Letters
LETTERS
Note to Norton
Being a Norton owner and enthusiast, I have watched the goings-on at Norton Motors International over the last year or so with some interest. As overly ambitious as the new company’s plans might have seemed, I kept track of their activities in the print publications and on their web site, and generally wished them all the best.
It is the proposed “Nirvana” cruiser in the March issue of CW that has finally sent me to the keyboard, though. As an enthusiastic devotee of a 30-yearold motorcycle design, I suppose that I can easily be dismissed as just another Luddite crank. (As an aside, and contrary to some belief, Luddite cranks were not a component of an aftermarket Norton stroker kit, produced by unionized gnomes in a former pig barn in Shropshire.) Be that as it may, to see what is surely one of the great names of motorcycling attached to yet another (God help us!) ersatz Harley is too much to bear. I’m not sure what it would take for a restarted Norton to be profitable, but to join the tail end of that particular parade of monkey-see, monkey-do-ism, is certainly not it.
To whomever in the “brain trust” is responsible for the Nirvana idea, we quote from another great British institution, Monty Python: “I fart in your general direction!” Tom Megan
Redwood, New York
Fat-tree H-D
I recently went into a Harley-Davidson store. While I was looking around I happened to start a conversation with a chap. I asked him what kind of Harley he owned. He told me that he had a Fathead. My response was, “Yes, I can see that, but what kind of Harley have you got?”
I think that Harley-Davidson’s new engine deserves a more respectful name than “Fathead.” The Harley-Davidson management team and engineers have spent five or more years developing the all-new Twin Cam motor. Compared to the Evo, it is a bigger engine, much quieter, with more horsepower and a great deal more torque. As a former Moto Guzzi owner and present Buell White Lightning rider, I would like to know just where and when we can ever buy the Magni Guzzi featured in February's "Quick Ride." Or an Egli, a Voxan, a Harris or any number of other fine bikes we are missing out on from Europe or Down Under? Why, oh why do you have to torture us so!? Christopher Lucy Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts
I believe the development and design of this engine deserves a distinguished place in the pushrod, V-Twin world. It is only fair, right and decent that we give a respectful name to this new engine. “Twin Cam” is what I think we should call it. Trev Deeley Richmond, British Columbia, Canada
Mr. Deeley, a long-time Harley Davidson (and Yamaha) distributor for Canada, now runs the impressive Trev Deeley Motorcycle Museum in Rich mond, a suburb of Vancouver.
Honest Injun?
I've been following the latest Indian saga pretty closely. The Roundup piece David Edwards did in the February issue was one of the best I'd read to date, but the thing that really blew me away was the no-bullshit line he took in his Up Front column referring to the Indian name being “dragged through the mud,” a most refreshing display of honest journalism.
This brings me to Edwards’ disappointing March editorial, “Peace pipe.” My best guess is that the Editor got a call informing him there were many potential advertising dollars at risk and he had better smooth things over with the bigmoney bozos at the new Indian. What the hell do yuppie cafes have to do with motorcycling anyway? Mike Menezes Simi Valley, California
Edwards thanks you for at least call ing him an honest whore. For the record, no pressure whatsoever was forthcoming from the new Indian. And f the company does not make good on its claim of being a serious motorcycle manufacturer, you can be sure CWwill be the first to flame `em.
Copper caper
By far the most captivating articles in your magazine are the first-person rac ing stories by Don Canet and Jimmy Lewis. Please keep them coming. How ever, one nit: In Canet's "French Lessons" (CW, January), he indicated the Statue of Liberty was made of bronze. In fact, there are 200,000 pounds of 3/32-inch-thick copper cover ing The Great Lady. Stephen Rauch Windsor, California
Whip me, beat me, make me ride Magnis
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Missing Mr Max.
Please do some Yamaha V-Max arti cles. I'm getting tired of asking. Gerald W. Stockton Houston, Texas
Where art thou, SuperTT?
Please let us know where and when we could see or compete in any super motard-style racing in the USA, espe cially in or near the Northwest. Ed Therriault Wenatchee, Washington
The 1999 STTARS SuperTT series in cludes 12 races on the West Coast. For more information, contact 949/7684626 or visit www.supertt.com.
Brit-picking
I recently read one of the rowdy British motorcycle magazines in which an American reader lambasted Cycle World. Being an ex-pat, I admit to enjoying the devil-may-care antics of this British rag, its colloquial, earthy diction and general irreverence. However, the reason I bought the magazine was for a comparison between the new Triumph Sprint ST, the Honda VFR800, the Ducati ST4 and the BMW RI 100S. I’m contemplating purchasing one of these pocket touring sportsters and wanted objective evaluations to help with my choice. Apart from nonetheless enjoyable stories of two-up, 100-mph plus motorway strafing, wheelying and burnout abilities, there was very little substantial information about the bikes.
I look to Cycle World for unbiased professional journalism, and accurate and reliable information. Motorcycling by nature is a sport for individualists who have a tinge of the nonconformist about them; I feel that your magazine strikes a good balance between that sentiment and informational content. I am still looking for a comprehensive comparison between the above-mentioned bikes. Carl C. Pulley
Fullerton, California
Thanks for the kind words, Carl. We trust you enjoyed May `s "GT Experi ence" shootout.
Star power
Regarding “Anatomy of a MegaCruiser” about the new Yamaha Road Star in the February issue: I purchased a Road Star on 1/27/99. Let me tell you, “Edwards-San,” I can buy anything I want, but what’s most important to me at my age is not raw speed, but reliability and quality. My wheelie-popping days are long past. An occasional blast up to 70-80 mph in 10 seconds or so is all the tonic this Geritol-ridden body needs.
If Yamaha’s 1602cc V-Twin feels like a lOOOcc bike to you, fine. I’m not interested in tweaking the motor, adding high-compression pistons or high-lift cams. This new Yama-Hog is all I want, as is. Carl Dickson
Doswell, Virginia
Sorry, Carl, but the “feels like a lOOOcc ’’ comment is not ours. Showing incredibly bad judgment, you must be reading another magazine. □
