Hotshots

HOTSHOTS

Chop shop

“Proper choppers,” huh? {Up Front, April) What do you know about choppers, David? You sound old enough to still be wetting your pants. You may not like the Teutuls’ so-called “clown bikes,” but I’ll bet the ranch if you tried building anything close to a world-class bike like theirs, you’d be a miserable failure. So, get back on your Vespa and go deliver newspapers. Steve Eberhardt

Grand Junction, Colorado

Just got my April issue, and it reaffirmed my belief: Editor-in-Chief David Edwards needs to get over his Elarley/chopper mid-life crisis.

Locke Nuttall Emmett, Idaho

Some of your readers need to lighten up regarding OCC’s “American Chopper.” The TV show is about entertainment and nothing else. It is not about building real bikes for real bikers. While I agree that the Teutuls’ choppers look awkward and uncomfortable, most of the sportbikes you guys drool over aren’t much better in the comfort department. Bob Bixler Pittsfield, Massachusetts

In regard to all those “Chopper Nation” letters ragging on the Teutuls of Orange County Choppers: First, the people you and your readers bash are living the American Dream; they are building bikes Americans want. Second, maybe people are tired of Crap-

anese bikes that all look the same and in recent years have been made to look like Harleys; they want American ingenuity and craftsmanship.

Mike Rehkamp Jacksonville, Florida

Lynch the Teutuls! How dare they express themselves with something as sacred as the motorcycle, and have the audacity to make a decent living at it. While we’re on the subject, let’s lynch their corporate customers! How dare they use a motorcycle for advertisement? Heck, we don’t need anyone new interested in our sport, it’s too big already. We should save our sport for the romantic purist who gets a warm fuzzy every time he looks at a 30-year-old Norton Commando. Let’s fear change and dislike anyone who’s not just like us! Chad Butler Evanston, Wyoming

I could not help but notice numerous letters to the editor whining about OCC. Like it or not, choppers and television shows about them are at least partly responsible for motorcycling’s continued and growing popularity, which benefits all of us who enjoy this wonderful avocation.

I’ll make a deal: If these readers will stop whining about choppers, I will stop whining about crotch rockets with riders who wear obnoxious florescent leathers, glow-in-the-dark multicolored testosterone helmets and weave incessantly in and out of traffic.

Don’t like “American Chopper” on TV? Don’t watch it. John Herbst Rapid City, South Dakota

HDs-R-Us?

With all due respect gentlemen, your magazine has lost its focus. If I wanted to read about Harley-Davidsons and various copies, clones and knock-offs, I would buy one of the dozen or so magazines dedicated to the subject. But I don’t. I want to see articles on performance, not posing.

Enough with the choppers already. Surely in a country of 275 million souls there is room for a magazine dedicated to motorcycles without 45-degree V-Twin engines. If there’s not, you guys let me know so I can move on. Leverett Lowrie

Dallas, Oregon

Awesome magazine becomes even more awesome! The mega-monster Ecosse Heretic X3 (“Redefined Dynamite,” April)

and Mert Lawwill’s Sportster Street Tracker (“Sunday Rider”) are just the motivation I need to replace my ’98 Sportster Sport. MichSOl PozzettB

East Haddam, Connecticut

Why don’t you get it over with and change your name to Harley World?! Chris Babcock

Santa Clarita, California

It’s about time CW wrote something about the current chopper craze. Alvin Culi

Homosassa, Florida

I may be way off base, but I’m guessing some focus group has told you guys to increase readership you need to go more Harley and custom. Well, with the April issue, mission accomplished. Larry Lawrence

Brownsburg, IN

Cycle World has got to be the best motorcycle publication in the USA, and I say that even though our garage houses nothing but Buells and Harleys.

I have just finished reading the April issue, which was chock-full of exotic Harley-type stuff. I’m sure you’ll get tons of hate mail for that issue, so I wanted to write and tell you how much we loved it. If I had an extra $92,000 lying around, I’d buy an Ecosse (how do you pronounce that?) Heretic and one of Mert Lawwill’s Street Trackers. To think we went and blew all that money on a mere house! Damn!

Stephanie Feld

Hellertown, Pennsylvania

What about Erik?

After reading the article about the Ecosse Moto Heretic X3, I was very disappointed to realize that it was written as if my Buell Lightning S-l did not exist. Erik Buell was working on Harley-powered sportbikes in the ’80s, al-

most 10 years before Ecosse’s Don Atchinson even thought about the need for one. Not that this 50-year-old exdirtbiker wants a bike with a seat that would get lost in his posterior, let alone one that costs upward of $60,000.

Jason Crandall Asheboro, North Carolina

Ecosse Moto Heretic X3, Mike Cook’s “Café Grande,” Mert Lawwill’s Street Tracker-all Harley motors in invertedshock sportbikes with unorthodox exhaust placement, obtrusive air cleaners, new-design chassis and right-side drive.

Seems like I have seen this all before... in the various models offered by Buell Motorcycles. Jeff Sparks

Jasper, Alabama

Rad Rod reviews

Regarding H-D’s new Street Rod superstandard (CW, April): Finally, a Harley I want not just because it’s a Harley! This contender looks like, and sounds like, the new Heavyweight Champion of the Street! Brad Kerr

Layton, Utah

Man, your magazine was a regular hogpen this past month, but the real pig in

the poke was the new Street Rod. What a disappointment that “Platypus Especiale” is! I mean H-D’s “committee” has tried to hit so many buyers’ groups that it’s missed them all. From the get-go, this bike should have hit the scales at mid-400 pounds. It should have had a monoshock-what modem bike rider wants lousy 1970s twin shocks these days?

I love and ride big V-Twin roadsters (currently a ’97 Bimota Mantra), but that Street Rod, Willie G., is no roadster. In fact, I don’t know what it is.

Now.. .Mert’s Street Tracker, hmmm, I may just have to sell some stuff off and get the scratch together for one of them-thar bikes. That looks like fim! Doug Boughton Sand Lake, New York

Your Street Rod article notes that the first V-Rod you tested dynoed at about 107 horsepower. The Street Rod should have a nice hp bump from its freer-flowing pipes, but your specs say 102-ish. Me no get.

Jeff Davis American Fork, Utah

Yep, we should have explained that better. Our 2002 V-Rod was a pre-production example-as we noted at the timethat obviously benefited from pilot production line assembly. Sometimes pre-prods are better; usually they’re worse. Not the case with Harley, apparently. Trust the 102-hp figure.

Mert’s Flying Machine

Contributing Editor Allan Girdler has done it again! Another great Sportster article. Mert’s Magnificent Flying Machine is the greatest bike I have ever had the pleasure to read about. I can only dream about owning one... for now. Craig Held Fort Lauderdale, Florida

I have never thought about owning a Harley. But owning a Harley built by Mert Lawwill, you bet! Good luck to Mert and crew. I wish I was one of the “10 successful guys” he’s looking for.

Robert Broderick Sterling, Massachusetts

Baker’s half-dozen

Just a quick thank you for Joe Scalzo’s “The Quiet One” on forgotten 1970s roadracer Steve Baker (CW, April). It brought back memories of the Trans-

Atlantic grudge matches. Baker was a great rider, but was overshadowed by King Kenny and never got the attention he deserved. He certainly knew how to ride. Nick Ripley

Washington, Illinois

The Steve Baker article was awesome! I’ve been waiting for you guys to do something on Baker. He was truly one of the best in roadracing. I was there at Laguna when he smoked King Kenny. Thank you. Morgan Peckenham

Sparks, Nevada

Here’s why Stevie was given the layoff by Yamaha: The illustrious Ken# ny Roberts demanded full support as a condition of racing in Europe. That meant no other riders sharing in the wealth, besides the fact that Roberts didn’t want to race against Baker again. Yamaha had to choose between Roberts’ marquee value and Baker’s skill. Guess who won? Jim Zeiser Deposit, New York

Put Joe Scalzo on retainer. Great historical storyteller. More please. Bill Sutter Charleston, Arizona

“The Quiet One” was the best piece on motorcycle racing I’ve ever read. With so much space given to choppers, I almost threw April’s CW into the fire> place until I came upon an almost forgotten name, Steve Baker. I didn’t know he had been such a damn good rider until I read the article, and, of course, Mr. Scalzo is an entertaining, stylistic writer. I hope to read more from him.

A. Ovregaard Burbank, California

“The Quiet One” was another wonderful story from Scalzo. I would, though, like to correct a few inaccuracies. Joe makes reference to an event that he says happened during the 750cc GP at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. The incident he describes occurred at the Austrian GP during the 350cc race. The Belgium GP was not held that year at Spa, but instead at Zolder. I will read and enjoy anything Mr. Scalzo writes; I just want to keep the guy honest. Allan Engel

Long Beach, California

Trailer life

Thanks to Peter Egan for that hysterical bit on trailering (Leanings, April). I laughed out loud through most of it, and enjoyed every word. Just one comment, Peter: After 40-plus years of riding through every type of weather, if I’m heading to an event that is more than

100 miles away, and I know that there is a good chance of lousy weather, I’ll trailer the bike. I see no sense in being miserable, cold and wet for hours on end. Been there, done that, bought the Tshirt and got pneumonia. Rick Rutel

Trinity, Florida

I read with great interest Peter Egan’s column “Sustainable Trailer Towing” about the perplexing increase in trailer sales. It should not be too confusing: There is an increasing population of middle-aged, heavyweight bike owners who are not concerned with riding their bikes to a destination, but the experience of having their bikes at the destination.

Frankly, I don’t believe that these bike owners-many of whom are new to the sport or re-entry riders-have either the skill (or courage) to run with 18wheelers at speed or the confidence to do it with the Better Half hanging on the pillion seat. The answer is to trailer the shiny custom behind the SUV and drive to these meets in air-conditioned comfort. Once there, you unload the bike, ride to Main Street and park in a long line of similarly shiny customs. Besides, if you take the SUV, it allows

you to buy more black T-shirts with dealers’ names on the back of places you drove by. Tom Sadar

Richfield, Ohio

Praise the Lord and pass the duffel bag

Today, February 17, 2005, the local postmaster personally handed me my issue of Cycle World...the November, 1997, issue! It seems that the issue had been misplaced for the past IVi years.

Anyway, I truly learned the meaning of the old adage, Better Late Than Never. I would ask you folks to keep up the good work, but it is obvious that you have not only done so, but continued to make Cycle World even better. Thanks from a regular subscriber.

Pastor John Isenberg Bethany Baptist Church Kinston, North Carolina

I have been patiently waiting for my duffel bag since the enticement sent upon my 1983 renewal. I will wait no more. Send it at once! T. LÍ0U

Wheaton, Illinois

All good things come to those who wait, T. Just ask the pastor... □