Hotshots

HOTSHOTS

Black Beauty

I feel compelled to thank Peter Egan for bringing back memories of a very special lady from my past (“Café Americano,” Leanings, September).

The year was 1979. I was perusing the local Harley shop (just looking, thanks), when these two sleek black beauties caught my eye. XLCR Café Racers, the shop owner said. One a single-seat ’77, the other a ’78 with the dual-seat kit. Fastest production Harley ever sold to the public at that time, every engine essentially blueprinted, limited-production two-year run. He didn’t have to add instant collectible.

One of them had to be mine. The man was having trouble moving them, he said, and was willing to deal. I rode home on the ’78 that day (the two-up kit being a necessity for the few females brave enough to climb on back). “Black Betty” was mine for $4000 out the door. Bam-alam! The first and only Harley I have ever owned.

She indeed moved my soul, Peter. However, at the time not too many people shared my passion for her dark and sinister beauty. The Harley guys couldn’t get with the styling and were chagrined by her speed. Three-gear smoke-outs, full-throttle speed-shifts, and she could even go around corners pretty good too. My buddy with the turbo'd Kawasaki didn’t like riding with me because she looked and sounded so good that no one paid any attention to his baby. She and I became the terror of Wyandotte County, Kansas. Ah youth, 21 years old single and one of the fastest bikes around. Good times for me, and the occasional brave lady clinging tightly to my back. Oh yeah, I’d almost forgotten, Black Betty was also occasionally a powerful aphrodisiac.

Everyone likes her now, Peter, but in her day she was a rebel, an outcast, the “goth chick” of the late-’70s motorcycle world. Charlie Cotter Cibolo, Texas

Sportin' Wood

I want to express my appreciation to you folks for featuring Ron Wood’s red Dell’Orto Norton (“American Flyers,” August). I can’t say enough about this splendid, superb, sublime, excellent, perfect motorcycle! I can’t take my eyes off the Norton. John Craig Uhrhan Walla Walla, Washington

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Since you printed an article a couple of years ago on Ron Wood’s flat-track Norton (“Sportin’ Norton,” CW, November, 1998), I’ve been disappointed, upset and even a little angry. The story was very well written and very informative, but all the photos were black & white.

As a former short-tracker from the ’70s, I’ve told my children about racing at Ascot Park and about the most beautiful motorcycle that I ever saw. When it was rolled onto the track, all other bikes were immediately second-best. Everything sparkled under the lights, not a speck of dirt, polished to perfection.

Thank you for making my memories a reality for my children. Thank you Ron Wood for putting this beauty back together. Doug Garcia Columbia Falls, Montana

I have always been fascinated by the Ron Wood racing story. But in your latest piece you say it was Rob Morrison who won Ascot on the Norton. Wasn’t it really Alex Jorgensen? Dave Rosselot Cincinnati, Ohio

We stand corrected. Morrison did indeed ride the Wood Norton, but it was Jorgensen who took the bike to its greatest glory> at the Ascot Half-Mile.

Sticker shock

Doesn’t Phil Schilling have something worthwhile about which to write? His article in your August issue, “Strange Company Loose on the Road,” was pointless. In the first place, there was no similarity between the five machines except the inflated price. In the second, these were motorcycles you couldn’t just go out and buy. They were all customs. Finally, an ordinary person couldn’t buy one even if he wanted to-$20,000 for a supposed grown-up’s toy? Preposterous!

(But, if I had to choose, I’d take Edwards’ Norton.) Michael Kuich Phoenix, Arizona

In “Stange Company,” Phil Schilling describes Big Dog’s Husky XT Harley-clone as, “Engine vibration. Jarring suspension. Stretched-out riding position. Wimpy braking...higheffort controls, heavy ’round-town steering...socially incorrect exhaust rumble.” All this for a mere $22,000plus price tag, huh? Lee Alvarez Las Vegas, Nevada

The ultimate sidestand?

I feel the general motorcycling press, including Cycle World, ignores sidecars. I think an important part of motorcycling is getting shortchanged.

On the rare occasion when a sidecar is reviewed, it is treated as a novelty. I would like to see sidecars reviewed as sidecars. Relevant features that differentiate one sidecar from another should be evaluated and discussedweight, track, width, luggage capacity, lighting, seating capacity, options and price. The rigs can be evaluated for top speed, acceleration and braking. Your staff could evaluate riding effort, ease of ingress/egress, weather protection, ride quality, etc. I would like to see an annual review of all sidecar/bike combinations. Joe Dille Telford, Pennsylvania

Joe, the name of the magazine is Cycle World, not Sidecar World. And besides, where have you been? In the last few months we 've published a sidecar touring story by Peter Egan, run a riding impression of the Ural Deco Classic and a column on the Editor’s purchase of a Yamaha/California Sidecar outfit. Don't get greedy.

Crisis management

Bruce Mills’ comment in September’s “State of the Superbike” story regarding why he bought his Yamaha YZF-R7 (“It was definitely a mid-life crisis kind of deal; it was either a mistress or a motorcycle, my wife voted for the motorcycle.”) brought back a conversation I had with my own wife about the time I turned 40.

“I’ve been good for so long I can’t stand myself,” I informed her. “I’ve become a boring corporate guy. I need to break loose, get another bike (last one was an 850 Norton-drag bars, 2-into-l header, bar-end mirrors, etc.-which I sold to pay the hospital bill for the birth of our second son), or a 5-liter Mustang, or have an affair with a well-endowed woman!”

She replied calmly, “Well, if you get another bike, you’ll probably kill yourself. If you have an affair, I’ll probably kill you. So, you better get the Mustang.”

I’ve had three 5-liter Mustangs-and three bikes-since then. I haven’t killed myself yet, nor has she killed me. I currently ride a ’98 Kawasaki Concours. Last year, I put on 6000-plus miles. I’ve changed jobs since then, too, and haven’t worn a suit in years. The wife’s wondering if this ongoing mid-life crisis of mine will ever end. Man, I hope not! Scott A. Firer North Muskegon, Michigan

Out of the woods

Having grown up riding dirtbikes on the logging roads of western Oregon, I found myself agreeing with your June editorial on Clinton’s Roadless Initiative-never mind the spate of cancelled subscriptions from a few street-riding Ecos.

Currently, I live in Alaska and have been a professional forester for more than 20 years. I have witnessed first hand the damage a Roadless Wilderness designation does to the environment. Massive bark-beetle infestations go uncontrolled and wildfires burn indiscriminately. These areas also become extremely expensive to visit and basically turn into playgrounds for the rich.

In our town this summer, environmental groups are petitioning tourists to sign on to the Roadless Initiative. To me, the radical environmentalists appear as mind-numbed robots marching blindly behind the Sierra Club banner. They have no concept of how to manage forests and when they are done will go back to California, New York or wherever they are from, and leave us to suffer under their pathetic land-stewardship agenda. Mike Brown Ketchikan, Alaska

Cyclone sighting

I loved your article on the Cyclone board-tracker in the September issue. I know of at least eight running Cyclones, but only two are in their original street trim. The rest are factory racers, a few with different forks and/or frames.

The enclosed photo is of Southern Californian Lane Plottner, who rebuilds old magnetos as a sideline. He just rode his street Cyclone for about 300 miles on the National Road Ride put on by the Oregon chapter of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America. This photo was taken at the earlier Fort Sutter chapter’s Tahoe run, where he rode it another 300 miles.

He’s my hero, and even though it’s worth a few dollars (maybe six figures’ worth?), he uses the Cyclone as it was intended-to ride! Richard Ostrander Sacramento, California

Rhyme time

Money ’s tight; times are hard Didn’t think I'd mail that subscription card

Then I got the June issue, with Potter, Vesco and G ads on, too A sidecar ride in Mexico A custom Harley, best of show Two wheels on road or dirt or race I’ll let you put it in my face That ’s the stuff I love so dear Yeah, y a got me for another year Bill Bracelin Beaver, Oregon

Thanks, Bill, for your benediction Makes up for all those snivelin ’ Greenies who dropped subscriptions Your re-up is a big reliever It means that Catterson can buy another Cagiva!