Ups And Downs
UPS AND DOWNS
ROUNDUP
UP: To Sports Car International, for including motorcycles in its pages. The October, 1991, issue featured a two-page column on Bimota, focusing on the Dieci and Bellaria models. Introducing the column, SCI Editor and former Cycle World intern Mark Ewing wrote, "Certain motorcycles are complimentary to our current editorial content... To those of you who could care less, well, it's only eight pages a year. Too bad you don't know just what you're missing." The column, titled "Scooters," is slated to appear four times per year.
UP: To Rick "Super Hunky~' Sieman, for standing up for off-road riding. Sieman and the "Sahara Club"-a hard-nosed group of off-road motor cyclists, of which Sieman is presi dent-were featured in the November,
1991, issue of Outside magazine. The club gained nationwide media atten tion last year when it protested the Bureau of Land Management's clos ing of the famed Barstow-to-Las Vegas desert race. Although many of Sieman's comments-like calling David Foreman, co-founder of Earth First!, a "lying, fat, bald-headed puke"-are a bit salty, we commend his never-say-die attitude
DOWN: To Vanilla Ice, the ex-mo tocrosser turned rap-music star, for his film Cool As ice. Billed as a "music-oriented motorcycle film," the movie features `Nilla as a street smart rapper who rides his neon-yel low Suzuki GSX-R through parental opposition while winning the heart of a local high-schooler. The bad news
is that he does his slides, wheelies and jumps without benefit of helmet or safety gear. The good news is the movie proved so unpopular that most theaters yanked it within two weeks.
DOWN: To us, for erroneously stating in our December issue that the Honda CBR900RR engine has a 16-degree included valve angle. It has a 32-degree included angle. The 16-degree angle we noted referred to the angle between the valves and the cylinder centerline, not the "in cluded" angle, which is the overall angle between the intake and exhaust valves.
There also is an error in the riding impressions. When our test rider compared the 900's suspension com pliance and steering ease to those of-his words-"the most recent FZR 1000-powered B imota," we as sumed he was talking about the 1991 Dieci. Actually. he was referring to the most recent FZR-powered Bimota he personally had ridden: a 1989 YB6.
We apologize to anyone who may have been misled by the inaccuracy of that comparison.
UP: To four trading card compa nies-Buzco, Champs, L&S and I.C.A.-for marketing motorcycle trading cards. The cards, similar to those of baseball stars, feature pho tographs and information about rid ers from dirt-track. motocross and roadracing. Prices range from $5 to $20, depending on the size of the set.
If you come across a motorcycle-re lated item that you think should be singled out for an UP or DOWN, send the information to CW Roundup, 1499 Monrovia Ave., Newport Beach, CA 92663.
