Intake

Intake

Through experience, I’ve learned my preference is an athletic motorcycle with vintage style. I currently own a Triumph Bonneville T100, a Ducati S4RS Tricolore, and a Harley-Davidson 103 Fat Bob. The Triumph came first, and whereas I thought for certain the latter two would unseat the Triumph as my favorite, instead they only showed me what a great bike the T100 is. I dig that new Street Scrambler. As soon as Triumph rolls out a 1,200cc version I’m all in. Just hope if it chooses to run a single front disc, it uses a four-piston caliper. How about an X-75 Hurricane-styled Bonnie, with top-shelf R-level motor, suspension, and brakes?

RICHKOVACS

YOUNCSTOWN, OH

93 OCTANE

I was excited to see “93 Octane” in the March issue and frantically flipped pages on my iPad to see photos of it. There are a bunch of photos of Aaron Colton doing his thing but no close-up pics of the bike, posing menacingly on its rear stand. But never mind now. Victory is bye-bye.

JOHN CHAVES

DAHLONECA, CA

Guessing you can get a deal on an Octane, John.

WHOSE ENGLISH?

Since retiring from full-time work I have the opportunity to travel to your fair land occasionally, and I love to do so. I have just returned from a two-week holiday (“vacation”) in Fort Lauderdale, which I enjoyed immensely. So I was amused by the letter from Bill Milburn, in particular the quote that “immigrants need to learn our language.” Sorry, whose language? Unless a new language of “American” has been invented, or we are now using the Microsoft designation of “American English,” then your magazine is printed in English!

Having said that, I always understood that the “pits” was an in-circuit place where vehicles could be worked on but no one lived or camped, whereas the “paddock” was an area, outside the track, where racers and others could “live” in their vans, trucks, etc., and, if necessary, could fettle their racing machines.

Definitions vary across the world and across small borders as well.

BRIAN SILK CYCLEWORLD.COM

THERMOMETER WORLD

This is my response to Jan Baetke’s letter in the April issue, from a guy who finished culinary school: There are two types of men—those who know how to grill and those who think they know how to grill. Your favorite restaurant uses a thermometer with your steak. *mic drop*

CHASE KIMBRELL KENAI, AK

ITALIAN HAGGIS?

With ever-tightening emissions standards courtesy the US EPA and Euro 4 onward, catalytic converters are becoming more visibly evident on our bikes. This was called to my attention in the May issue looking at a photo of the new Ducati SuperSport where the thing is slung off the bottom of the $13,000 bike like an unwanted lump of haggis leftover from last Robbie Burns day... Or is it mortadella? Can’t the manufacturers be more creative in their shape and integration into the design of the bike? Come to think of it, where are the cats on the Indian Chieftains shown on page 19?

BRIAN KENDRICK VICTORIA, BC, CANADA

The cats themselves are actually pretty small and not nearly the packaging problem presented by adequate noise control. Keeping bikes quiet while still getting enough cubic volume for good performance is the challenge. The SuperSport needs high specific output and has less space to elegantly package exhaust volume than do the Chieftains, whose long mufflers and a large crossover are stylistically integrated more easily.

Comments? Suggestions? Criticisms? Write us at intake@cycleworld.com.