If you're having trouble viewing the eZine, you can
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The information compiled in
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information in no way suggests the views of the editor compiling the
information; nor is she responsible for the contents. This eZine is just
informational containing news from other sources which are credited for the
origin.
Thank you!
Gypsy

FRIDAY
07/30/2010
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********************************************************
AMA EXTRA NEWS:
|
AMA unveils national
motorcyclist voter guide
The AMA is pleased to announce
the 2010 AMA Voter Guide, a
comprehensive online voter guide
designed to educate AMA members
on how their elected officials
acted upon and voted on
motorcycle-relevant issues.
The 2010 AMA Voter Guide, the
first national voter guide of
its kind for the motorcycling
community, features a fuel-gauge
rating for every federal and
gubernatorial candidate of the
major political parties who
returned an AMA questionnaire.
The rating shows how closely the
candidates' answers correspond
to the positions held by the
AMA. The Voter Guide also spells
out where candidates stand on
motorcycling-related issues. In
addition, it features a
scorecard for federal incumbents
seeking re-election that
demonstrates how closely their
voting records match the
positions held by the AMA.
The 2010 AMA Voter Guide is
available to AMA members in the
Members Area of the AMA website
at
http://home.ama-cycle.org/membersonly/index.asp.
Motorcyclists who wish to join
the AMA and take advantage of
this latest member benefit can
do so at
AmericanMotorcyclist.com/join/index.asp.
Click here to read more about
the AMA Voter Guide.
|
|
Briar Bauman wins 2010 AMA
Dirt-Track Horizon Award
Speed
wins races. Consistency wins AMA
championships. That was the message
delivered at the 2010 AMA Racing
Dirt Track Grand Championships,
which ran July 17-23 at the Du Quoin
State Fairgrounds in Du Quoin, Ill.
Thanks to his solid performances in
four dirt-track racing disciplines
and three classes all week, Briar
Bauman from Salinas, Calif., won the
2010 AMA Dirt Track Horizon Award.
Bauman took home two AMA Racing Dirt
Track Grand Championships for the
week: 450cc Modified and 451cc-Open
Modified. He also scored third
overall in the 251cc-500cc DTX class
behind Ryan Wells and Hayden Gillim.
In individual main events, Bauman
had six wins, four seconds, a third
and a fourth.
Click here to read more about
Bauman's successful week.
|
|
Groups
opposing ethanol increase in gas
launch campaign for more testing
Environmental
and industry groups that frequently
oppose each other on a broad range
of policy issues are launching a
joint campaign calling on Congress
to require thorough and objective
scientific testing before allowing
an increase in the amount of ethanol
in gasoline.
Raising strong concerns about
consumer safety and environmental
protection, the groups have joined
forces to sponsor an ad with the
tagline "Say NO to untested E15" as
part of an effort to persuade
Congress and the Environmental
Protection Agency to reject calls by
some in the ethanol industry to
allow the amount of ethanol in
gasoline to increase by 50 percent.
The ads began running on July 22.
Some 36 groups have also signed a
letter that went to the majority and
minority leaders of the U.S. Senate
urging opposition to any amendment
to the coming energy bill that would
authorize the sale of gasoline with
more than 10 percent ethanol.
Read more about the opposition to
ethanol increases.
|
|
AMA announces team for FIM
Junior Motocross World
Championships
A
talented team of the fastest
motocross racers in AMA amateur
racing is gearing up to take on
the world at the FIM Junior
Motocross World Championship.
The event, Aug. 22-24 in Dardon
Gueugnon, France, will take
place at the Circuit de
Gueugnon.
"From today's Pee Wee riders to
tomorrow's superstars, AMA
Racing creates some of the
fastest amateur motocrossers in
the world," said AMA Director of
Racing Joe Bromley. "And we are
eager to put our riders up
against the best of the rest at
the FIM Junior Motocross World
Championship. The talent at this
event will be exceptional and an
excellent proving ground for our
young racers.".
Click here to see who's on the
team.
|
|
Charlie
Mullins endures at 85th running
of the Jack Pine
Charlie
Mullins can now add one of the
most prestigious off-road event
events in the country to his
growing list of accomplishments
after winning this year's Jack
Pine Enduro -- round eight of
the Rekluse/AMA National Enduro
Series.
Held annually in Moorestown,
Mich., this year marked the 85th
running of the legendary event
(it was held for the first time
in 1923) and it awards a special
travelling trophy to each year's
winner -- a cowbell, which is
passed on each year from winner
to winner. Despite that Mullins
was riding the Jack Pine for the
first time, Mullins took to the
tight and sandy trails like a
duck to water, winning five of
the six tests and finishing the
event with 36 seconds to spare
over defending champ Russell
Bobbitt.
Click here to read more about
Mullins' ride at the Jack Pine.
|
|
Help spread the word: 'Think.
Ride.'
Some timely resources
are now available as part of the
AMA's "Think. Ride." public service
announcement campaign. The campaign
addresses riders with messages such
as riding responsibly off-road,
riding straight and riding quiet
bikes. It also warns motorists to
watch out for motorcycles on the
road.
Click here to download resources
from the "Think. Ride" campaign.
|
|
|
|
|
***********************************************
ALABAMA:
http://blog.al.com/breaking/2010/07/motorcycle_troopers_out_in_ful.html
Motorcycle troopers out in full force through
Friday Published: Thursday, July 29, 2010, 2:25 PM Updated: Thursday, July
29, 2010, 2:25 PM Victoria Cumbow, The Huntsville Times
HUNTSVILLE, AL -- Alabama State Troopers are out
in full force through Friday, but you'll be seeing more motorcycles than
cruisers.
As a continuation to the "Take Back our Highways"
campaign, 14 troopers on motorcycles are spread out across Madison and Morgan
counties ticketing motorists breaking the law.
4 Share Curtis Summerville, a spokesperson for
the state troopers office, said troopers are targeting drivers who are following
too closely, failing to yield, speeding, not wearing a seat belt and drinking
and driving.
"The commanders in north Alabama have gotten
together to target areas where we've had a lot of collisions, high speeds and
complaints from citizens," Summerville said. In Madison County, that includes
Winchester Road, U.S. 431, Alabama 53 and the Wall Triana area.
While the motorcycle troopers are part of an
announced campaign, their visit to Huntsville was unannounced, and Summerville
said they will definitely be back.
Last year, of all statewide traffic fatalities,
68 percent of the people killed weren't wearing seat belts, Summerville said.
He also added that the trooper crackdown is
making a difference as far as fatalities go. There are about 130 less fatalities
statewide than there were this time last year, Summerville said. "That's
something tangible to see our efforts are being rewarded out there," he said.
The motorcycle detail is not a money-making
opportunity for troopers, Summerville added.
"The money generated goes to the Alabama state
general fund," he said. "It's meant to change the attitude and behavior toward
driving."
***********************************************
CALIFORNIA:
The
Bakersfield ABATE 40 is requesting you and your friends attend a special
ABATE meeting this Monday at 7:00 PM at Magoo's Pizza 5700 Stine Rd.
Bakersfield. Special Speakers, Joey Lester and others to address the recent
helmet ticket issue, and the legality of Motorcycle targeting safety
check stops and other motorcycle issues local, state and
federal. Everybody is welcome, bring the family and friends. Please
forward this message to all interested parties. For more info. Omar
(661)832-5240 or (661) 900-8690.
Ride
Safe!
o
0 __ :
>1 /\
/\ (__)1<
( 1 )="
"VV ( 1 )
Sleepy
and Kat
Thank you,
Robert F. Laurin
Robert F. Laurin
Principal Designer 1
Processes Unlimited
International Inc.
5500 Ming Ave. Suite 400
Bakersfield CA. 93309
(661) 885-3126 office
(661) 858-9936 cell
(661) 396-3782 fax
rflaurin@prou.com
E-mail
=====
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2010/07/arnold-schwarzegger-shows-his-terminator-motorcycle/1
Arnold Schwarzegger shows his
'Terminator' motorcycle 08:46
California
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger poses for photographers during a tour of a motorcycle
exhibit at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif. on
Wednesday. CAPTIONBy Adam Lau, APWhen California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
toured the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum yesterday, he couldn't
help himself. He had to show off the 1991 Indian motorcycle that he rode in one
of the Terminator movies.
Schwarzenegger had come to the Simi Valley,
Calif., hilltop museum to sign a bill to designate Feb. 6 as Ronald Reagan Day.
Elderly former First Lady Nancy Reagan was the special guest.
While he was there, he toured the special exhibit
at the museum of famous motorcycles, which range from a 1903 Harley-Davidson to
a 2008 MV Agusta. But it also includes a collection of movie motorcycles. They
include bikes ridden in films like, the Wild Wild West; Batman and Robin; Star
Trek and the World's Fastest Indian. Oh, and Indian cycle that Schwarzenegger
himself owns and is lending for the exhibit.
He looked like he was enjoying himself -- the
photographers sure loved the occasion -- but he looked a little out of place in
a business suit astride the big, tough bike.
=====
http://alamedasun.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7308&Itemid=10
APD Motorcycle Cop Wins 'Top
Gun'
Written by Alameda Sun Published: Thursday,
29 July 2010 On July 10, the annual Oakland Police Motorcycle Competition was
held at Bob Dron's Harley Davidson Motorcycle dealership on Hegenburger Avenue
in Oakland. More than 45 motorcycle officers from as far away as Redding...
Courtesy APD
APD Officer Dave Ellis with two awards from the
Oakland Police Motorcycle Competition. On July 10, the annual Oakland Police
Motorcycle Competition was held at Bob Dron's Harley Davidson Motorcycle
dealership on Hegenburger Avenue in Oakland.
More than 45 motorcycle officers from as far away
as Redding and Ventura County participated in a day long competitive event.
Several hundred attendees watched as the officers showcased their skills in
safety and in riding. All current makes and models of police motorcycles were
present, and the tough course did not favor any specific brand.
Three officers from the Alameda Police Department
competed. Officer David Ellis has been with the Alameda Police Department for 14
year and has prior service with the Oakland Police Department for 15 years. For
the majority of his career, he has been assigned to the motorcycle units. Ellis
is the lead instructor for the police motorcycle schools that are mandatory for
incoming traffic officers. Over the years, Ellis has acquired a number of
trophies and awards from police motorcycle competitions throughout the state. In
2009, in addition to high-ranking awards from four motorcycle competitions, he
was also awarded Alameda Police Department "Officer of the Year."
As a result of Ellis' knowledge and expertise, he
was awarded first place in the highly competitive "Top Gun" event, where two
officers enter a complex coned-off box and attempt to make each other run out of
the course or put a foot down on the pavementt. He also took second overall in
the timed obstacle course event.
=====
http://people.bakersfield.com/home/Blog/BreakingNewsTeam/59465
Bakersfield police conducting
motorcycle safety operation
The Bakersfield Police Department will be
conducting a specialized Motorcycle Safety Enforcement Operation on August 1,
2010. Extra officers will be on duty patrolling areas frequented by
motorcyclists and where crashes occur. Officers will be cracking down on traffic
violations made by motorcyclists as well as other vehicle drivers that can lead
to motorcycle collisions, injuries and fatalities.
<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]-->
Motorcycle fatalities have been on the rise in
California, increasing 175 percent in the last decade, from 204 killed in 1998
to 560 killed in 2008. Since April of this year two (2) motorcyclists have lost
their lives in collisions on Bakersfield roadways.
<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]-->
Factors contributing to motorcycle crashes very
often include speeding and impairment due to alcohol and other drugs by
motorcyclists. The Bakersfield Police Department is also reminding all motorists
to always be alert and watch out for motorcycles, especially when turning and
changing lanes.
<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]-->
Another major factor leading to motorcycle
crashes is inexperience. Riders, young and old, are encouraged to seek training
and safety information. Many people are riding motorcycles without the proper
motorcycle license endorsement and without the skills necessary to ride safely.
<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]-->
Rider’s can get training through the California
Motorcyclist Safety Program. Information and training locations are available at
www.CA-msp.org or 1-877 RIDE 411 or 1-877-743-3411.
<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]-->
Funding for this program is provided by a grant
from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration.
=====
http://www.insidesocal.com/crime&courts/2010/07/police-targeting-motorcycle-sa.html
Police targeting motorcycle
safety By Larry Altman on July 28, 2010 2:26 PM Sorry if you
already got your ticket, but you shouldn't be speeding anyway.
I got this last night from Hawthorne PD, but was
working the Lennox bondage club killing and didn't realize this was today.
So you've been warned for the afternoon. Ride
carefully:
The Hawthorne Police Department, Manhattan Beach
Police Department, and Hermosa Beach Police Department will be conducting a
specialized Motorcycle Safety Enforcement Operation on Wednesday, July 28th,
2010. Extra officers will be on duty patrolling areas frequented by
motorcyclists and where crashes occur. Officers will be cracking down on traffic
violations made by motorcyclists as well as other vehicle drivers that can lead
to motorcycle collisions, injuries, and fatalities.
Motorcycle fatalities have been on the rise in
California, increasing 175 percent in the last decade, from 204 killed in 1998,
to 560 killed in 2008. The City of Hawthorne has had 2 fatal motorcycle
accidents and 10 motorcycle injury accidents since 2008.
Factors contributing to motorcycle crashes often
include speeding and impairment due to alcohol and other drugs by motorcyclists.
The Hawthorne Police Department is also reminding all motorists to always be
alert and watch out for motorcycles, especially when turning and changing lanes.
Another major factor leading to motorcycle
crashes is inexperience. Riders, young and old, are encouraged to seek training
and safety information. Many people are riding motorcycles without the proper
motorcycle license endorsement and without the skills necessary to ride safely.
Rider's can get training through the California
Motorcyclist Safety Program. Information and training locations are available at
www.CA-msp.org or 1-877 RIDE 411 or 1-877-743-3411.
***********************************************
CONNECTICUT:
TRANTOLO LAWWEEKEND EVENTS JULY 30 - AUG 1 Tip
of the week
Folks, We had some friends do an Iron Butt Ride
recently. They completed their 1000 miles in the allotted time so Kudos to them.
The one problem that they did run into was rain.
Now they had the proper rain gear but the problem was that it was hot.
Remember, folks, that rain gear does not breathe
like normal clothing and you may still get wet - from the inside out. If it is
warm and it stops raining your clothes will dry out pretty quickly, but we do
recommend having some dry clothes with you, when possible, so that you can be
comfortable and your ride more enjoyable.
Congratulations Chris, hope you enjoyed the ride!
Remember, ride for tomorrow - Norm
RideGuide on YouTube
If you want your event listed, or if you'd like
to be featured promoting your ride, then simply send me an email.
View this week's RideGuide >
Weekend Weather
Saturday: Sunny. Highs in the low 80s and lows in
the low 60s.
Sunday: Isolated thunderstorms. Highs in the mid
70s and lows in the low 60s.
Other Events
for more events, go to bikelawyer.com >
Need a lawyer?
Friday Night Event - July 30 Torrington Thunder!
RAIN DATE presented by Insurance Works and Trantolo & Trantolo
Main Street Bike Night. $5 per bike, $10 per show
bike. We're shutting down Main Street and bringing in some great food, great
entertainment by Shovelhead, great prizes and trophies -- all to benefit
Torrington DARE. Info: 860-482-9084, or Norm 860-830-1256
Saturday Event - July 31 Cop on Top! to benefit
Special Olympics
TSI in both Ellington and Columbi is sending the
cops to the rooftops -- and your contributions are the only way to get them
down. So come out, pitch in to get the cops back down to solid ground and help
our Special Olympians in the process. It should be a great time! 9-3, TSI 398
Somers Rd Ellington and TSI 8 commerce Dr Columbia.
Sunday Event - August 1 Red Knights Ride to
benefit burn victims
Red Knights CT 4 8th Annual Charity Ride, to
benefit The CT Burns Foundation. Rain or Shine, registration 9-11 am. Ride
beginning at Joseph Mellilo Middle School, 67 Hudson St., East Haven, CT and
ending at Guilford Firemans Field, Long Hill Rd., Guilford, CT. $25/Bike, $35/
with rider, $10 for walk-ins. Police escorted ride with food, music, vrendors,
raffles, and bike show. Info contact Chuck at 203-627-2023 or
www.redknightsct4.com.
Ride of the Week
Folks, this week we'll be starting at one of our
sponsor locations -- Brother's Harley Davidson, 557 West Main Street, Branford,
CT. This ride takes us on some of our great back roads and will hopefully be
enjoyable for you.
From Brother's, go right on rte 1 for a short
distance, then left onto North Branford Rd (rte 139). Take a right onto Foxon Rd
(rte 80 east). Then ride to the next rotary and grab rte 81 (3rd exit off
rotary). Travel about 5 miles then take a right onto Beaver Meadow Rd with will
turn into Jail Hill Rd. From there, take a right onto Saybrook Rd (rte 154),
turn left onto Bridge Rd (rte 82) and follow to the intersection of rte 85 and
take a right. Ride for about 15-29 miles and then take a right onto Cross Rd
which then become Spithead Rd (unique street name) then take a right onto Rope
Ferry Rd and end where the food is great and the sunsets are among the best
around -- Sunset Ribs.
PS: Sorry, folks, this route defies our little
map representation. So, just go for the adventure!
Enjoy, Norm
HEADS UP! if we publish your ride, we will send
you a $50 gift certificate to the dealership of your choice.
Email me with your favorites for a chance to win.
***********************************************
FLORIDA:
http://www.pbpulse.com/style/2010/07/28/motorcycle-loving-friends-took-biker-chick-to-biker-chic/
Motorcycle-loving friends took
biker chick to biker chic By Carlos Frias | Style, Trends | July 28, 2010
The Bar-B's: 'Heartbreak' Melinda Galiano,
Jupiter; 'Purple Haze' Denise Taylor, Lake Worth; 'DoubleD' Donna McKee,
Loxahatchee; 'Grey Guse' Gail Clark, Boynton Beach, and 'Tuck-n-Roll' Kristin
Groleau, Boynton Beach. (Thomas Cordy / Palm Beach Post) Denise Taylor goes
around the table air-kissing her three girlfriends before sitting down for their
weekly lunch at the Cheesecake Factory at CityPlace in West Palm Beach.
“Hello, dawling,” Denise says, setting down her
Coach bag just as Melinda Galiano is finally off her cellphone. “Cute shirt!”
Melinda wags her head and flips her hair over her
bare-shoulder designer blouse, a bling-bling watch sparkling to match the
blinding rock on the ring finger of her left hand. Denise’s own Brighton
bracelets jangle as she waves hello.
Gail Clark and Kristin Groleau are chatting – all
hands, mind you – across the table as Kristin punches information into a
BlackBerry that seems surgically attached to her left hand. It’s no surprise
they all call her the “secretary” of their little social group, the Bar-Bs.
Today, as on most days, the topic du jour is the
same: When are they going out for their next motorcycle ride?
Forget what you’ve heard about women riding on
the back of hogs. These four women are the new eye-lined, lip-sticked and
powdered face of women motorcyclists. Think Sex and the City meets Sons of
Anarchy.
Or, as Melinda loves to say, “pretty girls on
pretty bikes.”
It wasn’t long ago that a woman looked Melinda up
and down, from her Gucci loafers to her perfectly coiffed golden hair and asked,
“You ride a motorcycle?”
Yes, she does. And so do an increasing number of
well-off 40- and 50-something-year-olds, who’ve mirrored the independence
they’ve found at the helm of a motorcycle in their personal lives. Since 2003,
the number of women bikers has gone up from 9.6 percent to 12.3 percent in 2008,
the last year for which statistics are available, according to the Motorcycle
Industry Council, a national nonprofit that promotes motorcycling.
These women didn’t get into riding to keep up
with their husbands or boyfriends. It’s an adventure of their own.
“I don’t want him to ride,” Kristin said of her
long-time partner and the father of her 2-year-old. “He’s too dangerous behind
the wheel of a car, as it is.”
Oh, there is still a rough-and-tumble nature to
bikers. The Bar-Bs, officially, are a “group” not an organized “club,” which has
all sorts of fraternity-like requirements such as never riding alone or never
riding without wearing your “colors.” Those offenses can still end in bar
fights, the women say.
So call them a club at your own risk, but note
this about the Bar-Bs: They’re all about the matching T-shirts and cute
nicknames. Kristin, the former dirt bike rider, is Tuck & Roll Bar-B. Denise,
who always wears something purple, is Purple Haze Bar-B. Gail is Grey Guse
Bar-B, and keeps a teddy bear holding a bottle of Grey Goose on the back of her
chopper. And Melinda is Heartbreak Bar-B. (The reason why should be withheld,
they all agreed).
“People have the wrong picture in their minds,”
Melinda said, adding that they all make sure to wear their wedding bands
whenever they ride or enter a bar.
“It keeps the riff-raff away,” Kristin said.
Instead, theirs truly is a sisterhood of
traveling choppers. They have ridden all over the country at the helm of their
bikes and always keep tabs on each other.
Like sisters
When Gail and her boyfriend rode the Hoka Hey run
– 8,142 miles over 13 days from Key West to Alaska – Melinda texted her
incessantly to check up on her. She sent Gail off with the blessed, crystal
rosary Melinda’s godfather had brought back from the Vatican during a military
tour of duty in the 1960s.
It was Gail’s boyfriend who presided over the
wedding of Melinda and her husband, Gary . And Melinda and Denise met their
husbands at the same bike night and were married three years ago, one month
apart.
“We’re like sisters,” Melinda said. “I know if
something happened to me, my friends would take care of everything.”
All of them came to riding in different ways.
Denise, 51, grew up in Fort Lauderdale watching
her father ride motorcycles. But he never taught her to ride or even let her
onto the back of his bike. For years, after meeting her husband at bike night,
she rode on the back of his motorcycle on long rides.
She guesses there are dozens of cellphone
pictures from stunned drivers who caught her reading a book on the back of his
motorcycles on a ride to Minnesota.
“You get tired of looking at the back of
someone’s head,” she said.
Gail, 54, grew up in New Hampshire, the tomboy of
four sisters, playing a host of sports. Her mother successfully sued the school
board before Title IX to get her daughter on the school soccer team.
She used to ride to California and back on the
back of her ex-husband’s motorcycle every summer, but never wanted to take the
reins herself because she was the mother of two young boys.
“I had two boys and just didn’t feel it was the
responsible thing for me to ride,” she said. “So I waited.”
With her sons grown, she got her license at age
47, seven years ago. Today, the owner of a pest control company, she still
prefers a comfortable Salty Dog Saloon T-shirt and shorts instead of a frilly
dress or skirt. And she still is a formidable golfer, with a 14 handicap.
It was Gail who told Melinda: “Go get your own
bike. You can do it.”
Melinda, 56, had been a Manhattan restaurateur,
who grew up going to the New York Metropolitan Opera House and was on a
first-name basis with the staff at Ferragamo – until her divorce. She said she
lost everything and moved to Florida to live with her parents, starting over as
a commercial real estate broker at age 45.
Her image of bikers was like most people’s –
hard-living, rough-around-the-edge free spirits with no responsibilities – until
she went to drop off a gift for Toys for Tots as part of a motorcycle-ride
fundraiser.
$4,000 for used bike
She was skittish around what looked like “5 miles
of motorcycles” gurgling up the road until she ran into a banker she knew who,
instead of his three-button suit, was wearing his riding leathers.
He persuaded her to go to bike night at a local
bar. Melinda was overwhelmed by how friendly the people were – a shock to a
native Queens girl, she says.
“That’s what everybody thinks. That it’s dirt
bags and guys with guns, and it’s not,” Kristin added.
Eventually, at that very bar, on a bike night,
Melinda handed a new friend a $4,000 check for a used motorcycle as those around
her clapped and hooted and hollered.
“You would’ve thought I’d just been offered a
scholarship to Cambridge,” said Melinda, who carries a compact in her bike’s
saddlebags.
Kristin, 39, a Boynton Beach native, has been
riding motorcycles since she was 5. The exhaust of her first bike, a Honda Trail
70 dirt bike, is displayed like polished chrome artwork on one wall in her home.
But she didn’t own a bike for years as an adult.
“I got tired of going to pick up men on bikes
just so I could ride on the back,” she said. “I loved going out on a bike, but
depending on someone else got so old.”
So the four women who met at bike night “just
stayed friends,” Denise said.
Now, they ride on the weekends and in charity
rides. “Bikers, they are the most charitable, wonderful people,” said Melinda,
who organizes several charity events locally. Mostly, they ride for the feel of
freedom they say you can only experience on a motorcycle.
“Only a biker understands why your dog sticks its
head out the window,” Gail said.
And at every stop, the fab four help the image of
women motorcycle riders go biker chick to biker chic.
“The old image of motorcycles ” Gail said, with
Melinda finishing her thought, ” is gone.”
*********************************************
GEORGIA:
http://www.ajc.com/business/is-the-american-chopper-581328.html
Is American Chopper Riding into the Sunset?
Hank Young's motorcycle and hot rod shop tucked
behind a residential Marietta neighborhood once buzzed with the clatter of
building choppers, the stretched-out, chromed-out rough cousins of the
motorcycle family.
More business news Rise of the machines: Coke
bets on Freestyle growth Is the American chopper riding into the sunset? Banker
Gordon Teel awash in lawsuits M&A no longer MIA in Georgia Mortgage help for
homeowners Delta Air Lines news, links Coca-Cola Co. news Health Care Reform
coverage Read Henry Unger's Biz Beat blog Young Choppers & Hot Rods is quieter
now. Young has taken to changing oil on motorcycles, doing repairs and rehabbing
vintage cars. He once employed four workers, but now it's just him and a
part-timer. Retro-look choppers sit in the lobby as reminders of rich times only
a few years ago.
"The heyday is over," Young said on a recent
steamy July morning. "It's back to reality. Everybody's struggling. A lot of
guys are going out of business."
Once bolstered by in-your-face reality TV shows,
ample disposable income and big personalities like Jesse James and Kid Rock, the
American chopper industry has seen sales decline, customers disappear and shops
close in Georgia and around the country. Potential customers have hunkered down
to wait out an uncertain economy.
"Everybody's having a tough time right now," said
Don Parkinson, co-owner of Bikers Dream of Atlanta, which opened in 1996. The
motorcycle dealership, actually located in Alpharetta, sold about 275 bikes in
its peak year of 2002, when guys -- they are mostly guys -- would plunk down
$25,000 or more for tricked-out rides.
This year, Parkinson said his sales team might
sell fewer than 100 motorcycles. His staff has shrunk from 17 to seven.
"The type of bikes we have, these are not
necessities," said Parkinson, who said the bike downturn started at least three
years ago. "They're higher-priced products. They're luxury items."
Biker lore holds that the American chopper dates
to sometime after World War II and into the 1950s , when American servicemen
returned to their garages and started modifying bikes, removing parts and
lightening the load on the frame to create "bobbers." Then things started
getting extreme.
The distinctive chopper look came to encompass a
range of stylistic touches such as long wheelbases that can stretch to nine
feet, large tires, skinny gas tanks, massive power plants, low-riding profiles
and prodigious amounts of eye-aching chrome. The prices: anywhere from $23,900
to $120,000 for a new bike.
"There’s no end to the detail you can put into
it, the level of customization," said Ty van Hooydonk, director of product
communications for the Irvine, Calif.-based Motorcycle Industry Council.
As choppers grew in popularity, mainstream
manufacturers got in on the act with bikes that borrowed elements of chopper
styling, with names like the Suzuki Intruder, Honda Rune, Yamaha Raider, Victory
Vegas Jackpot and Honda Fury.
About five years ago, choppers were rumbling out
of shops as fast as doctors, dentists and construction workers could hand over
their money. Young turned his hobby into a living and incorporated as Young
Choppers & Hot Rods after building an acclaimed retro bike called the Flying Pan
in 2002. He appeared on a reality television show called "Biker Build-Off" and
started reaping the perks of minor celebrity.
A local dealer outfitted him with a truck and a
gaudy 40-foot trailer. Diners began to recognize him in restaurants. He turned
business away unless customers gave him the freedom to make bikes in his
preferred retro styling. He might ask them what their favorite colors were, but
then choose different ones. Young collected $10,000 deposits for bikes that
would eventually sell for several times that sum. He delivered one bike to the
Sturgis Rally to a client who had ordered it sight unseen.
A sign in his shop still advises potential
clients that Young builds bikes his way, with your money.
"That was the way it was," Young said. "Not
anymore. But for a while, it was like, ‘I hope you like it!'"
Exact sales figures for the chopper segment are
hard to come by. But statistics from the Motorcycle Industry Council show a
dramatic drop in sales of new on-highway motorcycles, of which choppers are one
type. New motorcycle sales dropped to 358,000 last year, down 41 percent from
2008. In 2006, by comparison, 681,000 new on-highway motorcycles changed hands.
"That was the high-water mark," said Robin
Diedrich, a St. Louis-based analyst with Edward Jones. But 2006 also showed
serious trouble in the real estate market, with housing prices dipping and sales
slowing.
The consequent evaporation of wealth has eroded
demand for choppers and other expensive toys such as boats and recreational
vehicles. Motorcycles are vulnerable to a pullback in demand, because most
riders use them for recreation rather than just for transportation.
"We know it's not going to turn around before the
end of the year," said John Nasi, director of marketing and dealer development
at Wichita-based Big Dog Motorcycles, the biggest manufacturer of custom
motorcycles. "[But] we're poised to maintain and stay in this marketplace."
In 2004 and 2005, Big Dog churned out about 6,000
bikes per year. This year, it will build fewer than 1,000. The company has laid
off scores of factory workers and managers.
In the first six months of this year, sales of
on-highway motorcycles totaled 181,500, according to the motorcycle council. The
travails of the chopper category mirror the overall problems of the U.S.
motorcycle industry.
"This has just been a dreadful couple of years,"
said Morningstar analyst Phil Gorham. "Industry demand just fell off a cliff
maybe two years ago."
Bikers Dream is trying to compensate for the
sales decline with service work. On a recent visit, the dealership's repair shop
was stocked with used bikes of all descriptions, including those with fat rear
tires, painted-on flames and one with a Bob Marley portrait on the gas tank.
"We still do a pretty strong business in
servicing," said Parkinson. "We're trying to do more."
Hank Young of Young Choppers still has two
customers, both in Italy, who order the occasional custom-built motorcycle. That
trailer with the lights and speakers is long gone, sold off as Young sensed
trouble.
Things are so rough in the motorcycle industry
that Harley-Davidson's 20 percent drop in first-quarter U.S. sales was actually
better than the overall industry. Bike analysts warn of a "consumer reset," and
voice fears that the industry won't get back to its former size for a long time,
if ever. The industry suffered an 8 percent volume drop in the second quarter.
With unemployment in the U.S. hovering close to
10 percent, "it is likely to be several quarters before consumers again feel
confident to make high-ticket purchases," Gorham wrote recently in a note to
investors.
Diedrich said one major problem for motorcycle
companies is that first-time customers, who in years past might be counted on to
buy cheaper bikes, have been battered by stagnant wage growth and unemployment.
They are holding back on purchasing bikes. Meanwhile, long-time riders are
hanging onto their bikes longer without trading them in. That dampens demand.
"In the U.S., we're looking for a down year this
year and maybe low single-digit growth in 2011," she said.
Young said he doesn't believe the chopper
business will ever return to the red-hot days of the mid-2000s.
"Not in my lifetime," he said.
=====

July 31 Adairsville, GA. Cruisers
for Christ 7th Annual Benefit Ride. Register 8:30am at NorthPoint Church
on Orchard Road. Ride departs 10am. Benefits Hands and Feet Ministries
and Bartow Christmas Coalition. $25 per bike (includes lunch & raffle
ticket)/Two-Up $30 (includes 2 - lunch & raffle tickets). Free t-shirts
to first 100 registered. Fred Painter 770-773-7732 or Jim Payne
770-773-7435.
July 31
Alpharetta, GA. 2nd Annual Pancake Run. Supporting an Air Borne Infantry
Rifle Company in Afghanistan. From 4pm-7:30pm at The Original Pancake
House, 5530 Windward Parkway. Riders get T-shirt, promo coupons from
sponsors and local restaurants, opportunity to win $150+ in gift cards
and prizes; all you can eat pancakes at end of the ride. Sign up at
www.originalpancakhouse.org
July 31 Altoona,
AL. 278 Custom Cycle Customer Apprecation. 9am to 2pm. Door Prizes,
Music by Alleyway, free Dales BBQ, store specials and vendors. Contact
customs278@hopper.net
July 31 Canton/Marietta,
GA. 3rd Annual Clermont Lounge Run. Leaving out of Bodock’s Bar & Grill,
150 Riverstone Pkwy in Canton and Mulligan’s, 698 Roswell St in
Marietta. Come see a piece of history before it’s gone. Call
770-704-7001 or 770-499-1137.
July 31 Canton, GA. Tough
Love Cycles Grand Opening Party. Noon til ? with free food, music, hot
women (maybe) and 20% off parts ordered day of event. 1061 Marietta
Road. Call 770-720-0217.
July 31 Cleveland,
TN. Dixie Dogs & Cats Poker Run .
Register 10am-12 noon at Pokey's, Sahara Drive. FBO 11am/LBI 4pm.
$20 for 3 hands and a cool T-shirt, $10 for one hand. Benefits Dixie
Day Spay, a low-cost spay/neuter clinic for cats/dogs. Call Betti
Gravelle 423-618-2101 or visit
dayspay@dixiedogsandcats.org .
July 31 Cochran, GA. 7th
Annual Middle Georgia Bikers Benefit Run. Benefits ABC Women's Client
and The Empire Pentecostal Holiness Church Ministries. Register
8:30am at 101 Church Street. $25 per person includes BBQ meal. Departs
10:15am. Live music, bike contest, silent auction and
more. Pre-register by July 16 and receive free t-shirt and more. Visit
www.middlegeorgiabikers.com or call 478-875-2096.
July 31 Newnan, GA. Inaugural Public
Safety & Military Appreciation Day. Come to Great South H-D for a day of
vendors, food, drinks, and band. All Public Safety branches will be
represented. Email joe@greatsouthhd.com
July 31 Ozark, AL. Rolling Thunder IV.
Benefits American Cancer Society. 150 bikes /150 miles. Reg. 7:30-9:50am
at Ozark Travel Park, 2414 N US 231. $20 bike/$5 passenger includes
lunch. Departs 10am. Call Brent 334-983-1511 or e-mail brent@brownproducts
.com. Visit www.ozarktravelpark.com
July 31 Talladega, AL.
March of Dimes Bikers for Babies Ride to Talladega Super Speedway.
Gateway rides leaving Birmingham, Dothan, Gadsden, Huntsville, Mobile,
Montgomery and Shoals. Visit www.bikersforbabiesal.org for info on
gateway rides or register day of event at Talladega Super Speedway. Call
256-627-7175.

********************************************
IDAHO:
|
| |
September 12 ·
10:00am - 4:00pm
|
|
|
Location |
High
Desert Harley Davidson
2310 E. Cinema Drive
Meridian, ID
|
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| Created
By |
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| More
Info |
autism.asatvc@yahoo.com |
|
Ride For Autism September 12 ·
10:00am - 4:00pm
|
|
| Location |
High Desert Harley
Davidson
2310 E. Cinema Drive
Meridian, ID
|
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| Created By |
|
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| More Info |
autism.asatvc@yahoo.com |
|
***********************************************
MAINE:
Thank you readers, who took
the time to read Jim Meehan's story, and the time to contact me asking "HOW YOU
COULD HELP"!
Right now there's a call into
Harley Davidson put in by Joe OBorney from Illinois to see if possibly there's a
way they could assist us in this. I also contacted the Chief of the Bangor
Police on Facebook after I received a request from him to be his friend! Sent
him the story... trying to get a rise from him as he is a lot closer to Jim.
And right now, there are
people either willing to put on a fundraiser or there are people willing
to send money to a fund... and this does our heart good!
Imagine if we could pull this
off? And make the man whole again?
Again, there will be no
bikerbits for the next couple of weeks.... but upon return, I hopefully will
have some GOOD NEWS... stay tuned faithful readers!
And thank you all again! :*)
Gypsy
=====
From the Maine Motorcyclists Political Action
Committee:
July 29, 2010
With the current uproar over
the Two Bills (LD 1675 and LD 1642) I feel I need to address some issues about
this.
We are working as
diligently as we can to resolve these issues. The main issue is a
misinterpretation of the intent of the law, most specifically LD 1642 which
deals with amplification. This section pertains to ALL
MOTOR VEHICLES.NOT JUST MOTORCYCLES. Anything different is profiling and
discriminatory.
It will not help our cause to
bash Legislators, Law Enforcement, or opponents in our endeavor to resolve this
dilemma. Please do not throw out all the work that has been done by flying off
the handle and giving all motorcyclists a bad name to fuel the fires. DO NOT
boycott the Toy Run. Instead make it the biggest toy run ever.
We have long maintained that
there were adequate laws on the books to address this problem and with the
minute section about amplification being changed it has opened what should have
been a small ripple into a major quagmire. What we had anticipated as a
tapering in with the change of the inspection sticker display has become an
urgent “do it now” item.
This has been coming for many
years and there have been people involved with United Bikers of Maine and the
Maine Motorcyclists Political Action Committee that have been dealing with this
for ten years. If you are, all of a sudden, in an uproar that your rights have
not been being protected, where have you been during all of these hearings?
There are many avenues being
worked on by many different people. Please let this process work. The problem
did not happen overnight, so don’t think it will disappear that way either.
Eric Fuller
Chairman
Maine Motorcyclists Political
Action Committee
***********************************************
MASSACHUSETTS:
PGR:
US Army WWII Veteran Harry L. "Toot" Knox, 85,
Port Charlotte, Fl formally of Malden, MA 4 Aug. '10
-----------------------
The family of Harry "Toot" Knox has asked that we be present at the funeral
of their loved one.
Harry served in the US Army during WWII.
------------
There will be a grave side service only
Date: Wednesday 4 August 2010
at: Forestdale Cemetary
150 Forest St
Malden, MA 02148
http://tinyurl.com/26t6uy8
Staging time/location: TBA
For planning purposes, the service is schedules for 10 AM
Ride Captain: Grace Washburn
nermal1@comcast.net
Final details will be posted as soon as they are finalized.
=====
Boston HOG Rides:
Saturday July 31st
We are leaving the dealership at 9am and heading to Parkers Maple Barn in Mason,
NH
Sunday August 1st
We are leaving the dealership at 8:30am and heading to the Multi Chapter
Memorial Ride hosted by the South Shore HOG Chapter.
Keith O'Reilly
Boston HOG Chapter
Treasurer
=====
Biker Chicz Premiere Episode 1
Sunday, September 26 at 2:00pm
Location: Kowloon Restaurant Saugus MA.
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MICHIGAN:
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MISSOURI:
| Time |
Sunday · 3:00pm - 8:30pm
|
|
| Location |
Liberty Landing Pub
and Eatrey |
|
| Created By |
|
|
| More Info |
Sunday Bike and Hotrod night
Bob Harvey and Boys.
Sponsored by Lowlife Choppers and Hotrods.
Don’t miss the food and drink specials.
...
Smoking is back at the Landing
Food 2-6
band 4-7
Call 816.415.4955 for pre ride details.
Starting at Lowlife Choppers and Hotrods.
| |
Sunday · 3:00pm -
8:30pm
|
|
|
Location |
Liberty
Landing Pub and Eatrey |
|
| Created
By |
|
|
| More
Info |
Sunday Bike and
Hotrod night
Bob Harvey and Boys.
Sponsored by Lowlife Choppers and
Hotrods.
Don’t miss the food and drink
specials.
...
Smoking is back at the Landing
Food 2-6
band 4-7
Call 816.415.4955 for pre ride
details.
Starting at Lowlife Choppers and
Hotrods.
|
|
|
***********************************************
NEW HAMPSHIRE:
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/809279-196/motorcyclists-ride-for-homes-for-our-troops.html
Ride For Our Troops
NASHUA – For military veterans, coming home can
be both joyous and difficult, especially for the thousands who come home
permanently injured.
For those veterans, Home for Our Troops offers
not only a home, but also the first steps toward a new life. Homes for Our
Troops helps severely injured military veterans by building specially adapted
homes that provide maximum freedom of movement and the ability to live more
independently. Since 2005, HFOT has built 42 homes and renovated nine others in
31 states, with another 28 projects currently under construction.
For the seventh consecutive year, 15 Texas
Roadhouse restaurants in New England are partnering with Nashua and Manchester
Harley-Davidson and Dirico Motorcycles to host a motorcycle ride and Harley
raffle to benefit Homes for Our Troops. The event will be on Sunday beginning at
the Texas Roadhouse in Nashua and ending at the Manchester Harley-Davidson.
The bike run comes with a breakfast and lunch
provided by Texas Roadhouse, live entertainment, raffles and more.
Registration is from 8-10 a.m. Riders will depart
the Texas Roadhouse in Nashua at 10:30 and arrive at Manchester Harley-Davidson
at 12:30 p.m. for lunch and a concert that will last until 3:30. Registration is
$30 per driver and $20 per passenger, and can be purchased at www.homes
forourtroops.org/bikerun or at the start location. Those not able to ride can
join the riders at the finish for lunch and the concert for $20.
=====
http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=Uncovered+by+helmet+law%3F&articleId=f15c91bc-4032-4f67-b7ba-81df6a9fcee4
Uncovered by helmet law? By
DAN TUOHY New Hampshire Union Leader
Five years ago, the state of New Hampshire passed
a helmet law. No, not that kind of a helmet law -- not a motorcycle helmet
requirement. It was a bicycle helmet law: Riders under 16 must wear protective
headgear when riding on public ways.
In earlier debate on the legislation, someone
mentioned it would be good to expand it to skateboarders under 16, recalls Steve
Wade, executive director of the Brain Injury Association of New Hampshire. But
that proposal went nowhere. Wade said it was tough enough just mustering support
for protecting young bicyclists; it took two or three years to win legislative
approval.
Still, Wade sees an expanded helmet law, combined
with a continued educational campaign on safety, as another tool to reduce the
number of young people with brain injuries. And he said he would not be
surprised to see some legislation proposed in the next year or two as a result
of work by the New Hampshire Sports Concussion Advisory Council.
As he travels the state, he sees skate park after
skate park where participants are not wearing helmets. Some of the parks have
signs that indicate helmets are required, but "that's almost never enforced,"
Wade said.
Riders and skateboarders are getting the message,
though they may not be heeding the advice. Anthony Gavell, 21, of Laconia, said
he sustained a few concussions when he was younger and a physician warned him to
wear a helmet or potentially suffer a long-term brain injury.
Taylor Clark, 14, with the Waterville Valley
Skateboard Camp, falls while skateboarding with a helmet at the Skatepark in
Concord. (THOMAS ROY) "You're not invincible," he said. "You have to take the
right precautions if you're going to do the sports that you're going to do."
Yet even though he said wearing protective gear
has become more second-nature since his doctor's warning, Gavell was not wearing
a helmet recently while riding his bike at the Adam Curtis Skateboard Park in
Manchester.
Tough to enforce
Recreation directors around the state strongly
recommend that people using municipal skate and ride facilities use proper
safety equipment.
The Milford Skate Park at Keyes Field initially
implemented a helmet requirement, but that has since become a recommendation,
said Milford Recreation Director Nicole Banks. "It's a skate-at-your-own-risk
facility," she said.
Barry Foley, recreation director for the city of
Portsmouth, said it seems to him that more young riders and skateboarders are
wearing helmets. Portsmouth's skate park at the Greenleaf Recreation Center has
a rule that participants must wear helmets at all times, but the park is not
staffed and the rule is not enforced.
"You just hope people use common sense," Foley
said.
State law offers municipal and school facilities
some liability protection when it comes to skateboarding, rollerblading, and
biking. Under RSA 507-B:11, if such a facility permits such use without charge,
they "shall not be liable for personal injury or property damage resulting from
the person's participation in such activity, in the absence of gross and wanton
negligence."
►Click here to view more skateboarding and biking
images from Union Leader photographer Thomas Roy.
The law requiring boys and girls under 16 to wear
bicycle helmets when riding on a public way is covered under the traditional
Rules of the Road statute. A person found in violation of the chapter is subject
to a maximum $35 fine for each occurrence.
State Rep. Phyllis Katsakiores, R-Derry, who for
years fought for the youth bicycle helmet law before it won approval, said the
concern among police officers was the challenge of trying to enforce such laws.
Education remains an important step in promoting public safety, both for
bicyclists and skateboarders wearing helmets, she said.
Wade, at the Brain Injury Association, said that
balanced legislation can be one more tool to promote public safety. He said that
having a helmet law for young riders supports parents, in that they can inform
their children that they must wear a helmet because it is the law.
"Legislation can only take you so far," he said.
"Ultimately, the parents are really the ones in the driver's seat."
***********************************************
NORTH CAROLINA:
http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20100730/NEWS/307300050
Asheville-area churches feed
Marines attending local motorcycle safety training program By Sandra V.
Rodriguez • July 30, 2010
ASHEVILLE — The pancakes were a welcome sight for
about 15 sore Marines passing through town on the way back to Camp Lejeune in
Jacksonville.
The Marines were in Western North Carolina for a
four-day motorcycle training exercise that took them to Brevard, Robbinsville
and here. Volunteers from Covenant Community Church and Skyland UMC were on hand
to send about 15 Marines off on their ride back to Eastern North Carolina with
full bellies.
The safety program is aimed at reducing the
number of injuries or deaths suffered by novice riders. All Marines who own a
motorcycle at Camp Lejeune are required to go through the safety program.
“We just wanted to show our support to these guys
for what they do for our country,” said Daniel Hinson. “It truly has been a
complete blessing to us. You start out wanting it to be a blessing for the guys
but it turns out to always be a blessing for us.”
The breakfast food was provided by The Tastee-Diner
in West Asheville. About 35 volunteers circulated among three tables, serving
scrambled eggs, pancakes, biscuits and grits.
“It's not good to have a guy survive a year over
there (in the war zone),” and then come back here and get injured by riding too
fast on a bike, said Paul Hollingsworth, a tactical specialist with the 8th
Marine Regiment based at Camp Lejeune. He is in charge of the motorcycle safety
training on base and also organized the trip.
To own a motorcycle in North Carolina, all people
have to do is go to the Division of Motor Vehicles to get a motorcycle driver
endorsement and take a motorcycle safety course at a community college. Marines
take additional safety classes and a basic riding course on base.
Area Veterans of Foreign Wars groups have made
the Marines' trek through the mountains less expensive than it otherwise would
be. The group in Brevard provided a meal and shelter and the Robbinsville group
organized a nice surprise, too: The Sheriff's Department escorted the posse
through town to the VFW grounds, where they camped out for the night.
Although the four-day trip partnered more
experienced drivers with novices, even the more experienced riders learned
something new. Lance Corp. Jason Granzow has been riding a motorcycle for four
years, and four days on the motorcycle has left him quite sore. But he
appreciates the trip because he's gained some valuable experience.
“You really need to know your limits and how far
you can push yourself,” he said, “because if you don't feel comfortable, you are
not in the right mindset. You're can make rash decisions and you will mess up
and potentially hurt others.”
**********************************************
PENNSYLVANIA:
http://www.clutchandchrome.com/news/news/preztel-founder-motorcycle-accident
Preztel founder gets tied up in
motorcycle accident Thursday, 29 July 2010 | Written by Asia | |
The founder of a national fast food chain became
one of the more famous Pennsylvania residents involved in a motorcycle accident.
The founder the national pretzel franchise,
Auntie Annie’s, Anne Beiler suffered a concussion, broken collarbone, broken
rib, and abrasions to her face after a motorcycle accident on Saturday.
“If I didn't have my helmet on, I wouldn't be
here," Beiler told Lancaster online yesterday.
The accident came after a local ride with friends
to have dinner and after another short trip, desert. But approximately a mile
from her home Beiler hit an oil slick, was unable to retain control and crashed
her motorcycle in Salisbury Township.
The accident comes after thirty-one years of
riding a motorcycle and not long after completing a 3,000 mile road trip that
had the pretzel franchise founder and her husband ride to Florida, Tennessee and
Virginia, all with no mishaps.
Lancaster-based Auntie Anne's is the largest
franchiser of hand-rolled soft pretzels, with more than 1,000 locations
worldwide.
The accident won’t keep her off a motorcycle
though with Beiler planning to get back in the saddle as soon as her injuries
heal.
"My husband and I just thoroughly enjoy it," she
said in an interview with Lancaster online, "It was just an accident, a fluke
thing."
=====
http://www.timesleader.com/news/Bike_video_drives_home_safety_tips_07-29-2010.html
Bike video drives home safety
tips PennDOT campaign also includes website information and training courses.
By Steve Mocarsky smocarsky@timesleader.com Staff Writer
Posted: July 30 Updated: Today at 12:40 AM
NANTICOKE – Urging motorcyclists to put safety
first and take free training courses as part of a motorcycle safety campaign,
the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is driving home the point with a
new motorcycle safety video documentary.
click image to enlargeMary Novotnak of Freeland
maneuvers her motorcycle around the parking lot as instructor Harry Salmon keeps
watch Tuesday.
Pete G. Wilcox/The Times Leader
Select images available for purchase in the Times
Leader Photo Store ON THE NET Visit www.pamsp.com for more information on the
Motorcycle Safety Program and to enroll in a course. State motorcyclists, their
friends and family members tell their own stories in the documentary, which
debuted Wednesday at www.LiveFreeRideAlive.com.
“The Live Free, Ride Alive campaign is a major
component of PennDOT’s efforts to reduce motorcycle crashes and fatalities on
Pennsylvania roadways,” PennDOT Secretary Allen D. Biehler said in a press
release.
In addition to the documentary, the website
offers other resources, including sections on motorcycle gear and upkeep, rider
tips and information about popular motorcycle routes in the Keystone State.
Riders can also enhance their driving skills and
safety awareness by taking free training courses offered locally at Luzerne
County Community College through PennDOT’s Motorcycle Safety Program.
Certified rider coaches Harry Salmon of Kingston
and Walt Lansberry of Nanticoke led students through exercises in an LCCC
parking lot Tuesday evening.
“A rider who never sat on a bike, we get them
riding in under an hour,” Lansberry said.
Larry Golden, 39, of Sweet Valley, said Tuesday
was his first time on a motorcycle as an adult, adding that his wife, Melanie,
who also is taking the course, has been talking about learning to ride for the
past 10 years.
“It’s better than trying to learn it by yourself.
You have somebody watching over you. It’ll definitely improve your safety on the
road,” Golden said.
Inside the college’s Educational Conference
Center, Jason Wasmanski of Kingston taught another group of students about
strategies for riding safely.
“We teach them about the types of motorcycles,
controls on a motorcycle, scenarios on the road, how we would mitigate risks
and, in general, the basics of motorcycling,” he said.
The courses are free to state residents and go
from March through October at about 70 sites across the state. Motorcycle permit
holders who successfully complete the course will be issued a motorcycle
license.
The 15-hour Basic Rider Course consists of five
hours of in-class instruction and 10 hours of practical riding experience under
the watchful eyes of certified rider coaches. The course is a comprehensive
safety and skills overview that provides valuable training for new riders.
It’s also helpful to more experienced riders,
allowing them to polish their skills and recognize any unsafe habits they might
have picked up. Motorcycles and helmets are provided for students taking the
basic course.
A free, six-hour Experienced Rider Course is
available to riders who completed the basic course; it helps refresh their
safety knowledge and hone their skills on a riding range under the guidance of
certified rider coaches.
Students taking the Experienced Rider Course must
provide their own motorcycle and helmet.
***********************************************
SOUTH CAROLINA:
|
July 30
CHROME DRIVE LIVE w/ Alice in Chains Tribute Band
|
Friday · 7:00pm - 10:00pm
|
|
| Location |
Harley-Davidson of Greenville /
Quaker Steak and Lube
30 Chrome Drive
Greenville, SC
|
|
| Created By |
|
|
| More Info |
Miss Chrome Drive Preliminary Bikini
Contest at 7:30pm
Alice in Chains Tribute Band- Jar of Flies will start at 8pm
15% off all Licensed Harley-Davidson Apparel, from 6-10pm |
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TEXAS:
| Monday Bike Night |
August 2 · 3:00pm - 9:00pm
|
|
| Location |
Law Brothers Cycles
717 US Highway 62
Wolfforth, TX
|
|
| Created By |
|
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| More Info |
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teaming up for Monday Bike Night. Family Friendly Fun, Free Hot
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*Prices listed are the
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MORE BIKERBITS:
http://www2.seattlepi.com/articles/423641.html
'My husband is addicted to
motorcycles'
By CAROLYN HAX
Dear Carolyn:
Seeking unbiased opinions on a few things.
(1) My husband has two adult sons from his first
marriage. Their mom was an addict and "abandoned" the family when the boys were
5 and 18 months. So my husband was the primary parent.
Come my husband's birthday, Father's Day and
Christmas, the older son/daughter-in-law do not give my husband anything, except
a card, if I send them an e-mail reminder -- otherwise they bring nothing. The
younger son does give gifts to his dad. To me, it's a slap in the face not to
give your father a token gift. This couple has no problem taking the generous
gifts from my husband. My husband says, "It doesn't bother me, I'm a giver not a
taker," as his default defense. My husband DID confide in me once that he is
ashamed his boy turned out to be a "taker." Hubby will not tell him this. He
does not want to "estrange" the son he sees only several times a year.
It bothers me to no end that this son isn't
grateful to his father for his sacrifice.
(2) My husband is addicted to motorcycles. He was
when I met him (we've been together six years). If he were single, he'd use all
of his five vacation weeks to travel the country on his motorcycle. He and I
take about two weeks of "together" vacations. His other weeks, he rides while I
stay home.
He encourages me to use these weeks to visit
friends and family, but I resent being shoved aside for his motorcycle trips.
Every January we get into unpleasant discussions as he starts mapping out this
year's trips. When I protest, he gets angry that I'm trying to keep him "from
enjoying his passion for riding."
I used to ride with him sometimes, but back and
neck problems prevent me from continuing. I did not enjoy that mode of travel
much anyway.
What do you think?
-- Arizona
If I could, I'd sentence you to five minutes a
day of writing down your blessings, until it kills your impulse to fuss over
whatever isn't going exactly as you'd like.
Your husband's motorcycle passion? You are trying
to keep him from enjoying it. Cut it out.
I understand wanting to share your vacations, I
do. But you married someone who loves riding, loved it before you loved each
other. He cut back to make room for you: three weeks biking solo, 49 weeks with
you.
Where you see a threat, I see an ally: Biking
keeps the guy you love happy. It keeps a part of him alive, too -- a big part of
the whole person you fell for. Embrace that.
It's not your place to change him anyway -- but
you can change the way you respond to him. Meaning: Get out there and make
something of your three weeks already.
As for the "ungrateful" son? Prodding him hasn't
worked. Prodding your husband to get upset hasn't worked. Your pride in his
history is sweet, as is your desire to win him his due -- but it stops being
sweet when you stir up something that the principals themselves have decided to
leave at rest. "Several" visits annually are what this son has to give. Accept
them warmly, please.
=====
http://www.clutchandchrome.com/news/news/olympians-on-motorcycles
Olympians on Motorcycles? BMW
announces sponsorship Thursday, 29 July 2010 | Written by Digits | |
The Olympics could take on a whole new motorcycle
meaning with a recent agreement and sponsorship announcement.
None other than the BMW Group will be the
Official Mobility Partner of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) from now
through 2016. BMW Group will also be the Official Mobility Partner of four
National Governing Bodies (NGBs): USA Bobsled & Skeleton, US Speedskating, USA
Swimming and USA Track & Field.
When the announcement was recently made a host of
well-known and official faces were there. Jack Pitney, Vice President of
Marketing for BMW of North America, USOC Chief Marketing Officer Lisa Baird and
short track speedskater Apolo Anton Ohno, the most decorated U.S. winter
Olympian of all time, were all in New York City to make the partnership
announcement.
This multi-million dollar agreement goes beyond
financial support to also provide the USOC with fundraising opportunities and
the four individual NGBs with BMW Group technical expertise. BMW Group will use
its experts, deep technology base and facilities to help the Olympic and
Paralympic Teams improve their training and performance. An example of this has
been the company's work with BMW ORACLE Racing to improve its performance. BMW
Group's expertise in light weight construction and aerodynamics helped the BMW
Oracle Racing Team design a technically advanced yacht that won the America's
Cup sailing competition this year.
"As a company dedicated to joy, performance and
efficiency, BMW Group is a fitting partner for the USOC, whose mission of
achieving sustained competitive excellence and inspiring Americans dovetails
perfectly with our own values," said Pitney. "It is important to us to add
substantive value to a partnership that is more than just a financial
sponsorship. We are excited to share our resources, which include some of the
world's leading engineers and technology experts and an enthusiastic owner and
dealer community, with U.S. Olympic and Paralympic athletes over the next six
years."
Pitney revealed that BMW Group will also raise
awareness for the Olympic Movement by supporting cause-related efforts to
generate additional funds to support the training of Olympic and Paralympic
hopefuls.
"BMW is a premier, powerful brand that is
recognized for competitive excellence and dynamic performance, just like our
U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams," said USOC Chief Executive Officer Scott
Blackmun. "Joining together these two performance-driven organizations will
provide a tremendous asset to America's top athletes while providing the unique
value of investing in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams. We thank BMW Group
for providing this tremendous funding for our athletes and, through future
activation, keeping the Olympic spirit burning bright."
Included in the BMW Group of partners is the
motorcycle division, BMW Motorrad, all being the Official Mobility Partner of
the USOC, as well as the 2012, 2014 and 2016 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams,
and the 2011 and 2015 U.S. Pan American and Parapan American Teams. BMW Group
will develop exclusive programs to support Team USA and will have a presence at
the three Olympic Training Centers. These facilities welcome America's top
athletes to live and train among the nation's best, including bobsled and
skeleton sliders, speedskaters, swimmers, and track & field standouts.
BMW Group will also have a presence at the major
events of the four NGBs, beginning with the USA Swimming National Championships
August 3-7, 2010, in Irvine, California. BMW Group's sponsorship of USA Bobsled
& Skeleton, US Speedskating, USA Swimming and USA Track & Field will include
support for coaching and training programs, as well as increasing awareness of
the NGBs and their athletes.
"Sponsors are critical to the success of Team
USA," said Ohno. "What's truly unique about BMW is their willingness to go
beyond financial assistance and make available their engineers and technology
experts to work with Team USA athletes and try to enhance their training
programs."
=====
http://www.kpvi.com/story.php?id=24142&n=15206
Should people wear motorcycle helmets?
Page Last Updated: Thursday July 29, 2010 11:19pm MDT
Motorcycle Accident By: Matt Horn
Twenty years ago 47 states required helmets for
all motorcycle riders, now that number is at 20 states.
Dave Williams has been in three motorcycle
accidents, "One the pick-up we hit it in the bed and flew over the bed rolled
and hit our heads and the helmets were trashed. But 50 dollars is better than
your head."
Williams wears a helmet wherever he rides, his
relative, Brian Howell does not.
However, both agree, a helmet law should not be
mandatory.
Idaho is one of 19 states that have helmet laws
for people under 18.
In accidents like Wednesday's, all three riders
were riding without a helmet, two were sent to Portneuf Medical Center, one
still remains in critical but stable condition.
Howell said, "I've seen a lot of motorcycle
accidents; if you're wearing a helmet your chances of getting hurt are a lot
less."
Statistics show a motorcycle crash with
catastrophic injuries cost's more than just the riders' well-being or life; it's
an unnecessary cost that hits taxpayers' wallets.
District 29 Representative, James Ruchti said,
"If you get hurt and you get a brain injury it could be the rest of the
community that pays to put you back together."
STAR Instructor, Tom Dickman added, "There's no
guarantee that there won't be injuries depending on the severity of the crash,
the STAR program we encourage safety of wearing safety gear."
So riders across Idaho can remain educated when
it comes to helmet safety, whether you wear one, or not.
Williams concluded, "Its kind of a comfort factor
for me, and in a crash you will get less of an injury, I'm not saying no injury
but less of a head injury if you do."
The number of riders wearing helmets has
decreased from 63 to 51 percent over the last decade, while the number of
motorcycle fatalities in the same time period has nearly doubled
=====
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/291/7577/Motorcycle-Article/Backroad-Ramblings-July-2010.aspx
Backroad Ramblings July
2010 Jason GiacchinoContributing Editor| Articles|RSS A freelancer and published
novelist Jason is currently the editor in chief of Mountain Bike Tales digital
magazine and holds a State University of New York degree in applied science with
a minor in journalism. When not hunched over a computer monitor, he can be found
playing outside in the suburbs of Buffalo, New York.
Thursday, July 29, 2010 Print Share RSS F
The electric motorcycle is partly irksome to our
Rambling Man because it crosses a clearly defined line separating 'motorheads'
from 'computer geeks.'Wide Open Rheostat
I don’t know about you, but I feel a strange
sense of conflict whenever a company proclaims having harnessed the future by
creating an all-electric motorcycle. And please don’t misunderstand, I’m all for
leaving as minimal a carbon footprint as possible and our reliance upon fossil
fuels is a hot subject made even hotter with recent events taking place in the
Gulf of Mexico.
Surprisingly, what troubles me has less to do
with the oft-laughable performance figures some of these electrical-powered
scoots are boasting. I realize that in time as battery-technology advances and
inevitable shavings of weight come to pass, perhaps today’s fairly dismal spec
sheets will become more reasonable (and I suppose little things like the time
between chargings and the duration of the recharge period will improve as well).
These improvements are all but inevitable and there’s no need to take my word
for it; just compare today’s literclass horsepower ratings to those of, say,
your average internal combustion 4-stroke mill of the early 1900s. Or for that
matter, compare today’s numbers even to those only a few years ago. Technology,
it seems, marches on in accordance with our calendar.
No, what bothers me about the whole premise of
the electric-motor powered motorcycle is a lot more superficial, shallow, and
perhaps even hypothetical; namely who in the world is going to be able to tinker
with these things?
Until now the motorcycle has traditionally
represented a more-accessible alternative to the ever-increasingly complex
automobile. Many of the principles small-engine and backyard mechanics had
discovered and honed throughout the years transferred easily to the motorcycle,
allowing for routine maintenance and moderate repairs to be performed at home
for a fraction of the cost of dealer-hourly rates. No need to reiterate the
simple idea that bikes, not unlike cars, have been getting steadily more and
more complicated as time goes on; anyone with even moderate knowledge of
motorcycles realizes that concepts such as electronic fuel injection, anti-lock
brakes, fuel and air sensors, pollution controls, fully programmable ignitions,
and even throttle-by-wire systems have been creeping steadily into our realm.
Sure some of these innovations are credited as improving reliability and making
for a safer riding experience, but again the trouble is that many of us
non-certified technicians (read: backyard mechanics) simply cannot adjust as
quickly as the technology is advancing.
The electric-powered motor may have a drastic
effect on what it means to be a motorcyclist.The problem with the electric
motorcycle, in my opinion anyway, is that it finally crosses the line that has
always separated the “motorheads” in high school from the “computer nerds”. The
line has been steadily dwindling for the past decade or so as indicated by the
fact that racetracks, once lined with oil-stained folks boasting grease under
their fingernails and a set of wrenches at the ready, have been disappearing.
Replacing them are individuals in pristine lab coats with laptops and thick
wiring harnesses dangling from them.
I’m all for the “change is good” campaign, but
can’t help but feel that the electric-bike is going to shift the very dynamic of
what it means to be a motorcyclist. No, really, think about it for a moment:
Take away the noise, the smells of un-burnt hydrocarbons, and, at least now
anyway, much of the performance of the motorcycle and what are you left with? An
adult-sized version of your kid’s Power Wheels would be my guess.
But perhaps the biggest disgrace of all could
come in the form of hop-up-potential or in this case, lack thereof. Most human
beings with even a moderate knowledge of the internal combustion process have
some concept of freeing up a restricted exhaust, opening up a choked airbox, or
increasing the size of the cylinder/piston are means of boosting output, but how
many of us have even the faintest idea how to extract extra ponies from an
electric motor?
I can speak fairly intelligently on many failed
attempts in hoping to do just that back in my slot-cars/ model railroad days.
For me, and many of the kids in my neighborhood, going from a battery-powered RC
car to a gas one wasn’t just an upgrade; it was a rite of passage! Once you
learned the nuances of properly mixing your gas and oil and mastered the art of
firing those little two-strokes to smoky life, there was simply no going back to
the battery-powered variation you got at Sears.
For many, working on a motorcycle is a fulfilling
process. Will it be the same when there's an electric motor instead of a
conventional internal combustion mill to wrench on?Maybe I’m being pessimistic
here. Maybe the day will arrive when pulling up to and sliding your electric hog
into a diagonal parking position in front of the roughest biker bar in town will
result in comments like, “sweet oversized voltage cables” or “where did you snag
that trick power controller unit?”
After all, a quick Google search does reveal a
fairly active tuner scene on such current electric-powered goodies as golf
carts, scooters, and electric bicycles, even if the common denominator for
increasing performance seems to be simply bypassing factory-installed governors.
Perhaps I’m just especially sensitive about this
whole subject on account of the fact that at this article’s writing, I’m in the
final phases of throwing in the hat on diagnosing an electrical anomaly that’s
been plaguing my trusty but rusty 1992 Ford Festiva (with only 86,000 miles on
the internal-combustion clock). Despite painstakingly checking every wire,
connection, and switch, I’ve been unable to lock down the short resulting in
blown fuses whenever the headlights or turn signals are activated. Yeah,
tinkering with the flow of electrons has never been my strong suit, but I
suppose I can’t speak on behalf of everyone: Just look at the car audio
industry!
***********************************************
INTERNATIONAL NEWS:
Ontario Biker Buildoff 2010:
http://free.bikerpics.org/IMBBA-EVENT-GALLERIES/IMBBA-EVENT-GALLERIES/13029308_T5UhX#948168667_JV7AD
=====
http://www.timescolonist.com/cars/experts+agree+Loud+pipes+work/3341087/story.html
The experts agree: Loud pipes
don't work
By Britt Santowski, Times Colonist July 30, 2010
3:06 AM
Today I will bravely expose my view in answer to
the question: Do loud pipes really save lives?
In a word: No. (Fear not, I'll say more.)
But before I launch headfirst into this one, know
that my very own stepmother rode a bike with screaming pipes. I loved her then
and I love her now. And I'm pretty sure she still likes me.
Now, to plunge in headfirst.
Those who argue that loud pipes save lives assert
that the screaming machine alerts drivers to their presence when approaching
their blind spot. This call-to-attention prevents the driver from cutting them
off. Not being cut off equals not being killed. While the final mathematical
equation is accurate, the formula used to get there isn't.
While driving my car at higher, more lethal
speeds, I can anecdotally say that I hear motorcycles up ahead and right beside
quite well. What I don't hear nearly as well is what's behind me.
There is a scientific explanation for this. As
you increase the distance between yourself and the source of the sound, the
intensity of the sound decreases. Sound intensity is inversely proportional to
the square of the distance away from the source. Each time you double the
distance, you reduce the sound pressure by a factor of two and the intensity by
a factor of four. In plain English, when driving my car ahead of (and
continually away from) a motorcycle, I am driving to where the sound is less
intense, hence less audible. And in all likelihood it's competing against the
noise I'm driving toward (i.e. the vehicles ahead of me).
My point of view keeps good company. The American
Motorcycle Association has opposed excessive motorcycle noise since 1924. And as
mentioned in a previous column, ICBC's Road Sense for Riders states that "It is
estimated that 80 per cent of all riding information comes through the eyes."
Which is to say that visual cues have greater efficacy than auditory ones.
Motorcycle Cruiser, an online magazine, also
addresses this myth of loud pipes saving lives in a feature article titled The
Deadly Dozen: 12 Motorcycle Safety Myths and Misconceptions. The writer of this
article suggests that a more effective way to proactively ensure your safety
might be to wear bright reflective clothes and helmet, and consider installing a
loud horn. Again, the emphasis is on visual first; then, an intermittent,
startling sound (loud horn).
OK, so perhaps the scientific explanation, the
shared philosophy from motorcycle-centric organizations and the input from a
respectable online motorcycle magazine might not produce the definitive
argument. What clinches it for me is this: if auditory input is so crucial for
safety, then sitting on the source of the eardrum-shattering noise would
significantly diminish one's ability to hear other oncoming hazards as they
enter one's own danger zone. Your visual sensory inputs probably have to be
operating at 98 per cent in order to stay safe.
If you are going to argue that loud pipes save
lives, you may as well also argue for drunk driving. After all, it was
documented by the All American Auto Transport in 2008 that more than 65 per cent
of all accidents are caused by sober drivers. No, I'm not advocating it; I'm
trying to point out that while each statement can be skewed in a convincing way,
each is terribly misleading.
There. I've said it. Let the controversy rage on.
But please, step off your bike before you roar.
Dangerous switchback: Last week I wrote about the
loop from Sooke to Port Renfrew through to Cowichan Lake and back. I've received
a request from a local ambulance service provider to alert riders to a stretch
of road that has seen a recent rash of accidents within a 30-metre stretch.
The e-mail included this message: "The accidents
are all occurring just past the Sombrio River Bridge southbound from Port
Renfrew to Jordan River and Victoria. There is a right-hand gradually decreasing
radius curve when you come off the bridge, leading into a slight left-hand bend
as the road steepens down into the sharp left-hand turn that's followed by the
right-hand switchback that leads down to the one-lane bridge. There seems to be
a loss of control under braking just as the bikes start down the steepest part
of the hill approximately 200 feet before the left-hand corner."
And guess what? All downed riders were older and
experienced, travelling on cruisers, riding on a dry and clean road. Speed did
not appear to be an issue. While there were no serious injuries, in each case
ambulances were called. And that's a crappy way to end a ride.
Don't rush, especially this particular stretch.
Slow down. Arrive alive -- and preferably not in an ambulance.
Britt Santowski is a former chief instructor with
the Vancouver Island Safety Council, where she trained instructors and taught
riders for almost a decade. Britt is also a workshop facilitator, speaker,
consultant and author.
=====
http://www.mountforest.com/news/article/91037
ABATE says show must go on July
29, 2010 Chris Clark
“The party’s going to go on as scheduled.
There’s no way to cancel it now,” contends Cynthia Pinnell. “It is what it is.”
On behalf of ABATE, secretary Cynthia Pinnell met with West Grey Council at its
regular meeting on Monday morning, to ask council to reconsider a decision to
bring an end to the annual Final Frontier event being held this holiday weekend.
ABATE, a non-profit group of Ontario motorcycle enthusiasts is discouraged and
disappointed with a recent council resolution stating the annual Final Frontier
weekend, held for the past 22 years on ABATE property between Priceville and
Durham, will no longer be allowed to take place. In addition, no camping will be
allowed on site until proper rezoning of the property is complete. In the past,
council has granted approval for camping on a temporary basis, with the
understanding campers would vacate the land at the conclusion of the event.
Residents in the area of the ABATE property met with council on July 5, voicing
concerns over noise, campfires and the continued appearance of trailers on the
property. Council listened to ABATE’s concerns on Monday, primarily that it is
now too late to cancel the Final Frontier weekend, but remained unmoved in
holding to its original resolution to ban the event due to contravention of West
Grey zoning bylaws and Grey County’s official plan. “I understand where council
is coming from, but our event is going on regardless,” Ms. Pinnell told the
Confederate. Final Frontier annually sees hundreds of campers set up for the
weekend, with live entertainment and competitions adding to the festivities. Ms.
Pinnell said ABATE respects council and would like to work with them on the
issue, but it just isn’t possible to cancel the bands and stop this year’s
event. Other communities such as Port Dover and New Liskeard enjoy weekend bike
events that are both popular and beneficial to the host communities, and Durham
is no exception. “The townsfolk in Durham are awesome,” said Ms. Pinnell. “The
community is for us. It’s just a handful of people who have a problem.” The
Final Frontier weekend is the main fundraiser donating money to the Grey Bruce
Eat and Learn program. ABATE also adopts a section of roadway in West Grey and
helped with clean-up following last year’s tornado in Durham. Ms. Pinnell said
the event was held for many years without complaints, and ABATE had no
neighbours when the property was first purchased. She said not everyone is
against the Final Frontier event, and no longer having it will be detrimental to
the local economy. She asked council to hold a special meeting to reconsider
their stance, but Mayor Kevin Eccles refused on behalf of council, saying not
enough new information has come to light to warrant such a meeting. The group
was issued a temporary permit to hold the event last year, and has already spent
upwards of $20,000 on planning and other studies to make things right. Due to
the cost of planning and rezoning, ABATE was unable to make its usual charitable
donations last year. If fines or charges are laid following this weekend’s
event, ABATE’s charitable contributions will once again be affected. “We’re here
to help the community but, sadly, that’s how it has to work,” said Ms. Pinnell.
=====
- Name:
- Cops For Cancer - Show and Shine Sept 11th 2010
- Category:
-
Organizations -
Community Organizations
- Description:
- This group is dedicated to supporting the Cops for Cancer
Tour de Rock .... By holding a Show and Shine for all makes of
Motor Bikes and all riders. The Show and Shine has a $10.00
entry fee per bike and donation boxes at every bike for the
public. Bikes will be judged in six categories, and winners will
receive plaques. Please join this group and come out to the Show
and Shine, that is along side the Great Chili Challenge.
- Privacy Type:
- Open: All content is public.
- News:
- This is the 2nd. annual show and shine dedicated to
supporting the Cops for Cancer - Tour de Rock - In aid of
Camp Good Times and the Canadian Cancer Society. This years
event will be a judges event for the bikes as well as a
model search for a calender girls for 2011. So to all riders
polish up that ride and ladies get glamorous in that leather
and lace it is going to be a fun day. more info when it
comes till the check it out at
www.sookelionsclub.org
***********************************************
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*****
CT:http://valley.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/accident_on_route_8_in_shelton
Motorcycle Accident on Route 8 in Shelton by Jodie Mozdzer | Jul 29, 2010
4:25 pm /
Sent: Jul
30, 2010 7:52 am :
The
accident scene on Route 8 southbound in Shelton. Two people were taken to
Bridgeport Hospital with serious injuries after a motorcycle accident on Route 8
southbound in Shelton Thursday afternoon.
The
accident has closed the left lane of the highway, according to the state
Department of Transportation, and triggered a smaller accident farther north on
the highway.
The
accidents happened around 3:45 p.m. Thursday between exits 12 and 11 in Shelton.
Echo Hose
Ambulance Assistant Chief Joe Laucella said the two people on the motorcycle had
serious injuries, and a couple other people in the accidents complained of minor
injuries.
It’s not
clear yet what caused the accident, or what types of injuries the motorcycle
passengers had.
This
story will be updated later.
*****
*****
MN:
http://www.startribune.com/local/99558559.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUZ
CEO of Freedom gas stations killed in
motorcycle crash David Erickson died in an accident in Montana.
Star
Tribune
Last
update: July 29, 2010 - 9:18 PM PThe CEO of the Freedom Valu Center gas station
and convenience stores that dot the Twin Cities area has died in a motorcycle
crash in Montana, the company said Thursday.
David B.
Erickson, 55, of Lakeland Shores, Minn., died in the crash Wednesday afternoon
near Bozeman, according to a statement from the company's headquarters in
Hudson, Wis.
Erickson's wife, Debi, also was on the motorcycle and was treated for minor
injuries, the statement said.
The
motorcycle drifted off the right side of the road and over an embankment north
of the Bridger Bowl ski area, the Montana Highway Patrol told the Bozeman Daily
Chronicle. Both of the Ericksons were wearing helmets, the patrol told the
newspaper, adding that alcohol and speed were not factors.
The
Freedom stores are privately held and family-owned. Along with locations in the
Minneapolis-St. Paul area, Freedom also operates stores in Wisconsin, South
Dakota and Michigan.
In March
2009, David Erickson's parents, Claire and Betty Lou, were found shot to death
in an apparent murder-suicide in their Hudson home. David Erickson said at the
time that he suspected his 83-year-old father did it "out of love" for the
couple's three children, worried they someday would be left to care for Betty
Lou, 81, who had Alzheimer's.
*****
PA:
http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-poconos-fatal-motorcycle-crash-20100729,0,6349002.story
Marshalls Creek: DUI suspected in fatal accident
Police say an alleged drunken driver
also struck and broke the leg of an East Stroudsburg man aiding the injured
motorcyclist.
Share 0
diggs digg Topics Dunkin' Donuts Motorcycling Accidental Death See more topics »
XMedical Procedures and Tests Bodies of Water Road Transportation Drunk Driving
Rivers Vehicles Hospitals and Clinics Crimes Prosecution Transportation Drug
Trafficking By Tracy Jordan, OF THE MORNING CALL
9:25 p.m.
EDT, July 29, 2010 E mc-poconos-fatal-motorcycle-crash-20100729
A 30-year-old Monroe County man
suspected of drunken driving and having cocaine in his vehicle ran over and
killed a 29-year-old man who had crashed his motorcycle on Route 209 in the
Marshalls Creek section of Middle Smithfield Township around 1 a.m. Thursday,
police said.
State
police say Benjamin J. Warner, 30, of Paradise Township also struck and broke
the leg of an East Stroudsburg man, Robert Scotko, who had been helping the
motorcyclist and his female passenger after the 1 a.m. accident.
Warner
and his passenger, Denise Warner, 24, of Paradise Township, are both in custody
on drug charges. Benjamin Warner also faces charges related to the
motorcyclist's death and injuries to Scotko.
State
police did not identify the motorcyclist or his female passenger. They said the
motorcycle driver lived in Bushkill, Pike County.
Scotko
told police the vehicle first struck him and then drove over the motorcyclist in
the southbound lane of Route 209 in the area of Sellersville Drive.
Based on
Scotko's description of the vehicle, state police said they located it a few
miles away in the parking lot a Dunkin' Donuts store. The vehicle had damage
consistent with the crash, state police said.
State
police said Warner displayed several signs of intoxication. He was transported
to Pocono Medical Center in East Stroudsburg, where a blood test revealed he had
a blood-alcohol level of .25 percent, more than three times the legal limit,
state police said.
State
police said they searched Warner's vehicle and found suspected cocaine and drug
paraphernalia.
The
Warners were charged with criminal conspiracy, possession of cocaine and
possession of drug paraphernalia. Benjamin Warner also was charged with drunken
driving, accidents involving death or personal injury and two counts of
aggravated assault while driving drunk.
*****
PA:
http://republicanherald.com/news/2-injured-in-motorcycle-crash-1.910684
2
injured in motorcycle crash By Amanda Leigh Brozana (Staff Writer abrozana@republicanherald.com)
Published: July 30, 2010 LAVELLE - A man and woman were hospitalized Thursday
following a series of motorcycle accidents that ended in a violent crash in
Butler Township.
According
to Ashland police, the pair were traveling in Ashland early Thursday evening
when the male driver toppled the motorcycle at 12th and Centre streets, where
two passers-by helped stand the bike up.
Police
said the pair proceeded to 13th Street, where they struck a car between Walnut
and Spruce streets about 5:40 p.m. and fled.
The final
crash occurred shortly before 6 p.m. near 1 Germantown Road between Lavelle and
Locustdale. Germantown Road intersects with Lavelle Road between routes 54 and
901.
According to
information from Schuylkill County Communications emergency transmissions,
neither motorcyclist was wearing a helmet.
Ashland
police said that the man was responsive at the scene but was in and out of
consciousness. The woman, police said, appeared to have suffered a leg injury
and behaved combatively with emergency responders. Both were taken to Geisinger
Medical Center, Danville.
The
identities of both individuals as well as their conditions are unknown. Attempts
to contact Butler Township police, the investigating unit, following the
accident were unsuccessful Thursday and no further details were available.
*****
PA:
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/breaking-news/index.ssf/2010/07/bushkill_township_resident_cru.html
Bushkill resident crushed after
vehicle runs through Route 209 motorcycle accident scene Published:
Thursday, July 29, 2010, 10:00 AM Updated: Thursday, July 29, 2010, 1:22 PM
Express-Times staff A man and
woman from Henryville, Pa., face charges after driving a vehicle through the
scene of a motorcycle crash early this morning, killing a 29-year-old Bushkill,
Pa., resident and injuring a man attempting to help the injured, according to
police.
The
Bushkill resident and a seriously injured unidentified female were involved in a
motorcycle crash early this morning on Route 209 in Middle Smithfield Township
near the Country Club of the Poconos, police say. Robert Scotko, of East
Stroudsburg, attempted to help the injured when a vehicle drove through the
scene, breaking Scotko's leg and crushing one of the motorcycle crash victims
who later died, according to police.
The
vehicle fled, but was later located by police at a Dunkin Donuts parking lot.
Driver
Benjamin Warner, 30, and his passenger Denise Warner, 24, appeared intoxicated,
police say, and a blood test revealed Benjamin Warner had a blood-alcohol
content of 0.25. The legal limit to drive is 0.08.
Police
say the Warners' vehicle had drug paraphernalia and cocaine inside.
Benjamin
Warner is charged with criminal conspiracy, possession of a controlled substance
and drug paraphernalia, driving under the influence, two counts of aggravated
assault by vehicle while under the influence and accidents involving personal
death or injury.
Denise
Warner faces charges of criminal conspiracy and possession of a controlled
substance and drug paraphernalia.
*****
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We
try to make sure that you all are kept abreast
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As I live each day, I will do my part,
to make a difference, and touch one heart.
Everyday it will be my goal,
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Continuous news I'll disseminate
With the hopes that you will participate
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If we don't fight for our rights,
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----The News Gypsy