know it is not that way, one can compare these conditions to running up-hill. These unfavorable conditions are brought about by nonhuman powers that meddle with the human affairs.
Able to use and to stock huge energies of which we still have but a dim understanding but unable to produce them, they steal such from men and apply the system of the interversion of values. In this system, as an example, the Harley slowed down and with the energy thus released the smaller machines are accelerated. It is likely that the defunct Indian motorcycle has been used similarly. I am aware that this sounds incredible but I hope to be able to prove it someday.
(Continued on Page 66)
Finally I must answer the criticism of those who believe that Harley-Davidson has too much influence over race rules. I wish Harley could rule all the foreign machines out of competition if only to make up for what riders of American machines have been through whenever they intended to enter competition in Europe. Any motorcycle over 61 cubic inches is barred from competition if used without a sidecar. A 45 cubic inch flathead is barred from all forms of competition, and likewise are machines over 500cc displacement. There have been many experiences too difficult to explain but so terribly detrimental in their effect. I am not at all the only user of American machinery over here to suffer from this state of affairs which is by no means of a recent nature; it also existed before WW II. This explains why I no longer believe in competition results in any form. It is too easy for some to falsify the results.
B. AUCHHISIGER Strasbourg, France
We must clarify several points made in this incredible letter, beginning with our so-called prejudice against the H-D FLH, which we were not, nor are we now. Apparently M. Auchhisiger has met few riders on the European roads of his calibre or he would not feel so strongly regarding the FLH's abilities as a high speed road machine. As to the size of a machine contributing to roadability, this is nonsense. If it were so, road racing motorcycles would be far different than they are; granted a certain wheel base/ wheel size ratio is desired, but not the pat formula he prescribes. Regarding the top speed, more folly and evidence of one believing the funny little instrument mounted on the tank in front of the rider. Our acceleration figures were obtained, as are all of our performance data, by two or three members of CW's staff, all of whom are very capable drag strip commandos due primarily to the great amount of practice we receive at this sport. The FLH was skillfully ridden to its utmost in performance by three riders, each of whom achieved speeds and times within fractions of each other. The motorcycle was running in top form and was excellently tuned and broken in; to improve its speed and time would require a drastic reduction in weight of the bike or a serious increase in power. More than likely both.
But, reader Ausclihisiger lias strained our credulity with the theory on "nonhuman powers" taking from one and giving to another. Does Rod Serling know about this? His feelings on racing rules in this country are easily explained; M. Auchhisiger is in France. And in conclusion, the FLH is in an extreme minority in Europe; there appears no sound reason why the F.I.M. rules should be changed for a handful of motorcycles running against literally millions of others.
NOW THE GNAT
Here it is at last — the revolutionary new Uno-Guzzi Gnat. This is not only the fastest mini-bike on the market, but also the first with such "big bike" features as a four-speed gearbox and optional electric starting. We regret the delay in getting this machine on the market, but due to the tremendous rush of orders following CYCLE WORLD'S introduction of the GuzziGoose to the public, the main factory in Salami, Bologna, Italy, had to take over production from our Japanese affiliate, Fuji-Guzzi Ltd., and has been running four full eight-hour shifts per day trying to keep up with demands. Fuji-Guzzi is now able to start limited production of the Gnat, and it should be at your local dealer now.
As stated, this hot new model features a gearbox with four forward speeds; 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and Banzai! Our ingenious engineer, Mr. Freen, is building these transmissions from alarm clocks which he has adapted for the purpose. Starting is accomplished by disengaging the clutch, then winding up the transmission with the key provided, then engaging the clutch to turn the engine over. The electric starting model uses a battery powered electric clock for the transmission, although a key is provided for use in case of a dead battery. Also, a gasless Gnat can be wound up and driven to the nearest gas station on winding spring power alone, provided the station isn't more than three blocks away.
Power is provided by the famous 50cc overhead crankshaft 3-stroke engine, which develops 5.95 bhp @ 37,000 rpm. Unfortunately, however, none of them will run faster than 4,3271/i rpm. This engine, like all Uno-Guzzi power plants, is aircooled, except when it rains. Gas tank capacity is one gallon, and 3-stroke oil is of course mixed with the incoming air. No oil is used in the transmission, since it has a 17-jewel movement and requires no lubrication at all. The tire is a Pirelli Peanut 2x4, and the extensive tool kit provided includes a hypodermic needle for filling the tire.
In reply to Mr. Comer, the Tomaschi 7.5cc Super Scrambler dealer, I wish to point out that the dohc reed valve unit is not standard on the 350cc Uni-Goose, but is available as an accessory for racing or high speed touring. Obviously, the machine overhauled by Mr. Comer was so equipped for the Trans-Pacific tour which it had just undergone. The performance of the Goose is noticeably improved by addition of this unit, and many police departments are ordering machines so equipped. Our latest police order came from the Bangkok Police Dept. for a total of 23 machines which they plan to use for high speed pursuit of speeding ox carts and stolen rickshaws.
J. C. "WHISKERS" MCGURK Uno-Guzzi Distr. for Australia, New Guinea, Pago-Pago, BeriBeri and Walla-Walla
