Biker Republic: BIKERnews Sept, 7 2007

Date: September 7th 2007

Biker Republics, E-news for bikers
Home to The Extreme Activists of the Biker Rights Movement!

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Contents:
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1. NTSB MEETING Motorcycle Travel Symposium
2. ABATE OF WISCONSIN
3. Carolinas ramping up for helmet fight
4. Federation of European Motorcyclists' Associations
5. USA Patriot Act
6. North American Union Driver’s License Created
7. Few complaints about loud motorcycles here Sunday
8. Roaring pipes could be history for motorcyclists
9. Fabricating Trends in Fatal Motorcycle Crashes
10. MAC meeting transcript
11. HERO AND DORK of the week
12. Show your support for the fight.
http://www.bikerrepublic.org

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1. NTSB MEETING Motorcycle Travel Symposium
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Motorcycle Travel Symposium

NTSB Conference Facility - L'Enfant Plaza
October 10 - 12, 2007
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/motorcycles/2007symposium.cfm
<http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/motorcycles/2007symposium.cfm>;

Motorcycles are the fastest growing form of personal
transportation in the
United States, yet estimating travel for them is
difficult. At all levels of
government, and throughout the private sector,
estimates of
motorcycle travel play an important role, from
providing input into policy
discussions, to estimating motorcycle fatality rates.

On January 30, 2007, FHWA and NHTSA Administrators
Capka and Nason signed a
joint memorandum to the FHWA Division and NHTSA
Regional Offices stressing
the importance of motorcycle travel data
(http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/motorcycles/20070130.cfm).
This memo also outlined
an accelerated timeline for the mandatory reporting of
these data by State
DOTs beginning in June 2008. The Federal Highway
Administration and the National Highway Transportation
Safety Administration
are hosting the Symposium as a way to:

* Continue the discussion on the topic initiated by
NTSB at their Motorcycle
Forum held September 2006,
(http://ntsb.gov/events/symp_motorcycle_safety/symp_motorcycle_safety.ht
m)

* Share State best practices in the collection of
these data,

* Explore ways to merge the data from the various
groups represented at the
Symposium, and

* Propose future research in the area that would
ultimately lead to better
State and National estimates of motorcycle travel.

The Motorcycle Travel Symposium will bring together
groups interested in
measuring or using motorcycle travel data along with
the groups currently
collecting some form of motorcycle travel data. The
target audience is
federal, state, and local agencies that collect travel
data, vehicle
registration data, and vehicle inspection data.
Private industry representatives which include groups that develop equipment for measuring travel, motorcycle manufacturers, motorcycle riders groups, toll facility operators, and any other individual or organization that as a course of business may record motorcycle odometer readings such as service stations and vehicle maintenance businesses.
Other sources of motorcycle travel data will also be explored, such as active theft deterrent/recovery systems, aerial and satellite imagery, vehicle mounted digital short-range communication (DSRC) equipment, civilian adaptations of military technology, GPS, and cell phones.

Register for the Symposium
<http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/motorcycles/2007registration.cfm>;
(http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/motorcycles/2007registration.cfm)

Conference Facilities
<http://www.ntsb.gov/events/newlocation.htm>;
(http://www.ntsb.gov/events/newlocation.htm)

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/motorcycles/2007symposium.cfm

Should you have any questions about the Motorcycle Travel Symposium, please contact Mr. David Winter, FHWA's Office of Highway Policy Information, by e-mail at David.Winter@dot.gov or by telephone at(202)366-4631.

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2. ABATE OF WISCONSIN
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Sent to you by the ABATE of Wisconsin Email Alert System
ABATE of Wisconsin, Inc
438 N Water Street, Black River Falls, WI 54615
(715)284-7415 (voice)
(715)284-7454 (fax)
www.abatewis.org (website)
abatewis@abatewis.org


Contact Greg Rodd, Executive Director 262-334-5079

August 22nd, 2007


ABATE OF WISCONSIN INC. ATTENDS GOVERNOR'S HIGHWAY SAFETY CONFERENCE

Several Members and Officers of ABATE of Wisconsin, Inc. attended the
Governor's Highway Safety Conference today in Stevens Point, WI. ABATE of
Wisconsin representatives were most interested in hearing the presentation
of keynote speaker Colonel Jim Champagne. Colonel Champagne is known for
traveling the country promoting mandatory motorcycle helmet laws and was
instrumental in re-instating Louisiana's mandatory helmet law in 2004 as
the head of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission. Unfortunately he was
unable to attend as he was called back to his home state due to potential
hurricanes. Our interest stemmed from the fact that when Louisiana did not
have a helmet law for adults the 5-year average for motorcycle fatalities
was 60 per year. The two-year average since the re-instatement of the
mandatory helmet law is 85 motorcycle fatalities per year and is predicted
to be over 100 this year to become one of the highest in the country per
registered motorcycles.


This fact substantiates several key positions of ABATE of Wisconsin, Inc.
Helmet laws are not the silver bullet they are promised to be and more
importantly motorcycle helmets do not prevent crashes. ABATE of Wisconsin
knows safer crashing does not really improve motorcycle safety, only crash
prevention accomplishes this. Our current motorcycle safety agenda
addresses this through crash prevention efforts such as motorcycle
awareness, Share the Road with motorcycle programs, rider training
programs, aggressive public relations campaigns, impaired riding awareness,
and bringing attention to ROW (right of way) violations which accounts for
many of the motorcycle crashes today.


ABATE of Wisconsin Inc. encourages all members to continue to promote these
important crash prevention efforts with all motorcyclists, other motor
vehicle operators, and all elected officials in this state.



ABATE of Wisconsin, Inc. founded in 1974 is a motorcycle rights, education,
and safety organization (not a club) dedicated to the "Freedom of the
Road".


ABATE of Wisconsin's goal is to give the motorcyclists of Wisconsin's a
strong, united voice with regard to their future, their way of life, their
safety and their legal rights as motorcyclists and citizens.


ABATE of Wisconsin is open to anyone interested in supporting our
principles and ideas, regardless of age, sex, way of life or type of
motorcycle used.


ABATE of Wisconsin, Inc.
438 N Water Street, Black River Falls, WI 54615
(715)284-7415 voice (715)284-7454 fax abatewis@abatewis.org
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3. Carolinas ramping up for helmet fight
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Some freedom fighters around the country suspect a revised effort by
the feds and local governments to achieve helmet reinstatement laws
in 2008. North Carolina is already in the middle of this
controversy. Although North Carolina already has a mandatory helmet
law, in effect since 1967, it boasts one of the country's worse
safety records. The legislature in an effort to avoid answering the
question about helmet effectiveness instead passed new legislation
requiring that helmets must meet the FMVSS 218 standard. Police in
North Carolina interpret that, as helmets must be DOT approved. Of
course, there is no such thing in fact or law, but that hasn't
stopped the increased enforcement practices, tickets and threats of
confiscation of motorcycles by police there. The law doesn't go into
effect until January, 2008, but police are already out conducting
sweeps and roadside stops. BOLT of the Carolinas and CBA/ABATE were
able to convince the Senate Judiciary Committee to remove the helmet
section from House Bill 563. The author of the helmet section, Rep.
Sutton, was able to reintroduce that section into the bill through
an amendment offered by Senator Ed Jones. The bill passed and was
signed into law by Governor Easley on August 17, 2007.

North Carolina now faces the same dilemma California has been
fighting over the past dozen or so years. The constitutionality of a
vague law. Even though Rep. Sutton assured the committee there would
be a list of approved helmets, no list exists nor probably ever
will. Neither does NHTSA or the DOT approve helmets. Yet, the police
are acting as though they do and a list exists. This needs to be
aggressively challenged in court. BOLT advises that each "not
guilty" plea will cost North Carolina over $800.00 to prosecute.
That should be incentive for every true freedom fighter to go out
and get ticketed today. A couple of interesting turns have taken
place since this all hit the news in North Carolina. It seems the
new director, Nicole Nason, has put the lid on anyone speaking to
NHTSA subject matter experts. Any questions about policy concerning
this issue have to be presented through political appointees now. So
much for us calling NHTSA and getting them to speak directly to us,
as we did many times in the past. I don't think they want us knowing
too much about how they work. Also, part of the bill that passed in
North Carolina contains a section that allows municipalities to
selectively restrict citizens from protesting on public streets.
Wow, what is going on here? Maybe those huge helmet rallies are
effective and the government wants to restrict one of our most
sacred rights, the right to object or seek redress.

BOLT of the Carolinas has created the Biker Court, a web site to
inform people about helmet tickets and how to fight them. They also
created T.I.T.S., the Ticket Information Tracking System, again a
tool to educate people on how to fight helmet tickets.

To learn more, visit http://boltcarolinas.org
<http://boltcarolinas.org/>; or http://bikercourt.com
<http://bikercourt.com/>;
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4. Federation of European Motorcyclists' Associations
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(Mailing list information, including unsubscription instructions, is located at the end of this message.)
PRESS RELEASE
from the Federation of European Motorcyclists' Associations

September 4th, 2007


Motorcycling, an alternative to increasing congestion problems in Europe
On September 5th, in Strasbourg, FEMA will remind Members of the European Parliament that motorcycling can provide solutions for Europe mobility challenges.

European cities increasingly face problems caused by transport and traffic. Reducing congestion and pollution while at the same time increasing mobility has become a common challenge to all major cities in Europe.
Motorcycling offers major advantages to the transport mix. It is an inexpensive, environmentally friendly and an effective mean of transport, especially in congested urban areas:
• Motorcycles occupy far less space on the road and do not contribute to traffic congestion. Motorcycling substantially increases vehicle capacity on congested urban roads;
• Motorcycles easily double-up in a lane or filter through congested areas. They contribute to alleviate gridlocks on high volume roads;
• In congested areas, motorcycles take approximately 16 to 48 % less time to cover the same urban trip as a car;
• Average motorcycles consume between 55% and 81% less fuel than cars on the same journey and require fewer resources to manufacture (1/7th)1.
• Three or more motorcycles can park in the same space normally used by a car.
• Motorcycles cause a fraction of the damage to roads compared to other motorized transport, and thus are responsible for only a tiny percentage of the maintenance costs.

Motorcycles also provide social integration by supplementing private and public transport, ensuring independence and mobility for all.

Therefore, FEMA strongly believes that the European Commission and Members of the European Parliament should make sure that the Green Paper on Urban Transport – which will be presented in autumn - fully takes motorcyclists and their needs into accounts. It would be a mistake if urban transport policies focused only on public transport or non motorized vehicles, neglecting other valuables alternatives to cars such as powered two wheelers. FEMA believes that the adoption of the Green Paper is an opportunity to integrate PTW’s and recognize their role in urban centres.

FEMA will defend its views to Members of the European Parliament at its annual MEP Ride next Wednesday September 5th in front of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.


More info on http://www.mep-ride.eu/
Press Pack http://www.mep-ride.eu/index.php?p=press
This Press Release in PDF format: http://www.mep-ride.eu/invite/PR-20070904-MEPRide_Mobility_final.pdf

END

Notes to editor:
- The MEP Ride will take place in Strasbourg on Wednesday September 5th. The Ride will start at 7:00pm.
- Contact, registration, information: Virginie Peters Tel +32 (0)2 736 9047 - Mobile + 32 (0)484 976 170 - Email virginie.fema@chello.be <virginie.fema@chello.be>; - The Federation of European Motorcyclists' Associations (FEMA) is the European federation of national road rider organizations. FEMA represents, defends and promotes motorcycling and the interests of million powered two-wheeler users across Europe. Through its 23 national organizations from 17 countries, FEMA reaches over 300,000 dedicated motorcyclists representing all social groups. http://www.fema.ridersrights.org


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FEMA - Federation of European Motorcyclists' Associations
Rue des Champs 62, 1040 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: +32 (0)2 736 9047 / Fax: +32 (0)2 736 9401
http://www.fema.ridersrights.org

Sam Hochberg
Oregon AIM

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5. USA Patriot Act
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NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge struck down parts of the revised USA Patriot Act on Thursday, saying investigators must have a court’s approval before they can order Internet providers to turn over records without telling customers.

U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero said the government orders must be subject to meaningful judicial review and that the recently rewritten Patriot Act „offends the fundamental constitutional principles of checks and balances and separation of powers.“

The American Civil Liberties Union had challenged the law, complaining that it allowed the FBI to demand records without the kind of court order required for other government searches.

The ACLU said it was improper to issue so-called national security letters, or NSLs — investigative tools used by the FBI to compel businesses to turn over customer information — without a judge’s order or grand jury subpoena.


Mike Hays
www.cmtabate.com
www.cmtabate.blogspot.com
www.bikersforfred.blogspot.com





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6. North American Union Driver’s License Created
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Hey Fred, do you have one of these yet?
North American Union Driver’s License Created
Posted by Lee
Logo intended to standardize documentation across continent

New security logo on the reverse of North Carolina’s driver’s licenses
By Jerome R. Corsi
The first “North American Union” driver’s license, complete with a hologram of the North American continent on the reverse, has been created in the state of North Carolina.
“The North Carolina driver’s license is ‘North American Union’ ready,” charges William Gheen, who serves as president of Americans for Legal Immigration.
Gheen provided WND with a photo of an actual North Carolina license which clearly shows the hologram of the North American continent embedded on the reverse.
“The hologram looks exactly [like] the map of North America that is used as the background for the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America logo on the SPP website,” Gheen told WND. “I object to the loss of sovereignty that is proceeding under the agreements being made by these unelected government bureaucrats who think we should be North American instead of the United States of America.”
“To protest, I don’t plan on applying for a North Carolina driver’s license,” Gheen told WND, “even though I am a resident of the state. I don’t see how a Division of Motor Vehicles authorized in a Department of Transportation of a state of the United States can force me to have a license place that is designed with a North American Union insignia printed on the backside.”
“My decision not to get a North Carolina driver’s license could have very difficult consequences for me,” Gheen told WND. “Without a valid driver’s license, I may not be able to drive a car, fly on an airplane, or enter a government building.”
In 2005, WND reported North Carolina was the state where illegal immigrants go to get a driver’s license, with busloads of aliens traveling south on I-95 to get an easy ID.
The Tar Heel State’s requirements to obtain a license are weaker than those of many surrounding states.
Marge Howell, spokeswoman for the North Carolina DMV, affirmed to WND the state was embedding a hologram of North America on the back of its new driver’s licenses.
“It’s a security element that eventually will be on the back of every driver’s license in North America,” Howell told WND.
Howell explained the hologram of the North American continent was the creation of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization that, according to the group’s website, “develops model programs in motor vehicle administration, law enforcement and highway safety.”
Founded in 1933, AAMVA represents state and provincial officials in the United States and Canada who administer and enforce motor vehicle laws. The government of Mexico is also a member, though the individual Mexican states have yet to join.
According to the group’s website, AAMVA’s programs are designed “to encourage uniformity and reciprocity among the states and provinces.”
“The goal of the North American hologram,” Howell explained, “is to get one common element that law enforcement throughout the continent can look at on all driver’s licenses and tell that the driver’s license is an official document.”
Jason King, spokesman for AAMVA, affirmed the North American hologram was created by AAMVA’s Uniform Identification Subcommittee, a working group of AAMVA members.
He explained the goal is to create a continental security device that could be used by state and provincial motor vehicles agencies throughout North America, including the United States, Canada and Mexico.
King referenced a document on the AAMVA website that describes guidelines for using the North America continent hologram as an Optical Variable Device (OVD) that AAMVA has now licensed with private manufacturers to produce.
AAMVA supplies member motor vehicle agencies with a quantity of North American continent hologram OVD foils to use on their driver’s licenses and ID cards as needed.
As the guidelines document on the AAMVA explains, each North American continental hologram OVD foil is embedded with a unique set of control numbers that permit law enforcement electronic scanners to identify the exact jurisdiction and precise individual authorized to hold a driver’s license or ID card with that particular OVD foil embedded.
“AAMVA understands its unique positioning and the continuing role identification security will play in helping the general public realize a safer North America,” King explained to WND in an e-mail. “The association believes ID security will help increase national security, increase highway safety, reduce fraud and system abuse, increase efficiency and effectiveness, and achieve uniformity of processes and practices.”
Jim Palmer, press director for ALIPAC, told WND that ALIPAC first became aware of the hologram when Missouri State Rep. Jim Guest held a seminar in North Carolina to protest the Real ID law.
“The surprise came at a meeting on the Real ID that Palmer held in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Saturday, July 28,” Palmer told WND.
“When Rep. Guest asked participants to take out their driver’s license and see what was on it,” Palmer explained, “one gentleman was a state employee and on his license there was this hologram with the North American continent on the back. We were all surprised to see that on a North Carolina driver’s license. Right there, that stopped the show.”
Guest has formed a coalition called Legislators Against Real ID Act, or LARI.
“I was astonished when I saw that North American hologram on the North Carolina driver’s license,” Guest told WND. “I thought to myself that the state DMV has already included this North American symbol on the back of the driver’s license without telling the people of North Carolina they were going to do this.”
“I thought right then that this was going to be the prototype for the driver’s license of the North American Union,” Guest told WND.
“When we called the North Carolina DMV, they hedged at first,” Guest said, “but finally they admitted that, yes, there was a North American continent hologram on the back of the license.”
“This is part of a plan by bureaucrats and trade groups that act like bureaucrats to little by little transform us into a North American Union without any vote being taken and without explaining to the U.S. public what they are doing,” Guest argued.
King explained AAMVA’s Uniform Identification Subcommittee created a number of task forces, including the Card Design Specification that developed the North America continent hologram OVD.
“The Task Group surveyed and met with many stakeholders during the development effort,” King wrote to WND. “The Task Force gathered information from government and non-government users of the driver’s License/ID card to determine their uses for the DL/ID card and how they believe the card should function. In addition, the Task Group surveyed and met with industry experts in the area of card production and security to gather their advice, especially about the physical security of the card.”
King told WND the Task Group work was repeatedly reviewed by the UID Subcommittee as a whole, with final approval coming from the AAMVA Board.



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7. Few complaints about loud motorcycles here Sunday
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http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?ID=373866&Category=9&subCategoryID=0
Few complaints about loud motorcycles here Sunday, September 2, 2007 By ED BALINT REPOSITORY STAFF WRITER
CANTON While laws clamping down on loud motorcycles are cropping up across the country, monstrous mufflers do not seem to be much of an issue locally.
Sure, motorcycles rumble through neighborhoods. Avid riders likely fire up their machines at odd hours from time to time. But Law Director Joseph Martuccio, who has worked for the city for about 20 years, cannot recall any gripes to City Council.
City Prosecutor Frank Forchione said he gets a handful of such complaints a year.
"I don't see a need here in the Stark County area to increase penalties for motorcycles," he said. "We only get several (complaints) a year, and when our office has mediated these issues, both the motorcyclist and the neighbors have generally come to some agreement that is amicable for the neighborhood."
"I don't think people need more government," Forchione said. "I think they simply need to get along."
LOUD IN LAKE
At least in one case, the two sides couldn't resolve the dispute without going to court.
In 2005, city prosecutors charged Michael Brandt of Lake Township with disorderly conduct when a neighbor complained that the man's Harley-Davidson was too loud.
Canton Municipal Court Judge John A. Poulos acquitted Brandt of disorderly conduct, a minor misdemeanor that carriers a maximum fine of $150. The prosecutor's office argued that Brandt's motorcycle caused unnecessary noise that resulted in a neighbor losing sleep when Brandt drove past her house at 3 a.m.
"Obviously there's many motorcycle enthusiasts, and you want to balance that with a neighborhood's right to enjoy their property," Forchione said.
Martuccio owns a 1981 Honda he describes as a "big cruiser" bike.
"In my own opinion I think some of them are too loud," he said. "I think some motorcycle riders love noise and love volume. I don't. I like to ride in peace."
CITY AND STATE LAW
Motorcycles are regulated under the city's existing muffler and excessive noise law, dating to the 1960s.
"Every motor vehicle and motorcycle with an internal combustion engine shall at all times be equipped with a muffler which is in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise, and no person shall use a muffler cutout, by-pass or similar device upon a motor vehicle on a highway."
Motorcycle mufflers also must include baffle plates. The city law essentially prohibits motorcycle owners from tinkering with the engine or other parts to make it louder, Martuccio said.
City law mirrors state law. A first offense is a minor misdemeanor punishable with a fine of up to $150; second offenses are fourth degree misdemeanors punishable by up to 30 day sin jail with a fine.
State law, however, sets limits on decibel levels for motorcycles. Details of the law can be accessed under the Ohio laws and rules section at:
http://governor.ohio.gov/
DRAG PIPES
Harley-Davidson motorcycles are an American classic. The rumble and roar of the Harley is among its distinctive trademarks.
Years ago, Freedom Harley-Davidson in Jackson Township stopped selling "drag pipes," which can be installed to make a bike's rumble even more resounding.
Harley-Davidson asked dealers a few years ago to stop carrying the loudest of after-market mufflers, the straight unmuffled pipes, Rebecca Bortner, a Harley spokeswoman, told the Associated Press. Harley also is asking dealers to encourage riders to be considerate and socially responsible.
Canton Cycle Specialties is not subject to Harley's wishes. The shop on Cherry Avenue NE sells parts, used motorcycles and equipment galore, including basic drag pipes that cost between $130 and $175. More stylized pipes, which are not true drag pipes and contain baffle plates, are not as loud, costing about $500 a piece, said Al Pfouts, owner of Canton Cycle.
"There's still a fair number of people buying drag pipes," said Pfouts, who has run the shop for 34 years. "If you do rev them up, they will wake up the whole neighborhood, but common sense seems to prevail. I don't hear those people telling me they've been stopped (by police) and told to get them off."
Clearly, some motorcyclists "want to make themselves known" and "make a statement that they're a motorcyclist," Pfouts said.
But a louder motorcycle also may be considered a safer motorcycle, Pfouts said. "If they're making noise they're possibly going to be heard even if they're not seen," he said.
Decals even carry the slogan: "Loud pipes save lives."
"I really don't see the noise having been an issue over the years," Pfouts said. "I mean you always have those isolated cases."
"On average, (motorcyclists) usually know late at night, if they're going through their neighborhood to get home, they have a tendency to keep the RPMs down and there's no complaints."
Reach Repository writer Ed Balint at (330) 580-8315 or e-mail: ed.balint@cantonrep.com
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8. Roaring pipes could be history for motorcyclists
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CALIFORNIA:

http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_6802511
Roaring pipes could be history for motorcyclists BY SUE DOYLE, Staff Writer Article Last Updated: 09/04/2007 10:11:40 PM PDT
SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS - Jumping on his Harley-Davidson for a heart-racing spin down Mulholland Highway, Ron Mauceri grins when asked how loud his motorcycle can get.
"I have obnoxiously loud pipes," said the Westlake Village man, who bought the bike used.
Still, to maintain peace with his neighbors, the 69-year-old restricts the bike to a low hum on residential streets and reserves its thundering roar for the wide-open canyon roads.
But other riders around the country have not been as conscientious. And now states nationwide are cracking down on motorcycle noise, raising concern among local bikers that their noisy pastime could be stifled if California cracks down, too.
As of July 1, riders in New York can get slapped with $440 in fines for screaming mufflers. Those revving their engines too loudly in parts of Pennsylvania can get $150 tickets.
Denver now allows police to fine riders on motorcycles with mufflers not certified by the Environmental Protection Agency, which sets noise-pollution standards.
"The problem is that everyone remembers that loud motorcycle and they don't even notice the 50 quiet ones that pass them by," said Bill Wood, spokesman for the American Motorcyclist Association. Wood said the ordinances create a patchwork of inconsistent laws around the country, making it nearly impossible for motorcyclists to travel and know when they're violating regulations.
The group is pushing for a sound-level standard that's applied equally to all vehicles on the road - not just motorcycles.
Tension from bike noise is rising nationwide as more people snap up motorcycles for their fuel efficiency. About 1.2 million new motorcycles were sold in the United States last year - up 250 percent from 1996.
And to most riders, customizing their bikes is a natural extension of their hobby. Others modify their exhausts or mufflers to enhance gas mileage and horsepower.
"My bike can be very loud, depending on how I throttle on it," said David Beard of Canoga Park, who installed a megaphone muffler system on his 1989 Harley-Davidson. "The pipes I have give me the performance that I want."
Still there are others who simply love noise and install straight pipes - the ear-splitting ones that can be heard from five miles away.
"The guy riding through town at 2 a.m. and setting off all the car alarms ruins it for everybody," said Dave Hastings, executive director of American Brotherhood Aimed Toward Education of California, a nonprofit organization striving to preserve motorcyclists' freedom on the road.
The Hesperia-based group wants to establish a legal way to verify the loudness of pipes, maybe with an instrument that measures noise. California law currently does not require patrol officers to use sound-level meters to test for excessive noise.
The Irvine-based Motorcycle Industry Council is now working with the Society of Automotive Engineers to develop a test that local law enforcement could use to measure decibels coming from motorcycle mufflers.
The noise limit for motorcycles built after 1985 is 80 decibels, according to the California Vehicle Code. The law also prohibits modifying exhaust systems to amplify noise.
Still, some argue that their loud bikes save their lives by grabbing the attention of drivers who are often distracted.
"Modified exhausts aren't always bad. They can be a lifesaver," said Micah McCloskey of Micah McCloskey's Custom Cycles in Canoga Park. "Horns are worthless. You want the noise the whole time. Not an obnoxious noise but an audible one."
Stopping at the Rock Store, a famous motorcycle hangout near Malibu, Adam Pendler of Denver said his hometown has outlawed any modifications to exhausts. But that means he has lost 20 percent of the power on his bike, making it difficult to get around the city that stands a mile above sea level, he said.
For him, it seems as though motorcycles are being unfairly picked on because of their noise.
"If you're trying to scare people away from a vehicle that gets 50 miles to the gallon, that's a good way to do it," said the 27-year-old.
alongfortheride@dailynews.com
(818) 713-3683


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9 Fabricating Trends in Fatal Motorcycle Crashes
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Fabricating Trends in Fatal Motorcycle Crashes
By Warren Woodward, Chair, State Legislative Committee
Street Bikers United Hawaii

Recent Trends in Fatal Motorcycle Crashes: An Update ( http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd-30/NCSA/Rpts/2006/810606.pdf ) is 72 pages of charts and analysis from The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) based on the 10 years from 1995 to 2004. It should have been called Fabricating Trends in Fatal Motorcycle Crashes. Here's why:

Cherry Picking - NHTSA is cherry picking data. In the opening summary, motorcycle fatalities are presented as a crisis: "Since 1997 motorcycle rider fatalities have increased 89%." Wow, sounds bad, but over the years I have received many solicitations from investment newsletters. As a result I've learned how easy it is to pick certain time frames to make profits look good. It's called cherry picking and it's what NHTSA is doing here. Go back 15 years, since 1990, and fatalities have only increased 24%. If you go back 25 years, from 1980 to 2004, the fatalities actually decrease 22%. From the graph below of yearly rider fatalities you can see what I mean:



So instead of starting out the report with a horrifying 89% increase in fatalities, NHTSA could have begun by saying that since 1980 motorcycle fatalities have dropped 22%. But then there's no crisis, and we wouldn't need to be saved, or at least not by them.

Helmets - A chart on page 36 of the report shows that the helmet use rate in fatal crashes was basically unchanged over the 10 years, 1995 to 2004. If helmets "save lives", shouldn't more of the dead be helmetless, especially as fatalities rose 89%? Yet helmeted riders consistently comprise the dead majority at around 54% of fatalities every year. Of course that doesn't stop NHTSA from calling for mandatory helmet laws.

Ultimately, the helmet numbers are useless because they do not reflect anything except how many were wearing and how many were not at time of death. NHTSA might as well have a chart showing how many riders were or were not wearing wristwatches. How can anyone tell if a helmet would have helped or not? Just because someone died without a helmet does not mean they would have lived with a helmet. And how many of the helmeted dead had snapped necks or basal skull fracture? NHTSA doesn't say.

A similar trick was played here in Hawaii just recently by the state Department of Transportation. They emphasized that two thirds of the riders who died in Hawaii last year were not wearing helmets. Of course the implication is that had they been wearing helmets they would not be dead. But we don't know that. The fact is that helmets have not changed the death to accident ratio in any state where they have been mandated ( see Helmet Law Facts at www.sbumaui.org ).

I think fatalities went up over the 10 years for the same reason they went down over the 25 years. And if you find that reason be sure and tell me. My point is there is no one reason. All I know is the more experience and training a rider has the better, but even that won't save you when you're time is up.

VMT - Much of the report is simply invalid since it is based on NHTSA's fictitious Vehicle Miles Traveled. In NHTSA's National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety they actually admit: "Unfortunately, vehicle miles of travel (VMT) data for motorcycles are not reported directly and must be estimated." Fabricated would be a more accurate word than estimated ( see addendum 2, Helmet Law Facts, at www.sbumaui.org ). When it comes to VMT, NHTSA is winging it.

Speed & Alcohol - According to NHTSA, over the 10 years, speed related deaths decreased 6% and alcohol related deaths decreased 8%. That's great, but I always question the accuracy of those numbers. For example, we had a rider here on Maui cross the double yellow line while going up Haleakala. Cars coming down the other way are usually doing at least 60. The Maui News said the accident might have been speed related. Sorry, from where I sit it was intelligence related (and he was wearing a helmet).

Engine Displacement - One of the more troubling aspects of the report is NHTSA's fixation on engine displacement. There are 23 different charts, almost 1/3 of the report's total charts, concerning engine displacement and fatalities--engine displacement and speed, engine displacement and type of crash, engine displacement and type of road, there's even one that compares engine displacement with the days people died!

We all know that motorcycle engine displacement has increased over the years and that a 750, for example, is no longer a "big bike". Somehow though, a popular myth is being created, and NHTSA is fueling it, that increased displacement = increased fatality, especially amongst inexperienced riders. Having got into plenty of accidents when I was uneducated and inexperienced on my first bike which displaced 175cc, I have never bought into this myth.

There is so much more to a motorcycle than displacement. Power to weight ratio has a lot more to do with speed. There are plenty of 600cc rockets that can smoke a bagger with more than twice that displacement. Weight, seat height, rider position, center of gravity, tires, braking capability, and rider experience all play a role in how well a machine can be handled. Yet NHTSA has not figured out how to quantify those so they are not part of the mix. And NHTSA will never be able to quantify karma.

Looking long term, I see NHTSA's displacement fixation leading to a push for graduated licensing whereby riders would be prohibited from owning larger displacement bikes until they passed certain exams over a certain number of years. Outrageous? It's already happening in Europe. NHTSA is laying the groundwork now--creating the problem by cherry picking the displacement data--and the solution will be a graduated license system. I'd bet on it.

Blame the Rider - The undercurrent running throughout NHTSA's report is blame the rider. We are either too young, too old, too fast, too drunk, or the motor's too big. Certainly riders do die because of one or a combination of those. However, there are 75 charts in this 72 page report and not one showing rider fatalities caused by the Right Of Way violations of other road users.

NHTSA is as blind as a Right Of Way violator. What's worse is that, as taxpayers, we pay their undeserved salaries.

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10. MAC meeting transcript
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PDF is now available:
HYPERLINK "http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/mac/fulltranscript05091007.pdf"; http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/mac/fulltranscript05091007.pdf
Karen

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11. HERO AND DORK of the week
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HERO

Dan “Spotman” Spotten

Most of you will be getting this email twice - but I felt it important
to get to both the members and those who are on the "TEA" list:

It became apparent to me in the last day or two that few people could
actually afford the time and/or money to attend the TEA Party this year
in Texas. This bothered me deeply as I am so damn selfish that I want to
see ALL of you - and the TEA Party would not be the same if you ALL
weren't there.

I called Sputnik this morning and asked him if he would mind if I tried
to find a place closer to the majority of us to host the TEA Party. He
reiterated his statement from last years TEA Party...that he was honored
that we ALL wanted to visit him in Texas but he thought it was stupid
that EVERYONE travel to TX when only he would have to travel to the
east. He also told me that wherever it was, he would be there.

I, of course - agree 100%. While the TEA Party here in Iowa was a
blast...it's much easier for me to travel east than it is for all of you
in the east to travel all the way out here.

So, here I sit with an issue...who and where to hold the TEA Party on 6
weeks notice?

So, I called upon Bernie and Penny. They have graciously offered up
their property again for us to have our TEA Party on the same dates that
we were to go to Texas. I called Duck and he believes this is a fine option.

You ALL know that I am a man of action, of impulse and of
obsession/compulsion. Most times it gets me in trouble and this could be
another one of those times. If I have offended any of you by taking the
bull by the horns and setting up this change, I can only offer my
apology with the promise it will most likely happen again at some point.
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So....

The "Biker Republic" "TEA Party" will be held at Bernie and Penny's the
weekend of Oct 13th& 14th.
542 Pepper Road
Mount Jackson, VA 22842

Here's the directions for those that haven't been there before:

If you are headed south on 81, take exit 283 (42 South)
>You'll be on this road for about 10 or 11 miles and you'll come to Conicville
>Conicville is VERY small - less than a mile as you leave it, look for the first main road on the right. That's Pepper Road. Take a right on Pepper Road.
>After about a mile, the road changes from blacktop to dirt/gravel and it narrows. About a mile after that, look on the left for a faded green cabin - 2 stories with a porch on each floor. I'll also have signs up. The front of the cabin will say "542 Pepper" - and the mailbox will say "536 Pepper". Turn left at that mailbox into the driveway and follow that road past the cabin, the shed, and a couple of out buildings along the way until the road ends at the TEA party. It's only about 1/4 mile.
>
>If you are coming in North on 81 - I've only done this once, and here's how I got there. (Dick - you are out in the area a lot, chime in if you know a better/shorter way). From 81 North, take the 273 Exit (Mount Jackson) At the end of the exit ramp, go right onto Rt 703 (Conicville Blvd). This quickly turns into Pennywitt Rd. I can't remember if there is a stop sign (I don't think so), but in a short distance, you will make a sharp right on this road - basically a right hand turn, but you can't go left. Anyway, make the sharp right and you are now on Conicville Rd. Follow this road for a few miles - be sure to watch the road signs and stay on Conicville Rd. When that road ends, you'll be at Rt 42 in Conicville. Take a left onto Rt 42. The directions are the same as above from here, but I'll paste them anyway. Less than a mile as you leave Conicville, look for the first main road on the right. That's Pepper Road. Take a right on Pepper Road.
>After about a mile, the road changes from blacktop to dirt/gravel and it narrows. About a mile after that, look on the left for a faded green cabin - 2 stories with a porch on each floor. I'll also have signs up. The front of the cabin will say "542 Pepper" - and the mailbox will say "536 Pepper". Turn left at that mailbox into the driveway and follow that road past the cabin, the shed, and a couple of out buildings along the way until the road ends at the TEA party. It's only about 1/4 mile.


I told Miss Penny & Bernie that I would be out early to help however I
can (but I doubt Bernie will let me run his backhoe and I sure the fuck
ain't gonna ride in the wagon behind his ATV!!!) Miss Penny warned me
that the meals will not be the great feasts as they were last year - I
told her that was FINE. Hot dogs, hamburgers, salad fixin's, chips, cold
cuts, cheese, etc...would be JUST FINE!!! We can fix our own food
if/when we get hungry...we can take care of ourselves right? We don't
need anyone to wait on us or spend all day cooking for us, right?

Now, having said that - anyone wanting to come early to help get things
set up will be greatly appreciated. And this will require some WORK - no
one (except Sputnik) will get out of helping. No king is gonna sit
around basking in his own glory while the serfs work to serve his every
need. Cool???

Good.

SOOOO, let's start the list of who is NOW planning on attending.

1) spotman - I'll eat anything - Bud and Pepsi - I'll be there Tuesday
before to cut wood, clear brush, etc...





DORK
Friggin' Low Life!
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Man charged with trying to steal motorcycle from home
By TERRI SANGINITI, The News Journal
Posted Tuesday, September 4, 2007 at 2:59 pm

http://delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070904/NEWS/70904059

A 36-year-old New Castle-area man was arrested early today after a police officer spotted him coasting down a Greenville driveway on a motorcycle he allegedly stole out of a resident’s garage.

New Castle County police charged James Hoffmaster, of the 200 block of S. Du Pont Highway, with burglary and two counts of felony theft. He was committed to the Young Correctional Institution after failing to post $5,000 bail.

County police spokesman Cpl. Trinidad Navarro said about 12:15 a.m., Officer Michael George was on patrol on Faulkland Road when he saw a man on a 2001 Harley Davidson motorcycle, coasting it down a driveway.

When George investigated, he discovered the man, identified as Hoffmaster, did not have the keys to the motorcycle and took him into custody.
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12.
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