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. If you’ve been involved in any kind of accident, call us at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or visit www.ON-A-BIKE.com.
NCOM BIKER NEWSBYTES
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,
National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM)
Dear NCOM Board; We have spoken with Doc (NCOM Board Chairman “Doc” Reichenbach) and he has given us the go ahead to solicit relief assistance from our affiliates. After helping our friends and neighbors, we are now ready to contact the motorcycle community to assist with a storm that has contributed to the greatest property loss in our nation’s history.
We have responded to an effort led by Central Harley-Davidson in Austin, Texas. They are receiving donations and then trucking them to dealerships in the affected areas, principally Houston. We asked if we could get our organization’s members to ship to their store and they said yes, but make sure the boxes are marked. We see a great need with the cleanup efforts, so this is what we are proposing –
Phase 1 – Groups can order cleanup supplies from the box stores – Walmart.com, Target.com or even the Home Depots and Lowes. Package one type of item per box and then labeled (ex. attached hurricane relief – tarps, or hurricane relief – surgical masks, etc.).
Phase 2 – We are coordinating with Motorcycle Resource Teams and bike clubs to volunteer at Central H-D and delivery points to load/unload boxes so the motorcycle shops can still conduct their daily business.
Phase 3 – Once delivered we will assist with getting the supplies to the areas in most need. Getting a group to set up at the Golden Triangle H-D shop and delivering supplies to neighborhoods in the affected areas.
Following is a list of needed supplies – extension cords, box fans, work gloves, tarps, box cutters, blades, nylon rope for tarps, bug spray, antibacterial wipes, disposable surgical masks, rubber gloves, shop vacs.
If folks would rather send money donations, a Houston organization that is networked with a multitude of churches and organizations in the state who are doing the relief work and gets the supplies that are needed in a very timely manner is www.somebodycares.org. Please check them out, and they have a donate button on their website. They also have a Houston warehouse with trucks going to affected areas daily, so we will also put them on the suggested list of recipients for Mancuso H-D.
We want to thank you in advance for the assistance offered from our awesome motorcycle community.
Serving Him with Joy,
Lou & Denise Nobs, NCOM Christian Unity
ncom.christianunity@gmail.com
NCOM BOARD OF DIRECTORS / REGIONAL MEETING IN OKLAHOMA CITY
The National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) Board of Directors will hold their bi-annual board meeting at the Biltmore Hotel, 401 S. Meridian Ave in Oklahoma City on Saturday, November 11, 2017 in conjunction with the NCOM Region II Conference.
All motorcyclists are invited to attend this free event, to learn and share with fellow bikers rights activists from around the country and across the region (NCOM Region II consists of Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska).
For further information, contact NCOM at (800) ON-A-BIKE or visit www.ON-A-BIKE.com.
LACONIA MOTORCYCLE WEEK ORGANIZER ELECTED TO N.H. STATEHOUSE
Longtime motorcycle enthusiast and organizer of the annual Laconia Motorcycle Week, Charlie St. Clair has won a House Seat in a special election in Belknap County, New Hampshire, posting a mild upset in the previously Republican-held district.
Charlie rides a Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic and has been riding cross country every year for over thirty-four years to attend Laconia’s sister rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, and was inducted into the Sturgis Museum Hall of Fame in 2008. He has served as executive director of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association since 1992, and will continue in that role.
Newly-elected State Rep. St. Clair (D-District 9) says “People know me, and I’m going down there to represent my constituents in my district. As for motorcyclists, I’ll be watching out on their behalf whether they’re constituents or visitors to the state.”
ILLINOIS LAW MANDATES STUDENTS LEARN WHAT TO DO DURING A TRAFFIC STOP
In addition to reading, writing and arithmetic, students in Illinois will now learn a possibly life-saving lesson; What to Do during a Traffic Stop.
The new state law, signed by Governor Bruce Rauner, is aimed at preventing a situation from escalating when teens are pulled over by police, and mandates that teachers dedicate instruction time to ensuring that students learn what to do and what not to do during a traffic stop, and how not to panic and do something that may seem like a red flag to cops.
“My hope is that if we uniformly require that driver’s education include the protocol and what is expected when you interact with a police officer that things will not escalate,” Senator Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield), who sponsored the bill, told the local station ABC 7.
ARKANSAS BECOMES 37TH STATE TO REVISE SLINGSHOT LICENSING
Polaris Industries reports that Arkansas no longer requires Slingshot owners to have a motorcycle operator’s license, thus making the Natural State the 37th state to classify the three-wheeler as a car for licensing purposes.
“When Slingshot was introduced to the market in 2014, most consumers were required to hold a motorcycle endorsement or license to operate it,” the company said in a recent press release. “Because Slingshot does not feature handlebars or straddle seating, but rather offers a unique three-wheel configuration with a steering wheel and side-by-side seating, state policymakers have recognized the need to update their operator licensing laws.”
Although Slingshot resides in the motorcycle classification which has long provided for three-wheel designs, operator skills are more similar to those required for a passenger car. “Our goal is to gain a unified classification and operator licensing scheme across the country to provide more opportunities and driving freedom for consumers looking for the ultimate thrill experience that Slingshot offers,” said Rachael Elia, Slingshot Marketing Manager.
BANNED KNIVES NOW LEGAL IN TEXAS
A bipartisan House bill repealing the Lone Star State’s 1871 ban on Bowie knives and other large blades has been signed by Governor Greg Abbott, dropping the carry of illegal knives such as “Bowie knives, daggers, dirks, stilettos, poniards, swords, and spears” from the Texas penal code on weapons, a crime which currently carries fines of up to a year in jail, a fine of up to $4,000, or both.
Still off limits for knives with blades over 5.5 inches will be places such as schools, correctional facilities, houses of worship, and bars that derive more than half their income from alcohol sales. Minors, under 18, will not be able to buy or carry a location-restricted knife.
FACING BACKLASH, CONFEDERATE MOTORS CHANGES ITS NAME
When Matt Chambers created his company in 1991 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he chose to name it Confederate Motors “in a salute to good Southern principles,” but in today’s politically charged climate that associates the Southern Confederacy with racism and white supremacy, Chambers has decided to retire the name.
“The Confederate brand was no longer viable. I think we lost a lot a business with that name,” Chambers told the Los Angeles Times, adding “We’ve missed out on branding opportunities. So, it’s time to retire it.”
The company is now the Curtiss Motorcycle Co., named after the father of American aviation, Glenn Curtiss, who gained fame competing with the Wright Brothers to dominate the skies, but who also famously built and raced motorcycles.
Their first model will be called the Hercules, the name originally used for Curtiss’ motorcycles, and will be an electric sportbike.
BRITISH MOTORCYCLISTS RIDE ON PARLIAMENT TO PROTEST BIKE CRIME
Hundreds of concerned motorcyclists rode through London on Saturday, Sept 9th to protest a staggering increase in bike thefts, bike-jackings and brutal attacks on motorcyclists in the U.K.
The protest comes after acid was sprayed at six scooter riders in a 90 minute period in a series of attacks in London in July, with one victim suffering “life-changing injuries” according to police. Due to these vicious assaults, acid attackers now face life in prison, and prosecutors have been advised to impose sentences of up to four years just for carrying acid.
Other riders have had their bikes stolen from them by armed thieves. Recent crime figures have shown that vehicle theft has risen 18.6% nationwide in the last year and 25.9% in London, which is a trend that has been plain to see for bike owners. The thieves are more brazen than ever, posting pictures of bikes they’ve stolen on social media.
As the police struggle with motorcycle theft, the army may be called in to address the situation.
Protest organizers ‘#BikersUnited’ say 65 bikes are stolen a day in the capital, while riders increasingly face “violence, knives, acid and even death from the thieves.”
Formed of a number of biking groups including MAG (Motorcycle Action Group), #BikersUnited says on its Facebook page: “We represent the 1,000s of riders of motorcycles and scooters in Britain and are protesting about the outrageous escalation of bike theft and bike jackings in our country.”
PHILIPPINES CALLS FOR BIGGER LICENSE PLATES TO DETER CRIMES
The Philippine Senate has unanimously approved a bill requiring the Land Transportation Office to provide bigger and reflectorized license plates for motorcycles and scooters to deter crimes.
Voting 21-0, the upper chamber approved on final reading Senate Bill 1397, or the proposed “Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act of 2017”, which would require significantly larger license plates for the front and rear of all motorcycles and scooters for easy identification to deter motorcycle-riding criminals from easily getting away.
STUDY SHOWS CAR DRIVERS ARE CONFIDENT THEY CAN TEXT AND DRIVE SAFELY
A recent study by Progressive Insurance reveals that about one third of car drivers feel confident in their own ability to text and drive, yet the majority believe distracted driving is the biggest cause of auto accidents and more than 90% say it should be illegal.
The report showed a sharp difference in attitudes between younger and older drivers, with more than 60% of 18-34 year olds being confident in their ability to safely text while driving, compared to less than 6% of those 55 and older.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 3,477 people were killed, and 391,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers in the United States in 2015. Teens were the largest age group reported as distracted at the time of fatal crashes.
The study further showed that men think they are better at texting and driving, with twice as many men (21%) as women (11%) saying they are “very confident” in their ability to text while driving. Despite that confidence in their own abilities, some 88% of men and 97% of women think texting should not be allowed.
Among all drivers, more than 65% of individuals polled believe that texting/looking at one’s phone while driving is the most common cause of traffic accidents in the United States. And 83% of individuals believe police should be able to pull over drivers for texting alone. Yet at the same time, 34% of respondents said they were somewhat or very confident in their ability to text while driving.
Meanwhile, the study said the most common feelings evoked when seeing another driver texting is concern (62%) followed by irritation (50%), and these feelings didn’t vary by age or gender.
QUOTABLE QUOTE: “A society that gets rid of all its troublemakers goes downhill.”
~ Robert A. Heinlein (1907-1988) science-fiction author
