The GUNNY'S SACK

January 2000

From The MILLENNIUM

With everybody hootin' and hollering about the Millennium and Y2K problems, I'm here to tell you that my bet is that there will be no problems with my motorcycle. I've been told that the computer chips on vehicles will have NO 4-digit date problems, so I think my scoot will survive, even if I don't.

And speaking of surviving, a few months ago I mentioned in this column that doctors were maybe our worst enemies when we (bikers) were hurt in accidents. I also provided the documentation I used. Now, just this December 1999, there was extensive news coverage on this same subject. According to these reports, medical accidents inside hospitals alone are responsible for up to 98,000 deaths each year. One death every SEVEN MINUTES in this country. This is the 8th leading cause of preventable death. This story was so big that President Clinton made some remarks to the media about how this problem has to be cleaned up once and for all.

According to information in my hands from ''Bikers Against Medical Malfeasance'' P.O. Box 22, Idaville, PA 17337, I have to say I think doctors in general are a far larger public burden than injured bikers ever were. What we printed a little while back from these folks told us that diseases that kill up to 70,000 people every year are caused from medical personnel NOT WASHING THEIR HANDS PROPERLY, and that therapeutic (legal) drug use is responsible for as many as 198,815 deaths, and puts another 8.8 MILLION people in hospitals each year!

Something us bikers knew all along was that the emergency room docs are the people most often against freedom of choice on motorcycle helmets. Turns out they are also the worst offenders in these mistakes.

Here are some recent yearly numbers for you to chew on: Motorcycle fatalities 2,057, Pedestrian fatalities 5,300, Bus/Truck fatalities 5,194, Automobile fatalities 51,054. Terrible numbers, but look at this: Medical Malpractice Fatalities 643,800. And they say bikers are a PUBLIC BURDEN? Write to the above address and they will send you information. It should be clearly understood that the great MAJORITY of our doctors are very careful, caring, hardworking people who have our best interests at heart. These figures dismay them as well as us.

NEWS BITS'N PIECES:

BOLOGNA, Italy: It is the first bike of the new millennium. It is the first bike to enter Internet e-commerce. Ducati again breaks new ground in the motorcycle world with the MH900evoluzione's aggressive forward-thinking style.

Visit the MH900e page at www.ducati.com, and you Ducati lovers will find photos, specs and everything you want to know about the MH900e. Starting January 1, 2000, at 00:01 GMT, with the click of a button, customers can now reserve an MH900e to be built specifically for them. When a reservation is confirmed, it will be added to the official MH900evoluzione Owner Registry on www.ducati.com, where the owner will be able to track the bike's status.

Once built, the MH900e is sent to a local authorized Ducati Dealer in a special protective case. Then the dealer performs all final inspections and hands over the keys. Deliveries will begin in mid-summer 2000. Now that's a touch of class.

FRIDLEY, MN: An Andover resident won her first motorcycle in ''The Magic Match Game'' that began in July, and came to a close on November 18, when the winner was notified. Mariella Haas of Andover, MN., received her winning ticket at a Freedom Valu Center in Fridley, MN.

When store manager Tom Zwirn contacted Haas to inform her of the winning ticket, she was shocked to learn that she was the motorcycle winner. Haas' husband recently purchased a bike, but this will be her first motorcycle. Way to go Mariella. Congratulations!

SAN FRANCISCO, CA: MAD MAPS introduces a first in a line of maps customized for motorcycle touring people. Designed by veteran road warriors, the maps give detailed directions and descriptions of various stops along the routes, including biker-friendly eateries, gas stations, dealerships, rental, and safety information. The company is already charting additional touring maps for other areas of California, the United States and beyond. I could use one of those gettin' out of my driveway.

MOSCOW: The Russian industry has resumed the supply of heavy motorcycles for their Armed Forces. The off-road machines can be used by reconnaissance and patrol groups. They can carry two or three men and have a cargo lifting capacity of 25-100 kilograms. The speed of 100 kilometers per hour makes the cross-country machine maneuverable.

The first batch of the three-wheel motorcycles has been ordered by the Armed Forces for the Russian peacemakers in Kosovo.

MILWAUKEE,WI: Harley-Davidson riders can now browse for products online. The Genuine Harley-Davidson RoadStore (TM), is open now at www.harley-davidson.com. The new locator features the ability to search for a local dealer, maps to dealer locations, lists of dealership services, and even driving directions. They're gonna get your bucks one way or another.

LAS VEGAS, NV: This time, daredevil Evel Knievel landed with an ''I do'' instead of a thud. At the same fountains where he crashed 32 years ago, Knievel tied the knot recently with Crystal Kennedy at Caesar's Palace Hotel-Casino.

Knievel, 61, arrived at the ceremony on a motorcycle, then waited for his 30-year-old bride, who was escorted by Caesar and Cleopatra, of course. I knew that cradle robber still had it.

DISCRIMINATION: Our civil rights attorney, Spencer ''Spike'' Neal, is taking the City of Tigard, Oregon, to court. Seems they had this balloon festival, an annual public event, and they excluded patch-holders. Our own Oregon A.I.M. (Aid to Injured Motorcyclists) Attorney, Sam Hochberg, even rode with the patch people to be a witness. The Oregon Confederation of Clubs is backing it, too. Watch for more.

SAM'S AIM TIP 'O THE MONTH: Sam says a lot of bikers who are busted up in wrecks are told by their docs to ''go back to work if you can,'' and never get a work loss slip. Then, it's hell to put together a wage loss claim later. If you're hurt and you know you can't work, ASK your DOC to put it in writing. And if you're self-employed, keep good records of every job you had to turn down, so you can verify it later against the insurance company. Wrecks, of course, are what our A.I.M. (Aid to Injured Motorcyclists) lawyers handle. FREE LEGAL ADVICE is always at your telephone at 1-800-531-2424, or 1-800-ON-A-BIKE.

GUNNY AGAIN: The millennium may be upon us but that isn't going to affect the National Coalition Of Motorcyclists (NCOM) Annual Convention. Keep these dates in mind: May 11-13, 2000, and get your reservations early because they will go fast. This 15th annual NCOM CONVENTION will be at the CLARION HOTEL - SAN FRANCISCO AIRPORT, 401 E. Milbrae Ave, Milbrae, California 94030. Call 1-800-223-7111 for your room reservations. Mention NCOM for really special rates. Don't miss this one! Call Bill Bish at AIM/NCOM, at 1-800-531-2424 for more info. E-mail is NCOMpms@aol.com. Last year in Phoenix, nearly 900 bikers attended. There was barely room at the Silver Spoke Awards banquet and awards ceremony. The seminars are always the best and the information to take back to your people is almost overwhelming. If you're in Oregon, think about riding down! I'll be there lookin' for ya.

Keep the round side on the bottom.
Gunny, Oregon A.I.M. Chief of Staff