Archives

View From The Rear

By:  Sylvia Cochran

Love is what legends are made of, and it’s the number  one ingredient in a good motorcycle relationship. To millions of women, there’s nothing more appealing than a summer day’s ride with a good looking man on a motorcycle.  I probably didn’t realize just how desirable motorcycle men are until I’d been in this business for a few years. I started noticing that more and more of my divorced single female friends and acquaintances would ask, “Don’t you know any single good looking motorcycle guys you can hook me up with?” If I paused, they would almost always continue with “heck, they don’t even have to be that good looking!” What I suspect these women really want is a companion who isn’t “dull and boring.” Valentine’s is the day we celebrate love and there’s nothing we motorcyclists love more than sharing the highway with the people who are closest to us.  How many of you have been on a ride where everything seemed perfect. The day was warm, but not too warm. There was hardly any traffic, and the road was so smooth that you felt nothing but the breeze. Maybe you stopped for lunch in a little diner beside a bubbling stream, or sat underneath a tree on the side of a mountain soaking in the warmth of the sun. If you’re like me, these little moments are the flowers that add fragrance to our lives. The phrase, “stop and smell the roses” means much more when you take it in the context of motorcycle riding. That’s why so many of us “love” our motorcycle trips and especially our motorcycle men. This year I will celebrate being married to my best friend for a quarter of a century. (When you say it like that it seems longer than it really is.) My relationship with Sweetie Pie became richer and more adventurous after he brought that first motorcycle home. I still remember the first year he rode to Sturgis, without me. We had school age children at home and there was no way I could go. I wasn’t a happy camper those ten days while he was gone, and he admitted he didn’t enjoy it as much without me. We’ve been a dozen times since and I never tire of riding in the Black Hills. I hope this year to return with a close friend who has always wanted to go. It will be fun sharing the trip with someone who is seeing it for the first time. I’m still looking for those diamond earrings, and I’m sure one of these Valentines Days my Sweetie Pie will surprise me. But I’m not complaining. As long as we get the opportunity to take a long, leisurely motorcycle tour each summer, I’m more than satisfied. After all, diamonds are pretty to look at, but motorcycle memories are much more fulfilling.

On February 7, 2012, the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology will vote on H.R. 3199, introduced by Representative Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) on October 14, 2011. This bill would require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to seek independent scientific analysis on the effects of 15 percent ethanol blend (E15) gasoline. To watch a live webcast of the markup, click here. "The EPA's decision to allow E15 into the marketplace will impact every American who owns a car, lawnmower or boat," Sensenbrenner said. Automakers insist that using E15 will void warranties, lower fuel efficiency and cause premature engine failure. In off-road engines, the effects can even be dangerous for users. "There are serious concerns that the EPA used only one Department of Energy test and rushed E15's introduction into the marketplace," Sensenbrenner said. "This test was limited in scope and ignored a plethora of evidence – albeit inconvenient evidence for the EPA – that shows E15 gasoline has a negative effect on engines." The new E15 gasoline formulation may appear at a fueling station near you and you need to be careful where you use this new fuel blend. That is because the EPA, in October 2010, approved E15 for use in model year 2007 and newer light duty vehicles (cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty passenger vehicles). In January 2011, it added model year 2001-2006 light duty vehicles to the approved list. Riders should pay attention to this list because no motorcycles or ATVs are currently listed. The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is concerned about E15 because it burns hotter than gasoline that contains a lesser amount of ethanol. In engines not designed to dissipate that extra heat, damage in the form of premature wear can result. Although this is a concern in all motorcycles, it's particularly problematic for air-cooled engines found in many bikes. Moreover, use of E15 may even void the manufacturer warranty. Since the approved list includes many light-duty vehicles in use today, refineries, distributors, and fueling stations may choose to offer primarily E15 gasoline because of this action by the EPA. This should concern all motorcyclists and off-highway enthusiasts since this may affect the availability of gasoline with less or no ethanol (E10 or E0). We need your help to pass H.R. 3199. You can find contact information for your Representative at AmericanMotorcyclist.com > Rights > Issues & Legislation, then enter your zip code in the "Find your Officials" box. A prewritten e-mail is available for you to send to your federal elected official immediately by following the "Take Action" option and entering your information. In a previous AMA alert, Representative Sensenbrenner also introduced H.R. 748. This bill would prohibit the Administrator of the EPA from authorizing the use of gasoline containing greater than 10 percent ethanol in certain vehicles. For more information on H.R. 748, click here. Again, the AMA urges you to write your Representative today and ask them to support H.R. 748 and H.R. 3199.

We at Krazy Biker Katz would like to let you know about a great organization! Riding With Angels is a worthwhile organization and we know Rosemary Smith personally and fully endorse her cause. She sent us an email recently we would like to share:

NORTH HAMPTON, N.H. — Police Chief Brian Page took some heat last year, first for opposing a petitioned warrant article to curtail motorcycle noise in town, and later for refusing to enforce the ordinance after voters passed it by a 2-1 margin. Based on several legal opinions, Page said, police and the town could face legal action if they tried to enforce a lower noise threshold than state law allows. Page has been vindicated now that a Rockingham Superior Court judge granted a permanent injunction against the town enforcing the ordinance. The ruling was prompted by an action filed by Seacoast Motorcycles Inc., a Harley-Davidson dealer on Lafayette Road, which claimed that because there is a state law governing motorcycle noise, no town can enact a standard that is more restrictive. "The court agrees with the plaintiff and finds that the subject of motorcycle noise is preempted by the state and that, since the state has not authorized the town to regulate motorcycle noise, the town has no legal authority to adopt or enforce the ordinance," Judge Kenneth McHugh wrote in his Dec. 9 decision. Page, noting he has not yet seen the court order, told the Hampton Union he never doubted the outcome of the case, which centered on an ordinance that would have required motorcycles driving through or located in town to have mufflers that complied with the federal EPA standard of 80 decibels. State law allows 106 decibels. Page has supported efforts to lower the decibel limit in state law. "In addition," Page said, "I want to get out (the fact) that a number of the Seacoast police chiefs and members of the State Police look forward to continuing to work with the riders, the New Hampshire Auto Dealers' Association, the Seacoast HOG chapter, the New Hampshire Motorcycle Rights Organization and, of course, the General Court, in order to come up with state legislation that will make it easier and more efficient for law enforcement to test the compliance of the sound levels of motorcycle exhaust." One of those involved in the legislative push is state Rep. Michele Peckham, R-North Hampton. Peckham is a sponsor of House Bill 1442, due to be introduced in 2012 and scheduled for a Feb. 7 hearing in Concord. The bill would lower the state's motorcycle noise limit to the federal standard, beginning Jan. 1, 2013. Peckham told town leaders earlier this year that three attempts by members of the New Hampshire Legislature in the past four years to reduce motorcycle noise have failed. She called the opposition from the powerful motorcycle lobby opposed to lowering the decibel limit "fierce." Peckham said the bill was written not to go into effect until 2013 because the motorcycle community and motorcycle dealers have said replacing mufflers would be a great expense. "That grandfathers every motorcycle on the road today (that is compliant with the state's 106-decibel standard and) allows motorcycle dealers time to deplete their inventories," she said. Peckham said her bill also requires that any motorcycle brought in for servicing after the legislation's effective day would have to have EPA-compliant mufflers put on at that time. She urged those who supported the town's motorcycle noise ordinance, which passed at the North Hampton's Town Meeting in May 2010, to support her legislation. Among those now supporting Peckham's legislation is Larry Miller. Miller, who is now on the Select Board, and his wife, former state Rep. Judith Day, were prime movers in getting the town ordinance passed. Miller said it would be better to support Peckham's bill than for the town to appeal the court ruling on the town motorcycle noise ordinance. "Whether she'll be successful in getting the necessary support is still a question," Miller said. Town Administrator Steve Fournier said he had just read the court decision and that he needed to discuss any further action on the case with the Select Board and town attorney. However, he called the decision "pretty cut and dried." "I'm not sure on what grounds we could appeal, but we have to talk to our legal counsel about that," he said.

Power. n. “The energy or motive force by which a physical system or machine is operated;” or “A person, group, or nation having great influence or control over others.” In 1887 the English Catholic historian Lord Acton said, ““Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.” I wonder if Senator Frank Lautenberg, has ever heard of Lord Acton. By all measure, Senator Lautenberg is a great man. Serving in his 5th term in the US Senate, he is firmly entrenched in the D.C. power base. I don’t know the distinguished Gentleman from New Jersey. Aside from his relentless attack on personal liberty and individual choice, I know very little about his politics in general. However on December 12, 2011 Sen. Lautenberg used his position and influence in the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee to introduce legislation which (if successful) will eventually allow the Federal government to mandate motorcycle safety gear and punish the states who do not comply. All in the name of “The government knows what’s best for you.” Politicians such as Lautenberg believe people do not own themselves. They believe that people, in whole or in part, are the property of the U.S. Congress, or owned by God, who has given divine power to the U.S. Congress to manage them. They believe an election affirmed their moral and mental superiority above the ordinary men and women who elected them. The great irony is even as they Lord over us, they go to great lengths to highlight their humble beginnings and lowly economic childhood, constantly polishing it as a beauty queen would her crown. Sen. Lautenberg, whose parents came through Ellis Island as immigrants, and who after high school, served in the Army, finished college on the GI Bill and became mega wealthy after a successful business startup, is a bona-fide rags to riches success story. I’m not diminishing his accomplishments. What’s got my drawers in a wad is how easily Sen. Lautenberg brushes aside the Constitution and it’s fragile guarantees of individual and personal liberty. Since I’m a trusting person, I’m going to assume that Lautenberg believes that what he’s doing is the best thing for me. I’m going to assume that he has the best of intentions. But someone should remind the Senator that the road to Hell is paved with “good intentions.” I suggest he re-read the Senate Oath. “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.” I don’t read any exceptions for “good intentions.” On his Senate website Lautenberg is described this way, “In a place that is often plagued with gridlock and inertia, Senator Lautenberg has always been someone who bucked the rules, stood up for what he believed, and persisted in making a difference.” That may be true Senator, but I’d like to challenge you to take a step back, put aside your personal beliefs, and play this one by the rules. The rules as written by our Founding Fathers, the ones you took an oath to defend. Tell us what you think

Most people who know what the first motorcycles looked like have only a vague image in mind.  Fewer are those who know the brands, models, and vintage of the bikes, and those few are becoming even rarer.  As each new generation is further removed from true classic motorcycles, it takes their fathers, their grandfathers (or grandmothers), and friends to show them how it all began. 2011 marks the year that power sports brand Polaris takes the reins of the Indian motorcycle brand.  The renewal of a name so instrumental in development of the motorcycle helps us remember where the two-wheeled metal beast came from.  Though the Indian motorcycle was not the first, it was close.  When the initial Indian model rolled out of the shop in 1901, it looked much like a bicycle with a motor on it.  A far cry indeed from the cruisers and rockets we know today.  With Harley-Davidson releasing its first model two years later, both companies found serious competition in each other.

Thousands of learner motorcyclists could have to take a controversial riding test twice despite passing the first time, riding instructors have warned. They are also likely to be charged twice as a result of changes to the motorcycle test. At the moment the practical riding test consists of two exams, one off-road and one on. But from 2013 the two are due to be combined into a single on-road test, including the exercises currently in the off-road exam. When that happens, learners who have passed only the off-road test will effectively have to take it again as part of their on-road exam. They are likely to be charged a new higher price for the on-road test reflecting the extra exercises, even though they have already paid for and passed them. Bernard Adams, MD of Cam Rider training, said up to 6000 learners could be affected because many learners take the off-road test and then leave a gap before doing the on-road part. He said: "You could be looking at 10% of annual tests. That’s 4000-6000 people possibly.” A spokeswoman for the Department for Transport denied a significant number of learners would have to perform the exercises twice. She said: “We don’t have any evidence of vast numbers of people waiting before doing the second part of their test. “We will take every reasonable step to let people know the new test is coming in, so that if they have a Module One pass they will know they have to take Module Two before a certain date.” She said the test was due to change in early 2013. Adams said: “My concern is that at every step of the way, more costs are getting placed on the learner rider and obviously that’s going to have a knock-on effect on motorcycling itself.”