RIGHTS NEWS–HALL OF FAME SEARCH, BEIRUT BIKE BAN, BEATLES, INDIAN DOWN FOR THE COUNT, SCOOTERS RECALLED AND ANOTHER GREAT NOTION FROM TEXAS

Author Bill Bish

COAST TO COAST BIKER NEWS
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists

UN TO REGULATE HELMET USAGE? In documents submitted to the United Nations during a recent road safety meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is calling upon the international body to “study” the effectiveness of helmet usage in motorcycle accidents.

In spite of, or perhaps because of, Congressional limitations placed on NHTSA’s lobbying efforts in support of mandatory helmet laws, NHTSA Administrator Dr. Jeffrey Runge and associate administrator Rose McMurray presented their request for a “motorcycle safety” survey of Member Nations during the UN’s “Inland Transport Committee: Working Party on Road Traffic Safety Working Party 1 (WP.1)” meeting held September 22-25, 2003.

The questionnaire would compell nations to determine fatality and injury rates among riders involved in accidents who were not wearing helmets, and to specify what laws and penalties each country has governing helmet use.

If the committee accepts the NHTSA proposal, it will recommend action to be taken by a larger committee, Working Party 29 (WP.29), which is the committee established by an international agreement signed by UN Member Nations to develop universal vehicle standards under global harmonization. Then, if that UN Working Group approves, it can pass a resolution calling upon Member Nations to adopt their proposition. Although not binding, the United States would then come under considerable global and federal pressure to enact a nationwide helmet law.

In other words, having lost the helmet law battle locally, NHTSA is now acting globally in an effort to push for worldwide helmet mandates, under the guise of global harmonization, and ignoring federal restrictions in the process.

Concerned motorcyclists should contact their Senators and Congressmen to pull the reigns in on NHTSA before it’s too late. If you don?t know who your federal representatives are, you can locate them on the web at www.senate.gov or www.house.gov, or by calling the congressional switchboard at (202) 224-3121.

BAMBIS ON BIKES The increase in motorcycle fatalities is apparently not just a U.S. phenomenon, as reports of increased motorcycle use and resulting fatal accidents is coming in from other parts of the world as well.

“Scottish Bambis (Born Again Middle-Aged Bikers), like their counterparts throughout the world, are said to be indulging in fantasies fueled by a high disposable income and the encroachment of old age,” states an article in a British tabloid. “Psychologists have indicated previously that middle-aged men have a tendency to hearken back to their youth and that having a motorcycle is seen as a way of changing their image and attracting women.” Two-wheeled Viagra?

Perhaps mid-life crisis could explain the increase in age of the average rider from their mid-20’s to mid-40’s over the past couple of decades, and the record numbers of motorcycles on the road as the Baby Boomer generation matures.

The paper points out that motorcycle sales in Britain have risen to nearly 200,000, up from just 41,000 less than a decade ago, and like here in the U.S. the number of fatal accidents involving riders over the age of 46 has increased at a time when other categories of road users are becoming statistically safer.

CALIFORNIA MODIFIES EARPLUG LAW In one of his final acts before relinquishing the governor’s office to Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor Gray Davis signed a law that removes “custom” from the state’s earplug regulation for motorcycle riders. Previously, only custom made earplugs were legal to wear in the Golden State, but effective January 1st, the use of foam inserts will also be allowed.

“Requiring motorcyclists who want to drown out road noise by using ear plugs to buy custom-made plugs is an outdated law that makes absolutely no sense” said State Senator Debra Bowen. “The test ought to be whether a rider using ear plugs can still hear a car’s horn or a siren from an emergency vehicle. As long as over-the-counter plugs do the job, there’s no reason why ear plugs should have to be custom-made, so junking that requirement is a common sense change that’s long overdue.”

“POLITICAL ACTION FOR DUMMIES” When it comes to political organizing and legislative lobbying strategies, ABATE of Pennsylvania wrote the book on how to get a helmet law repealed in your state?literally. Since their successful modification of the helmet law to allow experienced adult riders the freedom to choose when and where to wear a helmet, ABATE of PA has compiled a 156-page dossier on their efforts, including correspondence, web pages, media articles and related items beginning in December 2002 and ending July 9, 2003 – three days after Governor Edward G. Rendell signed the new helmet law.

Now, ABATE-ers in the Keystone State want to share their experiences and help other states gain Freedom of Choice, and are making their game plan available to any organizations fighting for bikers’ rights. For details on the book and a link to the order form, please visit: , and happy lobbying!

TEXAS BIKER SHARES THE ROAD When Mr. Cano from the Texas Panhandle was run over by a pickup while riding his motorcycle, he complained to the Texas Department of Transportation office in Amarillo that “They have signs warning about not running over such things as livestock, deer and even illegal aliens? so why don’t they have signs about watching out for motorcycles?”

Thanks to his efforts, the Sons of Liberty Riders reports that TxDot in Austin has developed a drawing for a sign to share the road with motorcycles, and that other municipalities have permission to make these signs and place them in their city. In fact, the Motorcycle Safety Division has been approached to make these motorcycle awareness signs part of their program, and state legislators have been contacted to put them up in their home towns. Great idea! Hope it spreads. See, one person can make a difference!

SEGWAY SCOOTERS RECALLED You remember the Segway, the mini motorized two-wheeled scooter that was supposed to revolutionize the way us humans travel? Well, the gyroscopically controlled Segway Human Transporter has been recalled because riders have been injured falling off when its batteries run low. Just ask President Bush, who fell off one he was trying out at the White House. Of course, it helps to turn it on.

INDIAN BITES THE DUST The last pieces of confetti were still being swept off the streets of Milwaukee following Harley-Davidson?s 100th Anniversary celebration when the announcement came that their American rival for the past century has closed its doors, again.

As of Friday, September 19, 2003, Indian Motorcycle Corporation ceased operations at its Gilroy, California factory, and sent more than 350 employees home after a company-saving deal with a new investor fell through.

The closing comes as Indian was enjoying strong sales and critical acceptance. Fran O’Hagan, Indian’s executive vice president, said the company was “on target” to sell a record 4,500 bikes this year.

O’Hagan wouldn’t discuss in detail the would-be investor in what he called “an eight-digit deal.” In 2001, Audax, a private equity firm in Boston, invested $45 million in Indian and brought in new executives, including O’Hagan, who had worked for Jaguar, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

The news took Indian dealers by surprise, as the announcement was made just as Indian’s dealer meetings were set to begin in Las Vegas to introduce the 2004 models. The company has about 200 dealers nationwide.

O’Hagan said late Friday that he was unsure what would happen next. Bankruptcy is one option, he told the San Jose Mercury News. “In the end, the creditors will control what’s left of Indian Motorcycle,” he said.

Indian was originally founded in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1901. Indian introduced the first motorcycle with an electric starter and complete electrical system in 1913. Before World War I, the company was the largest motorcycle maker in the world, producing more than 20,000 bikes a year. It was a worthy rival to Harley-Davidson in both consumer loyalty and on the racetrack, before going out of business the first time in 1953.

After a lengthy court battle, Indian was revived in 1999 through a $30 million merger involving American Indian Motorcycle Company, Indian Motorcycle Company Inc., California Motorcycle Company, and six-related companies to become the second largest producer of heavy cruiser motorcycles in North America.

The first time around, Indian lasted more than 50 years, this time they didn’t make it five.

The closing ends another chapter in the storied manufacturer’s history, but does it close the book? Once again, only time, and the courts, will tell.

MOTORCYCLE TRIVIA The Beatles got their name from a line in the 1954 movie “The Wild One”. Lee Marvin’s character said the motorcycle gang wanted Marlon Brando’s character back, even the beetles (he was referring to the women in the gang). They changed the ‘ee’ to ‘ea’ so it was like the musical term ‘beat’.

In the following excerpt from a 1975 radio interview with “Earth News,” George Harrison agrees with this version of their name origin;

“John used to say in his American accent ‘Where are we goin’ fellas?’ and we’d say ‘To the top Johnny!’ And we used to do that as a laugh, but that was actually the Johnny, I suppose, from ‘The Wild One.’ Because, when Lee Marvin drives up with his motorcycle gang, and if my ears weren’t tricking me, I could’ve sworn when Marlon Brando is talking to Lee Marvin, Lee Marvin’s saying to him ‘Look Johnny, I think such-and-such, the Beetles think that you’re such-and-such…’ as if his motorcycle gang was called the Beetles.”

Of course it should be noted that the movie “The Wild One” was banned in England in the 1960’s when the fab four named their band.

BEIRUT BIKE BAN “From purse-snatchings to reckless driving habits, bikers are increasingly considered a menace to those around them,” wrote Badih Chayban in the February 14 edition of the Daily Star, written six months after Beirut’s municipal council voted unanimously to ban motorcycles from the capital’s streets for causing noise pollution, irresponsible driving habits and drive-by purse snatchings. “The public is out of patience with motorcycles.”

However, due to lack of law enforcement personnel, the ban has yet to been implemented.

Many citizens have filed complaints about what they described as the “irresponsible and reckless” driving of bikers, and blamed them for causing accidents and endangering other drivers.

In an interview with The Daily Star, Marianne Azzi said she crashed her car because a biker did not respect a red light, surprised her and made a quick turn that caused her to lose control of her car and crash into the window of a gallery.

She added that following the incident, she started noticing that most bikers did not respect red lights, “even if there is an ISF officer standing at the spot.”

The police source said that this was true, adding that Internal Security Force (ISF) personnel were also complaining about the driving of bikers and their flaunting of road rules. The source said that weak enforcement of the ban and other traffic violations was due to the low number of ISF personnel on the roads, arguing that if the policeman leaves his spot to arrest or follow a biker, it would cause a significant traffic jam of even greater disturbance to the public.

Major complaints have also involved an increased rate of purse-snatchings by bikers, and according to police reports these crimes are a daily affair in Beirut.

Security sources told The Daily Star that the ISF personnel were “doing their best to put an end to this phenomenon and to arrest the thieves who have been doing this dirty job.”

However, and in spite of ISF efforts to put end to the two-wheel crimes, the victims say they are unsatisfied with official efforts to curb them. One of the victims said that after two men on a bike snatched her purse six months ago, she had become “paranoid” each time she walked on a street when she saw two people on a bike, “because I know that I am a potential victim of theft.”

However, the security source added that in spite of the lack in personnel, the ISF was still managing to issue tickets. “If you take a look at the figures and numbers, you will know how many tickets the police are issuing daily, and how many bikes we have seized because they don’t have the appropriate licenses and registration papers,” the source added.

He also said that even if the ISF efforts were not enough to end all motorcycle violations, the current moves were “on the right track.”

HALL OF FAME LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD BIKERS The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame is now accepting at-large nominations for the 2004 Hall of Fame inductees. The Hall of Fame honors “the men and women who have dedicated much of their lives to improving, promoting and advancing our great sport and lifestyle.” Help recognize these unique individuals by sending in a nomination form, accompanied by credentials which explain why this person should be considered for induction. Deadline is January 12, 2004. You can contact the museum at (605) 347-2001 to request a nomination form and further instructions.

QUOTABLE QUOTE: “You don’t get to choose how you’re going to die. Or when. You can only decide how you’re going to live. Now.” Joan Baez (1941-____) Singer, songwriter, political activist

RIGHTS NEWS–NUDE RIDERS, SALES UP, MOTORCYCLE AWARENESS NEEDS YOUR HELP AND OKAY TO WEAR COLORS IN COURT

Author and freedom fighter Bill Bish.

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 or visit us on our website at <>

COAST TO COAST BIKER NEWS
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists

CONGRESSMAN CHARGED IN BIKER’S DEATH South Dakota Congressman Bill Janklow has been charged with second-degree manslaughter in the deadly crash that claimed the life of 55-year-old Minnesota motorcyclist Randolph Scott when the legislator ran a stop sign at a rural intersection near Sioux Falls on Saturday, August 16. Police investigators determined that Rep. Janklow’s Cadillac proceeded through the intersection at speeds estimated between 70-75 mph in the 55 mph zone, and continued into the path of Scott’s Harley-Davidson without stopping, giving the rider no chance to avoid the fatal collision.

Janklow, 63, has a long history of speeding, and his driving exploits have been near legendary in his home state during his many years of public service. At one point during his 30-year political career, the four-term governor racked up 12 speeding tickets in four years.

Janklow served as attorney general from 1974-78 before being elected to four terms as governor, from 1979-1986 and 1995-2002, and was elected to the state’s lone House seat last year. During his tenure as governor, the pugnacious Republican was credited with elevating the Sturgis rally into a tourist attraction, and in 2001 he was inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum Hall of Fame. In addition to the felony manslaughter charge, which carries a maximum penalty of up to ten years in prison and a $10,000 fine, Janklow has also been charged with failure to stop, speeding and reckless driving, the latter charges being misdemeanors.

The charges brought against Janklow represent the maximum allowable under South Dakota state law, and if convicted of manslaughter he would lose his authority to vote in the U.S. House of Representatives under terms of the House Ethics Rules.

NEVADA COURTHOUSE CANNOT BAN BIKER GARB A federal judge has permanently struck down Carson City Courthouse rules that prevented bikers from wearing their insignia or “colors” into the courthouse. The decision by U.S. District Judge Philip Pro finalized the preliminary injunction he granted last October against the First Judicial District Court in Carson City, Carson City Justice Court and other officials.

“It’s a huge victory for motorcycle clubs,” said Richard Eckhardt of Sparks, president of His Royal Priesthood, a Christian-based biker group that belongs to the Northern Nevada Confederation of Clubs, which initiated the lawsuit.

Eckhardt and nine other bikers were cited for trespassing at the Carson City courthouse on March 26, 2001 for refusing an order from court security officers to either remove their motorcycle jackets or leave the public building. They were among the 35 or more motorcycle riders who showed up at the courthouse that day in support of two Branded Few Motorcycle Club members who had been arrested two weeks earlier on the same charge.

The initial incident involved bikers Scot Banks and Steve Dominguez of Reno, who went to the courthouse to contest a traffic citation but were told by security officers that they couldn’t wear their swastika-decorated colors inside. They were arrested for criminal trespassing and their vests were confiscated after they refused the officers’ ultimatum.

But Carson City District Judge William Maddox told the Reno Gazette-Journal that while the ruling restricts a broad ban on wearing biker insignia into the courthouse, judges could still dictate what people can or cannot wear in their courtrooms. Pro noted in his decision that judges have the power in particular cases or circumstances to restrict what people wear.

“A judge is like the proverbial 800-pound gorilla who can do whatever he pleases within his own courtroom,” explained Richard Lester, founder of Aid to Injured Motorcyclists, whose group of nationwide civil rights attorneys were party to the ensuing lawsuit. Lester referred to a recent incident in Utah where a judge barred members of Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA) from wearing their colors into the courtroom during the trial of an accused child molester.

In making the injunction permanent, Pro also granted summary judgment to the thirteen bikers who filed suit in federal court to overturn the courthouse rules, allowing them to collect legal fees and damages.

“The First Amendment is alive and well, fortunately, but people are still trying to attack its freedoms on a daily basis,” said Reno lawyer Don Evans, who represented the 13 plaintiffs. Evans is the Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (AIM) attorney for Northern Nevada and serves as legal counsel to the Northern Nevada Confederation of Clubs.

WISCONSIN “ANTI-HELMET” BILL HEARD Wisconsin State Senator Dave Zien is a long time biker, a founder of the bikers’ rights movement in Wisconsin and an active member of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists’ Legislative Task Force (NCOM-LTF). So it’s no surprise that when Wisconsin’s high court recently ruled that an injured ATV rider’s damage award could be reduced by up to 100% because he wasn’t wearing a helmet, Senator Zien stepped up to protect street riders from suffering a similar fate.

On August 26 Zien returned from a Guinness World Record ride through 48 states in eight days to testify in favor of Senate Bill 223, which he sponsored along with six other state Senators and seventeen state Representatives. The bill would prevent courts from reducing damages awarded in lawsuits based on whether the driver of a motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle or snowmobile was wearing a helmet when an accident occurred. The legislation would effectively nullify the 2002 state Supreme Court decision in Stehlik v. Rhoads that upheld a jury’s authority to consider helmet use in awarding damages, according to the Legislative Reference Bureau analysis of the proposal.

The bill does, however, allow the introduction of such evidence in cases against a helmet manufacturer for any alleged product or design defect, or to determine whether a helmet contributed to the personal injury or property damage suffered by another person. Wisconsin does not have a law requiring adult motorcyclists to wear helmets, but the court’s decision created its own de facto helmet law by penalizing riders who don’t wear helmets, said David Dwyer, legislative chairman for ABATE of Wisconsin. Dwyer told the Milwaukee Journal newspaper that the court decision penalizes motorcyclists injured in accidents, even if others are clearly at fault. Zien remains convinced that helmets contribute to accidents by reducing head mobility, vision and hearing. “I will go to the grave believing that helmets should be freedom of choice and that helmets, in my opinion, cause accidents,” Zien, an Eau Claire Republican, said.

The Wisconsin legislature repealed its mandatory helmet law in 1978 after overriding a gubernatorial veto.

“This legislation is necessary to protect those who ride and those who exercise their right to choose whether or not to wear a helmet,” Zien said. “Let’s let those who ride decide and not allow the court system to implement another mandatory helmet law.”The bill received a public hearing in the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Corrections and Privacy Aug. 26. The committee has not yet voted on a decision.

MOTORCYCLE SAFETY EFFORT NEEDS YOUR HELP United States Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO) has introduced a resolution in Congress to designate May 2004 as National Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month, but your help is needed to get the measure adopted. Please contact your U.S. Senators and request that they support Senate Resolution 168, and make our federal legislators aware of motorcyclists’ overwhelming support for this effort.

Although virtually every state and major municipality has issued “Motorcycle Awareness” proclamations over the past several years, no such Congressional resolution has ever been passed to bring national awareness to motorcycle safety.

“Motorcycles have become a big part of the American landscape and occupy a very important position in the history of this nation,” said Campbell in introducing S.RES.168, adding that “As we continue to move through the riding season, I will continue to work with my colleagues here in the Senate and motorcycle rights groups such as the National Coalition of Motorcyclists, the American Motorcycle Association, Motorcycle Safety Foundation, ABATE, and the Motorcycle Riders Foundation to find solutions to educate the general motoring public about motorcycle safety and awareness. This resolution is a strong, positive step in the right direction to help achieve this goal.”

Campbell has been riding for more than 50 years and has been a champion for motorcyclists’ issues on the federal level, including serving on the NCOM Legislative Task Force.

NEW YORK ENACTS “LEMON LAW” PROTECTION FOR MOTORCYCLES Governor George E. Pataki has signed legislation aimed to include motorcycles in the state’s “Lemon Law” protections against faulty and defective vehicles.

According to ABATE of New York, the new Motorcycle Lemon Law (companion bills S.4500 and A.5218) will give all buyers of motorcycles the same consumer protections that automobile buyers have. Montana passed a similar law earlier this year.

MOTORCYCLE SALES TAKE OFF IN JULY Motorcycle sales rose 20 percent in July compared to the same month last year, according to figures recently released by the Motorcycle Industry Council, as improved weather in the Midwest and East Coast spurred sales that had been stagnated by rain earlier in the year.

Harley-Davidson, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki and other motorcycle manufacturers sold 99,634 motorcycles and scooters in July 2003, a welcome jump from the 83,034 units sold during the same time frame in 2002. Sales of “on-highway” models, a segment of the industry dominated by Harley cruisers, also rose 20 percent to 69,082.

Wet weather earlier in the year contributed to a 3.2 percent decline in Harley-Davidson’s first-quarter domestic sales, the Motor Company’s first such drop in U.S. sales since 1994.

WEIRD NEWS OF THE MONTH: NO NUDES IS GOOD NUDES The threat of scrapes and bruises, not to mention sunburn, didn’t stop the fledgling North American Nude Bikers club from holding its first rally over the July 26-27 weekend. Events at the Rock Haven Lodge Family Nudist Park near Murfreesboro, Tennessee included a barbecue, live music, bike games and a poker run — where bikers vie for the best hand by drawing cards at stops along the way. They don’t actually ride naked. Mostly.

“You’ve got to be real careful or you’re liable to get something burnt or hurt,” club Vice President Allen “Anchor” Turner told the Associated Press. Turner, 46, came up with the idea for the group last November.

Participants said the values of trust, respect and freedom are common to both nudists and bikers. “It’s all about living a freer lifestyle,” said Turner, who has been a biker for 15 years and a nudist for five.

When not astride their choppers, the bikers mixed with the rest of Rock Haven’s members and visitors by swimming in the pool, playing volleyball and soaking up the sun. Turner said he wanted to dispel the myth that the nudist culture was perverse. “This is a family park,” he said; “Anyone perpetrating lewd shenanigans in public areas is immediately booted out.”

QUOTABLE QUOTES: “The United States is putting together a Constitution now for Iraq. Why don’t we just give them ours? It’s served us well for 200 years, and we don’t appear to be using it anymore, so what the hell?” Jay Leno, Host of NBC?s “Tonight Show”

THE GUNNY SACK NEWS–FUNERAL MOTORCYCLES, OREGON HARRASSMENT and JEANS

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 or visit us on our website at <>

Freedom Fighter for Life, Gunny.

From TheGUNNY’S SACK

Just last month I had a few words to say about safety at motorcycle runs. I just returned from our ABATE Summer Run near Estacada, Oregon, and unfortunately there were more injuries. Folks leaving the run late at night hit a deer on the twisty road near the run site. The man was life-flighted and I don’t know about the gal on the back. These roads are curvy, wooded, and the night was DARK. My boss Sam Hochberg says he almost NEVER rides after dark in the countryside – although he’s not exactly Farmer John, being a Bronx boy. Please folks, these injuries are not only expensive as hell, they ruin otherwise great times; sometimes, lives. In this case it was a deer, but it could have just as easily been a car coming the other direction and crossing the line just a little bit. We gotta start keeping our eyes open and our minds on what we are doing – and if you can, like Sam says, just stay OFF those country roads late at night!

NEWSBIT’N’PIECES: TOKYO, JAPAN: It appears from the article I read online that the expertise Honda has in building transmissions for motorcycles is the driving force behind their start-up of an automatic transmission plant for their cars in Indonesia. They say the move will cut costs and they will have better control over the quality of the product. I wonder when they will start to build automatics again for motorcycles? They useta have that Hondamatic on one or two models. I don’t think I’ll wait for the day when we’ll see a Harley-matic.

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA: One person’s dream may not come true, but pursuit of that dream is filled with truths other dreamers can go to school on. That’s why Dan Hanlon, the former president of the Excelsior-Henderson Motorcycle company, sat down and wrote a book on the rise and demise of the company. Anybody with the idea of starting a company from scratch should nose through this publication. It might just save you some grief. The book called Riding the American Dream, is a chronology of the successes of his dream to resurrect Excelsior-Henderson. Its reported to be a good read just to find out the history behind the dream. He says no matter what happened to him it shouldn’t stop you from your dreams. Maybe the book will keep ya from making some of the mistakes he made.

TRENT, SOUTH DAKOTA: Representative Bill Janklow says he feels “anguish” over the death of Randolf E. Scott, the motorcyclist who was his victim the night he blew a stop sign in a hurry to go nowhere special. Janklow is well known locally for his disregard of speed limits. Now, he ignored a stop sign, it cost a biker’s life, and he feels “anguish”.

The law says you are innocent until proven guilty, but the facts in this case make it all pretty damned obvious what happened. The good Representative and former governor (home of Sturgis) has been formally charged with second-degree manslaughter in this incident.

I have very little sympathy for the man for what has happened. This kind of accident was absolutely preventable. If I’m a little out of line I’m sorry, but if he’s guilty they should throw the book at him. This guy is supposed to show the rest of us how things are correctly done. I think he has fallen far short of his obligations to his people, and it cost the life of yet another biker on the road.

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA: Wrangler Jeans has entered the motorcycle attire market, competing with Diamond Gusset. Many of us have worn these for years, mainly because they fit well and went over the tops of our boots. Rodeo riders have long worn these critters because they can take the punishment of falling off wild four-footed beasts doing their best to kill their riders. Now we have jeans specifically made for riding motorcycles.

They put the pockets higher up, so we don’t sit on that hard wallet with no money in it.

Wrangler will continue to make their regular jeans, and they’re good scoot britches even without all these doo-dads. But these new biker jeans will have, along with the high pockets, seams that are reversed to prevent chafing from long rides, and a little extra room in the thigh and knee so they don’t bind when sitting. They even flattened out the little copper rivets to protect your saddle. And, they’re longer. Boots stay covered so we don’t get that cold blast of air up the crotch when riding in cooler weather. Who needs THAT!?

ENGLAND: Dying to go? Well, the English have one-upped us again. This is from an article Sam’s associate attorney, Leah Johnson, found on the Internet. There is now a motorcycle funeral service in the UK that will give you your last ride in a Motorcycle Hearse. How about that? I think it would be a nice way to send our brothers and sisters onto the ride in the sky. The hearse part is sort of a long sidecar with open sides and a top high enough so the casket fits and rides high.

If you’re on the net, go visit them at . Their online material says that they offer “Distinguished Motorcycle Hearses for a Dignified Final Ride.” Hell of a deal.

WHAT THE DEVIL? Here in Oregon, we’ve had enough harassment on runs lately, as reported here in the Sack. So, when the all-woman Devil Dolls MC came up here from California to have a poker run with the Gypsy Joker MC and other riders, they made a point to invite our AIM lawyer Sam Hochberg to ride with them. If only EVERY run could have a lawyer riding shotgun! Turns out there were no problems, and Sam says the Devil Dolls are serious bikers and really good people.

Aid to INCARCERATED motorcyclists: To add another service to the riding community, AIM has been offering AIM Criminal Defense in our network, to help us if we are in a pickle. Same number: 800-ON-A-BIKE. We’re proud to announce our NEW Oregon AIM criminal lawyer, JIM RICE. Jim spoke about the US PATRIOT ACT at last year’s Regional NCOM Conference in Portland, and he’s a member of OVMA – The Oregon Veterans Motorcycle Association. Welcome aboard, Jim!

GUNNY AGAIN: As I’ve said so often, we need to remember the people who can save our asses when we find ourselves mired in the goo. Sam Hochberg, of Oregon, and all the other Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (AIM) attorneys around the country, with the help of Richard M. Lester, spend untold hours of their own time, many times at no cost to us, to further our rights as motorcyclists. Whenever we find ourselves on the pavement due to an accident they’re available.

If you haven’t walked in their moccasins, do some simple research into what they’re all about. The motorcycle community is fortunate that these motorcycle riding attorneys are on our side. You can reach these AIM folks by dialing 1-800-ON-A-BIKER, and for a whole lot more information from AIM and NCOM, go to www.ON-A-BIKE.com.

If you’re a SACK fan, there are YEARS of old Sacks archived on the site, if you want to catch up on old news!

Keep the round side on the bottom.

Gunny, Oregon AIM Chief of Staff

NEWS FROM SONS OF LIBERTY–JANKLOW INDICTED!

http://www.solrpa.com”>

A More In-Your-Face take on this EPA shit

Sen. Campbell and others who think of the EPA legislation concerningmotorcycles as an issue of clean air, really need to wake up.

My name is Stan Alt and I went to Washington DC to talk with the EPA, someSenators, Congressmen and others. I did this at the request of the MRFbecause I am the founder of the ISA ( Independent Shop Association) whichconsists of 48 independent motorcycle shops in Wisconsin. Plus, I had ownedand operated an independent motorcycle shop myself for a number of years.

To keep it short and simple — I told them the same thing I’m tellingyou… If you change the emissions on cars and trucks by 1/100th of apercent, the reduction of fuel emissions generated would be greater thaneliminating all the motorcycles.

So what’s really up, and why does Harley-Davidson put out a reportencouraging this change in emission standards? Maybe it’s a lot simpler thanyou think. Money!

The results of this EPA move would:
1.) Make it, if not impossible then nearly impossible for the smallindependent builder to build motorcycles.
2.) It would severely limit engine modifications, there-by affectingaftermarket parts suppliers like CCI, Drag Specialties and so on.
3.) Restrict service on motorcycles to those few shops that can afford theequipment needed to maintain the emission standards, primarily franchisedealers.
4.) It would prevent personal modifications by the owner, even something assimple as changing cams and exhaust systems.

Now, why would H-D be all for this? My opinion is that it gets rid of theexpense that comes from competition. If you look back, there were only a fewmodels available to the motorcycle purchaser, then with the sixties came thechopper and the creative individualities of there owners. What resulted wasa boom in aftermarket parts suppliers and service which H-D was forced tocompete with. You remember the Eagle Iron parts that started showing up onthe franchisers shelves, don’t you?

If the law goes into effect there would be no need to provide modificationor upgrade kits that are now available from the franchise dealer. Why?Because the law would prohibit it. As the customized motorcycle disappearsso does the expense to produce a product year after year to compete with it.The manufacturer could also decrease the number of models knowing that thebuyer, if he/she desires to ride, will have to buy one of their models, asno one can affordably build something different for them.

Now back to Sen. Campbell and others who think they are doing a greatservice by proposing a delay as the answer. My hope is that they will fightto oppose the legislation. If cleaner air is what is needed why not go afterthe vehicles, cars and trucks, that create 99.99% of it. Fazing in an era ofpollution laws like the ones proposed will result only in the fazing out ofcreativity, individuality and a whole lifestyle and industry that I reallylike.

As a side note: I imagine it won’t take long for law enforcement to get theexhaust emissions machines for each squad car that would cause the removalfrom operation on streets and highways of any 2006 and newer motorcyclewho’s exhaust noise is louder then the clacking of the cams in it’s engine.

Thanks for the time you took to read this.
Stan Alt
ISA Founder and Coordinator
Stan@ISAinfo.com

This letter and some very comprehensive information on what the EPA is trying to do to us, along with some handouts is now on the site http://www.solrpa.com/issues.

Stop Victory Act ot Patriot Act II

No matter how you feel about Gov. Dean, Ashcroft must be stopped. Pleaseconsider passing this on after you sign the petition. Thank you. jeanijessen

This week, Attorney General Ashcroft is touring the country to build supportfor his Victory Act, which would expand the Patriot Act. Join me in taking astand against John Ashcroft s plans by clicking on the link below andsigning the petition to stop the passage of the Victory Act:http://www.deanforamerica.com/stopashcroft

After you ve signed the petition, forward this email on to everyone youknow. We all must stand together to demonstrate that the grassroots have thepower to take our country back.

Sincerely,
Governor Howard Dean, M.D.

Sept. 5-7 Ride To Freedom, Harrisburg, PA

For those thinking about riding to Harrisburg, PA Friday, September5th to be with ABATE of PA on Saturday, September 6th at 1:00 to help and’be there’ for the historic ceremonial signing of their ‘adult choice’ billat PA’s State Capital, here’s some updates:

1.) The ride is GROWING. Lots of interest coming in. MMA’s website(www.mma-of-ma.com) is updated with our route (thanks Vince and Andy).Major staging location Charlton Rest area on Mass Pike (I-90), departingthere at 9:00 a.m. FRIDAY, September 5th. Several people are planning onworking the prior Monday, Labor Day weekend to take that Friday off to ridewith us. We’ll be coming from Massachusetts, through CT, NY into PA. Sincewe don’t have a ‘choice’ (yet) in NY, no ‘stops in NY’ – but we’ll stop atExit 1 on I-84 to put our helmets on for 72.5 miles until we stop at about12:30 at Exit 11 in PA. NY riders, feel free to join in anywhere along thisRoute or stops.

2.) Two camping cabins left at the Jonestown KOA. Some campsites left.Need to ‘advance reserve’ sites BY AUGUST 20th. Then we have to cancelunbaked reserved sites to get our $$ back. Contact me with your intentions.Don’t need check in hand, your commitment is good enough.

Again, four people can stay at each site two nights for less than $25 perperson. Bring your own tents, sleeping bags, shower shoes, etc. Localcounty ABATE of PA chapter plans to ‘welcome’ and meet with us Friday night,then lead us to Harrisburg Saturday, leaving at 11:00 for the ‘good seats’in Harrisburg. Maybe a Party at the Campgrounds Saturday night, in supportof BIKE PAC, . . . PA’s political action committee for rider’s issues.

3.) Bill L. from CMA advises me hotels in the area are filling up. Besidesour event, some football game going on. He’s booked a room at the EconoLodge a few miles from the campsite in Altoona, PA, but says only two roomsleft there. He searched Orbit.com for Altoona, PA, several hotels in thearea.

4.) We are going, rain or shine. A few riders who can’t ride will join usin their cars/trucks to be there. That is kool. Likewise, a few otherriding couples are sharing, bike and car/truck, to make the trip. May beextra storage room in their vehicles.

5.) This is a MAJOR event for riders in the Northeast. Through ABATE ofPA and BIKE PAC, they WON. Massachusetts, Vermont, NY, NJ, MD, VA and WVA,who’s gonna be next? Let’s learn from them and ABATE of FL, and get ‘itdone’ in our States too! But September 5-7 is the TIME to BE in PA.

6.) Again, check out www.mma-of-ma.com for more info.

7.) Or, More details about the Gettysburg Ridehttp://www.abatepa.org/abate/legislation/press/lobby-readshaw.htm

Paul W. Cote
Massachusetts

If you need more info on this or any other subject just go to the Sons ofLiberty Riders Info Zonehttp://solrpa.com/wwwboard/ or http://www.solriders.net/

RIDE FOREVER,
Hawk
ICQ 34668186
AOL SoLRHawk

GUNNY’S LEGISLATIVE UPDATE–NEW YORK SETS UP BIKER CHECK POINTS–WATCH OUT

The famous Gunny.

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 or visit us on our website at <>

From The
GUNNY’S SACK

Again the days of August slipped by me so fast I hardly had time to realize the hot month was here. This is the heavy riding month in Oregon and we have runs every weekend all month long. It starts off with “Run 21,” which is our adults-only run. My boss Sam Hochberg’s chapter of ABATE, SE Portland, started this whole deal a few years back. Sam went to the very first one and said it was fun – but we didn’t see his mug or that new Heritage of his this year. Musta’ been off riding somewhere else.

Matter of fact, Sam DID take a nice ride down south to Medford, Oregon last month, and gave an “AIM Talk” to the Rogue River Chapter of the Women in the Wind. Sam had a great time, and was very impressed with this large group of serious riders. Sam’s been doing these “AIM Talks” for over fifteen years. He goes to your biker group meeting, and talks about The Law and Motorcycling. He also likes to spread the Gospel of NCOM — the National Coalition of Motorcyclists. Regular Sack readers know NCOM is supported by fees from AIM (that’s Aid to Injured Motorcyclists) lawyers like Sam from all over the US and Canada, through the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. And if THAT’S news to ya, you might be new to the Sack! If ya’d like to hear more, line up an AIM Attorney to come talk to your motorcycle club or organization. You can call our national hotline at (800) ON-A-BIKE to speak to the AIM Attorney in your state.

RUN SAFETY: Our Run 21 was great as usual, but there was one incident that shouldn’t happen at any run. A rider blasted out of the stage area and hit a woman. He was just on his way to his campsite. I’ve seen this happen too many times at events that we’re supposed to be having fun at. When you get through with the bike games and shows in the afternoon, take your scoot to your camp and leave it there. A drunk scoot always causes the owner trouble, and will always hurt somebody.

The Coos River run over by the Oregon Coast came down after Run 21, and as always a great time. Love the “rubber duck races.” If you haven’t seen this, ya gotta make this run next year. It’s a real hoot to watch all those leather clad bikers sitting on a creek bank, cheering their little rubber duckies as they come bobbing down the stream!

But even there, we had a guy go down on the gravel road and break an arm. It’s good road but there is loose gravel on about three hundred feet of it, just before you get to the run. It’s a shame when an otherwise great time is marred by an injury. Please lets keep the other guy in mind and be careful fachrissakes when you ride, no matter where it is. It’s just not fun when folks get hurt, especially when it’s from plain old carelessness.

LEGAL SAFETY: If y’DO go down, or if you’re there when someone else does, our Oregon AIM Attorney Sam Hochberg wanted me to remind you to TAKE PICTURES and get names and numbers of

WITNESSES. Oh, and call the cops. Tell them you’re hurt or they won’t come out. TAKE the ambulance if you need to, and see your doctor. MOST important, Sam says, is DON’T TALK TO THE

INSURANCE ADJUSTER! They have a way of twisting the most honest speech. Talk to ANY GOOD personal injury lawyer. Sam is part of AIM, so you can always reach him at 1-800-ON-A-BIKE, or email him at SamBikeLaw@aol.com . He checks t all the time

NEWSBITS’N’PIECES: ROYAL SCOOTER DUDE: The Thunder Press had a feature about the future King of Merry Olde England and his love of two-wheeled motor sports. We had a story here in the Sack about a year ago that the young Prince William is a fan of motorcycles and rides very well himself. The Royal family isn’t too happy about it, but the Prince says his father deals with it well. Motorcycles have their dangerous side but so does the Royal sport of Polo. You couldn’t pay me to try and hit a small, very hard ball from the back of a running horse.

The Prince has been riding for several years now, and says he fell in love with “motorbikes” as they are called in England, at a very early age. He says also, that proper training is essential. When he puts his helmet on, he says he feels anonymous, so he can relax and enjoy the ride without being chased by paparazzi!

ORLANDO, FLA: Here it comes folks, we have been watching things develop around the country and here is what we have found. There will be a law enforcement set of seminars held somewhere in the Orlando area during “Bike Week” 2004. These seminars are open to law enforcement only and will cover subjects such as: Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Investigations, From the Inside – Combating Biker Gangs, Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Identification – Intelligence Gathering, Major Run Enforcement – Police/Biker Relations, Motorcycle Gang Coalitions (They’re worried about our NCOM and Confederations of Clubs??), Combating lawsuits (like the ones our AIM Lawyers file??), Development and Management of Gang Member or Associate as an Informant. These words should concern every American, not just riders. We’ve covered the “USA PATRIOT ACT” in earlier Sacks and this is just what I’m talking about. I’m not pretending we are all perfect in our lifestyle but neither is any other lifestyle you might want to mention. This kind of surveillance of our lives is an outrage and we need to scream like Hell about it. Learn more at the next NCOM Convention in Oklahoma City next May.

COSTA MESA, CA: This time it’s the ACLU in court battling for homosexual woman bikers. The women want to run their second “Dyke Run” parade through the town of Costa Mesa and the city is using restrictions against motorcycles to discourage the ride. They are saying the Dykes on Bikes will have to follow the permit process like any other group. One of the requirements is the group arrange for a million dollar liability insurance policy and a $3k deposit for police protection during the ride. The city wants the organizers to provide porta-potties and trash pick-up after the parade. They also want to limit the number of bikes to 10 and threaten tickets to be mailed to offenders on the parade route. Sounds like a real mess to me.

LOS ANGELES, CA: The worlds largest rent-a-bike company of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, Eagle Rider, is set to offer travel agents a 40% commission on the reservation of bike rentals at vacation destinations if the rental is for a week or more. This is in effect until Feb 20, 2004. I think I’d rather rent direct and pay a little less!

NEW YORK, NY: Here we go again! Got this story from a contributor to the e-mail list serve of the SoLR, the Sons of Liberty Riders. The Long Island area near New York City has found the neatest way there is to harass bikers. They have instituted “SAFETY CHECKPOINT STOPS,” which are designed, according to the information I have, to interrupt the travel of those persons using the motorcycle as a way of getting from one place to another. This gives the cops a way to write tickets. These checkpoints are for MOTORCYCLES ONLY. Other methods of travel are left alone!

Don Lanham, the Legislative Coordinator for A.B.A.T.E. of New York wrote a letter to several newspaper editors and four were printed. One rebuttal letter expressed concern with the noise levels some bikes cause, and also had something to say about the attire worn by many of us, black leather and denim. He said bright colors were more to his liking because it made bikers more visible. I’m wondering if he had any idea the reason we wear such attire is because it protects us when we get run over by folks who think we should wear bright colors.

Maybe the idea was to make us easier targets for cage drivers. I don’t know. At any rate it bothers me that authorities will go to such lengths to harass people and not include the entire traveling population no matter what vehicles they choose to use. NEW YORK, NY: Well here’s a new one: According to Billboard magazine there’s a new rock group — actually just three guys — and they call themselves the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. They’re doing a North American tour in September and October. They even call themselves “BRMC.” If any Sack readers know about this crew I’d like to know if they’re riders at all. If NOT, I wonder what bonafide Clubs might have to say about them. Drop old Gunny a line at AIMGunny@aol.com any time on any subject at all, but especially about this bunch.

That’s it for this month. Stay safe, andKeep the round side on the bottom.Gunny, Oregon AIM Chief of Staff

NCOM NEWS–EPA NOTIONS, BEN “NIGHTHORSE” CAMPBELL RUNS, WISCONSIN GONE NUTS AND GIVING UP FREEDOM FOR INSURANCE PROFITS–

Author Bill Bish, a freedom fighter forever.

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 or visit us on our website at <>

Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists

SENATOR CAMPBELL REVS UP ATTENTION TO SMALL MOTORCYCLE BUSINESSES: In a June 19 letter to the Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO) urged the EPA to modify their proposed rule to tighten emission requirements for highway motorcycles by including a flexible implementation schedule.

“The flexible implementation schedule would ideally allow smaller motorcycle manufacturers more time to adjust to the rule in order to help them comply with the requirements, without going out of business,” said Campbell. “Clean air should remain a national priority, yet we must be mindful of the unintended consequences that new rules can have on our small businesses.”

Currently, six manufacturers (Honda, Harley-Davidson, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki and BMW) account for 95% of the U.S. motorcycle sales. Given their significant market presence and economies of scale, these companies are well positioned to incorporate new rules requiring production modifications, Campbell told the EPA. However, manufacturers of the remaining five percent of the motorcycle market are far less likely to meet more stringent requirements without significant and disproportionate market impacts.

The EPA intends to implement California-style emissions cut-backs in a two-phase plan beginning in 2006, resulting in an 80% reduction in motorcycle tailpipe emissions by 2010.

Stricter new limits will be established for hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides emitted by the engines, requiring motorcycle manufacturers to reduce emissions from a currently allowable 5 grams of Hydrocarbons per kilometer to 1.4 grams/km by 2006 and .8 grams by 2010. Nitrogen oxides, which are unregulated at this time, must also be reduced to 1.4 grams/km in 2006 and .8 grams/km by 2010.

It is widely speculated that new motorcycles will be required to use fuel injection on the intake and catalytic converters on the exhaust in order to comply with the tough new federal regulations, as well as altering cam timing and making other engine modifications, including liquid cooling.

As the federal EPA prepares to release their final rule, it’s nice to know that we have friends in high places. Senator Campbell is a long time motorcycle enthusiast and is a member of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists Legislative Task Force (NCOM-LTF).

RIDING THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL : While Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell may be the most visible motorcycling legislator, other politicians are climbing aboard.

During a recent meeting of Western governors in Missoula, MT, the star of the show was Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne, the former U.S. senator who could eventually be the president’s pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency. Kempthorne is a polished politician, but here he was in a rumpled suit and unkempt hair. What was going on? All was revealed when Kempthorne took the podium and told the audience that he had ridden his Harley-Davidson up from Boise. Kempthorne apologized for his ruffled suit, explaining that his saddlebags didn’t afford much room. The Republican even told how he’d pulled over to hear the birds chirp along the river. The image was Marlon Brando meets Marlin Perkins.

Montana Senator Max Baucus had a meeting in Glacier National Park to discuss the deteriorating condition of its Going-to-the-Sun Road. Baucus seemed to present the image that he was zooming to the rescue, federal checkbook in hand. Why? He arrived – you guessed it – revving the throttle of his Harley-Davidson motorcycle. And, yes, the Democrat did tip off the local TV stations before he rode into town.

Times have certainly changed since California’s Senator George Murphy once called bikers “the lowest form of animal”.

But Ben Long, a contributor to Writers on the Range, is apparently still stuck in the past. “Sure, senators want to look like regular guys, even though most of them are millionaires who wouldn’t know a carburetor from a camshaft. Politicians make laws. Rebels break laws. Politicians and Harleys go together like thermal long johns on an August day in the Mojave. We know the mundane truth: Politicians spend their days behind desks, not behind handlebars.”

JOURNALISM AT ITS WORST : “When Wisconsin repealed its motorcycle helmet law in 1978, cynics saw it as a way of improving the human gene pool. Through Darwinian selection, stupid people who didn’t wear helmets would die off and intelligent people who wore helmets would survive and multiply,” writes Joel McNally in his article “It’s Time to Put a Lid on Motorcycle Carnage,” appearing in the July 22nd edition of The Journal Times in Milwaukee.

Following are some excerpts from his lengthy article, which can be viewed in its entirety at: http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2003/07/22/opinion/iq_2362962.txt.

“Wearing a helmet is the single most effective way of reducing deaths and serious injuries among riders. State legislatures across the country have been following Wisconsin’s example by listening to the crude, overweight biker lobbies that think rider safety isfor wimps.

The name of the strongest state lobby against motorcycle helmets illustrates how a simple, intelligent safety measure can be demonized by a right-wing, anti-government, militia mentality.

The lobby is called ABATE, which stands for A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments.

The name implies that totalitarian governments such as the old Soviet Union used to oppress their citizens by making them walk around wearing motorcycle helmets… Thank god we live in the good, ol’ USA where we have a Constitution guaranteeing the rights of motorcycle riders to scramble their brains across the pavement.

We realized the Marlboro Man wasn’t a symbol of American freedom after he died of lung cancer and we found out he’d been damaging everybody else’s health all those years with his second-hand smoke. It’s time we realized motorcycle riders who aren’t smart enough to put on helmets aren’t free of anything but intelligence.”

(About the author: Joel McNally is former editor of the Milwaukee alternative weekly Shepherd Express and appears weekly on the WMVS-TV public television show “Interchange.” His e-mail address is: jmcnally@wi.rr.com)

BUYOU POLITICS:Giving up Freedom for insurance profits. “We are just going to have to get inside people’s lives and change their behavior,” said former legislative auditor Dan Kyle in officially announcing his candidacy for state insurance commissioner on August 14, adding that Louisianians need to change their behavior to reduce insurance costs.

That includes banning all open containers of alcoholic beverage from vehicles, requiring all passengers to wear seat belts and require motorcycle riders to wear helmets.

While he differs with Governor Mike Foster over helmets, Kyle passed the litmus test for Foster?s support: He will decline all contributions from people in the insurance industry.

Kyle dropped out of the governor?s race because he couldn’t raise enough money to run, but told the Lafayette Daily Advertiser that “people in the business community” have agreed to finance his race for insurance commissioner in an effort to hold down insurance costs.

Kyle said rates are based on costs and he has many ideas of how to reduce costs, including stronger DWI laws to lower the number of deaths from drunk driving.

STURGIS BOUND: Amongst a half million bikers, who’d notice one felon? Convicted Watergate figure G. Gordon Liddy set up shop in Sturgis, SD, for the annual motorcycle rally. Liddy, 72, rode his 2003 Harley-Davidson 1,846 miles from the Washington, D.C., area to Sturgis, where he took part in book and calendar signings, a motorcycle ride from Mount Rushmore to the Buffalo Chip Campground, and he broadcast his daily radio show from the rally. In the nearby town of Deadwood, the mayor designated Monday as “G. Gordon Liddy Day” in the gambling town, and on Thursday, Governor Mike Rounds proclaimed August 7 as “G. Gordon Liddy Day” in South Dakota. Liddy served four years and four months in prison for his role in the 1972 break-in at Democratic Party headquarters at the Watergate.

THE GOVERNATOR: On August 7, actor and bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger announced on the set of the Tonight Show with Jay Leno that he was running for Governor of California in the wake of a recall election aimed to unseat Governor Gray Davis.

Who can forget his thrilling ride on a Fat Boy in Terminator 2, which led to the T2:3D mega attraction at Universal Studios? The former Mr. Universe continues to be an avid motorcyclist and can frequently be found mixing with other riders at the Rock Store in the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California.

Schwarzenegger has had past forays into the political arena. Two Indian Chief motorcycles used in making T3 were auctioned off to help fund California’s Proposition 49 to increase state grants for before and after-school programs, which was sponsored by Schwarzenegger, and he also served as Chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under President George Bush.

Could the Presinator be his next sequel? Unlike the rise of Ronald Reagan from Hollywood actor to Governor of California, to President of the United States, Arnold doesn?t meet the qualifications because he is not a natural born citizen.

ILLINOIS GOVERNOR SIGNS MOTORCYCLE-FRIENDLY LEGISLATION: Governor Rod Blagojevich signed Public Act 093-0080 (HB-0123) into law on July 2nd to make it a violation to use or sell traffic signal preemption devices except by emergency vehicles, reports the Illinois Motorcyclist’s Rights Association. The IMRA introduced an amendment which “does not prohibit use by motorcycles of electronic or magnetic safety devices designed to allow traffic control signal systems to recognize or detect motorcycles.”

The amendment was created to protect use by motorcyclists of devices such as the “Green Light Trigger.” These devices allow the magnetic loops used by traffic signals to recognize the presence of motorcycles. This has been an ongoing problem for many years and IMRA believes it is important to protect the use of these devices for the safety of motorcyclists.

The bill as originally drafted made no distinction between these and other devices manufactured with the intent of changing the actual pattern of the signal. It would have assessed heavy penalties to both the consumer and seller of such devices.

The bill, introduced by Represenative Don Moffitt, passed unanimously through the House and Senate, and will take effect immediately.

WEIRD NEWS: ACLU DEFENDS DYKES ON BIKES PARADE A group of lesbians trying to hold Orange County’s second Dyke March say city leaders here have come up with a set of rules so onerous that they are trying to march them right out of town.

City officials told the Orange County Register that they have no problem with lesbians parading on their streets. But they say the Dyke March, led by Dykes on Bikes, will have to follow the permit process like any other group. This year’s permit was granted by the city with 21 conditions, including restricting the number of motorcycles to 10 and requiring that all bikers attend safety training before the parade and provide their driver’s licenses and proof of insurance. If police witness traffic violations, tickets could be mailed to the bikers.

“The conditions were clearly designated to make the process so complicated and so intimidating that we would just give up and go away. Well, we’re not going away,” said march organizer Lori Hutson.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit on behalf of the Dyke March in which they claim Costa Mesa is discouraging the group from holding what would be its second annual event on August 16 through its restrictions on motorcyclists, a requirement that organizers arrange for a $1 million liability insurance policy, and that they put up a deposit of more than $3,000 to pay for police.

The lawsuit filed in federal court in Santa Ana asks for a temporary restraining order to keep the city from imposing the restrictions, and contends that Costa Mesa’s permit process is unconstitutional because it lets the city arbitrarily impose conditions that demonstrators must meet to receive a permit.

The ACLU said it has won fights against similar restrictions on gathering permits in Long Beach, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Santa Monica.

9-11 Everyone has seen the photo of three NYC firefighters raising the American flag over the rubble of the Twin Towers at Ground Zero on 9-11-01, but did you know that one of those brave public servants is a biker? That’s correct, the fireman pictured on the right is Billy Eisengrin and he is a full patch wearing member of the Islanders Motorcycle Club in Staten Island.

“Yes, Billy is the firefighter on the right side of the photo,” said Mike “OilCan” Spano, webmaster for the Islanders MC (www.islandersmc.com). “He?s a member of the Islanders MC, he?s also a great guy and a good friend.”He’s also a Hero, one of many that day.

QUOTABLE QUOTES: “The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. Ignorance may deride it. But in the end; there it is.”Sir Winston Churchill (1874 – 1965), British Statesman

THE GUNNY REPORT–FROM 200 MILES AWAY

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 or visit us on our website at http://www.ON-A-BIKE.com

From TheGUNNY’S SACK

I’m just getting over moving an entire three bedroom house a distance of nearly 200 miles, and it isn’t as easy now as it was a few years ago. Next time my wife says we should move, I’ll burn everything and start from scratch at the new place. Anyhow, it’s done now and we are entrenched in the new digs. Now, maybe I can concentrate on things that have been laid aside for several weeks. The run schedule here in Oregon gets really on the move thru the month of August and into September. I’ll be at runs the rest of the summer, virtually every weekend till the end of September, so please STOP BY and see me, at the “AIM/NCOM” booth!

Enough of the Gunny and his whimpering for this month, let’s get on to important stuff. By the way, I’m happy to be back in home territory even though we had a wonderful trip to the NCOM Conference in Milwaukee, and then to West Virginia and back to Oregon. And, the new grandchild came home from the hospital July 12th after doubling her birth weight and doing better than Grammaw.

Pennsylvania is FREE, I say again FREE. Their Governor signed into law the right for adults to ride sans helmet, if you either have two years of endorsed riding experience, or if you take an approved rider ed course. Another huge victory for the motorcycle community! I really feel the day will come in my lifetime that we in all states will be free again. Check the ABATE of PA website or call AIM/NCOM (1-800-ON-A-BIKE) for reference to more detailed info if you’re going to the Keystone State.

Special credit for those who worked so hard to make this momentous event take place, especially ABATE of PA, and the Sons of Liberty Riders, who have all spent years making this happen with support from the NCOM, MRF and the AMA, and lots of other concerned motorcyclists as well. Every motorcycle rider who values freedom of choice and LIBERTY in this country should raise a glass to Pennsylvania. We also must thank Governor Ed Rendell for being a man who keeps his promises! He said if it passed, he’d sign it, and he sure did. So many of our elected officials think promises are just for elections. Thank you sir from the entire motorcycle community!

Remember, we are STILL always concerned about safety and I for one will never condemn anyone who wears a hat because that’s the way they feel. It’s freedom to exercise the right of choice, and that, my friends is individual liberty, the way it should be in this country.

GRESHAM, OR: We all thought that Eugene was the harassment capitol of Oregon, but it looks like this little town and suburb just east of Portland is in the running now. The Gypsy Joker MC had their strip poker run here. About half were not club riders. The idea was to stop at girly bars here and there to get your next poker card and go on to the next stop. The Gresham police decided that they didn’t want motorcycle clubs in their town – and they even SAID so. They pulled the oldest stunt in the world. They waited ?til a small pack went through a green light and some of the last in line MAY have squeezed the yellow or red a little so they pulled the whole pack over. Oh, and with the help of about TWENTY police cars.

As if that isn’t bad enough, they had people on their bellies on the ground, HANDCUFFED for over an hour on a 95-degree day. For an alleged traffic infraction! One biker needed an ambulance from the heat. While they had them down and cuffed, these cowboy cops brandished guns in their faces, and apparently threatened and swore at folks. Said they didn’t want bikers in their town and they best get out. Nearly ALL were cited for running a red light, even though only a few MIGHT have. You don’t get to ticket EVERYBODY just because a few MIGHT have committed an infraction! Several were even cited for FELONY attempt to elude. The whole thing is bogus and stinks to high heaven. Sam Hochberg, our Oregon AIM (Aid to Injured Motorcyclists) attorney, and his associate and AIM Criminal Defense and Civil Rights Attorney Bill Redden are working the case and defending a whole slew of folks; for FREE, by the way. This sort of conduct by police anywhere is at best unprofessional, and is an abomination. I’ll keep you posted on the outcome of it all, especially if there is a CIVIL suit as well. Oh, and by the way, Gresham, Oregon is the home of the current MISS AMERICA, Katy Harmon, I believe she is. A little ironic. REAL AMERICANS, aren’t they, the Gresham Police? What a travesty.

PORTLAND, OR.: In August, Harley-Davidson has Portland as one of the “Kick-off” points for their 100-year Anniversary ride. A word to the wise who intend to participate: I hear that there will be lots of Police protection – hopefully without reinforcements from Gresham – and many of them will have “NOISE MONITOR” machines. This smacks of harassment to me so if you are part of the celebration just be aware.

WOMAN PLANS TO CLIMB MT. EVEREST ON A MOTORCYCLE:A lady by the name of Annie Seel plans to ride her Enduro motorcycle to Mount Everest’s base camp as a member of the Danish/Swedish climbing team in August this year. Base camp is at 16,732 feet. Seel will make the round trip from Kathmandu. Gonna be a pretty good climb but the lady is an experienced Enduro racer, so she should be able to pull this stunt off. Hey, more power to her.

TENNESSEE: Beginning in July, riders in this great state can proceed through red lights if they stop and give the light a chance to change first. If after waiting an appropriate period of time and if nothing happens, they can advance through the light with all due caution. Many times all over this country stop lights aren’t triggered by motorcycles. I have many times sat through several lights waiting for them to change. Guess the bike isn’t heavy enough or bulky enough for the road equipment to see it as a vehicle. After a wait I carefully advance even though it’s still red. This mainly occurs at left turn intersections for me. This very past session, in Oregon, our friend Clark Brooker, an officer in the Oregon Confederation of Clubs, introduced just such a bill, all on his own! Unfortunately, it didn’t make it out of committee. Maybe next session!

WASHINGTON, DC: Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell has gone to bat for us again in our nation’s capitol. He has urged the director of the EPA to modify the proposed emissions standards for bikes. He says EPA is too stringent in their proposals. Don’t we all agree about that? I sure do and thank the Senator for his valuable help. We all want to be able to KEEP our old scoots, and keep fixing them with NEW parts. Gotta stop that EPA.

SOUTH CAROLINA: This is an item I’m seeing far to much of lately. Governor Mark Sanford may have eliminated S. Carolina’s motorcycle safety training with a veto. He vetoed $119,000.00 dollars in state funding for rider training. This is NOT a place to save money – our education is saving LIVES. Here in Oregon the training is funded by motorcyclists themselves by paying more for their motorcycle endorsements.

The present climate of shortfall budgets in many of our states is going to cause major cuts in many programs and motorcycle programs will be the first to go if the money for training isn’t dedicated and funded by bikers in some foolproof way to safeguard it from theft by bureaucrats. If you don’t, they will use our money to rectify their poor spending habits. It’s thievery at its best, folks.

GUNNY AGAIN: Just a small thought about the recent NCOM Convention in Milwaukee. I crow about the work our AIM attorneys do for us all the time when we are in trouble but don’t mention the work they do in other ways. While we were at the Convention, many of the seminars were presented by this dedicated group of Legal Eagles. Oregon’s own Sam Hochberg gave two talks and the one I attended was about the stealing of motorcycles by Police in Eugene. They impound bikes on whatever excuse and then refuse to release them when they find nothing illegal about them. Sam Hochberg and Bill Redden have filed suit on these issues as well, as we’ve referenced here in the Sack. The case is still early, so we’ll keep ya posted.

In one case I’m familiar with, the bike was impounded February 2002, and the owner still hasn’t had his scoot returned. It was an assembled bike. It was inspected by, and had a title issued by the state of Oregon. Not good enough in Eugene. Hopefully, through the courts we will eventually get justice. Anyway there is more to our AIM attorneys than many of us ever see and we really appreciate what these good folks do for the motorcycle community, many times without cost to us. If you ever have questions about your rights as a biker – or, god forbid if you go down on your bike or wreck your car, these guys are ALSO experts in representing people in personal injury cases. That’s how they make a living, and get to have the TIME to RIDE, and to help US out. They’re always available, “24-7” as they say now, at 1-800-ON-A-BIKE, or www.ON-A-BIKE.com! Call ’em if you need ’em. But keep the round side on the bottom.

Gunny, Oregon AIM Chief of Staff

BILL BISH WITH NATIONAL RIGHTS NEWS FROM A.I.M.

COAST TO COAST BIKER NEWS
Compiled and Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists

Bill Bish, author, national motorcycle rights freedom fighter, legal analysist, good guy.

PENNSYLVANIA HELMET FREEDOM! CONGRATULATIONS to ABATE of Pennsylvania and Keystone State motorcyclists, who scored a monumental victory over the Independence Day Weekend when Governor Edward G. Rendell signed a helmet law repeal on July 6, 2003, making Pennsylvania the 31st state to allow adult freedom of choice.

Effective September 4, 2003, riders 21 and older who have had a motorcycle license endorsement for at least two years, or have completed a motorcycle safety course, will have the freedom to decide when and where to wear a helmet. Passengers must wear a helmet if the operator is required to wear one.

“This was a classic example of grass roots activism,” said an exuberant Charles Umbenhauer, ABATE’s lobbyist. “We’ve been working at this for more than two decades, and it proves that patience and persistence pays off.”

Earlier this year, on June 16, the State Senate approved Senator John Wozniak?s helmet law modification bill, SB 259, by a vote of 29-20. Then, on July 1, the House of Representatives passed the measure by a vote of 118-79, sending the bill to the governor?s desk.

Governor Rendell promised to sign the bill if it got to his desk, and he kept his word to the state’s 700,000 motorcycle riders.

“This governor knows how to keep a promise,” said Umbenhauer, referring to former governor Tom Ridge, now Secretary of Homeland Security, who vetoed a similar bill over a technicality in 1998, after publicly supporting ABATE’s efforts to repeal the law.

ABATE is planning a celebratory ride on Saturday, September 6, 2003, forming on Commonwealth Avenue behind the state capitol in Harrisburg. Governor Rendell has been invited to do a ceremonial signing of the bill before the “Ride to Gettysburg,” which will be the state’s first helmets-optional ride in 35 years!

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PITTSBURGH POLICE PROMPT HELMET REPLACEMENT Pittsburgh police supervisors recently ordered all motorcycle officers off the streets and bought new helmets after mistakenly believing their helmets failed government safety tests. And they are standing by the decision, claiming enough questions were raised about the old helmets to warrant replacement.

Assistant Chief Nathan Harper sidelined the 22-member squad after Sgt. Reyne Kacsuta told Harper she was concerned about the Bell Pro Police helmet model SD600V, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on March 10.

The problem began when an officer saw one of the helmets for sale at a police uniform store without a Department of Transportation sticker and began searching the Internet. The officer found a Web site run by the Massachusetts branch of the Alliance of Bikers Aimed Toward Education, a group opposed to mandatory helmet laws. The site contains a list of helmets that failed National Highway Traffic Safety Administration testing, including the 1998 Bell Pro Police SD600V.

Helmet makers test helmets themselves to ensure they comply with DOT standards, and the government may do its own testing. In 1998, the government tested four of the Bell models in question.

“There was one test result that didn’t match up. That happens a lot,” said Tim Hurd, a spokesman for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “That doesn’t mean it’s failed the standard. It means we want to check up on it.”

Bell told the government that out of 304 impacts on 38 helmets, one failed. The data satisfied the government that the helmet was safe.

Lt. Karen Dixon, who was in charge of investigating the helmets, maintains the helmet shouldn’t be used by Pittsburgh police because of the impact failure.

POLITICIANS HOG MEDICARE SPOTLIGHT It was a sight not often seen in Washington — the Secretary of Health and Human Services, clad in black leather jacket and leather chaps, atop a Harley leading a photo-op parade of motorcycle riders from downtown Washington to a community health clinic in Brandywine, Maryland.

Tommy G. Thompson, the Bush Administration’s top health official, took to the road Monday with about 35 other riders in an effort to boost the momentum of congressional debate over a Medicare prescription drug benefit, wrote Todd Zwillich for Reuters news service on June 16.

Thompson was joined by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., the ranking member of the Finance Committee and a key sponsor of a Senate plan to provide prescription drug subsidies for Medicare beneficiaries.

“We’re trying to rev up the Congress,” Thompson said moments before members of the Port Washington, Md. chapter of the Harley Owners Group (HOG) roared away from HHS headquarters.

Congress has debated a Medicare drug benefit for nearly a decade, always falling short of agreement on the politically charged and expensive proposal. Proposals moving through the House and the Senate now offer roughly equal coverage for seniors opting to stay in Medicare’s traditional fee-for-service plan and for those who choose to move to a managed care plan.

HOG member Jim Leopard, 59, said in an interview that he wanted his participation in the politicians’ ride to help increase public pressure on lawmakers. The retired 23-yearveteran of the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department said that he was happy to ride with high-powered politicians if it helps make subsidies available by the time he becomes eligible for Medicare in another six years.

“They definitely use the (Harley) image to look more mainstream instead of driving their Mercedes and BMW’s,” said Leopard, who considers himself a political independent. “But they need to boost Medicare up. It’s not enough now.”

GOVERNOR VETOES SOUTH CAROLINA RIDER ED BUDGET One of Governor Mark Sanford’s vetoes threatens a motorcycle safety course that saves lives in the state with the highest rate of motorcycle deaths in the country, the program’s founder says.

Sanford’s decision to eliminate $118,675 in state funding “is a real shame,” said Wayne Wilkes of Columbia PowerSports, who has overseen the program since its inception in 1990.

The $118,675 that Sanford vetoed pays for three motorcycle safety classes at technical colleges around the state, Wilkes told Knight Ridder writer Aaron Gould Sheinin. Motorcycle dealers also donate $120,000 a year in equipment, Wilkes said.

Created in 1990, the program originally was paid for by a grant through the Department of Transportation. The statewide program is overseen by Midlands Technical College with money from the S.C. Motorcycle Dealers Association and the state.

CANADIAN RIGHTS GROUP RAIDED BY POLICE The Bikers Rights Organization (BRO) of Ontario recently had its monthly meeting stormed by heavily armed officers who stuck machine guns in the faces of members, allegedly over a false tip.

BRO is a registered non-profit group formed in 1982 that lobbies for bikers rights in the Canadian province.

But at their April meeting, about 30 law enforcement officers participated in the raid, roughed up BRO members and ransacked the meeting room, reports the August issue of Biker Magazine.

According to a newspaper article on Cnews, “Police got excited when they found an ammunition clip in a corner?Then police realized it belonged to them.”

No charges have been filed.

ORCHARD BEACH NOISE ORDINANCE AIMED TO CHANGE IMAGE For decades, this Maine beach town has been known for honky-tonks and earsplitting Harleys. Now, officials want to put a lid on excessive noise and freewheeling drinking to make way for a family-friendly tourist town.

Critics complain that a bunch of do-gooders are trying to turn Old Orchard into something it isn’t, wrote Clarke Canfield for the Associated Press on June 9. In recent years, the town has put the kibosh on cruising, dirty T-shirts, sidewalk display racks and loud concerts. “They’re taking away your rights little by little,” said Ron Hill as he stood outside a food stand near the town’s seven-mile beach

May is the month when Old Orchard’s storefronts, food stands, arcades and carnival rides that have lain dormant all winter come to life for the first onslaught of tourists. This May will also be remembered for the Town Council’s decision to ban loud motorcycles and place a moratorium on new bars.

The noise ordinance not only prohibits motorcycles with altered mufflers but also makes it illegal for riders to rev their engines.

It’s not as if Old Orchard hasn’t gone through change before. In the late 1800s, this was a highfalutin? summer hangout for the rich. That all changed in 1907, when a fire wiped out most of the town and destroyed 17 large hotels. When the town began rebuilding, car and motorcycle races took place on the beach, amusement rides went up and the foundation of the modern-day Old Orchard was established. Bars and B-grade motels proliferated, and over time the Lowbrow image has stuck and it became a vacation haven for blue-color tourists, many from Canada. But since the late ’70s, when public drinking was banned, the town has slowly made changes to upgrade its image. In the late 1980s, it installed tasteful brick sidewalks and Victorian-style streetlights on the main drag. Then came an ordinance prohibiting cars from cruising congested downtown streets.

But banning loud motorcycles? Wayne Dube, who rides a 1961 Harley with a “Bar Hog” vanity plate, said the town’s weekly fireworks show and the train whistle on the new Amtrak train are equally noisy. Dube and his wife, who own the American Motorcycle shop, say it seems like some people want to turn Old Orchard into Kennebunkport, the well-heeled tourist retreat to the south. “It isn’t going to happen,” Robin Dube said.

BIKERS WITHOUT BORDERS TAKES MISSION ON THE ROAD Take two ambitious young men with the desire to help others, add in a love for motorcycles, and give them two brand-new Kawasaki KLR650s. The result is Bikers Without Borders (BWB), a non-profit organization comprised of two college-aged motorcycle enthusiasts, traveling through several countries and volunteering their time at non-profit organizations along the way.

Founding members James Mallory and Steven Wallstrom, aboard Kawasaki KLR650 dual-purpose motorcycles, will set out on a trip encompassing over 20,000 miles, eight months and 16 countries. After a stop at Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. headquarters, BWB will travel through Central and South America volunteering in hospitals, schools, missions and soup kitchens.

“There are many non-profit organizations in these countries desperately in need of volunteers. And, there are many folks such as ourselves who are willing to donate their time and energy but aren’t sure how to find where they can volunteer,” said Wallstrom, president of Bikers Without Borders. “The key is matching these two groups up, and that’s where BWB comes in. Our goal is to create a source of information for volunteers to get accurate information on the many groups in need of a helping hand.”

For more information about BWB or for periodic updates on the progress of their journey, visit .

WIERD NEWS OF THE MONTH: ST COLUMBANUS, PATRON SAINT OF BIKERS From the Old Country comes proof that if the almighty himself does not don the leathers and climb aboard his scooter, one of his representatives on Earth certainly does.

Step forward the “biking bishop”, as he is affectionately known in England, in the shape of Bishop John Oliver. This man of the cloth and leathers is a keen Harley fan and rides Milwaukee iron as well as a cross-section of other bikes whenever he gets the opportunity.

In fact, so serious is he about his biking that the biking bishop has secured permission from none other than the Pope to have one St. Columbanus to be officially named as the patron saint of bikers.

Robert Daines writes, in his European Harley News report for Thunder Press, that the inauguration took place in the Italian town of Bobbio, the final resting place for the man who will be looking after bikers from now on. Fittingly, the service was attended by Bishop Oliver and hundreds of his fellow bikers.

St. Columbanus was originally from Ireland and as a young man was somewhat of a “lady’s man.” To avoid the temptations of the flesh, he turned to religion and traveled the world doing numerous good deeds until his death in Italy in 1651.

As for all his good deeds on behalf of bikers around the word, the bishop was modesty itself. “Bikers need all the protection they can get,” he told the British press, “so this is undoubtedly a good thing.”

So the next time you take a tumble and find yourself dusting down your bike and feeling great to be alive, you will know who to thank.

HARLEY SIGNED BY GOVERNORS TO BENEFIT COLUMBIA FAMILIES A 100th anniversary Road Glide signed by all 50 state governors and President Bush will be auctioned off later this year to benefit the families of astronauts killed in the space shuttle Columbia disaster.

The project is the brainchild of Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne and Barry McCahill, who works in public relations with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. With the help of Harley-Davidson, the governor’s office contacted New York Myke of San Diego Harley-Davidson, and the plan began to come together.

Myke and his operations manager Fuzzy drove across the country for 50 hours straight with the bike to make it to the National Governors Meeting in Washington, D.C. in time to get all of the signatures.

“The President signed thinking it was a great idea,” said Governor Kempthorne. “They were all so excited-they were affirming with each signature their support for the families. It’s a gesture from the public of how much affection we have for our astronauts.”

For more information about this bike, log onto the National Science Center website at

QUOTABLE QUOTES “When will the world learn that a million men are of no importance compared with one man?”Henry David Thoreau, American author, poet and philosopher (1817-1862)

GUNNY’S BACK WITH NEWS ABOUT NO-PATRIOT ACT

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 or visit us on our website at

From TheGUNNY’S SACK

Time off: First off I want to apologize to those of you that missed the last issue of the Gunny’s Sack. The truth is the Sack didn’t get out because Gunny was on a 21 state 7000 mile motorcycle ride with his wife.

Left Redmond, Oregon at 12:30 PM on the first of May and got back home the evening of the twenty-seventh. We went to Milwaukee, WI for the National Coalition Of Motorcyclists Convention that took place the 8th to 11th of May. We stopped in Chicago and took delivery of our new “Aspen Classic” camp trailer for the bike. The thing has a KING sized bed in it when erected. All that and 25 cubes of cargo space too. Ahh, luxury for the old man.

To get to Milwaukee we crossed Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Nebraska, Wyoming, Iowa, Illinois, and into Wisconsin. NCOM: This 18th Annual Convention was one of the best I’ve ever attended and some of the information passed along to us was positively frightening. Namely, the PATRIOT Act and the possibility of the passage of PATRIOT II. If you attach any value to the freedom you have left in this country you will write your Congressmen and Senators NOW and voice your opposition to the stealing of your liberties by elected officials.

More on that later.

We left Wisconsin and continued to West “By God” Virginia via Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and down into West Virginia to visit my daughter and that bunch. I was blessed with seeing my grandson who just graduated from the Naval Academy and is now a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. Some kinda proud of him I am.

We left from there continuing to Bakersfield, California crossing West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and into California. Spent a few days at my brother’s place and enjoyed the wedding of my Granddaughter there. From there home to Oregon, winding up a fantastic month.

We hit some of the worst storms I’ve ever experienced. The first was the back end of the storm that did so much tornado damage all through the Nebraska, Kansas, and Alabama. We got past that and coming out of West Virginia we were rained on for four days all the way to Oklahoma. One day we had to stop after only forty miles because it was raining so hard I couldn’t see the road. Shawnee, Oklahoma was the last of the rain and then it got HOT, poor Sue doesn’t do heat well so she paid the fiddler for the next three days getting to Bakersfield. It was 109 in Needles, Ca. when we got there. Bakersfield was just as hot, so she spent a lot of time indoors and I spend some time soaking up a lot of my brothers beer at his hangar home there on the Bakersfield Airpark. Brothers and sisters, I’d load up tomorrow morning and do it again if I had the bucks to do it. Sue says the same thing.

We no more than got home and had to rush to Forest Grove, OR to attend to our daughter-in-law ,who was pregnant with her first child, and Sue’s first natural Grandbaby. Angie was in trouble with the pregnancy and wound up with a beautiful 29-week baby girl weighing just one pound eleven ounces. Mom and child doing very well. Mom’s home and visiting the infant twice a day for feedings and whatever else it is that moms do with little guys. Pop is working his way though the whole thing, kind of bewildered, but OK.

Granddad will live but not sure about Grammaw. She’s a mess. The upshot of the whole thing was we decided a move back to the Forest Grove area was indeed necessary.

So away we went and in just a few days I find myself moved back to the Willamette Valley. Thank God for the Washington County ABATE of Oregon members who helped us unload at the new house. All this in the Gunny’s life in less than 40 days. Anyone want to follow me around for the next few months to see what else can happen when you’re not lookin?

NEWSBIT’N’PIECES:

REPEAL THE USA PATRIOT ACTAll over the country early in July there will be public hearings concerning the USA PATRIOT Act. You all need to be aware of the dangerous precedent this madness represents.

On Oct. 26, 2001, our Congress passed the most far-reaching snatch of liberty from the American people ever passed. Never in the history of this nation has a law been passed so quickly. It took only 11 days for this to take place. That is record time for our Congress to act on anything. The events on 9/11 took the good sense out of our leaders and we need to bring it to a screeching halt before our country winds up like Europe did in the days of Hitler’s rise to power.

These are just part of what this thing does to every citizen of this country not just bikers. You can bet, however, we are the most immediate targets available.

1) Eliminates FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION: Government may monitor religious, labor, and political institutions without having to suspect criminal activity, if it is to assist “terror” investigation.

2) FREEDOM OF INFORMATION: Government has closed once-public immigration hearings, has secretly detained hundreds of people without charges, and has encouraged bureaucrats to resist public records requests.

3) FREEDOM OF SPEECH: Government may prosecute librarians or keepers of any other records, if they tell anyone that the government subpoenaed information related to a terror investigation.

4) RIGHT TO LEGAL REPRESENTATION: Government may monitor federal prison jailhouse conversations between attorneys and clients, and deny lawyers to American citizens accused of crimes.

5) FREEDOM FROM UNREASONABLE SEARCHES: Government may search and seize Americans’ personal records, business documents and telephone/internet activity records without probable cause, to assist alleged terror investigations.

6) RIGHT TO A SPEEDY AND PUBLIC TRIAL: Government may jail Americans indefinitely without a trial.

7) RIGHT TO LIBERTY: Americans may be jailed without being charged or being able to confront the witnesses against them.

What you have just read is just a sample of what your government has up it’s sleeve besides the arm. If you aren’t shaken by these words, I don’t know what to tell you except bend over and kiss your sweet patootee goodbye.

BOISE, IDAHO: Recently here a motorcycle officer jumped aboard a runaway locomotive and was instrumental in stopping the thing. Can you imagine the adrenalin rush this guy had going? WOW! No one was hurt but it could have been disastrous. Kudos to the Cop.

PHILADELPHIA, PENN. : The city is tired of kids without licenses driving motorized scooters on sidewalks and streets without regard to pedestrian traffic. They passed a resolution with teeth that can result in the confiscations of the scoot being illegally ridden by non-licensed drivers. Not too sure I blame them on this one. Some kid on a motorized scooter runs into me on the sidewalk and I just might have a word or two with him if ya know what I mean.

SAN JOSE, CA: A biker here was apparently the victim of a road rage incident that left him paralyzed from the neck down when a man rammed him from the rear. The guy that caused the wreck is being sought by police and will be charged with attempted homicide and assault with a deadly weapon. Hope they catch this guy and lock his butt up for a long, long time. There is no place for road rage in this country. There was a witness to the incident so they should get this clown soon. Our best to the injured biker.

GUNNY AGAIN: Glad to be back and remember the Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (AIM) attorneys are the ones who take care of us so call yours if you find yourself with any legal problem. They will help you. Call 1-800-ON-A-BIKE and get hooked up, or look on the web at www.ON-A-BIKE.com.

Keep the round side on the bottom.
–Gunny, Oregon’s AIM Chief of Staff