Ups & Downs

Ups & Downs

ROUNDUP

UP: To the Three Flags Classic, for 25 years of border-to-borderfun. Established in 1974 by Josef Usatin of the Southern California Motorcycle Association in hopes of rekindling the spirit of early-1900s runs, the annual Labor Day weekend extravaganza attracts entries from around the world. This year’s 2800-miler kicks off in Tijuana, Mexico, and wends through California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming and Montana prior to its conclusion in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

DOWN: To alcohol abuse, for mucking up a good ride. According to Department of Transportation statistics, 2537 people died on motorcycles in the U.S. last year. Of those deaths, a sobering 30 percent had blood-alcohol levels of .10 or higher.

UP: To reporter John North and KABC TV, the Los Angeles ABC affiliate, for featuring in a newscast motorcycles that weren’t, say, on fire. North is a certified bike nut who’s been away from the sport for 15 years but is back on board with a Yamaha Road Star. He conceived and wrote a balanced, interesting and stereotype-free piece on the strength of the motorcycle market, continuing growth of Harley-Davidson and increasing participation of women riders. “It was a good excuse to have some fun,”

North said. “Sweeps were coming up and I thought it would appeal to a lot of people.”

UP: To Mountain Bike magazine, for its recent feature on former AMA Grand National Champion Mert Lawwill. Written by Executive Editor (and sometime motocrosser) Zapata Espinoza, the interview credited the On Any Sunday star not only with the first production mountain bike, but numerous suspension innovations.