Letters
LETTERS
Green meanies
David Edwards, in his April Up Front editorial, lambastes Vice President Al Gore mercilessly, comparing him to a "posy-sniffing eco-weenie padlocked to a giant Sequoia." This choice of invectives and symbologies is quite inflammatory, but to what end? Cancel my subscription. There are other motorcycle magazines whose messages are less offensive, and I will choose those in preference to Cycle World.
Jim Renner Laramie, Wyoming
David Edwards' "Green Machines" editorial about motorcycles and the environment was right on about us getting "Gored." Anyone who doesn't think that certain government officials would like bikes outlawed is seriously mistaken. Start writing your legisla tors now, or get used to riding the bus.
Jay Kridner Seattle, Washington
Just got the April issue with the "Green" editorial. A nice demonstra tion of CW taking the high ground. The bike biz needs to wake up to the environmental movement. It's now a mainstream issue and will be for decades to come.
Will uc iui Jim Hansen President, American Roadracing Carefree, Arizona
I don't see what is so wrong with mo torcycles having pollution controls. Everyone thought pollution controls would make cars sluggish and boring, but smaller and more efficient engines have resulted in a new generation of impressive automobiles. I like a power ful and agile motorcycle as much as the next guy, but I see no reasons why bikes can't be more fuel efficient. My Honda Civic gets better mileage than most bikes in Cycle World's test reports. Introducing motorcycles with some decent fuel-economy numbers as a way to save both money and the envi ronment while commuting to work would give motorcycling a better image. If truly fuel-efficient motorcy cles get more people riding, then more people will be aware of motorcycles, and that can only help our sport. Once you call the vice president of the United States an eco-weenie, the rest comes easily. I gave up riding in 1978, but recent ly picked up a couple of old bikes. My interest renewed, I started to look at the new machinery on the market. I am curious about one thing that has happened in my absence. The perfor mance machines are all well styled examples of design art. But, almost to a machine, they all have what looks like a leftover soup can stuck on the end of the exhaust system. They so completely spoil the appearance of these machines that I am baffled. Sign me another old gaffer looking for the kickstarter.
111y Ilcip UUI SpOl L. Jonathan Bird Hudson, Massachusetts
The Green Machine that Editor-in Chief Edwards wishes for already ex ists. My 1990 Suzuki DR65OS gets 63 miles per gallon on my daily com mute. With its 5.5-gallon gas tank, I can go over 325 miles before refuel ing. Besides being ecologically "cor rect," it's a lot of fun.
BurlEstes Mission Viejo, California
Your Green Machine already exists. It's the Honda Helix scooter. Mine cruises effortlessly at 55, and gets 75 miles per gallon while doing it. I don't understand why the Helix is never advertised or promoted by Honda as a transportation device superior to "conventional" motorcycles. - - -
F.C. Frazine Lady Lake, Florida
Ethnically incorrect
Let's see if I understand European Editor Alan Cathcart's logic correctly. In his article on the Bimota Tesi 1D ES, he describes a "sharp-suited, dark-jawed" guy who "looked like the local mafioso." Well, I guess it fol lows that if someone is wearing a black leather jacket, he must look like the local Hell's Angel. Alan, I'll bet the FBI can use a guy with your deductive talents.
Francesco Gagliano Lakewood, New Jersey
Our organization, the Commission for Social Justice, is the anti-defama tion league of the Sons of Italy in America. We represent 11 5 lodges and approximately 120,000 family members in New York State. Many are also readers and subscribers of Cycle World. We have received nu merous complaints at our office in re gard to the Bimota Tesi article in January's issue. The writer, Alan Cathcart, is appar ently lacking in ethnic sensitivity, wit nessed by his description of an Italian citizen as a "local mafioso." For Mr. Cathcart's edification, not everyone who is "sharp-suited" or "dark-jawed" is a mafioso. We are deeply troubled that a popular motorcycle magazine would allow one of its writers to make such blatantly negative stereotypical UL~11 uia~aii remarks.
John Dabbene Belimore, New York
Reader Information
Editorial offices are located at 1499 Monrovia Ave., Newport Beach, CA 92663. Editorial contributions are welcomed, but must be guaranteed exclusive to Cycle World.
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ThMEMBER MoTORcYCLE I INDUSTRY COUNCIL INC.
Is it soup yet?
gaffer looking Ross McKay Hong Kong
Commode critiques
The bathroom-wall wisdom quoted by reader Wakefield in the April, 1993, Cycle World is botched. The correct quote, from "Trying To Throw Your Arms Around the World" on Achtung Baby by the band U2 is: A woman needs a man Like a fish needs a bicycle Inaccuracy in bathroom-wall in scriptions is a serious matter that could lead to legal action concerning copywrite laws. The transcriber and transcribee need to carry notebooks and writing instruments with them on these sojourns, lest they face legal consequences.
Charles Lederer Jr. Kansas City, Missouri
Up with Burns
John Burns ("Z Power!" Cycle World, April, 1993) is the best writer in the business. Please let us see more of his work.
J. Phil Hagaman Humble, Texas
As you can read in Up Front, start ing this month Burns is CW `s new Feature Editor.
Burned up
I just read John Burns article "Z Power." He needs to research his arti cles a little better: 1) The 1978 Zl-R did not have a 4-into-i pipe, it had a "power-chamber" attached to a standard 4-into-2 pipe; 2) the `79 Kawasakis were not equipped with CV carburetors; 3) it was 1979, not 1980, that Kawasaki pioneered its electronic ignition and clean air system.
Eric Coobs Billings, Montana
Mistakes, yes, but the best written mistakes in the business.
