Why not call it truck world: An open letter to the editorial staff of Cycle World magazine By: Beemer Dan dear Cycle World editorial staff, I have read your magazine for years and enjoyed a great deal of the articles, commentary, humor and photographs. I have even enjoyed browsing many of the advertisements for various motorcycle events and products. Unfortunately, as of late I have been very disappointed with all of the advertisements for trucks.

Recently I was hit by a huge truck that ran a red light, my bike was obliterated and I ended up in the hospital with many bruises and broken bones, I almost lost my left leg. I didn't black out and unfortunately remembered the entire accident very clearly. This, along with the physical trauma and my general state of injury led the doctors to diagnose me with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The day after my second surgery I was in my hospital bed trying to deal with the pain as I was looking through an issue of Cycle World my girlfriend had brought me. The problem was, I had a very difficult time attempting to calm down as several of the ads in the magazine were for big trucks like the one that ran me over. I couldn't understand how a motorcycle magazine had so many advertisements for a vehicle that was of the exact opposite mentality of a motorcycle. Then I turned the page to see a two page spread showing the view of a handlebar from a riders perspective with a big ford truck in the rear view mirror closing in menacingly. The words across the page said, "better watch your back". I'm wondering just who the hell you are catering to by printing this fucked up advertisement that clearly portrays a motorcycle about to be run down by a truck.

I read the rest of the ad a few weeks later when it no longer made me want to throw up, and I saw it's for some ridiculous harley/ford truck thing. You are showing very bad taste by printing this ad, and by advertising so many other trucks in a magazine that is supposed to be about motorcycles. It makes me wonder if any of you have ever even ridden in city traffic and understand the fear of getting run over by some ego crazed self important jackass that is driving one of those tanks. I understand that you need to get advertisers from somewhere, but taking money from truck companies in lieu of taking money from the
tobacco companies is very clearly a step backwards. It is possible for a magazine to be successful and not print ads for trucks, just pick up MotorCyclist, that's what I'll be doing rather than looking at that "better watch your back" ad again.

---Beemer Dan