Hotshots

HOTSHOTS

Survival of the sickest

Wow! Regarding those stunt riders in the “Streetbike Extreme” story (Race Watch, April): I cannot believe you actually put those idiots in your magazine. What a bunch of fools! Darwin lives... John Carver Seattle, Washington

A couple of years ago, my favorite motorcycle shop started running a videotape of some crazy guys down in Las Vegas who performed wild wheelies and stoppies in downtown traffic and on the interstates. All I could think of was, “way more talent than brains!” Now, it looks like, along with more talent than I’ll ever have, they are also soon going to have more money than I’ll ever have. Who needs brains? Carl Best

Eugene, Oregon

Please keep the stunt trash out of your fine magazine. I am stunned at your lack of judgment in this area. Clint D. Kelly

Cincinnati, Ohio

I can’t believe Cycle World is willing to give print to these morons performing “Stupid Squid Tricks,” especially without any safety gear! Just what kids and new riders picking up your magazine need to see. Why don’t you show pictures of these guys learning these tricks? The scraped-off skin, ambulance rides, emergency room visits, not to mention the increased insurance premiums they directly-and all riders indirectly-have to pay. The only thing these stunt riders are useful for is buying cheap, used bikes from grieving families.

Cycle World should stick to true motorcycling. Greg Creech

Redwood City, California

Hey, I may not know a lot about bikes yet, but I found the article on the stunt riders awesome. It had a lot of cool pictures, and I thought it was a great article. I give Cycle World two thumbs up! Nathan Hein

Mulvane, Kansas

Drag queen

Once again, Kevin Cameron has delved into and explained complex machinery with just the right amount of detail. His article on the Vance & Hines’ V-Rod dragbike (Race Watch, March) was excellent. Way to go, Kevin! Frank John

Brooklin, Maine

It will be interesting to see how Vance & Hines’ V-Rod will go. Fresh and innovative thinking has kept V&H at the front of the pack for close to a quarter-century, and I’m not betting against them yet.

Larry Kilman Marissa, Illinois

Surely I am not the only reader dumbfounded by the “Towering Twin” article. Apparently, H-D has commissioned Vance & Hines to hand-build a dragbike to promote the V-Rod, and it will not contain a single molecule of the bike it is meant to portray. While most Pro Stock bikes are heavily modified, this complete fabrication tramples on credibility. Why not just buy Star Racing’s GSXR1000, put Harley decals on it, and save a fortune?

Unfortunately, the absurdity does not stop there: Why waste money promoting a motorcycle that is already presold out at about $ 10,000 over MSRP? Will the frenzy caused by the faux Pro Stock V-Rod drive the actual selling price of this model up to double retail? As a Harley owner and stockholder, I guess I should be pleased and proud, but I just can’t get past the utter absurdity of it all. Douglas Daniels El Paso, Texas

Wow, two issues in a row with coverage of drag racing! I bought the February issue and was amazed. Now, the March issue with the Vance & Hines Pro Stock V-Rod! I’ve read it three times in two days. I’ve never been a Harley fan, but I am a huge Pro Stock dragbike fan. Thanks for the coverage of a great sport.

If you keep this up, I’m gonna have to get a subscription. Josh Helvie

Indianapolis, Indiana

Regarding Vance & Hines’ Pro Stock Harley: I hope those boys do really well with their new machine. V&H has taken a big risk in abandoning something when they were at the top (ohc Japanese Multis) in order to go to a pushrod Twin. But if you’ve got no guts, you’ll get no glory. I hope they’re competitive and that Angele Savoie, V&H and others are neck-and-neck all season.

Dan Johnson Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Loved reading about the new Vance & Hines Harley V-Rod Pro Stock dragbike. > Can’t wait to see H-D qualify at the Gatornationals for the first time in NHRA history. Pat Cadegan

Taylor, Michigan

First, Vance & Hines has not abandoned its Suzuki-Matt Hines still pilots the V&H Eagle One GSX-R. Next, the new V-Rod did not qualify at the Gatornationals, its fuel-injection not fully sorted. “We couldn 't solve the gremlins,” said Terry Vance. Surprise winner of the event was Craig Treble, who upset NHRA champ Angelle Savoie in the final. Lastly, a Harley-engined dragbike has qualified for an NHRA national before, Dan Baisley doing the deed at Brainerd in 1998.

Man of letters

I just read the April CW, another issue full of useful and entertaining information. One section, however, was so odd and out of character that I must comment: The letter to the editor that David Edwards excerpted for his usually well-informed column was nothing more than a list of opinions (not to be confused with facts) from Steve Kransky. Kransky’s blatantly pro-Harley letter belongs in the “Hotshots” section where everyone gets to air his/her own thoughts.

Harry Boyle Columbus, Ohio

Mr. Kransky has an empty cranium. What a waste of space! Paul 0. Thomas

Johnstown, Pennsylvania

Hire Kransky! Phil Orth Sierra Vista, Arizona

Bike in Black

Give yourselves a Down for not putting that “Intimidator” Harley (“The Bike in Black,” CW, April) firmly in its place. At $50,000 per copy, it is a not-socheap attempt to profit from the death of a racer who, as far as we know, never had any connection to motorcycles in general or to Harley-Davidson in particular. From the unmuffled exhausts to the piston-shaped spokes to the No. 3 on the air cleaner, this motorcycle is a shiny black testament to greed. And neither you nor Brock Yates (a man who normally minces no words) had the juevos to stand up and say so. What’s next for Wagenhals, souvenir statuettes of the Twin Towers?

Michael Reid Westerville, Ohio

After reading about “The Bike in Black,” I wondered if Mr. Wagenhals plans on donating any of his large anticipated profits to the Earnhardt estate. It seems that he and others (like General Motors with its blacked-out Monte Carlo) never hesitate to make a quick buck from a tragic event.

Jim Wilson Allentown, Pennsylvania

I just got my April issue. Great mag, except for “The Bike in Black” thing. What did Dale have in common with a Harley? Let’s see...NOTHING! That No. 3 bike is aimed at those people with more money than brains. I guess someone will think it is cool, but I’ll bet it wouldn’t be Dale. Tom Blankenship

Houston, Texas

I am compelled to contact you in hopes of you telling me how to get in line for one of the Earnhardt “Intimidator” Harleys. Lord knows, I never thought the “H” word would come out of my mouth, but this is one beautiful machine, and I would be honored to have it drip oil on the hardwood floor in front of my husband’s Dale Earnhardt shrine. What could be a better 50th birthday present? Cindy Graham

Kerhonkson, New York

You’d think that for 50 big ones you’d at least get turnsignals... Mike Edmonton

Alberta, Canada

Not to worry: All merchandise that uses Dale Earnhardt’s name, image or likeness, including Action Performance’s scale-models and full-size replicas, must first be approved by Earnhardt s widow, Teresa. Plus, her company, Dale Earnhardt Inc., receives royalties from the sale of every such item. Anyone interested in purchasing one of the 333 full-size Intimidator H-D replicas can contact Paul Yaffe at www.paulvaffeoriginals.com.

Finer Niner?

After reading your tests in the April issue on the Honda CBR954RR and the Kawasaki ZX-9R, I am a little confused. You make the Honda out to t> something just shy of the perfect motorcycle. Blindingly fast, agility matched only by a full-on racebike, a powerband as user-friendly as can be, yet producing “BIG horsepower numbers.”

When I flipped to the Kawasaki test, you said that it should not be compared to other bikes in its class, that it should be considered more of a sport-tourer, or a supersport standard. Further, you said it has a much more comfortable riding position than its peers, it feels much more spacious, its fairing provides superior wind protection, etc.

Sounded pretty bland to me, until I looked at the numbers: quicker than the Honda to 60 mph, quicker and faster in the quarter-mile, a superior top speed, and, if you want to talk about BIG horsepower, consider the fact that the Kawasaki makes only 8 bhp less than the Honda while giving away 55cc. All this, and the Kawi costs $1000 less!

What is with you guys? The only other thing that I can’t quite figure out is exactly how the underpowered Kawasaki was able to pull off this apparent trouncing of the CBR while carrying 34 extra pounds. Go figure. Without knowing firsthand, I would be willing to guess that the Honda can get around Willow Springs a little faster than the ZX-9. But I would also guess that the Kawasaki would make a much more livable and entertaining bike for the 99.8 percent of us who don’t live on a racetrack.

Scot Houghton Yankee Hill, California

Everybody knows that on the street the Kawasaki is no slouch, and with the money you save, you could add some simple modifications that would make it even more powerful. So, give the bike the credit it deserves instead of referring to it as a has-been! By the way, I own a ZX-9R. Ruben Salas

El Paso, Texas

Red rules?

Please, please, please, I know you guys meet a lot of factory reps, so I have a favor to ask of you. The next time you meet a Honda spokesman, ask him why the new Interceptor 800 is offered only in red. If he recites the corporate line about traditional colors (blah, blah,

blah) just punch him right in the mouth! Then ask why Europe gets all the cool colors, and if he starts again with the programmed response, punch him again.

See, I would do this good deed myself, but I’d get in big trouble. Honda can’t hurt you guys, though, because they know you wield the ultimate power of the Bike Review. It’s common knowledge that the factories keep moto-joumalists well supplied with hookers, liquor and riding gear so that they will write favorable reviews, and they wouldn’t dare hurt one of their PR darlings. I think it was Gandhi who said violence solves everything, so please do the honorable thing and give Honda an attitude adjustment.

If you’re just a bunch of sissies, maybe you could just write an article on how to cheaply and legally import a European model. Rex Collins

Pflugerville, Texas

So, Honda has put VTEC on the VFR800 to increase its low-end torque? Wouldn’t an increase in displacement to lOOOcc have done the trick with less complication and the additional benefit of more horsepower? Well, at least we got the factory saddlebags!

David Bell

Castro Valley, California

Fat-ass and fast

I have noticed what seems to be a trend among bike magazines. It seems that all are promoting fat-ass cruisers, the bigmoney bikes. I guess the manufacturers are telling the magazines to push these bikes on the public.

Look, all anyone needs to cruise the country is a motor of 11 OOcc or less-you all know that. My Honda Shadow Sabre cruises part-throttle at 70 mph, and filth (sic) gear is like overdrive.

Bill Armstrong Sandston, Virginia

Amazing what hookers, liquor and free riding gear will get you, ain’t it Armstrong? By the way, next time opt for the sex-speed... ^