Ups & Downs

Ups & Downs

ROUNDUP

UP: To Geoff Giammarco, for being one lucky s.o.b. The Glendale, California, resident (and professional bike painter) is the proud winner of the Cycle World Norton 880 raffled off at this year’s International Motorcycle Shows. In all, $52,346 was raised in the raffle, all proceeds going to the Ride for Kids program benefiting the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Built for us and donated to the cause by Kenny Dreer at Vintage Rebuilds, Geoff’s new hot-rod Commando is valued at $19,999—not a bad return for his lone $5 raffle ticket! For more info about the bike, log on to www.vintagerebuilds.com; to find out more about the Ride for Kids program go to www.ride4kids.org.

DOWN: To Mary Galvin, for endeavoring to make motocross a crime. This past spring, the Connecticut State’s Attorney threatened owners of a local track with a law that included a felony “risk of injury to minors” clause. When the AMA asked Galvin’s boss, Chief State’s Attorney John Bailey, whether parents statewide would be subject to prosecution for allowing their children to ride motorcycles, Galvin “clarified” her stance. She now says letting a kid ride a dirtbike is not a criminal act. “The threat has passed,” said Randy Simpson, track president. “The only way she would prosecute would be if a parent drops off a kid unsupervised or if a kid isn’t wearing proper gear.”

UP: To Bernice Shaw, for realizing her dream. Told she only had a couple of weeks to live due to heart and lung problems, the 95-year-old Garden Grove, California, resident joked with friends that she had only two regrets: She never got to skinny-dip or ride a motorcycle.

So Shaw’s niece arranged for a ride on a friend’s Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Classic. “Wonderful,” Shaw announced afterward. “That was just wonderful.” Now, about thatskinny-dipping...