THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE is brought to you by Aid to InjuredMotorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), andis sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. For more information, callus at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit us on our website at < NCOM COAST TO COAST BIKER NEWS HELMET LAW PROPOSED IN CHICAGO Motorcyclists would be required to wear helmetswhen they ride through the Windy City if local politicians get their way. Acity-wide helmet law has been proposed by Alderman Edward Burke to combat a risein fatal motorcycle accidents, and Mayor Richard Daley is backing the measurebut wants to extend the requirement to include bicycle riders and skaters. ABATE of Illinois has cautioned the Chicago City Council to think twice aboutenacting a helmet law within its city limits, citing a 1999 law that states, “Nounit of local government, including a home-rule unit, may enact any ordinancerequiring motorcycle users to wear protective head gear.” Ald. Burke said that if Chicago can mandate that bicycle messengers wear helmetsand bright-colored safety vests, then the city can use its sweeping home-ruleauthority to mandate that motorcycle riders wear helmets. Mayor Daley stated that the city should do what the state legislature has failedto do, and that it should not only be a law for motorcycle riders to wear ahelmet, but that a helmet requirement should be put in insurance policies. “Youshould not get an insurance policy unless you have it,” Daley said. “How do youget insurance to ride a motorcycle without a helmet?” “We understand that recent tragic events are spurring the city council to ‘dosomething’ about motorcycle safety,” said ABATE spokesperson Cheryl Pearre. “However, we find it unfortunate that the council has chosen to antagonize thestate’s many thousands of responsible riders with this proposed ordinance. Excessive speed, reckless driving, and alcohol all factored into the incidentsleading up to this proposed ordinance. ABATE of Illinois believes strongly thateducation and vigorous enforcement of existing traffic laws speaks more directlyto the problem of irresponsible ridership than does a helmet law.” “In 1999, the General Assembly saw the wisdom in preempting local jurisdictionover helmet use,” continued Pearre. “If the Chicago City Council ignores thepreemption statute and passes a local helmet use ordinance, ABATE of Illinoiswill employ the legal and legislative means necessary to ensure that state lawis enforced, and that the rights of responsible motorcyclists are preserved.” NUDE RIDER DIES DOING STUNT It’s no wonder that motorcycle fatality statisticsare on the increase when you consider the rising popularity of “extreme” streetriding, with sport bike riders performing wheelies, stoppies and other highspeed antics on public roadways, often hot-dogging for the camera. Holding ItBig Entertainment specializes in filming such street stunts, but the companypresident is now facing charges of reckless endangerment and negligent drivingstemming from a rider’s fatal wheelie. On Sept 12, 21-year-old Shaun P. Matlockof Frederick, MD died when he was performing a wheelie, riding without pants,and crashed into a tow truck parked on US 340. Matlock’s bike and helmet bore logos reading “Holding It Big”, and the presidentof the Baltimore-based company, Benjamin M. Meacham, 22, of Frederick, wasallegedly driving in a nearby vehicle videotaping the fatal ride, and then latererased the tape before police could confiscate it. He was charged under aprovision stating that anyone who induces, causes, coerces, permits or directsanother person to commit a traffic violation also is guilty of the violation,Frederick County State’s Attorney Scott Rolle said. Another bare-bottomed rider, Brandon M. Edwards, 21, of Ijamsville, who also wasallegedly doing wheelies for the camera, was charged Sept. 20 with recklessdriving, negligent driving, driving on a learner’s permit without the requiredsupervision, and indecent exposure. Trooper David Ward, who investigated the case, said the only explanation he hasheard for the lack of pants was “they wanted to do something they didn’t thinkanybody had done before.” MOTORCYCLE SALES ROARING ALONG The U.S. motorcycle industry, spurred by theimpressive success of Harley-Davidson, has grown steadily in each of the last 11years, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council. This year, it’s booming. “Sales are at an all-time-record high, all brands, all styles,” said JohnWyckoff, a longtime industry consultant who regularly calls 60 dealers a weekand says all are running 10 percent to 50 percent ahead of last year in sales.”It just took off like a flying goose,” he told the Associated Press in a recentinterview. “I’ve been in the business all my life and I keep as close as I can to it,”Wyckoff said. “It’s a phenomenon I don’t really understand. It’s just amazing.” According to the Motorcycle Industry Council, a not-for-profit national tradeassociation based in California, sales of new motorcycles rose 6.4 percent to996,000 in 2003. “This is a generation that refuses to age. That’s at the core of this. ‘I’m notan old man or woman and here’s the proof,'” said Chick Hancock, aHarley-Davidson dealer in Albuquerque, N.M., who initially feared an oversupplywhen Harley announced it would increase production 8 percent this year. “Evenwith horrendous weather in the East, things are looking good.” Even for motorcycles that haven’t been ridden in a while, the resale value isgoing up in the used-bike market, according to Frank Wal, who works at tradeshows for BMW. “People are looking for cheap transportation, fuel economy, thattype of thing. You’re seeing a lot more motorcycles being sold that probably satin the garage the last two or three years. It’s putting a lot more bikes on theroad.” MADE IN CHINA China is gearing up to become the world’s largest manufacturer ofsport bikes, with Chinese marque Jialing set to produce two million bikes peryear! Jialing is the first Chinese company to work with a foreign motorcyclecompany, Honda, and has it’s own town, Jialing Industrial Town, which covers twosquare miles and has a population of 30,000. TRAINING FILM FREE WITH EVERY BIKE Now here’s a great idea from across thepond, where the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCI) is planning to produce arider training DVD that will be distributed with new motorcycles in England. The safety DVD will be issued with all new bikes purchased at franchiseddealerships to educate newbie riders about safer motorcycling in a moderndocumentary format. AMERICAN BIKER With all the biker reality shows, documentaries and travelogueson the air these days, it’s refreshing to finally view a video that not onlytraces the beginnings of modern motorcycling but also explores the rich historyof the motorcyclists’ rights movement. “American Biker” is a 3 hour tour frompast to present, chronicling the history, life style and culture of the AmericanBiker. This unique documentary features interviews with politicians, authors, lawenforcement, celebrities, and motorcycle clubs from all over America, including;Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Easyriders, NCOM, AMA, ABATE, MMA, theConfederation of Clubs, Peter Fonda, Arlen Ness, Jesse James, Chuck Zito and “acast of hundreds”. American Biker also features original footage from Daytona, Sturgis, Hollisterand Rolling Thunder. VHS and DVD’s are available for $19.95 + $2.95 shipping and handling fromGuerrilladocs, 4804 Laurel Canyon Blvd. #513, Valley Village, CA 91607, or orderonline at www.guerrilladocs.com/site/html/american_biker.html. WEIRD NEWS OF THE MONTH: OFFICER’S DISGUSTING DISGUISE It wasn’t too difficultfor protesters at the Republican National Convention to figure out that a groupof bikers following them around were actually undercover cops, but in amisguided effort to conceal his identity, one officer wore a provocative stickeron his helmet that has led to an even louder protest. “Loud Wives Lose Lives,”was the officer’s choice of slogan, a play on a popular biker saying, but thecrowd wasn’t amused. According to the New York Times, armed with a photo of the officer, the New YorkCivil Liberties Union has sent a letter to the police commissioner asking that”prompt action be taken” to address the matter, especially given several recentdeadly episodes of domestic violence against women in the New York region. But to the New York Police Department, wearing the sticker was a routine part ofundercover work. “It’s like saying that an undercover narcotics officer whowears a coke spoon is promoting cocaine use when just the opposite is true,”said Paul J. Browne, the department’s chief spokesman. It is the latest episode in the back and forth between civil libertarians andthe police as the courts wrestle with the handling of protesters before, duringand after the convention. “It’s unfortunate that the Police Department is taking that position,” saidDonna Lieberman, the executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union.”Whatever his function, there is no excuse for a police officer on officialbusiness to be a proponent of domestic violence or other violence against women.There are other ways to disguise yourself without this hateful message.” In their letter to the Police Department, the civil liberties lawyers asked thatthe message, and any similar ones, be removed from police equipment and thatthose responsible be disciplined. Referring to the controversial sticker, Mr. Browne said, “Undercover officersoften adopt personas to include garb that reflects neither their personal northe department’s sentiments but to reinforce the guise that they are not policeofficers.” He added that “offensive as this saying is,” it is not uncommon in”misogynistic biker slang emblazoned on clothing, jewelry and equipment.” In this case, though, the attempt to avoid being recognized as a police officerappears to have failed. According to one witness, a high school teacher namedMike Schwartz, the march “was followed by a group of undercover cops onmotorcycles who looked like they belonged in a bad biker movie,” highlightingthe officer with the offensive sticker. ROBOCOP ON WHEELS The Waukee, Iowa Police Department is looking to purchase aBikeBot. The BikeBot is a robotic motorcycle cop that can be operated by remotecontrol and can speak in-sync with the operator. The BikeBot costs $5,000 andwould be used in demonstrations at area schools. A police spokesman said thatstudents react well to the machine as it is used to give safety lessons andother information. KRYPTONITE NOT SO SUPER, MAN The U-Shaped steel locks that bikers andbicyclists have relied upon for years to thwart thieves has been picked apart,quite literally, by an Internet video that shows how to pick the most securelocks known to cyclists with a Bic pen. Just stick the non-writing end into thecylinder-shaped keyhole and twist. The New York Daily News reported that lockmaker Kryptonite is scrambling to reassure customers that it is working on asolution, and they said it will provide free product upgrades for certain lockspurchased since September 2002 and urged consumers to visit its company’sWebsite to learn how they can participate in the security upgrade program. Although the trick apparently works on many locks with tubular cylindertechnology including vending machines, some ignitions and other securityproducts, it’s the bike industry’s best known locksmith, Kryptonite, that’sfeeling most of the heat. Industry experts say that a recall could cost tens ofmillions of dollars and would affect riders around the world. QUOTABLE QUOTE: “Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honestman it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow.” Edward Sandford Martin (1856-1939) American editor & writer, founder of HarvardLampoon & Life magazine
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists
