Letters
LETTERS
Triumphant
Among the dozen or so motorcycles I have owned in the last 20 years, were three British Twins—two BSAs and a Triumph Trophy. I loved them all. I also enjoyed your Triumph article (“A Bike Called Bonneville”) in the March issue, except for one small omission. Where are the oil-drip pans in all the photos?
Richard Moore Dayton, New Jersey
1 say “jolly good” to Cycle Worlds nostalgic look at the Triumph Bonneville. My beloved Trumpet has provided me with thousands of miles of riding pleasure, and contra rv to all of the horror stories
J
about British reliability, my Triumph has made these trips unimpaired by breakdown.
I think it’s great that Triumph is making a comeback, and 1 can't wait to see the new models. In the meantime. my Bonnie continues to take me on many an exciting “scoot.”
Dr. Ken rick S. Thompson Gwinn. Michigan
Congratulations on the excellent article on the Triumph Bonneville.
It was very informative and the photo work was great, too. Being the proud owner of a '69 and '70 Bonnie, I will say without any hesitation whatsoever that I would never trade either one for a Japanese bike or for a Harley. Everything about Triumphs said class.
Dale Wintermyer Camp Hill, Pennsylvania
I loved your March feature, “A Bike Called Bonneville.” It explains about a legend that some people— my riding buddies with their Ninjas, for example—don't understand. I am 24 years old. I own two Yamahas, an FZ700 and an RD400. but I'm very proud of my four Triumphs, a '7 1 Bonneville, '74 Trident, ’70 Trophy. and a '58 Tiger 1 10, which looks almost identical to the 1959 Bonnie you pictured. That ’59 is a real beauty; it has inspired me to finish restoring my Tiger.
Brad Chamberlain Hamilton, Ohio
Differing views
I no longer subscribe. Here is why; There are too many articles on new bikes.
Peter A. Bollier Brisbane, California
Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your article on the “First American Customs,” (CW, January, 1991). Your magazine is very well-balanced—keep the old stuff coming along with the new.
Buzz Walneck
Walneck's Classic Cycle Trader
Woodridae, Illinois
Italian answers
After reading Peter Egan's “Should you buy an Italian bike?” Leanings column in the March issue,, we got together and decided to make him an honorary paisan. This, along with four dollars and change, will get him a delicious cappuccino.
The Rick Osti Family Palmdale, California
Out of all the magazines I subscribe to, yours is the one that’s put out on the coffee table and that gets read several times before it’s finally filed away. But my April issue never came, and without it, I went into Cycle World withdrawal. A month later, 30 days' worth of adrenalin flowing, I seized the March issue from the startled mailman, flipped to Leanings and read furiously, feeling the color return to my face, especially as I found out after taking
Egan's Italian test that, yes, I am destined to own a Ducati 85 1 or 888. If you keep sending issues as good as this one, I won't mind the two-month wait.
Brian Simmons Victoria. B.C., Canada
In spite of having read Peter Egan's writing with a mixture of admiration and professional envy for quite some years, we've never met. So how come he knows what the inside of my house looks like?
He did get one detail wrong, though, in question number 8 of the Italianbike ownership test: It's a Güera Piuma, not a Saturno, in my living room,and I had to move it away from the fireplace because the heat was cracking the paint.
Alan Cathcart
CW European Correspondent
Claverton, Warwick, England
Family problems
My wife has taken a strong disliking to your magazine. You see. it's the middle of winter here in upstate New York, and riding is a good two months away. Every time I get a new issue of your magazine, my wife finds me staring out the window and muttering things about moving south. Please reassure her that she is not the only woman who has to deal with this. Maybe then she’ll tell me where she hid my helmet.
Mike Hildreth Fairport, New York
in this matter we defer to the sage words of Senior Editor Ron Griewe, a man who has been happily married for 29 years: “The trouble with modern
wives is that they'd rather mend your ways than your socks. "
I really enjoy reading your fine magazine, especially the columns. However, there is one feature of your magazine that causes me considerable problems: your excellent photography. I have a 13year-old son who begins pestering me the day the magazine arrives, telling me to hurry up and read it so he can cut out the photos to put on the walls of his room. I'm not upset with his using them for decorations,
I just wish he would give his 48year-old dad a chance to finish reading the magazine before the scissors hit the paper.
Donald M. Schrier Lawrenceville, Georgia
It could be worse. He could start hiding your helmet.
Alive and kicking
In regards to Karl Szobody and his high-mileage Beemer in February's “Bikes That Wouldn’t Die” story, come on you guys, 75Ü.OOO miles on an R60/6 BMW? I think that Denver snowplow driver gave you a “snow job.” I figured it out, and he would have to ride at least 137 miles every day for 1 5 years to rack up that amount. And you’re saying that he did a top-end overhaul at 100,000 miles, and hasn’t touched the engine again for the last
650.000 miles? Szobody also claims he changes the oil every 1000 miles: If he uses BMW oil and filters, that means he has spent more than
$ 10.000 on 750 oil changes!
My own 1971 R75/5 has only
300.000 miles on it. so it’s not much
to brag about. But, then, it is still on its original tires and battery. Now. if you believe that. . .
Norman Dawe Hiawassee, Georgia
I enjoyed Jon F. Thompson’s article, “Bikes That Wouldn’t Die”
(CIT, February, 1991), especially the portion on Stan Henricksen’s “krispy" Kawasaki H 1 two-stroke. But there are a few of us “blue smoke” lovers who take exception to Jon’s statement that the return of Stan’s machine to the racetrack was of “questionable” merit. How dare you!
I am the proud owner of a 1970 H 1 500cc bracket drag racer that I have enjoyed off and on for more than 1 5 years. With minor modifications and limited cost, the original “rocket with a sprocket” can hold its own against machines double in displacement.
Rick Hendricks Oakhurst, California
Polluted air
In your March Service section,
Ted Lorenz asks Contributing Editor Joe Minton, “What do you know about ceramic plasma spray as used on engine parts?”
The correct answer is, “Nothing at all.” Minton’s negative comments make it abundantly clear that he has no grasp whatsoever of the principals of thermodynamics.
Timothy Rempfer Senior Engineer Sputhe Engineering Grass Valley, California
Be careful with your accusations. When it comes to hot air Minion has few equals. E3
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