November Issue 170

Photography By Deb Davis

.Savanah Prosser

Columbia Photography By Deb Davis

Ms. Chrome November 2022

On The Cover William "Doug" Bixby Photography By Deb Davis

November and December are the 2 months with the LARGEST Group/ Parade Rides in South Carolina!

Motorcyclist are known for our Toy Runs for less fortunate children and Veteran Rides for Veteran Homes across SC that need a little extra appreciation especially during Christmas!

We at Carolina Chrome love to highlight our Veterans, espe cially in November. Throughout the year, Deb Davis heads up our Veterans support volunteer group called Ladies of Chrome. The Ladies of Chrome set up at event all year long giving out magazines, taking donations and encouraging event goers to sign a Christmas card. Donations collected help purchase socks, hats, shirts, pjs, gloves, etc. for Veterans homes and our goal is to also give them a Christmas card!

William "Doug" Bixby was photographed by Deb Davis as our November Veteran Issue's Cover! He has writen his cover story and we are grateful to him and other Veterans that have signed that blank check for us!

Retired to Camden, SC Retirement Date is October 1st, 2022

I was born and raised in Lexington County and graduated from Pelion High School in 2002.

I wanted to join the Army to find my way in life. My JROTC teachers, 1SG(R) Munn, 1SG(R) Barnes, and MAJ(R) Dorsey had such amazing patriotism and were great mentors during and after high school. I was a senior on September 11, 2001, and it was that very day that I surely knew where I wanted to be. I went to basic training in July 2002 after graduation and never looked back. My best memories are as a Drill Sergeant and as a First Sergeant!

I enlisted as a Military Intelligence Analyst and served for 20 years, two months. I have deployed to Afghanistan twice and to Tchad, Africa once. I have made the best friends and greatest family throughout my career! The brotherhood/ sisterhood that I have with so many people can never be forgotten. I loved my time in service and I now want to serve my home state. After retirement, I work as a project manager at the SC Department of Health and Human Services.

I owe everything to Jesus first, and my wife, Alicia second. I would have never survived without either of them. My wife and I have two amazing children, Dustin (14) and William and we currently reside in Camden, SC.

Thank you all so much for allowing me to do what I have loved to do.

This We'll Defend!

God Bless, William "Doug" Bixby First Sergeant (1SG), US Army (Retired)

Helping Warriors Thrive on the Home Front

Soldiers rarely forget what they have seen and done. For those serving or having served, getting out of their own heads - isolated with their memories and thoughts; instead of being present and living their best life in the present moment can be a huge challenge. We understand that challenge, and that is why the Big Red Barn Retreat (BRBR) offers integrated practices and

programs that allow Warriors to thrive at home. These integrated practices are alternatives to traditional treatments; and are provided to veterans, active duty service members, and first responders at little to no cost to them. So, we encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and join your brothers and sisters in arms at the BRBR as you begin to heal and live the life you deserve full of joy, connection, and purpose.

Riders Aid in the Fight Against PTSD

Riders Aid in the Fight Against PTSD

Article By Cammie Bunch

On Saturday, May 14 the Devoted Christians hosted a ride to benefit the Big Red Barn Retreat. The ride started at Harley Haven and ended at the BRBR. The Big Red Barn is a retreat for veterans, first responders, and their families.

The Big Red Barn Retreat was built in honor of Leon Irons, who passed away in 2009. Leon served in the Navy out of high school before beginning a successful career in the restaurant business. His family still operates the Sonic Drive-Ins in the Columbia area, as well as some other markets. To honor his life and his love of country, his family opened The Big Red Barn Retreat to help our military in need of healing find peace. The Big Red Barn Retreat is a non-profit 501(c)(3). It is located in Blythewood, SC. The BRBR offers yoga, Tai CHi, Healing Art, Equine Assisted programs, Gardening, and other services.

The Devoted Christians consider it to be an honor to present the Steel Horse 6 in order to aid in the equipping of military and first responders with the means to fight the war against PTSD. They did this by supporting the Big Red Barn Retreat. When over 40 bikes arrived at the BRBR there were vendors, bike games, a D.J., and even tours of the facility were offered! I, Cammie Bunch, went on one of the tours. It was wonderful! The gardens, cabins, ponds and horses were absolutely stun

ning. Sir Winston Churchill said, “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.” I found this tour to be good for my soul. Thus, I could only imagine what the BRBR could do for a Veteran and First Responder to treat them for PTSD and how it could help bring families back together.

The Devoted Christians would like to give special thanks to all the riders for helping make this event a success. The De voted Christians raised over $1,000.00 for the Big Red Barn Retreat.

#GivingTuesday is an independent nonprofit organization that is dedicated to unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. The movement, created in 2012, is organized in partnership with GivingTuesday's global network of leaders, partners, communities and generous individuals.

Do YOU want to help? Feel free to send personalized Christmas cards to Veterans' via mail or meeting up by contacting us!

Current Motorcycle Related Information

November is for Family and Turkey!

I know many of us will be riding in the toy runs and other events, but wanted to make sure we all remember to take the time to be with our families. Many of our fellow riders will not be here this year, and I have become more aware of the effects of loss many have of losing someone while doing the “Our Lives Are Worth More Than A Few Points” presentation. We have a very important one scheduled for November 19th in Myrtle Beach which is being sponsored by The Lovely Law Firm Injury Lawyers. Please take the time to share the flier from our website and if you can make it please come and attend.

Laws, Laws, and more Laws!

I find myself constantly dealing with the laws, laws, and more laws. Recently during a presentation at the Lexington Chapter I was asked about the issues with autonomous vehicles, and some had concerns with the drivers not using their hands. This was the one time I was happy to say that there currently are No Laws to allow these vehicles to operate in our state. Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s not coming, but currently our laws cover only vehicles that are driven by a licensed operator.

No, we didn’t Forget...

We will discuss, plan and start getting ready for the upcoming Legislative session in December. So take a little break, eat some turkey, spend time with your loved ones and ride. We will be sending out all the details shortly.

How to Stay Informed:

So out

Page Photography By Jim Buczkowski

Members from the South Congaree American Legion rode to Aiken at a meet and greet. Andy Powell was presented with an official chapter patch for bike riders of the American Legion Post 90 in South Congaree.

Vets motorcycle that attend at the Red Barn for chapter presentation

Motofest

On Saturday September 24th, The G.A.S. Vintage Motofest was held at the Saluda River Grill in Piedmont, SC. I heard about the event last year but was unable to get there. I decided to go this year.

After having lunch with my wife, Cindy, I drove my Miata south, and got onto I85 heading south toward Greenville, SC. The reason I drove rather than ride “Miss Vickie” was that traffic and construction on I85 is terrible, and not much fun on a motorcycle.

I stayed on I85 until I exited at Exit 39. I turned left to go to Piedmont. The road runs next to the Saluda River, and before I knew it, I was at a stop sign. I turned left, and the Saluda River Grill was on the right. It was hard to miss with the parking lot shining with all the chrome and paint of the motorcycles. There were also a few colorful tents set up.

I drove around the block, parked on the street behind the event, and walked up to it. My first view was looking

down from the hill. There were many rows of motorcycles sorted by their make, country of origin, or style.

The event surrounded the old mill building. It is one of two textile mills to operate alongside the river since their original construction in 1876. The other one was destroyed by fire in 1983. In 2010, the Saluda Grill was opened by the Boggs family, and is the place to go for a delicious dinner and drinks.

The first person I saw was Bud, the president of the Legends Chapter of the AMCA. We talked for a few minutes. I was eager to see all the old bikes on display.

I walked down the line of old bikes, and was surprised to see so many Honda 450’s. They were all around the 1970 vintage. I owned a 1972 Honda CB450 back in the day, and it was a great little twin with dual overhead cams. It was very unusual to see so many at one place. I counted at least seven.

I saw a couple Matchless motorcycles, and walked over to see them up close. I hadn’t seen a Matchless in a few years. While I was there admiring them, a lady walked up and asked what kind of motorcycle they were. When I told her, she said that she never heard of them before. I told her that they stopped making them in the 1960’s. They were one of the best bikes made in their day.

I walked around to the back of the building to see a flea market. I also saw “Pappy”another author for Caro lina Chrome. We talked for a few minutes, and then I went on to see what was for sale.

I talked to one man who actually had some Victory parts for sale – nothing that I needed though. He had a Vic tory Cross-country but wrecked it a few months ago. He was still limping from the accident.

Photography & Article By Wally Wersching

Next to him was a man with two motorcycles that looked like they were just removed from the field. They were encrusted with dirt, and one had remnants of a tree that grew into the bike while it was dormant in the field. He thought that one of the bikes was very valuable because he knew the man who raced it and left it in the field. He even had the man’s boots to go with the bike.

The other bike on the trailer wasn’t as valuable but looked very interesting with the tree growing around the bike parts. When he took it out of the field, he left the tree parts attached. After talking with the man for quite a while, I wandered to the front of the building. They were awarding trophies for the best in the classes. I watched for a few minutes as the men walked up to the platform to receive their trophies.

I saw somebody that I knew standing over by the D2 Power sports tent. It was Danny Patterson from Cherokee Cycles (now D2 Powersports). Cherokee Cycles was where my Victory Kingpin motorcycle was originally purchased. Then it was a Victory Motorcycle dealership. Now he sells everything from small Bennelli’s to the large Indian baggers. He bought the Touring Sport dealership so now he also sells BMW’s, Triumph’s, and Ducati’s along with all the Polaris vehicles. He’s got his hands full, and had to enlarge the dealership to accommodate all the other brands. Check out his website to see everything he sells and services – www.D2powersports-greer.com.

I wanted to walk inside the Saluda River Grill to see what they did to the inside of the old building. As I walked up the stairs, someone said “Hello Wally”. I turned around to see John – an old friend. He brought one of his racing Triumphs to the show. I never know where I’ll bump into him. He lives in Saluda, NC. I’ve known him since the “Great Race” came through Spar tanburg a few years ago. We talked for a few minutes before I continued into the grill.

Once inside the grill, I was greeted by a couple young ladies. I told them that I just wanted to look around, and didn’t want anything to eat or drink.

I really like the way they remodeled the old building. It looks very modern inside but still has the charm of the old building. It looks like a place where people could have a lot of fun, and eat a delicious meal too. For more info, go to their web site: www.saludarivergrill.food-24hr.com.

As I was heading back to the car, I noticed a motorcycle that I hadn’t seen before. It was a British made Indian single cylinder race bike. It had won the Best British award in the show. When I got home, I tried to look it up on the internet but could fine nothing about the bike. It was beautifully restored to better than new condition. If the bike is there next year, I would like to find the owner, and learn more about it.

After walking around again, I decided that it was time to head home. I backtracked on I85 and was home in an hour and a half. Traffic was a little heavier than before. I will watch for the show again next year, and definitely go. It was worth the trip!

Madhatters UCP

Ride for Life

Photography Page by PBJoker

UCP Represenatives

INSURANCE AGENT BRIDGET HALL

Submitted eventS 2022

Saturday, Nov 5th

American Legion Post 25 3rd Annual Toy Drive For The Children

11am-2pm. 1500 Western Square Drive Laurens SC. FMI Kevin Farnsworth 864-871-8551

Satur, Nov 5th @1pm-10pm

"The American Way" Lake Murray Dam Ride and Concert

Benefiting the Supporting 9/11 Remem brance Foundation of SC @ Icehouse Amphitheater. Downtown Lexington SC

Saturday, November 12th Sleepout for the Homeless

@Aiken Motorcycle Sales & Service 2129 Whiskey Rd, Aiken, SC Come join us for the night as we collect items for the homeless. Items needed are winter clothing, toiletries, non perishable foods, socks, paper products. Donations can also be dropped off at Aiken Motorcycle if you can’t make it on the date.

Saturday, November 12th

9th Annual Rockabillaque

Rockabillaque is an action-packed day of Classic Cars, Vintage Bikes, Live Music, Pin-Up's, Tattoo's, Cock tails, Brews, Contests, Block Party and more has become the biggest event of its kind in the Carolina's! In the historic Park Circle neigh borhood of E Montague Ave and its side streets. N Charleston

Saturday, November 12th

Honoring our Veteran's Car, Truck & Bike Show

9am-4pm. Multi-Class Car, Truck and Motorcycle Show to Honor Our Veterans There will also be Music, 50/50, Door Prizes and More Free to Spectators - Show Regis tration $20 All proceeds go to The Veteran's Resource Center, Flor ence, SC Show location: Florence Veteran's Park, Radio Dr Florence FMI (843) 206-9712 - Joe

Saturday, November 12th

Biker 2 Biker Motorcycle Swap Meet

10AM-4PM Buy, Sell Trade mo torcycle parts, accessories, gear, tools, collectables and more, ven dors and food trucks. Free Admis sion for Shoppers Vendors $25 for a 10x20 space @ HD of Greenville.

Sunday, November 13th

ANNUAL MOTORCYCLE

TOY RUN

Upstate Businesses, Sheriff’s Offices, Fire Departments, and Cities are part nering with Greenville County Foster Parent Association to make a better holiday for Upstate SC kids involved in the Foster Care System. Registration will start at 11 am at Heritage Park. Kick stands up at 1 pm. We will have a great ride and end at HD of Greenville. Live Music on the Chrome Dr Stage from 2-4pm from Anna Leigh Band. This year more than 700 children in the Upstate will be in foster care around the holidays. Many foster care children will wake up Christmas morning away from “home” and surrounded by strangers. We want to give them a comfortable feeling of joy. An unwrapped toy is all it takes to register for the ride or a donation from the GCFPA request list. All bikes are welcome. Food, drinks and Santa Claus! This is hands down the best ride of the year and one you don't want to miss.

Sunday, November 13th

The Pink Gorilla's Car, Motorcycle and Work Truck Festival

An afternoon with Nigel, The Pink Goril la, and some of his favorite things! Nigel wants to see your fancy car, cool motor cycle, or super stocked work truck for an afternoon of love and respect: no prizes, no judging, just an afternoon of "did you see that one car or bike or work truck" to raise a few bucks towards the Real Men Wear Pink Campaign for American Cancer Society. So much more than awareness: Wigs, Rides to chemo, Accommodation for family close to the treatment venue, over $4,000,000 to research in South Carolina Universi ties and Hospitals, even a 24 hour ho tline to get your questions answered. Don't have a fancy car, motorcy cle or work truck come and look at other peoples dreams on wheels! There will be tunes from DJ Kev in Snow, a Cash Bar, and the Diablos Food Truck! $20 in advance for Show Cars, Motorcycles, or Work Truck in cluding 1 human. $20 in advance for parking general Cars, Motorcycles, or Work Truck including 1 human. $10 in advance per additional human. Kids 15 or under free. $30/$15 cash preferred on day of event. Location Twelve Oak Estate, 125 Kittal Road, Lexington, SC

Saturday, November 19th

Melissa's 26th Annual Harvest Ride

Charity Motorcycle Ride for Safe Passage to support the women and children affected by domestic violence. Please bring Canned and Dry Goods. There will be food and refreshments before and after the ride. 11am @ Cox's HD of Rock Hill

Sunday, November 20th

Law Rider's 'Toys for Tots' @ NOON Join the Law Riders MC and the local USMCR at Low Country Harley-Davidson for their annual 'Toys for Tots' ride! Bring a toy for Lowcountry children

Sunday, November 27

42nd Annual Anderson Toy Parade 2022 hosted by Confederates MC Anderson Toy Parade to bring a smile to the face of kids who otherwise would not have a Christmas.Bring a new, unwrapped toy (or multiple toys) suitable for a child 12yo or younger.

Sun, Nov 27, 11 AM

ABATE Lowcountry 45th Toy Run

Benefit Run for the Salvation Army. @ Geno's 1003 Red Bank Rd, Goose Creek, SC FMI abateofsc.org

Sun, Dec 4, 12 PM

37th Annual Greenville ABATE Christmas Toy Run

@Greenville Shrine Club to benefit clients of The Julie Valentine Center that are in foster care due to phys ical or sexual abuse. Please bring one (or more) new unwrapped toy or gift card. Don't forget the teen agers!! Parade line up begins at noon and KSU 2pm. Parade is es corted by the Greenville County Sheriff's and led by the Parker Fire District. For those who would like to donate, but don't ride, please wel come the riders in at end of run, where toys will be collected by the Julie Valentine Center, located at the Westwood Shopping Center in front of Storage Sense. Whiskey's will host breakfast for ABATE and supporters beginning at 9:30am and an after party when run is over, everyone is welcome! As always, greenville chapter abate thanks all of you for your continued support!!

Saturday, Dec 4th

Dude's Toy Run for Bluffton Self Help Line up at Aunt Chiladas Easy Street Cafe, 69 Pope Ave HHI SC 29928. Line up starts at Noon, KSU 2pm, group ride to Bluffton Self Help to drop off toys them we ride to Old Town Dispensary for free Tacos and live music by Spike Ivory! 50/50, raffle prizes! FMI Dude 843-384-4184

Sunday, December 5

Florence Lions Club Toy Run Registration will begin at noon Bikes will leave at 2 p.m. from the Florence Center. There will be food and an auction at the end of the ride. Registration for the event is $20 per rider or a toy. You can participate in this event even though you do not ride a motorcycle. Santa Claus will be avail able for pictures.

Sunday, December 11th 22nd Annual Vets Ride 2pm Departure From Carolina Honda We Will Ride This Year!!

Saturday, December 17, 2022 5:00 PM

2022 Annual Feed the Kids Christmas Party Admission is a Non-Perishable Food Donation to benefit those in need. 2821 Nation Rd Hodges,SC Hosted by Sundown Riders MC

Saturday, January 21st, 2023

“A Crash Course for the Motorcyclist” 8:30am - 4pm Hosted by: Carl Solomon Law & the National Safety Council - Learn what to do in the first 5-30 minutes after a crash until professional help arrives. Helmet removal, jaw thrust, and mov ing the injured are all addressed & practiced. 6.0 CEs issued Southeastern Chapter Training Center 421 Mission Ct. Irmo, SC, 29063

Upcoming Rallies

Lone Star Rally 2022 11/3/2022 - 11/6/2022 Galveston TX

Roscoe's Chili Challenge 2022

-

FL

St. Pete Beach BikeFest 2022

FL

Kickstands For Kids

Page Photography by Deb Davis

Pappy's Adventuree Continues

Well, its August and we are going to the Harley factory! Rick is working at Perry’s Harley shop in Kalamazoo and Richard Perry is buying us tickets to take the ferry boat to Milwaukee to pick up 2 bikes and we are making a weekend of it! 8 of us are leaving Ludington at midnight to get there at 6am. We won’t get to go to the factory till Tuesday so we’re riding up to Whitefish Bay campground to spend the night. It was a great ride up there with nice, old, two-lane roads, 45 to 50 mph and lots of beaches to see! We went to a restaurant for breakfast and the guy that ran the campground was in there. We were on our best behavior, so no problems with getting a camp site! We had the rest of the day to explore! We found a neat bike shop with Triumphs and matt was a cool Biker. The we rode up around the bay, very nice ride. While all this is going on, Buck Tibbets is heading to Maine to see his dad. He is a welder by trade and has a 52 panhead bobber like no other with new 3.5 gal, Fat Bobs organ pipes 10" over springer and very RED!! But back to our trip… Rick Tupper is driving my truck to haul back the bikes to the campground, so we head back just before dark. We were set up next to the bath houses luckily and we have to be up at about 7 so we hit the sack early! We know we have to be at the factory at 10 am and still have enough time to go to the same restaurant for breakfast hit the road at 8! We did not want to be late! We had a good ride to Milwaukee, got to the factory at 9:30. We had 7 bikes but only 2 Harleys, but our bikes were nice ones! We were well met and we got to put parts on both the Harleys that we were going to take back. The blue and white bike was for Cadillac Bob and a

black one, was for the shop. It took about 3 hours to go through the assembly line as we followed them from start to finish! YES! It was cool as hell! Everything went smooth all the way through!

Well, we were loaded up, ready to catch the boat back to Michigan. See you back in Michigan… the state police knew we were coming! We didn’t want them to think; a bunch of nasty bikers with 2 brand new Harleys had stolen them and invade the state! I saw 3 cop cars that night, thankfully they all waved us on. I got home at 3 am, stone ass tired!

Well I’m going in the Navy… going to the West Coast! I'm sick of Farmville! I’m now 17 years old and I’m sick of Cows! See you in San Diego! Ride free, ride safe, see you out and about or at bike night! By the way… I get a 39 Arial Square 4 basket case in San Diego for 200 bucks!

Till Next Time

Pappy

Page Photography by Grange Simons Lucas III

Veterans Last Patrol

Page Photography by Deb Davis

The Interwar Rivalry

Harley-Davidson may have laid down the gauntlet with their Model W 'Sport Twin', with its flattwin engine and trailing link fork; but Indian Motorcycles replied with their Indian Scout and then their Indian Chief. But Harley-Davidson was far from finished.

Fast-forward to the thirties, and we are seeing Harley-Davidson introduce the Knucklehead. This overhead-valve V-Twin was a response to the unreliability of the earlier side-valve engine.

American Motorcycle History

AVOIDING DISASTER

A couple of years ago while on one of our motorcycle trips, six of us sped along I-95 somewhere between Rocky Mount, North Carolina and Petersburg, Virginia. This long stretch of I-95 had been freshly paved, the lines repainted, and traffic was very light for this heavily traveled highway.

My position when we ride is usually right up front, and more times than not, my buddy Jim takes up the rear. Because we have ridden so many miles together, this configuration works well and has helped us maneuver the group through some sketchy situations.

Having recently acquired a helmet communication headset, I was enjoying a nice conversation with Jim whose helmet is also fitted with a similar device. In the past, we had used hand signals to work through traffic or make folks aware we needed to take a rest break, but these headsets made things much easier.

As we were rolling along without a care in the world, I suddenly heard something hit the front fairing of my Street Glide. Nothing big, it was almost like a bug had flown into my path, or a pebble from the road had bounced up. I didn’t think much of it and continued my conversation with Jim.

Then it happened again. Still, nothing noticeable, just the noise.

I made Jim aware that we were riding through something that I assumed was loose road milling from the fresh pavement. He replied that he had not seen anything from his “tailgunner” position.

That’s when I noticed something black, about the size of a small marble, fly past my head. After a couple of seconds, two more of the black objects also flew by.

Feeling puzzled, I scanned the road in front of us for anything unusual. There was nothing directly in our path, except an eighteen-wheeler which was less than a half mile ahead.

Then, to my surprise, a fairly large piece of rubber bounced past my motorcycle. After closer examination I could see a slight wobble on the left outside trailer tire of the eighteen-wheeler.

Over the years I have seen literally thousands of strips of rubber littering the highways. Because of this, I knew exactly what was happening, that rear tire was about to lose a recap.

Making Jim aware of the situation, we backed off to put more distance between us and the truck.

Less than a minute later, the tire literally exploded. The huge recap shot from under the trailer at warp speed, flew into the air, and came to rest near the center line. Having felt the tire come apart, the driver slowly pulled over into the emergency lane and climbed from the cab.

I don’t know how much a piece of that rubber recap weighs, but if we had not been aware of the situation, the results could have been disastrous.

Thankfully, we did not ignore the warning signs.

In our spiritual lives, how often do we ignore warning signs?

At first, we stop reading our Bibles… Next, we stop going to church… Finally, we begin to embrace worldly things, and sinful behavior takes over our lives. Before we know it, we are spiraling out of control with alcohol, drugs, bad relationships, or tons of other issues. Once that happens, it’s very hard to come back.

Also, I saw the warning signs from the tire, but Jim did not.

Sometimes we see things in the lives of our friends or family that we know will cause them troubles in the future. If we care about them, we won’t be silent. We may not be able to change the outcome, but we can at least make the effort to help them avoid tragedy.

When you first see the warning signs, it’s best to take heed and make changes before it’s too late.

Remember, catch it while it’s still small, before it smacks you in the face like a recapped tire!

“Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.” -James 1:14-15 (NLT)-

“My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.' -James 5:19-20 (NLT)-

Ride on with Jesus!

Ride on and stay safe, Dennis Reynolds Mideast Regional Elder Bikers for Christ M/M

Photos

Page Photography by Grange Simons Lucas III

N

Page Photography by Grange Simons Lucas III

Protecting South Carolina’s Helmet Law is as Important Today as it was in 2009

November 2022

February 28, 2009. That was the date that South Carolina motorcyclists, led by members of ABATE of South Carolina, took a stand against the City of Myrtle Beach in order to take back what the City thought that they could take away. The City quickly learned that they were wrong.

Since 1980, adult motorcyclists in South Carolina have had the right to choose whether or not to wear a motorcycle helmet when riding in the Palmetto State. Today, South Carolina is one of 32 states that recognize that right. In 2009, the City of Myrtle Beach attempted to take that right away.

I remember the day that the Myrtle Beach Ordinance requiring motorcycle helmets within the city limits went into effect. It was February 28, 2009, and it was the first time that my law firm, Tom McGrath’s Motorcycle Law Group, had the honor of working with ABATE of South Carolina in order to protect the rights of South Carolina motorcyclists. I am proud to say that it was not the last time.

But it wasn’t the work of my firm that ultimately led to the defeat of the Myrtle Beach Ordinance. It was the dedication and sacri fice of South Carolina motorcyclists who were willing to take part in a protest ride in order to purposely violate that ordinance and be charged by the City so that we could go before the court and challenge the legality of what the City of Myrtle Beach had done. Without those riders there would have been no case to take before the South Carolina Supreme Court. Without those riders, the South Carolina Supreme Court would not have been able to tell the City of Myrtle Beach not just no, but hell no.

The purpose of this article is not to talk about the riders who took part in that protest ride, although I still tip my cap to each and every one of them. The purpose is to discuss the importance of what they did, and why they did it.

I am often asked why I support the right of riders to choose whether or not to wear a motorcycle helmet. The answer is simple. Because it is the logical position to take on the subject.

First and foremost, allowing adults to choose for themselves when it comes to their personal safety should be the default position of the government. It is the proper role of government to protect one citizen from another citizen. That is why we have laws against assault, mur der, burglary and robbery. It is generally not the proper role of gov ernment to protect a citizen from themselves. Rational adults should be trusted with making decisions as to their own personal safety.

But what about the health care costs that we all have to bear when an un-helmeted motorcyclists crashes and suffers a head injury? Doesn’t that affect everyone? The evidence would suggest that it doesn’t. When you compare both health insurance premiums and inpatient health care costs between the states that have mandatory helmet laws and those that do not, there is no evidence that the 32 states that allow adults to make their own choice are suffering higher health care costs as a result.

Those in favor of mandatory helmet laws often cite figures pro vided by both the National Highway Transportation Safety Adminis tration (NHTSA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) which say that motorcycle helmets are anywhere from 37% to 41% effective in preventing fatalities. However, once again, the evidence does not support those claims. If motorcycle helmets were 40% effective in preventing fatalities, then we would expect to see roughly 40% more motorcycle fatalities per capita in the states that allow adults to choose. The problem is that we don’t. When you compare motorcycle fatalities per registered motorcycles between states that have mandatory helmet laws and those that don’t, you find no significant difference. How can that be if motorcycle hel mets are anywhere from 37% to 41% effective in preventing fatalities? I have asked that question to more than a few motorcycle safety advocates who favor mandatory helmet laws and have yet to receive a good answer.

Finally, and let’s come back to the role of government again, allowing adults to choose is good government. The law should nei ther prohibit nor compel unless there is a rational reason to do so. When it comes to the use of motorcycle helmets there is simply not a rational reason to prohibit riders from making their own choice by compelling them to wear one. That is why only eighteen states have mandatory helmet laws today.

This is why South Carolina riders stood up to the City of Myrtle Beach in 2009, and it is why members of ABATE of South Carolina continue to stand up today. It is not just about the right to ride without a helmet, it is about our right to our rights. You can draw a line from the riders who changed South Carolina’s motorcycle hel met law in 1980 to the ones who took a stand against Myrtle Beach in 2009. You can draw a line from those riders in 2009 to the ones who obtained equal access to public transportation facilities for motorcyclists in 2014. You can draw a line from those riders to the ones who continue to advocate for South Carolina motorcyclists to day. The right to choose is not just about helmets, it is about rights. The right to choose is not just about 1980 or 2009, it is about today, and it is about tomorrow.

Matt Danielson

McGrath, Danielson & Sorrell

The Motorcycle Law Group

Matt Danielson is a partner at Tom McGrath’s Motorcycle Law Group, a personal injury law firm whose attorneys all ride motor cycles and practice in VA, NC, SC, GA and WV. Matt has successfully represented clients in cases from simple property damage to complex multi-million dollar personal injury claims. He is also a lobbyist, lecturer, and works with motorcycle rights organizations throughout the country. To learn more about the Motorcycle Law Group, visit MotorcycleLawGroup.com.