Hotshots

HOTSHOTS

Kick ya' in the Shinya?

Just read the February article by John Burns on the Kimura bikes (“What’s it all about, Shinya?”). He asks, “Does any of this register with me?

Ah, hmmm, no, not so much. I usually like what Burns writes and I do like the bikes, but I think Kimura needs to focus on one plan and quit drilling so many holes in parts. There were two and a half pages about some metaphysical, pseudoJapanese Kimura history—must have been tough tying these two bikes in with the planes that bombed Pearl Harbor, as well as Nagasaki and Hiroshima—and little if anything about the bikes themselves. It seems from the article that Kimura himself doesn’t know anything about them, but this is all cool because Brad Pitt plunked down maybe $100K apiece for them! Leave the feng shui to Martha Stewart and write about the bikes, for cryin’ out loud.

Geoff Berthiaume Tempe, Arizona

Aaaah, the emperor's new clothes! I can understand and appreciate that art (of any kind) boils down to basically "what you like." If John Burns thinks Shinya Kimura's bikes are art, that's great. If you think those same bikes deserve space in your magazine, that's great, too. And if Brad Pitt thinks they're worth paying out an untold sum of money, wonderful. I think, however, that you all got suckered by an art stu dent who forgot to put a decimal point on the tag he hung on the handlebar. Just my humble opinion, of course. Keep up the good work. Dale Darling Derry, New Hampshire

When I saw the piece by John Burns about Shinya Kimura's bikes, I was transported back to my childhood. After I had completed some hideous contraption with my Erector Set, Mom looked at it and said, "It's beautiful, honey." Mom's lies were the best! When Jackson Pollock began stomp ing around a huge canvas dribbling paint, the world called it "art," and when The Who began smashing their guitars, a few called that "art." But ya gotta draw the line between genius and madness somewhere. Shinya's bikes look like a bucket of bolts. Maybe I would feel differently if I sat in on the editorial meeting that called these things "coveted motorcycles"-and ahh, pass the bong. Bob Catalano Derby, New York

I must be missing something: Neither of Kimura's bikes looks like anything more than an amateurish attempt to put something together out of junk that was lying around. I’ve been riding since 1962 and made several Triumph-based customs or drag bikes in the ’60s. Not only would I have not been able to display something looking like these in a show, I’d have been mortified just to cruise into the A&W on one! Many details appear unsafe to me, but I just can’t get over how unprofessional the builds look. Perhaps Kimura should get full marks for being capable of welding many small aluminum pieces together into a fuel tank, but couldn’t he make it look good?

I’ve been a reader since 1962. This is the first time I felt I had to write about an article. Guess I just don’t get it regarding Shinya’s vision or talents.

Ed Copeman Florence, Arizona

Other World's Coolest

I thoroughly enjoyed the first install ment of the "World's Coolest Bikes." To me, it was a home run! Peter Egan's take on the Harley Davidson XLCR Café Racer was spot-on! I just com pleted a "restoration plus" on mine. It now sports custom paint, powdercoat ing and chrome, and mild brake and suspension upgrades. But best of all, it is now bored, stroked, cammed-up, ported, polished, fitted with big-valve heads, close-ratioed, etc. This bike still stimulates my senses like no other bike I've ever owned. Egan said it best: "Those who don't get it, really don't get it." Greg Hays Brandon, South Dakota

The lead page by Mark Hoyer used lots of flowery language trying to define “cool” but missed the basics. The reason people ride motorcycles has to do with individuality, feeling that they’re marching to the beat of a different drummer. The coolest motorcycle is one that best enables, stimulates and endlessly feeds that individuality and the residual enthusiasm that goes along with it.

In addition, the coolest bikes must offer a “riding experience” that generally matches the price tag—to folks who are not multi-millionaires. Many pages of CW are authored with a money-is-no-object thought line, but nearly every bike enthusiast I’ve known, in 40 years of riding, has gotten as big a thrill from the value of their bike as they got from the ride itself. It’s okay for a motorcycle to cost $30,000 plus, but that high-priced bike had better have some pretty exquisite qualities to be worth that money.

All that said, your choices of the R1 Tracker, TZ750 Miler, Britten and ’69 CB750 were all home runs. But I was stunned silent by six pages of text and photos that never mentioned or included one action shot of the ride offered by Shinya’s bikes. I’m sure Mr. Kimura is a very nice guy. But since his aluminum-strapped, Swiss-cheese bikes have no racing history or cuttingedge designs, they are only as good as the ride they offer when compared to the price tag they command (as was the case for all your other choices). I look forward to better choices in future issues and no more drilled-out kickstart levers or cooling fins. Harry Klemm Fort Mohave, Arizona

Eliminated

Nice to see a mention of the 1985 Kawasaki ZL900 Eliminator in your magazine {Roundup, “25 Years Ago,” February). As the proud owner of one,

I was pleased to see all the great press it got back in the day. I am not, however, thrilled with the V-Max getting the last word in this little blurb.

I think your readers deserve to know more about this original musclebike, maybe a shootout. Include the 900 (and 1000) Eliminator, V-Max, Magna, Madura, all of the original musclebikes. It’ll sell magazines! The Eliminator was there first, and to the membership on www.zl-oa.com (myself included), the ZL remains the best. I will not, however, be cancelling my subscription or anything silly like that. Keep up the good work! Andrew Olson

Austin, Minnesota

Loves Dirt-Track

Welcome back into the dirt-track rac ing fold. As a lifelong fanatic about flat-track racing, and an old-time, exCycle News East scribe who covered flat-track racing back in the roaring Seventies, I have to congratulate your staff on its fine coverage of the sport. Matthew Miles did some nice work on King Kenny’s TZ750 miler and his Indy win in 1975, a race I missed. I worked for Vista Sheen, Springsteen’s sponsor back then, and someone had to stay home that weekend and print Tshirts to pay for all those Harley parts. Regrets? A few!

What can I say about Allan Girdler’s pen and Jeff Allen’s awesome opening shot of Jared Mees in the story on the return of flat-track racing not only to the Left Coast, but also to the pages of CW. Thank you from a long-time fan of the magazine and of motorcycles.

Ray Ninness Bedford, New Hampshire

Magnifying the Concours 14

As the proud owner of a 2009 Kawasaki Concours 14, I immedi ately ripped open my freshly delivered February CW and flipped directly to Paul Dean's First Ride spread on the 2010 model. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the informative piece, but I must say, although the green trees were somewhat refreshing to see, living in gray, drab, frozen central Pennsylvania,

I would much rather have seen more and larger photos of the bike. What a waste of space, considering the beautiful C-14.1 guess I’ll break out the magnifying glass. Andrew Biddle

Tyrone, Pennsylvania

Sorry to make you squint, Andrew. Here you go...

Kids love tech

As I came into the babies' room, I heard my husband reading out loud, explain ing how the new YZ45OF's piston design lowered the bike's center of gravity. I was amazed that our twin boys were paying full attention to the article and had been fully interested in CW's arti cles for about an hour. I rushed for my camera and snapped a quick shot. Who knew that entertaining twin boys could be so easy? Thank you!

Steph, Jon, Austin and Ethan Riemer Hortonville, Wisconsin

Places of Work

Kevin Cameron's TDC column, "Places of Work," in the February issue brought back memories. I once did a transmis sion rebuild on a Suzuki X-6 in my 10thfloor dormitory room at Michigan State University. We got it in unnoticed, but the look on the face of the drunk waiting for the elevator as we wheeled it out at 3 a.m. was priceless. Here I thought I was the only one. Randall Morris Omaha, Nebraska

Backward facts?

You forgot all about Cannondale’s MX400 in your Yamaha YZ450F test (CW, January), a design that came some 10 years earlier. The Cannondale MX400 was a radically innovative motocross machine. Its revolutionary features included a reverse cylinder head with double overhead cams, sophisticated electronic “field-tunable” fuel injection with air induction through the steering head, a dry-sump lubrication system with oil housed in the frame, a cassette-style transmission and electric starting.

Yamaha wasn’t the company that “broke the long-standing tradition” by mounting the cylinder head backward. Again, it was Cannondale, an American design. Give credit where it is due, not to the Japanese!

Andy Wright League City, Texas

Has the "World" gone mad?

Man, 2010 is messed up. I thought I was dreaming when I read Jesse James, someone I used to have a hard time respecting, saying he loves my favorite bike.. .the Britten! And it is half pink, no less! Then I look down and see Peter Egan, my favorite author, waxing philosophic about that polished turd, the Harley XLCR! What's next? Will I understand what Kevin Cameron is talking about? Nope, all is okay.

Gabriel Saegaert Ashford, Connecticut