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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
BIKERS HELP HURRICANE VICTIMS Bikers have big hearts and a willingness to help
the less fortunate, and this generosity is particularly evident in the aftermath
of Hurricane Katrina, which ravaged the Gulf Coast on August 29th leaving
hundreds dead and thousands homeless in the costliest natural disaster ever to
strike American soil.
ABATE of Louisiana and ABATE of Mississippi have set up disaster relief funds to
aid bikers who are victims of the storm. ABATE of Oklahoma recently donated $500
to each of those organizations to assist in their efforts, and many other
motorcycle clubs and organizations are also contributing. ABATE of Florida set
up a 3-acre shelter in the panhandle for those forced from their homes by the
floodwaters and damage.
Rolling Thunder members from their Mississippi chapter went into flooded areas
and helped direct distribution of donated necessities to disabled and displaced
veterans.
The Christian Motorcycle Association rendered aid to Katrina refugees by serving
coffee and offering essential needs in their time of distress.
American Honda announced that the company would make Personal Watercraft, All
Terrain Vehicles and off-road motorcycles available to local agencies providing
emergency relief efforts in the affected areas. To ensure the quickest possible
assistance preparations have been made to supply units through local Honda
dealerships in the vicinity.
Harley-Davidson announced that it is making a $1 million donation to the
American Red Cross Hurricane 2005 Relief Fund for the victims of Hurricane
Katrina and will also donate a 2006 touring motorcycle to be used as a
fund-raiser on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." Celebrity guests will autograph
the motorcycle, which will then be placed up for bid on eBay. A similar "Tonight
Show" fund-raiser to benefit tsunami relief efforts raised $810,000 earlier this
year.
Boston Harley-Davidson teamed up with defending World Series champion Boston Red
Sox players in hope of raising $1 million through the Rally for Fellow Americans
in Need. Two Harleys, one bought by the team and the other donated by the Harley
dealership, were auctioned off. Sox teammates Keith Foulke, John Damon, Kevin
Millar and Gabe Kapler all ride Harleys and participated in the fundraising
effort. "This is our country and there's a serious tragedy in New Orleans and if
everybody contributes something, somehow, I think it can work," said first
baseman Millar.
GAS HIKES BOOST INTEREST IN TWO-WHEELERS Motorists tired of paying an arm and a
leg for fuel are giving up their gas-guzzling SUVs and cars in favor of a more
economical, and more fun, mode of transportation: motorcycles and scooters.
NADAguides.com, a leading vehicle information website, today announced that
during the past three months, more people researched scooter and motorcycle
pricing and specifications at its website than at any other time during its
five-year history. Experts for the company cite high gas prices as a leading
cause for the boost in its online motorcycle traffic, saying car, truck and SUV
owners are realizing they can dramatically reduce their monthly gas budgets by
owning a motorized two-wheel vehicle as an alternate means of travel.
"The motorcycle and scooter market is red hot right now," said Lenny Sims,
Managing Editor at NADAguides.com. "On average, it takes about $60 to fill an
SUV with a tank of gas and about $15 to fill a motorcycle when you consider
today's gas prices. With numbers like these, it's easy to see why people are
making the switch to a more economical approach to driving." Sims goes on to say
that motorcycles and scooters offer a convenient mode of travel as well.
"Economics aside, they're convenient in traffic and easy to park. If you live in
a crowded urban area -- or a fast-growing suburb for that matter -- they offer a
quick and easy way to get around town."
During the months of June, July and August 2005, traffic to the motorcycle
section of the NADAguides.com website reached 810,901 visitors, an increase of
31% compared to the same timeframe a year ago.
So what were the most commonly researched motorcycles at NADA guides.com during
June, July and August of this year? According to the website, five makes and
models zoomed past the competition: 1. Harley-Davidson XL1200C 2. Yamaha
YZFR65/C YZF-R6 3. Honda VT750C4 Shadow 4. Honda CBR600F411 5. Honda CBR600RR3.
Following are the top three most researched scooters: 1. Honda Silverwing 2.
Suzuki Burgman 3. Vespa ET4.
Tokyo-based Honda said the airbags will reduce injuries in head-on collisions.
The airbag opens in front of the riders and reduces the speed at which they get
thrown off the motorcycle, lessening injuries when they hit the road or another
vehicle, said Honda.
MASSACHUSETTS BIKERS HARASSED OVER HELMETS A group of about two dozen
Massachusetts motorcyclists riding in the Yankee Homecoming parade on Sunday,
August 7th were ordered by police to don their helmets. When one of them refused
to obey, citing a newly enacted law excluding motorcyclists participating in
public parades from the state‚s helmet law, he was pulled from the parade by police.
Motorcyclists are now accusing police of being ignorant of the law, and some of
them are so angry about their confrontation with police that they are calling
for another boycott of the city of Newburyport, similar to one three years ago
when motorcyclists felt they were being unfairly targeted by police in a
crackdown on loud pipes and told to stay out of town. Their participation in the
parade, at the invitation of the city, was meant as an "olive branch" to show
that relations between the city and the riders had improved.
"There's just this negativity toward motorcyclists," said Paul Cote, legislative
director for the Massachusetts Motorcycle Association. "The more things change,
the more they stay the same."
"I am the law," the officer said, according to Cote, the biker who was kicked
out of the parade for refusing to put on his helmet.
But the law was changed in February 2004, allowing an exception to the
requirement that motorcyclists wear helmets for a "properly permitted public
parade." Helmets are otherwise required at all times on roads in Massachusetts.
Some of the riders challenged by police on Sunday were the very same ones who
spent five years lobbying for that change in the helmet law, Cote said.
The reasoning was that most parades travel at very slow speeds, and the whole
point of being in a parade is so spectators can see them, something that is hard
to do when faces are covered by helmets, Cote said. Helmets can also be very hot
during a parade when the temperatures hit 90 degrees, as they did on that
Sunday, he added.
Police later admitted they were wrong, acknowledging that the law now allows
motorcyclists to take off their helmets during parades, but have refused to
issue an apology.
PHILIPPINE CITY BANS HELMETS While most governments around the world push for
laws requiring motorcycle riders to wear helmets, Pagadian City in the
Philippines has barred motorcyclists from donning helmets. The reason? To
prevent crime.
Mayor Samuel Co implemented executive order number 72 for a three-month trial
period, after which the city council will decide if they will pass a permanent
ordinance banning the wearing of helmets while driving along city roads.
Referring to a local study, Co pointed out that 95 percent of the crimes
involving carjackings and shootings were committed by suspects aboard
motorcycles complete with either helmets or bonnets to conceal their identity.
With the use of helmets now banned, it would be easy to identify suspects who
pass along major routes in the city, Co said. Hidden cameras will be set up to
capture images of the motorcyclists for easy identification.
In neighboring Dipolog City, local officials are also contemplating a similar
ordinance following complaints from residents that most of the robberies and
traffic related crimes were committed by suspects wearing helmets and other head
gear.
MOTORCYCLIST APPOINTED TO VIRGINIA TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD Long time
motorcycle rights lawyer and founder of the Virginia Coalition of Motorcyclists,
Tom McGrath, has been appointed by the Governor of Virginia to serve a four year
term on the Commonwealth Transportation Safety Board. He is the first
motorcyclist to be appointed to the Board.
Among his accomplishments, McGrath led the successful effort to allow
motorcyclists access to the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Lanes and convinced the
General Assembly to pass legislation guaranteeing motorcyclists the right to use
these lanes.
He spearheaded efforts to increase funding for the Virginia Motorcycle Rider
Safety Training Program and worked to enact legislation to preserve the funding.
McGrath was also instrumental in having legislation passed requiring the
teaching of motorcycle awareness as part driver education in high schools.
McGrath is the Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (AIM) Attorney for Virginia, and was
awarded the Silver Spoke Award for his legal and legislative accomplishments by
the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM).
The Board of Transportation Safety seeks to identify the elements of a
comprehensive safety program for all transport modes, the identification of
unique safety needs of each particular mode of transportation, the
identification of the common elements of accident situations and the allocation
of grant funds made available to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
WIERD NEWS: GEMINIS WORST DRIVERS What's your sign? Please don't shoot the
messenger, but Suncorp Metway, Ltd., a multi-faceted Australian Financial
Service, ranked car accident claimants by their Sun sign in a study of 160,000
accident claims over the previous three-year period. This is what they found out:
The number one worst drivers were Geminis; "typically described as restless,
easily bored and frustrated by things moving slowly," explained Warren Duke,
Suncorp's national manager of personal insurance. "They had more car accidents
than any other sign."
No astrologer would argue with that description of the sign of the Twins and
probably this isn't very surprising news. But what about the other Zodiac signs?
Second and third place holders for this dubious honor are Taurus and Pisces.
"Taureans were thought to be obstinate and inflexible, "said Duke," while
Pisceans could be risk-takers and daredevils."
Capricorns, who came last on the list, are typically described as patient and
careful, and therefore the safest drivers with the fewest accidents.
The great middle ground of this survey is held by Sun signs in this order, from
worst accident records to the best: 4-Virgo; 5-Cancer; 6-Aquarius; 7-Aries;
8-Leo; 9-Libra; 10-Sagittarius; 11-Scorpio
Duke said the study was carried out as part of Suncorp's annual review of
claims. "We always look for trends in claims to see if there are ways to reduce
our pricing, but there is no intention to introduce astrology as a rating factor
for motor insurance," he said.
QUOTABLE QUOTE: "You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
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