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/128167
Letters to the editor IIPlease someonel ta e Pierre Terblanchels pencil away.11 should be sent to l Voices. Cycle News. P.O. Box 5084. Costa Mesa. CA 92628· 5084. faxed to Blather? Rarely has so much blather been spread between the pages of Cycle News as we witnessed in Sir Alan's August 7 interview with Triumph's Italian importer, Carlo Talamo. Talamo divides motorcycles into two groups: classic marques like BMW, Ducati. .. "and modern manufacturers of two-wheeled products like the Japanese." He goes on to assert that Aprilia lacks "passion" and "charisma," while Suzukis "look so awful" and Hondas "are so boring." Oh, really! It might interest this fatuous twit to know that Honda was founded the same year as Ducati, that ApriJia has the balls to jump over the pit wall and race their products, and that nothing built at any price by the "classic marques" can get close enough to a GSX-R1000 to read the name on the gas tank. Does he really believe that plastering 100 Year Anniversary stickers on the side covers of Bloorera Triumphs convinces anyone whose acne has cleared up that the new Triumph has anything to do with the Triumphs that earned their reputations on the racetracks of the world? Triumph will be taken seriously as a big -league builder when they put it "on the grid," not when they put a new single-sided swingarm on a street bike. I may never own a V-five Honda, but the fact that Honda builds Valentino Rossi's bike counts. Get it, Carlo? Bruce Annstrong rette sponsorship in our fine sport. Devon Sowell VIa the In~et What About Eric? I don't get it. Now I know that Nicky Hayden is an awesome rider and the next great "American Hope," but haven't we downplayed the other next great American rider? I'm talking about Eric Bostrom. The same guy who has been giving Nicky fits all season on a bike that was called old a couple of years ago, and is totally outclassed compared to Nicky's liter rocket - hence the rule changes for next year. Now, I'm not taking anything away from Nicky, but it seems to me that the journalist and TV types don't give Eric the credit he's due considering the unbelievable job he's done riding an inline-four 750 that no one else on the planet has been able to compete on this year. I say hats off to Eric, and by the way, does Honda pay Dave Sadowski's paycheck? He makes the evening news look like a bastion of conservative wisdom. Wliialm Kilday san Diego, CA 714-751·6685 or supported by magazines that try to play down their disappointment with words like, "It looks better in person" or "this is not the best angle to view it from." I know that it is hard to match, much less better, Tamburini's genius, but perhaps Ducati could have searched for design talent outside the company, like Ferrari did with the new F60. e·mailed to editor(Q' cyclenews.com. Published letters do not necessarily reflect the position of Cycle News. Inc. Letters should not exceed 200 words and .111 are Damon Moran VIa the Inmmet subject to editing. Anonymous letters will Ugly II not be considered for publicalJon. All lellers Please, someone, take Pierre Terblanche's pencil away. He's ruining everything he touches and is slowly but surely making Ducati a very ugly brand. The 999 is awful - it's possibly worse than the Futura (which was almost growing on me until I saw it in person). First, Triumph ruins the Daytona, then this ... should contain the writer's name. address and daytime phone number .. Editor. Gregor Halenda VIa the Inmmet XXX Rated I would just like to say a few things about our race team, Moto XXX. We just had a stellar weekend up at Washougal, with Larry Ward going 1-3 for second overall in the 125cc Tour de Carmichael VIa the In~et No Smokin' I am pleased to hear the end of Marlboro's sponsorship of the Yamaha MotoGP Team. Cigarette smoking kills over 500,000 people per year, and 50,000 of these people don't even smoke - it is second-hand smoke that kills them. Let's hope this is the beginning of the end of ciga- Ducati's new 999 Ugly? I doubt I'm alone in saying the new 999 from Ducati is the ugliest bike since the Multistrada. It may be a technical improvement, but it's portly looking with gaudy vents and a Legolike exhaust "brick." Although the double-sided swingarm is lighter, the single had become a signature component much like the inefficient but beautiful trellis frame. No wonder the release of the bike was delayed for so long. The dealer near my house told me all about this fiasco and how the other dealers rejected the design from the beginning. My view is sublimely class and Kyle Lewis going 4-3 for third overall in the 25cc class - not to mention Nick Wey finishing eighth overall in the 250cc division. We also swept the top-privateer awards, and that isn't the first time that has happened for Moto XXX. Am I wrong when I say that Moto XXX has once again made motocross history? When has a privateer team had two guys on the podium in both classes at one single race? To the best of my knowledge, it has never happened. Well, it did for Moto XXX, and what an incredible feeling it was. Our team started off with three guys from outside the industry who loved motocross and made freestyle videos and played in two different cue I e tD en punk-rock bands (Strung Out and NOFX), and we're now in our sixth full season! We have become a force to be reckoned with - all independently. We've won a 125cc SX main event (remember Brian Deegan's ghost ride in L.A.?), we've won a 125cc National overall (Larry Ward at Red Bud last year), we won the top privateer award for supercross this year (Nick Wey), and here we are again having another smoking year, beating lots of factory teams. You can't imagine what an incredible feeling it is to accomplish what we have - especially when we were always looked at as the black sheep of the family by the motocross industry. The AMA used to hate us, Pace (Clear Channel) used to hate us. I believe they all hoped we would fold and go away. Well, we get along great with everyone now, and myself, Kurt, Erik, and Jay could not be more proud of what is going on. I just want to personally thank Kyle, Larry, Nick, and Michael Young for being so loyal to our team and doing such a great job, and thanks also to all of our mechanics - Doug, Allen, Steve and John - and, of course, Chet, our truck driver. A big thanks to O'Neal, DGY, Yoshimura, Sidi, WBR, Smith, HJC, Tag, Maxima, Dunlop, Etnies, Fat Wreck Chords, Epitaph Records, Nitro Records, and every single other sponsor that has helped us out. I never personally get to say thank you to these people because I'm always on the road with my band. Also, a huge thank you goes out to every single die-hard fan that has bought a Moto XXX video, Tshirt or anything else we sell because that's how this team has stayed alive and well. Your loyal support is greatly appreciated. See you all at the races, where our team is looking good to be on top again. Factories beware! Moto XXX is here to stay. santa Barbara, CA I just wanted to pass on that I just got my latest edition of Bicycling Magazine (yes, I like two wheels whether there's a motor or whether I'm the motor!), and there is an awesome article about Ricky Carmichael's bicycle training secrets. It says that this is one of the major secrets to his domination of the supercross and motocross championships the past year or so. I thought maybe you could pass it on to your readers -and maybe even Ricky's competition. 11m Wt1ght < 0 _. n Jordan Bums santa Barbara, CA Bums is a co-owner of the Moto XXX team... Editor n __ S • AUGUST 14, 2002 5