Category: Biker News

Urge your senators to support today!
On Feb. 14, U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and David Vitter (R-La.) introduced S. 344. The bill would overturn the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency waivers that allowed gasoline containing 15 percent ethanol (E15) to be used for many passenger cars and light trucks. “EPA’s flawed waivers allowing E15 amount to government bureaucrats issuing short-sighted regulations that negatively impact families and businesses across the country,” said Wicker, a member of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee. “The concerns surrounding E15 that existed prior to the waivers have increased instead of diminishing.” “Whether you drive a car, truck, boat, or tractor, misfueling with E15 could result in engine failure, increased emissions, and the voiding of warranty coverage,” said Vitter. “It is irresponsible for EPA to allow E15 without sufficient testing and technical analysis. I support an all-inclusive energy strategy, but experimenting before understanding the consequences and potential cost of using E15 is unfair to consumers.” The American Motorcyclist Association has repeatedly expressed concerns to government officials and federal lawmakers about possible damage to motorcycle and all-terrain vehicle engines caused by the inadvertent use of E15 when the new fuel becomes widely available, and has asked that motorcycles and ATVs be part of any scientific study into the effects of E15. 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. No motorcycles or ATVs are currently on the list. 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 S. 344. You can send a prewritten email to your senators immediately by following the "Take Action" option and entering your information. The AMA encourages riders to personalize their message by drawing on their own personal riding experiences. Send a message to your federal lawmakers immediately, urging your senators to support S. 344 and to back an independent study to determine whether E15 is safe for motorcycle and ATV engines.

Four-gallon minimum fuel mandate: EPA fails to meet deadline in response to congressional letter seeking answers	Take Action!
Please urge the EPA to respond!
On Sept. 10, the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technology sent a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency addressed to Administrator Lisa Jackson. The congressional letter is seeking answers from the EPA on its recent decision to mandate consumers purchase at least four gallons of fuel from certain blender pumps that dispense both E15 and E10 gasoline-ethanol blends. To date, no manufacturer has introduced a mass production motorcycle or all-terrain vehicle designed to operate on E15 fuel. The letter had a Sept. 24 deadline to respond. To date, the EPA has not responded to the congressional letter. As the American Motorcyclist Association previously reported, the EPA revealed the requirement to the AMA in a letter dated Aug. 1, responding to AMA concerns that E15 -- a gasoline formulation that contains up to 15 percent ethanol by volume – could be put in motorcycle and ATV fuel tanks inadvertently when consumers use blender pumps. A blender pump dispenses different fuel blends through the same hose. “With E15 gasoline, our members who make a concerted effort to fuel their motorcycles or ATVs with E10-or-less gasoline may be unknowingly refueling with residual fuel left in the hose,” Wayne Allard, AMA vice president for government relations, wrote in a June 20 letter to Jackson. “Unlike an automobile or SUV with a large fuel tank, the residual fuel left in a fueling hose could be detrimental to the performance of motorcycle or ATV engines due to the small size of their fuel tanks and the higher concentration of ethanol that would, therefore, be present in the fuel,” Allard wrote. “In addition, the use of E15 will lower fuel efficiency and possibly cause premature engine failure,” he wrote. “Use of E15 fuel voids many manufacturer warranties. In off-road engines, the effects can even be dangerous for users.” Byron Bunker of the EPA National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory responded to the AMA on behalf of Jackson. “EPA requires that retail stations that own or operate blender pumps either dispense E15 from a dedicated hose and nozzle if able or, in the case of E15 and E10 being dispensed from the same hose, require that at least four gallons of fuel be purchased to prevent vehicles and engines with smaller fuel tanks from being exposed to gasoline-ethanol blended fuels containing greater than 10 volume percent ethanol,” Bunker wrote. “Additionally, EPA is requiring that retail stations that offer E10 and E15 from the same hose and nozzle use additional labeling to inform consumers about the minimum purchase requirement,” Bunker wrote. “Since motorcyclists and ATV users, as you suggest, have relatively small fuel tanks, they should pay careful attention to the labeling of blender pumps to ensure that an appropriate fuel is chosen, in this case E10 or E0,” he wrote. The problem with the new EPA policy is that not all motorcycle and ATV gas tanks hold four or more gallons. “Not only do we find it unacceptable for the EPA to mandate that our members buy minimum amounts of gas, but the EPA answer simply won’t work because of the sizes of many motorcycle and ATV gas tanks,” said Allard. “Furthermore, off-highway riders take containers of gas with them on their trips, and most times those containers are much smaller than four gallons. “The EPA needs to come up with a better solution,” he said. “The EPA also needs to back an independent study to determine whether E15 is safe for motorcycle and ATV engines.” The AMA has repeatedly expressed concerns to government officials and federal lawmakers about possible damage to motorcycle and ATV engines caused by the inadvertent use of E15 when the new fuel becomes widely available, and has asked that motorcycles and ATVs be part of any scientific study into the effects of E15. In October 2010, the EPA approved the use of E15 in model year 2007 and newer light-duty vehicles (cars, light-duty trucks and medium-duty passenger vehicles). Then, in January 2011, the EPA 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 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 motorcycles and ATVs. 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. The new EPA policy should concern all motorcyclists and off-highway enthusiasts because this can affect the availability of gasoline with less or no ethanol (E10 or E0). Please send a prewritten message to the EPA asking Jackson to respond to the congressional letter that seeks answers on the recent decision by the EPA to mandate consumers purchase at least four gallons of fuel from certain blender pumps that dispense both E15 and E10 gasoline-ethanol blends.

The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club has filed a lawsuit against several federal agency heads, claiming the group's foreign members have been wrongfully banned from entering the United States. Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services Director Alejandro Mayorkas are named as defendants in the lawsuit, as the lawsuit claims their executive rules could be violating the Hells Angels' constitutional rights. The federal lawsuit contends that several foreign Hells Angels members applied for visas last year to attend one of the club's major events in New Hampshire, and they were denied, based on their membership with the Hells Angels. According to the lawsuit, "[m]any members" of the Hells Angels don't have criminal records, and the club says it's not a "criminal organization." On the other hand, the lawsuit recognizes that Homeland Security and the Department of State made an agreement to define the Hells Angels as a "known criminal organization" in the Department of State's Foreign Affairs Manual -- thus making them ineligible to obtain a visa. But the Hells Angels' lawsuit claims this rule flies in the face of the congressional immigration legislation that allows immigration officials to deny visas for security reasons. "Defendants will deny visas to all aliens based solely on their membership in a Hells Angels charter without further analysis into whether or not that individual seeks to enter the United States to engage solely, principally, or incidentally in unlawful activity," the lawsuit states. The Hells Angels are ultimately seeking a permanent injunction against the rules that are keeping its members from getting visas -- which would likely apply to other biker gangs listed by the State Department, like the Outlaws, Bandidos, and Mongols, as well as street gangs like MS 13 and the 18th Street gang. The lawsuit can be found below:

A group of motorcycle clubs has filed a federal lawsuit against the Metro and North Las Vegas police departments, claiming that their civil rights have been violated. The lawsuit was filed on Monday in U.S. District Court in Nevada by the Southern Nevada Confederation of Clubs, which is comprised of 37 Las Vegas-based motorcycle clubs.

MCs v. North Las Vegas Police

Although the SNCC represents 37 different motorcycle clubs, the current lawsuit was filed on behalf of four groups: the Mongols, Bandidos, Vagos and Stray Cats.

The Lawsuit

Members of the four motorcycle clubs allege that they were “unlawfully targeted and harassed” by the two police departments. Not limited to once particular incident, the alleged violations actually took place over the course of several years, according to Stephen Stubbs, attorney for the motorcycle clubs. Stubbs contends that Metro Police Detective Joseph Gagliardi was responsible for the majority of the abuse. The lawsuit also names fourteen Metro officers, Clark County Sherriff Doug Gillespie, and North Las Vegas Police Chief Joe Chronister as defendants. Additionally, the clubs reserves the right to add yet to be identified officers that violated protocol, according to the lawsuit. The complainants are seeking over $75,000 on each of its 15 different claims and also punitive and exemplarily damages of more than $75,000.

What Happened

The lawsuit claims that Las Vegas police threatened to revoke the liquor licenses of local businesses if they served certain motorcycle club members or let them frequent their place of business. Moreover, the lawsuit alleges that Metro police forced a Las Vegas hotel to cancel the reservations of certain Mongol members. Stubbs even provided a copy of a letter dated from June 24, 2010 addressed to Mongol member Roger Espinoza from the general manager of Alexis Park All Suit Resort in Las Vegas. The letter informed Espinoza that his hotel reservation had been cancelled at the request of Metro police. The grievance also contends that police raided a private gathering of Stray Cats members in January 2012, “without a warrant or probably cause.” Police brandished a taser during the incident and informed the motorcycle club members to leave their own property, according to Stubbs. As if that were not damaging enough, police officers purportedly told members of the Stray Cats that they had “no constitutional rights on the streets of Northern Las Vegas.” Not to mention, the lawsuit also accuses police of getting a member of the Bandidos fired from his job. According to the complaint, police officials repeatedly visited Medic West Ambulance, the workplace of one club member, and told his supervisor that he was the member of a criminal motorcycle gang linked to numerous heinous crimes. The accusations led to the Bandidos member being fired from his job, which he had held for 12 years.

No Comment From Police Department

The accused have yet to officially comment on the accusations, but a statement appears to be imminent. Metro representatives stated that the department plans to release a statement regarding the lawsuit in the upcoming days, while Sgt. Tim Bedwell, a public information officer for North Vegas police, refused to comment because the litigation is pending.

WASHINGTON, DC - The 25th Annual Rolling Thunder rumbled into town. It's expected nearly one million riders will be here through Memorial Day. Riders include veterans, family and friends who come to support our heroes, past and present. They've made the annual pilgrimage to the District where there's a memorial for nearly every conflict of the past century. Navy Veteran Brian O'Dett says, "people need to remember." Some ride thousands and thousands of miles to be here and get to the Vietnam Veteran Memorial Wall but find it to difficult to walk through. U.S. Army Sgt. Rock served in Vietnam, "I had a friend that came here, never crossed the street for two years in a row because he was that bothered by it." While there are Veterans who try to muster the strength to be at the Wall there are those who don't want to leave. Vietnam Veteran Paul LeVesque says, "It's like a home coming for me." Brian O'Dett says, "they've got family, everything's down there.' The bikers have roared into town, but they may walk out of here in silence. O'Dett, "It's real tough, you can't describe it, you got to live it. Being a vet I understand it. You see people who lost someone 30 years ago and it's like yesterday. A lot of people who weren't in, they're proud of us too, that means a lot." 10 new names have been etched on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall and were dedicated this month.

LEXINGTON COUNTY, SC (WIS) - Bikers get a bad reputation for being big, brutish men with bad attitudes, tattoos, and piercings, but one in Lexington County bucked that trend back on April 23. Lexington County deputies say a member of the Red Devils motorcycle club stepped up during a robbery at the convenience store. Sheriff James Metts says the incident happened last Monday night at Kent's Korner convenience store. Metts says the clerk yelled that the suspect had a knife and the unidentified biker came forward. "One customer in particular came over, described as an outlaw motorcycle club member and took out a baton-type instrument and started chasing the guy out of the store," Metts said. The biker didn't stay long enough to make a statement with investigators, but asserted his authority before the suspect was able to hurt anyone or steal any money. "Anytime anyone can help a crime from being committed, we are certainly pleased and proud to do that, but at the same time, understand they shouldn't put their lives in jeopardy," Metts said. "That's our job as police officers." Metts says getting involved means you have to have the knowledge and ability. "When you have the skills and opportunity and you feel like you can intervene successfully, then that's an individual's choice," Metts said. Deputies are still looking for the suspect but they'd also like to talk to the Red Devils motorcycle member. Metts says his actions should be commended and he may have information that could help their case.

LEXINGTON COUNTY, SC (WIS) - Bikers get a bad reputation for being big, brutish men with bad attitudes, tattoos, and piercings, but one in Lexington County bucked that trend back on April 23. Lexington County deputies say a member of the Red Devils motorcycle club stepped up during a robbery at the convenience store. Sheriff James Metts says the incident happened last Monday night at Kent's Korner convenience store. Metts says the clerk yelled that the suspect had a knife and the unidentified biker came forward. "One customer in particular came over, described as an outlaw motorcycle club member and took out a baton-type instrument and started chasing the guy out of the store," Metts said. The biker didn't stay long enough to make a statement with investigators, but asserted his authority before the suspect was able to hurt anyone or steal any money. "Anytime anyone can help a crime from being committed, we are certainly pleased and proud to do that, but at the same time, understand they shouldn't put their lives in jeopardy," Metts said. "That's our job as police officers." Metts says getting involved means you have to have the knowledge and ability. "When you have the skills and opportunity and you feel like you can intervene successfully, then that's an individual's choice," Metts said. Deputies are still looking for the suspect but they'd also like to talk to the Red Devils motorcycle member. Metts says his actions should be commended and he may have information that could help their case.