Letters
LETTERS
Letters to the editor are welcomed and should be addressed to: Cycle World Editor, 1499 Monrovia Ave., Newport Beach, Calif 9266 All letters are subject to editing and cannot be returned.
SIDECAR ENTHUSIASTS
I've just finished reading John Ulrich's outstanding story on sidecar racing (September, 1981). It's a fine job of reporting on what the sport is all about.
My father was a sidecar racer in Europe and I have been active in this sport for the past 30 years. In 1960, my wife and I returned to Europe and competed in many international races. However, my last race was in 1978 when I totaled the outfit at the Laguna AMA National in practice. Both Essaff and Larry Coleman have been a credit to the sport with their equipment and driving skills.
One correction on your story . . . the Essafif chassis first saw life as a M.G.F. made for a Triumph Twin that I raced in 1970. Later on I installed a Kawasaki. It was raced for some time by Bob Bender, then I sold it to Essafif.
Bob Bakker AMA Sidecar Racing Coordinator Sidehack Association Road Race Chairman Van Nuys, Calif.
Thanks for the sidecar road race story. I’ve seen van tests, minibike tests, turbo Honda tests and all sorts of junk in motorcycle magazines . . . but the sidecar episode was great.
It’s been said that the only reason the AMA keeps sidecars around is to dry out
the track after a rain . . . but I was really happy when Essafif won the race at Long Beach.
Marc Pauls St. Louis, Mo.
You guys really goofed up in your sidecar story. All through the article you* spelled Pete Essafifs name wrong. As anyone can clearly see in the pictures, it spelled with two “f’s not one.
How you guys did this I don’t know.
Bill Cordaro Wappingers Falls, N.Y.
NOTHING FINER
Last June I was hog happy just plunkin’ around Atlanta in my old Super Glide letting my ego and backside get massaged by the Harley in about equal amounts. Thefr came my June issue of Cycle World.
Because of your article with its comprehensive technical evaluation and excellent continued from pare 12
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photographs on the CBX, I wobbled into my local Honda dealer (Honda Kawasaki Place, a super dealership with a sharp service department, by the way) just to prove* that nothing could be that good.
Two weeks later and a second mortgage on the old homestead I had my own CBX to evaluate. The locking fairing compartment on my CBX has never popped off buff everything else is just as you called it if not better.
Your magazine has cost me a fortune for the last time and I’m telling you that youguys are never going to do it to me again. For my sake if anyone should luck out and make a better sports tourer, don’t write about it or at least don’t send me that issue. I can no longer afford to pa\£ attention!
Larry Koehn Lawrenceville, Ga.
TELL A FRIEND
Many readers complain they they cannot find a motorcycle safety course in their area. Because many state programs artr federally funded, there is no money to advertise. Even through public service announcements we do not receive much air time or space in newspapers.
The best advertisement we have is the course graduate. If you know where course is taught, tell a friend who rides bike so they can enroll. Tell your dealer local bike shop so they can post the information for anyone interested.
Word of mouth helps a lot. With every graduate spreading the word we would soon have more students than we could handle.
So, help us out . . . tell a friend.
Randy J. Patrick MSF Chief Instructor Hammond, La.
SAFETY VS. SPORT
New Jersey readers will be interested know that motorcycle helmets for street use are now considered safety clothing the same category as welder’s helmets,, goggles and face shields (not subject state sales tax).
Football and baseball helmets are considered sporting equipment and therefore taxable.
Robert Jones Sea Girt, N.J
SECA SALUTE
A good article on the 750s in the Sec tember issue, especially fair to the 75~ Seca. There's been too much "glitzy" lar guage used about the bike and too Iittl recognition for the bike that it is (eve with pluses and minuses).
I own one (not because 1 thought it was better than the others but because of location, dealership, etc.) and I have definitely grown to favor the smaller configuration ánd lower weight. 1 live in cold country at high altitude and the bike always gets moving quickly. The mileage amazes me. I like it and consider it to be practical.
The suspension was somewhat harsh (our roads are rural and rough) but I have improved it considerably by replacing the shocks with S&W street strokers with 75/125 springs. 1 also increased comfort attaching footpegs to the small case savers.
H. Alan Roush Lakeside, Ariz.
I am the proud owner of a Seca 750. I happen to like what the bike has to offer: >anti-dive, shaft drive, electronic monitoring system, etc. The cornering clearance is excellent and the anti-dive complements it very well even at a pushy pace.
Maybe the Seca is in a class of its own, but to me no bike comes close to its looks, performance, technology and just the sheer pleasure of riding it up the street and back.
Barry Blanchard Ottawa, Ontario
ANONYMOUS ANGER
I have just received an inter-company memo that reads in part, “An employee shall not be permitted to use a personal 'motorcycle or motorized bicycle in the conduct of Company business or for a work related assignment, trip or project.”
Now I must drive a car that at best will get about 22 mpg as opposed to my bike that gives 43 to 52 mpg. And this is a company that also boasts of its conservation -efforts every year!
Name and city withheld
TUNED IN
Most of my 1 5 years of riding have been the dirt until I bought a 1980 full dress XS1 1. The bike came with a Vetter sound system that I found somewhat frustrating. Even though the bike is fairly quiet at highway speeds 1 would have to turn the stereo all the way up to overcome the road and engine noise.
On my last trip 1 used ear plugs and with the stereo on it sounded like the speakers were right in my helmet ... almost as good as in my car. The ear plugs overcame the noise and all I could hear was the stereo and a faint rumble of the exhaust. It suddenly made the 1400 miles £ven more enjoyable.
The plugs are called E.A.R., available most airports for about 50 cents a pair. I wouldn't recommend them around town but they are most effective and comfortable on the highway.
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Florin Owens Laramie, Wyo
A KZ1300 FAN
I read your KZ1300 test (October, 1981) and you’re right, doggone it. The’ bike isn’t perfect but no power on earth would have convinced me of that until had one of my own.
At last, after 14 grueling years of Hondas, Triumphs, dirt bikes, beaters and Z-ls, I have in my possession The Ultimate Motorcycle. I have braved blizzards, mountain passes, frostbite and thrilling navagation over icy roads and this last summer we even frolicked in the sands of the Oregon coast.
But I admit, for a lot of other folks, the^ whole business would be a chore. The turn signals are just right if your thumb is 12 inches long, the original windshield is perfect as long as you are about 2Vi feet tallé and for three months I couldn’t get the four-way flasher to turn off short of psy* choanalysis. The heat gauge fibrillates enough to cause heart flutters and the headlight only takes about 20 min. and an, impact driver to adjust. But when you're 6-ft.-2 and tip the scales at about 200 lb. or so, the bike makes sense. You can get the beast off the sidestand, around corner:^ out of the garage and backed out of uphill parking spots.
I can get it loaded up, carry a passenger, behave and get where I’m going without being numb, deaf, or exhausted (for 40_ plus mpg) and it’s cute to boot!
So after a year of ownership, I'm still love. You’re right, it’s almost the ultimate motorcycle, but not quite. The search goes on.
Darrell Richardson Spokane, Wash.
FORGING ON
This concerns-an error in your article about the CX Turbo. It’s not about the Honda, but Ducati. Ducati has been producing street stock machines since the 60’s with forged pistons. I'm not sure if they were the first or not, but Honda certainly is not. The L-Twin Ducatis as welj as many Singles had them.
Hope this casts (no pun intended) newlight on the real story.
Howard Tipod Rochester. Minn.
The CX500 Turbo can't be the first pn> duction street bike with forged pistons; my '78 Guzzi LeMans 850 possibly was. My< ’79 Ducati 900SS has them also.
Unless the CX exceeds 1 34 mph I have a faster and lighter bike with less frontal area and less complexity in my Duck. (Desmo valves notwithstanding), for about the same money.
Bob Kohler San Rafael, Calif.
OVERESTIMATED ECONOMICS
Tom Berg (Letters, October, 1981) won’t have to kick himself in the head any longer, but I’m afraid he still deserves an ‘F’ in economics.
Depreciation is simple purchase price minus resale price, not purchase price plus depreciation minus resale price.
His net cost for 26,800 mi. should be 14.53 cents per mi., not 17.68.
Dudley Hemphill Whitewater, Calif.
As a person who tries to justify the fun of motorcycle riding by the money I’m saving, I was very interested to read the cost per mile figures submitted by Tom Berg.
Unfortunately, his figures do not add up properly, suggesting either Tom owns a bum calculator or that typos have crept into the columns.
On the brighter side, Tom has inadvertently overestimated his costs by listing estimated depreciation as a cost, because this is already factored in as out-the-door cost minus resale value. So Tom is $840 richer than he thought he was, or put another way, he can consider his next 33,600 mi. worth of gas bought and paid for!
Robert Dodge New Braunfels, Texas
NEPOTISM
Just a note to let you know how' much I was impressed with John Ulrich's Three Times Trouble article on sidecar racing. He really conveyed the idea of being there with his crisp, image-filled writing. Scared the hell out of me!
Looks like we have a real writer in the family. E3
Uncle George Lombard, III
