Etc.
etc.
CHOPPERS ARE FOR CLOWNS
No, seriously. As part of a fundraising event honoring Ronald McDonald House Charities Awards of Excellence recipients Dr. Paul Farmer and Danny Glover (receiving a $100,000 granito be donated to the children’s charity of their choice) and Wendy and Rick Lommen (who get a $50,000 grant for theirs), good old Ronald McDonald busted large riding a cruiser. The halfhelmet-wearing clown made an appearance to promote an RMHCthemed Desperado custom chopper raffled off by Glover at the event. Those giant shoes must offer awesome foot protection.
SUZUKI CELEBRATES
It’s hard to believe, but the Suzuki GSX-R turns 20 this year. To mark the occasion, special-edition GSX-R600s and 750s are hitting showrooms. Each features colors and graphics reminiscent of the original ’85 750, special triple-clamp-mounted plaque with serial number, frame-sliders, blue drive chain, special ignition key, tinted windscreen and “vortically” grooved brake discs, among other mods. MSRP for the special 750 is $9999, while the 600 is $8599.
DE-EVOLUTION OF FMX
Freestyle motocross went back to its roots this past November, when the first official big-time jump competition took place on natural terrain in the southern California Ocotillo Wells and Glamis deserts. It was, therefore, fitting that tops in the rider-judged contest was the Godfather himself, Mike Metzger, with a sweet “natural” backflip sealing the deal against top man-made-ramp jumpers from around the world. Camera crews were on hand filming the four-day competition for the RushHD channel of the high-definition satellite TV Voom Network (www.voom.com).
DUCATI BRANCHES OUT
If you had any doubts that Ducati is using the Harley-Davidson marketing model but with an Italian flare, look no farther than its latest accessory offerings: pens, key fobs, money clips, wallets and more. Main focus are the pens and mechanical pencil, with designs by the Aquila Group meant to evoke famous Ducatis of the 1960s and 70s. Pens incorporate fuel-tank designs, the famous winged-eagle scrambler logo, and those of spoked wheels. See them, buy them at your local Ducati dealer.
CHOPPER 101?
Eighth-grade students at Western Middle School in Parma, Michigan, got an unexpected opportunity last November, and in the process may have started a trend. With help from the Global Motorsports Group (parent company of Custom Chrome) and the George Danke Motorcycle Company, members of Ted Densmore’s shop class got to build an HR3 Hard Core II kit bike from boxes of parts. “This is a ground-breaking project that is inspiring other schools to take a look at their technical programs,” explained Densmore. “The hands-on learning did not take anything away from the math, science and reading curriculum, but instead reaffirmed it. It allowed many students an opportunity to apply concepts that they simply did not understand using the traditional educational format.” The completed bike will be raffled off locally to help pay for future twowheel class projects.
