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NCOM Biker Newsbytes for August 2021

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Legislative Motorcycle News from Around the World The Highway Bill passes but…, Feds investigate auto-pilot car accidents, anti-profiling in California, lane-filtering, Sturgis Motorcycle Rally turnout, bad-driving and road-rage post-lockdown, fuel prices at a high, International Motorcycle Show, news you should use. Click Here to Read the NCOM News on Bikernet.com Join the Cantina for more – Subscribe Today. https://www.bikernet.com/pages/custom/subscription.aspx

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NHTSA Report on Tesla Crashes

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MRF Flash Alert – Tesla Crashes The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) wrote, in a document released Monday, that it has identified 11 crashes since 2018 in which a Tesla vehicle using the company’s driver assistance system, struck one or more vehicles involved in an emergency response situation. Four of those crashes occurred in 2021. NHTSA now plans on studying the Advanced Driver Assistance System, otherwise known as “autopilot,” in the nearly 765,000 Tesla vehicles produced between 2014 and 2021. For several years, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF), in cooperation with our state motorcyclist rights partners, have warned of the need for increased oversight of this new technology. Allowing vehicles to be deployed on our nation’s roadways, that cannot adequately detect and respond to all roadway users, is dangerous. Regulators and auto manufacturers should work together to ensure tragic crashes, like the ones found in this report, never happen again. To read the brief report from NHTSA on the Tesla crashes click here. About MRF: http://mrf.org

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House Passes Highway Bill – Biker Priorities Included

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Thursday morning the full House of Representatives passed H.R. 3684 the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America Act or the INVEST in America Act. This bill is more commonly referred to as the highway bill. The bill is over 1,500 pages, spends $715 billion and includes five beneficial provisions for motorcyclists. The final vote on passage was 221 for and 201 against. Two Republicans voted in favor and no Democrats opposed. The Senate has begun work on their version of the highway bill and the two chambers will eventually need to work out the differences before an agreed upon bill is sent to the President for his signature. Traditionally, a highway bill has a five-year lifespan before Congress must fund and reauthorize programs again. Typically, highway bills occur in years ending in 0’s and 5’s. The last highway bill expired in 2020 but was given a one-year extension as Congress was unable to reach a compromise. Congress now faces a September 30th deadline to pass a new highway bill and reauthorize crucial transportation and safety related programs. Below is a brief recap of the five motorcyclist related items that the House of Representatives approved and included in this major piece of legislation: Profiling: The bill includes an update to current federal law on the issue of motorcycle only check points. The bill passed today includes language that prohibits state and local governments from using funds from the Department of Transportation to “profile and stop motorcycle operators or motorcycle passengers using as a factor the clothing or mode of transportation of such operators or passengers.” Traffic Stop Data Collection: An amendment to the bill by Congressman Tim Walberg (MI-R) and Congressman Michael Burgess (TX-R) added the term “mode of transportation” to a newly created

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Proposed drag racing series faces safety, noise concerns

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by Joe Werkmeister from https://riverheadnewsreview.timesreview.com The organizer of a proposed drag racing series at the Enterprise Park at Calverton addressed a number of concerns related to safety, noise and the environment during Thursday’s Town Board work session. Pete Scalzo, who has a pending special event application for an multi-series event called Race Track Not Street at EPCAL, said all vehicles racing on the temporary 1/8-mile track on the 7,000-foot EPCAL runway will be required to have a muffler. Vehicles will be inspected prior to racing, he said. Motorcycles would not be permitted to race as well. Several residents spoke out against two pending racing proposals, including a separate event called the Scrambul Runway Challenge, during the May 19 Town Board meeting. “Everything will comply with strict safety protocols,” Mr. Scalzo said of his event, citing his experience with promoting more than 170 drag racing events that have been successfully completed without incident as well as running four race tracks. “I’m proud to say I have never ever had a claim paid out to a racer or spectator.” Racing will be limited to the 1/8-mile track with a speed limit set at 115 mph or no faster than six seconds, he said. He said those limits are not common at drag racing events and he’s received some negative feedback from racers, but has agreed to those limitations to ease safety concerns. Racers will also be required to wear a helmet, a change from his original presentation before the Town Board in April. He said the helmets will be required even thought the insurance company does not mandate it. The event would be sanctioned by the National Hot Rod Association, Mr. Scalzo said. Councilman Ken Rothwell, who has worked with Mr. Scalzo on the special event application, said Mr. Scazlo has “proven

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Oregon governor blocks motorcycle ‘lane splitting’ bill

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by Sara Cline from https://www.sfgate.com Earlier this month, Oregon lawmakers passed a bill that would allow motorcyclists to drive between slow or stopped traffic. However, despite bipartisan approval and hundreds of letters of written testimony — overwhelmingly in favor of the “lane splitting” legislation — Gov. Kate Brown this week vetoed the measure, citing public safety concerns. “I have several concerns with the bill as currently drafted, particularly related to public safety and noncompliance,” Brown said in a Wednesday letter to the state Senate president and House speaker, which was obtained by Oregon Public Broadcasting. Senate Bill 574 would have permitted motorcyclists to drive between lanes, on multilane highways, when traffic slowed to 10 mph (16 kph) or less — also known as “lane splitting” or “lane filtering.” In this situation, motorcyclists riding between cars could travel no more than 10 mph faster than the flow of traffic. States like California and Utah have enacted similar laws. While this idea concerned some drivers, motorcyclists argued lane splitting actually improves safety. “Perhaps one of the more dangerous situations for any on-highway motorcyclist is being caught in congested traffic, where stop-and-go vehicles, distracted and inattentive vehicle operators and environmental conditions pose an increased risk of physical contact with another vehicle or hazard,” Nicholas Haris, a representative for the American Motorcyclist Association, said in written testimony. “Even minor contact under such conditions can be disastrous for motorcyclists.” According to the Oregon Department of Transportation, in 2018, the most recent data available, there were 78 deadly motorcycle crashes in the state. “I have witnessed — during rolling traffic slowdowns on the Southern California freeway — motorcyclists cautiously, slowly and effectively moving through traffic and eliminating themselves from the traffic backup,” Kate Stoller, an Oregon motorcyclist, said in written testimony. In Utah, legislation passed in

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Public Safety meeting discusses illegal dirt bikes and excessive noise

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by Carolyn Noel from https://www.thereminder.com CHICOPEE – A Public Safety meeting took place to discuss illegal dirt bikes, motorcycles, speeding and excessive noise in the City of Chicopee on May 19. City Councilor William Courchesne, Ward 7, has been an active participant in the fight against this issue. At the City Council meeting on May 4, Courchesne spoke on the many phone calls he has received from upset residents in his ward. He also helped with updating the Code of the City of Chicopee to strengthen and modernize many noise ordinances. During the Public Safety meeting, residents were given the chance to voice their concerns on illegal dirt bikes, motorcycles, speeding and noise. Members of the Chicopee Police Department were also in attendance to respond and answer questions. One resident spoke on the danger of dirt bikes speeding along public streets. “They’re turning our public streets into their playgrounds,” she said. Attendee Gerald Lavoie agreed on the danger of dirt bikes speeding on streets, but also proposed that the city give them a safe space to ride. “The kids need a place to ride,” he said. Lavoie suggested opening up land for people to ride their dirt bikes safely by Westover Air Reserve Base, near Szot Park or anywhere else that could be accommodated. Resident David Perault spoke on his motorcycle-related concerns at the meeting. He said that from April through November the noise is “crazy.” He even compared the area he lives in to a speed race. “My apartment unfortunately faces the Chicopee River and what I like to call the Indianapolis 500,” said Perault. “These guys are flying.” He spoke on the excessive motorcycle noise that he had to deal with during the COVID-19 lockdown when he was home. He said that a lot of the motorcycles backfire,

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Gearhead’s Trike Story

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by Tim Graves with photos from Sam Burns That old trike was a real Frankenstein’s monster. She was the back end of a Corvair of a 1960 vintage and a front end of a Honda CB 500. She had a full-size keg gas tank on the chariot bed over the engine. The driver seat was a plastic Baja bucket. The passenger seat was none. Just a little history of what started me on the biker’s road. Click Here to Read this Photo Feature Article only on Bikernet. Join the Cantina for more – Subscribe Today. https://www.bikernet.com/pages/custom/subscription.aspx

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Veterans plan Memorial Day motorcycle ride despite roadblock

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by Angie Angers from https://www.baynews9.com It’s a Memorial Day tradition for tens of thousands of veterans to ride their motorcycles to the nation’s capital. Pentagon had blocked their permit request, but vets say they are going regardless This time, the event was nearly in jeopardy. Every May for more than 30 years, veterans from all over the country have made the trip to honor those gone and those still missing in action. “Not only continue the tradition of holding Congress and the government accountable for trying to find these over 82,000 missing veterans, but also for veteran suicide,” said organizer Tom McNamara with AMVETS. McNamara says they’re expecting roughly 100,000 veterans and they’d received nine out of the 10 permits needed to make the trip happen. But just recently, defense officials denied their application to use the Pentagon’s parking lot like they have for the last three decades. “Using our satellite views on how we’re going to stage motorcycles, and a month ago they came back and said, ‘No, we’re not gonna do it, and didn’t give us an answer as to why,’” McNamara said. Officials of the Pentagon later cited COVID safety concerns and left AMVETS scrambling for another plan. Now Rep. Brian Mast is involved and is accusing leaders of blocking the tradition. He sent a strongly-worded letter to Congress pushing them to reconsider. McNamara says — either way — the veterans are using their constitutional right to protest and will be coming to D.C. no matter what. “As our First Amendment right, these people are coming anyway, we’re going to be there anyway. So now, we’re just lining up on the streets,” he said. They just want to keep the tradition alive. “Let’s just say Congress will know about it,” McNamara said with a laugh. The ride

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May Motorcycle Bikernet Weekly News for May 6, 2021

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Hey, What’s the deal today? It’s motorcycle month. The sun is shining in Deadwood. The news is packed, and I’m waiting to close on our Sturgis property so I can unpack. The Bikernet Weekly News is sponsored in part by companies who also dig Freedom including: Cycle Source Magazine, the MRF, Las Vegas Bikefest, Iron Trader News, ChopperTown, BorntoRide.com and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum. Click Here to read the Weekly News on Bikernet. Join the Cantina for exclusive content – Subscribe Now. https://www.bikernet.com/pages/custom/subscription.aspx

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Laconia Motorcycle Week gets approval for parking and traffic

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from https://www.wmur.com Laconia City Council approves 100% parking, traffic capacity for Motorcycle Week Council considers lifting all COVID-19 restrictions on vendors, beer tents. Pre-pandemic parking approved for Laconia Motorcycle Week. The Laconia City Council voted Monday night to return to pre-pandemic parking and traffic flow for this summer’s Motorcycle Week. LACONIA, N.H. — The Laconia City Council voted Monday night to return to pre-pandemic parking and traffic flow for this summer’s Motorcycle Week. Last year, the event was scaled down and pushed to August. There were no vendor tents or big scheduled events as organizers and state officials hoped to cut down on the potential spread of COVID-19. With Monday night’s vote, the council opened the door to having full capacity at this year’s event, which is scheduled for June 12-20. Some council members also want to do away with COVID-19 restrictions when it comes to vendors and beer tents. “Everything is going 100% — restaurants, bars — everything,” said Councilor Tony Felch. “There’s no reason why we shouldn’t open things up for this event.” Others argued there should be some restrictions to limit risk as the pandemic continues. “We’re really asking people here who have health concerns to be totally not considered, and I do think we have some responsibility,” said Councilor Henry Lipman. “Above all else is safety.” Motorcycle Week organizers plan to revisit the issue at a special meeting in the next week or two.

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