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MANDATORY HEALTH INSURANCE FOR ALL VERMONT DRIVERS– Vermont House Bill 805 in would require ALL residents of Vermont to obtain health insurance coverage in order to get or renew a driver’s license.
Part of the bills Statement of Purpose includes a mandate for individual health insurance, proof of which must be shown to obtain a driver’s license, state tax refund, or hunting or fishing license.
OHIO HELMET BILL SQUASHED– The AMA, working with other state motorcyclists-rights organizations, and with the grassroots support of Ohio motorcyclists, has derailed proposed state legislation that would have required all motorcyclists under 25 in Ohio to wear helmets.
The helmet provision arose almost as an afterthought on legislation that was originally intended to raise funds for agencies that provide services to person who have suffered traumatic brain injuries. The bill, originally introduced late last year by Ohio state Rep. Tom Patton (R-Strongsville), would have raised penalties for offenses such as driving with a suspended license. Some of the money raised by the higher fines would have gone to the agencies that treat traumatic brain injuries, including one in Patton’s district.
However, tacked on to the end of the bill was a provision to change motorcycle helmet laws in Ohio. Currently, riders with less than one year of experience or under 18 years of age must wear helmets. Patton’s original bill would have raised the age to 25.
Further, it would have increased penalties for not wearing a helmet, mandating a $500 fine and either a weekend jail sentence or mandatory safety training.
When the AMA and other organizations spread word about the proposal, grassroots motorcyclists responded. The ensuing flood of e-mails and phone calls to Patton’s office convinced him to reconsider. Patton filed substitute legislation removing the change in the age requirement, and the AMA Government Relations Department is continuing to monitor the pending legislation to ensure that the provision raising penalties for failure to wear a helmet is also removed. That change, if allowed to stand, would essentially make failure to wear a helmet a criminal offense instead of a minor misdemeanor, like most traffic infractions.
An even better outcome of Patton’s discussions with motorcyclists was that he agreed to co-sponsor another pending bill in the Ohio legislature that would increase penalties for drivers who violate right-of-way laws and injure or kill another person.
That measure, House Bill 388, was introduced by Representative Jon Peterson (R-Delaware) and resulted from the Ohio Right-of-Way Working Group’s efforts. The bill fits in with the AMA’s Justice for All campaign.
–from Custer and the AMA
WESTCOAST CUSTOM MOTORCYCLE SHOW – MARCH 25-26, 2006–LOCATION: Tradex Centre, Abbotsford, BC.
SHOW HOURS: Saturday, March 25th from 10am-10pm and Sunday, March 26th from10am-6pm
MOVE IN (for vendors & bike entries): Friday, March 24th from noon -midnight.
DETAILS: Over 200 custom bikes on display; more than 30 classes includingForeign, Street, British, Vintage, Radical and ?Specialty? Vendor displaysand more.
ADMISSION: Adults: $10.00, Junior/Youth (6-15): $5.00, Children (Under 6):Free
PARKING: Motorcycles FREE, Cars $3.00
VENDOR INFO & BIKE ENTRY INFO: www.westcoastcustom.ca
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Westcoast Custom Motorcycle Show Inc.
Address: #37 ? 13320 116th Ave, Surrey, BC, V3R 0R8
Phone: (604) 580-0111 or 1-877-580-0111
Email: office@westcoastcustom.ca
Website: www.westcoastcustom.ca
A production of Westcoast Custom Motorcycle Show Inc. and BCCOM Events Inc.
BIKERNET MEDICARE SOLUTION STUDY– The phone rings and the lady of the house answers, “Hello”.
“Mrs. Ward, please.”
“Speaking.”
“Mrs. Ward, this is Doctor Jones at the Medical TestingLaboratory. When your doctor sent your husband’s biopsy to the labyesterday, a biopsy from another Mr. Ward arrived as well, and we are nowuncertain which one is your husband’s. Frankly the results are either bad orterrible.”
“What do you mean?” Mrs. Ward asks nervously.
“Well, one of the specimens tested positive for Alzheimer’s andthe other one tested positive for AIDS. We can’t tell which is yourhusband’s.”
“That’s dreadful! Can’t you do the test again?” questioned Mrs.Ward.
“Normally we can, but Medicare will only pay for these expensivetests one time.”
“Well, what am I supposed to do now?”
“The people at Medicare recommend that you drop your husband offsomewhere in the middle of town. If he finds his way home, don’t sleep withhim.”
–from Jack Drew
‘BIKER BUILD-OFF’ ROARS BACK FOR FIFTH SEASON;ORIGINAL PRODUCTIONS’ SERIES TO AIR IN FALL ’06Production Begins February 6–Los Angeles, Calif. – February 6, 2006 – “Biker Build-Off,” the consistentlypopular series from Original Productions that made custom bike-building amass culture phenomenon, is back for its fifth season on Discovery,launching in the Fall of 2006.
Production begins today on the latest series of contests in which 26fabricators will square off in 13 head-to-head competitions. By the time thefinal detail is applied to the last bikes, these trend-setting builders willhave once again set the standard for what makes choppers cool.
“In the six years since we started spotlighting chopper culture, we’ve seenhow these bike legends as well as hot-shot newcomers connect with a huge,diverse audience,” says “Biker Build-Off” creator Thom Beers, CEO andExecutive of Original Productions, and the man who first saw the televisionappeal of biker competitions. “With each series, we boost the excitement andcelebrate the phenomenon even more. Season five will continue thattradition.”
Hugh King – known throughout the gearhead community as “The Chopper King,”thanks to his hands-on involvement as co-executive producer of the “BikerBuild-Off” series and director-producer of its predecessor, “MotorcycleMania” – has again assembled the cream of custom bike builders to compete in”Biker Build-Off.”
given twoweeks to create a custom motorcycle, from the ground up. Although aestheticsare crucial to all the builds, the contest also requires the bikes to work;the builders must ride them as far as 1,000 miles to major bike events,where attendees vote for their favorite.
The stakes, and tension, are raised with the fifth season, however. Eachbuilder/designer will be allowed only one packet of tools to use on the roadto the competition, and there will be no back-up truck packed with extraequipment. If a bike breaks down and the rider can’t fix it with what he’scarrying, he’s out of the competition.
In three of the Build-Offs the trophy will go to the fastest bike ratherthan to, as in the past, the most popular. The contestants in thosematch-ups will build track and motocross bikes, then go head to head for thetop prize.
Also “Biker Build-Off” season 5 will feature a woman builder for the firsttime and the most multi-cultural, multi-national lineup of artisans ever.But, then, the motorcycle subculture is growing at a ferocious pace.
“Biker Build-Off” has made many custom builders, who once worked inobscurity and were only known to just a handful of dedicated riders, intonational celebrities. Their shops are destinations for the millions of bikerfaithful, and their work is in great demand. A-list Hollywood celebrities,white-collar executives and professionals are among the growing audience forhigh end, one-of-a-kind bikes.
That mass appeal doesn’t surprise The Chopper King. In his years producingmotorcycle competitions – first for Original Prods.’ “Motorcycle Mania”series” and then for “Biker Build-Off” – King has seen how these craftsmanconnect powerfully with viewers.
The match-ups this season include:
* Mike Metzger vs. Larry Linkogle: Both men build Motocrossbikes, and will subject their creations to awesome long-distance flips andjumps for the gold
* Ivy Tosclair vs. Kevin Alsop: A small shop owner and prizewinner from New Orleans goes up against a major manufacturer and legend fromBig Bear, Calif.
* Scott Long vs. Trevelene: Two of the toughest guys in thebusiness face off in a contest to build the ultimate old-school chopper.
* Roland Sands vs. Jesse Rooke: Both builders are young, bothare based in Southern California, and both are convinced they can build thefastest bike.
* Paul Yaffee vs. Dave Perewitz: A pair of world famous,veteran builders – one from the Southwest, one from the Northeast – goesbike-to-bike.
* Ell Pitts vs. Harold Pontarelli: Both are big names in thechopper world and neither is comfortable with finishing in second place.
* Matt Hotch vs. Roger Goldammer: The reigning “BikerBuild-Off” champion squares off with the reigning world champion.
* Billy Lane vs. Russell Mitchell: One’s all-American, theother’s British (although he’s gone native in North Hollywood), both arelooking to be crowned the undisputed stud muffin of bikerdom.
* Craig Whitford vs. Mike Long: You think trikes are kids’stuff? Don’t tell these guys, two of the baddest three wheel buildersaround.
* Kim Suter vs. Gypsy Charros: An up-and-coming female bikebuilder from Texas goes against an established and famous male builder fromKansas.
* Jason Hart vs. Brian Klock: They’re young, extremelyinventive, heavily rewarded builders, both from the heart of the Midwest,and now they’re going mano-a-mano.
* Detroit Brothers vs. Jason Kangas: Two rough neck youngbrothers go up against one of the newest kids on the chopper block. Butneither does anything that can be mistaken for child’s play.
* Marcus Walz vs. Michael Prugh: A pair of the leadingdesigners in the world — One’s from Germany (though he works out ofFlorida), the other is from Rapid City, SD – seek global domination.
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