READERS AND
RIDERS
California Hot Rod
I got the July/August issue the other day
and was delighted to see the California
Hot Rod on the cover! I was a loyal reader
of Cycle magazine back in the 1970s. Cook
and Phil were real guys who were combin-
ing brains, talent and a lot of hard work to
compete at a national level and many of
us were silent, if very enthusiastic support-
ers. For them to win Daytona was simply
amazing. In 1980 I finally got it together
and did about five years of amateur road
racing at Loudon through AAMRR on my1979 Honda CB750F (which I now ride to
work). Simply a terrific article. Then the
issue got better when I found the Vincent
Black Lightning article. Cannot learn too
much about those — I knew nothing of
them back in the day.
Went to put the issue away and ... no
... an article on the oval-piston NR750?
As a loyal Honda person (I own five
today) the original oval-piston racer was
pure fantasyland, even if it didn’t win
any titles. I did not know much about the
street version so your article was mostappreciated, as was that amazing motor!
You guys have pushed the bar pretty high
here! Great stuff! Good luck meeting your
own standards after this!
John Goulet/Hubbardston, MassachusettsTrue Blue
I enjoyed reading the article about
the Cook Neilson/Phil Schilling Daytona-
winning Ducati. I was a regular reader
of Cycle magazine during the 1970s and
remember well Cook’s articles keeping us
readers informed about the development
and success of The California Hot Rod,
Old Blue. Your article shows the beautiful
re-creation of their bike which is appro-
priately named Déjà Blue. My question
is: whatever happened to the original Old
Blue? Do we know where it is today?
Steven Agnew/Seattle, WashingtonSteven,
Thanks for the kind words, but on Old Blue,
read the article again; the featured bike IS the
original! It’s been in hiding for years, but somehow
Phil Aynsley was able to convince the owner to let
him photograph it. The image of Déjà Blue was in
our sidebar noting the fabulous re-creation made
to celebrate Cook and Phil’s win all those years
ago. Thanks for reading, Steven. — Ed.Fork confusion
In the Honda NR750 RC40 article (July/
August 2017), Alan Cathcart says “...
and the first from any country to feature
upside-down forks.” I restored a 1952
Moto Guzzi Falcone Sport and its forks
sure looked like upside-down forks! I’m
confused?
Stan Burak/Lake St. Louis, MissouriStan,
The full quote reads: “The NR750 was an
important step forward in two-wheeled perfor-
mance, as it was the first Japanese sport bike to
be fitted with fully mapped multipoint EFI, and
the first from any country to feature upside-down
forks ...” You are correct: upside-down forks were
used on some vintage bikes, such as your Falcone.
The point we hoped to make was that the NR
was the first application of stiff, large diameter
upside-down forks on Japanese sport bikes in the
1990s, which soon became common on sport
bikes from many countries and remain so today.
Thanks for keeping us on our toes! — Ed.“I was a loyal reader of Cycle ...”
More trouble
I enjoyed your editorial (Black Side Down, July/August 2017) in which you note a
relationship between mechanical skills and artistic endeavor. This is pretty ger-
mane to my own experience. I am a retired art professor from the University of
Tennessee living in Knoxville, Tennessee. For the past 40 or so years I have been
into old bikes, managing over that time to keep 15 or so on the road. These have
included Bultaco Metrallas, Norton Commandos, a Norton Atlas, a BSA, a Benelli,
a Yamaha RD350, an Enfield and a BMW R65LS.
Most of the maintenance and repairs I’ve been able to manage myself, only
a few times needing professional services. I’ve found that an eye and feel for
sequential and visual relationships have been key to both my art and wrench-
ing. For the most part “what looks good is good” and vice versa holds pretty true.
Conceiving a process of orderly steps is key to both endeavors. I’m fortunate to live
in motorcycle paradise adjacent to the Smoky Mountains and beautiful and lightly
traveled country roads, and am a member of a great group, the Time Warp Vintage
Motorcycle Club. I’ve enjoyed your magazine since issue one and look forward to
forthcoming ones. Attached is a shot of the current bikes.
Clark Stewart/via emailClark,
We admire your fine row of classic rides (especially that Fastback!) along with your thoughtful
approach of orderly steps. Ride, and wrench, well. — Ed.6 MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS September/October 2017