Letters

LETTERS

Women riders

I very rarely find myself reacting to gender remarks, but your response to “Family Problems,” (Letters, May, 1991) brought me out of my winter lethargy. Maybe if letterwriter Mr. Hildreth was the kind of husband I have, his wife wouldn’t be hiding his helmet when he talks of moving south to get more riding time. Back in 1982, my husband encouraged me to ride my own machine. That year, he bought me my first bike, a Honda 650, which was followed in the years after by a Gold Wing with sidecar, and two V45 Magnas, the latter of which is nearing 32,000 miles. For nearly 10 years now we have ridden together. The secret? We like each other just the way we are. By the way, more often than not he finds me looking out the window and muttering about moving south.

Deborah Akey

Washington, Pennsylvania

My husband and I have recently purchased a subscription to your magazine. I do not consider myself a femininist or “women’s libber,” but in the May Letters section, you quote Senior Editor Ron Griewe as saying, “The trouble with modern wives is that they’d rather mend your ways than your socks.”

Please pass on to Mr. Griewe that this is a very sexist remark. I am a modern wife, and I also ride motorcycles (dirt and street). I work 40 hours a week, have a 4-year-old son, am pregnant with my second child and basically take care of all the housework. Perhaps Ron has never taken into consideration that wives have better things to do than mend socks! Until now, I have enjoyed all the information and intersting articles that you provide, but it never dawned on me that your staff thought of women as nothing better than sock menders.

Vickie Park Centerburg, Ohio

I just started reading Cycle World, and I think that it’s the best magazine out on motorcycles. Mainly because it doesn’t show girls in skimpy bathing suits sitting on motorcycles. It’s the motorcycle that really counts, and not everybody who loves bikes is of male origin.

Hope Green

Port Charlotte, Florida

I would like to thank Peter Egan. Because of his May Leanings column, “Hibernation,” I have figured out what is wrong with my husband! He has “option paralysis.” He, too, sits at his workbench, staring at his “projects” (a 1966 BMW R60/2, 1973 Triumph Bonneville, and 1972 MG Midget), telling me everything he needs to do to them. Although he doesn’t watch race videos (he reads physics books for his second hobby), he sounds exactly like Peter. But I must admit I like the motorcycles as much as he does and look forward to reading Peter’s column every month.

Sandi Cooley

Plano, Texas

Suzi vs. Kawi, round 2

I very much look forward to the insight of experienced professionals that comes with each issue of Cycle World. As the proud owner of a Suzuki GS500E, I enjoyed the comparison of the Kawasaki EX500 with the GS in the April, 1991, issue. However, aside from experiencing the same cold-bloodedness as you did with the GS, I disagree with your overall assessment that the EX is the better bike.

I, too, had to choose between these two machines when I was shopping for a new bike last year. Though the Kawasaki was perhaps more attractive, I decided that I wasn’t really comparing oranges with tangerines as you said-it was more like six of one, a half-dozen of the other. The subtle advantages of the Kawasaki did not seem significant enough to pay a lot more money, especially when the Suzuki dealer was offering discounts on the GS. Even without the price break, I would have opted for the Suzuki. It is comfortable, reliable, nimble and its performance has yet to disappoint me.

John A. Bertels

Scarsdale, New York >

I thoroughly enjoyed the comparison article between the EX500 and the GS500. A few months ago, I was in the position of deciding between the two. I knew that the Kawasaki had more power and speed, but the Suzuki had better lines, wider-profile tires and a larger front disc brake. So, naturally, I purchased the Suzuki and have been having a great time riding it. Until the day I pulled up next to that Kawi, that is.

Warren Wendt

Cypress, California

We’re sorry

It’s all your fault. I was perfectly happy with my 1973 Kawasaki 750 Mach IV. Then, last year, to support the local school’s magazine drive, I subscribed to Cycle World. First issue: report of the new-for-1990 ZX1 1 from Kawasaki. Nice, but I don’t care for solid-black bikes. Then came the “Maximum Motorcycles” issue and a test of the ZX-11. In-

teresting, but the bike was still black. Then Kawasaki puts rose-colored accents on the big ZX for 1991. Last week, I went and bought a new ZX-1 1. It’s all your fault. The least you could have done was find more lousy things to write about the ZX-11.

Now comes another problem: I passed Egan’s Italian-bike test in the March issue with blood-red flying colors. Now what?

Bill “Ago” Guiffre Colebrook, New Hampshire

Try contracting a severe case of color blindness?

That’s an order

We want more of what’s going on in Europe! More café bikes! More British bikes! More Italian bikes! Now!

Randall Fowler Rockford, Michigan

That’s a request

Keep those English bike features coming, I can’t get enough of them. Dale Wintermyer Camp Hill, Pennsylvania

You 're going to have to sign up for the Randall Fowler Assertiveness Training Course, Dale, if you want to get your point across.

Long-distance sale

Kindly note that a 1948 2.46-hp vintage BSA motorcycle is for sale. I expect 3000 U.S. dollars or an equivalent amount in British, Australian or preferably Indian currency, payment to be made against the collection of bike in Bombay.

I hope my offer will interest you.

Kaivan J. Darukhanwalla Bombay, India

Thanks, but we'll hold out for the 1949 J-horsepower model. 19