ATV Source would like to welcome aboard our newest journalist Jason Giacchino. Jason Giacchino has been around the writer's block far more effectively than he's ever circulated a racetrack. As a result don't expect to read an interview with him anytime soon. However, he is proud to have formed a partnership with ATV Source in bringing his latest monthly editorial column, "Off the Pegs," to our lineup. He is known for his popular "Behind The Bars" feature in motocross circles and has been an active ATV enthusiast since 3-wheelers reigned supreme and having suspension meant letting a little air out of the tires.

If you have an opinion, good or bad, about "Off the Pegs", let Jason know at offthepegs@atvsource.com.  If you have a good article idea, send it to Jason and he just might write about it.  No matter what, stop by ATV Source each month to see what Jason writes about next.

By: Jason Giacchino
Email: offthepegs@atvsource.com

Off The Pegs
Missed Opportunities

After a few years hiatus and a warm relaxing summer, the notion of my returning to competition racing slowly began to build itself a healthy little stockpile in the motivation region of my melon. Unfortunately, lack of money stood in the way of what would have been a typical case of my heading to the dealership in effort to quickly drain my savings account. A believer in the theory that timing is everything, I just so happened to be returning from a session of cappuccino sipping at my local coffee shop when the bright yellow plastic of a Suzuki grabbed my attention. I pulled to the side of the road already aware that this was a late 1980's LT250R, in decent shape.

Upon closer inspection I observed the custom painted purple frame, racing plastics, and lack of lighting hardware. The rear fenders displayed perfect rows of sponsorship stickers and an FMF silencer poked its way out from under the plastic. Considering the fact that the machine looked prime for local racing and the idea that the long months of NY winter are well suited for project bikes, I was immediately interested in gathering the facts. $1200 is all the owner was looking to get for it, as it turns out, to get ahead on the payment book of the new quad he had just indebted himself over. I left on the famous sound reasoning that I would have to think it over.

Sure as shi.. poop, my decision making process resulted in my missing out on a great deal. The kid got what he was asking for it, and I got what I was asking for as well- an empty garage and no winter project bike. Fast forward to last month when scanning the classified ads in the local paper from the comfort of said coffee shop, I happen across an ad for a 2001 Yamaha Banshee, misspelled of course "Banchi" for the unimaginably reasonable asking price of $1500/ best offer. The cell phone was whipped so fast from my pocket that I'm surprised my wind pants aren't flash burned from the friction.

"Hello."

"Yes, I'm calling on the Banshee you have advertised in the paper."

"Oh I'm sorry that's sold. In fact it went an hour after the ad came out."

Despite my sinking heart, I decided I hadn't had enough punishment and continued the conversation.

"Please tell me there was something wrong with it." I said hoping to hear the engine was missing or perhaps Banchi was truly the misspelling of Blaster.

"Nope, she was perfect. I got what I wanted for it, $1200."

I hung up wearing the solemn expression that only a rider destined not to race the upcoming season can understand. The expression "it is better to have loved and lost then to have never loved at all" was obviously written by someone who never loved quads. Perhaps the phrase is overdue for an update to today's standards- It is better to have thought you found the deal of a lifetime and lost out then to have never found a great deal at all? I'm still not buying it- and that's the whole problem.