THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE is brought to you by Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and is sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. For more information, call us at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE. Visit us on our website at
From TheGUNNY’S SACK
During the month of February, ABATE of Oregon has an annual training meeting called STEAM (Seminars To Educate And Motivate). I mention it in this issue because this year it was a very special one. We were honored to host Simon Milward, the former Secretary General of the Federation of European Motorcyclists Association, FEMA.
Simon, incidently, a long time friend of mine, is on a world tour on a one-cylinder, hand-made motorcycle raising funds for two medical charities. One provides motorcycles for getting medical personnel and supplies into remote areas. The other is in support of doctors working in remote areas of the world. All proceeds he raises go directly to these missions. He is bearing ALL his own trip expenses, using his life savings for the adventure. Needless to say, he’s quite a guy.
He presented and narrated a pictorial story of the trip so far for us. He plans to travel to South America on the next leg and then on to Africa and home. He’s been on the road for two years now, and has traveled all across Europe, Asia, and up through eastern Russia as well as around the U.S. and into Canada.
We wish him well and hope he manages to limit the falls off his ride for the rest of the trip. From his talk I’d guess he will be known as “Upside Down Simon” after he gets home. Seems he has a problem staying on TOP of the bike a great deal of the time. His presentation made many of us jealous of his adventure and it was a real treat.
Away from Simon to remind all you brothers and sisters out there RIDING TIME IS UPON US now, so it?s time to get the “Johnnies come lately” among us busy getting the ride and the rider ready for the onslaught of the cages during this riding season. Get the ride tuned, tired, inspected, and ready for the road.
If you haven’t taken a riding course in a few years or more, it won’t hurt to check one out. What you learn can save your life. I’ve only been riding a little over fifty years and I find the courses handy for me. A refresher course is cheaper than chrome or a hospital bill.
NEWS BITS’N PIECES:
Bike Seizure in EUGENE, OREGON: This is a comfy, liberal college and lumber town two hours south of Portland. So you’d THINK the police were laid back. ‘Fraid not. EVERY February, the Free Souls Motorcycle Club has their anniversary party, and nearly every year, the police buzz all over the area, day and night. This year, our Oregon Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (AIM) Attorney, Sam Hochberg, went down to check it out. He saw more than Eugene cops: There were police from Springfield, Junction City, the Sheriff, the Oregon State Police, and a whole lot of unmarked cars. You’d think the Free Souls were working with Osama bin-goddamned- Laden! I’ve been to this party too, and have seen the same shameful behavior. So, this year, Sam ran into one small thing that may help turn it around.
A biker (NOT a patch holder) was leaving the party, and like almost every biker who has to run the police gauntlet, was stopped. Cops looked at his bike, said something about the ID numbers on the bike not “matching.” The biker told him OF COURSE they wouldn’t match; it?s titled as a RECONSTRUCTED bike ? and in Oregon, that means that the DMV inspected it!! Not good enough. The bike was seized.
And not just seized to look at ? this happened on Feb. 9th, and at this writing, over a MONTH later, the bike is STILL not released. Sam and his new associate, LEAH JOHNSON, put together a Motion for the Return of Seized Property. It’s filed in the Circuit Court for Lane County. Sam says, the burden is on the COPS to prove a legit reason to hang onto it. We’ll keep you posted here in the Sack, as things move along in this case.
STATE COLLEGE, PENN: The AP wire tells us this story of a biker, Kevin Dare. This fellow was a natural athlete who loved the thrill of pole vaulting — and of riding his motorcycle more than 100 mph.
This well-loved athlete was mourned recently by fellow athletes. He lost his life NOT on a motorcycle but during his track event, the POLE VAULT, at the Big Ten men’s track and field indoor championships.
He apparently missed his run and fell, landing head first on the steel “box,” an 8-inch-deep groove in the mat where vaulters plant the pole to lift themselves off the ground. He was pronounced dead, of head injuries, at the hospital a short time later. I guess y’just never know what’s gonna get ya.
BRAZIL: WHOA! We’ve heard about all the millions of bikes built every year in China, but look at what Sam Hochberg, our Oregon A.I.M. attorney dug up on the net:
In a story from South American Business Information, these guys report that from 1993 to 2001, motorcycle sales in Brazil have gone up TENFOLD! Man oh man. And would you believe 90% of the bikes sold there are Hondas?
In 2001 alone there were 692,000 units sold. According to Abraciclo, in 2002 the motorcycle market will reach 780,000 units a year. WOW! And I thought China was the growth giant in the world.
NIGERIA: Taxi drivers can be a wild bunch. Our Oregon A.I.M. Attorney, Sam Hochberg, used to push those big Checkers around NYC for some years, back before he got to lawyering. Put a few shots of Tequila in him, and he?ll tell you a story or two! But here’s another taxi story from Africa. Seems that the commercial motorcycle taxi operators we’ve told you about before here in the Sack — the “Okada” guys — went on a riot in Nigeria, over a spat with the police there. It’s all really political, but it’s of interest to ME because this is a group of BIKERS who are their OWN distinct political force in their country. I’m not endorsing riots, but these folks are people to be reckoned with. Maybe we could take a lesson?
The police there arrested 168 Okada drivers over their violent demonstrations. They also confiscated 194 motorcycles! It?s said the riot was caused by the killing of an Okada driver by police. (That’s not a good reason to be pissed?)
The lesson I see is DON’T RIOT if ya wanta keep yur scoot and don’t piss off Nigerian cops if ya like breathin.
HANOI, VIETNAM: Reuters tells us about Honda being accused of using too many Chinese parts in a new inexpensive model called The Wave Alpha. It’s sold in Vietnam to compete with the cheaper Chinese imitation ride. Honda has denied the allegations. The Wave has only about 4% Chinese parts, says Honda. This thing sells for less than $800.00 American money.
There are more than 8 million motorcycles on the roads of Vietnam and 1.8 million were sold last year alone. Man, that’s nearly 3,000 bikes a day.
SAMSULA, FLA: Mike Schneider of the Associated Press comes up with this jewel. It seems there is a couple in this area who love bikers and are nudists as well. They also own several acres of land so they thought a nudist camp-out for bikers on their property would be a good idea.
So, about fifty guests responded to a sign on their fence that said “Private Party, Nudity,” and to an ad in the Florida Bikers Digest that said “Camping Party and Adult Biker Games.” Do you think bikers responded? You Betcha!
Too bad authorities and neighbors didn’t approve. They were told to cease and desist or face a one thousand dollar fine. Cops said it wasn’t the nudity but a land use issue. HAH!
The property owner said all he wants to do is be able to host his parties during Bike Week and Biketoberfest ? Daytona’s sister motorcycle event in October ? and he doesn’t want to give bikers a bad name. He also didn’t want the Southern Baptists there to be able to seize on something to get him in trouble, but he said “In their eyes, we’re already heathens.”
I’d probably go to that party but I think I’d wear clothes to keep from scaring people away.
GUNNY AGAIN: Did you procrastinate about the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) Convention? Hurry, you might get lucky and still be able to get a reservation. I’ll look for you there. Call 1-800-ON-A-BIKE (or 800-531-2424) for more information and pre-registration.
The NCOM Convention and other services are paid for by A.I.M. Attorneys across the country when they send a hefty chunk of their fees to Richard M. Lester, the lawyer who founded A.I.M. (the free Aid to Injured Motorcyclists program), and NCOM, the National Coalition of Motorcyclists, free to motorcycle groups and clubs. If you happen to have an accident, you can reach your local A.I.M. Attorney by calling (800) ON-A-BIKE, 24/7. Your initial consultation is free, and nobody makes a penny on your case unless you do.
Keep the round side on the bottom.
Gunny, Oregon A.I.M. Chief of Staff
WEB BROWSER ESPOUSES FREEDOM OF CHOICE In a venue that measures Hits instead of Nielson Ratings, Netscape’s Home Page (www.netscape.com) ranks among the most popular sites for web surfers, with lots of news, links, shopping and cool stuff like their Autos Page where Internet users can buy and sell new or used vehicles, and even secure financing and insurance.
A recent “Feature Article” on Netscape’s Autos Page gave visitors a refreshing look at personal freedoms in America, with particular attention to seatbelt laws and helmet laws.
Written by Eric Peters, “Seatbelt & Helmet Laws: It?s Your Life” reached out to millions of people with the very same message that bikers rights groups have been trying to purvey to the public, but with the lightning speed of the Internet.
The article begins; “Whether it’s prudent to wear a seatbelt or put on a helmet (if you ride motorcycles) is entirely beside the point–at least as regards laws that make the use of these things compulsory. Of course wearing a seatbelt or a helmet is ‘safer.’ But so is maintaining ideal body weight or exercising regularly. Yet there are no laws (as yet) requiring you to eat your broccoli or do sit-ups every other day. The police do not carry pincers to measure your body fat ratio and have no authority (yet) to give you tickets for exceeding the ‘healthful’ poundage. Why is that? After all, if the justification for seatbelt and helmet laws is that they’re for your own good, the same argument can be made about such things as dietary habits and exercise. Ditto other personal choices, such as the type of recreational sports or other activities you may be involved in. Where do we draw the line–and on what basis?”
Peters continues, “things like seatbelt laws and helmet laws are, in the first place, entirely arbitrary interferences with personal choices, as distinct from behaviors, actions, or conduct that might affect others, which is another matter. Ergo, the state has no justification to intervene. If we’re going to accept as the basis for public policy the idea that it is the duty of government to involve itself in our private choices on the basis of compelling us all to do what’s ‘good’ for us (however that’s defined), then it’s pretty hard to see how to draw any line at all beyond which the self-appointed busybodies and do-gooders who use the force of government as their cudgel may not transgress.”
“I oppose seatbelt laws and helmet laws not because I won’t admit it’s safer to wear a seat belt or a helmet when riding a bike,” says the author, “Rather, I oppose such laws because a very important principle is at stake: That entirely personal choice is none of the government’s business — just as my diet, exercise habits, and other personal choices that may somewhat increase (or decrease) my exposure to risk/danger are likewise none of the government’s business, either. Or yours, for that matter.”
He concludes, “This is why the founders of the American state set forth strict limits on government — precisely enumerating what it could and could not do, and why. What made the United States so unique in world history was that it enshrined in its governing principles the idea that individuals should be left free to live their own lives as they saw fit, free of interference from those who thought they ‘knew better.’ Taking risks (or not) was part of that philosophy. We were a live and let live people — for a while. Only when an individual’s conduct or actions clearly threatened the safety or well-being of others — and thus became a public matter — did the state have cause to interfere. That distinction is what we’re losing — and it may cost us dearly. Do we want government officials inspecting our cupboards and refrigerators for ‘dangerous’ foods? Or checking our cholesterol and waistlines? No? Then seat belt laws, mandatory helmet regulations, and the like must be rescinded — no matter how much we may instinctively wish to promote our neighbor’s well-being. That’s his business — not yours. Not the government’s. Leave him alone. And hopefully, he’ll return the favor?
…Wouldn’t that be nice?”
DAYTONA BIKE WEEK IN REVIEW– Although national headlines from this year’s Bike Week highlighted the fact that nine people died during the 10-day motorcycle festival, insinuating that the repeal of Florida’s helmet law may have played a part in those deaths, they failed to mention that a record 15 people died during Bike Week 2000, which was the last year under a mandatory helmet law.
Last year, only six people lost their lives in the first Daytona Bike Week without a helmet requirement.
Now in its 61st year, Bike Week draws an estimated 500,000 bikers to Florida for an annual celebration of motorcycles, and along with Biketoberfest, it provides a $744 million boost to the local economy — almost half the $1.6 billion impact to the area from all special events.
In other Daytona Beach news, Karl “Big Daddy Rat” Smith died of a heart attack on Monday of Bike Week while making final preparations for that weekend?s Rat’s Hole Custom Chopper Show, in which he was to receive an award for his contributions to the motorcycle world.
At 74 and despite recent ill health, Smith still was involved in producing the custom-bike shows that brought him international attention. Big Daddy Rat first visited Bike Week in 1963, and started in business on Main Street in a 12-by-16-foot shop aptly named The Rat’s Hole. His business grew to include seven shops in Daytona Beach and a gift shop in Las Vegas.
NORTH FLORIDA COC PROTESTS DAYTONA?S “COLORLESS” BARS– Although most of the bars and saloons in Daytona Beach bar bikers from wearing club patches, hundreds of bikers from various motorcycle clubs wore their “colors” for a Saturday afternoon get together during Bike Week at Daytona Nites in Ormond-By-The-Sea to share some conversation, laughter and a few beers.
“It looked like a high school reunion in black leather,” noted the local newspaper, The Daytona Beach News-Journal.
For years, even the most biker-friendly bars in town, such as the Boot Hill Saloon on Main Street, have not allowed riders to wear anything that represents their membership in a motorcycle club. Even the owners of the Iron Horse Saloon and the Broken Spoke Saloon, two of the most popular biker bars along U.S. 1, choose to remain colorless.
But this does not suit the North Florida Confederation of Clubs, the organization that sponsored the motorcycle club meeting in Ormond-by-the-Sea.
The group originated in 1999 to serve as a “national voice to protect bikers’ lifestyles and their right to ride.”
In protest against the bars and restaurants that prohibit club colors and insignia, Robert “Smitty” Smith, a longtime member of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club, president of the club’s Daytona Beach chapter and the liaison for the North Florida Confederation of Clubs, began circulating a petition that decries what the organization calls “blatant discrimination” against bikers who choose to display their club memberships.
“The rights of cyclists have been violated for years,” said Smith. “We just want a little freedom.”
BANNED BIKES MAY BE BANISHED ABROAD– “Talk about getting rid of a problem. The Baltimore City Council wants to send one of its scourges to another hemisphere,” reported The Baltimore Sun newspaper regarding the city council’s impending vote on a plan to donate seized dirt bikes to needy groups in Africa or elsewhere out of the country.
“Get them out of Baltimore and send the message that we are not going to tolerate them anymore,” said Councilman Melvin L. Stukes, who supports the proposal to ship the bikes abroad, so long as there is no cost to taxpayers. “We want them out of the city, period.”
Baltimore outlawed the use of dirt bikes two years ago after two young men died when their bikes slammed into the back of a 10,000-pound delivery truck. Police have estimated that 1,000 such bikes are in the city and have resulted in several deaths. In the past two years, they have seized 119 dirt bikes and 18 unregistered motorcycles.
Two groups based in Africa are interested in taking the dirt bikes off Baltimore’s hands. The bikes would help people in African countries where roads are not in good condition.
City Council President Sheila Dixon said the council did not want them auctioned off by the Police Department because the bikes could return to city streets.
But Stukes and Dixon were concerned about ensuring the bikes didn’t end up in the wrong hands.
“The last headline we want to see is that all … 75 bikes shipped from Baltimore have ended up in drug lords’ hands,” Stukes said.
SPEED KILLS: POLICE RELEASE DEAD MOTORCYCLIST?S SPEEDING VIDEO– A self-made video of a British motorcyclist “treating roads as a race track” two weeks before his death has been released by police in England in a bid to cut accidents.
After the 28-year-old motorcyclist died in a collision, police released his video showing him speeding and performing stunts. He would strap a video camera to the front of his machine and tape himself traveling in excess of 100mph, pulling wheelies and overtaking other vehicles on blind bends.
Cornwall Police said: “The whole manner of his riding is dangerous. It is treating roads as a race circuit but unfortunately on the roads you have vehicles coming in the opposite direction. The whole reason for releasing the video is to get the message across that this kind of driving is not clever. It is dangerous and fatal consequences can result.”
The dead rider’s girlfriend handed the tape over to the police, and made an appeal urging others to slow down in a bid to reduce the number of fatalities involving motorcycles. “I know that superbikes aren’t made to go slowly but when they see what happened here I hope that they will think about their speed and slow down. It may save a life.”
JAIL FOR BIKE RIDER CAUGHT SPEEDING BY HIS OWN VIDEO– A motorcyclist who made a video recording of himself traveling at more than 160mph has been jailed for 12 months, prosecuted on the strength of his own video after he attached the camera to his 900cc Kawasaki in order to record his exploits.
The 32-year-old U.K. rider was pulled over by officers from the Dyfed Powys Police force, who spotted the video camera and confiscated it.
A Dyfed Powys Police spokeswoman said: “He drove from Church Village near Pontypridd, on to the A470 and down towards Llandovey in mid Wales on the A40. He was stopped by officers, who took the camera away. The video showed the camera pointing out over the handlebars and you can see the speedometer. His speeds regularly topped 150mph.” The spokeswoman said the motorcyclist had attached a hydraulic device to his number plate to flick the plate away to stop police recording his registration.
In addition to a year in jail, the speeding film star is banned from driving for three years and was ordered to take an extended driving test.
WEIRD NEWS OF THE MONTH: BIKER ATTACKED FOR “RIDING TOO SLOWLY” — On the other end of the speed spectrum comes this news story of a Malaysian man who was reportedly beaten up because he was riding his motorbike too slowly.
The 52-year-old was assaulted in Penang by 20 men. He was on his way home to take his family out when he was attacked. According to The Straits Times, the Sun newspaper said he was riding his motorcycle when a car blocked his path. Three men got out of the car and told him off. They then grabbed the keys to his bike. One of them called his friends using a mobile phone and 15 men armed with sticks and knives turned up and attacked the motorcyclist. They fled when other motorists intervened.
QUOTABLE QUOTE: “The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. Ignorance may deride it. But in the end; there it is.”
WINSTON CHURCHILL (1874 – 1965)
British Prime Minister
