Hotshots

HOTSHOTS

Wingin' it

As a long-time subscriber to your (generally) excellent magazine, I must say that this time you win the “booby prize” for your completely awful road test of the new Honda Gold Wing (“Grand Slam,” February).

Eleven guys blathering on paragraph after paragraph about their high-tech underwear, speeding tickets, border patrol officers, ad nauseam. Especially wasteful was the space devoted to detailed discussions of Hoyer’s ass, neck muscles, urinary problems and culinary desires. Arrrgh!

With all the “cute” banter, it would have been nice if you had provided some meaningful discussion of the luggage capacity, wind protection and ride quality. You had short passing references to these things, but nothing worth reading.

But your most glaring omission was the absolutely zero discussion of the passenger accommodations. Do you guys not understand that 99 percent of all Gold Wings are ridden Iwo-up and (to paraphrase a country comedian), "If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy." My wife has experienced the atrocious wind buffeting and roar of the GL1500 and wanted desperately to know if those problems had been addressed on the new bike. On a 12,000-mile test, at the very least 1000 miles of the test should have been with a passenger. But, nope, we get to hear about Edwards' underwear. Nice going, guys!

Robert E. Lawyer Hartselle, Alabama

My wife and I read your cover story on the Honda Gold Wing and enjoyed all 12,000 miles of the trip. We can barely wait to test ride and order one ourselves. Sounds like your riders and Honda have covered all the bases with this one.

Dick Saunders Apple Valley, Minnesota

Guys, guys, guys... Eleven riders, 12,000 miles and not one classical CD picked for the "Wing Gold" sidebar? For your next trip, let me make a few suggestions. Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" would be a great choice (this is a Honda, right?). In honor of the Four Corners you traveled, and the various weather patterns you faced, Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" would be a natural. And here at the dawn of the new millennium, how could you not play Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathus tra," the theme music for the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey? If you prom ise to play some good music in the fu ture, I might even help you test one of these new bikes of yours.

Steve Weilman Stafford, Virginia

I absolutely loved the "One Lap of America" article on the new Honda Gold Wing. Just knowing that Catter son listens to Dream Theater makes me want to renew my subscription for another 10 years!

MartinJ. Filiatrault Anderson, California

Enjoyed the "Grand Slam" story. Two summers ago, I rode my beautiful 1994 Kawasaki ZX-6 from San Jose, California, to Glenwood Springs, Col orado. Took 17 1/2 hours, riding straight through. My three "bestest" friends? Advil, Ben Gay and Cortisone 10 (the latter after my arse caught fire just north of Vegas). I think an Electra i;~i~ my future.

"Flaming Oracle" Santa Cruz, California

I've ridden my BMW from the Smok ies all through Dixie to California, up the Coast Highway, split lanes on the 405 freeway, and my travels never saw anything as romantic as Edwards or Egan's day rides. What am I missing?

Mark G~e Jefferson, Georgia

Uh, Advil, Ben Gay and Cortisone 10?

Gordon Jennings

It was with great sadness that I read Kevin Cameron's colunm about the passing of Gordon Jennings (TDC, December, 2000). In his writings, Gordon gave many of us the spark to seek out our own intelligence and become that much better a racer, tuner or rider. Go with God's speed Gordon, and thank you for sharing.

Ron Farkas San Diego, California

I offer my condolences on the loss of your colleague, Gordon Jennings.

I have been reading Gordon's articles for more than 20 years. I read his TwoStroke Tuner's Handbook when I was in high school, and it helped me make a fantastic discovery-namely that sci ence, math and a good understanding of technology can be both fun and use ful, especially when they helped me get more horsepower out of my RD400. That little red book helped to spark an interest in me at a young age. It was, no doubt, one of the influences that helped me decide to pursue a ca reer in engineering and to get out of drugs and the suburban-punk lifestyle.

Today I am an aerospace engineer, and work on the design of new civilian and business aircraft. I still have my copy of Two-Stroke Tuner~ Handbook, which I keep as a reminder of a time when I could have gone in any number of directions.

Gordon Jennings had a great writing style that constantly reminded us tech nology need not be intimidating, nor is it something that only comes from, or is only understood by, large corporations and engineers.

i3eorgè Bennett Montreal, Canada

I was touched and saddened today when I read about Gordon Jennings. As a teenag er in the `70s, motorcycle magazines meant a lot to me, and silly as it sounds, I felt as if I knew him as a friend. His writing was like Mom's fried chickencomforting, satisfying and filling. I will miss him.

Mel Davenport Cottontown, Tennessee

Mr. Buzzkill

I just received my January issue and was astounded by David Edwards' Up Front column, "Mad Max & the Valley of Death." In it, he boasts of racing both on dirt roads and the narrow, curving twolane road that leads to one of the busiest tourist attractions in the park.

I'm no tree-hugger, but I'm constantly picking up trash left by inconsiderate slobs who don't care about the mess they leave for others. Your editor and his buds are hitting golf balls off a scenic overlook in a national park, then-no doubt enjoying the influence of whatev er they were drinking-coast engine-off for 26 miles (with the utmost caution and concern for others, of course) down a mountain road?

Since Edwards obviously endorses this illegal but "wholesome fun," I'm sending a letter to the Superintendent of Parks, who I hope has a little different view of things.

John Donahoe Beatty, Nevada

Careful there, Donahoe, or you `ii have us all living as gray and humorless a l~fe as your own. And get your facts straight be fore spewing B-movie bullcrap: 1) You `ye obviously never pointed a 60-year-old, 30-horsepower vintage slug uphillthe word "racing" hardly applies; 2)4 the strongest substance ingested on the ride was 20w-50 fumes; and 3) the av erage downhill coasting speed (on virtu ally deserted roads) was maybe 30 mph.

Bonnie-fide?

Regarding the reincarnation of the Tri umph Bonneville (CW, February), I find the mechanical updates both plau sible and desirable, and would consider buying one in a heartbeat except for a glaring fault that simply drives me nuts. What stylist in his right mind would al low those ugly-ass gas-tank seams to reach production? Just as they do on so many Japanese cruisers, these stamped out tanks simply scream, `CHEAP!" I have no doubt I'm not the only one repelled at tin-can reproductions of art, and I suggest if Triumph can't do it right, don't do it at all! And tell the bean-counters to shove it.

Brian Saucy rhe Dafles, Oregon

Mark Hoyer and guest VIPs Jay Leno, Don Brown and Gary Nixon did a> masterful job of sidestepping a glaring problem with Triumph’s reincarnated Bonneville: It’s ugly. To my eyes, the bend in the exhaust, the “loaf-of-sourdough” gas tank with its prominent seams, the too-long wheelbase (or is it the too-low suspension?) and the squat, lumpy engine just do not evoke the legacy of the beautiful, graceful thoroughbred Bonneville of days gone by.

Kawasaki did it right with the W650, capturing that look and feel. It is lean, with all proportions correct, and the use of the towershaft cam drive retains that wonderful narrow-waist look of the original Bonnie’s engine.

I’ve always been a fan of Big K, but bought a ’98 Triumph Sprint Executive because Kawasaki no longer sold the GPzl 100 in the U.S. The Triumph’s switchgear, ergonomics, engine design, even the oil filter, would be very familiar to any Ninja or Concours rider. It’s ironic: I bought a Triumph to get the Kawasaki I wanted, now I will probably buy a Kawasaki to get the Triumph I want.

Richard C. Reed Noodinville, Washington

When you say Gary Nixon won his back-to-back Grand National championships on “tweaked Bonnevilles,” you are only partly correct. Only in TT events were ohv engines larger than 500cc allowed. All of the half-mile, mile and roadrace events that Nixon won during those years were on 500cc Twins; more or less modified Daytona (the bike, not the race) models. A year or two later, the AMA did raise the ohv limit to 750cc and Nixon most certainly did race modified Bonnevilles then, but his Number-One plates were won on Daytonas, not Bonnies.

Russ Vernon Emmett, Idaho

Pssst, it’s a joke...

I am writing this letter after viewing the Slipstream page in the February issue. I realize your readers will most likely find humor in an old burned-tothe-ground Harley, but as the owner of three Shovelheads and a military Flathead, I am not laughing.

My first Hog was a 1981 FLH Heritage Edition that was burned beyond recognition. After three and a half months of effort and some cash, it was on the road again, and I still own it today-as well as the 1973 FX Superglide that burned up in the same fire. Gee, I don’t see anyone fixing up burned-up imports...

AMF kept Harley alive when the company couldn’t do it themselves. Ever heard of disc brakes or electronic ignition? For Harley, they were paid for with AMF dollars. I’m not blind to the fact that management wanted a fast return on their money and could care less about motorcycles, but your silly insinuation that it’s okay to burn up old AMF models as a way to buy new Twin Cams with the insurance settlement is not cool.

Chris Roedel Corunna, Michigan

Egan on the lam

Would somebody please tell me what Peter Egan really looks like? The picture you show of him in his Leanings column looks nothing like the picture in the auto rag he writes for. Also, in every “real” photograph that’s printed of him, he looks like a different guy! How many states is he wanted in anyway?

Tom Treanor Huntley, Illinois

Little problem with an arson investigation and insurance-fraud charges regarding an old AMF Harley...