Hotshots
HOTSHOTS
DEPARTMENT
The Naked Nine
What sort of non-Euclidian reasoning did you guys use to determine the winner of the “Modern Immaturity” naked-bike shootout (CW., June)?
If you take all the stats and line ’em up—I can send you the spreadsheet if you like—the Aprilia Tuono doesn’t have a top number in any category. Is there some sublime “need-to-knowonly” category that was the deciding factor, but ended up in the Editor’s circular file due to space constraints?
By my calculations, the Yamaha FZ1 topped seven categories, the Honda 919 had six, and the Kawasaki Z1000 and Suzuki SV1000 each had three. Furthermore, the FZ1 beat the Tuono in everything except dry weight and wheelbase.
Under the “First Place And No Arguments” heading, the rationale for picking the Tuono as the winner was, and I quote “.. .nobody argues with the way it works,” closely followed by this advice to nay-sayers, “...look at the swingarm then, and clam up.” Uh, what? You go on to discuss a few styling aesthetics and something about cornering clearance. I hate to remind you, but five of the nine bikes beat the Tuono on your handling course.
So, what color is the sky in your world? (Yes, I’m an FZ1 owner.)
C.J. Ficco Aurora, Colorado
You picked the Suzuki SV1000S seventh and the Aprilia Tuono first? Let’s see, the Suzuki was quicker, faster on your handling course and $3400 cheaper than the Aprilia. Tom Thomas
Rex, Georgia
A bike that ties for quickest to 60 mph, finished second on the handling course, was described as “.. .so easy to ride, so comfortable, so balanced, so very refined...the harder you flog it, the better it seems to like it” and was the least expensive of the bunch comes in fifth?! From these results, the Honda 919 should be in a class of its own.
Steve Baumann St. Joseph, Missouri
Love the mag, but you guys really missed the boat in your naked-bike comparison. Where’s the Suzuki Bandit 1200? You can’t beat the value, price and looks of this great allrounder. What gives? Scott Lopez Eureka, Missouri
Why not include the venerable retro naked that’s been growing the segment for years now, the Kawasaki ZRX1200? If memory serves, CWs previous tests had it in the 10s at the dragstrip and pushing 150 mph on the top end. Not to mention its comfort and brutish good looks. Steven Lucas
Lander, Wyoming
Sure, there are new kids on the block, but the ol’ Triumph Speed Triple is still the neighborhood bully and, yep, I own one. Bring on that Eye-talian bike. I love the smell of burning pasta in the morning. Zane Amaro
Orland, California
Test notes
Your “Naked Aggression” shootout was great “exposure” for this segment of bikes; however, I think you missed the mark in your testing. I may be the typical naked-bike owner: I’m in my mid-30s, with a mortgage and about 10 years of sportbikes behind me. What attracted me to the naked bikes, besides my aching bones, was the fun/value factor. The Aprilia and Ducati Monster 1000 are probably wonderful. However, for the $3000 difference in list price, I could buy the Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki or Suzuki SV and have enough left over for a clean used 600cc track-day bike or a dirtbike.
Or, for about $1000, I could install an aftermarket shock and fork springs on one of the less expensive bikes, and have a bike that might work better than the Aprilia on a backroad, and not require the maintenance schedule of the Ducati. With the $2000 left, I could afford to actually ride somewhere! Tony Dean Broken Arrow, Oklahoma >
In close to 40 years of riding, I never thought anything in a cycle mag was worth commenting on, but “Modern Immaturity” has forced the issue. Let me state up front, I don’t own any of the bikes being compared, nor is it likely that I ever will. My point is: Why do you even bother to do top speed quarter-mile or lap testing if you totally disregard the results? Aprilia Tuono the best? Give me a break! The Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha all had better lap times and dragstrip numbers. Top speed is pretty much a wash with even the drag-butt Honda going 142 mph. But the biggest issue is the $2400 to $3000 price difference between these four bikes and the Tuono. If you’re predisposed to a conclusion, don't waste your time and mine calling it a comparison. Rod Brown State College, Pennsylvania
Your naked-bike shootout should have been titled “The Geritol Geezers Ride Again.” I won’t argue the Tuono and Z1000 are exciting bikes. Good choices. But the Toyota Camrys of naked bikes, the Honda 919 and Yamaha FZ1 in fourth and fifth? Boooring. I might accept a Duc in third, if it was the new S4R, but not the slow-as-mud 1000S. Old and boooring. How about a scooter shootout next month? That should get your editorial blood boiling.
Mike Larson Minneapolis, Minnesota
Short Rod Syndrome
can’t believe one of your “professional” moto-scribes, an Executive Editor no less (Brian Catterson), thinks the new naked BMW Rockster uses an oilhead pushrod motor. I would have thought that your journalists-thcir writings being a significant factor in motorcyclists’ purchasing decisions-would at least either know their business or check their facts.
I'm not very impressed with the famed (and apparently editorially lazy) Cycle World staff when a blatant error such as this is published. You do your readers a disservice with this type of journalistic inaccuracy. It’s like saying F-15s have propeller engines. Ed Ryan F-15 engineer/BMW owner O’Fallon, Missouri
Er, Ed, would that be a threeor fourbiaded prop on the F-15? It is you who needs to check the facts, not us. BMW
Brochure babble
In his naked-bike sidebar, Brian Catterson states that the Buell offers just 76 horsepower and weighs-in at 415 pounds dry. That blew my faith in you magazine wizards. The Buell Lightning puts out 92 bhp and comes in at a trim 385 pounds. It really is a shame that it was not part of the test. Jeff Murray Durango, Colorado
oilhead fact pushrod engines. The camshaft for each cylinder is located in the head, but well below the rocker arms, which are actuated by pushrods between the tappet cups and the rockers themselves. The pushrods are very short (see arrow above), but they are pushrods nonethe less and could not accurately be de scribed as anything else. Mr Catterson is now accepting letters of apology, hopefully written with as much humility as your original was jam packed with rancor.
Jeff, who ya gonna believe, Buell’s PR Department or Cycle World 's rear-w heel dyno and certified scales?
Burning it up!
John Burns’ “Modern Immaturity" was so poorly written that I wonder if anyone read it before it went to the printer. The opening paragraphs rambled on and had not a single item related to the review of the nine bikes. Burns’ frequent use of junior high school language, poorly structured sentences, and run-on l-o-n-g sentences made reading the article painful. For example, one 88-word sentence was so convoluted that I had to read it several times just to understand his point. I was looking forward to this story and was excited when I opened my mailbox and saw the feature. If it hadn’t been for the sidebar charts with the interesting “Ups and Downs," the article would have been a bust! Can someone help John with his writing skills? El UebQOtt
Euless, Texas
What’s with all the “Ups and Downs” crap in your naked-bike article? Please stick to comments that actually have some kind of meaning. Trent Eadie
Orlando, Florida
John Burns’ “Modern Immaturity" was great! His commentary was hilarious! I laughed out loud several times-in fact, I think the librarian was starting to get annoyed (I was “studying" for an exam...yeah, that’s it.). Keep hiring the great writers. Adam Lancia
Savoy, Illinois
I have been reading Cycle World for over a decade now, and I must say that John Burns’ article was one of the poorest that has ever been published. It was like reading the journal of a 16-year-old boy, all vulgar expletives and really unfunny jokes. Michael Stevens
Halfom City, Texas
Burns is too funny. Here 1 am a 47-yearold “kid" with a brand-new Z1000 in the garage next to my “sedate" Kawi Drifter,
old Suzuki SP600 dual-sport and even older Husky 390. Just took the Z over Ortega Highway and I swear the bike was thinking for me. Again, kudos to Bums for a well-written article.
I was right there on Palomar Mountain with you.
Craig Williams
Laguna Hills, California
Seating in the rear
Great comparison and a good selection of bikes from the center and left of center. Good to see a sidebar on passenger accommodations, too.
Remember, if momma’s not happy, no one’s happy. Larry Friedman
Atlanta, Georgia
The Guzzi Gang
Had to check your VI1 Moto Guzzi’s nuts after a long ride? Can’t remember any coming loose back as far as 1972. Is it possible you have nut gremlins?
Frank Verdone Roselle, Illinois
Thanks for including the naked Guzzi...last in your comparison test but first in my heart. The VI Is sound, torque, looks, cornering clearance, etc. brighten my days. Doug Staab
Seattle, Washington
Yeah, hut how are your nuts holding up?
Water Monster
I just have one word (actually three) about Ducati’s liquid-cooled Monster S4R: Yes, yes, yes. May be time to trade in my 900SSSR More details please!
Steve Ashley
Fremont, California
Claimed to be the most powerful naked Ducati ever, the Monster S4R will hit dealerships in August and retail for $13,495.
Traveling too light
There is a small problem in Peter Egan’s “Secrets of Traveling Light” column (Leanings, June). The section where he says to “Put all your high-powered back-pain pills-codeine, Vicodin, etc.-into a single white plastic Bufferin bottle, rather than many bottles” is called Felony Possession of a Controlled Substance in all 50 states, and is punishable by 3 to 15 years in prison. Anytime you remove your prescription medicine from its original container and carry it in something else, it becomes an illegal substance. Better to stick to the motorcycle stuff and leave the drug trafficking advice to High Times.
Tom Jones
Springfield, Missouri
Since I just purchased a Yamaha FJR1300, and can carry lots of crap, the prescription stuff stays in the original packaging. I didn’t have the luxury when riding the Rl, and my pill bottle was a very colorful assortment, indeed!
Charles M. Dawson Bentonville, Arizona
Secrets of skivvies
Ah, yes, sweet vindication. I just may have to keep Peter Egan’s “Secrets of Traveling Light” handy as I’m preparing for my annual 10-day motorcycle adventure. For years, I have suffered those “Are you serious?” looks from my girlfriend family and friends for practicing the wear-it-once-and-leave-it-behind ap-
proach to motorcycle travel. In fact, I already have this year’s assortment of threadbare socks and underwear packed in a couple of freezer bags in the bottom of my closet, just waiting to be strewn across the Western United States.
By the way, should you be in Mexico and see some guy down on the beach buying 40 of those 4-for-$10 T-shirts, you guessed it, that would be me. Fley, they aren't worth crap after one washing anyway! Leave ’em for the maid is what I say. Mark Lynch
Bellingham, Washington
Once again, Peter’s packing tips are 1 spot-on. I travel with like-minded folks who long ago taught me the art of saving marginal socks and underwear for our road trips. In 1984, when we went to New Zealand tired, worn underwear was actually recycled twice after being worn-first to wipe overnight dew and dirt off our bikes, then to check engine oil.
Later, in China, imagine my surprise when I got back to my guest dormitory and found that everything I had dumped in the trash basket had been carefully laundered ironed folded and even had a little nametag on it! Heck, they looked too presentable to pitch, so I kept wearing them until I left the country a month later. Burt Richmond
Lotus Tours Chicago, Illinois
Peter’s suggestion of tossing old underwear away each day on tour was all the talk around the bonfire at our club’s annual spring party. It seems just about everyone had read the article. Many things got thrown onto the fire that night, but no underwear (perhaps because it was Saturday night and not the next morning). Roger Preston
Ambridge, Pennsylvania
Peter Egan's “use once more and toss” approach is wasteful. Here in Texas, on the second day we wear our underwear backwards, San Francisco-style, then give them an overnight airing on an anthill, shake them out in the morning and the undies are good to go for yet a third wearing!
Charlie Bonham
Austin, Texas Yeah, but how are your nuts holding up?U
