NCOM CONVENTION IN INDY — BACK ON TRACK!
The 35th annual NCOM Convention, originally scheduled for Mother’s Day weekend at the Marriott Indianapolis East (7202 East 21st Street in Indianapolis), is back on track, despite the COVID-19 pandemic forcing a postponement to October 16-17, 2020.
So, SAVE THE DATE and plan on attending one of the largest and most informative bikers’ rights gatherings in the world, expected to draw hundreds of concerned motorcyclists from across America to “Circle City” to address topics of concern to all riders.
Known worldwide for its “Indy 500”, it’s a little known fact that it was motorcycles that first lapped the Brickyard’s banked oval track when it opened in 1909, and it’s bikers who are still setting the pace for political activism over a century later.
Some of the motorcyclists’ rights movement’s finest Freedom Fighters will teach seminars and lead group discussions on legal and legislative issues such as “Protect Your Rights/Probable Cause” and “Vulnerable Road Users Legislation To Protect Our Riders” seminars, with Special Meetings for Veterans Affairs, Women in Motorcycling, Clean & Sober Roundtable and World of Sport Bikes, as well as the Christian Unity Conference and Confederation of Clubs Patch Holders Meeting. Renowned EMT Dick “Slider” Gilmore will present his “Save a Biker’s Life” seminar on The Golden Hour, a must-see tutorial.
Registration fees for the NCOM Convention are $85 including the Silver Spoke Awards Banquet on Saturday night, or $50 for the Convention only. For more information, or to pre-register, call the National Coalition of Motorcyclists at (800) 525-5355 or visit www.ON-A-BIKE.com.
Claim your spot in the starting lineup and reserve your hotel room now for the special NCOM rate of $129 per night by calling (317) 352-9775, and we’ll meet you in the winners’ circle!
‘INVEST IN AMERICA’ HIGHWAY BILL ADDRESSES MOTORCYCLISTS’ CONCERNS
Congress moved to reauthorize the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act), which expires on September 30, when House Democrats unveiled the INVEST in America Act (“Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America”), H.R. 2; a new 864-page $494 billion long-term funding plan for the nation’s surface transportation infrastructure like highways, vehicle safety and public transit.
Included by unanimous consent during markup of H.R. 2 by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on June 18 are three amendments offered to bolster previous tenets contained in the FAST Act of 2015; A provision to extend the prohibition against using federal funding for motorcycle-only checkpoints would also prohibit using federal funds to profile and stop motorcyclists based on of their mode of transportation or style of dress; An amendment to require the Department of Transportation to consider motorcycles in safety studies on autonomous vehicles and would also include a motorcycle safety group in the DOT working group on autonomous vehicle deployment; An extension of the Motorcyclist Advisory Council, including a seat on the council for motorcyclists’ rights groups and manufacturers.
In addition, as originally introduced, the INVEST in America Act seeks to increase Motorcycle Safety Funds to states by 25%, to $5.8 million.
YET ANOTHER REASON TO RIDE!
Comments made by President Donald Trump during a recent roundtable meeting at the White House have prompted speculation that Americans might receive a domestic travel credit as part of a second round of stimulus payments.
On May 18, Trump met with restaurant executives to discuss the future of the industry amid the COVID-19 pandemic. During the meeting, Trump suggested a possible credit that could benefit the restaurant and travel industries, two of the hardest-hit by the Coronavirus.
“Create an ‘Explore America’ tax credit that Americans can use for domestic travel, including visits to restaurants,” said President Trump, adding “That’s a big deal.”
While the President didn’t mention any specified amount, U.S. tourism industry lobbyists have been circulating a proposal in Washington that would give people an extra $4,000 in tax breaks to spend at U.S. theme parks, restaurants, hotels and other travel-related businesses, the Orlando Sentinel reports.
Details of the “Explore America” tax credit are still being finalized, according to the paper, but early drafts propose covering 50% of airfare and other travel costs up to $4,000 through 2021.
POST-COVID: MOTORCYCLES WILL BE THE LOGICAL CHOICE
If we are to believe the so-called “experts,” travelling will never be the same again. Even when the Coronavirus itself is under control, we have to take into account the risk of contamination or a new wave of the pandemic for a long time, if not forever. Already politicians and medical experts speak of a socially-distanced society in which we have to keep away from one another in the public space, including public transport, schools, restaurants, et cetera.
“Assuming that we will be able to travel freely soon, there will probably, at least for a period of time, be limitations to our freedom,” states the head of the Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Associations (FEMA), “Not in distance or direction, but in the way we travel as a result of the need to keep distance from each other.”
FEMA’s General Secretary Dolf Willigers concludes that the capacity of public transport, buses, trains, airplanes and the such will be limited, and we will have to switch to more individual ways. At the same time, he notes that city councils allocate more road space to pedestrians and cyclists instead of cars and commercial vehicles. This calls for vehicles that are smaller than cars and trucks, so “for personal transport and partly for goods transport, powered two-wheelers (motorcycles, mopeds, e-bikes, etc.) will be the logical choice.”
Road authorities and city councils should keep the use of motorcycles possible and facilitate the use of them by keeping roads open for them, says Willigers in calling for the creation of dedicated parking spaces and safe charging infrastructure for electric powered two-wheelers (PTW). ”The use of small individual motorized transport — as powered two-wheelers are — allow people to travel into the cities while maintaining the needed social distance and leaving room for pedestrians, cyclists and users of other kinds of micro-mobility.”
RIDING WITH A MASK UNDER YOUR HELMET COULD LEAD TO BLACKOUTS
As an ongoing part of the government’s guidelines to combat the spread of the Coronavirus, face masks are recommended (and even required in some places) to be worn while out of our homes. However, one motorcycle-riding doctor has spoken out against wearing face masks under full-face and modular motorcycle helmets while riding, cautioning that the material used to filter out particles before they enter the lungs could cause riders to take on too little oxygen and potentially cause them to lose consciousness.
While riding a bike, adrenaline will begin circulating through the rider’s body, elevating their heart rate and increasing the amount of oxygen the rider needs to take in. In circumstances such as this, the restrictive nature of a surgical type face mask could prevent the rider from taking on enough oxygen and potentially lead to the rider passing out.
“Surgical masks restrict your breathing,” explains Dr. Tommy Lim, a rider and surgeon, warning that this can be fatal at high speeds when your adrenaline kicks in. “Adrenaline will cause your heartbeat to double depending on your speed. This, in effect, will make you breathe faster and these masks will restrict your breathing and give your heart a hard time. Next, your brain will also suffer due to lack of oxygen until you blackout.”
HARLEY-DAVIDSON TAKES A STAND AGAINST RACISM
Harley-Davidson Motor Co. has made an unprecedented stand against racism and bigotry in the aftermath of the George Floyd protests, taking to social media to make the statement that racism has no place at the Milwaukee firm and that H-D stands shoulder to shoulder with those people protesting against racism and bigotry in any form.
America’s most famous motorcycle maker recently posted on their Instagram page that;
“Racism, hate or intolerance have no place at Harley-Davidson. We stand in solidarity with our Black colleagues and riders, as we condemn acts of racism and bigotry of any kind, and move forward together toward and equitable society for all.
United we ride.”
“BIKER GANGS RIDING TO SEATTLE TO FIGHT ANTIFA”
In mid-June, “news” started circulating on social media platforms that the Hells Angels and Mongols were riding together “on their way” to Seattle, Washington, to scrap with Antifa, or anti-fascists, in the city’s Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone (CHAZ), a so-called “cop free” area that was set up by protesters amid widespread rioting against police brutality and racial injustice.
This incendiary hoax was supported by little more than unfounded tweets and unrelated years old YouTube videos, but no evidence was ever provided to support this claim, and Sonny Barger of the Hells Angels has issued a statement refuting these rumors in a Facebook post on June 13, 2020, in which he wrote:
“People have asked me about these fake articles involving the Hells Angels and another club going to face antifa. Stop, it’s untrue and will never happen.”
In light of such fake news abuzz across the Internet, the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) would like to invite all concerned motorcyclists to sign up for our free NCOM Biker Newsbytes, a trusted source you can turn to for fact-based reporting and current news items of interest to all riders. Simply send a “subscribe” e-mail to NCOMBish@aol.com.
MISSOURI HELMET LAW ON VERGE OF REPEAL
Once again, Missouri motorcyclists are hopeful for major changes to the state’s mandatory helmet law after legislators recently approved a massive transportation bill that contains a provision that would allow most adults to ride without a helmet, but they must be at least 26 years old and have medical insurance and proof of financial responsibility. The state’s Senate and House approved the legislative package; now it’s up to the state’s governor to give his final stamp of approval.
Representative Jared Taylor (R-Nixa) told Missourinet.com that Governor Mike Parson (R) promised he’d sign the measure that is now sitting on his desk, but Parson’s spokeswoman says while he has “indicated he is supportive of this issue, but like always, there will be a thorough bill review to see what else is in the bill.”
The new rules also restrict police from pulling over helmetless riders to check f they have the required health insurance.
The motorcyclists’ rights organization “Freedom of the Road Riders of Missouri” (FORR-MO) supports the repeal effort and has lobbied the perennial issue annually at the Capitol for more than 25 years, successfully getting a bill to their governor on multiple occasions since 1999.
At least three Missouri governors, including GOP Governor Parson, have vetoed helmet repeal legislation in the past. Governor Parson vetoed a broad bill in 2019 that included a helmet repeal, though the governor’s objections were to a different part of that overall bill.
If Gov. Parson approves the current proposal, H.B. 1963, the changes will take effect August 28, 2020.
AUSTRIAN NOISE BAN WOULD EXCLUDE LEGALLY-SOLD NEW MOTORCYCLES
Officials in Austria have enacted a ban on motorcycles that emit noise above 95dB on a popular scenic tourist route through the mountains of Tyrol, and several top-selling motorcycles will not be allowed to operate on more than 100 kilometers within the resort area.
The debate over noisy motorcycles has been brewing around the world, but now even bikes that pass strict Euro standards will be barred from the road, including brand new models from Kawasaki, Aprilia, BMW, Ducati and KTM, which all register noise levels just above the limit.
Frustratingly, the ban only covers motorcycles, while noisy cars are not included, but the law will give police the authority to carry out spot checks and hand down 220 euros ($246 USD) in fines.
QUOTABLE QUOTE: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”
~ Sun Tzu (544-496 BC), Chinese Military Strategist, authored “The Art of War”
ABOUT AIM / NCOM: The National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) is a nationwide motorcyclists rights organization serving over 2,000 NCOM Member Groups throughout the United States, with all services fully-funded through Aid to Injured Motorcyclist (AIM) Attorneys available in each state who donate a portion of their legal fees from motorcycle accidents back into the NCOM Network of Biker Services (www.ON-A-BIKE.com / 800-ON-A-BIKE).
