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/128181
"Next time I want to ride at Glen Helen, I will just skip it and go ride in the desert for free." The Vincent I am compelled to write in response to the letter written by Carl Hungness, to let readers know that there are motorcyclists who have a very different view of the world than the view expressed by Mr. Hungness. As presented in Cycle News, Mr. Hungness' view seems to be validated by his motorcycling experience, so for comparison, here is my resume: I have been riding motorcycles for over 30 years, and I have been commuting daily on a motorcycle since my parents stopped claiming me as a dependant in 1989; I have owned and maintained everything from Montesas to Maicos, Cagivas, Italian Husqvarnas, Suzukis, a Hinckley Triumph, and even a Buell Blast (my wife's first bike). I presently commute daily to work on a 2001 Yamaha R1 and I play on a KTM LC4 Adventure. Firstly, what is wrong with "freckle-faced, red-haired mulattos?" Hungness' analogy regarding how he perceives the new Vincent gives away his xenophobic nature. I am surprised at Hungness' claim to the Vincent name on the basis of having ridden and maintained Vincent motorcycles. He chooses to ride an unreliable, maintenance-intensive motorcycle, and it ends there. Wasting time working on his Vincent rather than actually riding gives no reward other than a sense of accomplishment from keeping it on the road. His logic implies that Yamaha has consulted me about the 2003 RI because I rode my Rl for 22,000 miles and did all maintenance myself. The folks responsible for funding, designing and building the new Vincent may not meet Hungness' personal criteria for who should have revived the Vincent name, but I suspect they are remarkable people. Mr. Li is an economically successful person, and Honda and Roush are leaders in their respective industries. They are in the position to do what they have done with the Vincent name because they are good at what they do. Where they were born and where they live do not matter. Antonio F. Garda Mo"oBay, CA Numbers I was just thinking about the permanent numbering system for the AMA Supercross and motocross riders. B~ing that it will be hard to tell just who won last year's championships because some riders will only run their permanent numbers, 1 think that the AMA needs to let the laymen know who is number one in each class by giving the champion a different-colored background. Remember when the Camel Supercross Champion wore a dark blue background with the gold number one? Great idea! I trunk it would be cool to see Ricky Carmichael with a red background and a yellow number and for Chad Reed in the east and Travis Preston in the west to have yellow backgrounds with red numbers. Of course, the AMA need not use those particular colors, but it would be nice to see the champions stand out a little more - especially if they are not going to run the number one. The Supercross season will be here before we know it, and I look forward to attending, watching on TV, and reading about all 16 glorious rounds. I can't wait! Matt Hawkins Sunland, CA Block-Passing I would like to say a few words about the block-passing letter last week. First off, I would like to say I'm glad there is a rider like Ricky Carmichael who does what he has to do to win. I applaud him when he, or any other racer, slams a rider in a comer. Ricky isn't out there to make friends; he's racing because he wants to win more than anybody else, and it shows. I think if a few more riders weren't afraid to show a little elbow in a corner and make Ricky worry about them, maybe he would have more competition. Until then, I guess we'll be seeing Ricky at the top until he retires. Brandon Bray Aubu"" WA Dusty Track I am sorry to say it, but this certainly will not be the only letter regarding the World Vet Championships at Glen Helen last weekend. How could the facility allow such an absolute lack of track prep and neglect? It was not acceptable for a weekday practice session, let alone a "world-class," once-a-year race that draws racers from all over the world. I was asked by a fellow racer who hails from Canada and drove 20 hours to get here if this was the way Glen Helen always is. I felt ashamed to say I was a local rider and that this was the norm as of late - unless, of course, it is the World Cup or Nationals. I heard it being pitched that Glen Helen is trying to make it like a "real" MX track. Well, let's think about that. If we use the Nationals as a standard as to what a motocross track should be, I wonder why all the National tracks, including Glen Helen, are prepped so well? Okay, next excuse: There is a water shortage. All right, so where did all the water come from for the World Cup and the Nationals, or does the county say okay for water for the pros, but not for us amateurs? Ready for another? "The water well dried up" (or the commonly used "the pump is not working"). I know what the cost of having a well dug is, and Glen Helen used that excuse on prac- tice day Thursday. If the pump is always broken, maybe it needs to be revamped to handle the water needs of a so-called world-class facility. And Finally, since we all know that water can be had down the road and driven in, are we just not worth it since we only paid $20 at the gate and $35 per class to race five-lap motos in the most dangerous, atrocious conditions imaginable for a motocross race? Next time I want to ride at Glen Helen, I will just skip it and go ride in the desert for free. The conditions will be better, and it will be less dangerous, as there aren't 120-foot tabletops with ruts and square-edged kickers up the face and landing hidden in the fog of dust kicked up by the pack. Maybe all the guys who were injured this weekend should write in with their take on the conditions. RobertJohnson via the Internet Yamaha ys. Hayden The way it stands now, we will probably have two supercross champions crowned at the end of the year. I can see it now... Davey Coombs and David Bailey trying to explain how RC and David Vuillemin are both champions because Vuillemin raced in Europe and RC didn't, but when they both raced here, RC was better. How stupid is this? Next thing you know, all sports will pick up on this idea and the NFL will have a World and a National Champion, with only games played on every third Sunday and Monday night games counting for points. And the NBA can use Tuesday and Thursday games played in the eastern time zone and Monday and Friday games played out west to tabulate the new "co-champions." Next news flash we will hear about is how the NCAA coach's poll decides who gets what gate pick in the supercross main event. Doesn't anyone else see how ridiculously stupid this whole fiasco is? The answer seems pretty simple to me. All event points count towards one World Championship that is sanctioned by both the FIM and AMA, since they are sharing duties at most of the events anyway. All they have to say is that the AMA will recognize the points scored at the first two races in Europe and FIM will recognize the points scored at Daytona. Very simple - and the new fans being brought into the sport every year won't say, "How come at Anaheim I there is already a World points leader, and they haven't even run a race?" And when RC wins ... "So Ricky is First in the U.S., but fourth in the world?" Come on, Cycle News, bring this up in one of your great editorials. You can express it a lot better than me. Hurry up and save our sport before someone decides to cancel the MX des Nations and turn our country into a laughingstock. Oops, too late. Being a long and avid fan of your publication, I finally have found something to write in about. In regards to the online article "Yamaha not giving up Hayden fight," Lin Jarvis from Yamaha is quoted as saying, "We are currently seeking legal advice, because in Yamaha's mind, the manner in which negotiations proceeded was neither correct nor to the appropriate professional standards we expect." I find that somewhat paradoxical because of what Yamaha did to Jeremy McGrath, according to articles in Motocross Action and other publications. Professional standards, they say? Ummmm... who passed out the stupid pills? Someone out in Yamaha Land needs to get everybody on the same page. It's their unprofessional conduct and negotiation mannerisms that not only lost them the winningest supercross rider of all time, but prevented them from getting one of the fastest road racers in the world on their team. I was once told "never to underestimate the power of stupidity." My mom is always right. Todd W. Arnette AIvofl, OH The people from Yamaha who negotiated with Nicky Hayden are not the same people who negotiated with Jeremy McGrath... Editor Bone-Headed Schedule? Has anyone there at Cycle News realized what a bone-headed schedule the brain trusts in charge of supercross have come up with this year? What I am talking about is the overlapping schedules of the "World Supercross" and the "AMA Supercross." cue .... n ... _ 51 • Robert SWarney Houstofl, 7X NOVEMBER 20, 2002 5