Letters

LETTERS

WRONG DISPLACEMENT

I have always felt that CYCLE WORLD is the finest magazine in its field. But at the same time — I feel if you are in error, it should be brought to the attention of the reader. So, at the risk of sounding picayunish, I would like to inform you of just such an error in the Bultaco Matador data panel, June issue. The actual displacement is 244ccs and not 224 as reported.

I wish you continued success.

JOE QUAID Bultaco-American Palo Alto, California

LOW SPEED PARADISE

I have been an avid reader of CW since it first came on the cycling scene. I have owned 14 different motorcycles in the past 10 years, and many times I have turned to your magazine for help on what and where to buy. Unlike many of your readers, I am not biased on type of bike, since I’ve ridden everything from a 1948 Indian 80" to a 200cc Triumph Cub. I love the sport in general, and am now throwing a leg across a Honda Dream 250 SS.

I’ve been in the Philippines for about a year, and thought you might like to know how motorcycling stands over here. The weather is usually ideal for bikes, except for a three month rainy season from June to August, when it rains almost every day. The roads are in terrible shape, compared to the U.S., so big road machines have no place here. Also, the highest speed limit is about 45 mph (70 km), so a powerful bike is wasted also.

The majority of 2 wheelers are scooters and below lOOcc motorcycles, with a few of us holdouts riding 250 to 300cc Hondas or Yamahas. Fuel is quite cheap here (12 to 15 cents a gallon) so you get a lot of riding for little cash. All in all, it’s a great place for off-the-road riding, since there just aren’t too many roads!

Organized races over here are very rare, and I have yet to see one.

We all look forward to your magazine each month, and they last about one day on the stands! You’ve got the best personnel available in testing and writing, so keep up the good work.

S/Sgt. R. L. QUEEN Clark Air Base Philippine Islands

POTENT GILLY

While I was looking through your Sept. ’64 issue of CW, I found what I think is an error. On page 58 you have a trail test of a Güera 124cc Scrambler. You state it has 7 hp and an exceptionally quiet engine.

Well, I happen to own a Güera 124 (’64) and it has 16 hp (according to the advertisements handed out by Güera). And according to the Güera mechanics, they also have noisy valves.

TOM GARCIA

Glad to hear about your horsepower, but sorry to hear of your mechanics’ coronary problem. —Ed.

OLDIE

I thought maybe you would like to put this picture of the 1940 Scott water-cooled engine in CYCLE WORLD.

This machine is still in its original running condition.

I have the original manual books and electrical books also.

JERRY BROOKS Tacoma, Washington

OVER-RATED POWER

I think it’s getting pretty bad when a magazine of your high standing underrates the horsepower of two cycles as popular as the Yamaha YDS-3 and the YM-l. You state on page 130 of your Road Test Annual that the YM-l has 26 hp @ 7,000 rpm, and the YDS-3 has 21 hp @ 7,500 rpm.

(Continued on page 38)

It’s getting pretty ridiculous when a bike such as the YDS-3 is deprived of as much as 6 horsepower and another bike of 3Vi hp! I know for a fact that the YM-l has 29.5 hp, and the YDS3-C 27 hp. Specifications should be as correct as possible in a road test, because it can mean the difference between purchasing a particular model, or having to turn to another make to satisfy the particular wants or needs of the buyer. In this case, I’d say that it’s being a little unfair to Yamaha. Correct?

MARK TUCKER

Springfield, Virginia

No! We are not to be held responsible for advertising claims regarding horsepower. We cannot verify each and every machine. Rather, you should take it up with the distributors in each case. Why turn to another make because the rating doesn’t sound high enough? Our tests determine the only factual and useful figure — performance! What difference does it make how much power some advertising agency rates a machine, when the only figures that count are the ones that detail how it performs? Our figures are usually obtained from factory-published manuals, not from the advertisements. Ed.

GOOD QUESTION

Re “Let’s Ride Defensively,” in the June issue of CYCLE WORLD, I have two questions to ask of Officer Emerson. First, as a police officer, he should be aware of the laws requiring law enforcement personnel to obey all laws, unless in hot pursuit of a suspected law breaker. Why then, does almost every mounted officer feel that he can ride between lanes of cars, when not so engaged and then ticket an ordinary rider for the same violation?

Second, although I wholeheartedly support separate “type licensing,” how is an inspector going to ride along for a driving test on a single place bike, or if he utilizes a different motorcycle, how is he going to record the violations of the person he is testing?

DEAN SMITH

Los Angeles, California Along with a number of other irritations, we too wonder how motorcycle-mounted police can justify squeezing between cars when it is not necessary in pursuit of their duties.

Special motorcycle license qualification tests are one of the biggest headaches facing the industry. Several methods of verifying the abilities of riders have been tried, such as: mounting a two-way radio in the inspector’s car, and the rider carrying a back-pack with earphones; driving alongside, calling directions and control changes to the rider; testing in an enclosed paved area where each move could be observed. The latter seems to be the most practical. If the inspector/observer followed alongside on a bike, he could easily use a small tape recorder and a throat microphone to record impressions of what he sees for use later. It’s not a bad idea at that! Ed.

OOPS!

In the July issue of CYCLE WORLD on pages 52 and 54 are pictures of a motorcycle which is not mine.

MIKE WILLIAMS

West Covina, Calif.

Our apologies to you, Mike. The correct bike is shown above — Ed.