December 15, 2004
By Bandit |
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
COAST TO COAST BIKER NEWS
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists
U.S. SENATE APPROVES BILL TO END HEALTH INSURANCE DISCRIMINATION– Legislation aimed at closing a discriminatory loophole in medical insurance has passed the U.S. Senate and will now go to the House of Representatives for consideration.
S.423, entitled Health Care Parity for Legal Transportation, was authored by Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Russ Feingold (D-WI). The measure would prohibit insurers from denying health care benefits to insured’s who are injured while participating in so-called “risky activities” such as riding motorcycles, ATVs, horseback riding, snowmobiling, skiing or other legal recreational or transportation activities.
“Americans who enjoy recreational or transportation activities such as riding motorcycles should have the right to the same health insurance protection whether they are injured on their bike or in their home,” said co-author Sen. Collins.
Congress had passed the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) back in 1996, which prohibits companies from denying access to employer-sponsored health insurance for motorcyclists and others, but federal regulators created a loophole that allows insurers to deny benefits to those injured as a result of their participation in certain activities. In other words, your employer is required to provide you with health care insurance, but your health insurance company is not required to provide medical benefits!
On November 21, 2004, the United States Senate acted to close this loophole before adjourning from session. S.423 will now be considered before the House, where a companion bill, HR 1749 was introduced by Representatives Scott McCinnis (R-CO) and Ted Strickland (D-OH).
The National Coalition of Motorcyclists encourages all concerned riders and Motorcyclists’ Rights Organizations to contact their Congressional representatives and urge them to support S.423 to end these discriminatory health care practices.
PENNSYLVANIA STIFFENS PENALTIES FOR CARELESS DRIVING– On December 8, 2004, Governor Ed Rendell signed HB 873 into law, which establishes increased penalties for those convicted of careless driving that results in serious injury or death.
Under heavy lobbying by ABATE of Pennsylvania, the legislation passed near-unanimously through both chambers of the legislature.
House Bill 873 will establish an increased fine of $500 and a 6-month license suspension for persons convicted of careless driving when the offender unintentionally causes the death of another person. Careless driving offenses that result in serious bodily injury to another person would carry a $250 fine and a three-month license suspension.
“If a tragedy occurs because of a driver’s careless action, even though those actions were unintentional, then there should be serious consequences,” said Representative Rick Geist, who chairs the House Transportation Committee. “We have to reinforce the notion that drivers must be alert and responsible behind the wheel. Tragic things can happen in an instant if you aren’t.”
Previously, a conviction of careless driving resulted only in a fine of $25 plus cost and fees, as well as three points on the person’s driving record. No further penalties existed in the event of a death or serious injury occurring as a result of this violation.
“All things considered we fared well in the 2003-2004 legislative session,” points out ABATE Legislative Coordinator John Mullendore, who also serves on the NCOM Board of Directors, “including the passage of the helmet modification bill and the passage of the Veterans motorcycle license plates. We also realized the discount given to motorcycles that used the E-Z pass on the turnpike.”
MINI-MOTORCYCLES “DANGEROUS” GIFTS– Lots of kids are asking Santa for a new bike this Holiday season, but before you park a pocket bike under your Christmas tree you should know that they’re not a recommended toy for your tot.
Just in time for the holidays, WATCH has released its annual “Most Dangerous Toys” list for 2004. World Against Toys Causing Harm, Inc., or WATCH, has published the worst-toys list since 1968 to educate the public about the dangers of certain toys, and Pocket Rockets top this year’s roll of most dangerous toys.
In fact, Consumer Reports magazine calls the mini-motorcycles the most dangerous holiday gift you can buy this year.
They may look cool, and they’re a hot seller this Christmas season, but Consumer Reports engineers found the faster they go the less stable the bikes feel.
“At 20 miles-per-hour, it’s hard to hold a straight course. And once you put on the brakes, it takes 20 feet to come to a stop,” reports the top consumer magazine, “Making tight turns is another problem, as they don’t have a very large turning radius. As a result, you have to pick the bike up and turn it around.”
You’re not supposed to ride mini-motorcycles on the road, adds the report, but people do. And compared to other vehicles, these bikes sit very low to the ground. That makes them tough to spot from a car or truck.
Bottom line: Consumer Reports, says they’re too dangerous to give as holiday gifts.
Their advice: If your teen wants a mini motorcycle for the holidays, try talking about electric scooters instead. They’re fast and fun, too, but lower to the ground and safer.
FLYING DUTCHMAN MOTORCYCLE– We’ve all heard of flying cars in our future, but now the Dutch firm Spark Design has announced even stranger news – a flying motorcycle, which may be available sooner than you’d think.
Spark Design claims the vehicle – which looks like a cross between a helicopter and a full-fairing bike – will be able to take off and land vertically and reach 125mph both on land and in the air.
The rotor and propeller are folded until the machine needs to fly. Once airborne, the rear-mounted propeller pushes the craft along and the unpowered main rotor spins to give the craft lift. It is designed to fly under the 4,000ft threshold used by commercial aircraft.
The company, that has worked on products as disparate as the Carver (a three-wheeled enclosed motorbike that leans over in corners), parts for coffee pots, and handicap bathroom door handles, says the flying motorcycle could be ready for test flights in less than a year. The machine will be made in Canada mainly for the U.S. market.
“SMART” HELMET GIVES MOTORCYCLISTS A HEADS UP– A “smart” helmet has been invented that tells the wearer how fast they are traveling, what gear the motorcycle is in and whether turn signal indicators are on. The new device, inspired by the Heads-Up Display technology used by fighter pilots, flashes information onto a small digital screen inside the helmet.
Piers Tucker, a 24-year-old industrial designer from Leeds, England, who invented the helmet in an effort to promote road safety, claims that the screen – which is within the rider’s peripheral vision – will allow motorcyclists to monitor their speed without taking their eyes off the road.
“I designed this helmet to save lives,” he said. “When you are riding a motorcycle at a fast speed, it is difficult to concentrate on the displays on the dashboard and the roads at the same time.”
The helmet calculates the rider’s precise speed by utilizing satellite global positioning data (GPS), while information about the indicators and gears is sent to the helmet by radio transmitters.
Tucker, who is not a motorcyclist himself, claims that if the helmet proves popular with riders, dashboard dials could disappear from motorcycles altogether. “It takes about 0.25 seconds to look down, focus on a speedometer and refocus on the road again. This doesn’t sound like much but it can make the difference between life and death.”
Ian Mutch, of the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG-UK), which campaigns on safety issues and is a member group of the International Coalition of Motorcyclists (ICOM), said that it would be cheaper and safer if motorcyclists simply rode at slower speeds.
“Bikers who want avoid accidents should take greater care, but an illuminated screen could be a distraction in itself,” he said.
JAPANESE MULL MOTORCYCLE PASSENGER LAW– The military newspaper Stars and Stripes reported on December 3rd that “Japanese officials have yet to decide how to implement for status-of-forces-agreement personnel a revised law allowing motorcyclists to carry one passenger on certain freeways.”
Under the traffic law revised in June, motorcyclists 20 or older who have had a motorcycle license for more than three years will be allowed to ride double on freeways, according to a National Police Agency spokesman. The implementation date was set Tuesday for April 1.
Because SOFA personnel are exempt from obtaining a Japanese driver’s license, Japanese officials say they must figure out a way to implement the rule for them.
Riding double on motorcycles was banned in 1965 after a series of accidents by motorcyclists riding double on freeways. The law was revised following motorcyclists’ increased demand to use freeways and their complaints about the inconvenience of traveling long distances when not able to use freeways.
TAXPAYERS LIABLE FOR JANKLOW’S FATAL ACCIDENT– Former U.S. Rep. Bill Janklow from South Dakota will not have to pay any money out of his own pocket for the accident that killed 55-year-old Hardwick, MN motorcyclist Randy Scott, resulting in Janklow being convicted of second-degree manslaughter and other lesser charges.
The lawyer representing Scott’s family announced November 29th that he will let stand a federal judge’s ruling that Janklow was on duty Aug. 16, 2003, when the Cadillac he was driving sped through a stop sign near rural Trent, SD and caused the fatal collision with Scott’s Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
That means federal taxpayers, not Janklow, would pay any monetary awards from a wrongful death lawsuit because Janklow is covered by the Federal Tort Claims Act, which protects federal employees from negligence claims when they’re on duty.
The federal judge now will dismiss the civil lawsuit against Janklow and the Scott family will file a new claim against the U.S. government, specifically the U.S. House of Representatives.
Scott’s mother, sister, son and daughter initially sued Janklow in Minnesota state court, but the U.S. attorney in Minnesota concluded Janklow was on official business and should be covered by the government, so the case was moved to federal court. The family appealed, but two federal judges affirmed the original ruling.
The Scott family wanted the case returned to state court so they could collect more money through punitive damages, something not allowed if the case remained in federal court. Now, they will only be able to collect actual losses, such as pain and suffering and loss of companionship.
Janklow, 65, was elected to the House in 2002 after serving 16 years as governor. He resigned from Congress in January, spent 100 days in jail for the criminal convictions and paid a fine.
WORLD’S FASTEST INDIAN– Oscar winning actor Sir Anthony Hopkins will star in “The World’s Fastest Indian,” the true-life story of Burt Munro, a New Zealander who spent several decades constructing a 1920 Indian Motorcycle, then traveled to Utah and set a new land-speed record back in the 70’s. Roger Donaldson, director of “The Recruit” is using his own writing and is directing the project.
WEIRD NEWS – DUCATI “MONSTER” DOOMED?– The “Monster Garage” cable television series, Monster.com, Disney’s “Monsters, Inc.” the “Monsters of the Midway” Chicago Bears’ nickname, and a host of other enterprises that use the word “monster” have found themselves named in lawsuits and trademark infringement claims filed by Monster Cable Products, Inc.
Even the Monster Seats above Fenway Park’s left field wall have been targeted in what Monster Cable officials say is an aggressive legal strategy to protect the firm’s good name. “We have an obligation to protect our trademark; otherwise we’d lose it,” said Monster Cable founder Noel Lee, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.
The cable mogul is preparing for a trial against the Discovery Channel over their popular “Monster Garage” series starring custom bike builder Jesse James, because the show uses images of “provocative women” and an iron cross logo that could tarnish Monster Cable’s image. QUOTABLE QUOTE: “The one who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the one who is doing it.”
Ancient Chinese Proverb
From TheGUNNY’S SACK–
This year of 2004 has gone by at warp speed, it seems to me, but with some greatmemories already. We had some fantastic Toy Runs recently, with thousands ofriders turning out to support needy kids! Our Oregon Confederation of Clubs(COC) is alive and well and flourishing. We’ve all been busy with theorganizations that make up our motorcycle community. Hopefully, we’ll have agood motorcycling year this year, too. I know I’d like to ride more than I didlast year.
Safety is again on my mind as we move through the winter months. Now is the timeto do all the nasty little maintenance things we have put off, so we could rideinstead. If you’re NOT in one of those WARM states, it’s a ritual we?ve becomeaccustomed to. Be sure to check those tires. They may be getting a littletired. Brakes and clutches and all the other hundreds of parts that make thosescooters run, all need attention, and look for loose nuts and bolts.
Let’s not forget the person in the saddle, either. Just maybe, it’s time to takeanother riding course, so when winter is behind us we aren’t behind theeight-ball when we get the scoots out in the spring. For those who rideyear-round, the safe riding courses are just that much more important. I don’tcare who you are or how many years you’ve been in the saddle, riding courses aregood insurance. They sharpen us up when it comes to the all the hazards we dealwith on the road. Do yourself a favor by taking a course this year. You’ll besurprised how much you will learn, and it can keep you in one piece on the road.
Remember my motto: KEEP THE ROUND SIDE ON THE BOTTOM! That’s what it’s all about
NEWSBITS ?N’ PIECES:
LOS ANGELES, CA: For those of you with cell phones and bored sittin’ around thehouse on nasty days this winter, there is a new virtual motorcycle game out justfor you. It’s called “Ducati Extreme,” by MFORMA. It’s a racing game for youspeed freaks. Play it on your cell phone! Don’t ask me HOW, though, and pleasedon?t do it while you?re driving!
Europe: TONS OF NEW STUFF that will be for sale, at least in Europe. Lookee…
Moto Morini is back with a planned 87-degree V-twin 996 cc engine; scheduled forrelease as a 2006 model.
Yamaha is now testing an electric fuel cell motorcycle
KTM is releasing a 950cc, 98 hp super-moto, based on the V-twin Adventure trailbike.
MZ has a 95 hp naked street-fighter version of its twin cylinder 1000Ssport-bike.
Honda is coming out with a V5 Blackbird replacement. This thing issaid to have 190 hp, an electronic steering damper, traction control, andelectronically controlled brakes. Next thing we know we won’t have to ride atall. Just get on’em and sit there while the scoot does all the work.
U.S.A. MOTORCYCLE SALES: Triumph reports 104% increase in U.S. sales in May2004, compared to last year. This doesn’t include sales of the Thruxton andRocket III. ONE of ?em has that new 2300 cc motor!
WOMAN RIDERS: They arecatching up with us, guys. And I, for one, am thrilled! Welcome aboard, and ridesafe. Turns out that they ARE, in fact, safer riders with fewer accidents. Theytake rider courses seriously. Women motorcycle riders have increased by 34%since 1998.
BIKE SALES STILL UP IN THE USA: From an article in USA Today, we see that bikesare still hot! Sales jumped 111% between 1998 and 2002; They say motorcyclesales are up another 6.4%, to 996,000 bikes sold in the US in 2003; and that’sthe 11th consecutive year of increased sales.
HARLEY versus DUCATI: Another stat from that USA Today article: Ducati saystheir sales are down 20% from last year; meanwhile, Harley sales are up 20%.Maybe it’s time the DUC came up with a V4 cruiser. Ya think?
Two-wheel drive! It’s back! After showing up on a Yamaha R-series last year,it’s now on a Yamaha dirt bike. Might be interesting to ride one of thesecritters. Anyone who has, I bet the other Sack readers would like to know. Shootme your comments.
ABC NEWS… Is claiming that motorcyclists use more taxpayer dollars than othermembers of society to pay their medical bills. Why don’t they research stuffbefore they put it out to the public?
DIESEL MOTORCYCLES: Yes, they do exist! Royal Enfield has a “Taurus” Diesel.The 2001 Kawasaki KLR650 has a Diesel conversion. They also have a militaryversion. BMW also has converted an R100RT to diesel power. Maybe it’s a goodthing. Diesel fuel is usually less expensive. It just smells funny.
GUNNY AGAIN: The Aid to Injured Motorcyclist membership cards we carry in ourwallets guarantee we have access to QUICK legal help if we are injured in anaccident or are in some other kind of legal sling. If you don’t have yours getwith your local AIM people or call the AIM number below and we will make sureyou get one, free. Our AIM attorneys are networked across this country. When youdecide to use an attorney the choice should be very simple. Why hire any otherattorney when you can get the combined brain power of about sixty AIM attorneys?
If you carry the AIM card, you are never bound to use our guys. The number tocall is 1-800-ON-A-BIKE.
Take advantage of the expertise these folks have tooffer you. Whether it’s about the AIM specialties, which are personal injurycases of all kinds ? bike accidents in particular ? our AIM criminal defensearm, or you just have a legal question, they’ll do their level best to call youback with an answer, or at LEAST point you in the right direction! I tell ya,these guys are the bees? knees. Have a GREAT new year, and…
Keep the round side on the bottom.
Gunny, Oregon’s AIM Chief of Staff
November 23, 2004
By Bandit |
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists
THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE is brought to you by Aid to InjuredMotorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), andis sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. For more information, callus at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit us on our website at <
KILLERS AMONG US– New motorcycle registrations have continuously increased since1990, which means more riders on the road, but at the same time motorcyclecrashes are down. This good news is compounded by a 47% drop in injuryinvolvement from 1990 through 1998 when it began to rise, though even in 2001the rate was still 30% lower than in 1990. However, now for the bad news;motorcycle fatalities are way up, and have doubled in the past five years to nowequal the 1990 fatality rate.
The reason for this dramatic increase goes far beyond the simple formula: moremotorcycles = more fatalities. In a recent Special Report written by Wendy Moonfor Motorcycle Consumer News, the author looks deep into the numbers andexplains that this epidemic is more than just a function of the numbers. In1990 there was 1 fatality in 37 crashes, but now it’s 1 fatality in 22 crashes ?a rise in crash-to-fatality rate of 40.5%.
While safetycrats insist that this is a result of more states easing helmetrequirements, NHTSA’s “Recent Trends in Motorcycle Fatalities” states thathelmet use in all motorcycle fatalities has increased from 43% to 53% from1998-2001, even though more states did not require adult helmet usage.
Speed and engine size are also not to blame for the increased motorcyclistfatality rate. Speed-related motorcycle fatalities have dropped from 41% in1998 to 38% in 2002, and states with higher posted limits have the lowestpercentage of motorcycle fatalities.
Booze-blaming also doesn’t hold water, because alcohol-involved rider fatalitieshave fallen from 40% in 1990 to 28% in 1999.
All in all, considering the decline in crashes despite the increase in ridershipdemonstrates that today’s motorcyclists are more educated, better trained andsafer than ever before!
So, what’s the answer? What has changed since 1990 to account for such adramatic increase in motorcyclist fatalities?
According to MCN, the one thing that explains why more die while less areinjured is the radical change in the traffic mix. Specifically, since 1990, thelight truck vehicle (LTV) market, which includes Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs),has increased 200 times and now represents approximately 50% of new passengervehicle sales!
In 2002, car vs. motorcycle accidents claimed the lives of 662 motorcyclists,but that same year LTV vs. motorcycle accidents killed 645 bikers. Now, to putthis in perspective, passenger cars outnumber SUVs by a margin of 3-1!Therefore, LTVs are enormously over-represented in fatal motorcycle accidents.
These LTV-related accidents are referred to as “mismatch crashes” and explainswhy more of those collisions are fatal. This mismatch has been well documentedin terms of the danger to passenger car occupants involved in collisions withLTVs, as size, bumper height, frontal geometry, frame stiffness and masscontribute to a lethal combination. So it’s not just that there are more LTVson the road today, but that it’s their design that creates the ultimate mismatchwith motorcycles.
So, the next time legislators call for a mandatory helmet law, ask ’em what theydrive!
HELMET REPEAL PASSES MICHIGAN HOUSE– A bill to amend Michigan’s 38-year oldmandatory helmet law was passed by the House, but the leader of the Senate hasstated that the bill will not be taken up before the end of session.HB-4325, sponsored by Representative Leon Drolet, was approved by the MichiganHouse of Representatives by a vote of 69-37 on November 10th, and the bill nowgoes over to the Senate where it has a companion bill, S-321, sponsored bySenator Alan Cropsey.Bikers over 21 who’ve been licensed to ride a motorcycle for at least two yearsand finished a safety course wouldn’t have to wear a helmet under the bill,which must pass the Senate and be signed by the governor before becoming law.
CHICAGO DROPS HELMET PROPOSAL, BUT MAY CONFISCATE NOISY BIKES– Motorcyclistspacked the Chicago City Council transportation committee meeting as cityofficials were preparing to consider Alderman Burke’s proposal for a city-widehelmet requirement, but were informed that the proposed ordinance had been pulled.
Alderman Allen, chairman of the committee, gave no explanation as to why theordinance was pulled, but before the committee adjourned, he did commit toinforming ABATE of Illinois in advance should the proposal be placed back on theagenda at a later date.
However, Alderman Natarus, who reportedly “will never like ABATE”, has agreed toconsider an equally bad ordinance that would allow the city to confiscatemotorcycles for noise violations. ABATE is scheduled to meet with AldermanNatarus about this ordinance after the veto session.
ILLINOIS BIKERS SUE OVER DISCRIMINATION– Two Chicago-area motorcyclists aresuing a Cary marina and restaurant, alleging workers there curtailed their freespeech rights by denying them service because of their biker attire.
The bikers wore jackets displaying motorcycle club insignia, and workers at theBroken Oar Marina in Cary, IL and its adjoining restaurant told them they wouldnot serve them unless they removed their colors, co-plaintiff Peter James said.
“What if I found a Bulls jacket offensive?” plaintiff James said.
James, of suburban Brookfield, and Scott Patterson, also of suburban Chicago,are seeking $20,000 in damages from the business for violations of their FirstAmendment rights to free speech and expression.
The complaint, filed in McHenry County court, says James and Patterson went tothe Broken Oar in September 2002 after a ride. James said other motorcyclistswere on the ride, too, and they all stopped at the Broken Oar. Employees parkedthe group’s bikes.
“We got inside and they said, ‘We can’t serve you. If you go back and take yourvests off we would consider serving you,'” James said. “It’s gotten to the pointthat we’re not going to stand for this anymore.”
James wore a jacket with the Outlaws Motorcycle Club emblem on it. Pattersonbelongs to Brothers Rising. Other bikers in the group, who are not a party tothe lawsuit, wore insignia from their clubs, which include religious and clean &sober clubs.
The groups are members of the Northern Illinois Confederation of Clubs, whichaims to end discrimination against motorcyclists. James is chairman of theconfederation.
James said he believes motorcyclists are discriminated against because lostpeople just don’t understand their lifestyle. He said businesses and thegeneral public should overcome stereotypes left over from decades ago aboutmotorcycle clubs.
“We are the last truly free Americans,” James said.
CRUISE CONTROL– When Tom Cruise shaped up for his next action flick, he did iton one wheel. According to Rolling Stone Magazine, Cruise checked into racinglegend Keith Code’s “On One Wheel” wheelie school at Willow SpringsInternational Raceway in Rosamond, California in June to hone his alreadyterrific wheelie skills in preparation for the filming of Mission Impossible 3.
“Tom was a good rider already. He has a great combination of bravery andcontrol, just like in his films,” says Whitney Fair, director of the school.”He’s already just about good enough to enter stunt contests. The idea was toget to the next action level on the motorcycle and, in his usual go-for-itstyle, he did!”
School founder and instructor, Keith Code, says, “Doing wheelies ranks high onthe list of the most frivolous and decadent things in the history of Mankind butI look at it from the perspective of skill and control.”
The highlight of the school is Code’s invention, the Wheelie Training Bike. Theschool’s Triumph Speed Triples are equipped with two anti flip-over devices. Anadjustable microswitch kills one of the three cylinders while the other appliesthe rear brake. Both devices are adjustable and can produce the desired heightof the wheelie.
“Your eyes will pop out of your head when it goes up–butflipping it won’t be easy,” says Code.
WORLD’S FASTEST INDIAN– Oscar winning actor Sir Anthony Hopkins will star in”The World’s Fastest Indian,” the true-life story of Burt Munro, a New Zealanderwho spent several decades constructing a 1920 Indian Motorcycle, then traveledto Utah and set a new land-speed record back in the 70’s. Roger Donaldson,director of “The Recruit” is using his own writing and is directing the project.
WEIRD NEWS: HELMETS DOWN UNDER– A recent court case may force Australian cowboysto wear helmets. Officials in New South Wales have charged a ranch owner overthe death of a rider who fell off a horse, and safety advocates insist he shouldhave had a helmet on.
The rancher’s conviction is creating controversy in the Australian Outback, andcowboy hats for the jackaroos may be heading for the history books.
A ranch manager says the only time he’s ever known the cowboys to wear helmetswas when they were riding motorbikes, and the president of a farmer’s group toldthe Associated Press (AP) that replacing the broad-brimmed hats with helmetscould increase skin cancer and heat stroke. But others dismiss that argument,saying it’s possible to come up with a hard hat that has a broad brim.
LEAKY MOTORCYCLE DESTROYS HOME — The Pasadena Fire Marshal’s Office hasdetermined that a motorcycle with a possible gasoline leak is the cause of afire which led to the destruction of a home and a garage and damaged aneighboring home.
Arson investigators discovered two motorcycles inside the garage, and thehomeowner had been working on the carburetor of one of the motorcycles. Apossible fuel leak may have caused the gasoline vapors to spread to the waterheater that was inside the garage where the fire originated, according to TheCitizen Reporter, a Texas newspaper.
So if you’re working on your bike, do so in a well-ventilated area. If you’restoring your bike over the winter, make sure your fuel petcock is turned off!
QUOTABLE QUOTE: “If you expect to be ignorant and free, you expect somethingthat never was, and never will be.”
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), Third President of the United States
October 17, 2004
By Bandit |
THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE is brought to you by Aid to InjuredMotorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), andis sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. For more information, callus at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit us on our website at < NCOM COAST TO COAST BIKER NEWS HELMET LAW PROPOSED IN CHICAGO Motorcyclists would be required to wear helmetswhen they ride through the Windy City if local politicians get their way. Acity-wide helmet law has been proposed by Alderman Edward Burke to combat a risein fatal motorcycle accidents, and Mayor Richard Daley is backing the measurebut wants to extend the requirement to include bicycle riders and skaters. ABATE of Illinois has cautioned the Chicago City Council to think twice aboutenacting a helmet law within its city limits, citing a 1999 law that states, “Nounit of local government, including a home-rule unit, may enact any ordinancerequiring motorcycle users to wear protective head gear.” Ald. Burke said that if Chicago can mandate that bicycle messengers wear helmetsand bright-colored safety vests, then the city can use its sweeping home-ruleauthority to mandate that motorcycle riders wear helmets. Mayor Daley stated that the city should do what the state legislature has failedto do, and that it should not only be a law for motorcycle riders to wear ahelmet, but that a helmet requirement should be put in insurance policies. “Youshould not get an insurance policy unless you have it,” Daley said. “How do youget insurance to ride a motorcycle without a helmet?” “We understand that recent tragic events are spurring the city council to ‘dosomething’ about motorcycle safety,” said ABATE spokesperson Cheryl Pearre. “However, we find it unfortunate that the council has chosen to antagonize thestate’s many thousands of responsible riders with this proposed ordinance. Excessive speed, reckless driving, and alcohol all factored into the incidentsleading up to this proposed ordinance. ABATE of Illinois believes strongly thateducation and vigorous enforcement of existing traffic laws speaks more directlyto the problem of irresponsible ridership than does a helmet law.” “In 1999, the General Assembly saw the wisdom in preempting local jurisdictionover helmet use,” continued Pearre. “If the Chicago City Council ignores thepreemption statute and passes a local helmet use ordinance, ABATE of Illinoiswill employ the legal and legislative means necessary to ensure that state lawis enforced, and that the rights of responsible motorcyclists are preserved.” NUDE RIDER DIES DOING STUNT It’s no wonder that motorcycle fatality statisticsare on the increase when you consider the rising popularity of “extreme” streetriding, with sport bike riders performing wheelies, stoppies and other highspeed antics on public roadways, often hot-dogging for the camera. Holding ItBig Entertainment specializes in filming such street stunts, but the companypresident is now facing charges of reckless endangerment and negligent drivingstemming from a rider’s fatal wheelie. On Sept 12, 21-year-old Shaun P. Matlockof Frederick, MD died when he was performing a wheelie, riding without pants,and crashed into a tow truck parked on US 340. Matlock’s bike and helmet bore logos reading “Holding It Big”, and the presidentof the Baltimore-based company, Benjamin M. Meacham, 22, of Frederick, wasallegedly driving in a nearby vehicle videotaping the fatal ride, and then latererased the tape before police could confiscate it. He was charged under aprovision stating that anyone who induces, causes, coerces, permits or directsanother person to commit a traffic violation also is guilty of the violation,Frederick County State’s Attorney Scott Rolle said. Another bare-bottomed rider, Brandon M. Edwards, 21, of Ijamsville, who also wasallegedly doing wheelies for the camera, was charged Sept. 20 with recklessdriving, negligent driving, driving on a learner’s permit without the requiredsupervision, and indecent exposure. Trooper David Ward, who investigated the case, said the only explanation he hasheard for the lack of pants was “they wanted to do something they didn’t thinkanybody had done before.” MOTORCYCLE SALES ROARING ALONG The U.S. motorcycle industry, spurred by theimpressive success of Harley-Davidson, has grown steadily in each of the last 11years, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council. This year, it’s booming. “Sales are at an all-time-record high, all brands, all styles,” said JohnWyckoff, a longtime industry consultant who regularly calls 60 dealers a weekand says all are running 10 percent to 50 percent ahead of last year in sales.”It just took off like a flying goose,” he told the Associated Press in a recentinterview. “I’ve been in the business all my life and I keep as close as I can to it,”Wyckoff said. “It’s a phenomenon I don’t really understand. It’s just amazing.” According to the Motorcycle Industry Council, a not-for-profit national tradeassociation based in California, sales of new motorcycles rose 6.4 percent to996,000 in 2003. “This is a generation that refuses to age. That’s at the core of this. ‘I’m notan old man or woman and here’s the proof,'” said Chick Hancock, aHarley-Davidson dealer in Albuquerque, N.M., who initially feared an oversupplywhen Harley announced it would increase production 8 percent this year. “Evenwith horrendous weather in the East, things are looking good.” Even for motorcycles that haven’t been ridden in a while, the resale value isgoing up in the used-bike market, according to Frank Wal, who works at tradeshows for BMW. “People are looking for cheap transportation, fuel economy, thattype of thing. You’re seeing a lot more motorcycles being sold that probably satin the garage the last two or three years. It’s putting a lot more bikes on theroad.” MADE IN CHINA China is gearing up to become the world’s largest manufacturer ofsport bikes, with Chinese marque Jialing set to produce two million bikes peryear! Jialing is the first Chinese company to work with a foreign motorcyclecompany, Honda, and has it’s own town, Jialing Industrial Town, which covers twosquare miles and has a population of 30,000. TRAINING FILM FREE WITH EVERY BIKE Now here’s a great idea from across thepond, where the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCI) is planning to produce arider training DVD that will be distributed with new motorcycles in England. The safety DVD will be issued with all new bikes purchased at franchiseddealerships to educate newbie riders about safer motorcycling in a moderndocumentary format. AMERICAN BIKER With all the biker reality shows, documentaries and travelogueson the air these days, it’s refreshing to finally view a video that not onlytraces the beginnings of modern motorcycling but also explores the rich historyof the motorcyclists’ rights movement. “American Biker” is a 3 hour tour frompast to present, chronicling the history, life style and culture of the AmericanBiker. This unique documentary features interviews with politicians, authors, lawenforcement, celebrities, and motorcycle clubs from all over America, including;Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, Easyriders, NCOM, AMA, ABATE, MMA, theConfederation of Clubs, Peter Fonda, Arlen Ness, Jesse James, Chuck Zito and “acast of hundreds”. American Biker also features original footage from Daytona, Sturgis, Hollisterand Rolling Thunder. VHS and DVD’s are available for $19.95 + $2.95 shipping and handling fromGuerrilladocs, 4804 Laurel Canyon Blvd. #513, Valley Village, CA 91607, or orderonline at www.guerrilladocs.com/site/html/american_biker.html. WEIRD NEWS OF THE MONTH: OFFICER’S DISGUSTING DISGUISE It wasn’t too difficultfor protesters at the Republican National Convention to figure out that a groupof bikers following them around were actually undercover cops, but in amisguided effort to conceal his identity, one officer wore a provocative stickeron his helmet that has led to an even louder protest. “Loud Wives Lose Lives,”was the officer’s choice of slogan, a play on a popular biker saying, but thecrowd wasn’t amused. According to the New York Times, armed with a photo of the officer, the New YorkCivil Liberties Union has sent a letter to the police commissioner asking that”prompt action be taken” to address the matter, especially given several recentdeadly episodes of domestic violence against women in the New York region. But to the New York Police Department, wearing the sticker was a routine part ofundercover work. “It’s like saying that an undercover narcotics officer whowears a coke spoon is promoting cocaine use when just the opposite is true,”said Paul J. Browne, the department’s chief spokesman. It is the latest episode in the back and forth between civil libertarians andthe police as the courts wrestle with the handling of protesters before, duringand after the convention. “It’s unfortunate that the Police Department is taking that position,” saidDonna Lieberman, the executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union.”Whatever his function, there is no excuse for a police officer on officialbusiness to be a proponent of domestic violence or other violence against women.There are other ways to disguise yourself without this hateful message.” In their letter to the Police Department, the civil liberties lawyers asked thatthe message, and any similar ones, be removed from police equipment and thatthose responsible be disciplined. Referring to the controversial sticker, Mr. Browne said, “Undercover officersoften adopt personas to include garb that reflects neither their personal northe department’s sentiments but to reinforce the guise that they are not policeofficers.” He added that “offensive as this saying is,” it is not uncommon in”misogynistic biker slang emblazoned on clothing, jewelry and equipment.” In this case, though, the attempt to avoid being recognized as a police officerappears to have failed. According to one witness, a high school teacher namedMike Schwartz, the march “was followed by a group of undercover cops onmotorcycles who looked like they belonged in a bad biker movie,” highlightingthe officer with the offensive sticker. ROBOCOP ON WHEELS The Waukee, Iowa Police Department is looking to purchase aBikeBot. The BikeBot is a robotic motorcycle cop that can be operated by remotecontrol and can speak in-sync with the operator. The BikeBot costs $5,000 andwould be used in demonstrations at area schools. A police spokesman said thatstudents react well to the machine as it is used to give safety lessons andother information. KRYPTONITE NOT SO SUPER, MAN The U-Shaped steel locks that bikers andbicyclists have relied upon for years to thwart thieves has been picked apart,quite literally, by an Internet video that shows how to pick the most securelocks known to cyclists with a Bic pen. Just stick the non-writing end into thecylinder-shaped keyhole and twist. The New York Daily News reported that lockmaker Kryptonite is scrambling to reassure customers that it is working on asolution, and they said it will provide free product upgrades for certain lockspurchased since September 2002 and urged consumers to visit its company’sWebsite to learn how they can participate in the security upgrade program. Although the trick apparently works on many locks with tubular cylindertechnology including vending machines, some ignitions and other securityproducts, it’s the bike industry’s best known locksmith, Kryptonite, that’sfeeling most of the heat. Industry experts say that a recall could cost tens ofmillions of dollars and would affect riders around the world. QUOTABLE QUOTE: “Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honestman it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow.” Edward Sandford Martin (1856-1939) American editor & writer, founder of HarvardLampoon & Life magazine
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists 
September 19, 2004
By Bandit |
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists 
PENNSYLVANIA MOVES TO BAN POCKET BIKES, Philadelphia Councilman Rick Mariano recently staged a protest of a local Pep Boys to announce his intentions to introduce a measure outlawing the sale of all pocket bikes, he told KYW Newsradio following the death of a teen who was riding the wrong way down a one-way street.
Even though the “pockets bikes” are illegal on city streets, they are still being sold in Philadelphia stores.
“They’re not street legal — so where are they gonna ride them? On the sidewalk?,? he asked during the Sept 11 protest, organized to pressure the automotive chain into taking the mini-motorcycles off their shelves.
So Mariano says at Council’s first session next month, he’ll introduce a bill to ban the scooters outright. It’s not clear yet though if the city has that power, because the state regulates motor vehicles. According to KYW, similar efforts are in the works at the state level.
STUDY CLAIMS MOTORCYCLES DAMAGE HEARING, Is it any wonder why motorcyclists hate “scientific studies”? Here?s a new one that’s sure to fuel the fires for noise ordinances, as researchers from the University of Florida told the Washington Times that “the noise from a motorcycle is as intense as that from a loud rock concert and can permanently damage hearing.”
In a test of 33 motorcycles, audiologists at Florida’s College of Public Health and Health Professions determined that nearly half produced sounds above 100 decibels when throttled up. That’s equal to a chainsaw or loud music, they said.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health warns that exposure to noise at 100 decibels is safe for only 15 minutes. The federal agency cautions that permanent hearing loss can result from eight hours of exposure to any noise measuring 85 decibels or above.
“Almost all of the motorcycles we tested reached action-level noise, which in the workplace would require ear protection,” said Joy Colle, an investigator in the Florida study, which the university released before it was published in a medical or scientific journal. “Potentially, the vast majority of motorcyclists could be exposed to dangerous levels of noise.”
But here’s the kicker; in the UF study the noise levels were tested at riders’ ear levels from stationary motorcycles when idle and throttled up. How many riders sit astride a parked motorcycle and “throttle up” for lengthy periods of time?
At least the audiologists admitted that motorcycle helmets do not provide much protection against hearing loss. No evidence was found that motorcycle noise harmed the hearing of those standing on a sidewalk near the test site either, but you can bet that won’t stop lawmakers from citing this “study” as justification for noise ordinances that target motorcycles.
FEDS SEEK STIFFER SENTENCES FOR “GANG” MEMBERS, “In an attempt to make punishments stiffer for street gangs, a bill has been introduced in the U.S. Senate to define what a criminal street gang is, ” reports ABATE of Pennsylvania’s Legislative Coordinator John Mullendore, who is also a member of the board of directors of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM).
S.2358 defines a criminal street gang as “an ongoing formal or informal group, club, organization, or association of 3 or more persons through or for which they individually, jointly, or in combination, have committed or attempted to commit, for the direct or indirect benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with the group, club, organization, or association, three or more unrelated predicate gang crimes.” Also, having “membership, age or other qualifications, initiation rites, geographical or territorial sites, boundary, or location, or other unifying mark, manner, protocol, or method of expressing or indicating membership.”
“Needless to say,” concludes Mullendore, “any one of us could be defined as a gang under this broad definition if this bill passes. So let your Senator know we are against this bill.”
If you would like to read the entire bill, go to the Senate website: www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/g_three_sections_with_teasers/legislative_home.htm, and type in s2358.
B>>sers/legislative_home.htm>
CALIFORNIA AMENDS HANDLEBAR HEIGHT LAW, Following a spate of handlebar height citations, ABATE of California set out to amend their “no more than shoulder high” handlebar height limit to allow for greater flexibility. Assemblyman Jay La Suer introduced Assembly Bill 2844 to “prohibit a person from driving a 2-wheel motorcycle that is equipped with handlebars so positioned that the hands of the driver, when upon the grips, are more than 6 inches above his or her shoulder height.”
ABATE lobbied AB2844 through the Assembly and Senate, and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the bill into law on August 23. AB 2844 has become Chapter 280 of the law books and will become effective January 1, 2005.
“CONGRATULATIONS to every freedom loving rider in this state who took a minute to stand up for something!” said Jean Hughes, ABATEPAC Chairman. “We can make a difference! We can change the law! Now go for a nice long ride and come back refreshed and ready to work some campaigns so we can lock in those remaining votes we need to get the helmets off our heads!”
A COOL IDEA, Air conditioning for motorcycles? An Israeli inventor has designed what he claims is the world’s first air-conditioning unit for motorcycles. Physicist Glen Guttman from the company Entrosys said the device was technologically simple, but added: “Like any simple idea, you have to think it up, and then you have to implement it.”
The bike is fitted with an electronic unit powered by a standard motorcycle battery which funnels cold air into a thermal vest worn under the rider’s jacket. Speaking to Israel Army Radio, Guttman said the air conditioning unit was a small, lightweight box that fitted into the vehicle’s storage compartment and was connected to the driver’s body by a rubber tube. “The torso is the obvious target for air conditioning if you take into account the human physiology,” said Guttman.
The system cost $450,000 to develop, which Guttman raised through investors, and he now hopes the cooling motorcycle air conditioning unit will be on the market by the middle of next year. He said each unit would cost “several hundred pounds” and would first hit European and American shores. The inventor said, however, that he will not be testing the unit himself: “My investors don’t want me to ride a motorcycle myself. They want to make sure I stay safe.”
Meanwhile, “Air-conditioned” jackets have become a big hit in Japan. Jackets with built-in electric fans are providing relief in Japan during the country’s record-breaking summer heat. The prototype grey nylon coats have two fans in the back above the waist which are connected to a battery pack. The air runs along the wearer’s body and comes out at the cuffs and the neckline, drying off sweat which cools the skin as it evaporates.
HONDA HYBRID, Honda Motor Co., the world’s biggest motorcycle maker, said it is developing motorcycles that can run on gasoline-electric engines and fuel cells, extending the so-called hybrid technology for the first time to two-wheeled vehicles.
The company has built a scooter with a 50 cubic centimeter hybrid engine and a 125cc fuel cell-powered scooter, said Honda President Takeo Fukui, speaking to journalists at its research center in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo.
Honda, one of the world’s two makers of vehicles with hybrid engines, is trying to use its technology to extend its edge over smaller motorcycle makers Suzuki Motor Corp. and Yamaha Motor Co. Toyota Motor Corp., the world’s biggest producer of hybrid cars, doesn’t make motorcycles.
Automakers are trying to take the lead in developing cleaner technology as governments around the world tighten emission regulations. Vehicles that are more fuel-efficient and which run on alternative fuels are also becoming increasingly popular as the price of oil surges to record levels.
WEIRD NEWS: LICENSE TO BILL, Jim Cara just wanted a vanity license tag for his Suzuki Hayabusa sport bike that would make people laugh, but when he chose to put “NOTAG” on his plate, the joke backfired.
The new tag arrived under an avalanche of Wilmington, Delaware parking violations. “All the traffic tickets say, ‘Notice of violation. License number: no tag’,” Cara told the News Journal newspaper.
City computers, talking to state Division of Motor Vehicles computers, had finally found an address for ticketed vehicles that lacked license tags: Cara’s home in Elsmere. He has received more than 200 violation notices, ranging from $55 to $125 for violations such as meter expirations.
Cara, 43, admits he’s been a lifelong prankster, but this time he says, “the cleanup is going to be worse than the joke.”
Officials say they are clearing up the glitch, but advised Cara to get a new plate.
QUOTABLE QUOTE “It is now proved beyond doubt that riding a motorcycle is one of the leading causes of statistics.”
NCOM CONVENTION UPDATE, The 20th annual NCOM Convention will be held next Mother?s Day weekend, May 5-7, 2005, at the Sheraton Music City Hotel, located at 777 McGavock Pike in Nashville, Tennessee. Reserve your room by April 3rd for the special NCOM rate of $79 single/double by calling (615) 885-2200. Registration fees for the Convention are $75 including the Silver Spoke Awards Banquet on Saturday night, or $40 for the Convention only. To pre-register, call the National Coalition of Motorcyclists at (800) 525-5355.
A News Break–The Cathouse ParrotA woman went to a pet shop and immediately spotted a large, beautifulparrot. There was a sign on the cage that said $50.00
“Why so little,” she asked the pet store owner.The owner looked at her and said, “Look, I should tell you first thatthis bird used to live in a house of Prostitution, and sometimes it sayssome pretty vulgar stuff.”
The woman thought about this, but decided she had to have the birdanyway.She took it home and hung the bird’s cage up in her living room andwaited for it to say something.
The bird looked around the room, then at her, and said, “New house, newmadam.”
The woman was a bit shocked at the implication, but then thought “that’sreally not so bad.”When her two teenage daughters returned from school the bird saw andsaid, “New house, new madam, new girls.”
The girls and the woman were abit offended but then began to laugh about the situation considering howand where the parrot had been raised.
Moments later, the woman’s husband Keith came home from work. The birdlooked at him and said, “Hi, Keith
Sons of Liberty Riders TEA Party
Well, the annual TEA Party is here and gone.As usual, if you missed it you missed a lot.Some folks came in on Thursday but most rode in on Friday.It was a weekend packed full of brotherhood, great conversation, debate, eatingand drinking. Weather was perfect.But like years past this group isn’t your normal biker crowd. There was plentyof beer and liquor remaining because most are more involved in learning andteaching.
Sunday morning came early and for those who slept in, reveille came with thesounds of shooting at Rangers gun range.
I wish everyone a safe trip home and look forward to seeing all of you in thefuture.
To all my Brothers and Sisters
Thank you for a great weekend
–T
————————————————————–
MSF imposes restrictions on Arizona’s use of MSF-branded tape
————————————————————–
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) recently contacted ABATE ofArizonaInc. in regards to ABATE’s Motorcycle Awareness Program (MAP).Motorcyclists in Arizona have been presenting motorcycle awareness andthemessage of how to share the road with motorcycles for over three years, andtomore than 5,000 Driver Ed Students and Adults alike. The program hasbecome extremely popular and is now touching more than 3,000students/adults each year.
The MAP is coordinated by ABATE of AZ, approved by the State MotorcycleSafety Advisory Council (SMSAC) and Sponsored by Arizona’s MotorcycleSafety Fund and Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS). During the53-minute presentation of the MAP, an 8 minute MSF – ‘Common Road’ tapeisshown. Although the MSF does not consider the MAP to be an MSF-brandedprogram, the tape is.
Because of this, the MSF stated that they expect that anyone presentingthe Common Road tape or any other MSF video to the school system, even aspart of a larger program such as MAP, will follow MSF’s basic safetyrecommendations of gear to be worn to and from the school. The Gearincludes eye protection, long pants, DOT-compliant helmet, jacket, glovesand over-the ankle boots. The MSF also alluded to the fact that not towear this recommended gear, would “undercut the message of the program.”
ABATE of Arizona states that the message of the MAP is “How motorists cansafely share the road with motorcycles”, not “What to wear or not wearwhen riding a motorcycle.” They do not discuss the pros and cons of ahelmet or any other gear, nor do they discuss their own personal choices.
Teachers often say they appreciate how the matter is handled. At the endof each presentation, the Riders Ed Course is strongly recommended to anystudent who plans to obtain an MC endorsement. The benefits of such aprogram are discussed and the teacher is provided with a list ofavailableschools in the state of Arizona.
Although ABATE of Arizona owns approximately 14 copies of the Common RoadTape, they were not aware of any restrictions/requirements to wear theMotorcycle Safety Foundation recommended safety gear when using thesetapes.
Bobbi Hartmann, ABATE’s Designated Lobbyist, State Safety Officer andcoordinator of the MAP, stated, “This is just one more example of theMSF’s recent push, in such states as Idaho, Oregon, Hawaii and Illinois,to gain uniform authority over all motorcycle rider education,curriculum,and program delivery. They’ve gone too far. The MSF has crossed theline.”
ABATE of Arizona Inc. regrets the fact that due to the MSF demands, theywill be eliminating the use of the Common Road tape from the MAPpresentations. Their message will be the same, “How to Share the Roadwith Motorcycles” – Crash Prevention – not Safer Crashes.
—————————————————————
Candidate for State Representative to the MRF Board
—————————————————————
I am asking each of you for your state’s vote at MOTM for StateRepresentative to the MRF Board. ~FastFred
Candidate for State Representative to the MRF Board: Fast Fred Ruddock
Several months ago, I officially announced my intention to run for StateRepresentative to the Board. I am still prepared to work as a liaisonbetween state representatives and the MRF Board of Directors. I feel as amember of the board I will be able to both help balance the current boardand improve communications especially those between the board and state reps.
Experience and Qualifications:I have been a member of ABATE of South Carolina since the early 1980s; Ihave held various positions from chapter coordinator to my current positionas state coordinator. I volunteered to be a MRF State Representative in late2002. I have worked hard to increase the membership levels of both the MRFand ABATE in South Carolina. I network and work with many other biker rightsactivists in my region and across our nation as an officer and member of theSons of Liberty Riders. I believe this board position would be a naturalextension of these efforts. I also maintain an ezine and biker rights websites geared towards increasing communication within our biker community.
Goals:I would like to work to increase the level of communication between theState Representatives and the Board of Directors. I would also like to workto increase the number of members in the MRF nationally. I am convinced thatincreasing the power and reach of the MRF is currently the best way to curbunwanted federal legislation. Many of the problems in my statehouse comefrom the federal government in the form of federal mandates and bribes topass legislation at the state level.
Personal Information:My current motorcycles are an ’89 FXRC and a ’03 FLHT; the FLHT has over45,000 miles on the odometer. Due to a serious crash I suffered in earlyJune the FLHT is still currently under repair; I have logged over 4,000additional miles on my FXR since the June crash though I was sidelined forsix weeks. I have owned many bikes over the years but only one cage; I soldthe cage last winter as it was deteriorating from lack of use. I averageabout 30,000 miles a year in the saddle riding all year in rain or shine. Ihave no children thus motorcycling and biker rights are my top priorities; Iwant my nieces to grow up in a free constitutional republic such as BenjaminFranklin and the 2nd Continental Congress forged and envisioned.
FastFred Ruddock
843-345-5926
mrf@fastfreds.com
Join FF’s MC Rights Ezine email list athttp://www.fastfreds.com/join.htm
—————————————————
Rider “Radio” Bob Letourneau wins primary, needs help!
—————————————————
Motorcycle leader and current New Hampshire State Rep. “Radio” Bob LetourneauWON in Tuesday’s Senate primary, beating the incumbent. Kudo’s to Bob and histeam. See story below.
But now Bob needs riders help for the general election November 2, 2004. Hiscampaign treasury is low. He needs an influx of donations and fresh workers (ifyou’re in the Derry, NH) area.
Riders nationwide can help by sending in or passing the helmet to collect $10 or$20 or $30 dollars for Bob’s campaign. He’s given THIRTY YEARS to motorcyclistsrights issues. Let’s get behind him, one by one, and help him continue to be inthe New Hampshire legislature, as SENATOR Bob!
Contact me directly at claimscote@aol.com or Bob at DerryRep@juno.com on whereto send your checks.
Let’s ROAR for BOB!
Thanks – Paul W. Cote
By JOHN DiSTASO and MICHAEL COUSINEAU
Union Leader Staff
Two first-term state senators were ousted by conservative challengers inyesterday’s low-turnout state primary election. With the general electioncampaign about to unfold, Republicans hope to increase their current 18-6supermajority, while Democrats hope to put a significant dent in it.
Turned aside by Republican voters were Sens. Frank Sapareto of Derry andAndrew Peterson of Peterborough.
Four-term state Rep. Bob Letourneau defeated his fellow Derry residentbecause “of the hard work of people in Derry. This was not won by me alone. Itjust comes down to a style of leadership,” Letourneau said.
The Associated Press reported Letourneau with 1,652 votes and Saparetowith 1,540.
Letourneau beat Sapareto 865 to 552 in Derry. He won by 112 votes out of3,200 cast districtwide. In Hampstead, Letourneau won 239 to 196, while Saparetowon in Windham, 749 to 591. Letourneau now faces Grace Reisdorf of Derry in thegeneral election.
—————————————————
HERO AND DORK OF THE WEEK
—————————————————
This weeks winnersare:
HERO Sputnik of TMRA IIFor being himself and taking home the Region 1 Warrior award
DORKThe thief that dipped into the donation bucket at the TEA Party.
If you need more info on this or any other subject just go to the Sons ofLiberty Riders Info Zone
http://solriders.com/ or http://solriders.net/index.php
August 21, 2004
By Bandit |
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.
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists
POCKET BIKES FUEL SUMMER CRAZE, DRAW IRE The next big thing is just 18 inches high, weighs about 50 lbs. and is capable of traveling up to 70 m.p.h. Meet the pocket bike, scaled-down mini-motorcycles also known as pocket rockets; though some call them a menace and refer to the summer’s hottest fad as an epidemic. The tiny two-wheelers sound like a souped up weed wacker, and tens of thousands of them are hitting the street?where they are illegal to operate in most states.
First popularized in Europe in the mid-90’s as specialized race motorbikes, pocket bikes are now being sold as toys in Wal-Mart and Toys “R” Us as well as in motorcycle stores, auto parts places and flea markets. Thousands are for sale on e-Bay. Over the past several months, a flood of cheap Chinese-made knock-offs that cost between $200 and $400 have hit the American market, where they are predominantly purchased by adolescent boys with no licenses and no concept of rules of the road.
Fans say the little motorized bikes are affordable, comfortable and fun to ride, but based on the number of citizen’s complaints about the noise and of riders zipping along sidewalks or in and out of traffic, the mini-motorcycles have become tiny terrors.
In New York, State Senator John Sabini has called for a ban on the sale of pocket bikes, citing the recent death of a Queens teenager who was killed when his miniature motorcycle hit a pothole while he was trying to elude police. “These scooters, pocket bikes and motorized skateboards are all illegal [on the street], and yet we sell them,” Sabini said. “Why are they allowed to be sold when they’re illegal? It would be like selling heroin but saying you’re not allowed to use it.”
A string of accidents has added fuel to the fire, including a near fatal crash in San Francisco on June 9, when a 14-year-old boy, driving on the wrong side of the street, was hit by an SUV. By the next weekend, the California Highway Patrol issued a ruling that the bikes are illegal to ride anywhere besides racetracks and private property, prompting local police districts throughout the state to crack down. In the last few weeks, similar crackdowns have been reported from Phoenix to New Haven.
New York police will ticket riders if their bikes are not insured or they are not licensed. To qualify as a legal motor vehicle in New York state, bikes must have mirrors and lights and be registered. Boston recently passed legislation that says pocket bikes can be ridden only by licensed drivers, who must wear a helmet and obey the rules of the road.
Pocket bikes are considered motorcycles under Arizona state law, but there is no way they could ever meet the necessary safety standards, say police who have been ticketing anyone riding pocket bikes on streets or sidewalks.
In Springfield, Mass., the City Council tightened up the city’s 2003 motor scooter ordinance to include any of the smaller vehicles. The ordinance now covers any two-wheeled, motorized, gas- or electric-powered device that has handlebars and is designed to be ridden while either standing up or seated. Drivers must be at least 16 years old and have been issued at least a learner’s permit. Police have confiscated between 45 and 50 scooters and mini-motorcycles, and have issued numerous citations since turning up the heat on the hot new mini-cycles.
A few years ago, the New Bedford City Council banned motorized scooters, which created similar traffic hazards, from the city’s streets and sidewalks. In June, Ward 2 Councilor Paul Koczera moved to include pocket bikes in the ban, but he was told that the bikes can be regulated only by the Massachusetts state Legislature. “I haven’t given up on the matter,” Mr. Koczera said.
http://ads1.advance.net/RealMedia/ads/click_nx.ads/www.masslive.com/xml/story/union_news/n/nnae/@StoryAd?x
In California, pocket bikes are illegal on public roads, because they are motor vehicles that require registration. But the department of motor vehicles will not register them because most do not pass safety regulations governing headlight height from the ground, taillights, brake lights, horns and so on.
But websites of some pocket-bike sellers boast “no registration or insurance required in most states,” and some show promotional videos of people riding the bikes on public streets.
One advantage to their small size, say police, is that officers can easily confiscate them by picking them up and throwing them in the trunk of their cruiser.
GAS PRICES DRIVE SCOOTER SALES TO RECORD NUMBERS The high cost of gasoline is a good thing for scooter manufacturers, who have seen sales numbers skyrocket faster than prices at the pump.
According to the Washington Post, with U.S. prices for regular unleaded gas reaching $2 a gallon, Piaggio SpA, the Italian maker of Vespa motor scooters, has launched a major assault on the American automotive market, heavily targeting cities on the East and West coasts where commuters are seeking less costly modes of personal transportation.
Other scooter manufacturers, such as Honda Motor Co. and Yamaha Motor Co., are pursuing the same market. They are betting that thousands of Americans, at least for daily runs between home and office or quick trips to the supermarket, are willing to abandon their more fuel-thirsty cars and trucks for scooters, mopeds and motorbikes — that can get from 60 to 90 miles per gallon of gasoline.
So far, according to figures published by the Motorcycle Industry Council in Irvine, Calif., that bet is paying off in terms of rapidly rising U.S. scooter sales. MIC analysts say U.S. scooter sales rose to 84,000 last year, up from 12,000 in 1997. They are projecting a 20 percent increase in scooter sales for 2004, up to 100,800.
High mileage and low purchase prices are boosting the ranks of scooter owners, though certain misconceptions also are playing a role in higher scooter sales. For example, there is a popular belief among scooter shoppers that they can buy and ride the bikes with little or no training and without getting a license.
In reality, scooter laws vary from state to state, but in general motorcycle licenses are required for scooters with an engine displacement exceeding 50 cc and with top speeds above 60 miles per hour, but not required for below 50 cc with a top speed of 30 mph — those generally forbidden on highways.
ROAD DEATHS REACH RECORD LOW The Department of Transportation announced that the fatality rate on our nation’s highways in 2003 was the lowest since record keeping began 29 years ago, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta. The number of crash-related injuries also dropped to a historic low in 2003.
Secretary Mineta pointed to efforts by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that contributed to the reduction in the fatal accident rate, including campaigns to encourage safety belt use and discourage impaired driving, work with state legislatures to pass tougher safety belt and drunk driving laws, and rulemaking efforts to improve vehicle safety standards.
The drop is more striking for the fact that people did more driving in 2003. When measured by the estimated miles driven, the number of deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) fell to 1.48 in 2003, down from 1.51 in 2002 and the lowest level since record-keeping began in 1966. It was the first time the rate has dropped below 1.5. In 2003, VMT increased to 2.88 trillion, up from 2.86 trillion in 2002
Motorcycle deaths rose for the sixth year in a row, this time by 12 percent from 3,270 in 2002 to 3,661 last year. NHTSA said it doesn’t yet know if there were more miles ridden on motorcycles in 2003, but it’s likely since there has been a steady increase in motorcycle travel since 1997.
Alcohol-related fatalities also dropped significantly in 2003, the first such decline since 1999, as more states adopted laws that allowed them to prosecute drivers at .08 blood alcohol content (BAC) and above. 2004 marks the first year that all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico were able to prosecute drivers at .08 BAC.
ANIMALS BLAMED FOR A QUARTER MILLION CRASHES YEARLY Deer, cows and even squirrels are to blame for more than 26,000 injuries along the nation’s roads each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in their first-ever study to examine how many people suffer non-fatal injuries in car accidents involving animals.
In half of the animal-related accidents surveyed in 2001-02, motorists were injured by hitting the animal while the other half were hurt by swerving to avoid hitting the animals, said Ann Dellinger of CDC’s motor vehicle injury prevention team. “We can’t really say whether it’s better to brake or better to swerve and avoid the animal,” Dellinger said. “You have to drive responsibly and make sure that you are buckled up.”
The CDC doesn’t know if the number of car/animal accidents are on the rise. They typically happen on rural roads or highways. Although nearly nine out of 10 such accidents involve deer, the CDC’s crash study also found cows, squirrels, bears, dogs and raccoons.
The CDC said putting tall fences at deer crossing spots and channeling deer to underpasses would help, but noted the cost might be prohibitive for many public roads budgets.
ROAD DEBRIS LINKED TO THOUSANDS OF ACCIDENTS A hunk of tire tread, an old muffler, a bag of garbage?more than just an eyesore along America’s roadways, debris causes 25,000 crashes and up to 90 fatalities a year in the United States and Canada, says the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, a research arm of the automobile association.
Although vehicle-related road debris crashes are generally less severe than other crashes, individual incidents can be catastrophic, and the study said even small objects on roads can cause serious problems because drivers traveling at highway speeds sometimes lose control of their vehicles while trying to avoid debris. Swerving to avoid the debris accounted for 45 percent of the fatal crashes, studies showed.
A survey of government transportation officials in the United States and Canada found the most common forms of road debris are, in order: tire treads; garbage from waste haulers; lumber and construction materials; gravel, soil and tree limbs, mufflers and exhaust parts. Overloading or improperly loading cargo onto passenger vehicles, such as mattresses or furniture, caused 12 percent of the crashes reports said.
The study noted that increased defensive driving awareness, more commercial vehicle driver training to inspect the vehicle and cargo and stricter enforcement on truck weights could reduce the rate of road hazard wrecks.
It also called for stiffer penalties in the form of fines and demerit license points for those who fail to properly secure loads, and it recommended targeting specific groups, such as waste haulers andlandscapers, with enforcement action.
To safely avoid road debris you should maintain a safe following distance of four to five seconds between vehicles at highway speeds, and focus further down the road by scanning at least 12 seconds ahead to be able to see and react to changing highway conditions. Sudden movements by cars up ahead often indicate a road hazard. AAA also advises that it is sometimes safer to run over debris than to swerve into adjacent lanes of traffic. Striking minor road debris can be far less dangerous than veering into oncoming traffic, or risk losing control of your vehicle.
WEIRD NEWS: TEENS ADMIT TO INJURING BIKERS WITH PLASTIC WRAP Four teenage boys from Waukesha, Wisc., admitted pulling a “stupid prank” by stretching kitchen-variety wrap across a road that caused a motorcycle to crash, according to Waukesha County District Attorney Paul Bucher who said the boys could face charges of being delinquent in juvenile court.
Daniel Buckel, 22, of the Town of Waukesha, went out for a ride last month with his girlfriend, Theresa Brzykcy, 19, of Brookfield, when his motorcycle crashed into the plastic wrap stretched between two traffic posts, causing his 2002 Honda motorcycle to slide across the pavement and the two landed on a nearby driveway. Buckel broke a finger and needed 15 stitches to close a gash above his eye, while Brzykcy was knocked unconsciousness for a short time but was not seriously injured.
Buckel, who works as a bartender and selling motorcycles, said the crash caused him to miss two weeks of work. He said he was relieved to learn that authorities had found the suspects.
BOAT BUILDER BUYS INDIAN In a move aimed at revving up an American icon, owners of the country’s oldest luxury boat maker, Chris-Craft, have bought the defunct Indian Motorcycle Co., the legendary brand that once rivaled Harley-Davidson for U.S. motorcycle sales.
“There are huge parallels,” Stellican founder and Chris-Craft Chairman Stephen Julius said in comparing the two companies. “Both once had dominance in their industries, and properly cared for, these brands can be brought back to life,” Julius added
“They’re both iconic American heritage brands with loyal followings that fell on some tough times,” he said. “To bring it back, having a sense of the brand is vital. It is something we proved at Chris-Craft and we intend to do the same with Indian.”
As with Chris-Craft, Stellican’s purchase of Indian’s trademark, logos and licensing rights might also translate into local manufacturing jobs. “We’re evaluating a whole range of alternatives in California, the Southern states, and certainly Southwest Florida,” Julius told the Associated Press, referring to a site for a new Indian manufacturing plant.
Stellican intends to spend the next three to six months evaluating Indian’s prospects and the overall market before building a single new motorcycle.
Indian, “America’s first motorcycle,” was founded in 1901 in Springfield, Mass. and competed head-to-head with Harley-Davidson for control of the U.S. market before ceasing its U.S. production in 1953. It was resurrected by an investment consortium in Gilroy, Calif. in late 1998, but closed without warning on Sept. 19, 2003, despite rising sales numbers.
QUOTABLE QUOTE: “None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.”
–Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 – 1832) German dramatist, novelist, poet, & scientist
A BLONDE BREAK FROM THE NEWS A married couple were asleep when the phone rang at 2 in the morning.
The wife (undoubtedly blonde), picked up the phone, listened a moment and said, “How should I know, that’s 200 miles from here!” and hung up.
The husband said, “Who was that?”
The wife said, “I don’t know, some woman wanting to know if the coast is clear.”
A FINAL WARNINGRecently it was reported in the Los Angeles times that motorcycle accidents were up for LA. I want to get my hands on this story, but a reliable friend reported that the Police Chief said he would initiate pulling over more motorcyclists.
He plans to pull bikers over for equipment checks and DOT helmet infractions. We’ll bring you more on this report in the near future, but watch out Socal riders.–Bandit
July 18, 2004
By Bandit |
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists
LOUISIANA REINSTATES HELMET LAW All motorcyclists will be required by law to wear helmets when traveling Louisiana’s roads beginning August 15, under a bill that won final passage through the state legislature with the backing of Governor Kathleen Blanco, who has said that she will soon sign the measure.
With time running out on this year’s legislative session, the Senate voted 26-12 on June 17 to send the House-passed measure to the governor, despite the bill’s defeat in the House just weeks earlier. With Governor Blanco’s support in reviving the bill, it passed the House by a vote of 57-27 and was sent to the Senate just one week before adjourning.
Backed by the new governor, the bill effectively repeals a 1999 law pushed by former Governor Mike Foster, an avid motorcyclist. The Foster-backed law allowed anyone over 18 to ride without a helmet if they had at least $10,000 of bodily injury insurance. Louisiana has 95,000 registered motorcycle riders.
Foster blasted passage of House Bill 109 by Rep. Clara Baudoin, D-Carencro. “It’s Big Brother rearing its ugly head — or Big Sister,” he told the Baton Rouge Advocate after the Senate vote. Foster said passage puts the state out of line with most of the rest of the nation. “Most states have a choice in their law,” said Foster, referring to the fact that 31 states currently allow adult riders to decide whether to or not to wear a helmet. He also said there are no death or injury statistics to justify the mandatory helmet law.
NORTH CAROLINA INCREASES PENALTIES FOR RIGHT OF WAY VIOLATORS In the waning days of session on July 13, the North Carolina House of Representatives voted 113-3 to concur with the Senate-passed version HB – 965, which increases penalties for people who fail to yield the right-of-way if the violation causes serious bodily injury in a wreck.
“This bill does not have to go to the governor, so it’s now law,” said Sam Nobles, Legislative Coordinator for the Concerned Bikers Association. “It becomes effective December 1st.”
The bill requires a $500 fine and 90-day suspension of a driver’s license if serious bodily injury occurs from wreck where a motorist did not yield the right-of-way.
“We not only scored the first win for the bikers of North Carolina,” said Nobles, “we left a network in place and built relationships that will continue to serve us well.”
BIKERS NOT TO BLAME, SAY INSURERS Two-thirds of motorcycle accidents involving other vehicles in Victoria, Australia are not caused by the motorcyclists, new insurance figures show.
Data from insurance claims showed drivers caused 68 per cent of the multiple-vehicle crashes involving motorcycles in Victoria between 2001 and 2003, according to national motorcycle insurer Swann Insurance.
The figures, reported on July 5, 2004, also showed that during the same period drivers were responsible for more than 70 per cent of the accidents involving motorbikes in New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, South Australia and Western Australia.
Swann Insurance general manager Duncan Brain said: “These figures confirm what motorcycle riders have been saying for some time — that motorcyclists generally are not to blame for multiple-vehicle crashes.
JUST YOUR AVERAGE MOTORCYCLIST According to the Motorcycle Industry Council, a typical motorcyclist is a 38-year-old man with a wife, kids, college degree and $44,250 annual income.
The MIC reports more than 4.3 million women operated motorcycles last year, up 34 percent from 1998.
According to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, one out of every three new riders enrolling in training school is female.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motorcycle fatalities remain a largely male phenomenon. After five years of declining rates, motorcycle deaths began rising again in 1997 along with increased popularity of motorcycles — and 90 percent of the deaths are among men.
NEW POLITICAL PARTY AIMS TO SERVE BIKERS If you believe that the existing political parties don’t reflect your views as a motorcyclist, maybe the ABP is for you! Neenah, Wisconsin businessman Steve “Mad” Erato has formed the American Biker Party to serve as a grassroots alternative to the Republican and Democratic parties.
The American Biker Party will be geared toward motorcyclists, but the party is open to anyone. “If your grandmother wants to come, she is welcome,” said Erato, who owns Eagle Nation Cycles where the party’s organizational meeting was held on June 23rd to shape the party platform and agenda.
Erato told the local newspaper, the Post-Crescent, that the party will emphasize less government than either the Republican or Democratic parties and will fight against laws requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets.
“We believe in freedom of choice,” he said. “We believe there is way too much government involved in everybody’s life. We are the ones paying for all of this government intervention.”
Erato said the American Biker Party would be marketed to motorcycle groups throughout the United States. He said bikers in Wisconsin share many of the same concerns as bikers elsewhere. “We need something to tie it all together,” Erato said. “That’s what we want to be.”
$50 GRAND AWARDED FOR ARIZONA SAFETY CAMPAIGN ABATE of Arizona was recently awarded $50,000 from the Motorcycle Safety Fund to be earmarked for a billboard campaign to heighten the awareness of passenger vehicle operators to be more observant of motorcycles.
“It’s official,” exclaimed Bobbi Hartmann, ABATE Lobbyist, “I signed the contract today (June 15, 2004) and the lobbyists will be meeting with Viacom to determine specific locations for the 35 – 12′ x 24′ billboards in the Phoenix and metropolitan areas.”
According to Viacom, these billboards should be up and running by the end of July for an eight week contract period, though many billboard messages stay visible until the board is sold again and printed over.
NEW YORK AMENDS HANDLEBAR HEIGHT LIMIT Companion bills to modify New York’s current handlebar height limit (A08237 and S1997) have passed through the Senate and Assembly and have been sent to the governor’s desk.
Current law regulates that all handle bars on motorcycles be no higher than fifteen inches above the seat. The new amended law “Prohibits a person from operating on a public highway a motorcycle on which the handle bars or grips are more than the height of the operator’s shoulders.”
REFLECTIVE VESTS REQUIRED FOR MILITARY MOTORCYCLISTS Military safety regulations for motorcycle riders have long been the strictest in the world, requiring such personal protective equipment (PPE) as helmets, eye protection, full-fingered gloves, over the ankle boots, long sleeve shirts and long pants, both on and off base, and for both military and civilians who operate motorcycles on military installations.
Now, according to the military newspaper Stars and Stripes in their July 13th Pacific edition, Pacific Air Force bases (PACAF) have released stricter new rules for motorcyclists set forth in the service’s traffic safety program.
Besides a requirement for motorcycle safety training, and a refresher course every three years, the most noticeable change is the requirement that all motorcycle riders wear an international orange or lime-green safety vest with 90 square inches of reflective material.
The PACAF supplement was released May 17 and already is being enforced at most bases, according to military officials.
The Air Force requires that riders wear a brightly-colored and contrasting long-sleeve shirt or jacket. A spokesman from PACAF’s safety office said that the vest was adopted to “clarify the wide array of possibilities left open” by the Air Force instruction.
“Each installation interpreted this standard differently and enforced it differently,” the spokesman said. “The colors chosen reflect the most internationally recognized safety colors. They are highly visible and signify ‘Safety’ or ‘Attention’ around the globe.”
Most PACAF bases have adopted former Commander General William Begert’s zero-tolerance policy to enforce the vest rule: First-time violators lose motorcycle-driving privileges for 15 days; a second citation within 12 months results in a 30-day suspension; and a third ticket in a year equals no riding for 12 months.
But some motorcyclists feel that it cramps their style since it doesn’t allow them to show off their club colors. Others voiced their concern that the bright vest might make any military member off base a target to would-be terrorists.
“Wearing the vest makes the motorcycle no more safe,” added one rider.
What a bunch of bullshit. –Bandit
ITALIANS OFFER FREE HELMETS TO INCREASE USAGE Officials in a southern Italian town are handing out free motorcycle helmets following a series of accidents in the region in recent months. The initiative is being undertaken in Sant Anastasia under the slogan: “It’s better to wear a helmet, than be a dead man without a helmet.” More than a hundred helmets have been given out so far. Mayor Vincenzo Lervolino said: “As far as we know this campaign is unique.”
HARLEY “U” With the backing of Harley-Davidson Inc., Fort Scott Community College in Kansas will begin offering a degree program this fall that teaches the applied science of motorcycles.
The Milwaukee-based motorcycle manufacturer said it is supporting the formal degree program because it needs people who are trained in both technical and management skills.
The degree program will be the first of its kind at Kansas public colleges, although Butler Community College’s computer-aided design and drafting program works closely with Big Dog Motorcycles.
The city of Frontenac is spending $400,000 to build a training facility modeled after a dealership, and Harley-Davidson will provide 10 motorcycles in the first year.
The college worked with Harley to design the curriculum, which will include technical courses on engines, diagnostics and shop practices. Students will also have to take English, science and public speaking, and serve a paid internship as a dealership technician after their first year.
So far, 40 students have registered for Fort Scott’s Harley classes, and the program has a waiting list. Harley-Davidson Motor Co. has more than 650 dealerships in the United States.
WEIRD NEWS: STRETCHED AND RAKED Rick Dozier of Georgetown, Kentucky, and three friends have broken the record for the longest motorcycle in the world, stretching 29 feet 11 inches, and built from scratch. The previous record was held by an Australian man whose motorcycle was 24 feet 11 inches long.
QUOTABLE QUOTES: “We have given away far too many freedoms in order to be free. Now it’s time to take some back.”John le Carre (1931- ), English novelist, author of “The Spy Who Came In From The Cold”
June 18, 2004
By Bandit |
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 BIKER VETS VISIT BUSH– The roar of Rolling Thunder at the nearby Capital Mall could be heard across the South Lawn of the White House as eight motorcycles rolled up the driveway to the South Portico where President Bush was waiting to greet them. Bush shook hands with Artie Muller, president of the Rolling Thunder veterans’ advocacy group, and kissed Muller’s passenger, singer Nancy Sinatra, a veterans’ supporter. Other bikers who rode up the driveway included White House budget director Josh Bolton, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson and Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi, and various Rolling Thunder leaders. Bush led them on a personal tour of the Oval Office, reported the Associated Press. Later, Bush addressed, via a telephone hookup, a Rolling Thunder rally at Robert F. Kennedy Stadium in the nation?s capital. The president noted the letter of endorsement he recently received from the group. “Artie, I thought you were going to offer me riding lessons,” Bush joked. “In the Oval Office, I looked you in the eye as you told me of your relentless pursuit of finding out the plight of many of our POW/MIAs, and I appreciated so much your concern, your care and your persistence,” Bush told the rally. “I also want to thank you and your organization, Artie, for honoring the men and women of our military who fight today in Afghanistan and Iraq.” “Ride safe,” he told them. Rolling Thunder is an organization that seeks to create awareness of POW/MIA issues and promotes increased veterans’ benefits. It has 70 chapters and over 7,000 members throughout the United States and abroad. MASSACHUSETTS ENACTS “NELLY’S BILL” TO EDUCATE DRIVERS Governor Mitt Romney signed House Bill 2124 into law on June 6, 2004, to require at least one hour of a motorcycle safety and awareness module be included in the course curriculum for 398 licensed auto driver training schools statewide. Known as “Nelly’s Bill,” in memory of Nelson Selig who was killed in 2000 when a 19-year-old driver crossed into the path of his motorcycle, the law will take affect in 90 days. “We’re very grateful our legislators who listened to those who ride,” said Paul W. Cote, Director of Government Relations for the Massachusetts Motorcycle Association. “This legislation, when implemented, will begin another element of our process at reducing accidents, injuries and fatalities here in Massachusetts,” said Cote. Funding for the expectant $10,000 cost of the materials will come from the state’s Motorcycle Safety Program, accumulated by $2 of each of the 144,000-plus motorcyclist’s annual registration fees. “Riders pay their own way,” Cote said, noting that during their lobbying day last month, they also sought a $5 increase of the $25 annual motorcycle registration fee for more money in their Safety Fund. U.S. MOTORCYCLE SALES REV UP FOR 11TH STRAIGHT YEAR Sales of new motorcycles increased 6.4 percent in 2003, while combined sales of motorcycles and ATVs reached an all-time high. Motorcycle sales have now been on the rise for more than a decade, according to the latest Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) estimates for all brands, marking the 11th consecutive year that new unit sales of two-wheelers increased compared to the previous year. Approximately 996,000 new motorcycles were purchased in 2003, up from 936,000 in 2002. All Terrain Vehicle sales climbed to an estimated 886,000 in 2003 and increased by 3.8 percent over the previous year, posting their 12th straight year of growth. Estimated combined motorcycle and ATV sales for 2003 reached 1,882,000, which is an all-time record and up 5.2 percent over the previous year. UK BIKE SALES CONTINUE DROPPING The latest figures released by the British motorcycle industry group MCIA shows that new motorcycle sales fell by around 21% in May 2004. So far, some 45,000 two wheelers have been sold this year, down 17% on the 2003 total. Smaller bikes and scooters seem to be less popular than ever, down by a whopping 41% in May, which is astonishing, says the MCIA, given the recent hike in petrol prices in the UK — surely some bike dealers must be marketing scooters to cash-strapped English car drivers? Best selling big bikes in Britain so far in 2004 are the new Yamaha R1, followed by the Honda CBR600RR, then the CBR125R. On the brighter side, bike thefts in the U.K. have dropped by 7%. VIRGINIA GOV VETOES SAFETY BILL Despite passing unanimously through the House and Senate, Governor Mark R. Warner has vetoed HB 408, a bill that would have required the marking of steel plates on Virginia roadways to make them more visible to drivers and riders. 140 Legislators saw the value and benefit of this key piece of safety legislation, yet Governor Warner rejected a bill that is designed to insure motorcyclists, and the general public, are safer on the roads by requiring that steel plates installed on roadways be clearly marked, reports Jim Cannon of the Virginia Coalition of Motorcyclists (VCOM). WEST COAST CHOPPERS GEAR BANNED FROM CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS The Iron Cross, a recognizable symbol of Nazi Germany, has become a popular design with skateboard companies such as No Fear and biker clothing manufacturers like Jesse James’ West Coast Choppers. But school officials in Southern California have banned the symbol and recently mailed over 13,000 letters to parents of children in the Simi Valley Unified School District to inform them of their decision to bar clothing and jewelry depicting the symbol they say is being used by believers of “white power” movements to identify themselves. School officials said that the step was recommended by the Police Department, which considers the Iron Cross a gang symbol, and was taken due to rumors of rising tensions on campus which they fear could lead to violence. U.S. ATTORNEY’S OFFICE APPEALS BAN ON BIKER ATTIRE IN COURT The U.S. Attorney’s office has appealed a judge’s ruling that bars biker attire in a Salt Lake City courtroom. In May, a magistrate judge ordered that motorcycle gear — especially that worn by the members of Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA) — not be worn in court proceedings for a child sex abuse case currently in federal court. Members of BACA often show up in courtrooms when child abuse suspects are on trial to show support for the victims, and U.S. Attorney Paul Warner says the order barring the motorcycle gear limits the First Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. Warner’s office is hoping that the order will be reviewed, and overruled. Last year, a judge in Provo barred BACA clothing during a sex abuse case involving a child, saying the clothing and logos could influence the jury. TATTOOING NOW LEGAL IN 49 STATES Many states outlawed tattooing in the 1960s, but South Carolina and Oklahoma are the only states to continue the ban, at least until now. A compromise bill lifting South Carolina’s ban on tattooing has passed the House and Senate and is on its way to Governor Mark Sanford’s desk. Sanford has said he will sign the bill as long as it protects public safety, according to the Associated Press. The bill outlaws tattoos for anyone younger than 18 and requires a parent’s permission from 18 to 21. It bans tattooing the face, neck and head. Tattoo artists will have to use disposable needles and follow local zoning laws, such as opening businesses away from churches and schools. Tattoo parlors also will need a license before opening. A conference committee deleted a part of the House bill that would give local governments more control, which many supporters worried might kill the bill. But the House approved it 62-29 shortly before adjourning, and the Senate followed with a voice vote soon after. STUDY SHOWS THAT HELMETS SLOW REACTIONS Cricket helmets may slow the brain, according to a new study from the U.K. Keeping a cool head may have real advantages for batsmen at the crease, according to new research among cricketers that found a measurable improvement in reaction times and vigilance when players did not wear protective helmets. Researchers believe that the difference in performance may be linked to an overheating of the brain in players batting in helmets — possibly similar to the effects on people over-using mobile phones. Dr. Nick Neave, of the human cognitive neuroscience unit at Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, said his study showed that “in young adults, in a mild climate, some aspects of cognition are affected by wearing a non-vented protective helmet following exercise.” Dr. Neave told the annual conference of the British Psychological Society in London that his team tested 16 cricketers, aged 13 to 17, who were members of Durham County Cricket Club. The boys — half wearing standard helmets — batted in the nets with a bowling machine and underwent a computer test for mental abilities, including vigilance, reaction times andattentiveness. The study showed that getting hot alone had no effect on the physical abilities of the young cricketers or on their mental abilities to perform very simple mental tasks. But when they were asked to perform more complex tasks, involving making choices, their reaction times fell. One measurement showed a 16 millisecond deficit in helmet-wearing boys. Dr. Neave and his colleagues now want to test their results with adult cricketers to see if experience overrides the slight detrimental effect of wearing a helmet. NOT YOUR TYPICAL REALITY SHOW Bravo has announced that actors and friends Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman will star in and co-produce “Long Way Round,” a new reality series chronicling the duo’s four-month long transcontinental motorcycling journey. The two left from London in late April after taking survival training, first aid, nutrition, bike maintenance and linguistics classes, and plan to arrive at their final destination of New York City by the end of July. Their trip takes them over 20,000 miles, circumnavigating the longest continuous landmass on earth, through the Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, Siberia, Alaska and Canada before arriving in the United States. They will live off the land and out of a tent, encountering hardships along the way, including cultural and language barriers. “We live in such a comfortable and easy time that it doesn’t do yourself any harm to go and test yourselves and survive with just the bare essentials,” said McGregor, who is best known for his movie roles in Moulin Rouge, Trainspotting, the Star Wars trilogy and more recently starred in the Golden Globe nominated film Big Fish. Boorman, the son of famed Hollywood director John Boorman (Hope and Glory, Deliverance), is also a movie veteran with a multitude of supporting screen credits including Deliverance, Excalibur, The Serpent’s Kiss, The Emerald Forrest and many more. In fact, the two adventurers first met eight years ago on the set of The Serpent’s Kiss, where they discovered their mutual passion for motorcycling. The six-episode series will air later this year. WEIRD NEWS: NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES A Romanian man says he’s “had enough” after being run over for the seventh time since 1987; four times by a car, once by a motorcycle, once by a bus and once by a train. Nicolae Tabacu, 44, from Valea Mare, Arges county, Australia, has now broken every limb except for his right hand. He was run over by a police car in his most recent accident, which put him in the hospital with a broken leg. “I was only 10 meters from my house when I had this last accident,” the unlucky pedestrian told the Jurnalul National newspaper. “I think I’ve had enough. I wish this policeman hit me harder as I am really fed up with spending time in hospitals.” FREE MOTORCYCLES ON THE WEB Yamaha Motorcycles is invoking the ancient art of Origami, Japanese paper-folding, to lure bored bikers to their website, www.yamaha-motor.com, to download directions for numerous paper models of their most popular bikes. Click on the global links page that has a category for entertainment, then go to the papercrafts links. QUOTABLE QUOTE: “Politics is supposed to be the second-oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.” Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the United States (1911?2004)
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists 
May 17, 2004
By Bandit |
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 < NCOM COAST TO COAST BIKER NEWS NCOM CONVENTION TAKES OKLAHOMA BY STORM– Despite deadly tornados that ripped through Oklahoma last May, the National Coalition of Motorcyclists scheduled their 2004 Convention for Oklahoma City, and during the weekend of May 6-8 the only thunder heard in the vicinity was from fired up bikes and riders. Near-record numbers of bikers roared into the Biltmore Hotel and jammed into meeting halls for the 19th annual NCOM Convention, hosted by ABATE of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Confederation of Clubs. Dubbed “Winds of Change” by event organizers, the conference brought together representatives of motorcycle rights organizations, patch clubs and rider groups to share knowledge, form bonds and plot tactics in an ever-changing whirlwind of politics, public perception and legal proceedings. Meetings and seminars included; “Stricter Penalties Laws for Drivers of Cages Injuring Bikers”; “Status of EPA Regulations and it’s Effect on Your Business and Your Ride”; “Motorcycle Safety Awareness & Your Groups”; “Motorcycle Insurance”; “The US PATRIOT ACT and It’s Effects on Your Civil Liberties”; “Gang Enhancement Laws”; “How to be a Successful Grass Roots Lobbyist”; and a Mock Legislative Session on the topic of state emissions testing for motorcycles. The traditional Silver Spoke Awards Banquet capped the weekend’s festivities, as the following people were honored for their contributions to motorcycling: Government – Rep. Teresa Forcier (R-PA); Legal – Marty Fox, Washington AIM Attorney; and Media – Paul Allen Cianci, Publisher of Full Throttle magazine. Special Recognition Awards were given to Bobbi Hartman (ABATE of Arizona lobbyist), Debra Knox (State Information Director for Concerned Bikers Association of North Carolina) and Preacher Mike (Christian Crusaders – posthumously). ABATE of Pennsylvania was honored with a Legislative Award for their recent helmet law modification effort. The 2004 Ron Roloff Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Bill Carlton, a lifelong rider, past president of the Texas Motorcycle Riders Association, and veteran of two successful helmet law battles in Texas. Next year’s 20th Annual NCOM Convention will be held in Kentucky next Mother’s Day weekend, May 5-7, 2005, so make plans now to be part of biker history. TRANSPORTATION BILL SPUTTERS– Hope is fading fast for passing a transportation bill this Congressional session, as legislators are wary of provoking the White House during campaign season. While supporters stress that the measure would create jobs and boost the economy, President Bush wants to rein in a ballooning federal deficit and has warned that he will veto any legislation costing more than $256 billion, unless Congress can find a way to pay for it without dipping into general revenues. In April, the House voted overwhelmingly 357-56 to approve H.R. 3550, the “Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy For Users” (TEA LU), a six-year $284 billion transportation funding measure which includes provisions to expand state rider training programs and other motorcycle safety initiatives. The Senate approved a similar measure 76-21 in February, S. 1072, the “Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act” (SAFE-TEA) to reauthorize $318 billion for highway funding, mass transit and safety programs, but does not include language specifically addressing motorcycle safety concerns. Both bills were to go to a conference committee to iron out discrepancies and submit a final bill to the President for his signature or veto, but no date has been set. To complicate matters even further, a broad coalition of business, labor and environmental interests, among others, recently drew a firm line at $318 billion, and sent a letter vowing not to support any legislation that drops below that amount. Both chambers have enough votes to override a veto, but no one wants to send the President a bill he will likely veto. Since Congress could extend current transportation spending through a continuing resolution, doing nothing may be the safest option, though anything can happen during an election year. U.S. SENATE DECLARES MAY AS NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE AWARENESS MONTH!– For the first time in history, the federal government is officially recognizing May 2004 as National Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month, thanks to the efforts of retiring U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado. Campbell, an avid rider and longtime advocate of motorcycling causes, introduced Senate Resolution 168 which was passed by unanimous consent of the U.S. Senate on April 28th. “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 last June, 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.” 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. Representative Marilyn Musgrave of Colorado has introduced a similar measure in the House. Senator 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 National Coalition of Motorcyclists’ Legislative Task Force (NCOM-LTF). LIVE TO RIDE, RIDE TO WORK– Motorcyclists are encouraged to ride their bikes to work on the third Wednesday of July each year in a public demonstration of how many of us ride and how utilitarian motorcycles are. July 21, 2004 will be the 13th annual National Ride To Work Day, so mount up and let’s roll! NEW TRAFFIC FATALITY FIGURES RELEASED BY NHTSA– Newly released traffic fatality figures reveal that there were 43,220 deaths on U.S. roads in 2003, an increase from 42,815 in 2002 and the highest number since 1990, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. While passenger cars, vans and light trucks experienced a decrease in fatal accidents, large trucks, SUV’s and motorcycles showed increased involvement in fatalities. The preliminary report from NHTSA, released on April 28, 2004, indicates that motorcycle-related deaths are up 11 percent for 2003 with 3,592 motorcyclists killed, compared to the previous year when 3,244 riders died in 2002. Increases in registrations and miles traveled were not taken into account when computing the data. Bicyclist and pedestrian fatalities were also down. YOU BET YOUR LIFE — The National Safety Council has computed the odds of the average American biting the dust from the most common killers, such as accidents and diseases, and has determined that a car occupant’s lifetime odds of dying in a car accident are 1 in 242, while the chances of dying in a motorcycle accident are just 1 in 1,293! For a complete list of morbidity calculations, visit http://danger.mongabay.com/injury_odds.htm. HELMET LAW REPEAL WOULD BOOST ECONOMY– As states face budget constraints and financial challenges, a study commissioned by bikers suggests that weakened helmet requirements could kick-start the economy. The study done for ABATE of Michigan by Jake Miklojcik, who owns Lansing-based Michigan Consultants, suggests the state could collect $40 million in new sales and income taxes by joining the 31 other states that have eased or repealed mandatory helmet laws. The financial windfall would be the result of an estimated 20 percent increase in motorcycle sales; the addition of hundreds of jobs to the state’s motorcycle industry; and a boost in tourism spending by bikers who now avoid Michigan and its helmet law. Michigan’s House of Representatives voted in 2002 to repeal the law, but the measure died in the Senate. Now, bills allowing motorcyclists 21 and older to ride without helmets if they have completed safety training are pending in the House and Senate transportation committees. The House has enough votes to end the mandatory helmet law and repeal is “pretty close” in the Senate, said state Rep. Leon Drolet, adding that a vote could come before the Legislature’s summer recess. “If the economic study is accurate, it would be another reason to support the bill,” said Drolet, who does not ride motorcycles. “But individual rights, personal freedom and personal liberty arguments are the ones most compelling to me. If additional revenue comes to the state, great.” In the meantime, the Concerned Bikers Association of North Carolina is showing their legislators that motorcyclists are letting their chain-drive wallets do the voting as they head for freer climes in surrounding states. “Harley riders are, you know, 50 or older with a household income of about $75,000 and this will bring motorcycle rallies to our beaches, to our coastal areas, and to our mountains that other states are getting because they won’t come with a mandatory helmet law,” said Rep. John Sauls. GREEKS PUSHING HELMETS– Greek police in Athens are getting heavy handed with bare-headed bikers, and penalties include possible bike confiscations on the spot. Greece used to have a very liberal attitude to helmet wearing, which gave the impression that freedom of choice prevailed in that country. According the Motorcycle Action Group of the United Kingdom, “There are suspicions that a European Commission decision to enforce helmet wearing across the European Union might be behind the Greeks less generous interpretation of their law.” REBEL ART– Since the motorcycle jacket was popularized in the movie The Wild One, its attributes and styling have been adapted into identity-transforming high-fashion. Now the Phoenix Art Museum has organized a Motorcycle Jacket art exhibit that surveys how fashion designers, such as Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, Moschino and Dolce & Gabanna, have interpreted the look of the motorcycle jacket in their creations, from black leather rebels to colorful motocross racing styles. The exhibition, which runs through August 29, also includes a black leather jacket that was custom tailored for Elvis Presley by Mike Howard of Beverly Hills, on loan to the exhibition from Graceland, and a garment worn by Cher. McCHOPPER– A custom motorcycle designed by Desperado Motorcycles will be auctioned off to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Ronald McDonald House Charities. The bike, which will incorporate visual elements of McDonald’s, has begun a 25-city tour visiting 35 Ronald McDonald Houses and other events before it reaches Chicago on November 6 for the Awards of Excellence Global Charity Gala, where it will be sold to the highest bidder and 100% of the proceeds will benefit RMHC. NEWS OF THE WEIRD: CYCLIST HIT BY CASH– A Taiwanese motorcyclist was hit by a fortune after a $600,000 kidnap ransom dropped on his head. Lu Fang-nan, 57, was knocked off his motorcycle after a relative of a kidnap victim dropped the money from a highway overpass. The stunned man re-mounted his bike and sought medical help for a swollen leg — and the kidnappers fled with the cash. The person who dropped the money was following orders from kidnappers who had seized an electronics merchant. Lu said he did not realize he had been hit by the falling fortune until television news reported the businessman’s release and the delivery site of the ransom payment. “Such a way to pay ransom is dangerous. It could get people killed,” the unlucky cyclist told the United Daily News. But the incident paid off for the kidnapping victim, who was released unharmed. Police say they are hunting several suspects. QUOTABLE QUOTE: “Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming: WOW – What a Ride!”
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists 
Author Unknown
April 17, 2004
By Bandit |
Bill Bish author and freedom fighter.
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 <
NCOM COAST TO COAST BIKER NEWS
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists
HOUSE APPROVES TRANSPORTATION ACT, INCLUDING MOTORCYCLE SAFETY INITIATIVES The U.S. House of Representatives has voted overwhelmingly to approve a six-year $284 billion transportation funding measure, which includes provisions to expand state rider training programs and other motorcycle safety initiatives. H.R. 3550, the “Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy For Users” (TEA LU), was passed by a vote of 357-56 on April 2, 2004.The U.S. Senate approved a similar measure, S. 1072, the “Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act” (SAFE-TEA), by a vote of 76-21 on February 12. The Senate version reauthorizes $318 billion over the next six years to fund highway, mass transit and safety programs, but does not include language specifically addressing motorcycle safety concerns.Both bills will now go to a conference committee, comprised of both Senators and Representatives, to iron out discrepancies between the two and submit a final bill to the President for his signature or veto. The White House has proposed an alternative $256 billion transportation package, and President Bush has threatened to veto the legislation if costs exceeded that amount.
WISCONSIN LAW PROTECTS HELMETLESS RIDERS Wisconsin Governor James Doyle signed a bill on Monday, March 15, that will ensure that motorcyclists who choose not to wear helmets do not face reduced awards in personal injury cases if they are involved in accidents.
In ruling on an ATV accident two years ago, the Wisconsin Supreme Court said that a jury could consider a person’s decision not to wear a helmet if they received a head injury in a crash involving a “high speed open air motor vehicle,” and reduce the amount of lawsuit damages paid to that person by up to 100%. Wisconsin only requires helmets be worn by motorcycle riders and passengers under 18 years old. “What we’re saying in Wisconsin is that if you do something that is in compliance with the law, it will not be held against you,” said Governor Doyle in signing Senate Bill 223.
S.223, which effectively nullifies the court’s 2002 decision by dropping the allowable reduction amount to zero%, was authored by ardent motorcyclist Senator Dave Zien at the request of ABATE of Wisconsin. Zien, one of the founders of the bikers’ rights movement in Wisconsin and a longtime member of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists Legislative Task Force (NCOM-LTF), says the new law prevents discrimination against motorcyclists by courts and insurance companies.
Zien maintains that helmets contribute to accidents by reducing head mobility, vision and hearing. Helmet chin straps also can contribute to neck injuries during accidents, he said. “For the motorcycle community, we don’t want to be forced to wear helmets,” Zien told the Lacrosse Tribune.
HELMET WEARING MAY BE A TAXING PROPOSITION Safety or protective helmets will be exempt from Pennsylvania’s state sales tax under legislation sponsored by Representative Allan Egolf (R-Perry and Franklin) and unanimously approved by the House on March 24th.”Many children and adults enjoy activities such as horseback riding, bicycling, roller-blading and motorcycle riding where helmets are either required or recommended for the safety of the participant,” said Egolf, an avid bicyclist. “I believe it is important to encourage the use of safety helmets whether they are mandated or not,” he said. “I believe that eliminating the sales tax on these purchases is an incentive to encourage helmet use.”
“What parent would refuse to buy something they believed would help protect their kids because they didn’t want to pay a few dollars in sales tax?,” queried John Mullendore, ABATE of Pennsylvania’s Legislative Coordinator and a member of the NCOM Board of Directors, adding “It passed 194-0.” Pennsylvania repealed their helmet law for adult motorcyclists last year.
HB-417 will now be considered in the Senate.
BAY STATE RIDERS WIN RIGHT TO LIDLESS PARADES Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney signed House Bill 206, an act allowing adult motorcyclists the “freedom of choice” to not wear a helmet while riding in a parade. HB 206, sponsored by Representative Demetrius Atsalis, provides an exception to the state’s mandatory helmet law that “No protective head gear be required if a motorcyclist is participating in a properly permitted public parade and is 18 years or older,? explained Paul Cote, Legislative Director for the Massachusetts Motorcycle Association (MMA), adding that “This is the fifth motorcyclists’ bill passed in the last four years!”The new law is scheduled to take effect in 90 days, which lands right before the MMA’s “STORM the State House” lobbying day on Thursday, May 20th. MMA leaders have already begun securing “parade permits” from the cities of Somerville and Boston, so the “STORM” could be one of the first helmet “choice” permitted parades; riding to the State House to thank legislators and lobby for other bills still pending, including Senate Bill 1363 — the full “helmet choice” for all adult riders.
BILL FILED TO RE-ENACT LOUISIANA HELMET LAW A bill that would reverse a law pushed through the Legislature by former Governor Mike “Big Daddy” Foster giving adult motorcycle riders the option of wearing helmets has been filed in the Senate. Senator Joel Chaisson II, D-Destrehan, filed Senate Bill 29, which mandates all motorcycle riders to wear helmets with padding, a visor and a chin strap. That was the law until five years ago when Foster helped persuade lawmakers to allow a choice for riders older than 18 who are covered by at least a $10,000 health insurance policy and furnish proof of insurance to police if stopped. Foster, an avid motorcyclist, has always characterized the law he promoted as one aimed at giving adults a choice of wearing or not wearing a helmet. No state has enacted a helmet law since Maryland in 1996, but six states have repealed their helmet laws since then; Arkansas, Texas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Florida and Pennsylvania, making 31 states that currently allow adult freedom of choice. Let’s not go backwards!
AUSTRALIAN RIDERS MOUNT FRONT PLATE PROTEST The Motorcycle Riders Association (MRA) of Victoria is up in arms over a proposal to require Aussie bikers to affix license plates to the front of their motorcycles so that they can be identified from the front for tolls and for speed cameras.
MRA Victorian president Alex Money said the group is planning a protest to alert the general public as to how much money the government would waste in the move. “We just want the public to know the Victorian government is spending $14 million to introduce motorcycle front number plates,” he explained, noting that speed cameras in New South Wales take photographs from behind.
Tollway operator Transurban has said it would consider introducing motorcycle tolls if bikes could be photographed from the front.
CELEBRITIES IN THE NEWS Daytona Harley-Davidson is crying foul against Los Angeles Lakers basketball star Shaquille O’Neal, claiming he reneged on the purchase of a custom motorcycle. The dealership filed a breach of contract suit recently in circuit court seeking at least $15,000 in damages against the Orlando-area resident. Because the bike was built for someone of the 7-foot-1 Shaq’s size, the Harley dealer claims it is stuck with a motorcycle it can’t sell. The Beach Street-based company claims in its suit that the Lakers star center, who started his NBA career with the Orlando Magic, agreed to pay the company to build him a “custom motorcycle, with the design specifications requested by defendant being that the motorcycle be ‘out there’ and ‘blow everything else away.'” The motorcycle was delivered to O’Neal on Sept. 12, 2003, but he refused to pay for it, the suit claims.
AIMING FOR JUSTICE Justice was finally served to 26 bikers who had been ticketed during a “routine” traffic stop for running a stop sign last October while on their way to the Concerned Bikers Association (CBA) Swap Meet in Charlotte, N.C. All the ticketed bikers were represented by North Carolina Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) Attorney Robert A. Donat, who’s courtroom strategy was to show that it is common practice for riders to do a “stop and go” when traveling in large groups. The Assistant District Attorney was also informed that no one was going to plead guilty to the charges and that each and every rider desired a trial (there were four different trial dates, as four different officers wrote tickets that day). Furthermore, that this “routine” stop was nothing more than a harassing intelligence operation, and there was evidence that the whole operation was pre-planned, including statements made by one of the ticketing officers, and the fact that a DMV inspector appeared at the scene. Mr. Donat also found an eyewitness passerby who could confirm that there was a person wearing a ski mask at the scene, and that the bikers were videotaped.
The DA finally agreed that this was not worth prosecuting, and every one of the charges was dropped.
Robert Donat (“RAD”) serves as legal counsel for the Concerned Bikers Association and the North Carolina Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs. “The N.C. COC is currently considering its options now that the charges have been dismissed,” said Donat.
WEIRD NEWS OF THE MONTH: SADDAM’S MOTORCYCLE LOOTED The man who swung the first blow when Saddam Hussein’s infamous statue was toppled from the middle of Firdos Square in Baghdad has been arrested for looting the tyrant’s motorcycle from a museum.
Armed with a sledgehammer, Khadom Sharif Hassan — Iraq’s weightlifting champion — started pounding away at the statue last April, to cheers from the jubilant crowd and praise from President George W. Bush, who watched the action unfold on the White House television. “They got it down,” the president said approvingly.
But today the beefy hero is languishing in jail, accused of looting Baghdad’s National Army Museum of one of the former dictator’s most treasured exhibits: the 50-year-old black Norton motorcycle on which the young Saddam claimed he fled to Syria in 1959 after a botched American-sponsored assassination attempt on Iraq’s then prime minister, Gen Abd al-Karim Qasim, who a year earlier had overthrown the British-backed monarchy to seize power. Though the plan failed, it sparked the Ba’ath party’s rise to power.
Mr. Hassan explained that he felt he had a legitimate claim to the bike, which until the looting frenzy had stood on a pedestal in the museum, but was later found in his workshop during a raid by Iraq’s special crimes squad. As the chief motorbike mechanic for Saddam’s elder son Uday, Hassan had spent countless hours lavishing care on the Norton. What’s more, he said, Uday used to cherry-pick the best motorcycles that he imported into Iraq, paying him just a fraction of their value.
Hassan, 50, who is married with three children, said he had looked after more than 100 motorbikes belonging to Uday for 16 years, working on them round the clock. “I would be ordered to tune a bike at 3 a.m. if Uday decided after a night out that he wanted to ride the next day,” he said. “His favorite was a red Honda 750cc bike which he used for jumping because he was tall and strong enough to drive a big bike.”
Uday preferred Japanese models to American Harley-Davidsons, Hassan said, but also liked a BMW that was a present from King Abdullah of Jordan. When Uday was hospitalized from an accident, he ordered scores of his motorbikes to be lined up outside his window so that he could admire them. Officials from the serious crimes squad have described the case against Hassan as “open and shut,” but from the special police headquarters in Baghdad, he denies stealing the bike. “I bought the Norton from a looter,” he said. “I knew he had stolen it, but I had a duty to take it and look after it. I love that bike. Of course, I hate Saddam, but what he did wasn’t the bike’s fault. It is a special thing in Iraq’s history.”
QUOTABLE QUOTE: “How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn’t make it a leg.”
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), 16th President of the United States
CONGRATULATIONS to Skip Gravatt, a former Lone Star activist who is graduating from Regent University in Virginia with a Masters Degree in Public Policy, so that he can carry the fight right into the State House.
“I would encourage others to follow into academia and achieve accreditation that represents the pedigree to carry the fight into the hollowed halls of our legislative bodies and the previously closed doors of academia,” said a newly edified Gravatt. “I assure you I will continue to fight for our personal liberties, and I will always remember my days with Texas ABATE with a smile on my heart.”
Skip adds that, “I will return to Texas and compete for public office at the earliest opportunity.”
Go get ’em, Skip. The only thing better than a biker-friendly legislator is a legislator who IS a biker!
Clayster for Senate–O. K., here goes. I have been a little silent since Fred made theannouncement but I didn’t realize how much paperwork and time was involvedjust to get filed for the campaign. I may be AWOL for a few more days toget this thing going. Had a meeting with S.C. State Republican Party todayto set up how we were going to work this. They said this was one of themost important races in S.C. this year. During this race, you may or may nothear that your and my opinion differ. Hell, my opinion may differ from mypublic stance. but so is the politic beast. My main goal is to get one ofus elected, to get people with the right views of the constitution andlimited government intervention and meddling in our private lives. Someonehere once said win at any cost.
Speaking of contributions, if anyone has any loose change laying aroundand you want to make a contribution hear is the info- checks made out toClay Morris for Senate mail to P.O. Box 1757 Barnwell, s.c. 29812 FYIcontributions in S.C. are limited to $1,000.00 per individual ororganization per campaign cycle. If you decide to financially support mycampaign, make sure you include your full legal name and complete address.Thank you, love ya and this campaign is for us and all my constituents(bikers or not) in my district. Hutto has got to go.
CLAYSTER
Coordinator-ABATE of Barnwell, S.C.
Sons of Liberty Riders
Motorcycle Riders Foundation
“LET MY PEOPLE GO”—MOSES
“DON’T TELL ME ABOUT YOUR CONFIDENCE IN MEN,BUT BIND THEM DOWN WITH THE CHAINS OF THE CONSTITUTION”—THOMAS JEFFERSON
Supreme Court to Decide Mandatory ID Case–U.S. National – APBy GINA HOLLAND, Associated Press Writer.
WASHINGTON – Do you have to tell the police your name? Depending on how theSupreme Court rules, the answer could be the difference between arrest andfreedom.
The justices heard arguments Monday in a first-of-its kind case that askswhether people can be punished for refusing to identify themselves.
The court took up the appeal of a Nevada cattle rancher who was arrestedafter he told a deputy that he had done nothing wrong and didn’t have toreveal his name or show an ID during an encounter on a rural road four yearsago. Larry “Dudley” Hiibel, 59, was prosecuted, based on his silence, andfinds himself at the center of a major privacy rights battle. “I would do itall over again,” Hiibel, dressed in cowboy hat, boots and a bolo tie, saidoutside the court. “That’s one of our fundamental rights as Americancitizens, to remain silent.” The case will clarify police powers in thepost-Sept. 11 era, determining if officials can demand to see identificationwhenever they deem it necessary.
Nevada senior deputy attorney general Conrad Hafen told justices that”identifying yourself is a neutral act” that helps police in theirinvestigations and doesn’t – by itself – incriminate anyone. But if that isallowed, several justices asked, what will be next? A fingerprint? Telephonenumber? E-mail address? What about a national identification card? “Thegovernment could require name tags, color codes,” Hiibel’s lawyer, RobertDolan, told the court. At the heart of the case is an intersection of theFourth Amendment, which protects people from unreasonable searches, and theFifth Amendment right to remain silent.Hiibel claims both of those rights were violated. Justice Antonin Scalia(news – web sites), however, expressed doubts. Hesaid officers faced with suspicious people need authority to get the facts.
Good news from Maryland–Maryland’s helmet law (SB 611) passed the Senate 27 to 20!http://www.abate-of-maryland.org/
Everyone did such a good job that at least two MD Senators email boxes werenon-deliverable yesterday due to “mailbox full!”
Their bill now goes to the House Environmental Matters Committee.Please email the committee and ask for support for SB 611 – more info,sample letter and quick email links found here:http://abatepa.org/abate/legislation/sample/Maryland_SB611.htm
Jayne
abatepa.org
California Needs Help to Defeat Apehangers Law–Help Modify Motorcycle Handlebar Height Limitations in California.If you have received a citation for C.V.C. 27801(b), handlebar height, youare asked to share your story with Jean Hughes at (707) 446-9432,immediately.
Assembly Bill, AB 2844, authored by 77th District Assemblyman Jay La Suerwould remove motorcycle handlebar height language from section 27801(b) ofthe California Vehicle Code. That’s a GOOD thing! The current standard isgrips at shoulder height or below.
AB 2844 is scheduled to be heard in committee on April 19, 2004. We need asmany letters, phone calls and faxes as possible to the California AssemblyTransportation Committee. If you’re a tourist, let them know how much moneyyou’d spend to help boost our troubled economy during a visit.
Please ask committee members in a polite and respectful manner,”Please vote “YES” on AB 2844.”
Assembly Transportation Committee Members
Committee Phone: (916) 319-2093
~Richard “Splatt” Hall
Splatt’s Motorcycle Citation Database for California www.bikernation.usel Presidente ABATE Local 36 of Palm Springs www.abate.usState Board Member ABATE of California for 2004 www.abate.orgABATE, AMA, HOG, MMA, MRF, NCOM, SOLRW, KOA, Muffler Man World Tour
Latest on Tama Accident…RIGHT-OF-WAY-LAWS NEEDED–Some of you have “seen” me speak about the Tama Tragedy in person…
The following ran in today’s (April 11, 2004) Des Moines Register – thelargest newspaper in Iowa. “$11.60 a piece. That’s what our lives are worth.”
Tama County crash, trial leave bikers sad, seething.
By KEN FUSON
Register Staff Writer
Everyday, the 57-year-old Ames man returns in his mind to that clear, sunnyJune day two years ago, when he embarked on a motorcycle trip with fivefriends and returned home alone.
In little more than the time it takes to pop a plastic bag, three of hisfriends were killed and two others critically injured when a van crossedthe center line on U.S. Highway 30, about six miles northwest of BellePlaine.
In January, a Tama County jury acquitted the van’s driver, Gary LeeButler, 49, of three counts of vehicular homicide. A judge then finedthe Des Moines man a total of $70 for two other violations, crossing thecenter line and failure to maintain control of his vehicle.
“For the six of us it comes out to about $11.60 apiece,” Wierson said.”That’s what our lives were worth.”
Butler’s attorney, Keith Rigg of Des Moines, said he understood thefrustration of Wierson and other motorcyclists, but he said the juryruled correctly.
“The facts are that it was just a tragic, tragic accident,” he said.
Tama County Attorney Brent Heeren has appealed the judge’s ruling,saying Butler could have been sentenced to 60 days in jail and fined$1,000. The Iowa Supreme Court last month agreed to review the decision.That will not change the jury’s verdict.
In the meantime, the case has outraged motorcycle enthusiasts across thecountry, who say it’s another example of a motorist being treatedleniently after causing the death of a motorcyclist.
“We need to do something to make motorcyclists start to matter,” Wiersonsaid. “Because people ride a motorcycle, the perception is that youdeserve what you get.”
Groups that have been known primarily in the past for advocating againstmandatory helmet laws now wonder if they need legislative help toprotect them from other drivers.
People get the same penalty for running over a motorcyclist as they dofor running a stop sign, said Steve Rector of Marshalltown, statecoordinator of ABATE (A Brotherhood Aimed Toward Education) of Iowa,which has as many as 8,000 members.
“That is wrong,” he said.
The Iowa verdict came in the same month that former U.S. Rep. BillJanklow of South Dakota received a 100-day jail sentence after speedingthrough a stop sign and hitting a motorcyclist, killing the biker.Janklow had a history of speeding and could have received an 11-yearprison term.
Citing the Iowa and South Dakota cases, among several others, the250,000-member American Motorcyclist Association recently announced its”Justice for All” initiative. The group will seek stiffer penalties fortraffic offenses or criminal acts that kill or injure other motorists,including motorcycle riders. The proposal did not come up in the IowaLegislature this year.
“We certainly understand the frustration” among riders, “but what we’readvocating is not symbolic,” said Tom Lindsay, the group’s spokesman.”It’s actually positive, constructive action that will benefitmotorcyclists in the future.”
In 2002, the latest year for which national statistics are available,3,244 motorcyclists were killed, including 41 in Iowa. By comparison,Iowa recorded 16 motorcyclist deaths in 1996, a record low.
Those stark 2002 statistics include some of Wayne Wierson’s best friends.
A review of what happened on that June morning two years ago illustrateswhy motorcyclists are so frustrated with the legal system and why it maybe difficult to write legislation that resolves their concerns.
“I can’t do anything about the lawyers or the courts, but what I can dois hopefully make those drivers see us and hopefully make motorcyclistssafer,” Wierson said.
At each talk, Wierson invites six driver’s education students to thefront of the room, as he did recently in Clive, and places them in thesame staggered formation that he and his motorcycling friends wereriding in.
Then Archer pops the bag.
“I don’t want anybody to go through what I went through that day inJune,” Wierson told the students.
Wierson still rides a motorcycle, but he sold his Suzuki and bought aHarley-Davidson, in honor of his neighbor and the other friends.
“It gets lonely on Saturdays, I’ve got to tell you,” he said. “Reallylonely.”
March 23, 2004
By Bandit |
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
NCOM COAST TO COAST BIKER NEWSCompiled & Edited by Bill Bish,National Coalition of Motorcyclists
THE PRICE OF FREEDOM ABATE of Florida, Inc. has concluded an economic impact study for the first three fiscal years of Florida’s amended helmet law, and the bottom line reveals that “freedom of choice” has generated over a billion dollars into the state’s economy from the increase in ridership. From 2000 to 2003 Florida’s motorcycle registrations went from 228,914 to 355,007, which represents a 55% increase. The motorcycle registration figures are compiled from the statistics of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The monetary figures come from the license and registration bureau.
114,457 motorcycles at a low average of $10,000 each = $1,144,570,000
Sales tax on motorcycles at 6% = $68,674,200
Registration fees on motorcycles = $4,578,280
Change of Title = $3,406,094
TOTAL = $1,221,228,574
“This is a low estimate as it doesn’t include accessories and other items bought,” according to James “Doc” Reichenbach II, State President and Lobbyist for ABATE of Florida, and Chairman of the Board for the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM). “This is over 1.2 BILLION DOLLARS in three years that was put into the economy of the State of Florida.”
Over 75 MILLION DOLLARS went directly into the state treasury for the general fund. This does not include the tourist money that has increased because of Florida now being a freedom of choice state. In the past three years, over 1.3 billion dollars has been spent in Florida for Bike Week and Biketoberfest.
“I hope this report will help anyone who has heard the bad publicity that has come out of our amended law,” said Doc. “The motorcyclists have certainly paid their fair share into the Florida economy and it can be done in every state.”
CHINESE MOVE TO BAN MOTORCYCLES China, the world’s leading motorcycle producer, has begun banning motorcycles in urban areas. Currently, nearly 100 large and medium-size cities, including Beijing, Guangzhou and Xi’an, ban or limit the use of motorcycles to curb increasing air pollution, accident rates and crime. Analysts estimate that China will not have an urban market for motorcycles by 2010 if more cities continue to ban their use.?
Since 1994, cities like Shanghai, Tianjin and Nantong have stopped issuing licenses to new motorcycles. In Shanghai, many motorcycle shops were even shut down recently.
In 2002, the city of Guangzhou (formerly Canton), shortened the service life of motorbikes to 8 or 10 years from the previous 13 years, and is offering cash rewards to owners who discard their bikes before their “end of life” expires. Within 3 months, the city will begin phasing out motorcycles, leading up to a total ban by 2007.
Nowadays, the Chinese government is following a “no encouragement and no support” policy towards the motorcycle industry, despite the fact that for the seventh year in a row China has produced more motorcycles than any other country — 13 million annually, with more than 3 million exported to foreign markets every year. The lucrative industry attracted nearly 200 producers during the 1990’s, but only 18 have an annual production capacity of over 200,000 units, and only three can make more than 1 million each.
“Under the current circumstances, where even county-level cities have started to restrict the use of motorbikes, we have no choice but to focus on the countryside and international markets,” Zhang Dahu, director of the Motorcycle Association under the Association of Chinese Automobile Manufacturers, told China Business Weekly.
In the meantime, American motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson has enlisted the U.S. federal government to fight what it calls protectionist Chinese trade practices, which include a 50% duty on imports, that make it nearly impossible for foreign motorcycle manufacturers to establish a foothold in the planet?s most populace nation?and potentially it’s biggest motorcycle market.
Orwell’s comin’ true!
DUTCH SAFETY EXPERT WANTS MOTORCYCLES OFF THE ROAD Dutch road safety expert Matthijs Koornstra wants motorcycles discouraged from using public roads, stating that “?all motorcycles should be removed from traffic or at least people should be discouraged from riding them through drastically increasing road taxes and insurance premiums.”
The Federation of European Motorcyclists Associations (FEMA) has criticized Koornstra’s simplistic views to improve the safety of Powered Two-Wheelers (motorcycles), which they say “favors marginalization of motorcycles to simply make them disappear from the roads.” Unfortunately, previous meetings with Koornstra have not been productive, reports FEMA.
MOTORCYCLES EASE LONDON CONGESTION Since February 17 last year, motorists driving into the heart of western Europe’s biggest city on weekdays between 7 am and 6:30 pm have had to fork out a toll of five pounds ($9.45 US, or 7.40 euros), but motorcycles are exempt.?
Transport of London, the body which oversees the congestion charge, says the fee has cut traffic delays by 30 percent and also reduced the number of cars entering the zone by 30 percent. Overall, traffic entering central London has dropped 18 percent and the average speed has risen by 15 percent.
Motorcycle sales are up 20 percent in London, and motorcycle traffic in the city has increased 20 percent, but there has been a 15 percent decrease in motorcycle casualties.
The toll is not popular with commuters, however, with 70 percent of drivers opposed to continuing the congestion charge, while 42 percent of retailers blame it for a drop in area commerce.
LA-DI-F***ING-DA A routine traffic stop last June 15 near Gate City, Virginia turned into a free speech issue when motorcyclist Roy Lynn Greene was pulled over for loud exhaust and the trooper noticed his leather jacket.
“While he had the gentleman pulled over, he noticed these two patches that were on his leather jacket that contained the ‘F’ word on both of them,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Marcus McClung. “He was riding his motorcycle on a public road on a Sunday, and those words were in plain view of everyone, including children. People coming out of church don’t need to see that,” McClung said.
In addition to the noise violation, Greene was issued a citation under the Code of Virginia, Section 18.2374, which is classified as possession of obscene material in a public place, a Class 1 misdemeanor.
The case has already been before the judge in general district court and was appealed by the Commonwealth to circuit court, contending that this is a violation of community standards.
“I believe that the statements on the patches were obscene and the arresting officer acted accordingly in charging the defendant,” said McClung. “I thought (this case) was separate from the other cases that the Supreme Court has ruled upon. They have agreed that statements like ‘f*** the war’ are appropriate because they have some social value. My argument was that the items, or the patches, were obscene by the community of Scott County and have absolutely no social value. The phrase ‘la-di-f***ing-da’ has no social value that I see. Whether or not the judge agrees with that, I don’t know.”
Circuit Judge Birg Sergent is expected to render a decision in an appeal made by McClung in the case next month. Greene faces possible jail time and up to $2,500 in fines if McClung’s appeal is approved.
FLORIDA BILL WOULD FUND ABATE SAFETY PROJECTS Trauma centers around the state of Florida would get a much needed financial boost from some of their most frequent patients — drivers who run red lights — under a bill that jacks up the fines for the crime. And House Bill 65, sponsored by House Speaker Pro Tempore Lindsay Harrington (R-Punta Gorda) would also turn the motorcyclist advocacy group American Bikers Aiming Toward Education into a major educator.
Under an amendment tacked onto the bill Tuesday, February 17, ABATE of Florida would receive $1 million per year “for the purpose of fostering motorcycle safety awareness, education and research programs relating to accident prevention.”
Last year, the organization had to “rob Peter to pay Paul” in order to spend about $150,000 on education programs, James “Doc” Reichenbach II told Greg Martin, a staff writer for the Sun-Herald. Reichenbach is the State President of ABATE of Florida, its capitol lobbyist, and Chairman of the Board of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM).
“I want to see this thing go to billboards,” Reichenbach said of the education campaign, noting that ABATE would post 250 billboards to remind motorists to watch for motorcycles. “I want to send my people into high schools. I want to hold safety seminars to see what we can do to reduce accidents and injuries.”
His comments came after the House Transportation Committee voted unanimously to pass the bill. Next, it must survive a review by the Finance and Taxation Committee before going to the House floor. A Senate version must travel a parallel road.
If passed, the increased penalties would generate an additional $57.6 million, according to an analysis by transportation committee staff. All but $1 million for ABATE would get put into a trauma center trust fund to be disbursed to each of 22 trauma centers in the state.
Harrington, who is confident of passage, said he sponsored the bill at the request of ABATE which expressed concern over judges who had fined motorists as little as $80 in accidents that killed motorcyclists.
NEWS OF THE WEIRD: HELMET SAVES MAN FROM GUNSHOT This newsbit from Dixie Rider may be evidence that wearing a helmet can save your life, at least if you’re being shot at. According to a Channel 13 Eyewitness News broadcast in Houston, Texas, an unidentified man was saved when he was shot by his girlfriend, because he was still wearing his motorcycle helmet.According to the TV news report, the couple had been riding together earlier in the evening, and an argument erupted when they arrived home around midnight.
Police say the girlfriend then shot the male in the head, but his full-face helmet protected him from serious injury. The female then barricaded herself in a nearby apartment until police hostage negotiation teams were able to convince her to surrender. She was charged with aggravated assault.
CAMPBELL ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT It is with heavy heart that NCOM relays the March 3rd announcement that U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell will not seek re-election for health reasons.
Campbell is a longtime member of the NCOM Legislative Task Force and has been a champion for bikers’ rights for many years, having been actively involved in every piece of motorcycle legislation passed by Congress since the eighties. He was elected to serve as a Democrat in the Colorado House starting in 1982, serving two terms before being elected to Congress. After serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1987 to 1992, Campbell won the Senate seat he now holds. He switched to the Republican Party in 1995, and was re-elected in 1998 by nearly two-thirds of the vote.
Born April 13, 1933, in Auburn, Calif., Campbell is one of two children of May Vierra, a Portuguese immigrant, and Albert Campbell, a member of the Northern Cheyenne Indian Tribe. The senator is one of 44 chiefs of that tribe, and one of only eight Native American Indians ever to serve in Congress. He is a renowned jewelry designer whose Nighthorse signature pieces are prized by collectors of fine native jewelry.
Campbell served in the U.S. Air Force from 1951-53, and fought in the Korean War as an airman second class. He graduated from San Jose University in 1957 with a degree in physical education and fine arts, and later attended Meiji University in Tokyo in 1960 as a special research student. In 1964, Campbell competed in the Olympic Games as captain of the U.S. Judo Team.
Motorcycle enthusiasts everywhere will remember Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell as more than their legislative warrior, but as a fellow biker who rode his Harley to work in the Nation’s Capital, to events, and throughout Colorado, including the Four Corners Iron Horse Rally which he founded. Thanks for everything, Ben, best wishes and we?ll see ya down the road?
QUOTABLE QUOTE: “A man’s friendships are one of the best measures of his worth.”
Charles Darwin, British Naturalist (1809-82)