Hotshots
HOTSHOTS
Clothing optional
Huge fan of the mag. Just a quick note to ask what the #$%@!? Now, there’s nothing more annoying than reading a letter in your magazine from someone whining about why their bike wasn’t included in a comparison, except... you guessed it, go get some cheese ’cause here comes the whine.
Far be it from me to question your collective wisdom, but why wouldn’t you include the stunning Triumph Speed Triple in June’s “Live Nude Bikes” 4x4 comparo? I won’t quote horsepower and torque figures or weight and chassis dimensions. You know that stuff better than I do. I’m no Einstein, but even with my gorilla math, the Speed 3 could have been in the top two or three. I know it’s not an anti-Triumph thing. You’ve said plenty about the TT and Bonnie recently. What gives?
John Dorsey Posted on www.cycleworld.com
Where is the Speed Triple? The hooligan Triumph is certainly nasty, naked and competitive in performance and price. Yeah, yeah, I just bought one, and seeing my bike in your 4x4 shootout might be an ego boost, but the Speed Triple’s alternative looks and three cylinders would have made the June issue more interesting.
John Taws Southern Pines, North Carolina
In “Live Nude Bikes,” Steve Anderson informs us that the Suzuki Bandit 1200 “...finally got radial tires this year.” I must be special, then, since the good folks at Suzuki saw fit to sell me a ’99 Bandit with radiais. Bridgestones, 120/70-ZR17 front, 180/55-ZR17 rear, if memory serves. By the way, this Steve Anderson isn’t any relation to Steve “Nasty” Anderson, is he?
Terrence Geoghegan
Ventura, California
This is yet another grumpy letter about your final comments regarding the Bandit 1200S. First, the Bandit has had sportbike-sized radiais for at least three years. Second, you state that the bike is “unrefined,” a way too sweeping statement considering that the fit-and-finish and general rideability of my bike are excellent. The only fly in the chain lube is some buzziness between 4000 and 5000 rpm, but I spend 90 percent of my time just below that. No problem. I’m hoping that next year Suzuki will raid its GSX-R/Katana parts bins and build a 1200R Bandit with a hunkier mid/top powerband. Power can easily be bumped by 20 ponies.
Mark Lyons
Dayton, Nevada
“Live Nude Bikes,” huh? The Suzuki Bandit 1200S and Yamaha FZ1 are about as nude as a pole dancer who’s still wearing her bra. The top halves of the bikes are all covered up. While it’s true these bikes are not fully dressed, I can’t believe you’d lump them into the nude category. I know naked, these aren’t. Nudists of the world should be appalled that the pretender FZ1 won the shootout.
Mark Ketchum Berkeley, California
Why didn’t you include the Buell XI in your comparison test? Bill Fox
Everett, Massachusetts
Both the Buell and the Triumph would have been worthy choices, but the theme of the issue was 4x4. We picked the four newsworthiest bikes in the class: the all-new FZ1, the redone water-cooled Ducati Monster, the restyled Bandit 1200 and the biggermotor Kawi ZRX, almost everyone’s pick as last year ’s Best Standard. Little-changed, the XI and Speed Triple didn’t make the cut.
FZ$
I wonder ifYamaha approves of the way its dealers are treating customers with regard to sales of the new FZ 1.1 found one dealer in South Denver asking $9500, which I thought was bad. I called another dealer here in Colorado Springs only to find that they are raping people for $ 10,300 on a bike with an MSRP of $8499! David Brooks Colorado Springs, CO
Suzuki beauty
The GSX1400, as it appears in Cycle World's July, 2001, issue is in my opin-
ion the best-looking bike Suzuki has ever built. Fve been trying to warm up to the styling of one of the current big unfaired streetbikes, but haven’t been able to generate enough enthusiasm
to commit to a down payment. I know any one of them would provide plenty of riding satisfaction, but I’ve found that the pleasure of just looking at a well-designed motorcycle is, for me, a significant part of wanting to own it. Tell Suzuki not to wait. If they bring in the GSX1400, I will buy it. In the meantime, more facts, bigger pictures from more angles, etc., to feed the fantasies. Dick Worth Churchton, Maryland
Originally intended just for the Japanese home market, the GSX1400, stunning in blue-and-white, will now be sold in select European countries. U.S. Suzuki is considering the bike, but it ’s a long shot and certainly won’t be part of the 2002 lineup.
Bonnie Rate
About the new Triumph Bonneville: Not since the days of Floyd Clymer’s Cycle magazine have I seen so many journalists collectively wet their pants over a bike. No matter which magazine rewews the 2001 Bonnie, they have nothing but praise for it. And the thing doesn’t even have a kickstarter! Linwood Fiala
Baudette, Minnesota
I was disappointed in the Bonneville’s detailing. It ain’t a pretty bike! The black fork lowers, no tach, no polished fenders, no pinstripes, etc. left me thinking Triumph could’ve done a better job. But this is only a start. When Triumph gets the Bonnie right, I’ll be throwing a leg over it.
Norm Perchikoff Defiance, Ohio
The best thing that could happen to the new Triumph is for all 1970 and earlier
Bonnevilles, Tigers, Trophys and Daytonas to mysteriously disappear. While I have no doubt that the new Bonneville is better mechanically (and electrically) in every way, it lacks the beauty, grace and style of 1960s models. Too bad, I was really looking forward to curing that 20-year itch for a modern, reliable Bonneville. Jeff Hurst
Tampa, Florida
Two-fer trade
From the announcement of the Kawasaki W650 in the December ’98 issue, to the letters pleading for it to be brought here, to word it was coming, I followed its progress. Seeing and sitting on it at the dealer sealed my fate. I had to get one. I sold my ’96 Harley Dyna Convertible and bought the W650. Have not regretted it. The Kawasaki has good torque, is comfortable, stylish, has a kickstarter, a towershaft, a centerstand, even chrome fenders. It has character. It gets approval from riders and non-riders alike. My wife even likes it better than the Harley. One last thing: With the money left over, I bought an RC51.
Kermit Fattig St. Joseph, Missouri
Ten Best inquest
Has Honda lost its collective mind? Did the R&D people actually talk to anyone over the age of 19? I have a 1990 Gold Wing with 85,000 miles on it. I bought this bike because I want a half-ton road couch. I do not want a bike that will set any speed records, nor get through the twisties ahead of everyone else. I want comfort, and lots of it. Honda is trying to make the Gold Wing into a sporttourer. If I had wanted that, I would have bought an STI 100. I had intended to buy a new Gold Wing in 2001, but I will now have to find a good used 2000.
Bruce Lawson Huntington Station, New York
Best Cruiser of 2001 to the Honda VTX, quite possibly the ugliest piece of metal ever to strap on 1800cc? Come on! That unsightly tank seam does not belong on any cruiser, period. Stylistically, the VTX is schooled by an H-D Deuce (Best Cruiser, 2000), or by a Moto Guzzi VI1 (Honorable Mention, 2000), or even by a Yamaha V-Star, if one must go metric. All of Honda’s considerable engineering prowess cannot hide that seam, the strange headlight or the VTX’s disproportionate tailpipe. Honda has whiffed on the aesthetic side of the equation. Eric Jensen Salem, Oregon
Just read your Ten Best Bikes 2001, and once again you have ignored the best sport-touring bike, the Kawasaki Concours. I think it is the most overlooked bargain in any dealer’s showroom. When you consider the price ($8000), warranty (3-year, 36,000-mile), shaft drive, dual tripmeters, six-speed transmission, excellent disc brakes, full-fairing wind protection, useful saddlebags and more performance than you can handle, how can you not include this great bike? I’ll be waiting to read a report on the Concours if you ever deem it worthy to rewew a bike that wasn’t just born yesterday, but is still very much alive and available brand-new.
Russ Fister New Tripoli, Pennsylvania
Perhaps a quickflip to page 44 would be in order, Russ. You ’re welcome.
Bike vs. Bike
In the June Hotshots, reader Guy Ulinksas writes about encountering “rambling roadblocks” of Harley or Gold Wing riders. “These riders remind me of spandex-clothed bicyclists looking like a school of tropical fish clogging a country road,” he notes.
Guy, first, it’s lycra, not spandex-get it right. Second, tropical fish, clog and country road is a mixed metaphor (in this case, a simile), always a poor rhetorical choice. Third, what kind of bike are you riding that can’t easily pass a flat-land peloton going, max, 30 mph? Park that moped! Fourth, did you give them the finger when you passed? We don’t like that. I’ve been both a motored and un-motored cyclist for more than 30 years. I’ve never thought I had to dislike one to enjoy the other.
Scott Lawrence-Richards Cedar Falls, Iowa
Blame it on alien abduction
Gents, on the table of contents, you list the page number for “The MiddleManagement Motorcyclist” as 68, but it’s actually on page 67. Other than that, I enjoyed your September, 1978, issue very much. Nick Macaluso
Roswell, New Mexico
Hey, wait ’til you get a load of October s issue with tests of the new Honda GL1000 Gold Wing and Can-Am 370. Also, not to give anything away, but Bob Hannah wins the AMA Supercross series...
Geography 101
“CapoNord” Italian for North Pole, as you state in June’s riding impression of the new Aprilia adventure-tourer? I think not. The bike’s name references the North Cape in Norway, Europe’s northernmost point. Makes sense, after all there are roads there, while the Pole is basically floating on a chunk of arctic ice.
Alan Singer Jacksonville, Florida
we make housecalls
A rare day off from work. A tall mug of steaming Kona blend. A warm Virginia sunrise spent on my deck with the June edition of Cycle World. Time to savor the columns of Edwards, Egan and Cameron (in the order they appear to avoid the perception of favoritism). Anticipation of a morning trip to my favorite dealership to narrow down a newbike purchase, followed by an afternoon ride on my faithful but ging Yamaha TDM.
I just got my re-up notice. How changing the word “subscripto “prescription?” Far more . Doesn’t really matter, check is in the mail!
Larry Lundy Sterling, Virginia
Just don’t rely on us for European travel planning, Larry-unless you ’re related to Admiral Byrd.
