Letters

LETTERS

Swingin’ Brits

“England Swings” (CW, March) was a wonderful piece. From the outrageous John Cooper/Moon Eyes numberplate to the glorious racket emanating from those open megaphones, Mr. Dreer’s street-tracker did indeed bring back some of the most pleasant memories (Ascot Park figuring heavily among them). It was as if, while the rest of the readership was cleverly distracted by the “Lucky 13” cruisers, you seized the opportunity to pull a few of us aside and tell us the most amazing story about this fellow you met up in Oregon. Fine, fine work. Paul Kleinpoppen Neptune Beach, Florida

I just read my March edition of CW and see that you have discovered Kenny Dreer, owner of Vintage Rebuilds. Almost five years ago, I met Kenny at the Cow Palace Motorcycle Show. I saw his work and said to myself, “This is the guy to bring my 1969 Triumph back to life.” A year later, when I walked into his shop to pick up my old Bonneville, it was like having the Titanic back again. Bee-u-tee-ful! It’s a real showstopper at Alice’s Restaurant Thanks, CW, for giving an honest, hard-working craftsman like Kenny the recognition he deserves. Rusty Griner Menlo Park, California

Effin’ great

The Flonda FN-1 1500 V-Four concept bike (CW, February) must come to fruition. I own a 1997 Moto Guzzi Sport 1 lOOi because it’s a V-Twin, shaftdriven and, most importantly, different. I’ve had 13 other bikes since 1985, but nothing has jarred my two-wheeled visceral lust like the “Effin’ One.” Michael F. Markewinski Chula Vista, California

Regarding the FN-1 1500 V-Four: Dear Honda, build the effin’ thing and I will come. Repeatedly! Larry E. Hauer Red Lion, Pennsylvania

The Peter Principle

Okay, I give up. What exactly does Peter Egan do for a living? Would that we all could afford to build a heated condo for our scooter collection, or to address each transitional crisis in life with the purchase of a new motorized toy. If all this is accomplished on the pay envelope of a CW staff writer, do let me know the next time you’re hiring. Meantime, I’ll try to let Mr. Egan’s soliloquies serve as inspiration, if I ever teeter too close to the brink of financial responsibility. S.V. Bowdoin Castine, Maine

Highway 61

Many thanks to Peter Egan for his memory-evoking February column, “The Great Dylan Crash.” I can think of no two symbols that more fully sum up my youth than motorcycles and the music of Bob Dylan. I, too, rode a Triumph in those days. Mine was a ’58 650 Trophy with (surprise) perpetually leaky fork seals and an electrical system that could be classified as sporadic at best. Despite these “character traits,” ownership of that machine meant that I was playing in the Big Leagues of Cycledom, not unlike Mr. Dylan. What a rush that thought gave me!

Then came word of the crash. I recall that the lack of solid, confirmed information led me to believe I was about to lose a hero just as I was getting to know him.

Fast forward thirtysome years. My ol’ Trumpet has been gone for quite some time, but the Voice of My Generation is still going strong, and with three 1998 Grammys, perhaps stronger now than ever.

I do not currently own a bike, but if classic motorcycles have a soul, as some profess, then I’m sure there’s a ’58 Trumpet waiting for me in the next life. And if it is, how fitting it’ll be if I find it waiting for me somewhere out on Highway 61. Al Soley Minooka, Illinois

The WFO Chronicles

Another great piece of work (“WFO, Mate!) by Joe Scalzo in the April issue. As someone who rode many miles on the track with Ron Grant in the late Sixties and early Seventies (not to mention a few latenight card games and hair-raising rental car rides), I can confirm that Scalzo provided as good of a look at Grant as I can imagine.

It is true that Grant was a bit of a loose cannon off the track, but when the flag dropped and the racing began, Ron was an intense competitor. Like Scalzo, I was saddened when I read > the report that Grant had been killed in the boating accident in December of 1994. I learned a lot from many of the top racers of that period, and Ron was no exception. I think his lighthearted approach to life taught me that even at the highest level of the sport, motorcycling can still be fun. Godspeed, Ron. Don Emde

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MEMBER

MOTORCYCLE INDUSTRY COUNCIL, INC

Audit Bureau of Circulations Member

Laguna Niguel, California

I just finished reading the April issue. As usual, I found it informative, educational and just plain fun to read-especially Joe Scalzo’s story about bad-boy Ron Grant. In all my years of reading CW, this article really stands out. Scalzo did a great job. He deserves a pat on the back. He deserves a bonus check. I will renew my subscription, but please promise to include more stories written by Joe Scalzo.

Charles W. Wiernick Jr. Towanda, Pennsylvania

Duck tale

Thank you so much for printing “Viva Imola!” about the racing 750SS Ducatis of the 1970s (CW, April). As it happens, John D’Oliveira was my father-in-law, and the motorcycle you featured belonged to him until he passed away in 1986. My husband and I uncrated the motorcycle in a warehouse when it arrived in the U.S. in 1995, and then sold the bike to its current owner.

It is a joy for the whole D’Oliveira family to know the truth about the motorcycle’s history, and to see it so beautifully restored. I know John would be proud to see the bike in such wonderful condition.

Jennifer M. D’Oliveira Irvine, California

Shows us your TTs

Just a quick note to compliment your recent coverage of SuperTT racing and supermotard-style motorcycles. My dad, brother and I have all raced dirt-track, and find this European re-import a logical bridge between dirt-track and roadracing.

Actually, SuperTT racing has some pretty old American roots. When my father rode Daytona on Tom Sifton’s Harley in 1949, the track comprised dirt and pavement. Additionally, many TT tracks were both dirt and asphalt back in the late 1940s.

Christopher G. Rudy San Jose, California □