The GUNNY'S SACK

January 2005 It looks like we are in for another great year for motorcycling. And they could be looking even better if more bikers would support our legislative efforts by showing up at the Capitol when they can and talking with our elected representatives. Try it folks, it's actually fun, and the people we elected will get to know us and with our quiet respectful attitude we will win some of these battles.

We are the most welcome people that visit that special place. It's not what we wear, it's our conduct while we are there. We're welcomed because we play by the rules and we take our hats off in the house and show respect. Even if we are unhappy with some things in this country, we as a people have the right to change them. So few people in other parts of the world can say that. Freedom is so precious.

And back on the ROAD, your Gunny here is getting the ol' run schedule put together. I'm looking forward to a real busy 2005 and sharing the road and a horn of corn or two with all you folks this summer. LOOK for me at the AIM booth. That's Aid to Injured Motorcyclists. Through the AIM Attorney Association and Richard M. Lester, they are the sole financial support of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM)!

NCOM CONVENTION 2005: Put this on your schedule: The National Coalition of Motorcyclists will have their 20th annual Convention this year in NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE. How 'bout that for a location?

The Sheraton Music City Hotel is the place to be May 5-7, 2005. We have special room rates if you mention the NCOM Convention. The address is: 777 McGavock Pike, Nashville, Tenn. Call for reservations and do it soon. These special rates are only good till the end of March. After that ya pay fur da whole Hog. The SPECIAL RATES are $75.00 per night single or double, plus tax. The number to call for a room is: 615-885-2200. To pre-register, call NCOM at (800) 525-5355 or go online to www.ON-A-BIKE.com. I will see you there won't I? The plans are super and there will be a lot of work for us all, learning how to talk to our legislators and how bills are put together and passed...or how to mount a campaign to keep an anti-biker bill from being passed.

There will be a national meeting of all the Confederations of Clubs across the country, and ALL interested parties are invited to attend. Don't miss it. Motorcycle rights organizations, such as ABATEs, are now associate members of many Confederations around the country and members of all biker groups are generally encouraged to attend COC meetings.

At the national meeting we will find out what is going on judicially in our world. Yes, we're hitting them with a double-edged sword now, with our work in the lawmaking end of this via state legislatures all over the country and we're going after them in the courts too. We aren't winning all the battles, but we're dishing out plenty of spankings. Like I said we are learning the rules and using them to our advantage. Kind of a surprise for big brother, Huh!?

There is work in progress to bring the sport-bike riders into the mix to further strengthen our legislative clout. For some time now we've been working to gather the dirt bikers in too. They constantly suffer riding trail losses and public land closures. We need to pull with them to stop the nonsense. That's where these NCOM Conventions help us all. We are able to network our expertise and share our knowledge with each other and take the message home to our folks. It is effective and we do it ourselves. Come and see!

NEWSBITS 'N' PIECES:

ENGLAND: These good folks have the novel idea of using lottery money to help fund their rider training courses. The Thames Vale Advanced Motorcyclists have been awarded a grant of five thousand pounds to purchase twenty-five sets of bike-to-bike radios used in their riding courses. That's a good idea!

INDIA: Sponsorship in a charity run here will cost you 2,675 pounds, whatever that is in American currency. However, this entitles you the privilege of riding an Enfield Bullet on a 750 mile, nine day adventure across India with such sights as the mighty Himalayas, Old colonial Simia, the banks of the Ganges river and breathtaking mountain passes. The money goes to "Children Today" that provides grants to buy special needs devices for disabled kids. A big plus: You get to see how others on this planet live.

EVEL KNEIVEL: Back in 2001, Evel was photographed at an awards shindig with his arms around his wife and another lady. A U.S. web site published the pic with the caption, "You're never too old to be a pimp." Kneivel sued and the judge ruled against him. Evel is now taking his case to the U.S. Supreme Court on appeal.

NEW YORK, NY: Bikers in this area are losing their scoots to thieves who are selling the engines on the internet to the "DWARF" racing people. The engines are power for the tiny racecars that are becoming the rage in this country. NY police have arrested a group of sixteen people alleged to be involved. A NY firefighter is among the group. They are all facing trial.

UNITED KINGDOM: Newspapers in the UK tell of a stolen bike scam: The thieves steal a bike and grind the frame and engine numbers off and stamp crashed bike numbers in their place and sell the hot bikes as re-registered imported bikes. Authorities apparently are diligent when it comes to checking safety features but very lax about VIN numbers. Whoops! Sounds like they need a wake-up call. In the meantime, be very careful yourself if you plan to buy an imported scooter. It might be the very bike you had stolen from your garage last winter.

JAPAN: It's well known that Honda is developing an air-bag for motorcycles. Several manufacturers have been researching the idea for years. Guess they are close to a solution. BMW offered a similar idea but it was too costly and most folks declined the system. I'm no genius but I'm tellin' ya if I have to have an air-bag on my scoot the day has come when I sell the ride and take the bus.

INDIA: As part of India's Hydrogen energy program they have come up with a hydrogen- powered motorcycle that will soon be in testing. Now, that interests me, especially with the current cost of gas. There are already electric bikes; why not hydrogen bikes?

TEXAS: State Representative Norma Chavez finally got her special license plate. All other officials may have the special plate bearing the words "Texas State Official" for their cars. Her plate goes on her 1994 midnight blue H-D Sportster. She is the only woman legislator in Texas who rides. I think that's neat. And to top it off, she supports all of our motorcycling causes!

GUNNY AGAIN: These words come to you because we have lawyer people on our side of the fence and that's the message I try and convey each month. The Aid to Injured Motorcyclists attorneys all over this country are available to all of us in our time of need. That goes for those of us in deep doo-doo with the law, for whatever reason. All of our attorneys ride and they are here for us. Use them. It's to your advantage. If you have a legal question, call on the AIM attorney network. They will help. The national number is 1-800-ON-A-BIKE.