Ups And Downs
UPS AND DOWNS
UP: To Cafe Veloce, for proving that you can have your oil and eat it, too. Paying homage to the glory days of roadracing, this Italian restaurant in Kirkland, Washington, is decorated with all manner of memorabilia and—yes!—real motorcycles from revered marques such as Ducati, Gilera, Motobi and Parilia. Best of all, the food is as good as the decor: CW recommends the Pasta Tino. Owner Todd Fell is planning to open a second Cafe Veloce soon in Mexico City.
DOWN: To Ms. Kyle Zimmer, director of state affairs for the Advocates for Auto and Highway Safety, for ignoring the facts. During the 14th Lifesavers Conference held recently in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Zimmer hosted a seminar titled “Strategies to Prevent Helmet Law Repeal.” The presentation essentially detailed how the press and public can be persuaded to support anti-motorcycling legislation by promoting the image of motorcyclists as a social burden. This contradicts the findings of several reputable studies disproving the argument that the public subsidizes motorcycling by paying some injured bikers’ medical bills. Safety Zealots as Social Burden, on the other hand, might have some merit.
UP: To that venerable sleuth Jessica Fletcher of TV’s “Murder She Wrote,” for solving the death of a Japanese roadracer. A recent episode entitled “Kendo Killing” focused on a fictitious, familyowned Japanese motorcycle company competing on the grand prix circuit, and touched on everything from the company’s search for a U.S. distributor to its high-tech “turbo-assist.” Now in its final season, the show airs on CBS and the USA Network.
