NCOM News Bytes

ncom

January 23, 2007

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

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

HELMET LAWS THREATENED At least four state legislatures are already proposing to enact helmet laws in the early stages of their 2007 sessions: Arkansas, Montana, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. Spurred by a renewed federal enthusiasm in promoting helmet laws, and due to the increased popularity of motorcycle riding, state governments are seeking ways to curb the rise in motorcycle accidents and fatalities.

New motorcycle sales have topped one million for the fourth straight year, and have experienced 14 consecutive years of record sales, now triple the number of new bikes sold a decade ago. But along with that boon has come a corresponding increase in motorcycle deaths and injuries, with the latest figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reflecting a 13 percent increase in rider fatalities from 4,028 in 2004 to 4,553 in 2005.

Currently, 20 states and the District of Columbia require all motorcyclists to wear helmets, while the other 30 states allow freedom of choice for adult riders. Nationwide, NHTSA reports that approximately half of all motorcycle riders wear helmets, either by choice or by existing state helmet laws, and that approximately half of all rider fatalities were wearing helmets.

?It is time start educating yourself, get to know your state representative and senators, and ask them not to support this bill,? said Don Wesson, Co-Chairman of ABATE of Arkansas. ?Let them know that many tourist dollars are brought into the state of Arkansas for the simple reason of Freedom to Choose.?

Glen Fengstad, past State Coordinator of ABATE of Montana, and Vice Chairman of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) board of directors, reported during last year?s NCOM Convention that Montana appeared to be vulnerable, but ?hopefully we will again stave off this threat.?

SALT LAKE CITY WITHDRAWS HELMET PROPOSAL Through the combined efforts of bikers across the country who took time to write, call and e-mail Mayor Rocky Anderson to oppose a Salt Lake City, Utah city ordinance requiring helmet use by all motorcyclists and bicyclists within the city, the proposed law has been withdrawn and the mayor?s office has responded that they have ?Abandoned the proposal, due to the immense amount of calls and e-mails both from local motorcyclists and motorcyclists nationwide. We are now looking into ways to better enforce the helmet law already in existence, (for riders 18 years old and under) and require the same for bicyclists and scooters."

?Now if that isn't proof that combined, our voices are heard, and being pro-active in the early stages of such a proposal, I don?t know what is,? exclaimed Bill Evans of ABATE of Utah. ?Utah thanks all of you who responded.?

NUMBERS GAME Even if we bought into the government's claim that unhelmeted riders cost U.S. taxpayers $853 million last year, let's put that number in perspective. According to MAG-UK (Motorcycle Action Group of the United Kingdom), citing statistics from the BBC website, the United States spent $1.9 trillion on healthcare in 2004, so unhelmeted motorcyclists accounted for .00004% of the total costs.

For comparison, caring for smoking related health problems cost the government $12.9 billion, or .007%, making it 150 times more costly. Obesity costs the government $7.7 billion in healthcare expenses. Alcohol costs the government $12.2 billion in healthcare expenses. Medicaid fraud costs the government $140 billion in healthcare expenses.

S&S FIRST TO OBTAIN EPA ENGINE CERTIFICATION S&S Cycle, Inc. has successfully procured EPA Certification on all three of its V-Series engine families, becoming the first motorcycle engine manufacturer to produce pre-certified EPA compliant engines for use by individuals and custom bike builders.

By using motors that are pre-certified to meet emissions regulations, individuals and builders can now build EPA compliant motorcycles without having to go through the complicated and costly emissions testing procedures themselves, thus allowing small volume manufacturers to build and sell as many custom motorcycles as they want to, and individuals can now own, ride and sell them without prior restrictions as long as the engine package is not altered in any way that increases exhaust emissions.

Under EPA regulations issued in 2003, custom bike builders are limited to building only 24 non-compliant motorcycles per model year, and individuals are allowed to own only one EPA exempt kit bike in their lifetime. But following a year of successful efforts between the EPA and industry and consumer groups, the ?Certification Procedure for Highway Motorcycle Engines? EPA letter of guidance dated July 25, 2006 CISD-06-15 (MC), now allows builders of aftermarket engines to provide EPA-compliant engine packages to individuals, dealers and small volume motorcycle manufacturers (<3,000 annual units, excluding California), thus circumventing the strict regulations applied to non-EPA compliant motorcycles. Therefore, the new Certification Procedure will permit certified engines installed in new highway motorcycle chassis to be operated or re-sold without onerous construction and ownership restrictions, provided the requirements of the procedure, as well as the federal Clean Air Act anti-tampering requirements, are met.

?This is a very important announcement for the v-twin industry, including every builder and shop in the US. We have been working hard on these certifications since the letter of guidance was issued in July of 2006 and I?m extremely happy to see all three of the engine families approved just as the 2007 season is ready to kick off,? said S&S VP of Product Development, Scott Sjovall.

ELUDE POLICE, FORFEIT YOUR BIKE The Florida Highway Patrol has developed a plan to fight fleeing cyclists without engaging in high speed pursuit or even taking them to trial. Florida police have a policy restricting high-speed chases, and police cars can?t keep up with a sport bike?s top speed or ability to accelerate.

But all the law requires is that police get the tag number, and then they can go pick up the bike later. Police seized 344 motorcycles last year, some valued at more than $10,000, by accusing their owners of running from police -- a felony -- initiate the seizure proceeding, then drop the charges. This allows police to keep the bike without the effort of a court battle or the danger of a not guilty verdict. Even an innocent motorcyclist will think twice about fighting an unjust seizure since the felony charges carry jail time and a permanent black mark on more than just the driving record.

Although police claim the confiscation policy is done to save the lives of innocent motorists, no automobile driver has been killed by a motorcyclist on the run.

NATIONAL ID ON THE WAY Some state officials are giving the national ID system a cool reception, and hope Congress will reassess -- and perhaps repeal -- legislation it passed that establishes a national ID system by 2008.

The Real ID Act of 2005 is intended to deter terrorism and illegal immigration, but many deem the program unnecessary, costly and annoying. Some have gone as far to correlate it with the mark of the beast. The legislation would establish national standards for state-issued driver's licenses and non-driver's identification cards, and you?ll need one of these new cards to board an airplane, open a bank account or enter a federal building.

Among the most alarming dilemmas, aside from privacy issues, is that under the Real ID system it could take weeks to produce a single identification card. Real ID would also put a major dent in states' coffers, costing tens of millions of dollars to implement the new system and each state will be responsible for footing its own bill.

The Real ID Act originated as a standalone House bill in January 2005. It passed 261 to 161, but became inactive. It was then tacked onto a military spending bill by its author, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., and passed unanimously. It became a law in May 2005. Controversial bills are often attached to military spending measures to bolster their chances of passing.

The new ID cards will contain the same information as current driver's licenses -- a person's name, date of birth, sex, ID number, address and signature. But the cards might come in black-and-white, instead of color, and be printed on expensive polycarbonate material, requiring DMV offices to install new machines to produce the cards.

Right now, no one's sure how long residents will have before they must convert to the new ID system or what types of documentation they must present, and are awaiting further direction from the Department of Homeland Security, the federal agency responsible for issuing criteria for the new licenses.

WEIRD NEWS OF THE MONTH: NOT SO EASY RIDER Bikers are more likely to have problems in bed, new research shows. Studies have already claimed bicyclists face an increased risk of impotence, and now a Japanese medical research team says motorcycle riders, of whom there are 3.5million, mainly men, in Britain are likely to share the problem.

They say it is because pressure and vibration from the saddle reduces the blood supply to their genitals.

Doctors in Osaka, Japan, found 69 percent of riders had erectile dysfunction (ED) compared with 35 percent in the control group. The older the biker, the worse the problem was -- more than nine out of 10 over-50s had signs of impotence.

IDAHO MRO FORMED BikePAC of Idaho, Inc., a new statewide grassroots motorcyclist rights organization (MRO), has been recently formed to address the concerns of motorcycle riders in Idaho at both the state and federal level. BikePAC is a member based organization and is actively seeking area representatives to promote motorcycle safety, awareness and involvement in the political process.

For more information on BikePAC of Idaho and the "new" Red Light Bill (S1367) that its members initiated, please visit our website, http://www.bikepacofidaho.org.

BikePAC of Idaho was recently approved as an NCOM Member Group by unanimous vote of the NCOM Board of Directors. Over 2,000 motorcycle organizations, associations and clubs are members of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists, a nationwide umbrella organization that supports the efforts of state and local motorcycle groups with networking, information-sharing, lobbying, legal counseling and organizational assistance.

NCOM CONVENTION The 22nd annual NCOM Convention will be held Mother?s Day weekend, May 10-13, 2007, at the Hilton Charlotte University Place, located at 8629 JM Keynes Drive in Charlotte, North Carolina. Reserve your room now for the special NCOM rate by calling (704) 547-7444 or 1-(800) HILTONS.

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

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

The National Coalition of Motorcyclists is requesting that MRO's, motorcycle clubs, and riding associations submit the names of those members and supporters who have died since May 2006, so that we may honor their memories during the traditional ?Ringing of the Bell? tribute to fallen riders during the opening ceremonies. Dedications can be e-mailed to NCOMBish@aol.com.

Attendees are also encouraged to bring an item for the Freedom Fund Auction, with proceeds benefiting the motorcyclists rights movement nationwide through Getting Our People Elected donations, Speaker Program, lobbying activities and other projects as determined by the NCOM Board of Directors.

QUOTABLE QUOTE: ?Posterity! You will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom! I hope you will make good use of it! If you do not, I shall repent it in Heaven that I ever took half the pains to preserve it!?
John Adams, April 26, 1777

AND THAT'S ALL THE NEWS THAT FITS!

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