Overseas News
Biking around the world
Restoration of helmet laws threatened in US as bike sales climb
At least four state legislatures are already proposing to enact helmet laws in the early stages of their 2007 sessions: Arkansas, Montana, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. Spurred by a renewed federal enthusiasm in promoting helmet laws, and due to the increased popularity of motorcycle riding, state governments are seeking ways to curb the rise in motorcycle accidents and fatalities.
New motorcycle sales have topped one million for the fourth straight year, and have experienced 14 consecutive years of record sales, now triple the number of new bikes sold a decade ago. But along with that boom has come a corresponding increase in motorcycle deaths and injuries, with the latest figures from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reflecting a 13 percent increase in rider fatalities from 4,028 in 2004 to 4,553 in 2005.
Currently, 20 states and the District of Columbia require all motorcyclists to wear helmets, while the other 30 states allow freedom of choice for adult riders. Nationwide, NHTSA reports that approximately half of all motorcycle riders wear helmets, either by choice or by existing state helmet laws, and that approximately half of all rider fatalities were wearing helmets.
French bikers call for riders to sue Govt.
The French biker group FFMC is calling for all motorcyclists to sue the state collectively at the European Courts in Brussels for operating a ban on bikes in excess of 100bhp. The FFMC argue that French national law conflicts with EU law in presenting a barrier to trade by prohibiting the importation of bikes capable of producing in excess of 100bhp.
Pennsylvania motorcyclists modified their mandatory helmet law in 2003 to allow choice for riders 18 and older, but now a lawmaker wants bikers who don't wear a helmet to carry at least $10,000 in medical insurance to cover injuries if they crash. State Sen. Constance Williams says the requirement honours bikers' freedom to ride helmetless while taking financial responsibility.
Salt Lake City withdraws helmet proposal
Groundswell public opinion has put a potential helmet law back on the shelf in Utah. Bikers across the country took time to write, call and e-mail Mayor Rocky Anderson to oppose a Salt Lake City, Utah city ordinance requiring helmet use by all motorcyclists and bicyclists within the city.
The proposed legislation has now been withdrawn and the mayor's office has responded that they have, 'abandoned the proposal, due to the immense amount of calls and e-mails both from local motorcyclists and motorcyclists nationwide.
According to the BBC website, the United States spent $1.9 trillion on healthcare in 2004, so unhelmeted motorcyclists accounted for .00004% of the total costs. For comparison, caring for smoking related health problems cost the government $12.9 billion, or .007%, making it 150 times more costly.
Obesity costs the government $7.7 billion in healthcare expenses. Alcohol costs the government $12.2 billion in healthcare expenses. Medicaid fraud costs the government $140 billion in healthcare expenses.
Malaysian Biker gangs paid for fighting crime
A wing of Malaysia's ruling party plans to persuade unruly biker gangs to fight crime by offering them rewards for catching bag-snatchers, a report said.
Gang members would get 50 ringgit (£7.50) for each bag-snatcher caught, and a new motorbike if they round up 30, the United Malays National Organisation (Umno) youth wing has proposed.
"Once they catch at least 30 snatch thieves, we will reward them with a motorcycle each as an incentive," the youth wing's chief, Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim, was quoted as saying in The Star daily.
"Instead of wasting their time, they might as well help police combat crime," he added.
Motorbike gangs, or Mat Rempit as they are known, are the bane of Malaysian drivers who complain they roam the streets at night performing dangerous stunts and threatening other motorists.
Oscar winner and motorcycle enthusiast Russell Crowe is to work with the stars of US reality TV series, American Chopper. The custom bike-building family of Paul Senior, Paulie and Mikey Teutul, are in Australia to film three episodes of their hit show.
The trio will spend two weeks travelling across Australia to gather inspiration for an Australian-themed bike, which will eventually be sold at a charity auction.
Upside down and back to front
A new law in the province of Queensland, Australia will force all aspiring motorcycle riders to have passed their car permit first. As of July 1 2007 prospective bikers will have to drive a car for one year before being allowed to get a motorcycle license.
In their efforts to identify the causes of motorcycle accidents, European motorcycle trade body ACEM discovered that car drivers holding motorcycle licences are less likely to commit a perception failure than those without a motorcycle licence. MAG UK have often advanced the theory that bikers make better car drivers and argued that the roads would be safer for bikers if all motorists got experience of riding motorcycles.
Balloon pranksters 'enjoy' magistrate's humour
A Northern Ireland judge has told a teenager who admitted lobbing a water balloon at an oncoming motorcyclist he is lucky he did not have a death on his hands. Stuart Duckett, 19, of Cidercourt Drive, Crumlin, was ordered to pay £500 compensation to the biker.
Antrim Magistrates Court heard Duckett sat on the window ledge of a moving car. The driver was also fined £500 for not preventing his dangerous behaviour. The resident magistrate said it was 'like something out of the wild west."
RM Robert Alcorn told them he would like to see how the pair would handle a period in Maghaberry Prison, and they were led away to the court cells. An hour later he called them back, and asked them how they had found their new accommodation.
Duckett said it was "scary" while his co-accused, Mark Tweedie of Greenvale Park in Antrim, said it was "not nice". Mr Alcorn told them they were lucky they were not facing an attempted manslaughter charge.
The court heard that the motorcyclist was out for a drive on 11 June last year when he saw the car approaching with a man sitting on the window sill. His motorbike was struck, damaging the windscreen, stereo speaker cover, silver trim, camera hood and bodywork paint. The motorcyclist chased the car, and used a vehicle-mounted camera to take a picture of its registration plate which he passed on to police.
A solicitor for the men said they both appreciated their behaviour could have been quite dangerous but they were surprised at the extent of the damage caused by the water balloon. Duckett also received a suspended two-month sentence at a young offenders centre.
Custom builder fined over emissions
Reality show host Jesse James of 'Monster Garage' has agreed to pay $271,250 for violating California's air quality laws by selling motorcycles that did not meet the state's strict emissions standards, authorities said.
His Long Beach motorcycle building shop, West Coast Choppers, sold more than 50 new or custom-built motorcycles between 1998 and 2005 that were not certified by the Air Resources Board, the agency said in a statement Friday. As part of a settlement, the shop is building motorcycles that comply with emission standards, the board said.
Meanwhile S&S have obtained EPA Engine Certification on all three of its V-Series engine families, becoming the first motorcycle engine manufacturer to produce pre-certified EPA compliant engines for use by individuals and custom bike builders.
By using motors that are pre-certified to meet emissions regulations, individuals and builders can now build EPA compliant motorcycles without having to go through the complicated and costly emissions testing procedures themselves, thus allowing small volume manufacturers to build and sell as many custom motorcycles as they want to, and individuals can now own, ride and sell them without prior restrictions as long as the engine package is not altered in any way that increases exhaust emissions.
Under EPA regulations issued in 2003, custom bike builders are limited to building only 24 non-compliant motorcycles per model year, and individuals are allowed to own only one EPA exempt kit bike in their lifetime.
Connecticut - Female biker Peg Papanek has launched a crusade against handlebar height restrictions in her state after being fined $75 ticket for having handlebars with a height in excess of 15 inches.
Across the USA, 16 states have no restriction on handlebar height, 14 have a restriction that allows for smaller ape hangers only and 20 states retain the strict, 15-inch restriction. Ms. Papanek believes that the handlebar law was enacted not for safety reasons, but to make it easier for law enforcement officers to pull over suspected members of outlaw bike gangs. No empirical evidence is thought to exit that might prove that very high bars are a safety hazard.
The European umbrella group FEMA is very pleased to welcome the Spanish rider organisation Asociacion Mutua Motera (AMM), after the one-year granted observer status in the Federation. FEMA now comprises 23 national riders' organisations representing 18 countries across Europe.
AMM was created in 2002 with the main objectives of representing riders' interests. Upon formation its first objectives related to road tolls, crash barriers, setting up a bike locks certification system and a rider run insurance company. The body now has its own magazine 'Moteros.'
Swiss outlaw GPS
Speed cameras can be found in almost every Swiss village, behind signs, or in places where they are impossible to see. There are no licence points for speeding in Switzerland, just fines.
Since most GPS sets today have a built-in database of fixed speed cameras, and will be warn users when approaching one, the authorities have decided to ban the devices.
To be accurate, a GPS is allowed, but not if you have a speed camera warning database built-in. Most manufacturers like TomTom, Garmin, Mio, ViaMichelin, etc are fitted with camera information. If the Police think you're using one, they'll stop you, take away your GPS and destroy it, as well as giving you an extra fine. Since most modern GPS units have such a function it effectively means they are illegal in Switzerland.
The ROAD wishes to thank Bill Bish of the American National Coalition of Motorcyclists for many of the overseas stories in this section.
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