The GUNNY'S SACK

December 2006 Now that the Christmas season is past us, we can settle down and get ready to ride in this new year. Many of us are looking forward to showing off those new saddlebags, chrome doo-dads and all the other goodies we got from Santa. Others are busy getting our scoots ready to ride. Do the maintenance in the winter months, so you will be ready when the sun comes out.

Have ya got all those "Honey do's" done? Now is the time to get that stuff outta the way, too. That good woman that puts up with ya all summer when yer GONE every weekend on some run or another deserves some time, now that things are cold outside. She's the one who feeds ya and keeps ya warm at night, right? Now you WOMEN out there, you can just put the Gunny in reverse and apply all that to your old man!

Enough of my foolishness. Must be cabin fever setting in already!

WINTER SAFETY: If you don't want a breakdown or worse on your first ride of the new year, check those tires, and change the oil and other fluids. Give the bike a good cleaning, and a coat of wax won't hurt either. All any of this stuff does is make the riding season a little nicer. Maybe even sign up and take a riding course. Who knows, ya might just learn something or be reminded of a trick that will save your bacon this year.

INSURANCE SAFETY: Our Oregon AIM attorney Sam Hochberg wants to remind you to buy HIGH LIMITS of your uninsured and underinsured bike AND car coverage, because it's often ALL there is to protect you and your loved ones. Before Spring hits, Oregon clubs and associations can contact Sam to come to YOUR GROUP and give his free talk about the Law and Motorcycles, and how to protect yourself legally. All of our AIM lawyers nationwide are available to talk to your riding groups, so call Aid to Injured Motorcyclists at 1-800-ON-A-BIKE or surf on over to www.On-A-Bike.com.

NEWSBITS 'N' PIECES

DUCATI: Whooee! The DUKE has done it again. They have a new machine that's gorgeous! It's called the "Hypermotard." I'm told this critter is the cat's whiskers on mountain roads. It took "Best of Show" at the recent 63rd International Motorcycle Exhibition. At 385 lbs it'll hit 135 mph, and it's air cooled. Right now, it's a concept bike, but it won't be for long.

UNITED KINGDOM: No Luxembourg Compromise! The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG-UK) is calling for the UK Government to reject the "Luxembourg Compromise" for the 3rd European License Directive regarding motorcycle licensing. Y'see, WE still worry about HELMET LAWS in the USA, and we should be paying more attention to what's going on in Europe. The European Parliament is calling for structured licensing across the board in Europe. That means if you're 35 years old, for example, and a new rider, YOU WILL BE RESTRICTED to a lesser license than that your friends might have, and be forced to ride a bike with a smaller engine! MAG says this will have a detrimental effect on motorcycle riding all over the continent. Remember folks, when it happens in Europe, it isn't long before we are dealing with it right here at home.

WASHINGTON, D.C. According to the Associated Press, the Supreme Court refused to muscle into a dispute between the Hells Angels motorcycle club and some California law enforcement agencies over the shooting of three family pets during a police search. That leaves the door open for members of the club to sue for the 1998 raids that an appeals court said went too far. "THE (police) INTRUSION WAS SEVERE,'' the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said.

During a raid, the California police shot and killed PETS belonging to members of the Hells Angels MC. Even though a lot of stuff was seized by police, they never actually used any of it in court. So why did the police TAKE all that stuff? It's about time that justice is for all people, not just for everybody EXCEPT members of motorcycle clubs. They are clubs, not criminal gangs, and it's about time they were recognized as such. This same police prejudice has reared it's ugly head again here in Portland, but THIS time, with a good result:

PORTLAND, OREGON: Pro Bono Legal Work Strikes a Blow! Police here backed off and WITHDREW their "criminal gang" designation of local biker and bar owner, Turtle, after a brief flurry of correspondence between his lawyer and the police. Oregon AIM (Aid to Injured Motorcyclists) Attorney Sam Hochberg represented Turtle at the git-go, and old Sam shot off a letter requesting a hearing, as reported recently here in the SACK. Turtle belongs to the Brother Speed Motorcycle Club. When he asked around for advice, every biker said the same: "Go see Sam." About ten years ago, Sam and Spencer "Spike" Neal represented Bobbay, a member of the same club as Turtle, and who received the same "Criminal Gang Notification." That case went on in Federal Court a loooong time, until it was finally withdrawn, but there were NO FURTHER "Criminal Gang" designations applied under this ordinance again, until now.

The Oregon COC: Ready to Help -- Turtle wasn't alone defending his rights. Had the case gone further, the Oregon Confederation of Clubs had already pledged funds to assist Turtle with costs of his defense, including a possible lawsuit against the Portland Police, if needed. Had this "designation" succeeded, the bar that Turtle worked so hard to get might have been shut down. Thankfully, Lt. Mike Leloff of the Portland Police took the high road. In his letter withdrawing Turtle's Criminal Gang Designation, he apologized for the inconvenience, and ended with this: "You may consider this matter closed." Let's hope so this time.

If you'd like to meet our hero Turtle, pay him a visit at the TURTLE SHELL, at 117th & SE Division Street, in Portland, Oregon. Whenever a citizen stands up for his rights like Turtle did, he deserves our thanks. AND, it's a nice little neighborhood bar that is also biker-friendly, if you wanna thank him with your business.

BIKE STAMPS: On Aug. 7th this year during Sturgis, the role of motorcycles in American culture was recognized on four "American Motorcycles" stamps, with digital illustrations of a 1918 Cleveland, a 1940 Indian Four, a 1965 Harley-Davidson Electra-Glide, and an early 70's chopper. THIS Gunny has hit the local post office to buy those suckers up, and put 'em on my mail! And if you ever get mail from Sam, he STILL has a roll of these FIVE-CENT STAMPS from probably 25 years ago, with an antique bike on them. He'll pop one on his lawyer correspondence every now and then, along with the rest of the postage! What a cool way to promote motorcycling to the general public.

WASHINGTON STATE PATROL: These minions of the law are using a new approach to seatbelt cheaters. In Spanaway, WA, a State Trooper in plain clothes with a cardboard sign around his neck that read "Happy Holidays - Buckle Up," as he stood on a busy corner and helped bust 30 people for not wearing their seat belts. When he spotted someone who wasn't wearing a seat belt he radioed fellow troopers parked nearby who pulled over the offender. I guess most people thought he was a panhandler, and I would have, too. I call that entrapment, and a real waste of our police resources!

GUNNY AGAIN: As always, I remind everyone that the Aid to Injured Motorcyclists attorneys are our best source for redress when we find ourselves in a pickle. Call your nearest AIM attorney if you have any questions about the law as it affects you. They will try to advise you, and they're like Sam: If they CAN'T help you, they'll usually give you a name of someone they trust. AIM is not just about accidents anymore, but if you have one, you damn well want to TALK to an AIM lawyer. It's FREE to talk. Call 1-800-ON-A-BIKE, or use 1-800-531-2424. Doesn't cost ya to talk!

Keep the round side on the bottom.
Gunny, Oregon AIM Chief of Staff