Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Cycle News 1985 01 09

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126801

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thal lhe views expressed by certain members of the mOlOrcycie press had liule lO do wilh lhe aClual owning ot the motorcycle or paying for repairs nec~silaled by ~e melhods employed dunng the lesung of lhe machine in question- racing machines excluded, of course. Mr. Ulrich's "leave her in lhedin" allitude smacks of the 19th cenlury buffalo hunter's belief in unending plenty and personal glorification al any price. For lhose of us who mUSl pay for our mOlorcycles, Mr. Ulrich's lack of remorse after deslroying lhis beautiful mOlorcycle mUSl surely color our opinion of his fUlure producl evalualion. BRUCE ARMSTRONG Ojai, CA ~ -. 00 0") WEST 0") >-r-~~-------I l-o ~ America's weekly motorcycle newspaper C C';1 ~ Sharon Clayton. Publishn Mikt lUin~. ComplTOlln Skip Johman. Assocu.te Publisltn/ N.tion,,1 Soks Manllga Carolin~ Gcndry. £x~culi~ Secrrlary 10 the Publishn Editorle' John Ulrich Editor Kil Palmer, A.uociate Editor Rex Reese. Featu.re E.ditor Adverti8ing Terry Prall, SGles Managn Mike Spmctr. Sdks Manager Tim Ryan, SDks Manog", Linda Brown, Advntising Coordindtor Nancy Waslell, Advnt;singIEditorln.1 A<'{islan' Grllphica end Production Lori Tyson. Graphic Artist Larry Gill. GrtIfJhic Artist Marion Hawhiu. TypeseueT Soolo Larsen. Ty/> a mauer of facl, I sel a lap record later lhal same day, and lry as 1 mighl 1 couldn'l duplicale your feal. ' Please lell me whal 1 did wrong. I went lO the same lrack, I rode a bike with a 16-inch fronl wheel, 1 went fasl enough lO have the lap record (onl, for an hour, my 1:19.05 was replaced with 1:18.!W) and I backed 0[£ the throule in lhe same comer while going at full race speed. BUll didn'l crash. GREG WING PRRO#32 Glendale, AZ OlUJy, try it again on a 600R with stock tires... Editor. Crash testing 1 would like lO thank Mr. Ulrich for the insightful commenl in his Risk .colum!l (Cycle News,. December 5) regarding lhe wadding of lhe firsl 600R Ninja: "I don'l give a hool aboul crashing thal mOlorcycle." As a mOlorcycl iSl for some years and owner of several machines which I paid for, I have fell for some lime It you're going to quote us, get it TIght. John Ulrich said, "But this time... this time I admit that I don't give a hoot about crashing that motorcycle, beyond being sorry that I marred the/ress intro and possibly embarrasse .and worried the Japanese engzneers. Because lknow wh:-; I crashed. I learned something..." The pomt bezng that what Ulrich learned far, far oveYShadowed the damage dC!TU! to one of a fleet of 600R test bikes. The purpose of testing, is not to preserve machinery, it is to test and evaluate it, to see if it is prone to breakage, to see how it works at the limits. A motorcycle that survives publication testing usually will give a street rider very good service for a long time. It is better, we say, for John. Ulrich to crash and report on a SIgnificant handling characteristic of motorcycles with l6-inch front wheels than it is for him not to riiU fast enough to find anything out about a machine's limits, thus leaving the discuvery - and crashing - to unsuspecting readers who buy such motorcycles. It is worth noting that early test machznes Imported for magazine testzng are often brouglU into the country under customs bond, and, as such, must be crushed after use. It is also worth noting that if not for the presence of a dirt embankment bordering tum three at Phoenix, the600R in ruestion would have had superficia damage only. John Ulrich has a garage full of motorcYcles he has paid for, .including Triumphs, a Ducatl, several Hondas and Suzukis and a Kawasalti. Mr. Ulrich's willingness to exploye the limits of test motorcycles may, in the long run, mean you won't have to taste asphalt on your own bike... Editor. 16-inch wheels 1 rarely wrile lener.s, and il seems you've.slimulated me lO pick up my pen lWlce recend y. Your Risk col umn ~n the Dec. 5 issue has stimulaled my InlereSl aboul 16-inch front wheels especially since I recently boughl ~ Inter~tor. I've noticed an increased sensilivilY in lhe rain, which I attribule lO a chang~ in slipan~les from wellOdry, bUl Il IS very nouceable. I lhink il is ~imply lhe from end lranSferring more InpUl through the l6-in.ch wheel, and nOl a decrea~ in u-aclion over a larger wheel; but Il sure feels squirrely in lhe wel and is especially nOliceabJe passing lhrough a wel Spol on a dry day. :r~is is why your slOry on the small Ninja Inleresled me. Is il possible lo explore lhis further? Keep up the gOod work. KERRY STAMEY Houston, TX Look for more on l6-inch front wheels soon ... Editor. (Continued to page 42)

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