California Lawmakers Pass Bill to Quiet Motorcycles

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- California, birthplace of Hells Angels and home to legions of weekend motorcycle warriors, has taken its latest step to subdue the state's boisterous two-wheeled culture.

The state Senate on Monday voted 21-16, the bare majority needed, to pass a bill aimed at quieting the earsplitting roar from modified motorcycles.

SB435 would modify the California Vehicle Code to make it a crime to operate a motorcycle manufactured after Jan. 1, 2013, that fails to meet federal noise-emission control standards.

Motorcyclists whose vehicles lack the proper U.S. Environmental Protection Agency label would be subject to a fine of up to $100 for first-time offenders.

California is home to more than 10 percent of the country's registered motorcycles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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Supporters of the bill say many motorcycle owners modify their bikes to make them much louder, which in turn creates a public nuisance. Those modifications also allow the motorcycle to produce more harmful emissions.

"Basic common sense and decency dictates that when a motorcycle drives by and sets off every car alarm on the street, that is too loud," said the bill's author, Sen. Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills.

"This is just an extra layer of bureaucracy," said Wayne Harter, an owner of a Harley-Davidson dealership in San Jose. "Our scarce police resources could be better utilized."

Harter, who has been riding for more than 40 years, said adequate laws already are in place to deal with motorcycle noise and illegal mufflers.

Pavley said enforcement of existing federal noise regulations is lax because there is no uniform statute that gives state and local law enforcement officers the ability to write citations. That's what her bill aims to change.

The measure now goes to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who owns multiple motorcycles. Matt Connelly, a spokesman in the governor's press office, said Schwarzenegger has not taken a position on Pavley's bill.

The legislation isn't the first motorcycle-related bill to draw fire from California's biker community. A helmet law took effect in 1992 after extensive debate and publicity.

(reprinted from fresnobee.com)
By ROBIN HINDERY - Associated Press Writer 

Milwaukee (June 24, 2010) - Harley-Davidson will share the road with its customers this summer when Motor Company executives and employees enjoy the ride from the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee to Sturgis, S.D. for the 70th Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

The Harley-Davidson Ride to Sturgis starts in Milwaukee with Bike Night at the Harley-Davidson Museum on Thursday, August 5 then journeys through the heart of the Midwest and Black Hills stopping at eight Harley-Davidson dealerships and landing in Sturgis on Tuesday, August 10.

Harley-Davidson executives scheduled to ride from Milwaukee to Sturgis include CEO Keith Wandell, President and COO Matt Levatich, SVP and Chief Styling Officer Willie G. Davidson, Vice President of the Harley-Davidson Museum Bill Davidson and SVP and Chief Marketing Officer Mark-Hans Richer. Harley-Davidson riders and customers are welcome to join the ride and relax with the groups at various stops and dealer events.

"We've enjoyed riding many miles with our customers over the years," said Bill Davidson. "Riding from the Harley-Davidson Museum in our hometown of Milwaukee to Sturgis in the heart of the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota continues a tremendous tradition while giving us the chance to meet new friends along the way."

The schedule (subject to change) of events for the Harley-Davidson Ride to Sturgis is as follows:

• Thursday, August 5: 5:45 p.m. - Bike Night at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee
• Friday, August 6: 7:30 a.m. - Riders pancake breakfast and depart from Harley-Davidson Museum
  • 10 a.m. - Capital City Harley-Davidson, Madison, Wis.
  • 2 p.m. - Bala’s Harley-Davidson, Mauston, Wis.
  • 5:45 p.m. - La Crosse Area Harley-Davidson, La Crosse, Wis.
• Saturday, August 7: 8:30 a.m. - Rochester Harley-Davidson, Rochester, Minn.
  • 11:15 a.m. - Mankato, Harley-Davidson, Mankato, Minn.
  • 5:30 p.m. - J&L Harley-Davidson, Sioux Falls, S.D.
• Sunday, August 8: 3:30 p.m. - Peterson Harley-Davidson, Pierre, S.D.
• Monday, August 9: 2:30 p.m. - Black Hills Harley-Davidson, Rapid City, S.D.
• Tuesday, August 10: 2 p.m. - Harley-Davidson Motor Company riders arrive in Sturgis with the 10th Annual Dakota Thunder Motorcycle Run followed by a moving veteran's tribute and B-1 fly-by over Main Street.

In addition to the Ride to Sturgis, Harley-Davidson will be hosting free events at two all-new locations in the heart of Sturgis this year. Visit 3rd and Lazelle streets from Friday, Aug. 6 through Saturday, Aug. 14 for the Harley-Davidson Road Tour featuring the newly released 2011 Harley-Davidson motorcycles, other Harley-Davidson products and H.O.G. members-only pin stop. Demo rides for the 2011 Harley-Davidson motorcycles will be available in Sturgis near Interstate 90 at Exit 30 beginning Saturday, Aug. 7 through Friday, Aug. 13.

For the most up-to-date information on Harley-Davidson events at the 2010 Sturgis Rally, please visit www.h-d.com/sturgis.

Harley-Davidson Motor Company, the only major U.S.-based motorcycle manufacturer, produces heavyweight motorcycles and a complete line of motorcycle parts, accessories and general merchandise. For more information, visit Harley-Davidson's Web site at www.harley-davidson.com.

Congressional Motorcycle Safety caucus urges riders to participate in Ride to Work Day

From a press release issued by the Motorcycle Industry Council

Washington, D.C., June 18 – In an open letter to motorcyclists the Congressional Motorcycle Safety Caucus (CMSC) Co-chairs, U.S. Representatives Michael Burgess (R-TX) and Gabrielle Giffords, with Caucus Members John Duncan (R-TN), Bob Filner (D-CA) and Walter Jones (R-NC) urged riders to participate in the annual Ride to Work Day on June 21 and encouraged riders and other road users to focus on safety. Ride to Work Day encourages employers, government officials and the general public to be more aware that riders come from all occupations and walks of life and that riding motorcycles and scooters is a social good.

The Members state in the letter, “This year, on June 21, more than a million riders will commute to work on their motorcycles. This annual event offers motorcyclists an opportunity to highlight motorcycles as a viable, fun and fuel-efficient mode of transportation. We encourage you to participate and to use the day as a reminder to get involved in motorcycle safety.”

The letter encouraged riders to get involved and to do their part to help grow the Caucus, “Please help us…by contacting your Member of Congress and encouraging him or her to join the Congressional Motorcycle Safety Caucus (CMSC). Information about your Representative and how to get in touch can be found by visiting http://www.house.gov/.”

The Caucus Members also noted that Ride to Work Day provides an opportunity to remind other road users of their role in motorcycle safety. “Our Caucus encourages drivers of cars, SUVs and other vehicles to be aware of motorcycles and to look out for motorcyclists. In over two thirds of fatal car-motorcycle crashes the driver of the car was at fault, making it very important that our audience is broader than just those who ride.”

To read the letter, Click Here

To learn more about Ride to Work Day, visit http://www.ridetowork.org/.

The Motorcycle Industry Council’s (MIC) Senior Vice President for Government Relations, Kathy Van Kleeck said, “Ride to Work Day is an important opportunity for motorcyclists to make a positive statement and we would like to thank the Caucus Co-chairs and the other Members of the Congressional Motorcycle Safety Caucus for their involvement and continued commitment to motorcycle safety.”

Duane Taylor, MIC’s Director, Federal Affairs stated, “The CMSC is an effective voice for motorcycle safety. As noted in the letter, the CMSC has passed Congressional Resolutions supporting the goals of May As Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, hosted a Capitol Hill event attended by the Secretary of Transportation, and ensured that motorcycle safety is remembered in the transportation reauthorization process as well as highlighting Ride to Work Day.” Taylor continued, “I encourage all riders to get involved and to ask their Member to sign up for the Caucus.”

The Motorcycle Industry Council exists to preserve, protect and promote motorcycling through government relations, communications and media relations, statistics and research, aftermarket programs, development of data communications standards, and activities surrounding technical and regulatory issues. It is a not-for-profit, national industry association representing manufacturers and distributors of motorcycles, scooters, motorcycle/ATV/ROV parts and accessories, and members of allied trades such as insurance, finance and investment companies, media companies and consultants.

The MIC is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., with a government relations office adjacent to Washington, D.C. First called the MIC in 1970, the organization has been in operation since 1914. Visit the MIC at www.mic.org .

Wisconsin officials mobilize to retain Harley-Davidson

Harley-Davidson pulling out its factory out of Milwaukee? That would be like General Motors abandoning Detroit, Kellogg's waving goodbye to Battle Creek, Mich., or Coca-Cola disappearing from Atlanta. But Harley is warning its unions that it could be leaving cheeseheads behind.

The Associated Press quotes a Harley spokesman as saying that significant "cost gaps" that are costing the company millions need to be closed -- mostly dealing with worker pay and lack of fully flexible work schedules.

If the gaps can't be closed, hey, it's a big country.

Now Wisconsin politicians are mobilizing to try to keep H-D alive and well in the Badger State. The company is talking to its union, a local of the United Steelworkers International Union, about what it needs to keep making engines in Milwaukee. About 1,320 jobs are at stake.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett issued a statement saying he's going to do everything to keep those big Harley engines firing up in his city for the time to come. But as the AP points out, Harley is having to contend with an aging customer base and overseas competition. The bigger opportunities may lie overseas for Harley.

reprinted from the USA Today).

Viper Motorcycle Company Receives the First Ilmor Designed 152 Inch Production Engines

Viper Motorcycle Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Viper Powersports Inc., announced today delivery of the first re-designed production short stroke engines for the 2011 Viper build.

According to Terry Nesbitt, President, Viper Motorcycle Company, "The new engines are incredible. All engines and drive case parts are CNC machined from 6061 aluminum billet alloy. Each component piece is then hand polished by American craftsmen prior to assembly. The 152 is the largest and most powerful air/oil cooled production v-twin available. In addition to overall increased performance, the new engine produces considerably less vibration and runs cooler due to the improved oil flow throughout the engine via an Ilmor designed twin scavenge dry-sump oiling system. Peak torque is an industry first massive 153 foot pounds."

Paul Ray, President, Ilmor Engineering Inc., stated, "We have hundreds of hours of dyno testing resulting in a powerful, dependable, EPA certified high mileage engine. This is a Viper proprietary engine with state-of-the-art technology. The Ilmor air/oil dry-sump scavenge system utilizes 3 oil pump stages. The first stage is for oil feed with twin stages for independent drainage of the heads and crankcase, greatly improving overall oil flow. Our unique system provides much needed cooling to the cylinder heads, well beyond conventional air cooling resulting in greater reliability. The Viper/Ilmor crankshaft uses an oversize crank pin for durability and has a unique balance formula to dramatically reduce vibration levels."

Nesbitt continues, "We are extremely excited at this mutual opportunity. Our Joint Venture relationship with Ilmor will enable us to continue moving forward as an OEM providing a unique proprietary product designed and manufactured by Viper/Ilmor. The 2011 Diamondback 152 is scheduled for shipment in May while our second model, the Mamba is scheduled for later introduction this summer and will also be powered by the all new Ilmor 152. With an industry first chassis and the incredible Ilmor engine, we expect our sales will continue to grow resulting in enhanced brand value and visibility. We will also continue to increase our brand visibility through cross-marketing activities with Ilmor Engineering Inc."

Viper Powersports designs, manufactures and markets a line of premium American V-Twin Super Cruiser motorcycles, V-Twin aftermarket engines and other related aftermarket products through an independent dealer network. Joint venture partner Ilmor Engineering (www.ilmor.com), provides technical developmental support for the proprietary 152 cubic inch Viper V-Twin engine, utilizing their 25 years of engine design expertise, ensuring Viper's long term success as America's newest domestic OEM of motorcycles. Viper Powersports and Viper Motorcycle Company's websites are www.viperpowersports.com and www.vipermotorcycle.com.

The foregoing material may contain forward-looking statements. We caution that such statements may be subject to uncertainties and that actual results could differ materially from the fore-going statements. Readers accordingly should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements which do not reflect anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances occurring after the date of these forward-looking statements.

Harley-Davidson may leave Wisconsin if costs don't fall

By DINESH RAMDE (AP) – April 29, 2010

MILWAUKEE — Motorcycle maker Harley-Davidson Inc. warned its employees Thursday it could move its Wisconsin manufacturing operations to another U.S. state if it can't cut millions of dollars in costs.

A recent analysis found a number of significant "cost gaps" that must be filled for the company to remain competitive, Harley spokesman Bob Klein said. The largest gaps involved labor costs and scheduling flexibility, Klein said.

"We'll be talking with the unions about how to close those competitive gaps," he said.

One of Harley's largest unions, the Local 2-209 chapter of the United Steelworkers International Union, did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

The Wisconsin plants at risk include its powertrain operations in Milwaukee. Those operations, with about 1,320 employees, are already being consolidated, and company officials have said the move would result in an unspecified number of job cuts.

The other Wisconsin plant, in Tomahawk, makes components including motorcycle windshields. It has about 375 workers, Klein said.

Even while holding discussions with union leaders, the company plans to look at sites in other states, Klein said. He declined to say which states, or how many sites, were under consideration.

The announcement was first reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett pledged in a statement to do everything he could "to ensure Harley-Davidson remains a proud Wisconsin company for generations to come."

The Milwaukee-based company has been struggling with sluggish sales, particularly of its high-end bikes. It reported last week that its first-quarter profit plunged 72 percent from the same period last year, while revenue dropped 19 percent. Retail sales of its heavyweight motorcycles fell more than 18 percent worldwide, the company said, with sales in the U.S. falling by nearly a quarter.

In December, Harley and its union agreed to a seven-year contract at its main motorcycle assembly plant in York, Pa. Under that contract, Harley would shut down one of two factories there and lay off nearly half the unionized work force of about 1,950 employees.

Harley-Davidson has many factors working against it in the U.S., including an aging customer base and growing competition from rivals. The company has long said it is focusing more attention and investment in markets overseas, where it has more room for growth.

Harley shares rose 83 cents, or 2.4 percent, to close at $35 on Thursday. Shares have traded in a 52-week range of $14.99 to $36.13.

ABATE of Florida, Inc. Welcomes
May 2010 as Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month

Deland, FL, April 29, 2010 – ABATE of Florida, Inc., Florida’s largest Motorcyclists’ Rights Organization (MRO), is continually trying to educate the motoring public of motorcycles’ presence on the thousands of miles making up Florida’s roadways.  Many of ABATE of Florida’s 32 chapters will be conducting additional functions throughout May, stepping up their efforts during Motorcycle Safety and Awareness month; educating the public that motorcycles are on the same roads as other Florida motorists.

The most recent statistics released from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles show that as of 2008, there were 649,210 motorcycle registrations in FL, an increase of 124% since 2000.  Luckily, Florida deaths per motorcycles registered have been on the decrease in recent years, but we ask that this fact does not minimize the attentiveness of those we share the road with.

We further ask that drivers of other vehicles please remember that motorcycles have the same rights as cars and trucks.  Distracted driving has become a conversational topic across the nation lately, and Florida is no exception.  Drivers paying extra attention when they see or hear a motorcycle may save a life.

Please offer motorcycles more following distance when driving nearby them, and never attempt to occupy the same lane of traffic as a motorcycle.

As in many years past, ABATE of Florida, Inc. has asked the Governor of Florida to declare May as the month dedicated to motorcyclists, in a combined effort to have motorcycle safety and awareness recognized nation-wide.  Recognizing the seriousness, Governor Crist has signed a Proclamation stating May 2010 as Motorcycle Safety and Awareness month throughout Florida.  Many of our chapters have followed suit with their local elected officials; the signed Proclamations are available on ABATE of Florida’s website at www.ABATEFlorida.com.

----
With almost 8,000 members, ABATE of Florida, Inc. is Florida’s largest Motorcyclists’ Rights Organization, and the fourth largest nationwide.  ABATE of Florida members consist of all types of motorcyclists.  Our missions include educating the public about motorcycle awareness and continuing to fight in Tallahassee for the rights of every motorcyclist and the public in general.  To aid in these ends, we have an exclusive lobbyist and have founded the Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Program, both with the intentions to help make the roads safer for everyone. 

----

Contact:
David “Lockdown” Rich
Public Relations Trustee, ABATE of Florida, Inc.
386.490.4821   FAX: 396.490.4482
statepr@abateflorida.com
www.ABATEFlorida.com

Wandell slashes costs, cuts jobs in effort to save motorcycle firm

Having climbed aboard an American icon at one of the most difficult points in its history, Keith Wandell has been driven by an overriding thought:

Don't let Harley-Davidson become General Motors.

Now, nearly a year into the job, Harley's chief executive officer has cut millions of dollars in costs, eliminated thousands of jobs and brought a sense of urgency to the world's largest maker of heavyweight motorcycles.

Some of the changes, particularly the job cuts, have been painful. But in his first extensive interview since taking the reins, Wandell told the Journal Sentinel last week that the actions he took were necessary and designed to keep Harley relevant and profitable in the long term.

"There is not one of us who wakes up in the morning and says, 'Wow, this is another opportunity to ruin someone's life,' " Wandell said. ". . .  But you cannot turn your head and look the other way when there are issues that are going to ruin the company. I wish we could be totally clear about that."

Given that the global economy was in a tailspin a year ago, Wandell was a logical choice for Harley's top spot. In his previous job as president and chief operating officer at Johnson Controls Inc., he was responsible for controlling costs and answering to Wall Street. He had testified in Congress, along with Detroit auto executives, when the automakers were seeking federal loans to keep them out of bankruptcy.

So after joining Harley-Davidson, he absolutely did not want the 107-year-old Milwaukee manufacturer to behave like General Motors. And he was taken aback by Harley employees who worried that his experience at an auto-industry supplier such as Johnson Controls might be a bad thing - a close tie to an industry that had fallen into deep trouble.

Look in a mirror, he told them - Harley was already so far down that same path "it wasn't even funny."

"We had too many dealerships, there was too much inventory and we had driven down the residual value of our products. Doesn't all of that sound familiar?" he told the Journal Sentinel.

During the past 11 months, though, "Everything we have done has been just the opposite of that," he said.

Stock analysts have praised Wandell for showing aggressive leadership.

"You only have to look to the auto industry for evidence that if you don't make changes early enough, it could be really bad for the company and the employees, long term," said analyst Robin Diedrich with Edward Jones Co.

Since January 2009, Harley has announced the closing of two factories and a distribution center. The company also has announced cuts totaling about 25% of its workforce - at least 2,700 hourly workers and 840 administrative employees.

The labor union at its plant in York, Pa., grudgingly accepted a seven-year contract that eliminated more than half of 1,900 jobs but kept the York factory from being relocated to Kentucky. Work has been outsourced so that Harley can focus on its core competencies, such as making motorcycle frames and engines, and painting and assembling bikes.

"We are never going to be as efficient or as competitive as outside suppliers" on other things, said Wandell, who took over at Harley last May 1.

Harley's expansion plan in Milwaukee was placed on hold, largely due to the economy. The plant on Capitol Drive is closing, with the work sent to the Pilgrim Road factory, and a distribution center in Franklin is closing and being outsourced.

Buell Motorcycle Co., an East Troy bike manufacturer that won accolades on the race track but was not profitable for Harley, its owner, was eliminated during Wandell's first six months.

"We were selling seven, eight, maybe 10 (Buell) bikes a day worldwide," Wandell said. "This was a business that had been looked at repeatedly by the board of directors. But what was different this time was the depth of the recession."

Harley decided to sell its MV Agusta motorcycle division, which it had acquired in 2008 for $109 million but did not live up to expectations.

"We were allocating our limited resources to different brands and were starving the Harley-Davidson brand," Wandell said.

All told, Harley expects its restructuring will cost $430 million to $460 million and will lead to annual savings of $240 million to $260 million when finished. For 2010 alone, restructuring will save $135 million to $155 million.

"I don't really have any misgivings," Wandell said. "That is not meant to be self-serving, but I can honestly look you in the eye and say I don't know that I would have done anything a whole lot differently."

Shipments falling

Harley said shipments of its bikes to dealers in 2009 fell 27% to 223,023. For 2010, it expects shipments to fall another 5% to 10%, to between 201,000 and 212,000 motorcycles. That's a big drop from 2007, when the company shipped about 350,000 motorcycles.

Going forward, Harley-Davidson will be a smaller but more focused operation, said Diedrich, the Edward Jones analyst.

Like many companies, it needed to shed some pounds, according to analyst Ned Douthat with Ockham Research. Things would have been far worse if Wandell had not taken aggressive actions, he said.

This will be a challenging year for Harley on many fronts, given lingering uncertainty in the economy and cautious consumer spending. Still, there have been encouraging signs such as a sales increase in Europe and cost savings from restructuring.

The company has launched several new motorcycles, including a three-wheeler aimed at older riders and a macho Sportster aimed at a younger crowd but with styling from the 1940s.

The latter has become one of Harley's hottest-selling bikes, along with another Sportster where more than half of the buyers are under age 35 - a pivotal demographic as the company attempts to lure younger riders.

Harley knows it must get better and faster at developing new products while not offending loyal customers who have treated the brand with reverence.

"We are not naïve about that," Wandell said. "I believe that as long as we don't change those products that our customers love, they are OK with us going outside of the boundaries a little bit to bring new riders in."

The company can't afford to start 10 product design projects and hope that three of them reach the marketplace, Wandell said. There's going to be a "rifle shot" approach to new ideas rather than a wasteful "shotgun" approach.

Looking ahead, his mettle will be tested by contract negotiations with the United Steelworkers in Milwaukee and Kansas City.

It's a difficult time for organized labor, said Mike Masik, president of United Steelworkers Local 2-209 in Milwaukee.

"Right now, it doesn't seem to matter if you are hourly or salary, everybody is getting banged," he said.

Putting on the miles

Meantime, Wandell is answering critics who say he does not have enough grease under his fingernails to understand the Harley culture - since becoming CEO, he has put more than 5,000 miles on his Road King bike, including a trip to the Sturgis, S.D., motorcycle rally last summer.

Not long ago, Harley could sell every bike it manufactured and then some. As recently as 2006 it had a profit of $1 billion, compared with a $55 million loss in 2009.

The boom times ended in the recession, but Wandell is determined to restore the critical balance between supply and demand, keeping Harleys as hot items in the marketplace.

"We have to find ways to make sure this company is as great going forward as it has been in the past. And those ways are different now than they were 10 or 15 years ago," he said.
Deep heritage

Wandell is aware that Harley's heritage runs deep and that its brand has incredible staying power, partly because previous management had not tinkered too much with the winning formula. He is the first Harley CEO to come from outside the company since at least 1986, when the company became publicly traded.

But he is not going to let tradition get in the way of setting a new course for the company, one that includes cutting costs, attracting younger customers and strengthening the value of the Harley brand in non-traditional ways.

"I give it everything I got. And I honestly believe in what we are doing," he said. "I am probably the last guy in the room who wants to see us imitate what the auto industry has done."
***

Wandell's moves

• Shut down Buell Motorcycle Co., a specialty sports bike manufacturer based in East Troy.

• Decided to sell Harley's MV Agusta motorcycle division, which it had acquired in 2008 for $109 million.

Since January 2009: Harley has announced the closing of two factories and a distribution center and announced cuts totaling about 25% of its workforce.

(reprinted from JSOnline)

Motorcycle deaths unaccountably plunge after long rise

After rising steadily for nearly a dozen years to set a record in 2008, the number of people killed nationally in motorcycle accidents dropped dramatically last year, according to a report issued Thursday.

The report by the Governors Highway Safety Association found that fatal crashes declined nearly 16 percent in the first nine months of 2009, compared with the same period the year before.

There was no ready explanation for the drop, a year after the 5,290 motorcycle fatalities set a record. The speculation included that the economy was keeping motorcyclists off the road, that a 42 percent drop in new motorcycle sales last year resulted in fewer novice riders and that publicity about deaths had heightened the awareness of both motorcyclists and motorists.

The number of fatalities dropped 38 percent in the District, by 26 percent in Maryland and by 13 percent in Virginia, the report said.

"It's good news that fatalities are decreasing, but I really don't have a clue as to why," said Samir Ahmed, an Oklahoma State University expert who is leading a four-year, $3 million research project on the cause of motorcycle accidents. "I really don't see anything that would cause that, unless people are just not riding."

During the nine-month period of the comparison, the District and 38 states reported a drop in motorcycle deaths, and 12 states recorded an increase. California had 133 fewer deaths, Florida had 111 fewer and Ohio had 48 fewer. Only two states -- Hawaii and Rhode Island -- had double-digit increases. Once numbers for the final three months of 2009 are factored in, the report projects, the annual fatality decline will be 10 percent.

Ahmed cautioned against reading too much into data from a nine-month period.

"The fact that there was a blip from one year to the next won't really tell us that much," he said. "The upward trend has been going on for 12 years. Show me several years of downward, and then we have something."

Making choices

In soliciting the data in the report, the GHSA also asked state safety agencies to articulate the reasons for the decline.

Several responses pointed to the economy and underscored that a significant portion of motorcycling is for recreation rather than transportation.

"If you have a choice between paying your mortgage or your motorcycle insurance or payment, go with the mortgage," one respondent said.

Others suggested that high fuel prices and the independent image of motorcyclists had previously caused a temporary surge in ridership.

(reprinted from the Washington Post)

Harley-Davidson changing rally locations, leaving Rapid City

Rapid City will not host Harley-Davidson during the 2010 Sturgis motorcycle rally.

After more than 20 years, the motorcycle company is moving its corporate presence from its usual location at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center to Sturgis, according Brian Maliski, the civic center’s general manager.

Harley-Davidson is under new management and has refocused its vision, Maliski said. Company officials want to be closer to their customers by bringing the company to them instead of having the customers come to the company, according to Maliski.

“My understanding was that the new Harley CEO wanted to be in Sturgis itself,” Maliski said.

A phone call to Harley-Davidson corporate headquarters was not returned Sunday.

The company told the civic center administration after last year’s rally that 2010 would be different, according to Jayne Kraemer, civic center assistant general manager. On Thursday, Harley-Davidson told the civic center it would be moving to Sturgis this year. The company is considering a site near the Sturgis Community Center, according to Kraemer.

Civic center officials say the move will cost them about $31,000, since Harley-Davidson is a mid-level vendor. (The Rapid City Rush and the Black Hills Stock Show & Rodeo are the civic center’s top vendors.)

“Financially, it’s not going to be a travesty to the civic center, but Harley has been one of our partners for over 20 years, and when you lose that, it’s sad,” Maliski said.

In previous shows, Harley-Davidson has showcased new models, parts and accessories at the civic center during the Sturgis rally.

In its heyday, Harley-Davidson had a large presence -- spending about $100,000 per show and bringing in as many people -- but the company started shrinking its show in 2005 and pushed it entirely outside the civic center building last year.

Maliski said the civic center lost its advantage with the company when it moved outside. With 4,000 parking spaces, the civic center excels at indoor events with about a half-million square feet of inside space, Maliski said.

The local Harley dealership, Black Hills Harley-Davidson, was not a part of the discussion between corporate headquarters and the civic center, according to Terry Rymer, general manager of the local store. He said the dealership set up at the civic center each year so customers could buy Harley-Davidson products; the corporate show only displayed merchandise but did not sell it.

As a franchise, Black Hills Harley-Davidson is free to make its own decisions about its rally venues. Rymer said his store hasn’t formalized plans for this year’s rally yet.

(reprinted from the Rapid City Journal)

Smaller Crowds A Good Thing For Bike Week?

DAYTONA BEACH -- Bike Week 2010 is reaching a climax in the Daytona Beach area, but not everyone is impressed with the crowds.

Ray Branton has been manning the barber's chair along Beach Street for nearly three decades.
   
He's seen the popularity of Bike Week explode and now start to come back to Earth.

"Used to, we didn't get that many,” Branton said. “I can remember when 10 [thousand] or 15,000 was a big crowd. Now, we have a lot more than that."

Branton doubts the city ever saw half a million people come to town for the week, but admitted it may have been close in the early 90s.
   
While most agree the crowds are down this year compared to years past, Branton said that's probably a good thing for those who have made the trip.

"We see the people smiling and laughing. Where we've seen it when you couldn't see the bricks out there. And you see the faces, where they have to wait for somebody to move before they move, and they're not smiling and they're not having a good time, really," Branton said.

Tom Miller works security down the street outside Froggy's Saloon.

He's been coming down from Wisconsin for the week since 2001.

What he sees on some days, he can't believe his eyes.

"It's got a circus atmosphere,” Miller said. “With the fringes and the animals, it's crazy. Long time ago you never seen on a hotel sign 'Welcome Bikers.' They hated bikers. Now, all of a sudden."

Branton and Miller agree those who attended the first Bike Week would never recognize the 69th edition.

"Definitely not. No way. They'd probably say 'oh my God,'” Branton said.

"No. They'd go ‘what the heck is that? What is going on here?’" Miller said.

That's not to say the hardcore bike crowd is gone. You just have to look a little harder.

Branton said another possible reason for smaller crowds is there were only about four big motorcycle rallies across the country in the past.

These days, you can find one just about any weekend.

(reprinted from Central Florida News 13 website)

Erik Buell, whose sport bike company was recently shut down by former owner Harley-Davidson Inc., has started his own company, Erik Buell Racing.

Although the liquidation sale of the old Buell Motorcycle Co. hasn't even finished, the company's founder is deep into a new venture: Erik Buell Racing.

Working out of a small shop in East Troy, where his factory was located, Buell is building racing motorcycles one at a time.

Last fall, Harley-Davidson Inc. announced it was shutting down the sport bike manufacturer it had owned for more than a decade.

Harley executives said Buell Motorcycle Co. was not profitable and had simply run out of time.

Now, 59-year-old Erik Buell is on his own.

Gone is the Harley corporate staff that had supported his company's marketing and manufacturing.

Gone is the factory, along with the company headquarters, resulting in the loss of nearly 200 jobs.

"I really can't describe how awful that was," Buell said. "With every piece of equipment that was sold, I knew the guy who ran it, and I knew he was out of a job. That, to me, was extraordinarily painful."

Erik Buell Racing, on the other hand, has a staff of eight people. Buell quips that there are three main investors: "Me, myself and I."

He answers his own telephone calls now and does his own marketing.

He helps build the race bikes that bear his name, and he would not hesitate to sweep the shop floor or do any other job in the fledgling company.

Harley had offered Buell a job as an adviser in its engineering department. But it probably wouldn't have been a good fit, since Buell's passion is for racing-style bikes rather than Harley cruisers and touring motorcycles.

In the motorcycle industry, Buell has always been an underdog working on a tight budget. Although Harley supported the company financially, Buell's operating budget was minuscule compared with its foreign competitors Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki.

The Harley and Buell corporate cultures sometimes clashed, since Harley was so much bigger than Buell.

Harley shipped 187,085 motorcycles in 2009, compared with 8,753 for Buell and a sister company, Italy-based MV Agusta.

"It was like dancing with an elephant, and the elephant was doing a different dance," Buell said. "That part was always very difficult and was absolutely exhausting."

Now, Buell can make his own decisions.
Lean, fast machines

Harley-Davidson has granted him a license to continue building Buell motorcycles, but for racing use only rather than street riding.

The timing is good, given that a Buell 1125R bike won the coveted American Motorcycle Association sport bike championship last fall. It was the first pro championship for an American motorcycle manufacturer since 1986.

Racing fuels the sport-bike community, where the lean, fast machines are something like Porsche and Ferrari sports cars.

A win at the racetrack can result in millions of dollars in sales for motorcycle manufacturers that use racing as a marketing tool for their street-legal bikes.

"In my mind, we had finally brought Buell Motorcycle Co. to a high level of racing," Buell said.

With limited resources, Buell hopes to build about 25 race bikes this year. He will sell them to race teams and individuals wanting to be successful at the track with something other than Japanese-made motorcycles.

"I still believe that an American-made sport bike has a lot of potential," Buell said.

There will be Buell motorcycles in the Daytona 200 race in March and other races in 2010.

While Erik Buell Racing won't have the resources to sponsor a team this year, it will support other riders on Buell motorcycles.

The company has sold two racing bikes to an Italian race team. It also will sell bike parts to racers.
Competitive urge alive

Buell has a loyal, intense following in the sport-bike world, including riders from other countries.

"In my opinion, Buell was really starting to hit its stride" when Harley-Davidson dropped it, said Graham Mansill, a Buell rider from Brisbane, Australia.

"Harley seemed to be hellbent on crushing Buell just as they were achieving the road racing success that Harley never could," he said. "It's a step in the right direction that Erik Buell has been able to start Erik Buell Racing. What I would really like to see, however, is for Harley-Davidson to do the right thing and release or sell the design and manufacturing rights so that Erik Buell and his elves can develop and manufacture both race and street motorcycles."

Buell, however, says he understands that Harley had to make the choice it made. "We understood that they needed to focus on their core business in these tough times, and it wasn't us."

His new company could be a bridge to something else, or it could remain a small, niche business.

A few key suppliers chose not to make parts for the new, smaller company. That was a temporary setback.

"I don't expect to show a profit this year," Buell said. "If we are a little sluggish coming into the racing season, that's OK considering what we have been through."

In the 1970s, Erik Buell recorded the fastest qualifying time for a rookie in the history of the Daytona 200. It was quite an accomplishment for a guy who traveled from race to race in a van with two motorcycles in the back, sleeping with the bikes while an occasional hitchhiker shared the driving.

Buell scrounged for motorcycle parts and cash to keep his dream of being a professional racer alive.

That dream is still viable, although redirected a bit.

"I think I had better keep my competitive urge for the business," Buell said.

(reprinted from JSOnline.com)

Still no vote on Nebraska motorcycle helmet repeal

The Legislature took the motorcycle helmet law for another spin around the block on Wednesday.

After a two-hour ride, senators were back where they started with no first-round decision on whether they'll try to repeal Nebraska's law requiring motorcycle riders to wear helmets.

Pending is an effort by Sen. Charlie Janssen of Fremont to amend his bill to require riders 21 or older who do not wear helmets to have at least $1 million in medical reimbursement coverage. Riders younger than 21 still would be required to wear helmets.

Sen. Steve Lathrop of Omaha, an opponent of the bill, said Janssen's new language provides no penalty for lack of insurance and, in fact, makes it easy for riders younger than 21 to ride without helmets since they would be stopped by law enforcement officers only if they violated another law.

Lack of a helmet would be treated as a secondary offense in the same manner as failure to wear seat belts is not subject to penalty unless a driver is stopped for some other offense.

Janssen's effort to amend his bill to meet concerns expressed by opponents is simply window-dressing, Lathrop said.

During floor debate Wednesday, supporters of the repeal proposal framed their arguments in terms of personal freedom.

Now, state law "says to cyclists that we choose to step on your freedom," Janssen said, when it should be a rider's decision whether to wear a helmet.

"It isn't our job to try to run every step of somebody's life," said Sen. Mark Christensen of Imperial.

"Whose rights do we trample on next?" asked Sen. Scott Lautenbaugh of Omaha.

Sen. Cap Dierks of Ewing said the issue involves personal responsibility as well as personal freedom.

Sen. Kathy Campbell of Lincoln said 16 of the 19 motorcyclists who died on Nebraska roads in 2008 were not wearing helmets.

"For the sake of saving lives, we need to not repeal this law," she said.

Lathrop suggested Janssen's revised package acknowledges motorcycle-riding is "a high-risk activity" by mandating eye protection for riders, but is inconsistent in not mandating protective helmets.

The million-dollar insurance provision does not take into account the costs of long-term care, shifting the burden to taxpayers through Medicaid coverage, he said.

"Rehab and long-term care is on us," Lathrop said.

(reprinted from Lincoln Journal Star)

Nebraska Motorcycle Laws

Female Motorcycle Riders Band Together to Raise Money for MDA

MILWAUKEE, Feb. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- During this year's 69th Annual Daytona Bike Week, hundreds of female motorcycle enthusiasts and Harley-Davidson Motor Company are banding together to support the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) and their efforts to find a cure for neuromuscular disease.  On Tuesday, March 2, 2010, the MDA and the Motor Company will host the 3rd Annual Harley-Davidson Women's Ride. 

The Harley-Davidson Women's Ride will feature hundreds of female motorcyclists who'll ride through the streets of Daytona celebrating their freedom and passion for the sport, as well as supporting the important work of the MDA.  All of the ride participants will be encouraged to secure pledges and donations from their friends and families to support MDA Summer Camp programs across the country.  The first 500 eligible riders will receive a 2010 MDA pin, Women's Ride flag and riders who raise $600 will receive a one-of-a kind charm.  Also, the top three fundraisers will receive a Harley-Davidson jacket.  Last year's ride raised more than $65,000 for MDA Summer Camps.

Ride staging will take place between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. near Gate 70 of the Daytona International Speedway.  The ride will depart at 10 a.m. and continue to Riverfront Park on Beach Street.  Female riders of any brand of motorcycle interested in participating in the ride, or those interested in pledging support for the riders can go to www.mdarides.org. 

In addition to the Women's Ride, the Motor Company is also hosting a women's area at Riverfront Park on Beach Street throughout Bike Week. Experienced women riders or those just looking for information on how to get started can learn more about the sport by participating in bike lift seminars and getting information about learning to ride. They'll also be able to enter a raffle to win a new Pink Label Collection item from Harley-Davidson MotorClothes®.

For more information and to register for the 3rd Annual Harley-Davidson Women's Ride, visit www.mdarides.org.  To learn more about Harley-Davidson and women riders, visit www.harley-davidson.com/womenriders.

Harley-Davidson Motor Company produces heavyweight custom, cruiser and touring motorcycles and offers a complete line of Harley-Davidson motorcycle parts, accessories, riding gear and apparel, and general merchandise. For more information, visit Harley-Davidson's Web site at http://www.harley-davidson.com.

SOURCE Harley-Davidson

Aging Bikers Taking to the Streets on Beefy Trikes
Older motorcyclists staying in the saddle longer with comfy, easy to balance 3-wheelers

Arthur McCoy didn't let the amputation of a leg because of cancer stop him from riding motorcycles. The solution to his disability came in the form of a third wheel.

McCoy is among a growing group of aging motorcyclists taking up trikes: three-wheeled motorcycles that provide the stability and nearly all the comforts of a car while still allowing riders to feel the wind in their face.

"For us older folks, it's better on three wheels than two," said McCoy, now retired from a maintenance job. "You don't have the tendency to fall over."

A motorcycle rider since the 1960s, the 71-year-old from Lomita said his customized trike has made it possible for him and his wife, Dora, to go on long-haul trips to Arizona, Texas, Arkansas and Virginia at least once a month. They are members of Brothers of the Third Wheel, an international club for trike enthusiasts.

Motorcycle industry experts say they expect to see more trikes on the road in the coming years as baby boomers, the largest group of motorcycle owners in the country, age out of their two wheelers.

"Boomers are a very important segment of the motorcycle market," said Ty Van Hooydonk, a spokesman for the Motorcycle Industry Council. "They are staying more active than past generations."

People born between 1946 and 1964 make up 43 percent of motorcycle owners in the U.S., or 4.5 million out of 10.4 million, according to a 2008 survey by the Irvine-based trade group.

Trikes allow riders with arthritis, back pain and other physical ailments to go on long-distance rides comfortably. Some come with reverse gears so riders don't have to push the motorcycles into a parking space.

Their ample size make them hard to miss.

"People in cars tend to ignore motorcycles. Trikes are a fairly big and therefore more visible," said Jim McGrath, 75, of Chula Vista, whose bright red, low-riding Rewaco trike measures 12 1/2 feet long and 6 feet wide.

(reprinted from ABC News)

Newest Harley takes riders to Forty-Eight

Harley-Davidson Inc. has introduced another bike in its Dark Custom series of motorcycles that have a blacked-out, retro look aimed at younger riders.

Named the Forty-Eight, the latest Harley creation has a small solo seat, a fatter front tire and the company's classic 2.1-gallon peanut fuel tank.

The name represents the year 1948, which is when Harley-Davidson first included the peanut fuel tank on one of its motorcycles, the model S 125.

Dark Customs are meant to recall the looks of motorcycles just after World War II, when riders took military-surplus bikes and stripped away everything they could to reduce weight and give them a bare-bones appearance.

The Forty-Eight joins the Harley Nightster, Iron 883, Cross Bones, Fat Bob and Street Bob bikes in the Dark Custom lineup.

With a 1200-cc Evolution engine, the Forty-Eight has a suggested retail price of $10,499. It comes in black, silver or orange and will be available at dealerships soon, the company said.

In January 2007, Harley introduced the Nightster, one of the first Dark Custom bikes.

Its raw-boned styling and macho, black denim finish has been popular with younger motorcycle enthusiasts, according to the company.

(reprinted from JSOnline)

Myrtle Beach area motorcycle rallies may run in tandem; Harley-Davidson rally trimmed to five days

NMB convention to coincide with Cruisin' the Coast event


Residents worried about a proposed motorcycle rally in North Myrtle Beach extending the spring rally season to three weeks won't have to worry if the plan moves forward with newly proposed changes.

The five-day convention, which had previously been billed as a free-standing event, would coincide with the Harley-Davidson Cruisin' the Coast Spring Rally after organizers agreed to move the dates of the new event earlier in the month of May.

Organizers of the Harley-Davidson spring rally said the Main Street event would likely be the official space for Harley-Davidson corporate and the Harley Owners Group events and be part of the larger rally - which has also been trimmed down to five days.

"The majority of what they would do is having Harley-Davidson there for demo rides and maybe some additional vendors. Basically it would be another location where there was something at Barefoot, Murrells Inlet and then stuff on Main Street. ... That would be kind of like the home base of Bike week," said Mike Shank, marketing director for Myrtle Beach Harley-Davidson. "Generally when corporate brings the demo rides, the Harley Owners Group attends and does an event pin."

Mark Lazarus, who is spearheading the North Myrtle Beach event with Horry County Councilman Harold Worley, said it will bring as many as 10,000 additional bikers to North Myrtle Beach through the HOG group. The two businessmen filed a special events permit application with North Myrtle Beach to be able to house about 40 vendors from May 11 through May 15 at their shared business venture, the O.D. Pavilion Amusement Park at Ocean Boulevard and Main Street. The original application called for later dates in May.

"What we're doing is strictly vending at the Pavilion site. The HOG Group generally holds pinning events at the corporate [sponsored booths]. We're looking at potentially 10,000 HOG members coming through to stop at that pinning event and bringing their business to Main Street," he said. "Would it be out of the question that other motorcyclists will come up to the corporate vending area? No. But, we won't have anything but vending from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. if we can get the city's approval."

Previous reports listed a host of different motorcycle and Harley-Davidson groups as being possibly involved with the rally, but Worley said that the local Myrtle Beach dealers and the corporate office are the only two groups working with them on the event. A letter sent from the Carolina Harley-Davidson Dealers Association last week confirmed that it will hold its rally in New Bern, N.C., again this spring after the stricter rally rules enacted by Myrtle Beach and Horry County prodded them to move the event last year.

Mike King, a spokesman for Harley-Davidson Motor Company in Milwaukee, Wis., said the only real involvement the company would have with an event like the one North Myrtle Beach is planning would be as a third party.

"Our position is that this would be an event led by a local dealer and a community ... and if we were to attend it would be to interact with our customers, but only as a third party," he said Friday.

Worley said if the event works out this year, it will be held on the third weekend in May in future years, which will put it closer to the Memorial Day weekend opening of the O.D. Pavilion. The North Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce has been polling businesses about their feelings on the rally and has formed a committee to look into the ordinance changes that would be needed for a long-term commitment to the event.

"We will release the findings of our survey at the public workshop on the proposal whenever the city holds it. Until then, we're not the driving force behind the event and the chamber feels like it would be better to wait for others to weigh in," said Marc Jordan, executive director of the chamber. "Overall, we're not recommending a change to the special event permitting process, though."

Shank said he hasn't seen a blueprint for the space that the Harley-Davidson test drives and display might need at the Pavilion venue, so he isn't sure if more vendors will be possible for the space. He said if anything is added, it would not involve late nights, loud music or the contests at some of the other venues.

"Everything we've done in the past closes at 7 p.m. At the dealership and even at Barefoot we've never gotten into staying open late playing music or having burnout pits or anything like that. If that's what works for your venue, that's fine, but we haven't done that," he said.

Shank said the number of vendors he has been allowed to book for the spring rally dropped from almost 200 in years past to just more than 50, with about 40 at the Shops at Barefoot Landing space and 13 at the Harley-Davidson dealership. He said the Barefoot vendor applications were sent out last week, but vendors will not be setting up through two weekends this year. Instead they will set up on May 10 and close May 15.

The North Myrtle Beach City Council is expected to discuss Worley and Lazarus's proposal at its Feb. 1 meeting, but that could change if more information is requested by the city.

(reprinted from the TheSunNews.com)
 

Myrtle Beach Bike Rally Calendar Listing

Buell Motorcycle Closes Factory & Liquidation Sale Begins End of January

The Buell Motorcycle Company, a subsidiary of Harley-Davidson, has ceased manufacturing motorcycles. On January 28th, 2010 Liquid Asset Partners, a Michigan liquidation firm, will begin the liquidation sale of vehicles and factory equipment from the State-of-the-Art facility. Over the past 26 years Buell has manufactured over 130,000 motorcycles and created avid fans worldwide. The liquidation sale will be a once in a lifetime opportunity for Buell riders and fans to view the inside of the factory and purchase the equipment used to make the high tech sportbikes.

"Buell had a great run as a quality American motorcycle with fans worldwide." says Bill Melvin Jr., CEO of Liquid Asset Partners. "Buell spared no expense in making their beautiful bikes and in purchasing the factory equipment. There is a tremendous interest in the equipment and vehicles left in the factory and there are so many tools nobody will go home empty handed!"

The liquidation sale will start January 28th and run everyday for 30 days until everything is sold. Regardless of cost or loss, millions of dollars worth of equipment and tools will be sold directly on the factory floor. The Liquidation firm will be selling at enormous discounts, right from the start. Customers can buy tools for their garage, computers for their offices, and motorcycle specific equipment for making and testing their bikes.

"This factory was a state of the art, small scale factory. It's the type of facility that many tools and items will be of great interest to the home mechanic and motorcycle fanatic." says Bill Melvin Jr., CEO of Liquid Asset Partners. " To make the sale successful we are prepared to deeply discount the inventory and sell everything in one month! It's stacked high and we're selling it cheap. The public won't want to miss these deals".

The liquidation sale starts January 28th at the Buell Factory at 2815 Buell Dr, East Troy, WI. It is open to the public everyday until everything is sold. Hours of operation are 10am till 7pm Monday thru Saturday and 12noon to 5pm on Sunday. Buyers may view photos and inventory online at www.LiquidAssetPartners.com.

(reprinted from TradingMarkets.com)

Many Massachusetts motorcyclists to get rebates under insurance settlements

Three insurers will collectively return more than $11 million to motorcycle owners in Massachusetts who were overcharged for insurance, under settlements the companies reached with Attorney General Martha Coakley’s office.

Coakley’s staff said Safety Insurance Co. will return $7.2 million, Liberty Mutual will return $3.1 million and Quincy Mutual will return $800,000 to current and former customers. The companies also will make payments to the state totaling $500,000.

Coakley’s staff has been investigating this issue for more than a year. Her investigators found that insurers were not adjusting motorcycle values for their steady depreciation over time and instead were using the same value for a bike for several consecutive years to gauge premium levels.

The average refund to consumers could approach $300, but some could get thousands of dollars. Coakley’s staff estimates that tens of thousands of motorcycle owners in Massachusetts could be affected.

Glenn Greenberg, a spokesman for Boston-based Liberty Mutual, said about 9,200 current and former Liberty Mutual customers will see a rebate, and the typical rebate would be about $150.

“We have immediately addressed and corrected the issue,” Greenberg said. “We’re promptly refunding everybody that’s due a refund.”

Kevin Meskell, an executive vice president at Quincy Mutual, said his company doesn’t yet know how many of its 2,800 Massachusetts customers who own motorcycles will be affected. He said it’s likely at least 2,000 policyholders would get some kind of rebate.

“It was certainly nothing that Quincy Mutual intended to do,” Meskell said. “As soon as this was brought to our attention, we corrected all of our internal processes to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

Peter Rice, a lawyer for Boston-based Safety Insurance, said Safety disagreed with Coakley on a number of points, but the settlement provides for the best interests of Safety’s policyholders.

Rice said Safety had been following standard practices used by many Massachusetts insurers to calculate premiums for motorcycle coverage.

Motorcyclists praised the settlements, which were filed in Suffolk Superior Court on Thursday. But they said that a number of other insurance companies also evaluated motorcycles incorrectly.

Paul Cote of Amesbury, a longtime advocate for motorcyclists, said he wouldn’t be surprised if a dozen other insurers also overcharged customers based on improper valuations.

“It’s a start, a start that only represents at minimum 10 percent of what motorcycle consumers have been overcharged for the past 10 years,” Cote said of Coakley’s settlements.

Betsy Lister, an insurance agent from Medford who drives a motorcycle, said motorcyclists have repeatedly raised this issue with the state Division of Insurance and the attorney general’s office. She said the timing of the settlements was curious, given that they were announced in the heat of Coakley’s race for a seat in the U.S. Senate.

“They’ve been doing it going back to the early 2000s,” Lister said of the insurers’ overcharges. “This is something we’ve been fighting for years.”

By Jon Chesto
The Patriot Ledger
 

Residents Revved Up Over Little Italy Motorcycle Fest That Benefits Sick Kids

LITTLE ITALY — Some neighborhood residents are trying to put an end to a long-running motorcycle festival that benefits kids with life-threatening illnesses.

Gooch's Garlic Run, which has taken place every June for the past 23 years, helps children with brain tumors, leukemia, multiple sclerosis and other severe illnesses. It's organized by Blue Knights Motorcycle Club, a nonprofit organization of active and retired law enforcement agents, who raise money through corporate sponsorships and entry fees to ride.

It's also been a boon for business with thousands of motorcycle riders flocking to Mulberry Street.

But not everyone in the neighborhood loves it.

“They are uncontrollable," said NoHo resident and Community Board 2 member Zella Jones. "There are bikes and noise and people swearing.”

Residents also believe that the event has no local ties as the money the motorcycle crew from New Jersey has raised mostly benefits children on the other side of the Holland Tunnel.

Last year, Blue Knights raised $40,000 to benefit four children. To appease the Community Board 2, they said they would donate the money to two local kids. But due to a snafu, all proceeds went to kids from New Jersey.

“They didn’t follow through with the spirit of this event for us,” said Michael Chiara, who lives on Mulberry Street. “It doesn’t seem so difficult to achieve this result. They’re not wanted in our neighborhood any more.”

But Community Board 2’s Street Activities and Film Permits chair Evan Lederman said his committee is to blame for not selecting children to receive the money.

“We didn’t want to play favorites,” Lederman said. This year, though, the Street Activities and Film Permits committee has asked that the Blue Knights submit documentation to show how they will ensure money benefits local sick children.

Blue Knights Goodwill Ambassador Jeff Hunker said the group inspects motorcycles to make sure they have federally-approved mufflers before they ride. He said the group also has no qualms about which child benefits from the Garlic Run.

“We don’t care if the kid lives on Mulberry Street, somewhere else in Manhattan or the Bronx. A sick child is a sick child,” he said. “We just want to make a difference in their lives to ease the burden financially for families.”

Some locals also think the Blue Knights ease the economic burden on the community.

“They fill up the restaurants and help local businesses,” said Emily DePalo, who lives on Grand Street. “It’s a little noise when they come and go. So what?”

reprinted from DNAinfo.com - Manhattans Local News

By Nicole Breskin

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer