Dear Mr. Semen,
In response to your February column of Don't Ask, in which you criticize three-wheelers and comment on "their design flaws" that give them the handling of "Something like a coffee table on three wheels with a 750 Honda four motor on top of it for a high center of gravity" I offer this rebuttal.
Lets talk about stability for a minute. How is it that a dirtbike needs a kickstand or a 3rd reference point to the ground in order to stand up on its own, when it is considered more stable then a three-wheeler? The Three-wheeler has around 5 times more contact with the ground, and has a lower center of gravity. HOW can it be more unstable then a 2 wheeler?
I'd also like to know what makes and models you rode, and for how long did you ride them? How long was your last dirtbike test? Are you aware of the differences between the very early designs (Such as the ATC90, and ATC110) vs the later designs such as the 350X, and Busguy's 250ES? I'd like a honest reply.
Your derogatory comments towards three-wheelers are picked up and used as fodder from many anti off-road groups. In fact, one law firm who "specializes" in off-road incidents including QUADS uses your statement in your "Semi-official losers list" that you created during your time at Dirtbike magazine.
http://www.bennettlawfirm.com/atv/slide11.html Talking bad about a machine with your buddies is one thing, doing it in a highly regarded magazine read around the world, where it would be available for use against the off-roading community is a whole other thing that will ultimately come back and hurt you and your dirtbike riding just as much as it does us three-wheeler enthusiasts. You know as well as everyone else riding areas are not getting easy to come by anymore, and all the enviro nuts like the Sierra Club need is an "industry expert" talking about a dislike for three-wheelers or any other off-road machine for their wheels of miss-information to get turning.
If you really feel that strong of a hate for three-wheelers, then please consider doing me, and perhaps the entire off-road culture a favor. Instead of repeatedly voicing your degrading opinion of these machines on your column, Don't even post the messages or make replies to them.You have greatly upset the three-wheeler enthusiasts community because of the amount of time and effort we spend on trying to promote safety and good riding on these machines to the general public. We are striving to make people understand that it is NOT the machine that is at fault, but the user, just like anything else. Then you come out with a column or make some comment that flushes all of it down the shitter. That's all I have to say, except that you will probably be seeing a slight increase in email regarding this issue in the future.
Billy Golightly