BIKERS VS. NASCAR As Daytona Bike Week draws to a close, it's interesting to ponder these statistics reported by the Los Angeles Times in an article concerning the Daytona Speedway in their February 20, 2005 edition.

According to a University of Central Florida survey, Daytona Beach's two annual motorcycle rallies, Bike Week and Biketoberfest, generated $744 million in revenue for the area and an equivalent of 17,800 full-time, year-round jobs in 2001, the year of the UCF study. Speedweeks and the Pepsi 400 in July, by comparison, brought $560 million and the equivalent of 10,600 full-time jobs.

So bikers are more beneficial to the economy than NASCAR moms and dads. Of course, we already knew that.


MORE STATS TO PONDER According to the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC);

- The number of motorcycles in the United States – 8.8 million – is a third more than in 1998.

- The percentage of female ownership has increased from 6.4 percent in 1990 to 9.6 percent in 2003.

- The median age of motorcycle owners is 42, up from 27 in 1985; the median income of motorcycle owners is $55,850, up from $25,600 in 1985.

- The median income of Harley buyers is about $80,000.


TATTOOS CAN SAVE YOU MONEY ON BIKE INSURANCE A motorcycle insurer studying its customers said its research data indicates that bikers who ride Harley-Davidsons have more tattoos than riders of sport bikes, but pay a lot less for insurance.

These and other differences emerged after Progressive, the Mayfield Village, Ohio-based insurer, rolled out the results of a nationwide online survey it conducted.

Rick Stern, a motorcycle product manager for Progressive, which bills itself as the largest provider of motorcycle coverage, explained the research to get under clients' skin. "Motorcycle insurance is a very specialized product and you never know what bit of information may lead to the next insurance innovation," he said.

According to the company, a married 25-year old male Mayfield, Ohio resident riding a 2004 model 1450 cc Harley Davidson FX Springer Softail would pay $1,487 in yearly premiums for full coverage insurance, compared with $2,799 for a 2004 model 750 cc Suzuki Katana 750.

So, what else can one tell about a person by the kind of motorcycle they ride?

Plenty, according to Progressive's data. The survey finds interesting differences - and similarities - between Harley-Davidson riders and those who ride sport bikes.

For example, everyone knows that Harley riders wear their passion for biking on their sleeve... literally. The survey finds Harley riders are three times more likely than those who ride sport bikes to own clothing or artwork that displays the brand of motorcycle they ride (93% versus 30%, respectively). Harley riders are also more likely to have body art such as tattoos and piercings (52% versus 40%).

The survey also finds that Harley riders are more likely than those who ride sport bikes to plan rides around where they'll eat (32% versus 23%). Sport bike riders are three times more likely to eat at fast-food restaurants (18% versus 6%), while riders of Harleys are nearly four times more likely to pick restaurants with the nicest looking waiters/waitresses (11% versus 3%).

The survey confirms that both rider groups have much in common, too. For example, both say "freedom" is the number one reason they ride. And though sport bikes are commonly known as "crotch-rockets", only six percent of those who ride them say they do so for "speed" while fewer than one percent of Harley riders say the same. Both groups listed the same top excuses for justifying a quick ride: running errands, testing the engine and visiting friends.

Progressive's survey also finds that 95% of all riders acknowledge their fellow bikers while riding by waving.

Additional survey results include:

-- An overwhelming majority of riders (88%) donate time or money to charities. Two-thirds of Harley riders (67%) and one-third of those who ride sport bikes (33%) participate in at least one charity ride each year.

-- 69% of all riders daydream at work each day about riding their bike.

-- 18% of all riders call in sick to work at least once a year to go riding.

-- Women prefer to ride with their significant other (58%), while men choose to ride with their friends (63%).

-- Adding custom parts that enhance the look of their bikes was the number one choice for Harley riders (73%), while adding performance equipment was the top choice for those who ride sport bikes (44%).


SPORT BIKERS UNITE From the founder of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (AIM) and the Confederations of Clubs (COC), comes a NEW national organization, the National Sport Bike Association (NSBA), dedicated to America's sport bike riders by helping them to help themselves through networking, organizing and knowledge of the laws. Founded by California attorney Richard M. Lester, the NSBA has joined NCOM to provide sport bike riders with an organization for their clubs and riding groups to join and a forum to voice their concerns and address their issues.

Few people outside of motorcycling understand the implications of "profiling" and being labeled by law enforcement and lawmakers as scofflaws and targeted for discriminatory policies.

NSBA will unite sport bikers and unify efforts to fight unjust laws and enforcement by creating an umbrella group, like NCOM, to bring together riders of all brands of sport bikes for common benefit.

Membership in NSBA is free, and members receive a patch, decal and plastic membership card, as well as the peace of mind of knowing that you’re not out there in the wind all alone! Over a thousand sport bike riders joined in Daytona during Bike Week. In addition, the North East Sport Bike Association (NESBA), with a membership base of 17,000 sportbikers, has joined NSBA, and the AIM Attorney Association will serve as its legal counsel nationwide.

For membership information, or to join NSBA, call (800) ON-A-BIKE.


WASHINGTON BILL COULD ALLOW LANE SPLITTING The practice of "lane splitting," riding a motorcycle between lanes of cars, is currently allowed only in California and Washington, D.C., but could soon be legalized in the state of Washington if a bill to reduce congestion becomes law.

House Bill 1176, sponsored by Rep. Jeff Morris (D-Anacortes), would allow motorcyclists to ride between lanes of stopped or slow-moving traffic, according to The News Tribune.

The practice is tolerated – though not legally provided for – in California, where it's seen as helping reduce traffic congestion, Morris said. Morris, who spends time in Southern California for work, said it's worth discussing legalizing it in Washington "because as you know, we have our own traffic congestion problems just short of Southern California."

But the Washington State Patrol is opposed to the bill, according to patrol spokesman Capt. Jeff DeVere. He told the committee that it would be difficult to set and enforce standards for appropriate speeds and conditions for lane splitting.

The committee also heard testimony on a bill that would allow motorcyclists to turn left against red lights at intersections controlled by sensors that fail to detect motorcycles. That bill, HB 1466, sponsored by Rep. Dennis Flannigan (D-Tacoma), would require motorcyclists to wait through a full cycle of lights before proceeding and would not exempt them from tickets if they run a red light not connected to a sensor. A similar measure was enacted in Tennessee last year.


PHILIPPINE CITIES BAN MOTORCYCLE HELMETS The Manila Bulletin reported that traffic enforcers have banned the wearing of crash helmets by motorcycle riders in the town proper in Batac, Ilocos Norte as a preventive measure against would-be assassins who may use the head gear to hide their identities. SPO3 Danilo Belendres said that Batac Mayor Jesus Nalupta Sr. ordered the lawmen to enforce the ban in the wake of several gun-slayings involving motorcycle-riding assassins who concealed their identities by wearing crash helmets.

Belendres said the motorcyclists could wear their helmet on the national highways after passing through the poblacion. In Laoag, the traffic enforcers are also enforcing a crash-helmet ban. It was observed that the non-wearing of helmets by motorcycle riders is now tolerated as a security measure against hooded killers. Record showed that the assassins of the late Batac Judge Ariston Rubio and Marcos town Mayor Rogelio Pambid wore helmets when they killed the victims.


WEIRD NEWS: COLUMBIAN POLICE IMPOUND DONKEY AS "OTHER VEHICLE" IN ACCIDENT KTRK-TV reported that police in Bogota, Columbia impounded a donkey named Pacho after it was involved in a motorcycle crash that caused serious injuries to the cyclist.

"When there are road accidents and serious injuries, the vehicles involved are always impounded," said Diana Rojas, spokeswoman for the Arauca city police department. "We had to impound both the donkey and the motorcycle and put them at the disposal of investigators so they can decide what to do with them and whether to release them."

Pacho's owner, Nelson Gonzalez, said no one should pin the blame on the donkey for Sunday's crash.

"Neither the donkey nor I were responsible because I was in front and the motorcyclist saw me" before crashing, Gonzalez said.

The suspect was a little long in the face after being arrested, but is braying for an early release.


NEW HYDROGEN-POWERED BIKE IS TOO QUIET The world's first hydrogen-powered motorcycle has been launched in Britain. It can reach 50mph in 12 seconds, produces no emissions and is as quiet as a laptop computer - but that could be a problem. Anti-noise campaigners welcomed the prospect of a motorcycle without the usual roar. But engineers are considering adding an artificial "vroom" as they were worried its silence might be dangerous.

Harry Bradbury, chief executive of manufacturer Intelligent Energy, said: "There has never been a silent bike produced, so no one is used to it. As it goes forward towards production, we're going to give thought to some light noise modulation." He is planning to introduce an artificial engine
noise which could be used in an urban setting to alert other road users but switched off in the countryside to allow for a peaceful ride. The bike is powered by a briefcase-sized cell filled with high-pressure hydrogen, which needs to be refilled every 100 miles.


BIKERS RIGHTS LEGISLATORS ATTENDING NCOM CONVENTION Retired U.S. Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, longtime bikers' rights champion and member of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists Legislative Task Force (NCOM-LTF), is expected to attend this year's 20th Annual NCOM Convention to receive thanks from our nation’s freedom fighters for his many years of support and dedication to our causes.

Other notable legislators serving on the NCOM-LTF include Wisconsin State Senator Dave Zien, South Dakota State Senator Jim Putnam, New Mexico State Rep. Rick Miera, Florida State Rep. Nancy Argenziano and West Virginia State Delegate Greg Butcher, all with longstanding records of supporting the rights of motorcyclists and many are longtime bikers rights activists themselves.
NCOM also welcomes Oregon State Senator Gary George to the NCOM Convention as a speaker and participant. "Senator George's record of working with the motorcyclists of Oregon is well known throughout the motorcycling community and the opportunity to bring recognition to him for his dedication to the 'Pursuit of Liberty' is long overdue," said Butch Harbaugh, Chairman of the NCOM Legislative Task Force. Senator George will be a Speaker at the Legislative Task Force seminar on Friday May 6th, and will join in a panel discussion with other legislators during Saturday's program.

This year's National Coalition of Motorcyclists Convention is to be held in Nashville, Tennessee, May 5-7, at the Sheraton Music City Hotel, located at 777 McGavock Pike. Call (615) 885-2200 for room reservations, and mention NCOM for the special rate of $79.00 per night single or double. You can pre-register for the Convention by calling NCOM at (800) 525-5355.


QUOTABLE QUOTE: "Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no
constitution, no law, no court can save it."
Learned Hand (1872 – 1961) US Federal Court judge, co-founder of The American
Law Institute