by Renato Marques from https://macaudailytimes.com.mo The first-ever person of Portuguese nationality to hold the position, Jorge Viegas has served as president of the global governing and sanctioning body of motorcycle racing, the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), for just over a year now. In an exclusive interview with the Times last week, Viegas shared his opinions on the development of the sport in Asia and worldwide, speaking also about the ambitions of his presidency. He also offered some advice to Macau motorcycling event organizers, while stressing again that his organization has no jurisdiction over the annual event, part of the Macau Grand Prix. After one year at the helm of the FIM, Viegas remarked on his success in making the organization more democratic and more transparent. He also claimed victory in his goal to give more importance to the constituent FIM committees, which he said had been “totally left out of decisions” in the past. “I am very pleased that I [accomplished] a small ‘revolution’ at the FIM at the internal level,” he said. “That was one of my goals and it was achieved.” Opening the FIM to the world had debunked the impression that the FIM was just “a bunch of old guys that liked to travel.” “I have been opening the doors of the FIM to the outside and have started to collaborate a lot more with the promoters. Next month, we will, for the first time, host a plenary meeting with all the committees with the presence of journalists. This has never happened before. I want to show what the FIM does.” “One of the first measures I took was to hold a press conference that took place at Losail during Qatar GP last year, in which I presented everyone from the FIM side that works in a Grand Prix, asking them to explain who they are and what their job duties are.” “Without going into too much detail, I would say that I managed to bring the FIM closer to the national federations,” said Viegas. Coming up, more reform is expected, especially in the categories of “Superbikes” and “Endurance”. The president promised that new measures to improve these categories will be announced soon, even as early as this year. His ultimate goal remains greater engagement of the youth in motorcycle racing, all while ensuring the safety of the sport. Building on his mandate, Viegas reiterated that “every youngster, independent of gender and financial capacity, if they have the talent, passion, and motivation, [ought to be able to] compete in motorcycle racing.” At the same time, the sport must be “as safe as possible,” because only in this way can we “convince parents to let the youth participate in the sport.” ‘Unrivaled’ growth in Asia For Viegas, “the development of motorcycling in Asia is unrivaled worldwide.” The Asian continent is the fastest-growing region of the world when it comes to motorcycle racing, and yet its popularity is still far from peaking, he said. The FIM president recalled how the organization began with 16 national and regional federations across Asia. Today, that number has almost doubled, with 28 already accounted for and another three joining the FIM soon. This trend is perhaps unsurprising given that, in the words of Viegas, “Asia is the most popular continent for motorcycles and where the most are circulating in the streets.” The president is also impressed with how upbeat everyone in Asia is about the sport. Addressing the inclusion of a new race in the MotoGP to be held on the island of Lombok, Indonesia in March 2021, Viegas remarked, “the works to build this circuit have just started and [the promoters] have already sold about 30,000 seats for the event.” The sport is also popular elsewhere in Asia, where circuit racing championships are well-entrenched, according to the FIM president. However, the continent suffers from a major drawback: its size. As a large and diverse continent, Asia presents a challenge in high traveling costs. “For example, a rider going racing from China to Japan faces very high expenses,” offered Viegas, referring to transportation and logistics costs. For this reason, FIM tries to financially support the Asian Federation, so that it is possible to maintain competitive championships. Return to China only a ‘matter of time’ Notably absent from the countries hosting major motorcycle racing events is China, leading some to speculate about disagreement between the organizers and the Chinese government. Viegas was quick to dismiss the idea of any ill feeling between the FIM, the promoters and the Chinese government. “There is no problem with China,” he told the Times. “I believe that if they want to host an event, they can do it.” Although there is currently no circuit in China homologated to the standards of hosting any major competitions, “if they want to, they can do that easily,” said Viegas. “It is just a matter of will and making a few works on the [existing] circuits or even building a new one.” “I was with the Chinese authorities a few months ago and they told me that they wanted to have MotoGP back in China,” he continued. This comes as China has been pursuing other kinds of motorcycle racing categories, such as Motocross. The debut of the FIM Motocross World Championship took place in Shanghai last year, and is set to return this year. But a return of the MotoGP is not likely within the next few years, according to the FIM president. “We have a lot more demand than we can satisfy,” explained Viegas. “There are a lot of countries wanting to host MotoGP. This year we already expanded the championship to 20 races, and in upcoming years we can likely grow to [a maximum of] 22, which is enormous.” Macau Grand Prix needs to review safety Although the FIM has no jurisdiction over the motorcycle race held during the Macau Grand Prix event, the Times solicited Viegas’s views and insights on the race. The FIM veteran, who served a number of roles at the organization prior to becoming its president, immediately suggested two logistical improvements that local organizers could adopt. “There is one thing that the organizers can do to improve the race, which is not running motorcycle events after car events,” he said, highlighting that after a series of car races, track surface conditions may not be ideal. He also mentioned that the light and visibility conditions late in the afternoon can also be challenging for racers and present added logistical complications with race restarts. “I think this is the minimum that organizers could do because this will improve a lot of the conditions,” said Viegas. On a more positive note, the FIM president remarked on the “good choices” made by local organizers in “bringing in riders with a lot of experience and progressively investing in the active safety systems.” “In the future, we hope the riders will all wear racing suits with an airbag system incorporated as well as FIM homologated helmets,” said Viegas, adding that these additional safety features have been designed to minimize the risk to racers. For the president of FIM, the only safety issue with the Guia Circuit is the lack of run-off areas. “The problem of Macau [street circuit] is very simple; there are no run-off areas, that’s all. There are no other problems. This is a circuit designed to host car races, the motorcycles are a complementary race that the spectators enjoy. I just think we should do all that is possible to increase the safety of the event,” he said. A solution commonly used by the FIM on permanent racing circuits that do not possess enough run-off space is so-called “air fences”- soft-wall safety barriers, which are inflated to cushion impact from riders on otherwise rigid structures. “When we cannot have run-off areas with the length we need, the circuit must install an air fence and we have seen riders reaching them even in areas with a lot of space,” he explained. “Here in Macau, it would be needed obviously but again, we are not the entity that controls the safety conditions in Macau. What I wish is that there will be no more serious incidents here.” Several recent incidents in the motorcycle racing component of the Macau Grand Prix have raised safety concerns once again among race organizers and the general population of the city. In 2017, motorcyclist Daniel Hegarty died in a crash at the Fisherman’s Bend after losing control of his bike. A major crash last year left three riders hospitalized and saw the race red flagged. “We understand that there are riders specialized in this type of race [road racing] and they are highly experienced as well as highly aware of the risks they are taking. But what I can say is that it’s not this kind of race that the FIM encourages,” Viegas said. “This is not a circuit homologated by the FIM and it can never be, because it cannot fully meet optimal safety conditions.” Nevertheless, the official recognizes that events like the Macau Grand Prix and the Isle of Manx TT have a long tradition with some races going back to over a century. “It’s not under FIM competences to say anything against them,” he said. “As for the [Macau] race, it’s great entertainment and the people love it and the riders love it too.” The global energy problem Globally, another major challenge is the need to follow the world trend in “energy transition,” according to Viegas, which will necessitate swapping petrol-powered engines to electricity-powered motors. “This is something that concerns us and that we are working on together with the promoters and manufacturers,” Viegas said, explaining that on motorcycles this swap will be more difficult than on cars as the current batteries are very heavy and very big, making the batteries appropriate for a racing motorcycle not capable of managing great distances. For the time being, the Moto-E category part of the complementary program of MotoGP in some European circuits only can feature six-lap racing events. “But as we know, this technology is developing very fast. When the batteries can be of a longer range and become lighter, I am sure we will see some great leaps forward.”

 

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SALE EXTENDED Its cold outside…grab a pair of Wool Lined Onyx Rangers for only $65 today.  These regularly retail for $95.  Click below to claim yours.

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NCOM BIKER NEWSBYTES
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,

 
ALL MOTORCYCLE RIDERS URGED TO SUPPORT FEDERAL ANTI-PROFILING MEASURE
The National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) and the Confederations of Clubs is calling on all motorcyclists nationwide, from patch holders to independents, to contact their Congressional Representatives to ask for their support of House Resolution 255, a bipartisan anti-profiling measure being considered in the U.S. House of Representatives that is identical to Senate Resolution 154 passed by unanimous consent in the U.S. Senate on December 11, 2018.
 
H.Res.255; “Promoting awareness of motorcycle profiling and encouraging collaboration and communication with the motorcycle community and law enforcement officials to prevent instances of profiling,” was introduced early in the 1st Session of the 116th Congress (2019-2020), on March 26, 2019 by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), and currently has over 125 bipartisan co-sponsors.
 
As defined by both nonbinding Congressional resolutions, S.Res.154 & H.Res.255, “motorcycle profiling” means “the illegal use of the fact that a person rides a motorcycle or wears motorcycle related apparel as a factor in deciding to stop and question, take enforcement action, arrest, or search a person or vehicle with or without legal basis under the Constitution of the United States.”
 
Concerned riders can contact their U.S. Rep. by calling the Capital Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and request that they join their colleagues in cosponsoring H.Res.255 to help thwart law enforcement from unfairly targeting motorcycle riders for traffic stops, questioning and citations.

RPM ACT TO PROTECT RACING HAS BEEN REINTRODUCED IN CONGRESS
Legislation to protect the right to convert street vehicles into dedicated racecars — known as the RPM Act — is “well positioned” to become law in 2020 now that new versions of the bill have been introduced in Congress, according to the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), an industry trade association representing the specialty automotive industry.
 
U.S. Representatives Patrick McHenry (R-NC), and Raul Ruiz (D-CA), along with 30 bipartisan co-sponsors, introduced H.R. 5434, the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2019 on December 16, 2019, complementing the Senate’s version of the bill, S.2602, introduced October 18, 2019 by Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Joe Manchin (D-WV).
 
The RPM Act, if passed, would reverse the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2015 interpretation of the Clean Air Act that it does not allow a motor vehicle designed for street use — including a car, truck, or motorcycle — to be converted into a dedicated racecar.  The bill also would protect the motorsports-parts industry’s ability to sell performance products.
 
The legislation cleared several major legislative hurdles in the previous Congress, including passage by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee and hearings in the House and Senate.
 
The practice of converting street cars into competition vehicles went unquestioned for nearly 50 years until 2015, when the EPA took the position that converted vehicles must remain emissions-compliant, even though they are no longer driven on public streets or highways.
 
Motorsports competition involves tens of thousands of participants and vehicle owners each year, says SEMA, with most of the vehicles being raced on the estimated 1,300 racetracks operating across the U.S. are converted vehicles that the EPA currently considers to be illegal.

CONGRESS EXTENDS TAX CREDITS FOR ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLES
The U.S. spending bill recently agreed to on December 17, 2019 includes extension of tax credits for home EV charger installations, electric motorcycles, and fuel-cell vehicles.  These credits were previously extended through the end of 2017, though that time the extension was retroactive, as taxpayers didn’t know about the incentive during the incentive period.  Now, those credits have been extended retroactively again by Congress — covering the last two years, since 2017 — and have been extended forward to the end of this year.
 
Due to an amendment made to the year-end spending bill, taxpayers will once again qualify for a 30% rebate (up to $1,000) on costs associated with the installation of an EV charging station, a 10% credit (up to $2,500) on 2- or 3-wheeled electric vehicles such as electric motorcycles, and a $4,000 credit for the purchase of a new fuel-cell vehicle.
 
These credits previously expired at the end of 2017, but will now be available through 2020.  The credits are available retroactively so, presumably, this means that taxpayers can and should file amended returns for previous years.

HELMET REPEAL EFFORTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
Since 1966, when Georgia became the first State to require helmet use by law, America has gone through periods of nearly 100% conformity with every state except California passing mandatory helmet laws, through two federal helmet law mandates, both since repealed, to today with only 19 states and the District of Columbia requiring helmets for all riders.
 
Now, with state legislatures back in session entering the new year, several of those states are hoping to be the next to nix their lid law, following most recently Arkansas (1997), Texas (1997), Kentucky (1998), Florida (2000), Pennsylvania (2003) and Michigan (2012).  Louisiana weakened its motorcycle helmet use law in 1999, but re-enacted it in 2004.
 
Already this year, West Virginia has introduced bicameral legislation on January 10th, HB 2070 in the House and SB 153 in the Senate, that would allow you to operate or be a passenger on a motorcycle without a helmet, provided the rider is 21 or older and has held a motorcycle license for at least two years. In addition, SB 154 would allow certain out-of-state residents ride a motorcycle in West Virginia without helmet.
 
Missouri, which last session passed a helmet repeal through both houses of their legislature, only to see it vetoed, once again, by their governor, has introduced another bill on January 9th to exempt persons 18 or older with a valid motorcycle license from wearing protective headgear while riding a motorcycle or motortricycle.
 
In New York, A6895, introduced January 8th, provides that motorcyclists over the age of 21 shall be exempt from the requirement to wear a helmet when operating or riding a motorcycle, while A3004 “requires motorcycle users to wear helmets that meet the federal motor vehicle safety standards and which have been impact-tested by the U.S. department of transportation, the commissioner of motor vehicles or by an independent laboratory approved by the commissioner of motor vehicles.”
 
Meanwhile, companion bills A214/S320 authorizes the commissioner of transportation to conduct a comprehensive study of the efficacy of motorcycle helmets.
 
Vermont’s legislature is considering S203, an act relating to motorcycle helmets, which “proposes to amend the motorcycle helmet law to only apply to motorcycle operators and riders under 21 years of age and creates an exemption from the motorcycle helmet requirement for those operators and riders who are participating in a parade.”
 
The number of registered motorcycles in the U.S. is near historic highs, with more than 8.4 million registered motorcycles as of 2014, according to the U.S. DOT’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics.  This is up from 4.3 million in 2000, nearly doubling over the past two decades.

NEW DRIVER ACCOUNTABILITY LAW IN OREGON
Effective January 1, 2020, it is now a CRIME for a (grossly) negligent driver to injure a motorcyclist or their passenger. It also requires careless drivers who injure riders or passengers to attend safety school and perform 100-200 hours of community service including driver training and traffic safety.
 

 
WASHINGTON STATE ENDEAVORS TO MAKE ROADS SAFER
The state of Washington passed some important motorcycle-related legislation that went into effect as of January 1, 2020 in an effort to increase motorcycle safety by making motorcycle endorsement testing more rigorous, and also increased penalties if you’re caught riding without a license.
 
Previously, the cost of getting caught without a motorcycle license was lower than the cost of actually taking motorcycle training classes, but as of 2020, it’ll now cost you less to obtain the proper training than it will to get caught riding without a license.  The full penalty for riding without a license will now cost $386, with all fees considered.
 
Part of this has to do with Washington state’s Target Zero highway safety plan, which aims to get serious injuries and fatalities on state roadways down to zero by 2030.  An ambitious plan, to be sure, but one key point regarding motorcyclists is the state’s intention to make the permitting and endorsement process for motorcyclists be a more meaningful evaluation of their skills and also making endorsement testing more difficult for riders seeking to get a license.

MOTORCYCLE MARKET TRENDS
As another year comes to a close, it is a great time to reflect on what has been generally a successful year for the Powersports industry, according to Jeremy Jensen, president of the Motorsports Group at Wells Fargo CDF, who reports some consistency from previous years, unexpected strengths, and a few areas of opportunity for next year:
 
UTVs — Retail of side-by-sides saw a nice rebound in the second half of the year, some of which was weather driven, and the segment continues to grow in the mid-single digits per year.
 
ATVs — Sales of ATVs have been consistently solid throughout the year, and expected to be up by low single digits by the end of 2019, with much of the growth coming in the 400-600cc sector. Given typical cannibalization of ATV by the UTV sector, this is a promising result year over year.
 
Motorcycles — Overall, motorcycle retail sales are very similar with 2018 levels, however, different product groups are driving strength and weakness. Sport bikes, which was a successful sector last year (specifically <500cc), has fallen back. Off-road bikes, however, will be up by double digits percentage with dual sport models also posting growth this year. Heavyweight motorcycles remain a key industry challenge as the industry continues to adjust to the preferences of the millennial generation. 
 
Product innovation continues to be strong with technical advancements, new models, and improved performance and comfort. Whether it’s being able to connect your phone, a more advanced GPS system, or an improved suspension, vendors are leveraging technology and looking for ways to enhance the rider experience.
 
From a dealer standpoint, a great area of opportunity is continuing to focus on building the local rider community.  Organize events, let people feel and experience the products, introduce diversified groups of people to powersports, and continue to leverage social media as a way to reach new audiences.
 

 
HONDA PATENTS VERTICAL AIRBAG FOR MOTORCYCLES
The idea of fitting an airbag to the front of a motorcycle has been around for almost as long as the airbag itself, and Honda pioneered the technology on its Gold Wing over a decade ago, but for the system they recently patented, the airbag launches vertically in front of the rider instead of mounting atop the center console.
 
The main problem for motorcycle designers wanting to incorporate one on a bike is packaging. While cars have plenty of space within the dashboard, side pillars and seats to stash the airbag and its inflation hardware, motorcycles are almost always devoid of such space. The new system that Honda has just registered shows a small, airbag system that is compact enough that it can be mounted within the front-end bodywork of a small motorcycle or even a scooter.
 
QUOTABLE QUOTE: “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.”
~ Samuel Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain) 1835-1910, American writer, humorist
 

ABOUT AIM / NCOM: The National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) is a nationwide motorcyclists rights organization serving over 2,000 NCOM Member Groups throughout the United States, with all services fully-funded through Aid to Injured Motorcyclist (AIM) Attorneys available in each state who donate a portion of their legal fees from motorcycle accidents back into the NCOM Network of Biker Services (www.ON-A-BIKE.com / 800-ON-A-BIKE).

The Carnival Bike Turns into an Historic Jewel

This bike is deceiving. Mistakenly restored by one of the high masters of vehicle restorations, Steve Huntzinger, it conceals its heritage. It currently looks like a select piece of Fabergé jewelry, which conceals the magnificent history.

CLICK HERE TO READ THIS ARTICLE ON BIKERNET.com

Over the last couple of months, we’ve attempted to prepare for our first trial runs with the Salt Torpedo. Well, it’s happening today. We lifted the Torpedo off the lift and carefully lowered it to the deck day before yesterday.

I’ve been over this puppy making adjustments, corrections, and checks until I’m blue in the face, but yesterday I installed the lid and hoped for the best. We learn with every move we make.

A brother, Don Whalen was kind enough to loan us his new trailer, and it fit like a glove. We are heading to the desert near Johnson Valley this morning, where we may meet up with guys from JIMS machine, Lienweber crew and our pilot Micah McCloskey for test runs. Hang on for reports in the Thursday Bikernet Weekly News. Dr. Hamster said to layer up. “It will get cold in the desert in the afternoon.”

–Bandit

Comtech Telecommunications has announced its Location Technologies group has teamed up with Indian Motorcycle to build a motorcycle-specific navigation platform for its Ride Command system. Customized to enhance the Indian Motorcycle experience, the built-in navigation platform is designed to provide riders with continuous connectivity. In addition to turn-by-turn directions, riders will be able to access real-time access to special routing options for locating the shortest, fastest and most scenic routes.

This includes waypoint routing that enhances the rider’s overall navigation experience by adding up to 100 stops, or special points-of-interest, as well as real-time traffic and weather overlays. Comtech’s navigation platform also features Doppler weather radar information. These navigation features are coupled with maps available onboard and offboard, as riders ride through areas where cellular connectivity is limited.

Using its Location Studio platform, Comtech provided navigation and mapping leveraging an open ecosystem to customize Ride Command. In addition to specialized routing, Ride Command includes an intuitive search system and can support geographical data from multiple countries and 11 different language capabilities with a plan to expand in the future. The Ride Command system is included with various Indian Motorcycle models.

 

The Las Vegas Auctions are upon us and ClassicAvenue will be there. If you’d like to meet and chat about potential sales, consignment or the weather, call us on (424) 265.0645

click here for motorcycle inventory

1104-0001 Advance Assembly Our 1104-0001 Advance assembly has a 304-stainless steel base, center post and pivot pins and the weights are coated with a specially formulated polymer that protects from heat saturation, reduces friction – and in most cases, strengthens the component to make it more efficient.The special CNC machine coiled springs hold precision tolerances controlling spring rates to within 5% of specification to provide the max advance and retard applicable to your motorcycle.They are manufactured with precision  drawn wire then zinc plated for corrosion protection with post baking for relieving of potential hydrogen embrittlement. Includes the center bolt. The Advance Unit is assembled at our factory in Paramount California and proudly made in the U.S.A.

Start Shopping   American Prime Mfg., Inc. 8205 Secura Way Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670

1985 – 2020: 35 years Yamaha Vmax
The brand-new anniversary T-shirt

The first Yamaha Vmax motorcycles were delivered to their proud owners in 1985 and CIRCUS VMAXIMUS celebrates the 35th anniversary of this unique muscle bike with a cool new anniversary T-shirt!

The new high-quality black shirt features an extra-large, white “VMAX – 35TH ANNIVERSARY – 1985 – 2020” logo on the front and is now available exclusively online at www.CIRCUS-VMAXIMUS.com.

The T-shirt, available in sizes M through 3XL, sells from 25 Euros.

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E-MAIL: sales@Circus-Vmaximus.com