Cycle World/Ride For Kids Custom Honda CBR1000RR

Gregg's Customs builds a beautiful bike that you can win.

Ride For Kids Honda CBR1000RR

The Ride for Kids organization has been around for 29 years, raising some $60 million to benefit the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. That makes motorcyclists the single-largest source of funding for childhood brain-tumor research—an especially noble pursuit given that, each day in the U.S., 11 families learn they have a child thus afflicted. And here at Cycle World, we're proud of our 22-year support of the program, which continues into 2013 with this customized Honda CBR1000RR that's currently being raffled to raise funds for the cause.

And what a bike it is. American Honda has again donated the primary hardware, and Gregg DesJardins of Gregg’s Customs in New Hampshire has turned the superb superbike into the multi-colored dream machine that made its public debut at IMS Long Beach last December. The most notable changes to the bike are a custom single-sided swingarm, Performance Machine contrast-cut Platinum Icon wheels and a LeoVince GP exhaust, but the bike is also fitted with several parts and accessories provided by the likes of Cycles 128, Saddlemen, CRG and Dunlop.

Ride For Kids Honda CBR1000RR - rear wheel/exhaust pipe

What really sets this Honda apart is its luscious paint, the result of a painstaking, 200-hour process handled by Roberto Serangeli at Blue Cat. The finish really is exquisite, and if you look closely at the fairing, you’ll see the Honda “wing,” and also Bell logos subtly integrated into the design, a gentle reminder the latter company has donated a helmet to the cause, one that’s custom-painted by Serangeli to match the bike.

This is the fourth year DesJardins has built the Ride for Kids raffle bike, and last year’s drawing for a customized Honda CBR250R (with a Ruckus scooter) raised more than $45,000 
for the PBTF. All told, the raffles have brought in $663,000 since 2000.

Tickets, at www.rideforkids.org, cost $5 each. For quantities of five or more, up to a max of 50, price drops to $4 each. Or, if you'd prefer to simply make a donation to the cause, that can be accomplished at the same site. Act now, because the winner will be drawn in May. And let it be known that 84 cents of every dollar, an impressive percentage, goes to actual brain-tumor research.

Ride For Kids Honda CBR1000RR - tail section