The GUNNY'S SACK

March 2000

Don't miss this year's NCOM (National Coalition of Motorcyclists) and AIM Conference at the Airport Clarion hotel, in SAN FRANCISCO! May 11-13. The host hotel is already booked up. Call BILL BISH at NCOM, at 1-800-ON-A-BIKE, for information on the spillover hotel. We're expecting well over 1,000 bikers from ABATE's and Confederations all over the world!

THIS FEBRUARY, Sam Hochberg, our Oregon Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (AIM) attorney and I attended the Eugene Free Souls MC anniversary party, I think their 31st. The police ''protection'' was awesome. Here is a sound club that does good in the community and the Eugene authorities jump all over the chance to harass and intimidate Club members and their guests the whole evening. Now, Eugene is supposed to be a liberal town! Not to bikers. I personally saw a visitor from another club stopped and surrounded by FOUR cruisers not 50 feet from the club property. Cops of every description
surrounded this guy because he didn't signal a right turn. He was riding a restored old Panhead that didn't have signals from the factory and it was a dark moonless night. The only other traffic was bikes coming in and police cars from at least FOUR different jurisdictions. The guy I saw had his little girl with him.

Sam had his adventures too, riding with ABATE member Dave Morgan, along with a cameraman from a local ''Cop Watch'' who was videotaping the abomination that was taking place. They watched two bikes in front of them get stopped. Sam was in a car that was between the bikes and the police when the stop was made because one of the bikes supposedly didn't signal the turn. The camera in the car shot video showing the signals were indeed made.

Sam said he was the attorney for the bikers, but the cops made him stay 12 feet away, in the ''SAFETY'' zone, whatever that was. The stop was videotaped, while police photographed Sam, the cameraman, and the bikers. After careful thought, I suppose, the cops let it go without a ticket. After that, the next time Sam and friends went out in the car, they were tailed by unmarked cars. Sam says he's never seen so many police outside of a riot.

How much longer do we have to put up with this kind of treatment? We ride motorcycles and don't harass anybody. I don't know about you, but I think it's time we stopped turning the other cheek.

NEWS BITS'N PIECES:

PALESTINE, TX: Robbie Kneivel, the son of stuntman Evel Knievel, jumped a moving locomotive in a 200-foot, ramp to-ramp motorcycle stunt on live television.

About 10,000 people gathered along the eastern Texas tracks to watch as Robbie Knievel take off on a motorcycle just before a Texas State Railroad locomotive plowed into the wooden ramp. Landing safely on the other side, he said, ''That was close.''

Texas leads the nation in vehicle-railroad collisions. I wonder why? Kneivel stated before the jump: ''Anybody out there that tries this is out of their mind,'' according to the Palestine Herald-Press.

Robbie became famous in April 1989 by jumping the fountains at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, a stunt that nearly killed his father 21 years earlier. In May of 1999 he jumped a 200-foot-wide chasm of the Grand Canyon. I won't even jump curbs with my scoot. I'm tellin ya, professional or not, he's NUTS!

DANBURY, CT: Zapworld.com is a manufacturer of consumer electric vehicles, and Evercel Inc. is involved in the development and manufacture of advanced rechargeable batteries. The two have signed an agreement to jointly produce a line of products using the best of Zapworld's technology combined with Evercel's premium nickel-zinc batteries.

The first ZAP bikes with Evercel batteries are expected to reach the market in late 2000. Only trouble I see is that electric scooters aren't LOUD. What about ''LOUD PIPES SAVE LIVES?''

LAUGHLIN, NV: This little town 90 miles southeast of Las Vegas on the Colorado River, recorded a 3.9 percent increase in visitor volume and an 8.3 percent increase in gross gaming revenue for 1999, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA).

These healthy increases are due to many factors, among them the tens of thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts that come to Laughlin every spring. Laughlin is an easy ride from many of the western states and offers accommodations, gaming, and entertainment at a terrific value, and the Colorado River is right at your doorstep.

April 27-30, 2000 are the dates for the 18th annual Laughlin River Run. I'm told this is a FUN run.

WEN LIN, CHINA: Zhejiang Qianjiang, which means Zhejiang's ''River of Money,'' is the Lion Company's most successful motorcycle joint venture in China. They expect to produce one MILLION units this year, from 36cc mopeds to 250cc roadsters. This accounts for about ten percent of China's total production. Maybe it's time to invest in this motorcycle company. They seem to be doing things right.

LOS ANGELES, CA: Beginning May 5, 2000, Fox Sports will broadcast 11 hours/day, seven days/week, international sports programming to cable and satellite viewers across Central and Eastern Europe, including motorcycle shows and racing. Now I can move to Budapest, huh?

NEW YORK, NY: The board of directors of the Indian Motorcycle Company has appointed Mr. Henry Schimberg as executive chairman of the Indian Motorcycle Company.

Schimberg is a recently retired president and CEO of Coca-Cola, and this guy is among the group of investors responsible for the recent rebirth of the Indian Motorcycle Company.

The Indian Chief, of which only 1,100 were made in 1999, is a beautiful ride with classic styling of the Indians of the '40s and '50s.

The Scout was first introduced in 1920, and now it comes back to us in mid-year 2000. Each bike is hand-assembled in Indian's factory in Gilroy, Calif. Indian Motorcycle was originally founded in 1901 by bicycle racer George Hendee, in Springfield, MA.

The 2000 Indian Chief has a M.S.R.P. of $23,995 and is available now at Indian dealers across the country. To locate the nearest dealer, visit the company on the Web at www.indianmotorcycle.com. Check it out if you can. This is a NICE looking ride.

SAM'S AIM TIP 'O THE MONTH: This time it's political, not legal: There's a VERY nasty Oregon measure Sam and I both want you to know about in the May election; BALLOT MEASURE 81, and the message is NO. It's pushed by the powerful insurance companies 'no friends of bikers' and it would take away your rights in civil cases in the courts, and give power to the legislature to decide what rights you have to damages. That's NOT what our state Constitution was EVER about. These guys would change that, to protect special interest. Sam sez no. He'll tell you lots more if you wanna hear it. CALL him in Portland on this, or of course, his specialty of injury claims, at 503-224-1106, 1-800-347-1106, or ALWAYS 24 hours/day through AIM, at 1-800-ON-A-BIKE.

If you only vote once in your life now is the time to do it. Don't shine this one on, it hurts everyone that is ever hurt in an accident.

GUNNY AGAIN: The riding season is coming fast. Remember, pay attention out there folks, cage drivers have forgotten we exist. KEEP your eyes open. Scoots need to be checked out thoroughly too. Things like tires, new oil and coolant fluids if you use them, as well as battery life and such. Check 'em out now BEFORE YOU RIDE and save yourself some grief. If you have any good Spring checkup tips, send 'em to me at AIMGunny@aol.com, or even over to Sam at SamBikeLaw@aol.com. We can print 'em here.

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