Ups & Downs

Ups & Downs

ROUNDUP

UP: To London’s Ace Cafe, for keepin’ on. Last March, an underground water main located just below the cafe’s parking lot exploded. Several bikes were thrown skyward and then buried under more than a ton of asphalt. The ruptured pipe caused 25 feet of water to flood traffic on busy North Circular Road, submerging dozens of cars. No one at the Ace was injured; the explosion occurred just hours after a group ride departed from the cafe. Owner Mark Wilsmore had the cafe up and running in a matter of weeks.

DOWN: To David McDaniel, the mayor of Ellis, Kansas, for sticking his snoot where it doesn’t belong. Seeking support to sack supposedly “problematic” Police Chief Leonard DeBolt, McDaniel hauled his top cop into a city council meeting. According to the Hays Daily News, the mayor challenged DeBolt’s ability to manage the police department’s budget. Then, he accused DeBolt of not spending enough time visiting with locals in coffee shops and at their businesses. Lastly, McDaniel opined that it was “inappropriate” for a police chief and his wife to be seen riding motorcycles. DeBolt responded, “What I do for enjoyment with my family cannot possibly be a concern for not reappointing me as police chief.” At presstime, the council had not decided whether to renew DeBolt’s contract.

UP: To Speedvision, for its “Television on the Move” publicity campaign. In the advertisement, a rider’s perspective of a Ducati 916 wheelying through gridlocked traffic is accompanied by the words, “This year we’ll cover every major motorcycle race...except for your trip home from work.” The cable network offers a broad range of motorcycle-related programming, including Two-Wheeled Tuesdays and same-day coverage of Grand Prix, World Superbike and AMA Superbike racing.