The GUNNY'S SACK

BIKER ROAD BAN: For the past several months, I've been harping on my fellow bikers to stand up for their rights, and one way to do it is to visit your state legislatures. I had barely put last month's Sack to bed, when I received this letter from Doug Findlay, State Coordinator of ABATE OF VIRGINIA.

"Gunny, I hope 2007 becomes the year bikers find their voice. Here in Virginia we're planning a protest ride along the lines of what bikers did in England. In a nutshell we'll be clogging up the toll booths on the Friday leading into Labor Day weekend. The primary reason is Virginia DOT isn't following our state's anti-discrimination law when it comes to toll road design. Bikers are being excluded, and we're going to push back in a big way.

"I bet we make it into the Washington Post. I've already scouted the Dulles Toll road outbound from DC, and I'm hoping we can team up with ABATE OF MD to include the Chesapeake Bay Bridge as well. When the time draws near I hope you will help spread the word. Everyone I talk to is excited about the prospect of making a splash."

And spread the word we did, right here in the Sack. Contact these folks in Virginia. They're doing something about what's happening that severely LIMITS their freedom to ride, and eventually all ours, too. I will be eager to hear more about this one, and we'll see if our Oregon AIM (Aid to Injured Motorcyclists) Attorney, Sam Hochberg, can gather more info from the AIM lawyers in those parts.

WINTER AIM: Sam tells me that the AIM group of lawyers just had their annual meetings and seminars. They meet to learn from each other about what they're doing and can do in their states in Bikers Rights, and they hash over ideas in motorcycle personal injury law, which is how these guys make their actual living. Nearly every AIM lawyer is involved and contributing significantly in some way to the bikers rights movement in their own states, and many of the rights cases are "pro bono," Latin for "for the benefit of the public," or something like that. In English, it means the lawyers work for free. WHY? Most bikers who have worked with an AIM Lawyer in some way know that virtually ALL of these guys ride, and most for many, many years. I think of Larry Katkowski, aka "The Katman," who practices out of the Detriot area as the Michigan AIM Attorney. Katman stayed at Sam's when he rode to the West Coast with his wife on the back of the Tour Classic. Like Sam and many other AIM lawyers, Katman was a rider long before he was a lawyer, let alone before AIM started up, and he stayed riding.

ANNUAL RIGHTS CONFERENCE: This old Gunny will stop about the AIM lawyers, and instead invite you to meet these folks, and around two thousand-plus other riders involved in bikers rights from all over the US, and some from around the world as well, by coming to this year's AIM and NCOM (National Coalition of Motorcyclists) Convention. You won't be sorry. This year it will be in CHARLOTTE, North Carolina, May 10th - 13th, 2007. Details and online registration: http://www.aimncom.com/ncom/ncom_convention.htm, or just call AIM or NCOM, at 1-800-On-A-Bike.

OREGON MAY RESTRICT KIDS FROM ATV RIDING Oregon vs. ATV Riding Parents & Kids? Senator Allan Bates from Ashland, Oregon thinks he is smarter than most parents and is FOOLING AROUND with the rights of parents as to whether or not they have the intelligence to determine the abilities of their own kids' riding All Terrain Vehicles, ATV's. He is introducing SB49 that would put severe limitations on the ages kids could legally ride an ATV. It says in essence that kids under 12 cannot ride at all; those 12 to 16 would be limited to 90cc's or less. On top of that, there's ANOTHER alternative bill from these same quarters; it's SB101; and it requires Class I and Class III ATV operators who are 7 yrs old or older to have ATV operator permits whenever riding 'em on premises open to the public. This law would authorize fines up to $180.00. It's real apparent to me that our rights to ride almost any recreational vehicle are going to be severely restricted if we don't make it plain to our elected officials that we treasure our freedom. The full text of the first one, SB49, can be found here:

http://www.leg.state.or.us/07reg/measures/sb0001.dir/sb0049.intro.html

If you feel as this Gunny does, then make a difference . Contact your own state legislators if you live here in Oregon, and out-of-staters can contact the author of the bill, and you can also help by getting the word out:

Senator Allen Bates
900 Court St. NE, S-312
Salem, OR 97301
E-mail: sen.alanbates@state.or.us
Website: http://www.leg.state.or.us/bates

GUNNY SAYS: If ya don't have yer AIM Card, get in touch with AIM and get one in yer pocket. They are free and contain information that will help medical folks treat ya if you're hurt in an accident. You can join by signing up at an AIM Booth at most of the big events, or you can call AIM at 1-(800) ON-A-BIKE or you can visit the website at www.ON-A-BIKE.com.

Our AIM Attorneys are also available to be speakers at your group meetings. Give us a whistle and we can usually make it out to a meeting here in Oregon. Sam talks about bikes, bikers and the law, and there's a lot of territory in there you can inquire about, and he can give you a general analysis on what sorts of insurance to look for to best cover you as a motorcycle rider. The Gunny talks about the Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (AIM) program and I'll also tell you something about the National Coalition Of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and the Oregon Confederation of Clubs.