A publication supporting the rights, safety and freedom of all motorcyclists through education and not legislation. JUNE 2011
VOLUME XX, ISSUE II
no matter what you ride,
abateofaz.org
ABATE of AZ. 7509 N. 12th St, #200 Phoenix, AZ 85020
Nonprofit Org US Postage Paid Permit #1662 Phoenix, AZ
we are all a brotherhood
Thanks to ABATE I was fortunate enough to attend the NCOM Meeting in New Mexico last month. There was an outstanding variety of thought provoking sessions that dealt with motorcyclist issues from discrimination, to profiling and getting riders to stand together, (no matter what they ride) in order preserve their right to ride free. For the last several years, ABATE of AZ has been trying to reach out to the Sport
Bike community to join ABATE to increase our numbers, add younger riders and increase the strength of our voice. As I was attending a break out “Lobby 101 Sport Bike Issues” I realized that sport bikes have their own unique problems, that in many cases we can’t relate to. We do know that they are stereotyped as “maniacs” who weave in and out of traffic recklessly, paying no attention to other vehicles. Do you really believe that everyone on a sports bike has a death wish? An outstanding presentation by Lady Ninja representing the National Sport Bike Association passionately detailed some of the reasons many of these moves are safety oriented. I think the message to the MRO’s, who are fighting for motorcycle rights, is that we cannot exclude or minimize the challenges these bikers face! If someone you know has a sports bike, bring them to a meeting, offer a bribe if you have to but urge them to get involved.
Double D (David Devereaux), another leader of the younger generation (can’t believe I’m using this phrase) is from Washington state. Law enforcement in Washington decided it was a good idea to set up “motorcycle only” stops, thereby profiling and harassing motorcyclists. Double D activated the Defender Program and got clubs as well as MRO’s to join forces and with their numbers and determination got the police to back off. He’s also has a video concerning how he got these results. If you or your group should encounter harassment, record in writing the following: Badge #, Name, Law Enforcement Agency, Date of Incident, Time and a dialog. The next and perhaps most important is to then call a lawyer. This is just a small sampling of what we can learn, and how we can be inspired by those who really take what’s preached about and put it into action.