[gregsfc]

I think it's great to see you or anyone else seriously interested enough in streamlining to build something totally new; incorporating some of the ideas and concepts promoted by Craig Vetter and the Vetterites; but at the same time showing everyone who may take an interest, that there is more than one style possible for a streamlined bike, and more than one riding position preferred.

Please keep doing what you're planning on doing, and please keep us updated on your mods. I think what you're planning is fantastic.

I subscribe to the idea that the motorcycle industry continues to alienate itself from the mainstream in North America by catering to the traditionalists and X generations only and continually refuses to position themselves, from a product and marketing standpoint, to offer products and transportation solutions for the rest of us as the auto industry has left them in the dark ages.

I see Honda Powersports sort of reaching out to some degree with some of their new, future-thinking product concepts periodically, but they don't ever follow these concepts up with any kind of marketing effort that would actually reach the target markets that might actually be interested in such products. Instead, we see Honda throw these great concepts out there for the ole guard to ridicule and to say "what is Honda thinking"! And then the products disappear since their is no market for them other than a few folks that have actively come looking for such products in the absence of a marketing campaign to reach the mainstream.

The Vetterites show us one type or style of what can be achieved beyond the old biker beliefs about what a bike should be, giving powered two and three wheelers more usefulness and more efficiency simultaneously. But in my opinion, the Vetterites fall short, because sometimes Craig's statements to the press and designs and lack of inclusiveness, sort of try to force us to believe that their streamlined concepts are the only acceptable ways of doing things. The stringent parameters of the 4-grocery bag test; the promoted idea that the laid-back riding stance is the only comfortable stance; that streamlining itself can only be this one shape; and the idea that only very-small displacement power plants should be used for the future of 2 and three wheelers; all work to alienate a possible, would-be market for the future of motorcycles and trikes.

It seems as though the concept product that Fred Hayes brings to the events would open the minds of the Vetterites, since it flies in the face of these promoted ideas in so many ways; the idea that there is more than one way to improve efficiency (small streamline in conjunction with tucking versus the upright streamlining concept); more than one shape; more than one riding stance; and more than one engine type and/or horsepower capability are all shown with Fred's vehicles, yet we still get these closed-minded statements and writings on his website and in the interviews that Fred disproves every year with his fantastic showings in the events.

If you one day show up with this new streamliner, please don't try to conform to the grocery-bag test, and I'll back you 100%. We'll crown you the people's champ. I showed up at the AMA event in July with an almost-stock CTX700 with only a Madstad windshield and Dewalt Tool box behind strapped to the pillion half of the seat. By tucking on the highway, on a non-streamlined 670 parrallel twin capable of around 45 horsepower/ 43 peak foot pounds of torque, I came in at almost 102 mpg. Just imagine if this bike were fully streamlined. I could have been right up there with the top guys with an engine well over twice the size and much heavier than everyone except for Fred.