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/452615
CN III VOICES L E T T E R S T O T H E E D I T O R "I feel the entire sport has suffered as a result." Supercross Thoughts TC41 (Trey Canard): Great ride. Now the series is going to get really interesting. The monkey is off Trey's back. Lets see if he runs with it. RD5 (Ryan Dungey): The plan is working. Grind out podiums, win the title. I like his strategy. CR22 (Chad Reed): Another great ride. Another Dark Horse. Another spoiler. ET3 (Eli Tomac): Keeps grinding out good results, but I still think he is not quite wired for Supercross. CS14 (Cole Seely): Cole is improving every time out. I like his riding style. He will be a contender for a win soon. JB51 (Justin Barcia): Justin is fast when he is up front, but he just has not had that opportunity. DM18 (Davi Millsaps): I don't know. He seems to struggle with the Kawasaki. AS29 (Andrew Short): Andrew is riding better than he has in years. Nice ride after the beating he took at A2. BB4 (Blake Baggett): Still a work in progress. Like Tomac, he seems to be a much better outdoor rider. JA21 (Jason Anderson): Poor Jason. Every bit of luck he has is bad. I really like his attitude, never say die. KR94 (Ken Roczen): Now he has faced adversity. And it was of his own making. Now we get to see what he is made of. I think Dungey is the favorite. But then again, I am a big fan of his. Jim Bunch Godfrey, Illinois Dakar Stage 8 Just when you think Dakar rally riders are the toughest riders out there, you get these silver spoon fed factory riders crying like AMA SX riders when the track isn't watered properly or smooth. Get over it, HRC. Ev- eryone rode the same course– good or bad–as your guys. Chucky Schultz via The Internet Jordi Villadoms of Factory Red Bull KTM was forced to quit after Stage 8 so it wasn't just Honda. It was a really bad call from the organizers, really an amateur move and one from someone that doesn't un- derstand a thing about riding motorcycles and its safety. I wonder what would have happened if Coma had to pull out? Maybe they would have canceled it. Some cool footage for the cars, but really bad call for the bikes. Mike Morales via The Internet Cost Efficient Two- Strokes I wish to thank you person- ally for publishing the superb Michael Scott article ("Two- Timing The Motorcycle," January 20, issue 3) regarding the unfortunate demise of the two-stroke powered motorcycle from the ranks of professional racing, both on and off-road. Mr. Scott's article stated in a succinct manner what myself and others have felt all along regarding this manner, the machines were forced off the track by deliberate manipula- tion of rules and the political and financial pull of specific individuals within the industry. Like Scott, I feel the entire sport has suffered as a result. In my opinion, with the continued increase in the overall costs of racing, even at the amateur level, the continued four-stroke bias will lead to a significant decrease in participation as competitors realize it is finan- cially impossible to maintain the expensive and extremely com- plicated four-stroke machines. Like Mr. Scott, I continue to hold out hope that sanctioning bodies will revise their rules regarding engine displacement and permit the two-stroke to compete on an equal basis against the four-strokes. Provid- ing a choice to competitors will allow those on limited budgets to compete on equal footing and success on the track will be based on the skill of the rider and their chosen ma- chine. Thank you. Steve Caro San Diego, California Letters to the editor can be sent to voices@cyclenews.com. Published letters do not necessarily reflect the position of Cycle News. Letters should not exceed 150 words and are subject to editing. Anonymous letters won't be considered for publication and each letter should contain the writer's name, address and daytime phone number… Editor P16