BIKERS AND PEDISTRIANS DOWN, PRESIDENT HIGH ON HARLEY-DAVIDSON, THE WORLD WANTS HELMETS AND CANADA WANTS TO OUST COLORS

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

FALLEN FREEDOM FIGHTER It is with deepest regret that we report the death of Marty Schultz, ABATE of Maryland state director, who was riding home on the morning of August 30th after picking up his bike at a shop when he was struck and killed by the driver of a Jeep Liberty who ran a stop sign, violating the 44-year old rider?s right-of-way.

?Since that time there has been considerable speculation in print and heard over the airwaves about whether or not he was wearing a helmet,? said ABATE of Maryland in a prepared statement. ?Yes, in fact he was wearing a helmet that came off during the collision or its devastating aftermath. The focus should not be on the helmet, which in many cases provides little or no protection. A helmet can become dislodged or come off during a collision; which is precisely what happened in the collision that took Marty’s life. Instead, shift the focus to what happens before an accident occurs and strive for accident prevention.

Legislation advocated by ABATE of Maryland, Inc. during the 2006 session of the Maryland General Assembly sought to increase the penalties for right-of-way violations that result in serious injury or a fatality.

The National Coalition of Motorcyclists and the motorcyclists rights community extend our sincerest sympathies to the officers and members of ABATE of Maryland and the family and friends of Marty Schultz for their tragic loss.

?Another Freedom Fighter falls in the line of duty, thanks to one of the many irresponsible motorists out there,? said Tiger Mike Revere, ABATE of Oklahoma state director and member of the NCOM Board of Directors, who further expressed a sentiment shared by our entire board; “I’m sick and tired of burying my Brothers and Sisters for America’s right to drive stupidly!”

NHTSA REPORTS RISE IN MOTORCYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN DEATHS An increase in motorcycle and pedestrian deaths contributed to an overall rise in highway fatalities in 2005, reports the U.S. Department of Transportation?s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). According to the federal agency, the total number of fatalities rose 1.4 percent from 42,836 in 2004 to 43,443 in 2005.

Acting Secretary of Transportation Maria Cino noted that a 13 percent increase in rider fatalities from 4,028 in 2004 to 4,553 in 2005 and an increase in pedestrian fatalities from 4,675 to 4,881 offset an overall decline in highway deaths.

In 2005, new motorcycle and scooter sales topped the one-million level for the third straight year, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council, and increased from 1,063,00 in 2004 to 1,116,000 in 2005, marking 13 straight years of increased sales.

Cino added that the number of people injured in motor vehicle crashes declined 3.2 percent from 2.8 million in 2004 to 2.7 million in 2005. Passenger vehicle occupant fatalities also dropped by 451, from 31,866 in 2004 to 31,415 in 2005, the lowest level since 1994.

MORE MOTORCYCLES, MORE NOVICE RIDERS Not everybody is screaming bloody murder over rising gasoline prices, reports ConsumerAffairs.com — motorcycle manufacturers are ecstatic.

According to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, more than 350,000 people will take its new-rider course in 2006 — a 10 per cent increase over the year before. So many people want to ride that there’s a waiting list for spots in the class. The wait can sometimes take months.

The Motorcycle Industry Council, also based in California, knows the number of riders is rising rapidly. Sales of motorcycles and scooters climbed 8 per cent in the first quarter of 2006, compared to the same period of last year, and is expected to continue its upward spiral.

Because of rising fuel prices, there are a lot more novices on motorcycles. In fact, the American Motorcyclist Association reports that 35 per cent of motorcycle owners plan to be on their bikes more as a direct result of pumped-up prices at the pump. The typical motorcycle gets 50 miles per gallon of gas, while the average passenger car gets less than half of that — 22.4 miles.

PRESIDENT IMPRESSED WITH HARLEY-DAVIDSON President George W. Bush became the third American president to visit Harley-Davidson when he toured the York, Pennsylvania plant on Wednesday, August 16, but told reporters ?I?m just looking so far.?

Cheers and applause erupted inside the Harley-Davidson Inc. vehicle operations plant when Bush straddled a blue and white Softail and revved its engine again and again.

After meeting employees, the president shouted, “I’m impressed with the quality of the product here,” over the sounds of the assembly line. “I’m impressed by the fact that these people really enjoy what they’re doing,” Bush told national and local media.

Later, following an economic sit-down discussion with company workers and management, Bush vowed to make the quality American product he’d seen firsthand open to more international markets. “There’s a direct correlation between exports and jobs,” Bush said. “The more Harleys that are sold in places like Vietnam, China and India, the more likely someone is going to be able to find work.”

Harley-Davidson’s worldwide dealer network sold more than 125,000 motorcycles in the second quarter of the year, a 10 percent increase from the prior year. International retail motorcycle sales grew by 17.3 percent. The motorcycle maker also set a milestone this year when it opened its first dealership in China, a large new market for the company.

Bush also promised to help make permanent business tax credits for research and development, citing the company as a model for, as the president put it, “one of America’s finest products.”

WHO WANTS HELMETS The World Health Organization (WHO), a specialized health agency of the United Nations with 191 member states, is stressing the need for mandatory helmet laws worldwide and has published a road safety manual giving technical advice to governments on how to assess current helmet use and design programs to increase helmet wearing.

According to their estimates, motorcyclists account for more than 50 percent of the 1.2 million killed in road crashes every year, adding that the majority of those who die or are disabled in motorcycle accidents are from low and middle income nations, which is why the WHO is intensifying efforts to support governments to increase helmet use through their new publication ? ?Helmets: a road safety manual for decision-makers and practitioners.?

The manual is a follow-up to the World Report on road traffic injury prevention, published in 2004 by WHO and the World Bank, which provided evidence that establishing and enforcing mandatory helmet use is an effective intervention for reducing injuries and fatalities among two-wheeler users. The manual has been produced under the auspices of the UN road safety collaboration, in collaboration with the Global Road Safety Partnership, the FIA Foundation for the Automobile and Society, and the World Bank, as one of a series of documents that aim to provide practical advice on implementing the recommendations of the World Report.

“We want to make helmet use a high priority for national public health systems,” says Dr. Anders Nordstr?m, Acting Director-General of WHO. “We need to stress not only the effectiveness of helmets in saving lives, but the fact that helmet programs are good value for money. Countries will recoup their investment in these programs many times over through savings to their health care systems, as well as savings to other sectors.”

Many countries have succeeded in raising rates of helmet use through adopting laws that make helmet use compulsory, enforcing these laws, and raising public awareness about the laws, as well as the benefits of helmet use.

?The importance of increasing helmet use follows dramatic growth in motorization around the world, largely from increasing use of motorized two-wheelers, particularly in Asian countries. In China, for example, motorcycle ownership over the last ten years has increased rapidly. In 2004 it was estimated that more than 67 million motorcycles were registered in the country, and approximately 25% of all road traffic deaths were among motorcyclists and their passengers,? reports the WHO.

The manual will be implemented in a number of countries over the next two years, starting in the ASEAN region through the Global Road Safety Partnership’s GRSI initiative, but extending to cover countries from Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.

In addition to the publication of this manual, WHO has also established a network of experts working to increase helmet use, and supports helmet programs directly in its country work on road safety.

CANADIAN CITY INSTITUTES ?NO COLORS? POLICY ?Wearing colors of known criminal biker gangs is now officially unwelcome on city property,? reported the Alberta Daily Herald Tribune, as Grande Prairie Mayor Wayne Ayling put up the first no-gang-colors policy sign on the front doors of City Hall to officially start the city’s public campaign against criminal biker gangs.

“We believe it is inappropriate for people to advertise that they belong to a criminal gang on city property,” said Ayling. He said although Grande Prairie is the first city in Western Canada to have such a program in place, three other major cities in Ontario – Barrie, Durham, and Toronto – already have similar programs.

Ayling said the goal now is to get local businesses to put up no-gang-colors signs on their premises, though he admitted that may be a hard sell for some local businesses that regularly have motorcyclists as customers.

Quality Hotel, for example, is involved in the Canadian Championship of Bike Building in Wembley and was involved with the Western Canadian Bike Builders Showcase last year. The hotel’s general manager, Felix Seiler, said volunteering to support such a policy would put staff into the role of enforcers, something many are not qualified to do or should not be asked to do.

Mark Rodacker is manager of Countryside Motor Sports Inc., which deals with many clients that are into motorcycles. He felt the policy was “ridiculous” therefore his business wouldn’t be involved with the program. “They seem to label anyone who owns a motorcycle as a biker and that being part of a biker club means they’re going to be bad. They’re stereotyping all bikers,” he said.

The National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) has long fought against discriminatory legislation and opposes dress codes in public accommodations that unfairly discriminate against bikers. NCOM supports anti-discrimination laws that prevent establishments from discriminating against motorcyclists based on style of dress or mode of transportation.

WEIRD NEWS: NEW STAMP ISSUE MISSPELLS ?MOTORCYLE? The Postal Service recently, with great fanfare, issued a new set of stamps depicting motorcycles. Collectors who buy copies issued on the first day the stamps are available can get them with a special commemorative postmark. Unfortunately, the colorful postmark issued during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota misspells it “motorcyle.”

Having discovered this, the post office announced Friday that new orders for first-day envelopes will have a corrected postmark. Unless the buyer wants it spelled wrong. In that case they can still order the version with the incorrect postmark. Just include a note asking for the incorrect version.

Any collectors who already have misspelled versions can trade them for the corrected version by sending them to INFORMATION FULFILLMENT, DEPT 6270, US POSTAL SERVICE, PO BOX 219424, KANSAS CITY, MO, 64121-9424.

QUOTABLE QUOTE: ?To believe is very dull. To doubt is intensely engrossing. To be on the alert is to live. To be lulled into security is to die.?

Oscar Wilde (1854 – 1900) Anglo-Irish poet/playwright

Bill Bish, Coast-to-Coast, Legislative Update, New Laws, Distractions and Dr. Phil

Bill Bish, author, 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 NEWS BYTES
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists

NCOM CONVENTION IN DERBY CITY Kentucky hospitality greeted a near-record number of motorcyclists? rights activists to Louisville for the 21st annual NCOM Convention, held Mother?s Day weekend, May 11-13, 2006 at the spacious Executive Inn.

Nearly 1,300 bikers attended the National Coalition of Motorcyclists? Convention, coming from virtually every state and representing most Motorcyclists? Rights Organizations and Confederations of Clubs across the country.

Hosted by the Kentucky Motorcycle Association/KBA and the Kentucky Confederation of Clubs, this annual gathering draws prominent leaders in the bikers? rights movement to different locations every year to discuss topics of concern to all riders. Meetings, seminars and group discussions focused on safety issues, legal rights, legislative efforts and litigation techniques to benefit our right to ride.

Highlights of the 3-day conference included an insightful presentation by researcher and author Wendy Moon, ?Fatal Design ? SUV vs. Motorcycle? which offers an intriguing explanation as to why motorcycle injuries and fatalities are increasing yet motorcycle accidents are decreasing.

This year?s agenda was packed with informative and thought provoking meetings such as the NCOM Board of Directors Meeting, NCOM Legislative Task Force Meeting, A.I.M. Attorney Conference, A.I.M. Chiefs of Staff Meeting, Christian Unity Conference, Clean and Sober Roundtable, Women In Motorcycling, SMRO President?s Meeting, American Biker Party Conference, and the popular and always inspiring Confederations of Clubs General Patch Holder Meeting.

Seminars and workshops included ?Freedom of the Road & Use of the Courts?, ?Discrimination ? A Practical Approach?, ?Fundamentals of Forming a Motorcycle Caucus?, ?Getting Our People Elected on a Shoestring Budget? ?Back to Basics ? Lobbying 101? and ?Patriot Law and Pending Gang Legislation?.

The NCOM Legislative Task Force welcomed new members; Idaho State Senator Skip Brandt, Texas State Rep. Norma ?Da Lady? Chavez, and Arizona lobbyist Bobbi Hartmann.

South Dakota State Rep. Jim Putnam was entertaining with his home-spun humor as the dinner speaker during the Silver Spoke Awards Banquet on Saturday evening.

Silver Spoke Award recipients were: MEDIA: Peter Kay, Wheels of Grace; ENTERTAINMENT: Paul Revere and the Raiders; COMMERCE: Joe Teresi of Paisano Publications; GOVERNMENT: U.S. Senator James Inhofe of Oklahoma; LEGAL: Joey Lester, California A.I.M. Attorney and Partner in the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester; and SPECIAL RECOGNITION: Cyndi Calhoun (Posthumously) of the Texas Motorcycle Rights Association; Motorcycle Rights Group Advocate Pam Martin; and George Heissenbuttle, Founder of the Kentucky Motorcycle Association/KBA.

The Ron Roloff Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to ?Tiger? Mike Revere, President of ABATE of Oklahoma and member of the NCOM Board of Directors.

NCOM would like to thank the KMA/KBA and the Kentucky Confederation of Clubs for hosting this year?s Convention, and special thanks for the following groups for hosting Hospitality Suites during non-meeting times: Soldiers For Jesus M/C, Sober Riders MC and the Kentucky COC.

The 2006 Convention was dedicated to the memory of Cyndi Calhoun of the TMRA-II and Fat George Hutchison of the Spartan Riders MC and Arizona Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs.

Next year?s NCOM Convention will be held May 10-13, 2007 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Call NCOM for further details at (800) 525-5355 or visit www.On-A-Bike.com.

DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION The highway death rate increased in 2005 for the first time in about 20 years, and a new federal report suggests that driving distracted may be responsible for nearly 8 in 10 crashes.

Preliminary figures from the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that despite increased usage of safety belts and attention to drunken driving, 43,200 people died in car crashes last year, up from 42,636 in 2004.

In a separate report issued the same day, NHTSA and Virginia Tech’s Transportation Institute released research findings that driving distracted is a more serious problem than previously known, and indicated nearly 80% of crashes and near-crashes involve driver inattention up to three seconds before the incident. The most common causes of distraction were cellphone use and drowsiness.

The research, which NHTSA called “breakthrough,” tracked the drivers of 100 vehicles equipped with video and sensor devices for more than one year, providing more than 43,300 hours of data. In nearly 2 million miles of driving, 241 drivers of the cars were involved in 82 crashes and 761 near-crashes.

Connecticut, New York and New Jersey ban drivers from using handheld cell phones. Washington, D.C., bans use of handheld cell phones or any other electronic device. New Hampshire bans all driver distractions.

A government report last year found that about 10 percent of drivers are using cell phones.

Automakers are refining technologies that sense when a vehicle is about to crash and apply brakes and steer the car out of trouble.

WISCONSIN ENACTS ROADWAY USERS RESPONSIBILITY ACT The Roadway Users Responsibility Act contains numerous pro-motorcycle provisions and represents a huge victory for Wisconsin bikers.

Senator Dave Zien, longtime motorcycle rights activist and member of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists Legislative Task Force, was one of the chief authors and sponsors of the legislation.

Among its provisions, AB 964 / S 528 increases penalties for motorists who cause injury or the death of other roadway users. If the victim of the crash is a motorcyclist, bicyclist or pedestrian, the violator must attend an Awareness Class to learn how to Share the Road.

Also under the measure, all Driver Education classes will be required to include Share the Road with Motorcycles portion. In another section, a paperwork reduction portion will allow a Motorcycle Rider Education graduate to bypass the Learners Permit requirement prior to obtaining their motorcycle endorsement.

Lastly, the bill will allow a motorcycle, moped or bicycle to proceed through a red vehicle actuated traffic signal that does not recognize their vehicle when the path is clear and after waiting 45 seconds.

TATTOOING IS OK Oklahoma?s SB 806, a proposal to Regulate and Legalize Artistic Tattooing, has been signed into law by Governor Brad Henry and will become law on November 1st.

?Many thanks to all lovers of Freedom and Artistic Expression out there that weighed in with their legislators on this important First Amendment and Public Health issue,? said Tiger Mike Revere, President of ABATE of Oklahoma and a member of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists Board of Directors.

?With the Governor’s signature, a long and embarrassing chapter in our state’s history should draw to a close,? said Tiger Mike, referring to the fact that Oklahoma is the last state in the nation to legalize tattooing. South Carolina was the49th state to do so in 2004.

Because illegal tattooing was occurring, Governor Henry said it is important for the state to step in to make sure that people getting a tattoo don?t also contract a disease such as HIV or hepatitis B or C.

The measure requires all tattoo operators to be licensed by the Oklahoma State Department of Health, which will establish rules and standards for tattooing.

DR. PHIL, MOTORCYCLE SAFETY ADVOCATE Motorcycling fans have found a new friend in the mass media: Dr. Phil McGraw of the popular Dr. Phil television show. And thanks to Helmet House and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, millions of viewers on Tuesday, April 18 tuned in as the good doctor helped a young Marine from Bay St. Louis, Miss., discover the right way to ride a motorcycle.

The producers of the Ask Dr. Phil and Robin segment needed our help with some riding apparel, said Richard Kimes, national marketing manager for Helmet House. They were filming a segment about a Marine, George Goetz, who had just returned home after a tour of duty in Iraq. Anxious to experience the thrill of motorcycling, he decided to spend some of his savings on a sport bike. Goetz began riding without any training or a motorcycle license. And, although he had a helmet, he lacked any other protective riding apparel. His mother was so concerned that she hid his keys. That?s when Dr. Phil got involved, said Kimes.

With Dr. Phil as the referee, the story unfolded in front of a national audience.

Dr. Phil is an avid motorcyclist who frequently rode a dirt bike in the past, said Kimes, who attended the taping of the show. Dr. Phil brokered a deal between Goetz and his mother: if the young man would take training, get licensed and wear the proper gear, his mom would return his motorcycle keys.

Dr. Phil then introduced Rob Gladden from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, who presented Goetz with a new set of safety gear and explained that the MSF had arranged a special Basic RiderCourse for Goetz and 11 of his buddies.

A young hero and his mother got a helping hand from Dr. Phil. It’s just another example of how motorcyclists really do help one another.

NEWS OF THE WEIRD: DEAF WOMAN SUES RIDER ED FOR NOT PROVIDING SIGNER A deaf Tampa-area woman who wanted to take an adult education class on motorcycle riding is suing the Hillsborough County school district for not providing a sign language interpreter.

“They are discriminating against me, which I felt is not right,” Merrie Carol Paul said in an interview conducted through a telephone relay system. “One of my dreams is that I wanted to ride my own motorcycle. … I love to ride motorcycles because I can do it. It doesn’t matter if I am deaf or not. I love to feel the spirit. It is me.”

Paul, 46, claims in a federal lawsuit that the district violated the Americans With Disabilities Act when officials refused to provide the interpreter when she signed up to take the class last year.

Paul said she was told the $175 class fee would not cover the cost of an interpreter. In the lawsuit, she says she was told she was welcome to bring her own interpreter, which the suit states would have cost her $2,340.

When asked if the district provides sign language interpreters for people in adult education classes, school district spokesman Stephen Hegarty said, “Regardless of what kind of class it is, the law requires that we make reasonable accommodations, and frequently litigation arises over how to define reasonable.” Hegarty added he did not know whether a sign language interpreter ever has been requested for an adult school class.

Deaf from birth, Paul said she rode motorcycles with her parents as a teenager in Michigan. She said she passed a written test but needs to take the course to obtain her license.

“I have my motorcycle in my garage, and it is waiting for me,” she said.

QUOTABLE QUOTE: ?We, too, born to freedom, and believing in freedom, are willing to fight to maintain freedom. We, and all others who believe as deeply as we do, would rather die on our feet than live on our knees.?

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States (1882-1945)

THE BILL BISH LEGISLATIVE ALERTS–HIGHBAR LAWS REPEALED, RIGHT-OF-WAY LAWS PASSED, HELMET REPEALS WORKING AND MORE

Old shot from Bob T.

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 NEWS BYTES

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

BUSH NEW CHIEF OF STAFF IS A HARLEY MAN The favorite ride of the president’s new chief of staff is a Harley Fat Boy, and to appreciate how much of an insider Joshua Bolten has become in the Bush administration, suffice it to say that Bolten keeps a spare hog at President Bush’s Texas ranch.

“I’ve ridden motorcycles for a long time. It’s not just a midlife crisis,” Bolten told the cable network C-SPAN in an interview last year. “The one that I ride most now, the one that’s really close to my heart, is the Harley-Davidson Fat Boy, a 2003 anniversary edition.”

Bolten, 51, crafted campaign policy for the president and served as deputy chief of staff before becoming director of the Office of Management and Budget in June 2003. That entailed frequent travel with Bush, which led to Bolten leaving a motorcycle at the Prairie Chapel Ranch near Crawford, Texas.

In his OMB office, he displays a motorcycle gas tank commemorating the 100th anniversary of Harley-Davidson. During the 2000 campaign, he formed Bikers for Bush.

Bolten, who has never married, gained particular notoriety when he gave a motorcycle ride at one of the group’s rallies to actress Bo Derek.

“You need to clear your mind of everything else,” Bolten has said of biking, “because if you’re not concentrating properly when you’re riding a motorcycle, you’re putting your life in danger.”

That focus is useful for a chief of staff who literally holds other people’s lives in his hands. Holding one of Washington?s most powerful jobs, Bolten will be managing a flow of daily briefings for the president on everything from national security to natural calamity.

The Bush administration considers Bolten “well-respected” inside and outside the administration, with White House spokesman Scott McClellan saying: “The president believes he was the best person for the job.”

One of his personal effects he relocated from his grand Eisenhower Executive Office Building quarters to a less-spacious but more prestigious corner perch in the West Wing only steps from the Oval Office, was a motorcycle-shaped menorah.

MISSOURI HOUSE PASSES HELMET LAW REPEAL AS DEBATE CONTINUES The Missouri House of Representatives passed a bill that would repeal the helmet law. House Bill 994 would no longer require motorcycle riders to wear a helmet if they are 21 years and older. It will now go to the Senate.

Joan Hightower, a manager at Doc’s Harley-Davidson in Kirkwood, said, “I think it should be up to the individual motorcyclist to either wear a helmet or not wear a helmet.” Hightower sometimes takes off her helmet when she rides in Illinois because there is no such law.

Representative Gary Dusenberg, the sponsor of the bill, said, “Helmets do help but they’re not the savior for everything. I was a highway patrolman for 27 years and I can tell you anyone on a motorcycle involved in a serious traffic accident most likely aren’t going to survive whether or not they have a helmet or not.”

Dusenberg said people over 21-years-old can vote and fight for their country and therefore should have the freedom of choice.

RIGHT-OF-WAY BILL PASSES IN WEST VIRGINIA SB-473, the Reckless Driving bill also known as “Danny’s Law”, has passed all hurdles in the West Virginia Legislature. It passed unanimously on every vote, and has been signed by motorcycle-riding Governor Joe Manchin.

“We asked for the sun, moon, and the stars, and got a good piece of legislation that everyone agreed on,” said Don “Duck” Smith of ABATE of West Virginia. “ABATE of West Virginia would like to thank all of those from outside our borders that stepped up to help with e-mails, phone calls, and letters to our legislators when we asked. Without your help we could not have made this a reality.”

SB-473 creates a crime of reckless driving, a misdemeanor punishable by 5-90 days in jail and/or a fine of $25-$500. A conviction of reckless driving resulting in serious bodily injury is punishable by 10 days to 6 months in jail or fine of $50-$1,000, or both.

IOWA ENACTS R-O-W LAW The day after Governor Joe Manchin signed a new Right-of-Way Violations law in West Virginia, Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack signed similar legislation into law.

Iowa?s new R-O-W law adds a fine of $500 and/or up to 90 days driver’s license suspension for traffic violations that result in serious injury. If a driver?s actions cause a death, penalties increase to $1,000 or a license suspension of up to 180 days, or both. These are penalty enhancements, meaning that they can be imposed in addition to any other fines.

GEORGIA PASSES R-O-W LAW HB-1392, Georgia?s Right-Of-Way Violation bill to increase penalties against drivers who commit a Right of Way violation resulting in injury or death, has passed the House and Senate and is expected to be signed by Governor Sonny Perdue during their May is Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month proclamation ceremony. It will become law on July 1st.

Seven other states have passed similar Right-Of-Way laws: Arkansas, Maine, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington.

KANSAS REPEALS HANDLEBAR HEIGHT LAW House Bill 2296, the handlebar height repeal of existing state statute, was added as an amendment to Senate Bill 278, which eventually passed the Senate by a vote of 38 Yeas and 2 Nays.

?Current statute states that if a rider?s hands are at or above shoulder height, it was a violation,? said Chris Maurich, Lobbyist for ABATE of Kansas. ?I testified that this had never been a safety issue, rather a harassment issue. Modern language called this profiling, and ABATE of Kansas wanted no limitations, period.?

When questioned by a member of the House who asked “How tall would you recommend?” Maurich informed the House that they wanted to eliminate all reference to measurement. “As a colleague from Minnesota told the legislature there, we have overpasses in the state.”

Ape hangers will be legal in Kansas, upon publishing this bill in the statute book.

IDAHO PASSES RED LIGHT LAW Idaho has become the fourth state to pass a law allowing a motorcycle to ride through a red light after stopping and meeting certain standards.

S1367, which was promoted by ABATE of North Idaho, allows a motorcycle to proceed through a traffic-actuated signal if it is stuck on red.

Governor Dirk Kempthorne signed S1367 into law, which takes effect July 1, 2006.Arkansas, Minnesota and Tennessee are the other three states to pass similar legislation.

MARYLAND STUDY FINDS RED LIGHT CAMERAS INCREASE ACCIDENTS Red light cameras in Anne Arundel County, Maryland increased accidents 25-41 percent, but generated $2.85 million in revenue. Camera vendor ATS receives a $20 bounty on every ticket the company issues.

A set of five cameras were set up in the communities of Arnold, Pasadena, Parole, and Crofton in 2000, but a comparison of accident statistics five years before and five years after their installation shows accidents have increased beyond the ten percent increase in traffic volume.

Upon installation, the cameras caused an immediate 40 percent increase in rear-end collisions from 53 in 1999 to 74 in 2000. Overall accidents were up between 25 percent and 41 percent from 107 in 1999 to 134 in 2001 and 151 in 2002.

A number of independent studies have documented similar negative side effects to red light camera enforcement. As a result of research on Virginia’s camera program, the legislature decided last July to end photo ticketing in the state. West Virginia’s legislature approved its own camera ban which was signed into law on March 31.

I was hoping that the above was about legalizing Red Light Districts. There I go dreaming again.–Bandit

FUEL PRICES DRIVE MOTORCYCLING As summer days approach, motorcycle enthusiasts expect to use their Harleys, Kawasakis and Hondas more often and for longer periods of time than they did a year ago. Gas prices and a strong passion for riding are two of the main driving factors behind the increased desire to ride, according to a new survey by Nationwide Mutual Insurance.

According to the survey, 35 percent of motorcyclists said they will ride their bikes more over the next year as a result of fuel prices, turning their hobby into an everyday form of transportation. Survey respondents reported they spent 26 percent of their total riding time last year commuting to work.

While most riders have insurance, one in three indicated they are unsure if they have adequate coverage, and more than one in ten surveyed indicated they are not insured. Among insured riders, one in five said they are not covered for liability and one-third are not covered for collision or medical payments.

More than 30 percent of motorcyclists surveyed don’t believe they have enough insurance to cover the replacement value of their bikes and 14 percent said they would rather take their chances than pay to fully insure it.

The survey conducted by Brandware of 2,544 motorcycle, power boat, bass boat and ATV owners shows that both male and female motorcyclists expect to ride their bikes for approximately 22 more hours than they did in the past year. Male motorcyclists expect to ride 172 hours over the next year, while female riders expect to ride 146 hours. Motorcyclists are so passionate about their fuel-efficient bikes they indicated they will pay $3 to $4 more per gallon before they stop riding.

According to the survey, both male and female motorcyclists committed over half of their total money spent on leisure activities to accessories and improvements to their motorcycle over the past five years. Male riders invested more than $7,000 on their bikes over this time period, more than any other group of powersport enthusiast.

ENGLISH BIKERS SAY BUREAUCRATS ARE FORCING THEM OFF THE ROAD A Reading motorcycle group has declared “total war” on proposed Euro laws which they claim are trying to drive them off the road.

The European Commission in Brussels has ruled that motorcyclists should be 19 – instead of the current 17-year-old minimum – to ride machines over 125cc.

The age for direct access tests, which enable riders to skip a two-year probationary period to ride machines of any power, will also rise from 21 to 24.

And to progress to a larger motorcycle category, riders will be required to take either a minimum number of hours training or a practical test.

Ian Newnham, of the Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) in Reading, said: “This is total war. The EU has rammed through the directive in a way that shows contempt for motorcyclists’ views.They want bikes off the road.

“The safety bureaucrats have become target obsessed, setting accident reduction targets using statistics that are baloney.

“They have totally lost a sense of balance between riders’ reasonable expectations for mobility and the prevention of accidents.”

Newnham called on the European Parliament to throw the directive out and said: “We have to be more determined to preserve biking than they are to destroy it.?

WEIRD NEWS: OWNER GETS BACK BIKE STOLEN IN 1971 Authorities recovered a motorcycle that was stolen in 1971 and plan to return it to its original owner.

The 1970 Yamaha was about to be shipped overseas to a Finnish man who bought it for $1,725 on eBay in September, authorities said Monday. During the shipping process, the vehicle identification number turned up in the database of the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

Long Beach police still had the theft report and tracked down the original owner, Phillip McKeen, who lives in New England. Police officials plan to return the 360cc bike to McKeen.

“Incredible,” said McKeen, an American Airlines pilot. “It’s as if a friend you hadn’t seen for 30 years walked back into your life but hadn’t aged a day.”

The 35-year-old bike has just 9,380 miles on the odometer.

Neither the Finnish buyer nor the seller, a Visalia resident, were suspected of wrongdoing, authorities said.

A similar case unfolded in January when a Corvette that had been stolen in 1969 was recovered as it was about to be shipped to Sweden through the Port of Los Angeles, said Mike Fleming of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

QUOTABLE QUOTE: ?The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.?Michelangelo (1475 – 1564)

We sell 6-foot long historic panoramic prints of the whole beach scene printed on archival paper in our Bikernet Black Market. Check it out.

BILL BISH NCOM MONTHLY REPORT–ANTI-PATRIOT ACT, ILLEGAL TO GIVE A KID A RIDE, NCOM CONVENTION COMING, BIKERS BACK SOLDIERS AND MASS BILL CLEARS SENATE

THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE is brought to you by Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and is sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. For more information, call us at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit us on our website at

COAST TO COAST BIKER NEWS

Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists

NOT SO PATRIOTIC PATRIOT ACT: a few grand moments in the Senate, the final version of the Patriot Act signed by President Bush on March 9th imposes no meaningful restraints on the vast power Congress granted the government to spy on its own citizens in the fear-ridden wake of the 9/11 attacks, reported the Baltimore Sun on March 13, 2006.

Senators demanding greater privacy protections gained traction late last year when it was revealed that the Bush administration has been secretly wiretapping Americans for years without any sort of court approval. In the end, though, nearly all settled for minor concessions that leave the worst features of the Patriot Act intact.

Lawmakers are betting that if forced to make a choice, Americans will favor security over liberty, haunted as they are by a post-9/11 fearfulness recently on display in the frenzy over the prospect of an Arab-owned company running some U.S. port operations.

Among the most important changes:

Recipients of court-approved subpoenas for information in terrorist investigations will have the right to challenge the requirement that they not tell anyone about the subpoena. In addition, recipients of such subpoenas will no longer be forced to provide the FBI with the name of their lawyer. Also, the civil liberties package clarifies that most general-purpose libraries are not subject to demands made in so-called National Security Letters for information about suspected terrorists.

But not even the secret seizure of library, medical and business records without probable cause was adequately addressed. So the job isn’t done. And it won’t be unless outraged citizens demand it.

offered new legislation that would demand evidence of a link to a foreign power before library, business and medical records could be obtained; eliminate a one-year period before gag orders on requests for such records could be challenged in court; and require that the target of a “sneak and peek” search warrant be notified within seven days of its execution.

Now that the expiring provisions of the Patriot Act have been restored, though, pressure for further action is off. Senator Specter’s bill is likely to languish unless umbrage at the needless intrusion into the lives of innocent Americans makes itself heard.

Some of the Patriot Acts most important provisions will face another reauthorization in four years. Among them are Sections 206 and 215, which allow roving wiretaps and permit secret warrants for books, records, and other items from businesses, hospitals, and some libraries.

BIKERS ROLL TO SOLDIERS? FUNERALS Wearing vests covered in military patches, a band of motorcyclists rolls around the country from one soldier’s funeral to another, cheering respectfully to overshadow jeers from church protesters. They call themselves the Patriot Guard Riders, (www.patriotguard.org) and they are more than 5,000 strong, forming to counter anti-gay protests held by the Rev. Fred Phelps at military funerals.

“The most important thing we can do is let families know that the nation cares,” said Don Woodrick, the group’s Kentucky captain. “When a total stranger gets on a motorcycle in the middle of winter and drives 300 miles to hold a flag, that makes a powerful statement.”

At least 14 states are considering laws aimed at the funeral protesters, who at a recent memorial service at Fort Campbell wrapped themselves in upside-down American flags. They danced and sang impromptu songs peppered with vulgarities that condemned homosexuals and soldiers.

Westboro Baptist Church is made up mostly of Fred Phelps’ extended family members who, during the 1990s, were known mostly for picketing the funerals of AIDS victims, and they have long been tracked as a hate group by the Montgomery, Ala.-based Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Project.

The project’s deputy director, Heidi Beirich, said other groups have tried to counter Phelps’ message, but none has been as organized as the Patriot Guard. “I’m not sure anybody has gone to this length to stand in solidarity,” she said. “It’s nice that these veterans and their supporters are trying to do something. I can’t imagine anything worse, your loved one is killed in Iraq and you’ve got to deal with Fred Phelps.”

MASSACHUSETTS PRO-MOTORCYCLE BILL CLEARS SENATE The Massachusetts State Senate has passed Senate Bill 2368, which contains numerous provisions beneficial to motorcyclists:

Increasing civil and criminal penalties to motorists who cause accidents when they violate the ‘right of way’ of all other road users (including motorcyclists), and shifting the financial burden (excess medical costs and lost wages) from injured victims to the at-fault operators;

Allows owners of motorcycles to ‘opt-out’ of the existing motorcycle insurance system and go to a competitive market, opening the doors for more insurers to write coverages in Massachusetts;

Allows experienced motorcyclists (6 years or more) or those to take the Rider Education Course, and have private health insurance or $50,000 in optional medical payments coverage, ‘choice’ of helmet wear;

A $125 assessment to those who violate the law, with the assessment going to the State’s Head Injury Trust Fund Program;

Changes in the existing motorcycle exhaust laws to limit the noise of motorcycle pipes.

The bill goes next to the House of Representatives for action.

“A lot of effort from a lot of motorcyclists the past several years lead to today’s success,” said Kevin Griffin of Plymouth, Chairman of the Massachusetts Motorcycle Association (MMA). “We also challenge riders who want to lower their motorcycle insurance premiums, not be victimized twice in motorcycle crashes with excessive medical bills and lost wages, and the opportunity to choose wearing a helmet or not with some restrictions, to enlist their riding friends to join the MMA or buy raffle tickets, and plan to STORM the STATE HOUSE with us Thursday, May 18th. Membership, tickets and STORM products can be purchased on-line or downloadable forms are available at www.MassMotorcycle.com.”

TENNESSEE BILL WOULD BAN KIDS ON MOTORCYCLES Senate Bill 3032 has been filed for introduction in the Tennessee legislature on February 16, 2006, to prohibit children under nine years of age from riding as a passenger on a motorcycle:

Filed for intro on 02/16/2006

SENATE BILL 3032
By Harper

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 55, Chapter 8, Part 1, relative to riding on motorcycles.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:

SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 55-8-164, is amended by adding the following new subsections thereto:

(e) No operator shall carry as a passenger on a motorcycle any person who is less than the age of nine (9) years.

(f) A violation of this section is a Class C misdemeanor.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2006, the public welfare requiring it.

BIKERS VS. DISNEY The Hells Angels Motorcycle Corp is suing Walt Disney for trademark infringement.

A suit filed in the US District Court in California claims Buena Vista Motion Pictures, a division of Disney, and a film production company are illegally using the Angels’ trademark — a helmeted, horned and feathered skull — in the film Wild Hogs.

The movie, in which John Travolta and Tim Allen are scheduled to star, is described as a comedy about “middle-aged wannabe bikers looking for adventure out on the open road, where they soon encounter a chapter of the Hells Angels”.

The group says that characters in Wild Hogs are identified as members of the club and wear its skull logo. They assert that Disney did not give them a copy of the film’s screenplay which has yet to start production.

“The words Hells Angels and the Deaths Head Logo are property of Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation, Inc. (HAMC) and protected by one or more Trademarks, Service marks, and Collective Membership Marks owned by HAMC. All unauthorized use is strictly forbidden, including reproduction in any manner,” asserts the club.

WEIRD NEWS: Safety Test Burns Club To The Ground A strip club owner burned his club to the ground while trying to prove it was fire-proof to health and safety inspectors. The owner of the Cabaret Club in Kienberg, Switzerland, started the blaze to show how fire-proof it was when he was visited by safety inspectors. They had questioned whether his decorations were in accordance with fire safety rules, and he used his lighter to set fire to the paper ornaments in a bid to prove there was nothing to worry about. But the fire quickly took off and spread throughout the club and the neighboring restaurant – burning both establishments to the ground. According to local police no one was hurt in the fire, but the damage amounts to more than $500,000.

NCOM CONVENTION The 21st annual NCOM Convention will be held Mother?s Day weekend, May 11-13, 2006, at the Executive Inn, located at 978 Phillips Lane in Louisville, Kentucky. Reserve your room now for the special NCOM rate by calling (502) 367-6161.

Hosted by the Kentucky Motorcycle Association/KBA and the Kentucky Confederation of Clubs, this annual gathering draws over a thousand motorcyclists rights leaders from across the country to discuss topics of concern to all riders. Meetings, seminars and group discussions focus on safety issues, legal rights, legislative efforts and litigation techniques to benefit our right to ride.

Registration fees for the Convention are $75 including the Silver Spoke Awards Banquet on Saturday night, or $40 for the Convention only. All motorcyclists welcome. To pre-register, call the National Coalition of Motorcyclists at (800) 525-5355 or visit www.ON-A-BIKE.com.

The National Coalition of Motorcyclists is requesting that MRO’s, motorcycle clubs, and riding associations submit the names of those members and supporters who have died since May 2005, so that we may honor their memories during the traditional ?Ringing of the Bell? tribute to fallen riders during the opening ceremonies. Dedications can be e-mailed to NCOMBish@aol.com.

http://WWW.metricthunder.Com”>

THE BILL BISH COAST TO COAST LEGISLATIVE REPORT–LAWSUIT OVER INFLATABLE RIDING VEST–RIPOFF, HELLS ANGELS WIN SUIT IN CALIFORNIA, TEXAS POKER RUNS HEAD TO MEXICO, OKLAHOMA VETERANS CHECK IN, VIRGINIA GOVERNOR CREATES MC COUNCIL AND FLORIDA ABATE PROVES THAT NO HELMET LAW MEANS MORE MONEY

Old Photos From Bob T.

THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE is brought to you by Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and is sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. For more information, call us at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit us on our website at

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

ABATE OF FLORIDA ANNOUNCES FINANCIAL IMPACT OF HELMET LAW REPEAL On February 6, 2006 James ?Doc? Reichenbach II, President of ABATE of Florida and Chairman of the Board for the National Coalition of Motorcyclists, released the following economic impact report covering the five years since Florida modified their mandatory helmet law to exclude most adult riders.

278,331 new Motorcycles at an average of $10,000 each = $2,783,310,000

Sales tax on Motorcycles at 6% = $166,998,600

Registration Fees for Motorcycles = $10,047,749

Change of title = $8,280,347

Total = $2,968,636,696

?This is almost three billion dollars in five years that has been put into the economy of the State of Florida, and this is a low figure as it doesn?t include antique motorcycle or mopeds that are licensed in Florida,? said Doc. ?Over one hundred eighty million dollars went directly into the state treasury for the general fund, and this does not include the tourist money that has increased because of Florida being a freedom of choice state. In the past five years over Two Billion five hundred thousand dollars has been spent at Bike Week and Biketoberfest.?

For the report, the motorcycle registrations were compiled from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The tax and fees came from the Florida license and registration bureau. From July 1, 2000 to July 1, 2005 motorcycle registrations in Florida went from 195,306 to 473,637 which represent a total of a 143% increase.

?I hope these figures 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.?

VIRGINIA GOVERNOR WARNER CREATES MOTORCYCLE ADVISORY COUNCIL Virginia?s Governor Mark R. Warner has announced the creation of the Governor’s Motorcycle Advisory Council. The group, comprised of state and local officials, state agency representatives, and motorcycle enthusiasts, will work to promote motorcycle safety, tourism, and business development in Virginia. The Council is the next step in Governor Warner’s “Motorcycle VIRGINIA!” initiative created in 2004.

“Virginia has worked to expand its tourism markets in so many areas – and motorcycle tourism is a great opportunity for us,” said Governor Warner. Additionally, as the Commonwealth grapples with the transportation challenges of the next decade, motorcyclists need to have a voice in that debate.”

Council members are appointed by the Governor and include one member of the House of Delegates and the Senate of Virginia as well as a representative from various state agencies and from the Virginia’s sheriffs, police chiefs, and the Board of Transportation Safety and sixteen citizen members appointed by the Governor. The Secretaries of Commerce and Trade, Public Safety, and Transportation serve as ex officio members.

Governor Warner?s first appointee to the new council was J. Thomas McGrath as a representative of the Transportation Safety Board. McGrath is the founder of the Virginia Coalition of Motorcyclists (VCOM), and is the Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) Attorney for Virginia.

The Governor’s Motorcycle Advisory Council will elevate the “Motorcycle Virginia” work group efforts that began in 2004. The group, comprised of state agencies involved in tourism, public safety, and transportation, has produced more than 50,000 “Watch for Motorcycles” bumpers tickers and launched a Web site featuring Virginia’s motorcycle routes, safety guidelines, and motorcycle resource links.

For more information go to www.motorcycleva.com.

BOBBI HARTMANN TO JOIN NCOM-LTF The National Coalition of Motorcyclists welcomes Bobbi Hartmann of ABATE of Arizona and a member of the Arizona Lobbying Team, as the newest member of the NCOM Legislative Task Force, joining other motorcyclist rights lobbyists and legislators in defending bikers’ rights at the local, state and federal level.

“I am proud to announce that I was recently invited, and have since become,a member of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists Legislative Task Force,” announced Hartmann. “The LTF consists of Members who are committed to the Pursuit of Liberty and are willing, through their actions, to be leaders. LTF Members lend their expertise and experience to other MRO’s and as their schedule allows, NCOM will send them to visit other states, upon request, to assist them with their needs, and/or speak at their rally’s.”

Members of the NCOM-LTF include several legislators; Wisconsin State Senator Dave Zien, South Dakota State Senator Jim Putnam, New Mexico State Rep. Rick Miera, Florida State Rep. Nancy Argenziano, West Virginia State Delegate Greg Butcher and former U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell.

Two other legislators have also been named to the NCOM-LTF; Texas State Rep. Norma ?Da Lady? Chavez and Idaho State Senator Skip Brandt. WELCOME!

OKLAHOMA VETERANS NEEDED FOR MOTORCYCLE PLATES Veterans can now apply for special motorcycle license tags in Oklahoma. The proposal was signed into law Nov. 1, but according to the Oklahoma Tax Commission, which manages special license plate production, a minimum of 100 pre-applications are required by May 1st or the OTC won’t put them into production.

The proposal, which was part of the law signed by the Governor, states “anyone honorably discharged from any branch of the United States Military” is eligible to apply for these motorcycle tags, and the proceeds will go to help fund the 45th Infantry Division Museum, one of the finest Military Museums in the country, which has had its operating budget cut in half by the state.

?Here’s some cool information,? says Tiger Mike Revere, State Coordinator of ABATE of Oklahoma and member of the NCOM Board of Directors, ?The law actually mentions ABATE of Oklahoma in the verbiage!?

The OTC has contacted ABATE to design the new veteran?s license plate.

TEXAS POKER RUNS MAY MOVE TO MEXICO Texas has said no to charity poker runs, but at least one El Paso charity has an ace up their sleeve: Ju?rez.

Members of the Vista Hills Rotary Club, who had been trying to spice up their fund-raising with poker for years but couldn’t find a legal way to do it in El Paso, came up with the idea of having a Texas Hold ?Em Poker Tournament in Ju?rez, to be hosted by its sister club in Ju?rez, the Club Rotario Ju?rez Norte.

In Austin, Sputnik, state chairman of the Texas Motorcycle Rights Association, which organizes charity poker runs, found the idea brilliant. “Oh, yeah, that would work,” he said.

Charities around the country including churches, have been cashing in on the Texas Hold ‘Em craze without much controversy. But in Texas it’s a little trickier since Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott issued an opinion in December stating that poker runs — the popular fund-raisers in which bikers pay to pick up playing cards along a route to win prizes at the final stop — amounted to illegal gambling.

Sputnik, who also serves on the NCOM Board of Directors and Legislative Task Force, said he is looking for “a way around” the attorney general’s opinion. He has brought up the idea of switching from poker to throwing darts, which is considered to be a game of skill.

In El Paso, Mando Parra, a member of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club and the chairman of the West Texas Confederation of Clubs, is looking to take his poker ride for cancer research to New Mexico, where gambling is legal. In that case, the fund-raiser would have to benefit a New Mexico charity, he said. “The El Paso charities are the ones that are going to lose,” said Parra.

HELLS ANGELS WIN MILLION DOLLAR SETTLEMENT OVER RAID Santa Clara County has agreed to pay nearly $1 million to settle a lawsuit by the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club over a 1998 police raid that resulted in three dead dogs, a torn-up sidewalk and little meaningful evidence.

The $990,000 settlement was spurred by the U.S. Supreme Court’s rejection in December of the county’s argument that sheriff’s deputies were immune from liability. Lower court judges previously had said the actions of the deputies and San Jose police officers were unreasonable. They called unnecessary the ?truckloads? of evidence the officers obtained showing that some of the homes’ occupants belonged to the club, and said the officers did nothing to avoid killing the animals.

The raids by 90 officers on the club’s San Jose headquarters and nine homes on Jan. 21, 1998, followed the August 1997 killing of a man at a strip club and the subsequent arrest for murder of the bouncer who was a Hells Angels member. The member argued the killing was in self-defense, and a jury acquitted him and another defendant on all counts in 1999.

In building their case, prosecutors attempted to show that the suspect was part of a ?criminal street gang,? which could add three years to any sentence. To prove it, they obtained search warrants to gather any evidence that demonstrated membership in the Hells Angels, including anything that had names, slogans or symbols on it. None of the members whose homes were targeted had been charged in the case.

?In the course of seizing the evidence, they destroyed a lot of property, and they kept it for 18 months,” said Karen Snell, attorney for the Hells Angels, in an interview with the San Jose Mercury News.

In executing the search warrants, officers collected clothing, paperwork, clocks, sculptures, motorcycles, a mailbox, a piece of sidewalk on which members’ names had been written and even a refrigerator door that had a Hells Angels decal affixed to it. They needed to rent storage space to house it all.

Although they had a week to plan for the raids and knew of the existence of guard dogs, including a Rottweiler, the San Jose police officers failed to do anything to find a non-lethal way of incapacitating the animals, the courts said. They shot three of them.

The cities of Santa Clara and Gilroy, whose officers also were involved in the raids, settled their cases several years ago for a total of less than $50,000. No settlement has been reached with the San Jose Police Department, which also was sued.

NEWS OF THE WEIRD: BIKE VEST PROMOTERS FULL OF HOT AIR Promoters of supposedly ?Inflatable Motorcycle Vests? have been sentenced on 30 felony counts of securities fraud and grand theft, as well as five counts of tax evasion.

John Duhamell and Toni Duhamell were formally sentenced in late October in San Bernardino County Superior Court. After they entered guilty pleas on all counts, a San Bernardino Superior Court judge sentenced John Duhamell to seven years in state prison and Toni Duhamell to four years and four months in state prison. In addition, the Duhamells were ordered to repay their more than 200 victims $5.6 million in restitution, and they were also ordered to pay $816,718 each to the Franchise Tax Board on the tax evasion charges.

The Attorney General filed a criminal complaint in September, 2005 alleging that the Duhamells stole more than $5 million from investors over the course of three years on the pretense of financing a product known as the “AirVest” – a vest worn by motorcyclists that is designed to automatically inflate when they are thrown from their bikes.

The Duhamells falsely told potential investors that Harley-Davidson, Inc. had invested heavily in the company, which led more than 200 victims to believe their investment was secure.

Instead of putting the money into the company, the Duhamells used the investors’ cash to live an extravagant lifestyle that included trips to Europe as well as the purchase of luxury homes and automobiles.

QUOTABLE QUOTE: ?Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their ingenuity.?

George S. Patton, Jr (1885-1945), American general and tank commander known as ?Old Blood and Guts?

BILL BISH REPORTS–JANKLOW GETS HIS LAW LICENSE BACK, HELMET LAW UNCONSTITUTIONAL, CALIFA GOVERNOR IN MC ACCIDENT, MISSISSIPP MOTORCYCLE TAX, COLORS DESCRIMINATION AND STOLEN BIKES ON THE RISE

THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE is brought to you by Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and is sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. For more information, call us at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit us on our website at

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

VIRGINIA HELMET LAW DECLARED UNCONSTITUTIONALLY VAGUE Portions of Virginia’s motorcycle helmet law were declared unconstitutional on Friday, December 9, 2005 by a judge of the Newport News Circuit Court. In a ten page memorandum order, Hon. H. Vincent Conway, Jr. held that the portions of Va. Code subsection 46.2-910 which defined the standards that a protective helmet must meet or exceed were unconstitutionally vague, denied due process and were unenforceable. The decision marked another victory in the battle by the Law Offices of Tom McGrath to challenge Virginia’s helmet law.

McGrath, who is the Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (AIM) Attorney for Virginia, and his Newport News associate Matt Danielson concentrate their practice on representing injured motorcyclists. In addition, they provide legislative lobbying services and traffic citation defense for the motorcycling community.

In the past five years they have successfully defended over fifty bikers charged with violation of Virginia’s helmet statute. Although the constitutional arguments have been raised many times before, the courts have previously ruled that the Commonwealth could not prove a violation of the statute and thereby avoided a ruling on the constitutional issues. Judge Conway did not follow this course and instead found at least some of McGrath’s arguments to be persuasive.

“The impact of Judge Conway’s decision is that any helmet selected by a motorcyclist in Newport News now complies with the statute since the standards previously used have been invalidated,” explained McGrath.

BIKERS PROTEST DISCRIMINATION AGAINST “COLORS” Almost all Southern California motorcycle clubs put their differences aside to band together to fight outright discrimination on Sunday, December 4, 2005 at the Veterans Stadium during a monthly motorcycle swap meet that bars patcholders from attending.

Popeye, a board member of the Confederation of Clubs of Southern California and member of the Vietnam Vets MC, attended to help organize the rally with Gill Mellen, ABATE of California public relations officer.

Everyone took turns at the entrance with picket signs that said, “Stop Discrimination Against Patcholders,” “Together We Stand,” and other such slogans.

“As people and vendors rolled up they were told not to go in if they wanted to stand up for equal rights and that the same people they were banning were the ones who made the swap meet great,” wrote Karyn Chassman in Quick Throttle magazine. “A few vendors and lots of patrons turned around and left, which we applauded and cheered as they did.”

The protesters hoped to resolve the problems between the patcholders and the swap meet and to make bikers aware of the injustice and prejudice going on around them that they may one day face.

All in all, the protest accomplished it’s goals, as all parties involved, from the swap meet management to the Confederation of Clubs, are in communication and hope the resolve this matter positively and for the good of the entire motorcycling community.

POKER RUNS RULED ILLEGAL IN TEXAS While some nonprofit organizations raise money by hosting games of bingo and selling raffle tickets, motorcycle riders have had their own strategy to make giving fun – the poker run.

Although they can be organized differently, poker runs typically involve motorcycle riders paying a fee to participate and then they draw their cards at stops along a designated route. When they reach their destination, cash prizes are awarded for the best hands and sometimes the worst hand.

It’s a traditional way among bikers to have fun while raising money for a good cause, according to Sputnik, the state chairman of the Texas Motorcycle Rights Association, but Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott recently ruled that poker runs are illegal when participants must make a charitable donation to ride and have a chance to win cash prizes at the end.

“It’s just a way of life for us,” said Sputnik, who also serves on the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) Legislative Task Force. “It’s a way to get together, have fun and compete against each other. It’s not so much about the money.”

Abbott, however, has frustrated the bikers by recently declaring that poker runs constitute illegal gambling. “Even if the contribution goes to a charitable cause and the nonprofit organization will pay prizes from other money, a participant pays money for the chance to win a prize,” Abbott said in the opinion. “Thus we conclude … the nonprofit organization would become a custodian of a bet in violation of Texas law.”

Such a violation is a Class A misdemeanor and punishable by either fine of up to $4,000, up to a year in jail, or both.

The motorcycle community will appeal to legislators for a statute to allow poker runs and challenge the attorney general’s opinion in court, if necessary, Sputnik said. In the meantime, the motorcycle rights association will consult its attorneys to find ways around the ruling, he said.

“We’re going to look at getting around it on the basis of not being a game of chance, but a game of skill,” Sputnik said. “If that doesn’t work, we’ll look at doing something legislatively in the next session. It is really going to affect who we support in the election this time.”

GOVERNATOR INJURED IN MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and his 12 year old son, Patrick, received minor injuries in a recent motorcycle accident near their Brentwood home when a neighbor backed into the street in front of the governor’s Harley-Davidson motorcycle equipped with sidecar.

Schwarzenegger received 15 stitches to repair a cut lip, but may have skidded into more trouble when it was discovered that the big screen action hero has been riding motorcycles for years without a proper license endorsement.

The governor has the Class C license, which technically covers the operation of a sidecar under state motor vehicle law; but Schwarzenegger said he “never thought about” getting his motorcycle license. He said that he had a motorcycle license when he lived in Europe, but never considered obtaining another one after he immigrated to the United States in 1968.

But now after all the brouhaha over his most recent accident, he has promised to get his license and vowed to continue to ride. In December 2001, Schwarzenegger broke six ribs and was hospitalized for four days after a motorcycle crash in Los Angeles when a car stopped in front of him and he was unable to change lanes to avoid the vehicle.

JANKLOW GETS LAW LICENSE BACK The South Dakota Supreme Court ruled on January 5th to reinstate the law license of former Congressman Bill Janklow, who was convicted of felony manslaughter in the traffic death of a motorcyclist in 2003.

The former four-term governor was forced to resign from Congress and lost his license and right to practice law when he was convicted of second-degree manslaughter, reckless driving, speeding and failure to stop at a stop sign in the death of motorcyclist Randy Scott, 55. who was killed in August 2003 when Janklow blew through a stop sign and into the path of Scott’s motorcycle.

After a jury found him guilty, Janklow was sentenced to only 100 days in jail, was placed on probation until January 2007 and cannot drive for three years.

BIKE THEFTS SURGE It’s no secret that in the last five years, the motorcycle market has experienced phenomenal growth. Sales have doubled since 1999 and reached their highest levels in three decades. Unfortunately, going hand in hand with that has been an alarming increase in the instances of bike theft.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) reports that motorcycle theft increased more than 55% from 2002 to 2003 in the U.S. and Canada. That’s one bike stolen every 9.5 minutes. Of these stolen bikes, only 25-30% were recovered.

What are the most effective means of protecting your ride? A survey conducted last spring by Opinion Research Corporation indicated what bike owners are currently doing: 88% always keep their bikes concealed in a garage or storage area when parked at home; 80% remove their keys from their parked bikes; 76% use locks; 62% park in a well-lit area and 47% use kill stitches in an attempt to prevent theft.

Only 16% use alarms.

MISSISSIPPI MOTORCYCLE OWNERS UNFAIRLY TAXED The Mississippi State Tax Commission recently decided to double and in some cases triple the ad valorem tax on motorcycles, directing the collection of more tax on new motorcycles than on cars and trucks that cost twice as much, making motorcyclists shoulder an unfair share of the tax burden.

Previously, the state taxed motorcycles from value schedules based on the displacement of the engine. On Sept. 1, the Tax Commission began using a computer program purchased from R.L. Polk & Co. to calculate the assessed value of each motorcycle.

There are four problems with what is now going on:

* The sales tax on new motorcycles is 7 percent. Purchasers of new cars and trucks are charged only 5 percent.

* Under the current system for collecting ad valorem taxes on cars and trucks, the tax is based on a figure which is 90 percent of Manufacturers’ Suggested Retail Price. The calculation of the tax on motorcycles uses MSRP as “true value.”

* Owners of cars and trucks receive a “legislative tax credit” which significantly reduces the ad valorem tax they pay when they purchase and renew their tags, whereas motorcycles were specifically exempted.

* The taxation of motorcycles is done in secret, out of public view, and Public Records Act requests for access to the program have been denied.

To address this inequity, Mississippi State Representatives Beckett and Bounds have introduced House Bill 55; “AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 27-51-101, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO INCLUDE MOTORCYCLES IN THE DEFINITION OF “PRIVATE CARRIER OF PASSENGERS” FOR THE PURPOSES OF BEING ELIGIBLE FOR A TAX CREDIT AGAINST MOTOR VEHICLE AD VALOREM TAXES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.”

According to ABATE of Mississippi, the motorcycle community is not looking for any special treatment, we are just asking for equality.

S.C. BILL WOULD MAKE STOP LIGHTS OPTIONAL FOR BIKERS With 44 years of motorcycle riding experience, Billy Richardson knows what he likes – “You’re out in the open a lot more, it’s more relaxing” – and what he doesn’t. “I get upset sitting at the traffic lights and waiting all the time,” he says.

It’s a problem that not only irritated him, but it prompted him to write a bill. A piece of legislation that – if passed – would turn sensored stop lights into stop signs for motorcycle riders.

Richardson proposed the legislation because he says most bikes aren’t heavy enough to set off sensors, so unless a car pulled up, the light wouldn’t change.

“We want the freedom to go if the road is clear. We’re not going to pull out. Trust me, ain’t no motorcycle gonna pull out in front of nobody,” he says.

They would, though, get to go straight, go left, whatever, when drivers of cars couldn’t.

He says he has a lot of support and hopes to soon get the green light to go on red.

“We’ve got good positive feedback about it and I feel good. I won’t lie about it, I feel good,” he says with a grin.

Richardson says Minnesota, Tennessee and Arkansas already have similar laws in effect.

MALAYSIAN CITIES MAY BAN MOTORCYCLES The Government of Malaysia has been urged to ban motorcycle use in city centers to reduce accidents. Malaysian Association for Community Development Volunteers (MACOM) president, Norizan Sharif said current actions against errant motorcyclists had not been effective.

Norizan added that such a ban would help reduce the number of vehicles going into city centers, accidents, illegal racing and related problems. The ban could also help reduce crimes such as snatch thefts and also air and noise pollution, she added.

“There is sufficient cheap public transport in Malaysian cities which can be used by motorcyclists,” she said, adding that motorcycles should continue to be allowed in rural areas because public transportation there is still lacking.

QUOTABLE QUOTE: ?Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, I will try again tomorrow.?

Mary Anne Radmacher-Hershey, American Poet & Inspirational Writer

THE BISH REPORT–PATRIOT ACT FIGHTS BIKERS, EPA ACT KILLING CUSTOM INDUSTRY, PATCHOLDER DISCRIMINATION, CANADA BANS COLORS, TONIGHT SHOW AUCTIONS KATRINA RELIEF HARLEY-DAVIDSON

Freedom Fighter, Bill Bish.

THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE– is brought to you by Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and is sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. For more information, call us at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit us on our website at

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

MOTORCYCLE CLUBS OPPOSE PATRIOT ACT RENEWAL The Texas Confederation of Clubs is calling on all motorcyclists to contact their Congressional leaders in opposition to the Patriot Act, which is under review by Congress as many provisions are due to expire.

“The Patriot Act is the cornerstone to what we have been fighting against for the past few years, and the gang definitions as the Alphabet Club wants to enforce,” said Big Kid, State Liaison for the Texas Confederation of Clubs, in an open letter to the biker community. “As the Helmet Laws around the Country are the Hot Button Issue with bikers, the Patriot Act is the Hot Button Issue with those who want to take away our way of life.”

Patriot Act Key provisions:
1) law enforcement officials can gain access to a wealth of personal data, including library and medical records, as part of investigations.

The Patriot Act provides a four-year extension of
1) The government’s ability to conduct roving wiretaps ? which may involve multiple phones ? and
2) To seek access to many of the personal records covered by the bill.

An earlier, pre-Thanksgiving stab at compromise had called for seven-year extensions of these provisions.

Yet another provision, which applies to all criminal cases, gives the government 30 days to provide notice that it has carried out a search warrant. This allows Law Enforcement to carry out sneak and peak searches without letting anyone know for 30 days (the House wants 180 days) after the fact if law enforcement so chooses to use evidence it collected.

Lawmakers in both parties have attacked the measure but yet these provisions still exist, reports the TX COC. We already have more than enough laws on the books to handle crime in America. What we don’t need is any more laws taking rights away from American Citizens and lumping us in a group with people who don’t fall under our United States Constitution.

Make your US Senators understand that the Patriot Act for the sake of our Constitution and Freedom as God Fearing Americans must be “Killed in the Senate” and to never return to threaten other American’s way of life again.

To find your Senator’s info and sample letters go to:http://www.coctexas.org/Freedom.htm

NEW EPA MANDATES KILLING SMALL SHOPS “Some time ago we talked about the new EPA restrictions and the effects that they will have on small motorcycle shops,” states an article in Biker magazine. “The big players will benefit as their smaller competition is regulated out of business.”

The article in the February 2006 news section goes on to say that; Already we are hearing here in California that builders like Arlen Ness, Ron Simms and West Coast Choppers have been fined and their motorcycles impounded right off their showrooms.

Kit Maira, who authored the Newsragazine article, says; “My contacts here are telling me that the certification costs multi-thousands of dollars and has to be done on each model/engine size.”

Under the current regulations, shops will be allowed to produce only 24 exempt custom bikes per year. Those bikes will be restricted to only be ridden to shows and other events for display. The regulation limits individuals to owning only one exempt bike in their lifetime, which cannot be sold for five years.

“The bottom line, as I see it,” Maira continues, “is bigger firms support the regulations, because they impose higher costs on their smaller competitors. The regulations favor mass-produced bikes over boutique builders who construct one bike at a time, imposing the same rules on both.”

Unless the rules are amended to allow builders to build around engines that are EPA certified by the manufacturer, he predicts that we will likely see the demise of many custom builders soon.

You can read the regulations yourself on the EPA website: www.epa.gov/otaq/roadbike.htm.

AIM ATTORNEY FIGHTS PATCHOLDER DISCRIMINATION The Durham County Fair in the largest agricultural fair in the State of Connecticut, and motorcycling enthusiasts, as well as other members of the general public, have long enjoyed the opportunity to visit this annual fair. Unfortunately, last September a patchholder from the Connecticut Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs (CCMC) was stopped by a Connecticut State Police Officer and was informed that he would not be able to attend the fair wearing the patch of his motorcycle club.

Not wanting to make a scene in front of his family members, the club member peacefully left the vicinity of the fairgrounds, but brought up the issue at the next CCMC meeting. The Connecticut Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs is a member of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (AIM) Attorney Mitch Proner was in attendance at the meeting as legal counsel and promised to contact the responsible parties.

Proner wrote to the Durham Fair promoters, the Connecticut State Police and the Connecticut Attorney General’s office, following up with numerous phone calls. Initially the responsible parties said they had no knowledge of the incident. When presented with the facts and details, the parties said the Durham Fair was on private property and ran by a private organization and would deny admittance to whomever they pleased.

Proner then pointed out that the Durham Fair may have been privately promoted but in fact the fairgrounds included the town square, an area traditionally provided greater protection under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. If the Fair did not respect the CCMC club member’s Constitutional rights, he would be forced to move in the U.S. District Court, District of Connecticut, for a Federal injunction.

The State Attorney recognized the First Amendment rights and said they would not have State Troopers enforcing any dress codes. The Fair’s attorney stated they had no dress code, and sent Mr. Proner free tickets for this year’s event for his patchholder client.

The Connecticut Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs remains eternally vigilant about protecting their rights.

CANADIAN PROVINCE WANTS TO BAN COLORS As part of its efforts to crack down on criminal organizations, the Saskatchewan government wants to ban the wearing of “gang colors” in bars, but local bikers are calling the act unconstitutional.

An amendment to the Safer Communities and Neighborhoods Act that’s before the legislature would mean people wearing signs, symbols or logos connected to criminal organizations in licensed establishments could be fined up to $25,000 and sentenced to up to a year behind bars.

Dean Bell, who has a motorcycle shop in Regina and is a member of the Regina chapter of the Hells Angels, says the proposed legislation is a violation of rights. “We’re all disappointed that the government would take such a backward stance and try and legislate something that goes against our charters and our freedoms,” he said.

It’s part of the province’s attempts to create a hostile environment for criminals, say officials. The government has also passed laws expanding the ability to seize property from criminal organizations and canceling liquor licenses in bars that are used as fronts by criminals.

Manitoba passed a similar law against “gang colors” in 2002. It’s now illegal in that province to wear symbols or colors associated with organizations such as the Hells Angels. Fines range from $1,000 to $3,000 and convictions can result in jail time of up to six months.

The Manitoba Chapter of the Hells Angels is fighting several charges related to the legislation.

It the Saskatchewan law is passed, Bell said, he and other members will consult with a lawyer.

“TONIGHT SHOW” MOTORCYCLE TO BE AUCTIONED FOR KATRINA RELIEF The Harley-Davidson motorcycle covered in celebrity autographs that helped raise thousands of dollars for tsunami victims may attract more than a million for hurricane survivors.

The motorcycle was signed by some of the nation’s most famous people as they appeared on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”. It was auctioned on eBay in February to raise money for victims of the Southeast Asia tsunami and was sold to Houston-based Waste Management, Incorporated, for more than 800 thousand dollars.

The company says it has since used the bike to raise money for such causes as breast cancer awareness and Crimestoppers. It was also used to boost morale for workers in the New Orleans area after Hurricane Katrina hit on August 29th.

Company spokesperson Lynn Brown says Waste Management is now putting it up for auction with proceeds going to the Bush Clinton Katrina Fund for hurricane survivor relief.

Brown says a Houston attorney has opened the bidding at one million dollars.

The Harley-Davidson has been signed by Donald Trump, Nicole Kidman, Bill Cosby, Jamie Foxx, Demi Moore, Tim Robbins, Ashlee Simpson, Jimmy Buffet and Denzel Washington among others.

NEWS OF THE WEIRD: WOMAN PASSES DRIVING EXAM ON 4OTH TRY The 40th time’s the charm, it seems. A British woman took 33 years, 40 attempts and spent tens of thousands of pounds (@ $31,000) to pass her driving test, according to the BBC.

Now finally at the age of 50, Venida Crabtree, of Cowley, Oxford, passed the exam in July and recently bought her first car after starting driving lessons in 1972 at age 17.

“It’s fantastic. I’m very pleased,” Crabtree told the BBC.

TOY RUN TO CLAIM WORLD RECORD The 2005 Motorcycle Toy Run has been hailed a success and organizers are planning to submit the event’s attendance figures to the Guinness Book of World Records. The 23rd running of the Toy Run, which has become known as South Africa’s largest and most heart-warming charity event, was held at various centers around the country, with motorcyclists donating one or more toys to be distributed over Christmas to disadvantaged children up to the age of 18 at hospitals, homes and orphanages.

Organizers were hoping to break world records for the largest motorcycle procession, the largest motorcycle charity event and the largest single event of toy donations to charity.

Speaking to CARtoday.com, Toy Run spokesman Graham Perry said that over 40,000 motorcyclists were estimated to have joined in the Toy Run, with about 13,000 bikers from Cape Town participating in the event, and others riding in from major centers and small towns throughout South Africa (Bethlehem, Bloemfontein, Durban, East London, Johannesburg, Kimberly, Klerksdorp, Mossel Bay, Nelspruit, Port Elizabeth, Pietermaritzburg, Pietersburg, Plettenberg Bay, Queenstown, Swartcopmunt, Vanderbijlpark, Vryheid, & Windhoek), hosted by local motorcycle clubs and service organizations, with the invaluable assistance of the commercial sector.

QUOTABLE QUOTE: “We, too, born to freedom, and believing in freedom, are willing to fight to maintain freedom. We, and all others who believe as deeply as we do, would rather die on our feet than live on our knees.”

Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882 – 1945) 32nd President of the United States

BILL BISH COAST TO COAST LEGISLATIVE AND INDUSTRY NEWS–MORE ON JANKLOW, MYRTLE BEACH, THE COST OF GAS AND THE FUTURE OF OUR INDUSTRY

Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,National Coalition of Motorcyclists

The author, freedom fighter, editor, Bill Bish.

THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE is brought to you by Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and is sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. For more information, call us at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit us on our website at

CONGRESS CONSIDERS CONSUMERS’ “RIGHT TO REPAIR” Congress recently held hearings regarding the right of American consumers to have access to information regarding the repair and maintenance of their cars, trucks and motorcycles from the manufacturer. Currently, motor vehicle manufacturers are only required by the EPA to provide information about emissions on board diagnostics systems, but nothing pertaining to other repairs or services. This effectively prohibits owners from taking their vehicles to non-dealer repair facilities or from performing repairs or maintenance themselves.

The Motor Vehicle Right to Repair Act of 2005 (HR 2048) was introduced in May by Congressman Joe Barton (R-TX) and Edolphus Towns (D-NY), and was heard November 10 by the Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection. The bill would penalize manufacturers for withholding information necessary to diagnose, service or repair their motor vehicles.

If you feel that consumers should have the right to choose how and where their vehicles can be serviced and repaired, then please weigh in on this important issue by contacting your Congressional Representative in Washington, D.C. by calling 202-224-8601 and ask them to support or co-sponsor HR 2048.

GAS HIKES FUEL BIKE SALES If you think you’re seeing more bikes on the road these days, you’re right! As gasoline prices escalate, so have sales of motorcycles, as consumers opt for a more economic mode of transportation, and more fun too!

Motorcycles get 50.1 mpg on average, while passenger cars get 22.3 mpg and light trucks and SUVs get only 17.7 mpg.

A motorcycle with a 5-gallon tank can go 200-250 miles between fill-ups, which cost less than $15, while a luxury car or light truck/SUV can cost $40-$50 to travel the same distance.

It’s numbers like these that have cost-conscious motorists driving less, trading in their gas-guzzling SUVs for compact cars or hybrids, or going whole hog and buying a motorcycle.

Motorcycle dealers nationwide have reported double-digit increases in sales since Hurricane Katrina drove gas prices over $3.00 a gallon, and even now that the price at the pump has come down slightly, motorcycle sales are still brisk. And most new buyers are citing gas prices and fuel economy as a major factor in their decision to start riding, or to ride again.

Sales of on-highway motorcycles are up 16% compared to the same period last year (July through September), according to the Motorcycle Industry Council, and the purchase of new motorcycles is on track to exceed the one-million mark for the third straight year, marking the 13th consecutive year of record sales.

And while cooler weather typically signals the end of motorcycling in many regions of the country, the high cost of fuel has many motorcyclists considering a longer riding season.

WORLD MOTORCYCLE DEMAND EXPECTED TO EXCEED 41 MILLION Worldwide demand for motorcycles is forecast to advance 4.9 percent annually through 2009 to 41.6 million units, valued at almost $40 billion. Demand for all categories of motorcycles is expected to remain healthy, despite the slowdown in growth in key markets such as China, which is rapidly transitioning away from motorcycles and toward cars for its transportation needs. Increased growth in all categories will also be seen in developed markets, where rising fuel prices and (in some markets) continued restrictions on car use are stoking interest in the exceptional fuel economy and cost effectiveness of motorcycles. While the market for large and expensive high displacement motorcycles will also remain strong (at least through 2009), concerns regarding demand have emerged due to the aging of the customer base, especially in the United States and Western Europe. These and other trends are presented in “World Motorcycles,” a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industrial market research firm.

In essence, according to their November market analysis, there are two separate motorcycle markets. One is centered in the industrialized Triad (i.e., the US, Japan and Western Europe), where motorcycles are seen as pleasure vehicles by consumers who already have one or more automobiles. The other, much larger market in unit terms is found in the emerging economies of Asia, where motorcycles are seen as primary family and work vehicles. These vehicles are cheaper, smaller and less powerful than Triad motorcycles.

Old shot from Bob T.

Unlike the light vehicle industry, which has consolidated down to a handful of key global players, numerous motorcycle original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) exist, especially in Asia, which represents the heart of global light motorcycle demand. However, competitive intensity is increasing, evidenced by the ongoing price wars in China, Vietnam and other Southeast Asian markets. Furthermore, restrictions on motorcycle use in large metropolitan areas of China and some other Asian countries will likely cause a shift in demand away from urban areas to more rural markets. While Asia is dominant in terms of unit volume, most key players derive far higher revenues per unit from sales in developed markets such as North America. The clear profitability implications of this difference reveal why so many manufacturers compete so hard to sell machines in North America.

REGENT PAYS HALF MILLION FOR LENO’S HARLEY It wasn’t for the prestige of owning a motorcycle once owned by late-night TV host Jay Leno, or the 78 celebrity autographs inscribed on the bike, but for charitable convictions. Southeast Missouri State University regents president John Tlapek said he submitted the highest bid on E-Bay for Jay Leno’s Harley-Davidson – a half million dollars — because he wanted to help people. All of the proceeds went to the American Red Cross hurricane relief fund.

“I thought it would be a good thing to do what I could do to help those who were negatively affected by the tragedy in the Gulf region,” said Tlapek, who already owns two Harleys.

Tlapek, a private equities investor, appeared on “The Tonight Show” on October 5 and talked with Leno for a few minutes. “He seemed like a real nice guy,” Tlapek said.

Tlapek, who regularly donates to charities, said it took him a while to figure out the celebrity signatures. Luckily, the show sent him an instructional video.

Bill Cosby and Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote their names on the gas tanks. Geena Davis, Shaggy and Jessica Alba scribbled their names on the saddlebags. Matthew McConaughey and Jennifer Love Hewitt autographed the front fender.

As far as the motorcycle, Tlapek said he doesn’t have any plans for it right now. For him, that’s almost beside the point.

“I just have always felt like it was important to give back to the community,” he said. “That doesn’t have to mean a donation of dollars. It can be a donation of a person’s time or talents. It’s just important to give back.”

RIDE AGAINST MCBRIDE More than 80 motorcyclists turned Myrtle Beach’s City Council meeting on Tuesday, October 25th, into ?The Ride Against McBride?, an event to criticize Mayor Mark McBride’s earlier statements that he would like to “nudge” bikers with his car. McBride?s inflammatory remarks came during a council meeting as he was explaining that he wanted to ban explicit T-shirts from sale and from being worn in public because his children shouldn’t be exposed to the sort of T-shirt he saw being worn at the fall rally by a biker; “It was very tempting to kind of nudge the guy on the bike (with my car),” McBride told council members.

Some of the outraged bikers attending the City Council meeting to protest McBride’s comments wore T-shirts that read; “Warning: ‘Nudge’ at your own risk” on the back. Other bikers wore T-shirts that said, “Bump me, I will bump you back” and “Nudge McBride off the ballot.” Most felt that McBride’s statements were more offensive than anything they’d ever seen on a T-shirt.

But don’t bother calling or writing McBride to complain, as he has since been defeated in his bid for a third term as Mayor of Myrtle Beach by 576 votes to a political newcomer, John Rhodes.

“Mayor McBride’s reckless comments set off a firestorm of Anti-McBride activity within the biker community,” said Fred Ruddock, state coordinator of ABATE of South Carolina. “McBride lost virtually every motorcyclist vote.”

Joining McBride in the unemployment line is blatant biker basher Cynthia Powell, losing her bid for Town Council after centering her campaign on her desire to eliminate the two motorcycle rallies held in May each year in Myrtle Beach.

JANKLOW CONVICTION UPHELD South Dakota’s highest court has upheld Bill Janklow’s conviction for a 2003 crash that killed a motorcyclist, rejecting the former congressman’s argument that there wasn’t enough evidence for a guilty verdict.

Ruling unanimously, the state Supreme Court also found that Janklow had received a fair trial.

Janklow, 65, was convicted of second-degree manslaughter and reckless driving for killing 55-year-old motorcyclist Randy Scott in August 2003 on a rural highway near Trent.

Authorities said Janklow sped through a stop sign. Janklow has said he was in a diabetic stupor and remembers nothing about the crash.

Janklow, a political power in South Dakota who also served four terms as governor, resigned from the House in January 2004, a month after his conviction. He completed a 100-day jail sentence but had hoped to use the appeal to clear the felony from his record. He is attempting to regain his license to practice law in the state.

BIKERS SHIELD MOURNERS One side rides motorcycles to fight what they believe is an abuse of free speech. The other side uses words and posters that, for some, seem to stretch the boundaries of First Amendment freedoms, but to them are their God-given right.

In August, a group of bikers became outraged when they heard that Fred Phelps and members of his Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., were planning to picket and protest U.S. soldiers’ funerals, claiming that God is killing soldiers because He hates America, so the bikers formed the Patriot Guard, a grassroots organization that’s quickly gaining momentum.

Composed of veterans’ motorcycles groups, motorcycle enthusiasts, Christian motorcycle groups and people who simply consider themselves patriots, the group provides a human barrier at funerals to protect mourners from hearing and seeing the protesters.

So far, the riders have attended three funerals. The first was Staff Sgt. John Dole’s funeral in Chelsea, Okla., on Oct. 11; 40 riders from Kansas participated. The second funeral was for Army Spc. Lucas Frantz in Tonganoxie, Kan., on Oct. 17; 120 riders attended that one. In early November, more than 150 cyclists participated at the funeral for Sgt. Evan Parker in South Haven, Kan.

For the Oklahoma funeral, the group revved their cycles’ engines; in Tonganoxie, they recited the Pledge of Allegiance; and in South Haven, they recited the pledge and revved their engines to drown out the protestors’ chants.

The Patriot Guard would like to see laws changed either prohibiting people from protesting funerals or restricting the area or hours where protesters can be heard.

NEWS OF THE WEIRD: “DIEING TO RIDE” Tijuana police discovered a passenger aboard a motorcycle involved in an accident was in fact a corpse which the driver had been carrying through the rough border city strapped to his back.

The motorcycle driver lost control and skidded in the downtown area; when a policeman approached to investigate the mishap, the driver fled on foot. The police officer checked the passenger, who had been seated behind the driver and found it was the corpse of a man who had died at least six hours earlier.

The corpse was wearing a helmet and beneath it his head had been wrapped in a towel and bound with tape, apparently to keep blood from dripping from a head wound. The corpse was also wearing a lifejacket the straps of which had apparently been used to tie him to the driver.

Police said the dead man had wraps of methamphetamine in his pocket and an unkempt appearance, which led investigators to believe the killing was drug related.

“We think the killer was trying to take the body to a more deserted area to dispose of it,” said Francisco Castro, a spokesman for the Baja California state police’s homicide division.

QUOTABLE QUOTES: “The strongest human instinct is to impart information, thesecond is to resist it.”

Kenneth Grahame, (1859-1932) Scottish Author & Essayist

TASMANIAN BIKERS LOBBY, LIGHTNING STRIKES A RIDER, CELLPHONES FOR MOTORCYCLE RIDERS AND MOTORCYCLES MAKING YOU DEAF?

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 www.ON-A-BIKE.com.

FLORIDA STATS SHOW HELMETLESS RIDERS LESS LIKELY TO DIE Not only do recently released injury and fatality statistics for 2004 in the state of Florida dispel predictions of a blood bath following repeal of that state’s helmet law, but reveal that motorcyclists wearing helmets were more likely to sustain an injury or suffer a fatality than their non-helmeted counterparts.

According to the recently released, Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles annual Traffic Crash Statistics Report for 2004, of the 388 motorcycle riders killed in crashes on Florida roads last year, over 51% were wearing helmets. The crash facts also demonstrate that riders wearing helmets were more likely to sustain injuries than non-helmeted riders.

In each of the statistical focus topics presented in the study, the percentage numbers were very close between helmeted and non- helmeted riders, except for non-injury crashes. The study stated that non- helmeted riders were 20% more likely to walk away from a crash without injuries than riders who were wearing helmets.

The huge increase in death and injury to non-helmeted motorcycle riders, predicted by NHTSA (National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration) in a report released this summer, has not been substantiated, and in fact was disproved.

“The numbers are going to disappoint the proponents of helmet laws while simultaneously confirming the facts presented to the public by ABATE of Florida, Inc.,” stated James “Doc” Reichenbach, President of ABATE of Florida, Inc., who’s group lobbied strongly for motorcycle helmet reform in 2000. “ABATE of Florida has spent years focusing on motorcycle related safety issues, including crash prevention and stiffer penalties for negligent vehicle operators who kill and injure motorcycle riders.”

ABATE of Florida, Inc. is spreading the word about motorcycle safety and awareness through high school drivers education programs, posters, flyers, the presentation of a free Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Program, along with a series of annual safety seminars for the motorcycle riding and non-riding public.

In conjunction with the Florida legislature, ABATE is putting Billboards throughout the state to encourage drivers to be aware of motorcycles and to drive alertly.

Reichenbach, who also serves as Chairman of the Board for the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), added that “The numbers from the crash report for 2004 may favor our point of view, but even one death is too many.”

HELMET LAW HURTS ITALIAN SCOOTER MAKER Aprilia, the Italian motorcycle conglomerate that also owns Moto Guzzi and Laverda, has been hurt financially in recent years by a combination of factors and is negotiating with several banks to try to avoid defaulting on its debt, according to Italian news media.

One contributing factor is that scooter sales in Italy, the company’s primary market, have fallen off since 2001 when a new law passed requiring scooter riders to wear helmets.

Aprilia sold fewer than 2,000 motorcycles in the United States in 2003, accounting for less than 0.25% of the U.S. motorcycle market. European sales are far more critical to the company’s financial health than its relatively small U.S. operation.Meanwhile, Ducati recently announced it is preparing to make an offer to buy Moto Guzzi from Aprilia, which purchased the Moto Guzzi brand in 2001 by outbidding Ducati.

MANDATORY RE-TRAINING FOR ALL RIDERS? In an address to the Fifth International Motorcycle Conference, the President of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) Tim Buche called for a “safety renewal” program, which essentially would involve ongoing rider training for all motorcycle riders.

During his presentation to the Conference, held in Munich, Germany in conjunction with the Intermot Show, Buche addressed the fact that most research has shown little benefit from the current U.S. rider-training formula, which essentially calls for a single, basic training course.

Although such training, which is mandatory in some states for younger riders, appears to have an initial benefit lasting perhaps six months for new riders, it doesn’t have any measurable benefits in longer terms. Buche announced new research that looks at more parameters and will focus in particular on repetitive training, where a rider would follow up his initial training with additional courses tailored for those with more experience and skills. The MSF news release about the presentation notes that a possible federal motorcycle-safety study might also shed light on the topic.

SOME USEFUL MOTORCYCLE STATISTICS:Of the over 6.5 million motorcycles registered in the United States, 282,389 were used for primary transportation.Of the 129 million US commuters, 147,703 rode motorcycles to work regularly.More than 20 million Americans surveyed in 2003 said they had ridden within the previous year. (Off-road riding accounted for a third of that figure.)3 to 5 motorcycles fit in one automobile parking space.Motorcycles get 50.1 m.p.g. on average, passenger cars 22.3 m.p.g., light trucks/SUVs 17.7 m.p.g.Sources: Ridetowork.com, Motorcycle Industry Council

SOME MORE USEFUL STATISTICS:DOCTORS: (A) There are 700,000 physicians in the U.S. (B) Accidental deaths caused by physicians total 120,000 per year. (C) Accidental death percentage per physician is 0.171.MOTORCYCLES: (A) There are over 6 million motorcycles registered in the U.S. (B) There were 4,008 motorcyclist fatalities in 2004. (C) The percentage of accidental deaths per motorcycle is 0.000668.Statistically, then, doctors are 256 times more dangerous to the public health than motorcycles. Fact: LESS THAN 2 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION OWNS A MOTORCYCLE, BUT ALMOST EVERYONE HAS AT LEAST ONE DOCTOR.

CHINA LEADING THE WAY IN MOTORCYCLE SALES When most Americans think of motorcycle imports, they think of the Japanese brands Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki – the “Big Four”. But in fact, according to Business Wire, China has dominated the world’s production of motorcycles since 1994, churning out 14 million motorcycles in 2003. Exports surged from more than 3.4 million units (US$650 million) in 2002 to almost 9 million motorcycles (US$1.45 billion) last year–a phenomenal increase of 123 percent in value, and representing 48% of the global output. This is astounding growth even for an industry that has shown consistent strength.

Chinese motorcycles and associated products are now exported to some 200 countries, many of them in the developing regions of Southeast Asia, South Asia and Africa, and developed countries in the Middle East. Sales to the favored U.S. and European markets are also increasing.

MOTORCYCLES DAMAGE HEARING When the band Steppenwolf sang of heavy metal thunder in “Born to be Wild,” their classic ode to the freewheeling biker lifestyle, they equated rocking out to the new electric music of their time with the ear-pounding experience of riding a motorcycle. The notion that loud music can damage hearing is common knowledge, but the noise produced by motorcycles can pose similar risk to riders, University of Florida hearing experts’ caution.

In an informal survey of 33 motorcycles, UF audiologists at the College of Public Health and Health Professions have found nearly half produced sounds above 100 decibels when throttled up — equivalent in intensity to a loud rock concert or a chainsaw.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health cautions that exposure to noise at 100 decibels is safe for only 15 minutes. Permanent hearing loss can occur with prolonged exposure to any noise measuring 85 decibels or above. Although noise-induced hearing loss is permanent, it is preventable.

Although motorcycle helmets don’t provide any significant protection against noise, inexpensive foam earplugs, available at drug stores, can reduce sound levels by 20 decibels to 25 decibels.

Riders should pay attention to the warning signs of noise-induced hearing loss: a ringing sound in the ears immediately after exposure, and hearing voices and other sounds as muffled.

HELLO? Giving birth to a new catch phrase: “Hang up and RIDE!”, motorcyclists can join the cell phone rage now that there’s a new audio headset designed to fit under their helmets while they rumble down the road.

The “scala-rider” from Cardo Systems (www.cardowireless.com) is a Bluetooth headset that includes a wind-resistant microphone that provides clear audio for listening and talking while riding at speeds of up to 75 mph. The scala-rider also allows users to accept or reject incoming calls without letting go of the handlebars, by using voice controls.

WEIRD NEWS: Helmet Saves Rider From Lightening Strike. A Texas man is recovering from an accident in Colorado after being hit in the head by lightening. A gold chain and crucifix melted around his neck and burned a rope pattern in his skin when a lightning bolt struck Jason Crawford in the head while he and his brother were riding dirt bikes in Gunnison County, Colorado.

The bolt melted part of his helmet, fractured his skull and left burn scars on his chest and left arm. Still, Crawford knows it could have been worse. Doctors told him if he hadn’t had his helmet on, he would have died. Even with the helmet, it took 30 stitches to close a wound in his head caused by the freak lighting strike.

Jason Crawford, 31, and his brother John, 36, from Houston, Texas, were riding dirt bikes in Taylor Park recently when the bolt came out of the blue. Jason said they were on Italian Creek Pass when it started sprinkling and the bolt came without warning. John told the Grand Junction Sentinel that the lightning strike caused Jason to do a back flip off his motorbike and twist in the air before he landed on the ground, unable to move.

John said he didn’t know what to do and started screaming for help. Incredibly, a U.S. Forest Service ranger was nearby, heard the yells and came to their aid. He quickly used his two-way radio to call for an ambulance. Then several other dirt-bikers rode up and one was a doctor who checked out Jason’s vital signs. Luckily, his heart hadn’t stopped beating and Jason finally managed to talk. His first words after the accident were, “Don’t let me die.”

He was airlifted to a hospital in Grand Junction where he was treated and released a few days later, but doctors still don’t know the extent of the damage, due to scar tissue and unhealed injuries. He still can’t hear in one ear.

His brother, John, said it was a fluke that the lightning hit.

“What are the chances of being struck by lightning on a moving bike,” John told the Sentinel. “You can’t prepare for that.”

TASMANIAN BIKERS LOBBY AGAINST MOTORCYCLE LEVY Bikers in Tasmania, Australia successfully lobbied against a proposed $15-a-year levy to motorcycle licenses to fund a government sponsored safety campaign. The State Government’s controversial push to introduce the levy on motorcyclists to fund a safety program failed in the Legislative Council, due largely to objections raised by the motorcycle community.

Nine Independent MLCs voted against the legislation that they argued discriminated against motorcyclists and would set a dangerous user-pays precedent to the State.The Tasmanian Motorcycle Council led a strong lobby against the proposed law and said that motorcyclists should not have to pay for the strategy’s administration, arguing that it was inappropriate that $405,000 of levy funds would go to cover administrative costs.

The leader of the Government in the Upper House, Michael Aird, said that the Tasmanian Motorcycle Safety Strategy 2005-06 would now have to be abandoned.

Tasmanian Greens infrastructure spokesman Kim Booth congratulated the motorcycle council on its demand for equality in road safety training.”The responsibility is now back on the Labor Government to ensure that the necessary road safety training is still made available,” he said.State Opposition leader Rene Hidding said that the defeat of the bill showed the Government had failed to adequately consult the motorcycle community.

QUOTABLE QUOTE: “Being in politics is like being a football coach. You have to be smart enough to understand the game, and dumb enough to think it’s important.”
Eugene McCarthy (1916 – ) US politician, teacher

GUNNY’S SPECIAL REPORT–NIGERIAN BIKERS LIKE US, SONS OF LIBERTY RIDERS–ANOTHER SOURCE, ROAD RAGE ATTACKS BIKERS, HURRICANE EFFORTS IN LOUISIANA

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 <>

From TheGUNNY’S SACK

I just returned from a meeting of the Oregon Confederation of Clubs (COC), downin Canyonville, OR. This 2005 summer, we continued the new practice of meetingMONTHLY in different towns around the state. Kind of spreading the thing around.And more members from the various clubs and other rider groups can more easilyattend and see what goes on. I didn?t count the attendance, but it sure feelsgood to see the interest in the COC from around the state.

As in every meeting, clubs and other rider groups are cordially invited to senda rep to look us over. THE COC is here to serve the interests of all motorcyclegroups through action, both in the Courts and otherwise. That includes you folkswho ride those speedy sport bikes, or the very fuel-efficient motor scooters weare seeing. It doesn’t matter what you ride, your group is welcome to send arep. By working together we can accomplish so much more.

There were two things that struck me at this meeting. We need more participationfrom everyone involved in the confederation, and we need to get our people tothe capitols of our states when our legislatures are in session. Electedofficials pay attention to people who care enough about their issues to show upand be seen. If we aren’t a presence in their minds they have other things todo. The SQUEAKY WHEEL GETS THE GREASE. We need to let those folks know we careenough to go and talk to them.

NEWSBITS ‘N’ PIECES:

KATRINA’S BIKER VICTIMS: We are all very aware of the vast suffering in theSoutheast part of our country. ABATE of Louisiana is doing their best to assistbikers there who need it. Many lost everything. HELP OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS bysending contributions through ABATE of Louisiana. Send donations to their statemailing address, so the Treasurer can track the money and get the help flowingquickly: P.O. Box 541 St. Amant, LA 70774

Any questions on the relief effort, contact: State Executive President ? James”Poet” Sisco 1-800-393-5966 abatepoet@aol.com, or the State Executive Treasurer,Barb Sikes, at barb1106@yahoo.com, or call her at 1-800-268-5416

NIGERIA: The Nigerian “Motocycle” Union received a letter from the NigerianCommissioner of Information, asking their members to be law-abiding, to registertheir bikes, and to get their motorcycle licenses. He also commended thisNigerian biker group for their efforts in finding jobs for their members andothers in the community. Doesn’t sound TOO unfamiliar to this Gunny’s old ears.Most Sack readers who are in ANY biker association or club here in the USA have heard campaigns before about urging our people to get their motorcycleENDORSEMENT! Just goes to show, no matter what country, continent or culture,bikers have similar issues, and we stick together to look after our own.

VL racing shot from Bob T.

WASHINGTON STATE: A couple here were jailed for road rage recently, because theywere charged with running a biker off the road. The driver of the car wascharged with 1st degree assault for striking the bike with her car, causing himto leave the roadway and crash. Her husband was also charged, in his case with4th degree assault, because THIS FOOL jumped out of the car, and went andTACKLED THE BIKER after he crashed! The biker was still lying on the side of theroad, suffering from his injures.

THIS CASE needs to be monitored, to be surethese people get what’s coming to them. From the JUDICIAL SYSTEM, that is. As aside note, the organization that is tracking just such cases, and that does SOMUCH more in the way of INFORMATION FOR BIKERS, is the Sons of Liberty Riders.Let me give you just a little info about it, now that I have yer attention!

SONS OF LIBERTY RIDERS: These folks aren’t a club, and they’re not really anassociation, either. They’re a group of biker activists of all stripes and fromall over.

They share information on the Internet, and gather at least once ayear for their “TEA” conference. TEA = The Extreme Activists, since they arejust that. My boss, Oregon AIM (Aid to Injured Motorcyclists) lawyer SamHochberg, is knowledgeable about these folks, but here?s how YOU can find outMORE, and read all about it: GO to their website at www.solriders.com.

You canalso sign up for their VERY helpful email list. You’ll get daily emails aboutBIKERS RIGHTS issues from around the country, and you can contribute your ownwords and actions, too.

The group also sponsors a site on the “ROW”, or “Rightof Way” campaign, to increase penalties for drivers who cause us to CRASH! TheROW site is www.bikers4row.org, go look at ’em and BOOKMARK them now!

Keep the round side on the bottom
–Gunny, Chief of Staff for Oregon AIM
Aid To Injured Motorcyclists

AND THAT’S ALL THE NEWS THAT FITS!