safety

JSO offers free motorcycle course to make riding safer

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by Richard Nunn – The Morning Show meteorologist from https://www.news4jax.com Richard Nunn participates in SMART Motorcycle Safety Course The Weather Authority’s Richard Nunn recently participated in the new Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office SMART Motorcycle Safety Course. The course took place at the Northeast Florida Criminal Justice Training and Education Center. The acronym SMART stands for Safe Motorcycle and Rider Techniques. JSO joined together with the Florida Department of Transportation to provide the program free of cost to Jacksonville residents. Watch the video above to see some of the riding techniques that Richard learned during the course. To learn more about the program, click here. JSO offers free motorcycle course to make riding safer Classes taught by motor officers who ride for a living Florida has the second-highest number of motorcycle registrations in the nation — one spot down from California and one ahead of Texas. I am one of those registered riders and have been since my late teens. A motorcycle was my main source of transportation for a couple of years. My part-time job took me on a 60-mile round trip while attending school. All of that riding totaled 15,000-18,000 miles annually. I do not log that kind of yearly miles these days and maybe that is a good thing. With congested roads and distracted drivers in a hurry, there are too many unfortunate accidents. When those accidents involve motorcycles, serious injuries and deaths are all too common. What if there was a local course taught by professional riders that could help you improve your riding skills? What if just one of those skills could save your life? Would you invest your time to improve your riding skills? What if the course was free? I hope that last item got your attention. It’s FREE! Jacksonville is now home to the […]

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Organizers say Pentagon is jeopardizing Memorial Day motorcycle ride

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by Nikki Wentling from https://www.stripes.com Organizers of the traditional Memorial Day motorcycle ride in the nation’s capital accused the Pentagon on Tuesday of jeopardizing the event. AMVETS, the national veterans group organizing the ride, said the Defense Department has ignored its application to use the Pentagon parking lot as a staging area. For 32 consecutive years, thousands of motorcyclists gathered in the parking lot before and after the ride around the National Mall. There are fewer than 40 days until the event, and the Pentagon hasn’t communicated its decision, said Joe Chenelly, national executive director of AMVETS. The Pentagon “won’t even talk to us,” Chenelly said. “We’ve been trying to really be good partners in all of this and not blast the Pentagon, but we’ve gotten to point recently where we have to put the pressure on them.” Chenelly said he submitted an application in July to use the Pentagon parking lot on May 30 this year. He was expecting to hear back by January, but no response came. The Pentagon’s special events office sent Chenelly an approved permit earlier this month but then rescinded the approval eight days later and said they hadn’t made a final decision. At that time, Chenelly told the Pentagon he needed an answer by April 16. “It’s April 20 today, and we still haven’t heard anything back,” Chenelly said Tuesday. Pentagon spokeswoman Sue Gough told Stars and Stripes on Wednesday that “there’s been no decision yet.” She cited the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as the cause of the delay and said the department is monitoring community spread of the virus. Masks and social distancing are required on Pentagon grounds, she said. “The permit request is still being evaluated in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic,” Gough said. AMVETS has gained approvals for the event from

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Rideet One smart assistant for motorcycles

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from https://motorcycles.einnews.com Start the new bike season safely with the smart assistant Rideet One Rideet One app provides important data about bikes – performance analysis, maintenance information, safety functions, lean angle and tour management. But the little assistant can do much more. Spring is getting closer and closer and the excitement around the motorcycle season is getting stronger and stronger. Many motorcycle fans are slowly getting down to work and getting their beloved bike out of hibernation. In the future, the small and smart black box from Rideet can help with this. Rideet One can be easily installed by the user and simply establishes a connection between the bike and the biker via app. Rideet One is now available online and will soon be available in stores. To meet the high demand before the start of the motorbike season, the company has once again increased its stock. Small and smart Rideet One gives bikers the ability to monitor and analyse their motorbike remotely. Simply connect it to the 12V battery, install the app, download data about the motorbike from the manufacturer’s database and you’re ready to go. Thanks to its IP69K protection class, Rideet can even withstand high-pressure cleaners. The assistant, developed and designed in Italy, is Amazon Alexa-compatible, so bikers can conveniently ask Alexa about the condition of the motorbike battery, the last ride or the next service appointment. Thanks to GPS, GLONASS and smart sensors, the maximum speed, acceleration and lean angle can be tracked. For sporty drivers, there is also a drag mode. This measures the acceleration times from 0-100km/h or 0-200 km/h. The Rideet development team is constantly working on new features, which are rolled out via the app and firmware updates. The determination of the angle of inclination for wheelies/stoppies will also be implemented in

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Harley-Davidson recalls over 31,000 motorcycles

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by Rich Kirchen from https://www.bizjournals.com Harley-Davidson voluntarily recalls over 31,000 motorcycles over potential headlamp failure Harley-Davidson Motor Co. said it is voluntarily conducting a safety recall involving the headlamp shields on certain model year 2019 through 2021 Sportster models. The recall includes over 31,000 Harley-Davidson Sportsters on which the headlights could fail, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents reported on autoblog.com. The recall also includes fewer than 1,000 headlight assemblies possibly sold as replacement parts on the Sportster from 2005 to 2019, the Softail and Dyna from 2005 to 2017 and the V-Rod from 2005 to 2011. “This is a voluntary recall announced by Harley-Davidson in the interest of our customers’ safety and satisfaction with our motorcycles,” a Harley-Davidson spokesperson told the Milwaukee Business Journal Wednesday via email. “The service will be performed at no cost to customers.” Harley-Davidson (NYSE: HOG) said it will begin notifying customers on or about Wednesday. Customers with the motorcycles should contact an authorized Harley-Davidson dealer to schedule an appointment for the service, the company said. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents reviewed by autoblog.com state that the headlight assembly on the vehicles has a shield over the headlight bulb. That bulb shield can cause the bulb itself to get hot in the wrong areas and potentially develop a hole and burn out the filaments inside, making the light useless. There have been no reports of crashes or injuries related to this issue, according to NHTSA documents. The entire motorcycle isn’t being recalled; it is the headlamp shield that is actually being voluntarily recalled, the company spokesperson said. The company’s solution involves replacing the shield in these headlight assemblies to ensure the issue doesn’t come up, autoblog.com said.

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Florida motorcycle club holds 15th annual memorial ride honoring fallen heroes

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by Andrea Guerrero and Drew Hill from https://www.winknews.com Charlotte County came together to honor fallen officers on Saturday with the 15th annual Fallen Heroes Fundraiser. This year it began with a memorial motorcycle ride in honor of the first female corrections officer killed in the line of duty. More than two dozen officers in Southwest Florida have been killed in the line of duty in recent years. Darla Latham is one of the officers. Every year the Florida Defenders Motorcycle Club makes sure to honor her. Vinny Gorgogolione is the President of the Charlotte County chapter of the Defenders. “Today’s our 15th annual fundraiser in the name of the Darla Latham who was killed in the line of duty during a prison break in 2003,” said Gorgogolione. Hundreds of bikers from different chapters all around the country gathered for Latham and other fallen officers. “I think it’s important to focus our efforts on officer safety and those that do get injured or killed on the line of duty that there’s somebody there to try to help them and their families out,” Gorgogolione said. Toney Mineo recently retired as officers and they rode from the east coast to who their support for this forever brotherhood. “It’s heart-wrenching for first of all that we know what they go through,” Mineo said. “Our job as a former law-enforcement is to make sure they’re OK and if they need anything to step up to the plate.” The money raised is to support our local men and women in blue. Chief Pam Davis with Punta Gorda police knows this can make the difference. “Know that they gave their lives for something and very important and society and that we as a police family we’re here for you too,” said Davis. Both the Punta Gorda Department

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Motorcycle advocates blast proposed new Alabama helmet law

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by Chris Best from https://www.wkrg.com “Singling out of one specific group is profiling and we, as motorcyclist, are well aware of this fact,” says Matthew Schroeder, State Director, Dixie ABATE of Alabama, Alabama’s only state motorcycle rights organization. He’s talking about Alabama Senate Bill-357 which would require motorcycle helmets to have reflective features for high visibility. Part of the complaint is that this only adds to the expense of already costly safety gear. Decent helmets aren’t cheap, and those with reflective features tend to cost even more. State Senator Clyde Chambliss (R) sponsored the bill. You can read it in full here – click this. “Mandating a requirement to add reflective material to helmets is counter productive to making riders more visible. Many riders already wear high visibility shirts and reflective jackets when riding. Many riders also having additional lighting for visibility,” said Schroeder. The Director of the Department of Public Safety would determine what qualifies as “reflective features.” The Director would then publish a list of those that qualify. The legislation also targets feet. It would make riding or being a passenger on a bike while not wearing shoes illegal. That may present another issue, what qualifies as shoes? Does that mean it’s illegal to ride in flip flops or sandals? Or do those qualify as shoes? The law also makes it illegal for anyone to allow a child to ride without a helmet or shoes. Riding a motorcycle in Alabama without a helmet is already illegal. The law would also make it illegal for dealers and other retailers to sell helmets in Alabama without the reflective features. That would mean riders could not buy a cheaper helmet, then add their own reflective materials. “We feel that the Senators and Representatives would be a lot more productive in regards

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Why UPS Drivers Don’t Turn Left And You Probably Shouldn’t Either

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from https://www.iflscience.com It might seem strange, but UPS delivery vans don’t always take the shortest route between stops. The company gives each driver a specific route to follow and that includes a policy that drivers should never turn through oncoming traffic (that’s left in countries where they drive on the right and vice versa) unless absolutely necessary. This means that routes are sometimes longer than they have to be. So, why do they do it? Every day, along with thousands of other companies, UPS solves versions of the vehicle routing problem. In these mathematical problems, you are given a set of points and the distances between them, and you have to find the best route(s) to travel through all of them. Best is usually defined as the route with the shortest overall distance. Vehicle routing problems are used to organise many things, from coping with more delivery trucks in cities and hailing taxis to catching chickens on a farm. The concept was introduced by George Dantzig in 1959. Over 50 years later, and despite a large body of scientific research, scientists are still looking for new ways to tackle the problem. UPS have moved away from trying to find the shortest route and now look at other criteria to optimise the journey. One of their methods is to try and avoid turning through oncoming traffic at a junction. Although this might be going in the opposite direction of the final destination, it reduces the chances of an accident and cuts delays caused by waiting for a gap in the traffic, which would also waste fuel. UPS have designed their vehicle routing software to eliminate as many left-hand turns as possible (in countries with right-hand traffic). Typically, only 10% of the turns are left turns. As a result, the company claims

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The Doomed Bikernet Weekly News for March 25th, 2021

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There are two premises at play here. Threats of doom and control freaks. Some folks are constantly hunting for more control over you. At one time bikers made up one of the largest activist groups in the country. We were right up there with the NRA. We fought hard for freedom to choose to wear a helmet or not. We won until a control freak (Joan Claybrook) took over the DOT and came up with the public burden theory, so she could take our freedom again. We faced an uphill battle gallantly and in many states succeeded. I never understood the media. They supported helmet laws and taking our freedoms. But the media relies on freedom or there would be no media just government propaganda. Hell, you might also read a book I wrote in 1999, Sam Chopper Orwell. It explains what’s happing in biker style. Hang on. You’ll see this topic pop-up numerous times in the news. It’s not about exhaust smoke and plastic containers. It’s about honesty, freedom and good times. Let’s hit the news. It just bothers me, because we are actually living in the best of times. Sure, there’s stuff to do and improve. But we are not doomed. Let’s party or as the brothers say, “Support Good Times.” Ride Fast and Free Forever. –Bandit Click Here to Read the Weekly News on Bikernet. Join the Cantina – Subscribe Today. https://www.bikernet.com/pages/custom/subscription.aspx

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Ducati Dainese Smart Jacket Now Available as High-Tech Airbag System

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by Daniel Patrascu from https://www.autoevolution.com Following a bunch of novelties on the motorcycle front over the past few months, Italian carmaker Ducati expands the scope of its business with the introduction in its 2021 apparel collection of something it calls the Smart Jacket. The product, developed together with specialized company Dainese, uses the so-called D-air airbag technology, specifically adapted and branded to use with other Ducati gear. According to the Italian bike maker, the device can be worn over or under any other motorcycle jacket, and it needs no physical connection to the bike to work. The airbag system has everything it needs to function embedded in itself. It runs on batteries that can keep it alert for 26 hours at a time (recharging is made using any available USB plug). An electronic control unit is on deck, looking at available data 1,000 times per second to predict sliding, high-siding, rear-end collisions, or impact with other objects in front. When such a scenario takes place, the control unit automatically tells the jacket to inflate along the entire surface, wrapping the rider in a soft shield that prevents them from being seriously injured. According to the specs, the protection achieved using this system is “equal to that of seven level 1 back protectors, without having any rigid protector inside.” And it’s practical, too. “Ducati Smart Jacket is an extremely light and practical garment, which, once you get off the bike, can be easily folded and stored in a side bag or backpack,” say the Italians. “In addition, another technological innovation introduced by Dainese allows the protective bag on the chest to be folded, to occupy a smaller area and thus allow the passage of air through the fabric of the vest.” Ducati does not say anything about pricing for the jacket

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Automated Driving Systems and SMRO Visits

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RIDING FREE FROM DC: Your Weekly Biker Bulletin from Inside the Beltway ­Automated Driving Systems (AKA Autonomous Vehicles) Late last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced a rulemaking process for developing a “Framework for Automated Driving System (ADS) Safety.” As part of the process public comments were solicited by NHTSA. This week the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) submitted a 6-page formal letter outlining our thoughts on the development, testing and deployment of ADS. Building on past submissions to both Congress and the U.S. Department of Transportation, the MRF laid out important priorities that NHTSA should consider. Some of the main topics the MRF highlights include the need to account for the unique attributes and characteristics of motorcycles, cyber security concerns, liability provisions, the role of individual states, the need for public transparency, threats to the protected communication spectrum and the challenges of regulations keeping pace with this technology. While ADS has promising potential, the devil will be in the details. How this technology is developed, tested and deployed will impact all Americans. We at the MRF will continue to fight to ensure motorcyclists are included in these discussions. To read the full letter from the MRF to NHTSA click here. SMRO Meetings Around the Country January and February are traditionally the busy season for state motorcyclist rights organizations (SMRO) annual meetings. This year many of those meetings have been rescheduled, held virtually or have unfortunately been cancelled all together. While we know these are difficult times, the MRF remains committed to working with our state partners and participating in these events when possible. In January, MRF Vice President Jay Jackson travelled to Bowling Green, Kentucky to attend the Kentucky Motorcycle Association/Kentucky Bikers Association Freedom Fighters Forum. Also, that month MRF lobbyist Rocky Fox traveled to Austin, Texas

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