Intake
Intake
KICKSTART THE CONVERSATION
INDIAN CHIEFS -~> HOVER'S VELOCE1TE -> ALREADY MISSING EGAN
I LOVE THE NEW INDIAN, A BEAUTIFUL BII(E THAT'S REASONABLY PRICED. WE REALLY NEED, HOWE VER, AN "INDIAN SCOUT"SOMETHING AROUND 550 POUNDS, 600 TO 800cc V-TWIN, AND PRICED AT ABOUT $9,000. BUYERS WOULD GO CRAZY FOR AN INDIAN SCOUT! DICK RICARDI FLAGLER BEACH, FL
INDIANS!
My grandfather, George, would be proud to finally see an Indian ("Justice," October) that is not a Harley with an Indian logo on the tank. Polaris has the manufacturing acumen and resources to pull this off. You do it by giving the bike its own personality. That new engine design is first and foremost fantastic. Let's dispense with all this "not authentic" and "not the real deal" bullcrap. Idiots! It's a motorcycle, so it's already the real deal.
JOHN A. STOCKMAN FROMCYCLEWORLD.COM
Once again, Polaris has created overpriced, two-wheeled tanks as ugly as the Victory line. They expect fat, old rich men to pony up 20 grand for these old-tech clunkers because of the "Made in USA' label? Sorry, Polaris: Harley beat you to it in grander style. Start giving us fresh new designs that are affordable, fun, safe, and reliable so new generations of riders can discover the joys of motorcycling.
RAY CRIB ORLANDO, FL
Lighted hood ornaments add stylish aesthetics to classic cars but become dork beacons on motorcycle fenders. Next thing you know, Indian will be adding whitewall tires and chromed running boards. Oh, no, they didn'tl? Fuzzy dice and flames, anyone?
MATT MATLOCK SAN JOSE, CA
HOYER'S VELOCETTE
There you go again (Up Front, October)! Number of pistons replaced in my 1956 Velo Scrambler (raced 1956 to 1961) and my current 1959 Velo Scrambler (owned since 2001): 0 (zero!). Major overhauls: 0 (zero!). The '56 Velo had numerous valve jobs between races, but my '59 has never been
apart! I don't know how you can screw up a good thing. Sell it! There is no fix for stupid.
STAN BURAK LAKE ST. LOUIS, MO
But thank God there's plenty of it to go around.
IN PRAISE OF EGAN
How ironic that your resident motorcycling historian signs off in the issue that introduces the new Chiefs. Mr. Menneto [Polaris VP] wonders if Indian is making history. They are. If this effort fails, it is the final nail in the Indian coffin. I hope it works. As for Mr. Egan, if he truly considers Mr. Hoyer a friend, he won't abandon him so soon after his taking over the publication. Cheap shot,
I know, but I will stoop to any level to keep Egan's monthly column alive. C'mon, Peter, Indian is back. You should be, too.
ANDYHOLLINCER WASHINGTON, DC
Whenever I read Peter Egan, I feel like I am sitting down with a good friend over a (not too) cold Guinness. Case in point: the Vincent-riding Austin, Texas, excursion ("Rare Birds," October). Great stuff, as always. Looking forward to more from ol' Pete in his semi-retirement. And kudos to Jeff Allen for his outstanding black-andwhite photography. Got prints?
KEN COOPER ACTON, NIA
Peter, you have brought this reader much pleasure. I carry your quote with me always from a column titled Another Green Triumph: "One of those rare times when your mood, the road, and the bike all coalesce into a kind of drip feed of inexpressible pleasure that lasts all day long and into the next." May you continue to have many more Green Triumph moments. Thank you!
PETEDOPSON SUDBURY, ONTARIO, CANADA
Please add my name to what is certain to be a long line of grateful well-wishers as Egan dials it back entering the stretch. We'll miss him horribly, but he has had a peerless run. As an essayist of the romance of machines and where they take us, he's way ahead and all alone. Thanks, man.
THOMAS COCHRAN FAYETTEVILLE, AR
Eve ridden up and down the East Coast and from Seattle to Northern California. I'm going to head to Wisconsin soon, and maybe, if I'm lucky, I'll see Egan riding his BSA Victor or maybe his CB550. Even if I don't see him, I'll know I'm on some of the roads he's ridden and that will make me feel a little closer to a person who has made me feel like I was riding down a twisty blacktop
road on a cool fall afternoon. That's a great feeling. Thank you, Mr. Egan.
JIM HALL RALEIGH, NC
Sure, it's been a one-sided conversation all these years, but a conversation just the same, about a sport I truly enjoy. While I'll miss the monthly Leanings, I wish Peter and Barb nothing but the best and will look forward to occasional special features in future issues. Let's all raise a pint of Guinness and spill a drop of oil on our garage floor at the next oil change!
WAYNE KOZAK OVERLAND PARK, KS
May the road ahead always be dry pavement with lots of twisties, warm weather, and no traffic. Thanks for the memories. Godspeed, old friend. I'll ride the Triumph to town now and have a Guinness in your honor.
DWAYNE SMITH SMITHS GROVE, KY
I don't own a motorcycle and haven't since I sold an old CR125 around 1991. My wife asks me why I keep subscribing, and I tell her I just like to read about the new bikes. This isn't totally true. When the new issue arrives, I immediately turn to Mr. Egan's Leanings and read it in its entirety, usually before I make it up the driveway. You see, Mr. Egan reminds me a great deal of my dad: same penchant for old British bikes, same tinkering mentality, and strikingly similar sense of humor. My best friend passed away in September of 1997. Thank you, Mr. Egan. I'll blow the dust off my pile of Cycle Worlds and start over.
STEVE POPP GREEN BAY, Wl
I have bought bikes, sold bikes, ridden bikes when I barely could or should, dismissed bikes, reconsidered bikes, and looked at bikes differently many times— all because of Peter Egan's outlook and wonderful way with words. Enjoy a more relaxed pace, Peter. Many thanks.
LANNYHANSCOM UXBRIDGE, MA
Were all thankful that Peter remains our Editor-at-Large and still will be making feature contributions to CW.
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