Hotshots

HOTSHOTS

Egan's last Gaspé?

Regarding Peter Egan's great article detailing his trip through Northern On tario to the Gaspé Peninsula ("New France at Long Last," February), please make the following suggestion to him: While we do have a lot of really beauti ful destinations here in The Great White North, our roads are not as wonderful as he made them sound. Most of us strap trials bikes to the back of our daily rides just so we can navigate through the pot holes when the going gets really rough! He may wish to consider buying a Buell Ulysses for his next trip to Canada. Ac tually, it would probably be cheaper to bungee a Gas Gas to the back of his Beemer. Keep un the good work!

William Pagnutti Sudbury, Ontario, Canada

During his short stay in the Gaspé Pen insula, Egan managed to get an accu rate feel of our belle provance. Que bec is the only province that has the European atmosphere and flair, not only because of its architecture, old Center Ville, cafes and fabulous cuisine, but primarily because of its people, the French-Canadians. It is theirjoie de vivre that makes their company so enjoyable and makes you feel like you've known them all your life even though you've only spent an afternoon with them. Their hospitality is not surpassed by many. By the way, I am Greek, not French.

Tom Vriniotis Montreal, Québec, Canada

Egan can interpret Iroquois? I'm im pressed. How is he with Sanskrit?

Francis DeMulle Syracuse, New York

Peter Egan's second attempt at the Gas pé Peninsula on that big Beemer was completely unfair-like hunting ground hogs with hand grenades. For real re venge, he needs to get another Honda CB16O and try again. That~ an article I look forward to reading.

Leopold Werberg Northvale, New Jersey

I rarely (like never) read Peter Egan. What I have read has been painfully boring. In fact, each month, I turn his editorial page as fast as I can lest I reach out and try to choke that obnoxious grinning mug of his. But then, I guess I'm not much of a voyeur. I'll take my own bad adventure over reading about someone else's good one any day.

But, for some strange reason, I found myself reading about his trip up the St. Lawrence. Probably because I-unlike Peter-made the trip. Back in the sum mer of 1969, I rode my Bronson-in spired `68 XLH (yeah, I know, Bron son's was a `69... save it) from sunny Los Angeles up to BC and across.

My prime motivation was a recon naissance expedition in search of a safe haven from a government-sponsored. all-expenses-paid vacation to South east Asia. What I found were sheep, fog, rain and "Frogs" who spoke perfect English provided they were assured that you were not a Brit "Canuck."

I also found friendly native girls whose families, on more than one oc casion, let me pitch a tent in their back yards. There were youth hostels, too, that allowed me to eat and sleep for nothing. My only expenses were gas (outrageously expensive at around 40 cents Canadian for an Imperial gallon) and beer. Farther east, I found all the lobster I could eat, free for the taking, from traps that had washed ashore on Prince Edward Island. Probably could have got shot there, too, but didn't, and I made it back to civilization alive. Upon my return, my mother informed me that my lottery number was in the 300s, so I never went back.

It was a great trip, Peter. You should have been there.

Manhattan Beach, California

Diego Vega we opened in 2003.

Regarding Peter Egan's article, "New France at Long Last," I thought your readers might like to know about our motorcycle museum. L'Epopée de Ia Moto (wwwepopeedelamoto.com) is located one hour east of Quebec City on the Gaspésie tourist road. We have more than 60 motorcycles from 1903 to 2000 on display. More than 23,000 visitors have visited the museum since

Claire Martin

saint-Jean-i-'ort-Joii, uuebec, uanaaa Barb's fan club

After reading Peter Egan's missives for many decades (yikes!), it was a pleasure to read his account of the "redux" trip to Canada and to see (finally) pictures of Pe ter's long-suffering wife, Barb. Somehow, the presence of Barb in Peter's writing over the years has filled out our percep tions of his life. Her apparent encourage ment of his love of all things mechanicaltwoand four-wheel, winged, etc.-and her willingness to participate in his ad ventures speaks to a sense of adventure and support any couple can admire.

Dick McKee Santa Rosa, Ca~fornia

Thanks for including photos of Bar bara. Now I have a face to go with that saintly lady I feel that I know so well.

James Kmetovic Posted on www cycleworld. com

Petrol Pinched

I am a 70-year-old man who has been reading your magazine, as well as many others pertaining to motorcycles, for 30 years. I have owned 145 bikes during my lifetime.

Recently, I bought a 2005 Yamaha Vi rago 250. It has a V-Twin engine like the big bikes, and I thought it would get great mileage. With my very first fill-up, I got a reading of 96 mpg! I checked and re checked, and it was the same every time. The littlest Virago will go 90 mph and get 90 mpg. I am 6-foot-2 and weigh 240 pounds, so in my opinion, you missed the finest petrol pincher ever built.

Joe A. Wisener Greenfield, Indiana

I enjoyed "Petrol Pinchers" (CW, Febru. ary). A motorcycle can be a great way tc have fun and save money at the sam time. I commute two to three days pci week on my 1997 Honda XR65OL, get• ting 46 mpg. On the weekends, I replacc the street tires with knobbies and hav fun in the dirt! Great fun and economy on a bike that cost $2100 two years ago.

Seldon Githrd Wylie, Texas

What fuel crisis?! In the years since 32cent, full-service gasoline, a huge gap has opened in America between the rich and the poor. The current average American household income may be $45K, but this takes into account the bloated corporate salaries that fat-cats have come to ex pect. In 1968, the $1.75 minimum wage would buy close to six gallons of gas. In 2006, minimum wage buys barely two gallons! The view from the skinny-cat ; ;;~

Kevin Molyneux

Long Beach, California

I'm 79 years old and have been a yearround daily rider since the early Fifties. I've always owned scooters along with my roadand dirtbikes, and I'm on my fourth Honda Elite 250. It has the beans for aggressive city riding and, with its 74-mph top speed, can hold its own on the freeway. Plus, it gets 60 mpg.

Recently, while visiting relatives in northern Italy, I acquired a Yamaha T-Max 500, a 100-mph scooter not sold in the U.S. It handles like a motorcycle and is the most passenger-friendly bike my wife has ever ridden. With its automatic transmission, the T-Max is always in the right gear, making passing on the autobahn and on nar row two-lane roads a snap.

Rowing a gearbox will eventually become a thing of the past. How many cars do you see today with manual trans missions?

Bruno Canale Las Vegas, Nevada

Why wasn't a Royal Enfield included in the "Petrol Pinchers" comparison? I have been riding one of these 350cc Singles for three years, and it will do 65 mph and get 60mpg, just like the rest of the bikes tested.

Harold Foster Jonesborough, Tennessee

Just read "Petrol Pinchers" in the Febru ary issue. Great article, but I noticed that the performance numbers you reported were quite different than those claimed by Vento for the VThunder 1400 in the ad in the same issue. You reported 16.5 horse power and a top speed of barely 70 mph. Vento says 24 hp and a top speed of 85.

The thoughtful-looking young lady in the ad says she wants to ride beside me, not behind me. Well, with just 16.5 hp on tap, she will be riding quite a ways behind my Yamaha FZ1! In•~ flated advertising like this is the very reason I read your road tests before I buy anything.

Scott Leggitt Biloxi, Mississippi

Great to see my Tank Urban Sporty 150 in your magazine. Your review was al most on the money, including the mpg. Yes, it's small, no good on freeways and has a pitifully small gas tank. But for what I use it for, basically 10 to 20 miles per day on surface streets, it's perfect. I have almost 1500 miles on mine, with no major problems.

Steve Smestad Fullerton, California

Rokon ready

On page 49 of the February edition of Cycle World, you indicate that Rokon is not in business. This is not the case. Rokon is very much alive. Check us out at wwwrokon.com. Perhaps it is time for you to test a 2006 Trail-Breaker with hy draulic braking.

Tom Blais, Preside~it

Rokon International, Inc. Rochester, New Hampshire

Cuffing the cord

I am a long-time reader of your magazine, and I have always found CW's research to be excellent. February's "The Electric Myth," however, has me steaming. The way Kevin Cameron compared gas/die sel efficiency to electric is ridiculous.

Using Kevin's argument, that electric power loss is cumulative and only 22 percent efficient, is unfair. A proper cornI parison would adjust the efficiency of the gas/diesel engine to include the costs to pump the oil out of the ground, store it, ship by pipeline or tanker, refine, upgrade, store, ship by pipeline, store, transport to your local gas station, etc.

fiere in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, we have more oil than Saudi Arabia and spend billions of dollars on oil/gas ev ery year. We have huge industrial plants, and we build huge power stations to run these plants. Plus, we have pollution. If you are comparing engine efficiencies, great, but it is hogwash to say that elec tricity has cumulative efficiency losses but gasoline just shows up at your local station without energy costs.

I have been ridmg conventional motor cycles for 30 years. I am also an engineer and have built electric-powered conver sions, so my experience is first-hand. My converted Honda CBR600F4 EZE (Elec tric Zero Emission) accelerates like my Yamaha 700 Virago, handles like my Honda F4i and weighs 410 pounds.

rioiiua r'+i anu weigris I1u pouuus. Unlike what Kevin believes, there is a future in electric vehicles. The major shortcoming is range. Battery technolo gy, however, is advancing in leaps and bounds. Based on my experience, high output rechargeable batteries are doubling in capacity every three years, and prices are dropping by half every year or so.

Today, my EZE runs on lead-acid main batteries andNiMh auxiliary batteries. As battery prices drop and battery capacity improves, the bike will get better. A range of 200 miles is just around the corner.

Ray Wong Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Here are three thoughts for Kevin Cam eron to consider: First, if your electricity is generated by hydroelectric, wind or so lar power (or even nuclear, for that mat ter), your electric vehicle really will save energy. This is especially meaningful if you have photovoltaic solar panels on your own roof as more and more home owners do. The "myth" is only mythical if you burn fossil fuels to make the power in the first place.

Second, even if fossil-fuel powerplants are used, those plants can burn fuels that aren't suitable for use as mobile fuels, such as coal, and the electricity can still .4 \. .. be used for electric vehicles. Finally, there is wisdom and 4 t~; efficiency in using big, complex, heavy, expensive and highly ef fective anti-pollution measures at :.a fixed site at a powerplant, in stead of requiring thousands of vehicles to haul around the weight of their own catalytic converters, air pumps, evaporative emissions controls and so forth, which are unlikely to work, as weii.

Jon Stark San Jose, California

Kevin Cameron responds:, "Hydro electric, wind, solar and geothermal power account for 3.5 percent or so of US. energy requirements, so trans portation strategy can `t be based on them. Mobile-suitable fuels do make up a clear majority of the energy con sumed. Mr Stark's third point is cor rect but ignores political reality. It has proven easier to make vehicle owners pay for anti-pollution measures than to make the power-generation indus try pay. Ido agree that some small mi nority of persons with adequate dis posable income can entertain themselves efficiently with an electric vehicle. What is thus far not possible is for any large population to do so, orfor the electric power industry and its transmission grid to supply any sign ficant fraction of transportation energy at present. We can hope for rational policy chang es. Shall we hold our breath?"

Lindsay Brooke in "A Modest Propos al" (CW, February) may be no alarmist, but those of us who are feel amply justi fied. The world's appetite for oil, a finite, non-renewable resource, is an amazing 84 million barrels per day and rising briskly. Oil is destined to reach peak production and enter an eternal period of ever-diminishing yields any day now. We face serious problems not when it "runs out," but as soon as our demand outpaces production. Every material item in our midst has a signifi cant petroleum component.

Afliture of diminishing energy will present industrialized societies with a uniquely vexing and daunting chal lenge. How we respond will define our generation. And, of course, our mo torcycles go nowhere without it.

Efficient two-wheelers, both pedal and petrol-powered, will play a major role in the survivability of an oil-short world. Good thing they're so much fun.

`MichaeI Abraham Blacksburg, Virginia