The GUNNY'S SACK

January 2001

Another DOC on OUR side: Dr. Dean Edell has a nationwide phone-in radio show about health. In late December, he was on the air while our Oregon AIM Attorney Sam Hochberg happened to be listening, talk-show fan that he is.
Sam tells us at the Sack that the good doctor was complaining about how irrational some of our safety laws are.
He started talking, as a joke, about how we ought to outlaw candles, or at least put warning labels on them because of the associated fire hazards.
Then he talked about head injuries, and said if people really wanted to have an impact on that, they should make car drivers wear helmets! He admitted nobody would go for that - and then said, and this is pretty much a quote,
''So what are we always picking on the poor motorcyclists for? They represent a TINY FRACTION of head injuries!'' Right on, doc! Let's get this man out to our next NCOM convention!!

NEWS BITS 'N PIECES:

BEIJING: According to Asia Pulse, the number of motorcycles per 100 urban households has risen about 40% in two years. As of the third quarter of 2000, 18.6 out of every 100 urban households in China owns a registered motorcycle! I doubt even Sturgis has that high a percentage per capita during STURGIS WEEK. I'm impressed.

ENGLAND: Model Jemma Kidd dressed up as a traffic cop to launch a campaign to show two-wheeled transport is just the ticket to solve London's transportation problems.
Ms Kidd was supporting motorcycling for London, where they're calling for more free and secure parking spaces for scooters and motorcycles. There are increasing numbers of commuters who use them to get into work there.
They were also calling for scooters and motorbikes, whose sales were up 27% last year, to be allowed to use bus lanes and be exempt from any congestion charges introduced by London Mayor Ken Livingstone.
Chairman of the National Motorcycle Council and spokesman for Motorcycling for London, Bob Doughty, said: ''Motorcycles and scooters give the personal freedom you get from a car but they are smaller, quicker and reduce congestion.''
Let's face it folks: We all know two wheeled rigs take up less space, use less fossil fuels, and are less polluting than other means of motorized transport.

MOTORCYCLE RECALL: Fisher-Price says their battery-powered toy motorcycles can have the foot pedal get stuck in the ''on'' position. Obviously this is a real concern for folks that have little guys riding these things and should be looked into promptly. I've got a son that has the same problem occasionally with his pick-up truck foot pedal. The results can be payments through the local judicial systems. Better to fix the problem.
Here's how to get the right scoop on these recalls of Battery-powered toy riding vehicles sold by Tek Nek Toys, Empire Industries and Fisher-Price from 1995 through 2000. On the Tek Nek and Empire models, the battery charger can overheat and cause a fire. Call Tek Nek at 877-446-7719. Call Empire at 1-800-872-1869, Monday-Friday, 8:15 a.m.-5 p.m. On the Fisher-Price motorcycles call Fisher-Price at 888-289-9292.

CHINA: Two-strokes ARE making a comeback. They're pushing them as better for the air in China, so this new Orbital design must be a lot cleaner than the old two-stroke bikes from the early 70's. Australia is selling the new engine to Chinese manufacturers as fast as they can ship them.

HAVANA: I read a copyrighted story off the AP the other day about how a lot of Russians and their vehicles stayed in Cuba, long after the USSR broke up. Said you can still find a lot or Russian Lada sedans and Ural motorcycles there. If you're looking to buy maybe that's the place to check out! I know the Ural motorcycle is rather popular here on the West Coast but don't think Russian cars would work well here on GOOD highways.

TIME IS TICKING: Time going too slow for ya? Try this one on for size.
Now, you can experience the rumble and roar of a Harley engine 24 hours, seven days a week-with the new, officially licensed Harley-Davidson Wall Clock. This thing announces each hour with a different HARLEY engine sound.
Keeps you right up to snuff on how the yur scoot should sound when it's runnin' right. Gotta git me one of those critters, just for laughs. You can git yurs at your nearest Harley dealer and many other department stores around the country.

SACRAMENTO, CA: Talk about needed scooter parking, listen to this pearl:
People suing the city for parking lot injuries from parking garage arms nearly had the city banning scooters from parking garages. After paying $68,000 in injury claims between 1992 and 1997 -- including two cases where the arm knocked passengers off the back of the bike -- the city considered banning motorcycles from parking garages altogether and ticketing those who rebelled.
When riders raised hell over it, officials instead decided to shorten the gate arms, allowing motorcycles to ride around the gate and park for free.
Now, however, after installing a new system of gates, the city is worried about bikes not being accounted for and the possibilities for attendants to tap the tills.
Bikers are saying NO! The attendants are the thieves not scooter people trying to park downtown. Why are city fathers so dense? We shouldn't have to pay the price for other peoples foibles. Parking officials should have taken bikes into consideration when they planned the new systems to start with.

JAPAN: From the newspaper Mainichi Shimbun comes this piece of reality.
It seems the powers that be were worried about the scooter people and their New Year's celebrations in this country.
The National Police Agency mobilized 33,000 officers across the nation to step up control of groups of motorcycle people, because they were rumored to be planning reckless driving sprees from New Year's Eve through the first three days of 2001.
From New Year's Eve on 1999 to Jan. 1 of 2000, police questioned nearly 1,440 motorcyclists for their suspected reckless and noisy riding on expressways and thoroughfares in the country. And we worry about harassment, WOW!

WOODCLIFF LAKE, NJ: BMW of North America, Inc. has continued its winning streak for calendar year 2000 and surpassed all previous U.S. sales figures. Their motorcycle sales are up even beyond 1999 figures, not to mention auto and sports activity type rigs. Seems Americans are starting to appreciate the reliability of these vehicles and scooters.

FLORIDA: It's time to plan for the annual National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) Convention. It's in Orlando, Florida on the Thursday-Saturday of mother's day weekend, at the airport Marriott. Get your room reservations NOW, 'cuz they're goin' fast, at (800) 766-6752. Really gonna be somethin' this year. Don't miss it. I'm sure gonna be there, and we're expecting well over a THOUSAND bikers rights people, including most of the AIM lawyers! Bill Bish at NCOM headquarters has all the scoop for you.
Call him at: 1-800-525-5355 and he'll send you flyers and such, or email him at aimncom@aimncom.com.

GUNNY AGAIN: If you are unfortunate and are run over on the road, ALWAYS call your nearest AIM attorney for advice and help. The national number is on your AIM Card right in front. No AIM Card? Try 1-(800)-ON=A-BIKE and tell 'em what happened and they will also send you an AIM Card if you ask for one. FREE. Call me at 503/359-5356, or email me at AIMGunny@aol.com, and I'll get one to you in Oregon. Come to a run and sign up this summer, as we have AIM booths set up at most motorcycle events. The AIM Card is free and the runs are fun too.

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