A P ublication of the Modified Motorcycle Association of Arizona January/February 2015
What is Happening at the Copper Dome?
The Motorcycle Lobby Team is excited about the progress we've made on our Bill to remove the Handle Bar Restrictions here in Arizona. Below is an update and bullet points that our case and testimonies are being built on. Based on these points, Rep Fann is in the process of creating a folder for us. Once everyone agrees to the folders language, the next step is for her to create an Introset. This is the final document that will be dropped after first day of session and gives us a Bill#. The Introset has a list of all Senators and Representatives names attached to its front, along with a place for them to sign on as Sponsor or Co-Sponsor, prior to Rep Fann dropping that Bill. Seeing as how she has until Thursday 5pm, the first week of session, to 'drop' this Bill, the lobby team may walk that Introset around on opening day, in order to get additional signatures on our Bill. OUR CASE IS BUILT AROUND THESE 6 POINTS: • There are 16 states that do not have a restriction on handle bar height - 8 of those never had a restriction of any kind. We do not see, nor have we heard of any good reason to keep this law in effect. • We've been approached by riders that would like to not be limited in the customization of their motorcycle for comfort or looks. It should be riders preference same as seat, handle bars, pedals etc. on their own motorcycle. • We have not been able to find any research or study of any kind, anywhere, showing that handle bars above the shoulders is a safety issue. • Riders from states around us that do not have a handle bar restriction including NM and CO, are reluctant to come to or through AZ for fear of tickets, especially during big events like Bike Week and major organizational runs. • Many of our riders that are legal, dread being stopped if they are slouched down at any time, making their grips appear higher than their shoulder
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625 W. Deer Valley Road Suite 103-481 Phoenix, Arizona 85027
MMA of Arizona
Presorted Standard US Postage Paid Phoenix, AZ Permit No. 1714
Continued page 8
Birds on Bikes Photos Page 10
AMSAF Continues to Make Progress Helping the Motorcycle Community
30th Annual Verde Valley Toy Run Article and Photos Page 11
It’s hard to believe we’re in 2015 and 2014 was a great year for AMSAF and our ability to help the Motorcycle Community. The year started out with Allstate Insurance helping us out by AMSAF entering a contest and we won it. This grant allowed us give out Scholarships for individuals under the age of 20. This program was a huge success as individuals, parents for their children and friends signed up. During the year we posted Motorcycle Safety tips on our Facebook page. The response was great as each week we had a ton of viewings on the tips. This is just another way of us helping the Motorcycle Community be safe. Later in the year we were able to receive Grants from Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (AZGOHS) and Arizona Motorcycle Advisory Council (AMSAC). The money from these grants went to Scholarships for the Basic Rider Course (BRC) which could be taken at anyone of the nine (9) MSF certified Schools here in Arizona. AMSAF feels that the best way to help reduce Motorcycle Accidents and Fatalities was through Education and taking a Motorcycle Training Course.
Rim Country Christmas Article and Photos Page 18
During the Scholarship process we gave out over 600 Scholarships from all ages male and female. We also had over 100 get the Scholarship that had been riding for a long time and didn’t have a Motorcycle (M) endorsement. They now have their endorsement and hopefully a discount from the Insurance Company. We had Scholarship winners from 13 counties in Arizona. We continue to give away Scholarships on a Monthly basis and the 1st Monday of every month we give away a number of Basic Rider Courses (BRC) through the Scholarship process. We open the process each month on the 1st Monday of the month at different times. We have folks that work different hours and we want to try and give everyone a chance to win. In addition to the Scholarships, we have a monthly contest for Basic Rider Course 2 (BRC2). This allows folks that have taken the Basic Rider Course to take additional training. Thanks to RideSmart, TEAM Arizona and Ride Arizona MTC for donating courses for the Monthly contest. AMSAF programs are important to us and at the same time being involved with the Arizona Strategic Highway Safety Plan (AZSHSP) for Motorcycles, Committee’s work groups with MVD, Motorcycle Crash Data Study’s helps us and the Motorcycle Community. AMSAF’s involvement is this area is important to us.We were able to work with ADOT to get the overhead signs up that say “Look Twice for Motorcycles”. We want to thank ADOT and GOHS Continued page 8
January/February 20 5
More MMA Event Coverage Inside Inside This Issue: MMA of Arizona Listings ..................................2 State Membership Information ........................3 Chairmans report..............................................4 MMA of Arizona Event Calendar ...............6 & 7 Editor’s Space ...................................................9 Event Pics and Articles..........................10 & 11 Business Member Listing ..............................12 M.A.P................................................................15 Pet Corner .......................................................16 Biker Vittles .....................................................19
Motorcycle
Patriot
Modified Motorcycle Association of Arizona Publication
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015 PUBLISHER / EDITOR / LAYOUT
Lee Gonzales editor@mma-az.org ADVERTISINg
For Ad info Lee Gonzales editor@mma-az.org
CALENDAR
Debi Althouse Payne Cindy Gates activities@mma-az.org EDITINg STAFF
Amber Faith DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR
Lee Gonzales AREA DISTRIBUTION
District Volunteers MAILINg & MEMBERSHIP LISTS
Rhonda Holz PRINTINg & MAILINg
Signature Printing MOTORCYCLE PATRIOT 625 W. Deer Valley Road Suite 103-481 Phoenix, Arizona 85027 623-693-4932
Motorcycle Patriot is published every two months. All material is copyrighted 2014and all rights reserved by ModifiedMotorcycle Association of Arizona (MMAof AZ). Reproduction of any kind without permission is prohibited. Motorcycle Patriot is produced solely from freelance and authorized material. All material is compiled from sources believed to be reliable but published without responsibility for errors or omissions. Opinions expressed by authors are not necessarily those of the publisher. Motorcycle Patriot accepts advertisements from advertisers believed to be of good reputation but cannot guarantee the authenticity or quality of objects or services advertised.
DEADLINE FOR PUBLISHINg All materials for consideration in the next issue must be received February10th. Any materials received after the deadline will be considered for a future issue. Submit materials to editor@mma-az.org
MMA of Arizona State Officers Chairman Vice Chairman Secretary Treasurer Sergeant at Arms Membership Activities Communications Quartermaster ACMC Representative NCOM Rep/ACMC Rep AIL Representative Designated Lobbyist Authorized Lobbyist M.A.P Coordinator/ Legislative Consultant & Research Patriot Editor Webmaster
Ed "Hollywood" Holyoak Lee “Snakebite” Gonzales Pat Sortore Steve “Tuffy” Belzer Glen "Burg" Humbarger Rhonda Holz Cindy Gates OPEN Mark “Griz’ Matthews Gary Thurston Steve “Muskrat” Musgrave C.J. Swinford Billy Larson B. Paul “Skypilot” Price
928.978.1537 623-693-4932 928-978-9819 602.399.2325 623.322.9848
Bobbi Hartmann Lee “Snakebite” Gonzales Contract service provider
602-672-3531 623-693-4932
623.695.5659
602-909-0771 520.371.1735 602.788.2088 623.308.0586 623-221-1895
woodnvine@live.com justbiteme2010@yahoo.com secretary@mma-az.org treasurer@mma-az.org burg216@aol.com membership@mma-az.org activities@mma-az.org communications@mma-az.org quartermaster@mma-az.org smusblulgt@aol.com cj@mma-az.org lobbyist@mma-az.org alobbyist@mma-az.org bobbij2@earthlink.net editor@mma-az.org webmaster@mma-az.org
MMA of Arizona District Contacts Casa Grande District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Steve "Muskrat" Musgrave . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .520.371.1735. . . . . . . . . SMUSBLULGT@aol.com Nicholos Brown 520-840-9141 Nick.HFFH @ Gmail.com Eagle District Cherie “Ruby” Dubrow 623.328.7255 cheriedubrow@yahoo.com Steve “Tuffy” Belzer 602.399.2325 tuffy_56@hotmail.com Leather District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Cindy Gates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .623.635.5569. . . . . . . . . cgates0617@yahoo.com Lee “Snakebite” Gonzales 623.693.4932 justbiteme2010@yahoo.com Northern Arizona District . . . . . . . . . . . .Jim “Redneck” Blair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .928.660.0656. . . . . . . . . redneck@ourranch.com Red Mountain District . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Joann Pilger-Letzin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .480-968-5644 . . . . . . . . jletzin@msn.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Tom “Teekay” Kartler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .480-832-0117 . . . . . . . . tkartler@cox.net Rim Country District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Ed "Big Papa" Carafa 602-471-4726 . . . . . . . . joannecarafa@gmail.com Billy Hensler 928-978-1577 bnbhensler@msn.com Verde Valley District . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Terry 'Stretch' Payne 480-226-4135 mmaverdevalley@yahoo Bob 'Sponge Bob' Gates 928.274.0508 bobgates@sedona.net White Mountain District . . . . . . . . . . . . .Carlene Hulsey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .928.245.8888. . . . . . . . . carlene1duda@hotmail.com Bill "Wild Bill" Hulsey 928.245.8888 wildbill4mma@gmail.com
MMA of Arizona Life Service Mike Bennett Tom and Lynna Buohl Fritz Clapp, Esq Tom Corr Dick “Turtle” Davis* Dave Deckwa Marysia Deckwa Mick Degn Bob Gates
Howard Gelman James Gonzales Lee Gonzales Mary Hart Bobbi Hartmann Ed “Hollywood” Holyoak Becca “Vine” Holyoak Joseph Hoodak Ray “Rayman” Huston
Tambria Kirk-Huston Teri Kelley* Butch Kirkham Carl Letzin Joanne Letzin “Pipe” Loomis Stony Monday Steve "Muskrat" Musgrave Janie Picciano
Tony Picciano Mike Shearhart Willie Shearhart Edward “Jersey” Smith Betty McDonald-Swinford CJ Swinford Wes Sellards
MMA of Arizona Life Membership Casa Grande District Tom Corr Eddie Davis Steve Musgrave Carol Myers
Edward Smith Ron Spirlock Garry Thurston Kris Wall Michael Wendt
Cochise District Jon V. Everett Kresent Gurtler Ernie Harris Thom Ihli David Leabo Phyllis Rimmer Betty Rodriguez
Northern Arizona District Larry Evans Joseph Harris Bill Justice Marie Justice Renee Lippert Steve”Limey” Lippert Eddie Lovato
Eagle District Julie Cissne Kimberly Cole Cherie Dubrow Billy “Desperado” Larson George Graham Ray Houston Eufemio Polanco Gene Mummet Earl Rigby Scot Williamson Wesley Strait Michael Vigorito
Phoenix District Mark Belden Mark Borato Tom Buohl Lynna Buohl Russell G. Cheetham Jr. David Deckwa Sr. Marysia Deckwa Lee Erceg* Tom Erhardt Victor Florio Jack “Yukon Jack” Fry Jeff Gordon Tracy Gruber Mary Hart Bobbi Hartmann Barbara Hatley* Roger Hurm Lee Irvine Butch Kirkham Judy Kirkham Karen Konley Keven Kullberg Chester Larson Sue Leggett Dean Lott Diane Malone Betty McDonald Larry Myers Fred Pascarelli Forrest Phillips Beverlee Simmons Waldo Stuart* Charles Swinford
Grand Canyon District Stephen Briggs High Country District Marlin Kussler Colin MacDiarmid* Stony Monday Leather Debbie Basher Richard L. Davis* Terry Engelking Cindy Gates James Gonzales Lee Gonzales Larry Griffith Dave “Stiffy” Hill Don Hill Joseph Hoodak Tambria Kirk Dave Kopp Henry “Skip” Mikolajczyk Tony Picciano Jane Picciano Deborah Riggs Gerald Riggs John “Skip” Sims
Red Mountain District Mike “Maddog” Bennett James Cionci Debra Donaldson Bob Gumfory Glen Koepke
January/February 20 5
Trish McElyea Mike Shearhart Willie Shearhart Carl Letzin Joanne Pilger-Letzin Michelle Wirth-Packer Rim Country District Ed “Hollywood” Holyoak Becca Holyoak Ruth Lewis Roger Ogborn Diane Schultz Wayne Slocum Jane Wilcox Salt River District James Best Mick Degn John Emerson Chuck Franklin Howard Gelman Bill Goodwin Bob Gumfory Sherry Harradence Gay Hayward James Hillyard William Hitze Wade Jackson Larry Jenkins Phyllis Kelley* Glen Koepke Elmer Myers Darline Olsen “Lady Jewells” Olson-Lentz Greg Oppedal Don “Sandman” Randolph Catherine “Kate” Rouse Larry Venteicher Tucson District Dennis Beye M. Juaregui Ralph Levon Pipe Loomis Kathy Marble Martin Minninger The Solano Family Verde Valley District Ken Cadigan Robert Dixson Rose Dixson Jessica Howell Bob Gates Bill Lyons Jr.
Michael Mooney Dale Vandermolen Westsiders District Deborah Blair Kimberley “Sunshiney” Cole George Graham Ray Huston Gene “Gobb” Mummert Wesley “T-Bone” Straight Michael Vigorito White Mountain District Tim Belous Randy Crider John “Oilcan” Fields* Bob Kirby Ben McLachlan Robin Pierce Randy Rahn Terry K. Rutherford Rich Tuminello Denise Hunter-Tuminello Buddy Zahnle Other District Mike Revere MMA State NCOM Bill Bish - Encino, CA Fritz Clapp Esq. Joe Eggleston* Tank Tiger Mike Revere Motorcycle Club Life Members Sober Riders since 08/2003 Limey Riders since 09/2005 VIII’s Society since 11/2006 Life Emeritus Members Roger "Priest" Hurm - Chairman Bill Justice - Chairman CJ Swinford - Chairman Colin “Cinders” MacDiarmidChairman* Tom Coor - Chairman Co-Founders of MMA-AZ Joe Eggleston, Esq.* AIM Attorney Richard Lester, Esq. AIM Attorney * In Memoriam
MMA of Arizona District Meeting Times & Locations Casa grande 1st Sunday 11am Airport Tavern 1801 N Pinal Ave Casa Grande, AZ
Red Mountain3rd Sunday at 10 am
Tri City Eagles 1712 W Broadway Mesa, AZ
Eagle 3rd Sunday at 9:30am Sage and Sand 13831 W Glendale Ave Glendale, AZ
White Mountain 1st Sunday at 1 P.M. Various Locations in Springerville, AZ Call Rich or Dee 928-333-1358
Rim Country 2nd Sunday at 9 am Flying Grizzly 5079 AZ 87 Strawberry, AZ
Leather 2nd Saturday at 10 am Charley’s Place 4324 W. Thunderbird Rd. Glendale, AZ
Northern Arizona Page, AZ Meeting times vary month to month. For next meeting Date, Time and Place Please call Jim 435-675-3728 or Renee 928-640-1168
Verde Valley 2nd Sunday at 11am Nate’s Cowboy Cafe 1481 Highway 89A Clarkdale, AZ Come Early for Breakfast!
MMA of Arizona Membership Join and support the Modified Motorcycle Association of Arizona Use the membership form and mail it together with your check or money order. Make payable to MMA of Arizona and send to the address below. You may also fill out and print our membership form online or use our electronic registration service and a credit card at www.mma-az.org.
What is the MMA MMA is a Motorcyclists Rights Organization (MRO) comprised of motorcyclists and motorcycle enthusiasts who are concerned with the future, safety, and welfare of motorcycling. We are a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to improving the social atmosphere that surrounds motorcyclists, and protecting the individual freedoms of citizens. We are an association that lobbies and educates the government and the general public to promote motorcycling in a safe and positive image. When you become a member of the MMA of Arizona, you make a difference in the ongoing mission to protect your right to ride and enjoy the motorcycle of your choice, your choice of riding apparel, and when and where you can ride a motorcycle. These issues are real and present in today’s “protect yourself from yourself” political environment. This holds true for all levels of government. At the state level we have a lobbyist who regularly visits our state capital to lobby our legislators on the issues concerning the motorcyclists in Arizona. On the national level we are aligned with the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and several other motorcycle rights organizations. Memberships are open to anyone regardless of what type of motorcycle you ride, if any. All memberships include: The Motorcycle Patriot Newsletter, Membership Card, $3000 Accidental Death & Dismemberment Benefit, Event Updates, Voting Guides, and the ability to interact with some of the most politically active motorcyclists in the state of Arizona. The MMA of Arizona needs the support of all motorcycle riders and we hope you will consider joining this dedicated organization.
Please join us in the cause to protect your rights.
January/February 20 5
From Our Chairman MMA of Arizona Chairman Ed “Hollywood” Holyoak Chairman’s comments relative to motorcycle rights and the MMA of Arizona
New Blood One thing I know is that when people are doing the same job for so long, time after time, day after day, it becomes monotonousness and the job does not get done. No matter if you are working for a corporation or a nonprofit organization. This association is no different. We, the Modified Motorcycle Association of Arizona, MUST reevaluate some of the individuals that hold positions of importance for the Association. It does not have to do with blame, it has to do with time and ability to perform duties. Whether worker’s fatigue, personal issues or simple boredom, those who no longer have time to dedicate should be allowed to leave gracefully. If we find that at our district levels someone is not doing the job that we think or know what they should, they need to be replaced. The MMA is not a corporate shark pool or TV biker show -- but it is a labor of love. Everyone knows up front that all of these positions are voluntary, but every position is necessary. We need more volunteers to fill all of these positions. We need inspired individuals to take part in helping this association be as successful as it could and should be. I know many of our officers do a GREAT job and should not be replaced. But, these leaders should be helped in anyway that the membership can manage. The more members who contribute, the easier the task becomes -and the more successful MMA-AZ becomes as a whole. It is not easy to find volunteers to fill positions. Recruitment takes dedicated individuals with our objectives and goals in mind. Some of our newest members have the most enthusiasm, if only we can keep them motivated and give them the support they need. Everyone at all levels need to be involved in some small way. We should all try to willingly share duties and responsibilities, and be involved in decision making. Help when you can. Volunteer. Be part of the solution and not….well, you know.
NCOM Bike Newsbytes Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish, National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) WASHINgTON TARgETS DISTRACTED DRIVINg IN MOTORCYCLE AWARENESS VIDEO The Washington State Motorcycle Safety Program recently released a new motorcycle awareness video targeting inattentive drivers. Created with teen driver education students in mind, the eight-minute-long film starts by showing a teen driver cruising the streets in a car while eating and listening to loud music. When he turns left into the path of an oncoming motorcyclist, time stops, giving both the driver and rider a chance to exit their vehicles and talk to each another. After some initial frustration, Randy the motorcyclist gets in the car with Ian, the teen driver, and teaches him the dos and don’ts of how to drive when sharing the road with motorcyclists. Randy’s lessons include looking twice before turning and giving motorcycles more space. The two eventually return to their vehicles and the inevitable crash takes place. “The video is meant to be a relevant and easily accessible tool for Driver Training providers to use as they fulfill the motorcycle awareness requirement of their curriculum,” states the Washington State Department of Licensing, adding that the WMSP is supported by motorcycle endorsement fees and is tasked with providing Public Awareness of motorcycle safety, Motorcycle Safety education programs including classroom and on-cycle training, and Improved operator testing. The YouTube video “Motorcycle Awareness - A Second Look” has already been viewed over 100,000 times in the first three weeks (www.youtube.com/watch?v=_b3T7u4ZJ1Y#t=19). ****************************************************************** TENNESSEE BANS BIg RIgS FROM DRAgON A mountainous stretch of U.S. Route 129 (SR 115) from Tennessee to North Carolina famously known as “The Dragon” boasts 318 curves in 11.19 miles and is a beacon for drivers and riders alike, but semis are no longer welcome! Due to a “critical number of traffic accidents involving large trucks,” the state of Tennessee is following the lead of neighboring North Carolina in banning big rigs from US 129, on sections of highway known as Deals Gap or The Tail of the Dragon. For years, navigation systems have pointed truckers to the Dragon as a shortcut across Blount County. That ends with the new year, and signs will be posted midJanuary prohibiting commercial vehicles (longer than 30 feet). After conducting a safety review, according to the Tennessee DOT there were a total of 204 crashes from 2010 to 2012 in Blount County -- six of those resulted in fatalities. Only one of those fatal accidents involved a tractor trailer, but many of the other incidents with semis
have blocked the narrow highway for hours and prevented travel for all motorists. ****************************************************************** NEW MEXICO HELMET STICKER PROPOSAL OPPOSED In response to a Senate bill draft creating a sticker riders would have to pay for in order to exercise their freedom of choice in helmet use, the New Mexico Motorcycle Rights Organization (NMMRO) has authored a letter of opposition supported by the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) and the NCOM Legislative Task Force (NCOM-LTF), among others, it states: Dr. Kurt B. Nolte, M.D., Office of the Medical Investigator; “It has recently come to the attention of the New Mexico Motorcyclists Rights Organization (NMMRO) that a bill was drafted on your behalf by Clifford Rees at the New Mexico Legislature. If passed this bill would impose a $692 fee on motorcyclists who chose to ride without a helmet. As an organization we are interested in hearing your justification for placing this burden on the public and if you think that placing helmets on motorcyclists would decrease the number of motorcycle crashes. Our organization would be pleased to share government statistics with you which show that 58% of all motorcyclist deaths are experienced by riders wearing helmets. We would also like to point out that it has been proven that accident prevention has a much bigger impact on preventing motorcycle injuries and fatalities. Helmets have not been shown to prevent motorcycle accidents and in some cases can increase the chances of an accident occurring. We have also worked with the New Mexico Department of Transportation to try to improve the awareness of drivers on New Mexico’s roads in respect to motorcycles as another method of accident prevention. If in fact you do intend to proceed with your present actions we would like to spend some time with you looking into what affect this would have on the motorcycle riders of New Mexico and not just assume that it would be beneficial to their safety. The NMMRO and NM State Representative Rick Miera (a long-serving member of the NCOM-LTF) are available to meet with you to discuss this issue further.” Thank you for listening to our concerns on this subject, Annette Torrez, Chairperson NMMRO (and member of the NCOM Board of Directors) ****************************************************************** LANE-SPLITTINg LEgISLATION PROPOSED IN CALIFORNIA From across Europe to throughout Asia, motorcyclists around the world routinely “filter” their way between lanes of slow-moving cars, but here in the U.S. only riders in California are allowed to “lane-split” through congested traffic -- not-so-much because it’s legal, but because there are no specific laws addressing the issue. That may soon change, as Assemblyman Bill Quirk (D-Hayward) has introduced Assembly Bill No.51 to specifically regulate the practice. According to ABATE of California, their lobbyist Jim Lombardo has contacted the author's legislative staff who said the measure was introduced by their office because of the widespread newspaper and television coverage regarding lane splitting and the general public's ignorance of the legality of the issue. The staff members are willing to accept amendments to improve the bill language but are seeking to "codify", or write into California law, lane splitting legislation to ensure it is not completely outlawed after the CHP (California Highway Patrol) was forced to remove their "lane splitting guidelines" last summer. AB 51 seeks to amend Section 21658 of the California Vehicle Code to “authorize a motorcycle to be driven between rows of stopped or moving vehicles in the same lane if the speed of traffic is 35 miles per hour or less and the motorcycle is driven no more than 10 miles per hour faster than the speed of traffic.” A violation of the Vehicle Code is a crime, so the bill would create a new criminal penalty. In addition to general opposition to over-regulating an accepted practice, “Obviously this bill is not something ABATE can endorse, especially when it limits lane splitting to traffic speeds of 35 MPH or less,” said Dave Hastings, ABATE Executive Director. “We will implement a plan of action to kill this bill or at least amend it into something that the riders of California can live with.” ****************************************************************** WHEN gAS PRICES gO UP, SO DO MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTS A new study suggests that as gas prices rose in recent years, so did motorcyclist injuries and fatalities, because more people start using motorcycles and many of those riders are inexperienced, the researchers explained.
January/February 20 5
The analysis, published in the journal for Injury Prevention, revealed a strong association between rising gas prices and an increasing number of motorcycle registrations, along with motorcyclist injuries and deaths. But it did not prove a cause-and-effect link.
Carlson admitted that despite owning helmets she didn't wear one because "it becomes just a little bit of a hassle."
Analysts examined data gathered between 2002 and 2011 in California, which has the highest number of motorcycle registrations in the United States and the third highest number of motorcyclist deaths, and extrapolated that higher gas prices resulted in an additional 800 deaths and 10,290 injuries among motorcyclists in California over the ten year period. According to the report, crashes were more likely to occur in urban areas and during the afternoon. Of the motorcyclists involved in crashes, nearly 93% were men, 46% were middle-aged, 68% were caucasion, and 20% were uninsured. Riders ages 16 to 24 and those on the latest models of motorcycles were most likely to be involved in at-fault crashes. ****************************************************************** JLocal authorities have taken steps to better regulate and license the use of motorcycles, saying they were being used to smuggle goods into rebel-controlled areas. The order prompted unrest in the market including some shooting in the air after armed local youth refused to implement the order. Eyewitnesses told Radio Tamazuj that about five youths had been arrested over instigating chaos in the area. A source said that some shops have remained closed or on standby until life has relatively returned to normal. ****************************************************************** WEIRD NEWS: NEW ZEALAND COUPLE FINED $40K FOR RIDINg WITHOUT HELMET A couple in New Zealand have been fined $20,000 each following multiple instances of riding a quad bike without a helmet. According to the New Zealand Herald, Phillip Andrew Jones and Maria Anna Carlson, share-milkers from Marlborough, had been seen riding their All-Terrain Vehicle without helmets multiple times dating back to 2012. The pair were both fined under the Health and Safety in Employment Act; Jones was charged with failing to take all practicable steps to ensure no other person was harmed at work while riding a quad bike, and Carlson with failing to take all practicable steps to ensure her own safety by wearing a helmet, and the safety of others by not carrying her children on a quad bike. Quad bikes pose a serious risk on farms, and on average five people were killed and 850 were injured every year,” said WorkSafe spokesman Francois Barton, adding that Carlson was twice witnessed riding her quad bike without a helmet after a prohibition notice had been issued and the second time she had two young children with her on the bike.
NCOM UPDATE
******************************************************************
Steve “Muskrat” Musgrave
EPA gRANTS ETHANOL TEMPORARY REPRIEVE
NCOM Region 9 Co-Director
The ethanol industry dodged a bullet recently after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) deferred action on permanently lowering the amount of renewable fuels that must be blended into the U.S. gasoline supply. Rather than deciding to change the methodology of the mandate included in the Renewable Fuel Standard law, currently based on steadily increasing levels of ethanolblended fuels, as it first proposed last year to lower the required annual levels, the EPA opted to wait until 2015 to decide. While the delay gives the renewable fuels industry time to regroup and lobby for higher levels, the final quota will likely be less than the original mandate required, but avoids an outcome that could have been much worse for the $30-billion-a-year industry. Meanwhile, many motorcycle and automobile organizations, among others, continue to lobby against ethanol, not just because its unapproved use can damage some internal combustion engines, reduce power and mileage, and void manufacturer warranties, but opponents also argue that ethanol pollutes more than the oil it’s meant to replace, takes more energy to produce than it delivers, drives up cost and scarcity of food resources, doesn’t reduce our oil-dependency, and the government subsidies being paid for ethanol production steals funds that could improve our highways, bridges and infrastructure. ****************************************************************** INDIANA SCOOTER DRIVERS FACE NEW REgULATIONS Indiana officials are warning motor scooter drivers that starting in January they’ll need license plates on those bikes. Legislators have approved Indiana’s first license requirements for scooters, and under the new law drivers of scooters with engines of 50 cubic centimeters or less will need to buy license plates and pass a Bureau of Motor Vehicles test involving road signals and signs. Operators of scooters with larger engines will be required to follow motorcycle requirements, including holding a valid motorcycle license or learner’s permit. Evansville police officials told a legislative committee that scooters had often been involved in accidents and used in crimes such as robberies, but that the owners couldn’t be found because they lacked any registration.The new law doesn’t require insurance for drivers of the smaller scooters, and the registration will cost $26.35, plus a $10 excise tax. Law sponsor Rep. Dave Wolkins (R-Winona Lake) said not requiring a driver’s license for scooter operators was important because he felt it was necessary that those with drunken driving convictions still have a way to get to work.
This year our National Board meeting was held in Glen Burnie, MD a suburb of Baltimore. We have our closed session Board Meeting on Friday evening so it is important that all the Board members be present, somehow some of the flights were delayed making our Board Meeting start late and with everything to be discussed and everyone on this Board so passionate about what is being discussed, the Meeting went on until almost 1am. I personally got up at 3:30 am the morning before to make a 6 am flight and by 1 am the next morning -- well many of the Board Members were well overdue a good nights sleep. Some of the more important issues discussed at our Board Meeting are nationally what our AIM Attorneys are accomplishing nationwide. Although similar issues seem to be going on concerning Bikers in this country like discrimination, profiling and Right of Way, certain parts of the Country just seem to be worse concerning treatment of Bikers and Motorcycle Clubs. It is important that we all stay as informed and involved in these issues if we intend to stay FREE. As we were discussing when and where the upcoming Conventions, Board Meetings, and Regional Seminars will take place, we try to keep in mind that we have to do these events in places that have the proper facilities needed to conduct our events. We choose places that have a sufficient population and Motorcycle Enthusiast base that will hopefully attend our events. We continue to come up with NEW and interesting topics for our seminars and workshops to keep everyone informed and up-todate. In the last ten years, we have held our Convention in Reno, NV several times, and we always get a very well attended Convention there. With all the things going on in a place like Reno, we have again decided to be there in 2017. Next year’s Convention will be in Denver, CO which should be close enough for many of you to be able to attend. Please mark your calendars for Mothers Day Weekend, in May 2015 and plan to be in Denver for the NCOM Convention. We actually had a great turnout at this year’s Board Meeting and Region VII Seminar. At several of the meetings the rooms were not only full but folks were standing up all around the sides and back of the room. That is the kind of thing that helps to make it all worthwhile. That we still have many people wanting to stay involved, informed and are willing to fight the fight. We all need to be involved if we want to keep the lifestyle that we so cherish and the freedoms that go along with it.
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(800) ON-A-BIKE See the back of your MMA membership card
Visit us on the web at www.ON-A-BIKE.com
We are endorsed by the National Coalition of Motorcyclists and more than 1000 motorcycle groups throughout the United States and Canada, and serve as Legal Counsel for the Confederations of Clubs.
ATTENTION MMA OF ARIZONA MEMBERS: Our nationwide network of A.I.M. attorneys donate a significant portion of their legal fees from motorcycle accident settlements back into motorcycling by being the sole financial sponsor of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists.
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January/February 20 5
MMA of Arizona Calendar of Events
Tires
Disgruntled Bike
Dark siders are a growing group of passionate bikers who swear by the practice of replacing their conventional rear tires with one meant for automobiles. An article in Rider Magazine went as far to call dark siders an evangelical group that closely resembles a religious movement. The most common arguments dark siders convey when speaking about their passion is that car tires are more economical and safer than motorcycle tires. But purists will likely never embrace this practice and continue to view Dark Siders as impostors in the biking world. What The Experts Say To submit event information please contact MMA of AZ State Event Officer by phone at 623.695.5659 or Email activities@mma-az.org
January 17th - 5th Annual Skin and Steel AZ American Legion Post 2, 2125 S Industrial Park Ave, Tempe Tattoo and Motorcycle Show. Free Admission, open to everyone. Tattoo and Bike Contest - $10 per entry. Beers and Burps Contest - $5 entry Baked Food Sale, New Event T-shirt, Vendors, Music, Food, Beer, Awards, Raffles and a whole lot more! January 31 – 14th Annual 3 Ball Run Leather/Eagle District -Come on out for an afternoon of 3 ball and a whole lot of fun! Come and show your skill! No experience necessary! Trophies for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and for last place. Sign in 10 –11:00 am The Maverick Saloon, 9605 N 19th Ave, Phoenix. $5/per person- 5 Stops with 3 ball played at each stop. Lowest 3 scores wins! Worst scores go in a drawing for the scratch award trophy. Raffles & 50/50. IF IT’S RAININg HEAD STRAIgHT TO THE ENDSTOP FOR A KICKASS PARTY AT NOON. End Party at Charley’s Place, 4324 W Thunderbird Rd, Glendale "Proceeds to benefit continuing work for motorcycle rights in Arizona.” FMI call Cindy 623-6955659 EVERYONE WELCOME! February 6th - Motorcycles on Main Street 6:00 - 10:00 P.M. The first Friday of every month is bike night in Downtown Mesa! Join over 1000 motorcycles and their riders on Main Street (between Center and Robson)for a Sturgis-style event that attracts bike lovers from all over Arizona February 21st - 23rd Annual Freedom Beach Party and People's Choice Bike Show $10 per person includes entry into the bike show and all games/contests. Live music by The Recalls, Bike Show, Biker Games, Hawaiian Shirt Contest, Vendors, Raffles, 50/50 and more! Enjoy a day with friends and help support the MMA in their fight for your motorcycle rights! FMI or vendors call Cindy @ 623-695-5659. February 28th – 2nd Annual Blessing of the Bikes American Legion Riders Chapter 58 of Fountain Hills. The Event will start at 11:00 AM with Live Music and Socializing. Guest Speakers along with a member of Clergy will perform this most important Blessing at 12 Noon. Live Music, Food and Drink Specials will be Available. Donations will be accepted for ALR Charities. Come to our Beautiful Fountain Hills and Support our Veterans! February 28th - Benefit Ride by Chaparral Bar for MMA VVD Member Doug Cannon. Registration 9 am at Nate's Cowboy Cafe.Cottonwood, AZ KSU at 10 am. Poker Run with all proceeds going to Doug. End party at The Chaparral Bar. Contact Beth at Chaparral for more information. FMI: Beth 928-274-3443 March 6th - Motorcycles on Main, Downtown Mesa 710pm March 7th - The Phoenix Wounded Vets Run ll Start of event is at Harley-Davidson of Scottsdale, Ok everyone here we go again, the 2nd Annual Phoenix Wounded Vets Run 2015! This event is starting at The Haymaker restaurant with registration from 10:30 – 12:30 and ending at Harley Davidson of Scottsdale at 2pm. The honoree is a young man that grew up in Glendale AZ named Brad Ivanchan, Brad is a double amputee Marine Corps Vet that we could not be happier or more honored to be supporting for our ride. All of the proceeds for the days event will be going to help Brad or to a charity of his choosing.
Submitted by a Disgruntled Biker
Linus Van Pelt, of Charlie Brown fame, once eloquently stated there are three things he's learned to never discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin. Motorcycle riders have similarly found themselves discussing a taboo subject you're likely to take a firm stance on, never to be swayed by any arguments from the opposition.
U.K.-based TrafficSafe urged bikers not to install car tires on their motorcycles as part of National Tire Safety week in 2012. The organization specifically pointed out how an online retailer recommended Michelin tires, particularly the 195/55R16, for Goldwing and Valkyrie motorcycles. The website said the practice is safe and can even improve handling, which TrafficSafe said is false. TrafficSafe specifically pointed out how motorcycle and car tires are constructed differently, with the latter not being built for cornering on a two-wheeled conveyance. TyreSafe, another U.K. organization, took it a step further saying car tires on a motorcycle can lead to unpredictable handling that can result in serious injury or death. A 2009 article in Motorcycle Cruiser magazine repeated most of these sentiments. It acknowledged the number of people turning to the Dark Side has grown substantially in recent years. But motorcycle manufacturers have tested car tires on their bikes and warned against the practice due to the inherent dangers. Most motorcycle service centers refuse to do such modification because of potential legal issues that can arise in the even of an accident, the article stated.
It seems almost every biker I've met has something nasty to say about people who drive cars while using a cell phone. Their inclination is to ban the use of cell phones in cars. Why? Most bikers I've ridden with do things that are unsafe, like riding faster than the posted speed limit, not using their turn signals to make a lane change, or trying to beat out a red light. I believe that ALL bikers have done this, myself included. What gives us the right to complain that cell phone drivers are unsafe? The fact is that cell phones don't kill bikers. People kill bikers. Don't people also say that about guns, when someone wants to ban guns? The fact is that bikers can break traffic laws because they have confidence in their ability to ride safely. I have a friend who frequently rides his bike well over the posted speed limit, even after having a couple of beers, and then curses a cager for using a cell phone. Does that make any sense? Don't target everyone who uses a cell phone; target only the people that can't drive safely. If you can drive a car safely, even if using a cell phone at the same time, you should be allowed to do so. The same goes for riding at whatever speed you think is comfortable, as well as deciding how many beers you can drink without compromising your skills. Give everyone the freedom to choose and the opportunity to prove themselves capable. Don't come up with laws that dump everyone into the same bucket. Otherwise, if you're going to take cell phones away from cagers, then don't complain when cagers put helmets on our heads.
The View Of Dark Siders David Hatton, a Honda Goldwing GL1800 rider and member of the Gold Wing Road Riders Association in Ontario, took to an online forum to share his experience replacing his rear tire with a car snow tire. He cited increased load capacity, smoother ride, longer tire life, and lower price as his primary reasons for going to the dark side. Motorcycle tires, he said, have not progressed like car tires, particularly when it comes to run-flat technology for a safer ride. Cornering and the contact patch of tires seem to be the biggest issues for those who vehemently oppose dark side riding. One dark sider posted two Youtube videos: the first showing a bike with a motorcycle tire taking a sharp corner, and a second video showing another bike taking the same corner at the same speed with a car tire. Though the contact patch appears to be the same, motorcycle purists who commented on the videos picked it apart and resorted to ad hominem attacks directed at the videos' creator. Daniel Meyer, author of the "Life Is A Road" motorcycle book series, pointed out the simple economics of dark siding. Motorcycle tires cost around $200 and last only 8,000 to 10,000 miles, whereas car tires cost about $90 a piece and last for 70,000 miles. Dark Side Decision Bikers have always embraced the nonconformist lifestyle. But dark side riders will inevitably become the targets of harsh criticism from their purist counterparts. It ultimately comes down to personal choice and finances. Some insurance companies may not cover a dark side bike, while people hurt in potential accidents could target you for riding with tires not meant for the motorcycle. The dark side debate is one that is not going away anytime soon, and one that is fruitless with anyone who strongly leans to one side or the other. But do yourself a favor and learn about the dark side before blindly insulting it as so many veteran riders do.
Send in events for listing by February 5th to activities@mma-az.org. Paper will cover March/April and Arizona Bike Week Events!
Corbin Seats Popular aftermarket seat maker Corbin has introduced a new feature to its website to give customers a better idea of what, exactly, they are buying. Although Corbin offers seats for all kinds of bikes they are particularly popular among riders of Harley-Davidsons and other cruisers. The custom seats receive acclaim for the level of comfort offered over standard OEM seats. They are equally popular because of the level of customization possible. However, anyone who's ever considered buying one of the popular seats online probably knows the experience of being baffled by the number of choices available. According to Corbin, even the most basic seat model has more than 43,000 customizing combinations. Step up into something like the company's Dual Touring Saddle and the combination possibilities apparently go into the millions. Trying to figure all this out based solely on descriptions was frustrating to many customers. After all, what's the difference between Red, Candy Red, Ninja Red and Tomato Red? As a result, many customers simply gave up trying to create their seat online. Corbin says it listened to the criticisms of these customers and has invested a number of years into a feature on its website that will allow customers to see the seat of their choice and customize it exactly to their liking. "This has been at the top of our To-Do List for nearly a decade now," said Greg Hurley, Director of Marketing at Corbin. "It has also been a highly requested feature from our customers." orbin drafted in designers from New Zealand to help get the work done. Presently the feature is still in beta mode, with only the six most popular seat models currently available. Customers can craft and customize these seats in thousands of ways. More seat models are expected to be added soon. To try to Visual Seat Configurator, visit Corbin.com.
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Lobbyist Update
Ride Tips
BRAKE LIGHTS: Engine braking may be effective for the rider, but motorists behind us might not be able to discern if we are slowing or not. If you choose to employ engine braking for slowing, make sure to tap the front brake lever or rear brake pedal to communicate your intention to motorists around you.
Legislative Updates from our Motorcycle Lobbyist Billy “Desperado” Larson MMA-AZ Designated Lobbyist
• If someone has to 'ride' a friend or family members bike somewhere and are smaller/shorter than the owner/rider the bars are too high and currently illegal. The Motorcycle Lobby Team has met with DPS and Highway Patrol to discuss our Case Points. We have also been in direct contact, more than once, with the lobbyist/lawyer of the Police Chiefs Association, as well as the lobbyist for the Sheriffs Association. Both organizations will be getting back to us if they find any issues with our Bill so that we can possibly resolve them prior to session starting. They have all thanked us for reaching out to them and keeping the lines of communications open. They will be bringing up our Bill at their early January meetings and have assured us that they will contact us direct with any foreseeable issues, so that they can be talked out and resolved prior to committee hearings. Hope you had a great Holiday, Ride SAFE!
A.M.S.A.F Arizona Safety and Awareness Foundation Mick Degn Continued from front page for all their support and hard work in regard to Motorcycle Safety. We couldn’t help the Motorcycle Community as much as we do without their support. On December 15th, 2014 AMSAF released a press release talking about an additional $100,000.00 Grant that AMSAF received for Motorcycle Training Scholarships. So as you can see AMSAF has been busy in 2014 and going into 2015 helping to reduce Motorcycle Accidents and fatalities. On March 7th, 2015 AMSAF will be putting on an event called “Riding for the Long Haul” Motorcycle Safety Event. This will be the first time the State, Healthcare Network, Motorcycle Business’s, Business Community, Motorcycle Training Schools and other organizations will be coming together to promote Motorcycle Safety. We will have the top Executives from the State of Arizona in attendance for their support. It will be a fun day with drawings for some great prizes given away every half hour all day. In addition, AMSAF will be giving away 20 Scholarships for a Basic Rider Course (BRC). Music, food, lots of drawings and some wonderful vendors/Sponsors there to help make your Ride for the Long Haul. In addition, we will have a Professional Stunt rider showing us how it’s done.
ENgINE BRAKINg PROS AND CONS We come across this question quite often from course participants in our Basic RiderCourse and from some of our more advanced courses too. The question is, “When I need to slow my motorcycle down, should I just use brakes or should I allow the engine to help slow me down?” In essence, the person is asking us whether or not they should use engine braking. Generally, folks seem surprised by the answer. ENgINE BRAKINg DEFINED Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, we should first define engine braking. Engine braking occurs when the retarding forces within an engine are used to slow a vehicle down, as opposed to using additional external braking mechanisms such as friction brakes. It can be as simple as just rolling off the throttle. Often times, when switching from a higher gear to a lower gear a rider can obtain a slowing effect more so than just rolling off the throttle.
If you haven’t been on our Facebook page or web site lately, please do. We’ve made a lot of changes and a lot of great information on both. We send out a newsletter every month and we hope you’re on it. If not, please sign up for our newsletter and be sure to do a like on our Facebook page so that you get all our updates. AMSAF and its Board would like to thank everyone that helped us in 2014 and has become part of the AMSAF family through your support and involvement. Together we will help reduce Motorcycle Accidents and Fatalities. Help us improve on 2014 and make 2015 a huge success by becoming part of the AMSAF Family. Mark your Calendar for March 7th for the AMSAF “Riding for the Long Haul “Motorcycle Safety Event
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THIS IS AN “AND” WORLD Ultimately, it is up to us to decide if we want to integrate as part of slowing process. Can we use just our brakes only? Sure. The old adage it is cheaper to replace brake pads than clutches or transmissions has some inherent wisdom. If we are seeking a higher proficiency with our vehicle, then using both methods makes sense. We highly recommend integrating both using both brakes of your motorcycle in conjunction with engine braking. The more tuned these processes are, the more likely we are to use them correctly when a hazardous situation presents itself. The beauty is that to practice these techniques all we have to do is get out and RIDE!
We should note that there isn’t a right or wrong; rather, it comes down to preference and what you think is safest. ENgINE BRAKINg PROS CONNECTEDNESS: When performed properly (NOTE THIS HUGE CAVEAT), engine braking can be an effective way to slow you and your motorcycle. Some riders find engine braking a better way to slow their vehicle because they feel more connected to the motorcycle and how the power is being delivered to the rear wheel. PROPER GEAR FOR HAZARD AVOIDANCE: By downshifting and releasing the clutch as we slow from a higher gear to a lower gear, we can better place ourselves in the appropriate gear for our speed should we need to perform a hazard avoidance maneuver or to be able to quickly accelerate out of a poor situation. If we were to remain in a higher gear, the bike might lug, and we may not be able to accelerate as quick. ENgINE BRAKINg CONS
We are very proud of the committed Board and Advisory Board that we have. We could not do the things we’re able to do without their commitment. As you look at Charities or non-profits for the year, don’t rule out AMSAF. 100% of what we get goes to Motorcycle Safety, Awareness and Training to help reduce accidents and fatalities. Our Board is strictly a volunteer board with a huge heart and commitment. Check out www.amsaf.org on how you can donate or help. We’d also like to thank our many Sponsors and that list continues to grow. Without their financial support we couldn’t do what we do. When we receive a Grant, it is usually a reimbursement Grant. That means that we have to spend our money to get someone into a school for the Scholarship before we get reimbursed from the State or Federal Government. All of the donations and Sponsorship goes into a fund to cover those costs so we can continue to get additional Grants and give out Scholarships.
much of their mental bandwidth is being used for other motor skill activities.
$3,000.00 of Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance To all MMA-AZ Members I am pleased to announce that all Members of MMA-AZ now have their Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance increased from ($2,500.00) Two Thousand Five Dollars to ($3,000.00) Three Thousand Dollars. A MMA-Az State Officer will personally be mailing out this announcement with A.I.L. information in the very near future. Please remember that if you want to be contacted by a A.I.L. Representative you must mail in their correspondence that will be in the letter that we are sending.
SAFETY CONCERNS: For entry level riders, the process of engine braking while downshifting from higher to lower gears may be problematic. In extreme examples when going from a higher gear to a lower gear under high engine RPMs, we can lock up the rear tire creating a skid, cause damage to the gearbox, and possibly wear out the clutch and transmission prematurely. Therefore, engine braking is a skill that should be developed gradually and over time. Matching our gears to road speed is something we can work on our entire riding careers.
If you DO NOT want to be contacted by an A.I.L. Representative DO NOT send this information in to A.I.L . They do not have your contact information unless you send in their reply card. It's that simple -- you need to do nothing to have this increase to ($3000.00) Three thousand dollars of Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance. If you have been thinking about getting more insurance or any other type of insurance --- by all means please use the Insurance Company that is sponsoring this $3,000.00 of Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance benefit to us (MMA-AZ Members.)
New technology found often in sport bikes can help prevent rear wheel lock up. It is called a slipper clutch actually “slips” when the rear wheel tries to drive the engine faster than it would run under its own power. Racers have benefitted immensely from this technology as rear wheel lockups often created very dangerous high side crashes. If you want to increase your safety, you may want to consider a vehicle with a slipper clutch.
Below is the web site and phone contact for American Income Life Insurance Company for MMA-AZ Members.www.ailife.com/benefits/SgLLB 1-800-4951213
In Total Control Level 2 we work on performance shifting which includes “blipping” the throttle on downshift to help match the engine speed to road speed. This technique is not something we discuss with entry level riders because
Update - The ACMC now has AIL insurance for their members. MMA is a member of the ACMC. This now entitles MMA members to an additional $2500 in Insurance coverance.
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Remember -if you DO NOT want to be contacted DO NOT send it in.-That's the way it works. C J Swinford -602-788-2088 - CJ@MMA-AZ.ORg
Editor’s Space Comments relative to the content, current affairs or anything that is on my mind at the time of this publication. Lee “Snakebite” Gonzales Editor, Motorcycle Patriot MMA Vice Chairman Greetings and Happy New Year to All! I hope everyone’s year is off to a good start. Mine has been more than busy. This issue is a little late due to the demands of the holiday season and the everyday demands of life. It’s a little hard to get articles this time of year as all of us have many obligations. But, it’s finished. But the good news is the paper will still be coming to you every other month instead of quarterly as reported last issue. The one change you will notice is we’re back to Black and White. By cutting the color in the issue, we were able to print the paper on the normal schedule. We have now embarked on the motorcycle busy season. The most beautiful weather to ride in is here and there more events on the calendars than you could possibly attend. Also the legislative session will be starting, the Freedom Beach Party and Motorcycle Day at the Dome will be happening, then Bike Week and in May Motorcycle Safety and Awareness month, then summer…it will be here in a blink of an eye. We hope everyone will check the MMA calendar, either in the paper or on the web at mma-az.org, and support the events put on by the MMA. Your support of these events helps the MMA raise money to support this paper and our lobby efforts. Bring a few new friends with you, introduce them to others…then sign them up. Our membership needs to continue to grow. The more members we have the bigger our voice is at the capital. Every district is in need of volunteers. Some need officers while other just could use some help at an event to give the currently overworked volunteers a little bit of a break. It’s not hard and I promise it won’t hurt. Even if you just volunteer at one event, I know it will give you new insight into the amount of work the current district officers and members do. Feel free to pass them the word “Good Job”. A little kindness and positive comment goes along way.
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Birds on Bikes Pics courtesy of TeeKay Held each year to support St Vincent de Paul in there food collecting efforts for the holidays. We truly make a difference.
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30th Annual Verde Valley Toy Run
4th Annual Tri-City Eagles Toy Run
Submitted by Trish Gomez
Submitted by Tom “Teekay” Kartler
Who says bikers don’t have big hearts (well we don’t but we know some people who do.) Once again a group of bikers came through to help out the children in the communities of the Verde Valley. This year was the 30th Annual Verde Valley Toy Run. For the past years, the Boys and Girls Club of Cottonwood has been sponsoring the run, with the toys going to the children in the Verde Valley and the proceeds going to support the Boys and Girls Club. At the end of August, Verde Valley district MMA members learned of the cancellation of the Toy Run this year due to the closure of the Boys and Girls Club. Everyone knows that if you cancel an annual run one year, odds are not great that you can get it up and running the following year. We voted at our September meeting to take it on and sponsor. A committee was formed and we were off and running.
This past holiday season there were dozens of runs and charity events going on. Maybe it’s because so many folks needed help this time of year. The economy hasn’t recovered, people have lost their jobs or their houses. Folks have fallen on hard times, including the motorcycling community. The bright side is that bikers do more than any organization I know of in times of need. We may not have much, but we are more than willing to share.
The morning of November 8th was beautiful. Not too cold and sunny blue skies. Perfect day to take a ride. Registration started at 9am at Wal-Mart. Before 9am there were already a bunch of bikers lining up to register. A local delivery service, Arrow Express, donated a box truck to transport the toys. Wal-Mart donated bicycles along with Haven Health who also donated bikes and cash. It was looking to be a good event. At kickstands up there was a police escort from Wal-Mart to R.I.O.T. in Old Town Cottonwood. From there the bikers were on their own to do the Verde Loop (that’s what I call it). Head to Sedona through VOC into Cornville and head to Clarkdale for the End of Run party. Thank you to Olde Sedona Bar & Grill, Full Moon and Grasshopper Grill for letting us enjoy your businesses for our run stops.
Of course we can’t participate in all of the events, so the Red Mountain District decided to join forces with other organizations and attend their event. The 4th Annual Tri-City Eagle Riders Toy Run was held on Saturday, November 29. The toys and money collected helped benefit the Banner Health Cardon Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in Mesa. It was a sunny but chilly day as we headed to American Legion Post #138 in Tempe for the sign up. $15 single and $25 couple plus a new toy donation and that included lunch and a run T-shirt. Folks were taking off in small groups, so we hooked up with a few other members to form our riding group and headed out. A little freeway and a little city riding and we were at the Eagles in Glendale. A quick beverage stop there and we were headed back to Tempe to American Legion Post #2 where we waited until it was time to head to Cardon Children’s Hospital to deliver the toys. At the hospital we formed a sort of “ Toy Bucket Brigade” line to hand off the toys from the van to Santa. Some of the children were allowed to come out and greet the bikers and as always they were fascinated with our motorcycles. The smiles on their faces made it all worthwhile. After a group picture in front of the hospital it was off to the Tri-City Eagles for lunch and friendship. A lot of people talk about working with other organizations, but in this case it all came together for a great cause and a great time. The run was hosted by the Eagles, but the many participants including the MMA Red Mountain District, East Valley ABATE, Legion Riders from Post #138 and #2 and many others.
The party at the end was great. 10-12 Lounge hosted us, and supplied the band. “The Izzies” were awesome, and played a variety of music for us to dance to. There were many raffle prizes to try for and a prize for high and low rolls of the dice. Food was proved from Main St. Café next door. Thank you Ally Buckley for the delicious lunch. At the end we were able to supply the Moose Lodge with toys for the families they sponsor and Big Brothers and Big Sisters organization as well. We also raised over $1000 for the new Cottonwood Teen Center. We even had more toys come in after the event to give to the Camp Verde American Legion for their Christmas party. Thank you all who helped with getting raffle prizes, donations and setting up -- plus running the stops. I couldn’t have done it without you.
Supporting Red Mountain District and Cardon’s Childrens Hospital. Submitted By Debi Althouse Payne Today my husband and I thought we would take a ride to The 4th Annual Toy Run benefiting the children at Cardon’s Children Hospital. Registration was at American Legion Post 138 and then we took a nice leisurely ride through downtown Phoenix and Glendale for a stop before everyone met at American Legion Post 2 in Tempe for a group ride to Cardon Children's Medical Center. We filled the hospital entrance with motorcycles and the kids were excited to see all the bikes and bikers. I think some were more excited to look at all the bikes then get a toy! We participated in helping Santa by standing in a line unloading toys and handing them down. Several children came to see the excitement and receive toys from Santa directly. One girl specifically wanted Monopoly so she could play with her family in her room. We found the game and she was thrilled and all smiles. There was a boy who was battling brain cancer and wanted his picture taken by the motorcycles, especially by the “dragon bike.” He kept walking around looking at all different bikes -- the smile on his face and pure excitement you could see in his eyes brought tears to my eyes. We made several kids’ day and it made me so proud to a part of the MMA and on this ride. Then we went to the Eagle Riders of Mesa for late lunch and the after-party with delicious home-smoked pork sandwiches, raffles and music. The Junior Eagles had a cookie/sweet table set up for us to purchase dessert and help support their fundraiser. A fun day was had by all. Can’t wait to do it all again next year!
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MMA of Arizona Business Member Listing - listed by city
At Large
Sober Riders MC, Inc Organizations and Clubs Business Life Member
Apache Junction
R.I.O.T. - Rendezvous In Old Town Bars & Restaurants 777 N Main St Cottonwood, AZ 86326 928.634.3777
American Legion Riders Post 27 Organizations and Clubs 1018 S Meridan Rd Apache Junction, AZ 85220 602-541-2441 Business Life Member
A Touch of Class Custom Trikes Motorcycle Repair, Parts & Accessories 1421 E Birch St Cottonwood, AZ 86326 928-254-0957 Business Life Member
Captain’s Bars & Restaurants 300 W Apache Trail #118 Apache Junction, AZ 85217 480-288-2590 Business Life Member
Kactus Kate’ Saloon Bar & Restaurants 929 N Main St, Cottonwood, AZ 86326 (928) 634-7822
Fat Rabbit Tattoo
Services and Miscellaneous 936 W Apache Trail Apache Junction, AZ 85120 480-570-0632
Phoenix Vulcan Riders Organizations and Clubs Apache Junction, AZ 602-696-8064
Superstition Harley Davidson Motorcycle Repair, Parts & Accessories 2910 W Apache Trail Apache Junction, AZ 85220 480-346-0600
Avondale
Airepros Air Conditioning & Heating Services and Miscellaneous 2022 N 106th Lane Avondale, AZ 85392 623-547-5992
Dart Cycle Worx Motorcycle Repair, Parts & Accessories 1060 N Eliseo Felix Way Ste 10 Avondale, AZ 85323 623-925-5503 Business Life Member
Casa grande
Silver Bullet Bar Bars & Restaurants 1401 North Pinal Casa Grande, AZ 85122 520-836-1363
Clarksdale
1012 Lounge Bars & Restaurants 910 Main St Clarksdale, AZ 86324 928-639-0800
Nate’s Cowboy Cafe Bars & Restaurants 1481 Highway 89A Clarkdale, AZ 928-639-3838
Cornville
Old Corral Bar Bars & Restaurants 11375 E Cornville Rd Cornville, AZ 86325 928 649-9495
Cottonwood
The Bar at Stombollis Bars & Restaurants 321 S. Main Street Cottonwood, AZ 86326 928 634-3838
Chaparral Bar Bars & Restaurants 325 Main Street Cottonwood, AZ 86326 928-254-1307 Business Life Member
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Seitz Architectural Design Services and Miscellaneous 782 Cove Parkway Cottonwood, AZ 86326 928-646-1788 Business Life Member My Dobro grill, Spirits and Music Bars & Restaurants 1100 Hwy 260 #21 Cottonwood, AZ 86326 928-634-3800
Coolidge
Tag’s Café Bars & Restaurants 156 N. Arizona Blvd. Coolidge, AZ 85128 520.723.1013
gilbert
Team Arizona Motorcyclist Training Center Services and Miscellaneous 36 N William Dillard Dr Gilbert, AZ 85233 480-998-9888 Business Life Member gilbert American Legion Organizations and Clubs 206 N Gilbert Rd Gilbert, AZ 85212
glendale
Charley's Place’ Bars & Restaurants 4324 W Thunderbird RD Glendale, AZ 85306 602-439-1668 Business Life Member Limey Riders M/C Organizations and Clubs Glendale, AZ 85311 623-930-9165 Business Life Member Sage and Sand Bar & grill Bars & Restaurants 13831 W Glendale Ave Glendale, AZ 85307 (623) 935-5810
Humbolt
Arizona Trike Shop Motorcycle Repair, Parts & Accessories 3650 Arizona 69 Humboldt, AZ 86329 (928) 632-8910 Business Life Member
Mayer
Smokin’ Harley’s Steakhouse & Seafood Bars & Restaurants 10456 SR 69 Mayer, AZ 86333 928-632-4255 Business Life Member
Mesa
Mainstreet Motorcycles Motorcycle Repair, Parts & Accessories 9750 E Apache Trail Mesa, AZ 85207 480-357-7595 Business Life Member VIII Society M/C Organizations and Clubs 7930 E 1st Ave Mesa, AZ 85208 480-227-2690 Business Life Member America's Ultra Clean Services and Miscellaneous 738 E Dana Suite A Mesa, AZ 85204 480-206-4003 Business Life Member
New River
Roadrunner Restaurant & Saloon Bars & Restaurants 47801 N Black Canyon Hwy New River, AZ 85087 623-465-9903 Business Life Member
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Ranch House grille Bars & Restaurants 819 N Navajo Box 3491 Page, AZ 86040 928 645-1420 Business Life Member Windy Mesa Bars & Restaurants 800 N Navajo Dr Page, AZ 86040 928-645-2186 Business Life Member Blair’s Trading Post Clothing 626 N Navajo Dr Page, AZ 86040 928-645-3008 Business Life Member Page Boy Motel Lodging 150 N Lake Powell Blvd Page, AZ 86040 928-645-2416 Business Life Member Page Honda Motorcycle Repair, Parts & Accessories 915 Coppermine Rd Page, AZ 86040 800-432-6923 Business Life Member Classic Auto Body Services and Miscellaneous Box 2756 Page, AZ 86040 928-645-9023 Fred's Liquor Store Services and Miscellaneous 902 N Navajo Dr Page, AZ 86040 520-645-3575 Business Life Member
Payson
Dr Robert L gear Payson Health and Wellness Center Services and Miscellaneous 801 Hwy 260 Payson AZ 85541 928·978-4027 The Historical Journigan House Bars & Restaurants 202 W Main St Payson, AZ 85541 928-478-8324 Business Life Member
January/February 20 5
Lil Joe Leathers Services and Miscellaneous
PO Box 839 Payson AZ 85547 Toll Free Voice (800)643-3321 Mazatzal Casino Bars & Restaurants PO Box 1820 Payson, AZ 85547 800-777-7529 Business Life Member All-Clene Carpet Cleaners Services and Miscellaneous 609 W Bridle Path Lane Payson, AZ 85541 928-468-1358 Business Life Member Amon Builders, Inc Services and Miscellaneous 903 E Hwy 260 #6 Payson, AZ 85541 928-474-0689 Business Life Member Miller Auto Works Services and Miscellaneous 600 W Main St Suite A Payson, AZ 85541 928-468-8855 Business Life Member Payson Packaging Services and Miscellaneous 106 E Bonita St Payson, AZ 85541 928-474-5260 Tonto Silk Screen & Embroidery Services and Miscellaneous 403 W Frontier St Payson, AZ 85541 928-474-4207
Peoria
CJ Creations Clothing 10348 W Cashman Peoria, AZ 85383 623-412-2110 Business Life Member
Phoenix
RideSmart Motorcycle Training, Inc. Services and Miscellaneous 2530 W. Morningside Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85023 623-877-5425 Business Life Member Renegade Classics Motorcycle Apparel & Accessories 3102 E Cactus Rd Phoenix, AZ 85032 602-595-9598 Business Life Member Bellone CPA-PLC Services and Miscellaneous 3420 E Shea Blvd #140 Phoenix, AZ 85028 602-765-6111 Business Life Member Breyer Law Offices Services and Miscellaneous 15715 S 46th St Ste 100 Phoenix, AZ 85048 480-505-2162 Business Life Member Skinny Dipping Pools Services and Miscellaneous 18635 N 35th Ave Suite 110-163 Phoenix, AZ 85027 623.465.7600 Business Life Member
H & H Plumbing and Drain Services and Miscellaneous 16772 W.Bell Rd.Ste,110, #233 Surprise,Az.85374 623-322-9100
Business Life Member
greer Wilson Funeral Home Services and Miscellaneous 5921 W Thomas Rd Phoenix, AZ 85033 623-245-0994 Business Life Member Law Tigers Services and Miscellaneous 362 N 3rd Ave Phoenix, AZ 85003 602-516-0000 Business Life Member
Pine
Sidewinders Saloon Bars & Restaurants 6114 Hardscrabble Mesa Rd Pine, AZ 85544 928-476-6434
Rimrock
Vintages grill Bars & Restaurants 5155 N Dave Wrigfield Rd Rimrock,AZ 86335 928-592-9220
Scottsdale
Southwest Trikes Motorcycle Repair, Parts & Accessories 7430 E Butherus Scottsdale, AZ 85260 480-951-7171 Business Life Member
Sedona
Olde Sedona Bar & grill Bars & Restaurants 1405 W Highway 89A Sedona, AZ 86336 928-282-5670
Show Low
Native New Yorker #12 Bars & Restaurants 391 W Duece Of Clubs Show Low, AZ 85901 928-532-5100 Business Life Member Days Inn - Show Low Lodging 480 W Duece Of Clubs Show Low, AZ 85901 928-537-4356 Business Life Member
Surprise
Arizona Dragon Slayer Exterminator Services and Miscellaneous 26307 N 157th Ave Surprise, AZ 85387 602-526-1312 Business Life Member
Tempe
American Legion Riders Tempe Post #2 Organizations and Clubs 2125 S Industrial Park Ave Tempe, AZ 85282 Business Life Member Aflac Services and Miscellaneous 6197 S Rural rd Ste 103 Tempe, AZ 85283 480-838-9020 Business Life Member
Tonopah
Tonopah Joe’s Family Restaurant Bars & Restaurants 41101 W Indian School Rd Tonopah, AZ 85354 623-776-5554 Business Life Member
ATTENTION MMA BUSINESS MEMBERS Please review your business listing on page 12 and 13. It is possible that the information we have on file has changed, or we entered something incorrectly. Submit any corrections right away so we can update our database by the next edition. Email to membership@mma-az.org or mail to MMA of Arizona, 625 W. Deer Valley Road, Suite 103-481 Phoenix, Arizona 85027 Help us support you by providing any information you may have regarding discounts for MMA members. Consider placing an ad in our newsletter – your ad is published for a two-month period, and we can help you design it! We also offer web advertising.
Tonto Basin
Harleyannes Smokin BBQ 270 S Old Highway 188 Tonto Basin, AZ 85553 928-479-3100
ATTENTION MMA MEMBERS Have you visited an MMA business member’s establishment lately? Have you ever recruited one of your favorite hangouts to join as an MMA business member? Help us recruit businesses that are biker friendly! Ask your preferred businesses to consider a membership, or suggest that we can help them design an ad to place in our newsletter and/or on our website.
Tonto Village
The Double D Bars & Restaurants 354 Johnson Blvd Tonto Village, AZ 85541 928-978-2058
Youngtown
Curly’s Customs Motorcycle Repair, Parts & Accessories 12040 N 111th Ave Youngtown, AZ 85363 623-764-6562 Business Life Member
If you have any questions, contact your District Manager, Board Member, or Editor of the Motorcycle Patriot.
Other
Law Offices of Richard M. Lester Servicing and Miscellaneous 21054 Sherman Way 3rd Floor Conoga Park, CA 91303 800-521-2425 Business Life Member
Springerville
Avery’s Services and Miscellaneous 262 West Main Street, Springerville, AZ 85938 (928) 333-1111 American Legion Post #30 Organizations and Clubs 825 E Main Springerville, AZ 85938 928-339-4475 Booga Red’s Bars & Restaurants 521 E Main St Springerville, AZ 85938 928-333-2640
Strawberry
gila County Chopper Motorcycle Repair, Parts & Accessories 7803 Ralls Drive Strawberry, AZ 85544 480-789-2933 The Flying grizzly Motorcycle Repair, Parts & Accessories 5079 Hwy 87 Strawberry, AZ 85544 (928) 978-1412
Support Our Business Members They Support Us January/February 20 5
Page
NHTSA Announces Drop in Motorcycle Fatalities
Company works to develop new 'autocycle' category of vehicle
December 30, 2014
Elio Motors, makers of a three-wheeled vehicle set to be launched in the near future, is hoping to avoid the challenges faced by Polaris recently by encouraging lawmakers to come up with a new "autocycle" category of vehicle.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that motorcycle fatalities have dropped for the second year in a row, reports the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF). According to the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, or FARS data, collected by the federal government, motorcycle fatalities for 2013 dropped from 4,986 to 4,668 a difference of 318. The motorcycle fatality drop was the largest percentage of all vehicle groups at 6.4 percent. This is the second year on year drop in motorcycle fatalities since 2009. This is an encouraging trend, but it is likely just that. It is a promising direction, since more motorcycles continue to be registered year after year. Another aspect motorcyclists can be proud of is the decrease in the number of alcohol related deaths. Fatal crashes where alcohol was a factor dropped by 117 deaths, or 8.3 percent, also the largest decrease in the category. Also reported was the drop in the number of injured motorcyclists from 93,000 to 88,000, a 5.4 percent drop. Eighty-eight thousand still seems like an awfully large number but consider that the number of passenger vehicle injuries is 2,046,000 for 2013. The drop in injured motorcyclists is again the largest decrease in the category. One unfortunate aspect of the report is that motorcyclist fatalities now take up 14 percent of the total fatalities. This is likely a direct result of more motorcycle licenses being issued and more motorcycle registrations being reported. Highway motorcycles saw a two percent increase in sales in 2013, and manufacturers are reporting record setting sales for 2013, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council. As with any increase in a vehicle population, it is predictable that fatalities would also rise. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation believes that through strong rider education programs and prolific motorcycle awareness campaigns this drop in motorcycle fatalities can continue. Feel free to contact the MRF for any information on motorcycle fatality avoidance campaigns. Read the full NHTSA reports here: http://wwwnrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/812101.pdf All Information contained in this release is copyrighted. Reproduction permitted with attribution. Motorcycle Riders Foundation. All rights reserved.
Business Member Spotligh RideSmart Motorcycle Training. New Life Time Member! RideSmart is the premier rider training school that teaches individuals of all skill levels, whether new to riding or returning to riding. Certified curricula from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and licensed by the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division. Complete the Basic Rider Course, and earn a Motorcycle Safety Foundation completion card and exemption from the state administered motorcycle license testing for your motorcycle endorsement.
Currently, any vehicle with three wheels is usually classified by the Federal Government as a motorcycle. But it turns out that individual states may be a little more specific in their definitions, creating problems for the makers of some three-wheeled machines. As BikerNewsOnline reported, this was the case in Texas recently when Polaris learned its new Slingshot vehicle will not be allowed for road use because it doesn't have a saddle. The state said the Slingshot's car-like seating meant it should be subject to the more rigorous safety standards applied to cars. Meanwhile, in some other states the vehicle's motorcycle designation will mean its riders (drivers?) will be required to wear helmets and have motorcycle endorsements on their licenses. Arizona-based Elio Motors is planning to release a vehicle that is in many ways visually similar to the Slingshot. Its low-cost, economical vehicle has two wheels at the front, car-like seating and is even enclosed like a car. To avoid the hurdles faced by Polaris, however, the company is urging lawmakers to develop a new classification of vehicle. "There are many great reasons to place this legislation in statute," said New Mexico Rep. Carl Trujillo. "For one, this innovative, high-MPG vehicle will greatly help the citizens in my district as well as all of New Mexico by significantly lowering their transportation costs." Trujillo has drafted and proposed legislation that would add the term "autocycle" to his state's driving code, as well as remove helmet requirements for users of such vehicles. "Roadblocks in statute that are stifling innovation need to be removed," he said. "Helmet requirements in fully enclosed vehicles with airbag protection do not make sense and are actually dangerous to the occupants.”
Harley Davidson Recall America's largest motorcycle manufacturer has issued a massive recall over an issue that has already led to a number of accidents. More than 126,000 motorcycles -- including all of HarleyDavidson's 2014 touring line up -- are included in the recall. There is an issue with the bikes' hydraulic clutch which may result in failure to disengage. Harley-Davidson says the fault has already been identified as the cause of 19 crashes, none of which have resulted in serious injury. The issue is the same one that prompted a massive recall of models last year. Harley-Davidson says the fix involves rebuilding the master cylinder and that it has sent letters to the bikes' owners. Touring riders are encouraged to contact their nearest Harley-Davidson dealership. Models included in the recall are: Electra Glide Ultra Classic (FLHTCU), Ultra Limited (FLHTK), Police Electra Glide (FLHTP), Street Glide Special (FLHXS), Street Glide (FLHX), Tri Glide Ultra (FLHTCUTG), CVO Limited (FLHTKSE), CVO Road King (FLHRSE), CVO Breakout (FXSBSE), Electra Glide Ultra Classic Twin Cooled (FLHTCUTC), Ultra Limited Shrine (FLHTK SHRINE), Street Glide Shrine (FLHX SHRINE), and CVO Softail Deluxe (FLSTNSE). To check whether your bike is affected visit the HarleyDavidson safety recall search, where you can find specific information by entering your VIN. This is the second major recall to hit Harley-Davidson this year. In July, more than 66,000 models were recalled because of the risk that the front brake line could get pinched causing lock up.Street models also recalled Meanwhile, Harley-Davidson has issued a smaller secondary recall for more than 1,400 Street models. The newly released 500cc and 750cc models are said to have an issue with the fuel tank which may result in leaking. Again, owners should contact their dealership to get the issue resolved. On the back of this news, Harley-Davidson stock (HOG) has dropped over the past few days.
Elio Motors Vice President of Governmental Affairs Joel Sheltrown recently testified before the New Mexico Science and Technology Interim Committee and explained the need for the legislation. New Mexico is one of 10 states that have helmet requirements for people under 18. Elio Motors is working to adopt legislation in each of these states. Paul Elio, CEO of Elio Motors, added, “We are excited and very grateful for Rep. Trujillo’s leadership. His quick action to recognize autocycles and removing barriers to their use will provide regulations consistent with neighboring states and the nation.” Elio says its three-wheeled autocycle will attain a highway mileage rating of up to 84 mpg and cost less than $7,000. Elio’s first manufacturing site will be in Shreveport, La., with plans for the first production vehicle to roll off the assembly line in 2015.
Why choose RideSmart? Our fun, low-stress approach means motorcycling in an atmosphere that is both informative and FUN! We have a pass rate of approximately 98%. We charge up to $100 LESS than our competitors for the exact same courses.
WHAT IS THE MMA? MMA is a Motorcyclists Rights Organization (MRO) comprised of motorcyclists and motorcycle enthusiasts concerned with the future, safety, and welfare of motorcycling. We are a non-profit, educational organization dedicated to improving the social atmosphere which surrounds motorcyclists, and protecting the individual freedoms of America's citizens. MMA OBJECTIVES Create an atmosphere of camaraderie among individuals where motorcycling can be enjoyed in a free and responsible manner
Our team has over 100 years combined riding experience, teaching military, fire and law enforcement.
Educate individuals and organizations regarding issues and activities in the legislative and judicial branches of the government, at both State and Federal levels
Student to RiderCoach ratio of 5-to-1 = lots of personalized attention in fun, supporting environment.
Encourage an interest in and promote the protection of our nation's Constitution and Bill of Rights
Support small, local business, which gives back to the community.
Encourage and support involvement in the legislative process
Conveniently located in Phoenix accessible by I-17 and Loop 101.
Educate automobile drivers and motorcycle pilots regarding motorcycle awareness and safety through our statewide Motorcycle Awareness Program (M.A.P) and other local awareness events.
Only school in Arizona that offers a two-day course! Learn & License in 15 hours. We have online enrollment 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Reach us by phone daily from 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM. We're here for you with easy real time online or telephone registration!
January/February 20 5
Promote a positive image for motorcycling by being proactive in our individual communities Conduct fund-raising activities to support these objectives.
Ride Like Your Life Depends on It…It Does. Submitted by Angela Orton - Ridesmart Motorcycle Training
Motorcycle Awareness Program (M.A.P.)
“Just because you didn’t crash, it doesn’t mean you did the right thing.” Have you ever avoided a crash by doing the wrong thing? I’m talking about anything you do on the motorcycle to avoid a crash. There are a lot of riders out there who avoid a crash by doing the wrong thing just right enough or the right thing just wrong enough (I know that sounds funny; just stick with me) that they end up coming out of a bad situation still upright and riding. Unfortunately, what they’ve just done is unintentionally reinforce bad crashavoidance techniques. We’re all vulnerable to this phenomenon, including yours truly. Case in point; recently I was riding west on Bell Road near Dell Webb Boulevard in the middle lane. Traffic on this Sunday afternoon was surprisingly dense, and I wanted to clear myself off from a knot of go-slows that I was smack in the middle of. I saw an opportunity to get some space on the right, so I changed lanes and started to accelerate past the slower vehicles in the two lanes to my left. As soon as I moved to the right lane and began to speed up, a light-green Ford Windstar pulled out of a strip-mall parking lot right in front of me, at a distance close enough to make me instantly feel nauseous, like I was gonna get severely hurt and there was nothing I could do about it – you’ve possibly felt it before as well. Here’s where I screw up. I immediately get on the brakes and decelerate, but the back tire starts to skid, and instead of leaving the back brake locked and focusing on stopping the bike without locking the front (we teach that in the Basic and Experienced courses as proper to do on a clean, dry surface), I pay waaaaaay to much attention to what the rear tire is doing and let off the brake, which causes me to reduce my front brake pressure as well. As I feel my heart jump into my throat, I see that there is just enough space between the Ford and the car in the middle lane to squeeze through, so I let off the brakes completely and swerve into the gap. As the still-oblivious driver of the minivan finishes his turn into traffic, I flash past his left mirror, startling him into the realization that he almost had a motorcycle stuffed in amongst the groceries in the back seat. So, let’s look back at the whole scenario and figure out what bad behavior I unintentionally reinforced: sure, I avoided a crash, but I sure could have done things better – like not getting into the situation in the first place. A simple glance into the parking lot would have prevented the whole thing, since I would have stayed in the middle lane. Then, when I did try to avoid hitting the minivan, I goofed up on my braking technique, but managed to save my butt by making the correct move (swerve) as a backup. Needless to say, I did practice my quick-stop technique the next day to condition myself to do the right thing next time. Anyway, moral of the story – don’t assume you did everything right just because you didn’t crash. Replay everything in your mind to determine whether you are doing things correctly or you’re fooling yourself into thinking you’re a better rider than you are. Until next time - Ride Smart.
Bobbi Hartmann Motorcycle Awareness Program (MAP) 602-672-3531 bobbij2@earthlink.net The MAP presentations are somewhat limited at this time. I am hoping to expand in 2015 to once again include Page, Payson and maybe even Kingman. Following are the student comments from the 2 recent MAP presentations done by Skypilot and Bruce Officer in the Phoenix Metro area. Skypilot and Bruce Officer as our Certified Presenters along with members of the American Cruisers MC, are having a huge effect on the up and coming student drivers that attend their presentations. The instructors at Desert Sage Elementary, cannot say enough about the positive impact that these folks are making. I’d like to personally thank them all for their ongoing dedication to keeping this program alive and running.
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• I liked the sound effects and shortness and how it was straight to the point • What I liked of what I learned in today’s lesson is that most of the time the motorcycle accident occurred due to a vehicle failing to yield the right of way and you need to make sure to look left and right at least 3 times • I learned that motorcyclists wear black to keep warm in winter and since black absorbs the heat, it makes them sweat in the summer and then the wind can make the sweat keep them cooler • I liked the outside demo, guessing the speed of the bikes and they have cool names. I learned a few things I will be sure to remember - ALWAYS LOOK!!
11/18/14 Desert Sage Elementary – 24 Students – Skypilot, Bruce Officer, along with Shepard, Pilot and Fuzzy with American Cruisers MC Student Comments: • Very informative and gives perspective of motorcyclists. Better informs kids about sharing the road with motorcyclists. • It was very interesting with good pictures, big font and easy to read. There was lots of useful information. The leather jacket was cool and heavy and the copy of the quiz is good for review • Very well explained with a great sum of details that gave me new knowledge about motorcycles. It gave the right idea how drivers should treat motorcyclists out on the road • I liked all the warnings, the video and how it showed what careless drivers do and I plan to drive a motorcycle in a few years and it helped me know what to look out for. The presentation was amazing! • I liked how the presenters shared personal stories and experiences. The presenters had funny jokes and seemed very nice • Very informative. I now know what to look out for with motorcyclists. I can now use information I didn’t have before to help keep them safe on the road • The presenters were funny nice and gave us more then enough information. They also gave us examples and interacted with us. • The video presentation with 2 guys on sidewalk was funny but a good comparison and got my attention. I knew it was dangerous riding a bike, but this gave me a much better idea as to how vulnerable motorcyclists really are.
• The presentation allowed us to get educated by a bikers perspective. They really tell you what actually scares them when they are on the road and it helps us drivers help avoid that, like following to close
I would like to send an invitation to all of you to come down and see what we are all about. We are located at 2602 W. Townley Ave Ste #10 in Phoenix, just 1 block south of Dunlap and east side of I-17.
• The first part of presentation contained mostly statistics and facts which allowed students to wrap their minds around the real world. I liked the real live view of motorcycle crashes and pictures and descriptions, as well as their personal stories of bike riders and the summary at the end
Below are Student Comments, which are taken directly from the most recent evaluation sheets we collected after each MMA MAP presentation since last report.
• It made me more aware of motorcyclists and informed me to keep my eyes open and to always look for and be cautious of bikers. Very informative and interesting.
Hello Fellow Harley Enthusiasts!
• I liked learning about the statistics with motorcycles. I appreciated the mixture of presentation, video, interactive times and speeches that were given, so it was not just one form the whole time. I learned a lot of informative things i did not know so thank you
• It was very informative and I learned a lot more about information that I thought I knew. Great sense of humor integrated right into the presentations 12/1/14 Desert Sage Elementary – 24 Students – Skypilot, Bruce Officer, along with Shepard, Pilot and Fuzzy with American Cruisers MC Teachers Comment: Excellent program. Keeps students attention with outstanding information for beginning drivers. Hope we can continue having you for future classes. Very knowledgeable speakers. Student Comments: • I liked the presentation, the people, motorcycles, pictures, factual information and how cars can effect motorcycles presented professionally and really good
Lane Splitting A petition calling for lane splitting to be legalized in all 50 states is drawing thousands of signatures on the White House's "We the People" section. Lane splitting, also known as "lane sharing" and "filtering," is the act of riding between lanes of cars. When done effectively and intelligently, the riding technique has been shown to help decrease traffic congestion, as well as a rider's risk of being the victim of a rear-end collision. The petition was first created in early December and quickly earned enough signatures to become publicly searchable. The next threshold it must reach is 100,000 signatures, at which point it will receive an official response from the president of the United States. Some critics have pointed out that the federal government may not have the direct power to enact cross-country legalization of lane splitting and that the issue would instead need to be dealt with on a state-by-state basis. However, supporters of the petition argue that it will help to use the president's power of "bully pulpit" to highlight the issue's relevance and importance. You can read the petition and sign your name to it at http://wh.gov/i1D3r Once they have signed the petition, signatories are required to verify their support via email. When the petition achieves 100,000 signatures, the president's response will be made public and as well as emailed to all those who took part.
January/February 20 5
District Updates
Food Drive –MMA Verde Valley Submitted by Trish Gomez
White Mountains Submitted by Rich Tuminello,Secretary December happenings for MMA – WMD In this time of giving, we were able to make donations to two of our local food banks -- the New Covenant Food Bank in St. Johns and Round Valley Cares in Springerville. We are going to get in touch this year with the local Shriners to assist us with our Run with the Wolf Rally. This year our Rally will be held at Avery’s Water Hole & BQ on Route 60 East in Springerville. The Rally will be changed from our traditional Father’s Day weekend to Memorial Day weekend so that we do not interfere with other activities going on during Father’s Day weekend. The Rally will be held on May 22nd & May 23rd with many great new activities as well as our long distance Poker Run which is a joy for all. There will be camping available right at the Rally site which will make it easier for people to stay overnight. HR was able to make our December meeting. He is looking well after his mid-summer mishap which laid him out for a while. We are very happy to see him up and around. You can’t keep a good man down ! With the winter weather coming and most of us up on the mountain putting their bikes away for a while, we can’t wait for Spring to get out on the roads again.
Hams on Hawgs, Birds on Bikes or 2 Wheels with Meals, whatever you call it -- we fed some families. This year MMA Verde Valley chose United Methodist Food Bank to donate to. Rev. Bill and Eleanor spoke at our October meeting about their food bank distribution, explaining they service about 35 to 40 families in need. The majority are senior citizens who live in the apartments behind the church. It was unanimous that we would support them. They also explained to us that they could cut up a turkey or ham and serve many seniors who live alone. They did express a need for canned items and toilet paper. Believe it or not, many food banks do not distribute toilet paper. United Methodist Food Bank’s goal is to be able to give two rolls at each distribution. We met on November 22nd at 10am. Though it was a small group, our saddlebags were filled with canned goods, peanut butter, stuffing mix, several turkeys and hams (some were strapped to the handlebars) and of course …toilet paper. We were led by Papadave our chaplain for a short ride over to the church. We were greeted by many volunteers who were so thankful for our donations. What a great feeling. I think that all district members should consider bringing a canned item to each meeting and to continue to support the food banks you choose. What a difference we could all make. I’m bringing it up at our December meeting. Happy New Year, everyone.
Drive safe and be well.
Verde Valley Submitted by Terry ‘Stretch’ Payne I would like to start off with a big thanks to all of our Verde Valley members for a great 2014. Also huge thanks to all of the 2014 officers who truly showed their love for MMA, motorcycle rights and our community. You all Rock! Robert, I have to give you a special thanks for stepping in as DM when I asked. Trish you of course did an amazing job leading our activities and events and we truly appreciate all you both did. I am glad you will be able to relax a bit, let others take the lead and enjoy the rides!! Congratulations to all of our newly elected officers for the 2015, we have some new faces and new members that I am looking forward to working with! As we say in the District the Verde Valley Railroad got me and I am once again your District Manager. I am joking as I am happy to lead this Awesome District and I know with these two newly elected officers ADM Jeff Peters and Activities Lizzy Dickens we are sure to come up with some great ideas for runs, community events and a lot more motorcycle safety and awareness in our District. Thanks to all the officers who got reelected/agreed to do another year – your support is much appreciated. Let’s have a great 2015! I want to let everyone know we have a Verde Valley member who is going through some tough times. Doug Cannon was in a motorcycle accident this last October 2014 and has had some difficult times, with multiple surgeries. He has been in and out of the hospital several times. We have taken up donations for him as well as given from the down rider fund, but that is not really enough. I would like us all to pull together and support a run for him which is being planned for February 28th. Let’s all show our support for a down brother. Not only that but brothers and sisters let’s pray for his speedy recovery and for both Doug and Tami. If anyone would like to help out please contact one of the VV officers, you can find our information on the website or Bob Gates (Sponge Bob) is usually down at his local watering hole the Chaparral Bar so if you run into him maybe pass a few dollars on to Bob and he will put into the fund for Doug. This is one of the reasons why we are all involved in an MRO when times like this come about we all pull together. After our District Hams on Hawgs/Birds on Bikes/Meal on 2 Wheels Event held November 22nd several of us took a ride thru Cornville visiting Chad and Sara at Grasshopper Grille and we even got to meet the newest addition to their family. Then we rode to Vintages Grill to talk to Kathy about re-signing as a Business Member and enjoyed a nice lunch on the patio. Imagine lunch on the patio in November! After lunch we rode over to the VFW in Cottonwood to show our support for all Veterans and listen to some live music by Happy Days. Great ride with some great friends! Final note, Lizzy our new Activities Coordinator has some great ideas for some runs this year, I am looking forward to Lizzy and Loren’s assistance this year with MMA VVD and I think this husband and wife team will be a great asset to VVD. Welcome aboard!
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January/February 20 5
Make motorcycling safer with more motorcycles, say British police A new statement by the organization representing police chiefs in the United Kingdom claims that one of the best ways to increase motorcycle safety is to encourage more people to get on two wheels. The statement by the UK Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) was made earlier this week to a committee at the British Houses of Parliament that is looking into how to improve road safety in the country. The group represents the heads of police departments in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Obviously the UK is a different country with different rules and different driving patterns than the United States (after all, they drive on the wrong side of the road!), but many of the reasons behind the recommendation make sense in an American context, as well. The ACPO says more riders on the road will increase safety both in terms of awareness and training. "The idea that more motorcycles on the road improves rider safety was initially based on European data, which shows that when a greater percentage of traffic is made up of motorcycles, mopeds or scooters, riders are less likely to be involved in an accident," the statement said. "It is also acknowledged that motorcyclists make better road users when driving cars." Admittedly, one of the reasons UK riders are thought to make better drivers is the fact that the country's motorcycle licensing process is notoriously difficult, Three on-the-road tests, a written test and a video-based test are required before a person can earn his or her full license. People under the age of 24 face additional testing. But it is anecdotally true that American riders also tend to be more alert to motorcycles and motorcyclists when in their cars. The ACPO, along with the UK's Motorcycle Industry Association have issued to Parliament a number of recommendations, including additional motorcyclefocused training for drivers, an extension of the country's post-license BikeSafe training program, and the reduction of licensing hurdles for people under the age of 24, "There is a growing body of evidence which shows that if more people started their road careers on a motorcycle, scooter or moped, this would lead to improvements in driver behaviour towards all vulnerable road users," the statement said. In addition to increasing safety, the groups pointed out that increased motorcycle use would also lead to considerably less congestion on the country's famously clogged roads. Citing a recent Belgian study, the groups said that if 25 percent of road users were motorcyclists, traffic congestion would be eliminated. To this end, the groups told Parliament there needs to be a more motorcycle-specific focus in road planning. The groups have at least one ally. Member of Parliament Steve Baker said he strongly supports the idea: "I would be delighted to see the government adopt a more encouraging approach to motorcycle use, he said. "If we want to reduce congestion and improve the quality of people's lives, we need to embrace all forms of twowheeled transport."
Minibike Manufacturer to Pay RECORD $4.3 Million Federal Fine Baja Inc. of Anderson, South Carolina, has agreed to pay a record $4.3 million civil penalty to settle a complaint from federal regulators that it delayed reporting safety defects on its go-karts and minibikes, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has reported. The settlement resolves CPSC charges that the firm knowingly failed to report within 24 hours, as required by federal law, known defects and an unreasonable risk of serious injury involving 11 models of minibikes and gocarts sold nationwide from November 2004 through June 2010. The defects in Baja’s products, which consisted of fuel leaks and unintended acceleration, resulted in the recall in 2010 of 308,000 Baja Motorsports minibikes and go-karts, which is when Baja filed its Full Report with CPSC. Although the company agreed to pay the fine, it did not admit any wrongdoing and said it was paying to “avoid the cost, distraction, delay and uncertainty” of continued proceedings. Previously, the highest penalty the safety commission had issued was a $4 million fine against Graco Children’s Products in 2005 for failure to inform CPSC about dangers to children.
PAY-TO-PLAY HELMET LAW PROPOSED IN NEW MEXICO In a unique scheme to punish motorcyclists for exercising their right to ride without a helmet, a Discussion Draft of a Senate bill proposed for the 2015 52nd Legislature for the state of New Mexico would create a system of taxation for riders who opt not to wear a helmet. Specifically, “The department [Motor Vehicles Division] shall make available distinctive motorcycle validation stickers that signify that any person age eighteen or older who operates a motorcycle on which that sticker is affixed are not required by law to wear a safety helmet. The department shall issue validation sticker when a qualifying person pays the fee as provided for.” A standard validation sticker is just $15 annually, but it would cost $692 per year for the “distinctive motorcycle validating sticker” that allows the rider to go lidless…the additional tax revenue to be distributed as follows: $541.60 to the trauma system fund, $135.40 to the brain injury services fund, and $15 as additionally provided by law. Otherwise, the rider and passengers must wear a helmet, even though New Mexico law currently does not require helmet use for those 18 and older. “My concern is this will turn into a helmet law in New Mexico,” said Annette Torrez, chairperson for the New Mexico Motorcycle Rights Organization (NMMRO) and a member of the National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) board of directors, who reported on the effort at a recent NCOM Regional Meeting in Baltimore, Maryland. “We found out that a lobbyist in New Mexico asked a senator to draft the bill, and though it does not have a sponsor yet, we are currently researching who is behind it.” NEW ARMY RULES BAN BASKETBALL SHOES AND CLUB COLORS U.S. Military installations worldwide require military members and employees to utilize a variety of safety equipment to ride motorcycles on base that is not required by laws outside their boundaries, but some new Army rules in Hawaii sound way off base. On Nov. 1, Military Police and leaders at all levels began enforcement of U.S. Army-Hawaii Policy Letter 11 on Motorcycle Safety, consisting of four major changes to the pre-existing policy, including changes to required safety equipment and prohibited equipment. “When operating a motorcycle on USARHAW installations, riders must wear a DOT approved helmet, protective eyewear, abrasion-resistant gloves, long pants (excluding PT pants), long sleeves, and leather/canvass boots or sturdy over-the-ankle shoes,” and such regs are typical of most military bases, but their new policy “prohibits riders from wearing high-top basketball shoes while riding.” Additionally, the new policy specifies the use of reflective gear at all times, and riders must wear either a fluorescent (brightly colored) and reflective vest, jacket or upper outer garment, or they must wear a motorcycle specific jacket with padding/armor. But what’s most concerning is “Prohibited Equipment” that is NOT allowed to be worn: “Riders on-post are not authorized to wear any garment that displays an affiliation with a motorcycle club or other group that offers or solicits membership.” The new policy applies to all motorcycle operators on USARHAW installations. In addition, the policy applies to all 25th Infantry Division Soldiers, both on and off-post.
Pet Corner Information brought to you by Julie Cissne
January and February is National Pet Dental Month! Do you know what it really entails to clean a pet’s teeth?Often, people hold off to long on caring for their pet’s teeth. Some of the most common reasons are. *Cost of the Periodontal Therapy (anywhere form $300 - $1,000) or more! * Unable to make time for appointment (simple as adjusting your work or home schedule for just one morning & one afternoon) Signs of Dental Disease include: *Foul breath *Drooling *Chewing food on only one side of the month *Pawing at mouth and/or rubbing face on floor or carpet *Trying to bite when you touch around face (sign of pain) *Always acting hungry (because they are unable to eat with bad teeth) *Not wanting to eat (hurts to eat) There are four stages of gum disease. 1. Stage I- presents with reddened gingival tissues. This is the initial stage. Bad breath is one of the first signs. 2. Stage II- presents as the early stage of gum disease. Signs include moderate reddening at the free gingival, margin, edema, & plaque. Most animals are between the ages of one and four. Cats sometimes are affected later. With scaling, polishing & home care, this stage is usually curable. 3. Stage III- presents Established Periodontal Disease. This stage appears as edema, inflammation & the beginning of pocket formation. This marks the change from gingivitis which is reversible with treatment, to which periodontitis is controllable with therapy, but the patient presents with extremely strong “smelly breath”. 4. Stage IV- appears as server inflammation (bleeding on contact), deep pockets, gum recession, bone loss, pustular discharge, & tooth mobility. The severe inflammation & pain in some cases causes the animals to rub their face, drop food while eating, & drool excessively. Although treatable, state IV is not curable. To clean the teeth: Teeth cleaning is accomplished with the use of both hand scalers & ultrasonic power scalers. Both loss to used. Hand instruments include scalers. Curets, explores, & probes. Steps of the Periodontal Therapy: There are 6 steps to the Periodontal Therapy. The first step is the oral examination. Once your pet is under Anesthesia, he will be checked for facial swellings or unevenness, swollen lymph glands in the neck while comparing the size from the right to the left. Facial sides of the teeth & gums will be examined for discoloration, swelling & fractured teeth Lastly, all of the teeth will be examined before scaling.The last part of the exam is charting all teeth for any abnormalities. All abnormal findings will be noted on permanent dental record. Next is to grade the mobility of the tooth. Teeth are anchored in the jaw by the periodontal ligament. Unfortunately due to trauma or disease, teeth can become mobile. • Grade 1- mobility-indicates slight movement up to 1 millimeter. • Grade II- mobility-indicates movement up to 2 millimeters. • Grade III- mobility-signifies movement of 3 millimeters or more. At this time if there are suspicious teeth, they will need an X-Ray to determine if the tooth needs to be extracted. The Staff will also take before & after pictures for you. The doctor will determine the condition of the root & whether or not it is diseased and /or abcessed. The second step is removal of tarter & calculus from the crown. This can be preformed b y either a hand scaler or a power scaler. The mechanical power scaler works by vibrations that knock of the calculus. The scaler is used with constant motion across the teeth. The third step of the prophy is the removal of deposits below the gumline. This also called sub gingival scaling & planning of the root surface. Hand curets are used for this procedure. The Fourth step of this is polishing the teeth. Scaling creates minute scratches on the enamel. If left untreated, these scratches attract plaque which can lead to early gingivitis. To remove these imperfections, the teeth are polished with prophy paste. Polishers used to deliver paste to the teeth are electric slow speed or air driven slow speed. Polishing removes the rough tooth surfaces that were created by plaque & calculus as well as by the scaling procedure. The purpose is to get the crown surface as smooth as possible so that plaque does not have gouges to build up tarter.
STUDY SHOWS LANE SPLITTINg POSES NO ADDITIONAL DANgERS
The fifth step is irrigation. The teeth & gingival sulci are flushed to remove debris from the prophylaxis procedure. This removes potentially harmful irritants from the gum pocket. Fluoride is administered to all teeth to help keep them strong. It is gently wiped off after one minute.
A series of new studies out of the University of California, Berkeley found that the practice of lane splitting poses no additional danger to motorcyclists. California is the only state that allows for the maneuver, which is the act of a motorcyclist passing slow or stalled traffic by riding in between cars along the lane lines.
The final step (sixth step) is the post prophy exam & home care instructions. Home care includes things the client does at home to provide preventative care. Home care instructions are essential for continued patient progress. Awareness, timely dental prophylaxis when needed, & home care contributed to longer lives for their pets & the better their pet’s breath will smell better!
Two yearlong studies were recently released by UC Berkeley and were commissioned by the California Highway Patrol and the Office of Traffic Safety, and determined that the seemingly risky move of weaving inbetween traffic to be no more dangerous than just riding a motorcycle, when executed in a safe and prudent manner. The state-commissioned research considered thousands of accident reports and found lane splitting is poses no more risk than riding a motorcycle in a marked lane, with the exception when lane splitting (a.k.a.; lane sharing, or filtering) is done at speeds over 10 miles an hour in excess of traffic flow. One report is a crash study that examined 8,262 motorcyclists who were involved in crashes while lane splitting between June 2012 and August 2013. The second report examined lane-splitting habits among
It is recommended “Greenies” & also there is tooth paste for your pets. Discuss it with your Doctor. Diet is also an important issue. Harder foods tend to decrease the rate of plaque deposit in comparison to softer foods. Clients should be advised that some bones can be harmful. Chewing on bones can break teeth & cut in the gum tissue. Horse or cow hooves can create a “slab” fracture of the upper fourth premolar which can expose the pulp to infection & can require a root canal or extraction. Flat rawhide chews will not usually cause problems &compressed rawhide has been shown effective as well. Scheduling the next appointment is essential to visit. Dental care does not end once the teeth are cleaned. Long term dental programs are outlined individually by the veterinarian for each patient. Some animals need monthly rechecks while others without observable disease can be reexamined yearly. Most middle aged dogs & cats should have a minimum of two per year. Patients with grade IV periodontal disease need reexamined every two or three months. Grade 1 gingivitis cases are rechecked every 6 to 12 months. Those patients with Grade II & III gingivitis can usually be reexaminations every 6 months. How about taking a minute to check your pet’s teeth? If you are unable to do this at home, make an appointment with your pet’s Veterinarian & let them do it for you.
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January/February 20 5
11th Annual Rim Country “Birds on Bikes” Ride
Rim Country District Christmas Pictures by Joy Stick This year MMA-RCD and ABATE HCC joined up to collect toys for the Moose Lodge in Star Valley. Every year they have Santa and Mrs. Santa come to the lodge so children can see Santa and get a gift.
Submitted by Terry “Hardware” Krider November 22, 2014. It was a bright sunny morning when eighteen riders from Rim Country MMA met in the Payson, AZ Safeway parking lot at 9 am. Riders came from surrounding communities as well as Payson, and temperatures averaged between the high teens to the high twenties. Heated grips are sweet! Two of the bikers were driving their pickup trucks in order to carry the food and ten riders were on their bikes. Half a dozen members were attending to the safety education booth that was put up in front of the store. Twenty turkeys were generously donated by the Payson Safeway and the remaining “fix ins” and pumpkin pies were purchased by the district. The food was gathered and organized and we had kickstands up at 10 am. The families in need this holiday were identified with the vital help of the school nurses in Strawberry, Pine and Payson elementary schools. Their knowledge of the families as well as their help getting the registration forms back to the district were key to our success in organizing the event. The communities were scattered about the area within a twenty mile radius and we started by heading south to Gisela. We met with families there who made the drive a few miles on the gravel road from their homes out to Highway 87 to meet with us. The people encountered throughout the day were very appreciative of the communities’ generosity. Many of the children we met received a memorable thrill when they were able to sit on one or more of the motorcycles for a bit. It was heartwarming to see their enjoyment. The day continued with travel back north to the communities of Strawberry and Pine, with a rest stop at one of the Rim Country District business members -- the Sidewinder saloon in Pine. Many enjoyed some food and a tasty beverage and we were back on the road. A life-threatening incident occurred on our way back south to the Payson area in the form of a pickup truck heading north with unsecured large pieces of furniture in the bed of the truck. Just before the lead bikes were about to pass the truck, a large sofa flew from the bed of the truck, remaining airborne for a few seconds before bouncing and careening up the highway – right into the oncoming path of the remaining eight riders. One of our riders was struck by the flyaway sofa, but fortunately was not seriously injured. It could have been a disastrous accident with fatalities if not for the skill of our riders and a huge dose of luck. It reminded all of us of how vigilant we must be when riding, since we never know where a threat to our safety might come from. Following our determination that everyone was okay, we continued our ride south to Mesa del Caballo, then to Star Valley and on to Payson. We completed our delivery of Thanksgiving dinners and good will to a total of twenty families by 4:30 pm. We ended our ride in the Payson Safeway parking lot with a contented feeling of bikers helping their community.
And to All....a good night! Page
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January/February 20 5
Biker Vittles
various groups in 2012 and 2013.
From the Table of the Vittle King It’s January! Time for a little low-cal and some comfort food.
Taco Soup (make it vegetarian by eliminating the meat and add 1 can black beans and 1 can navy beans.)
Researchers found lane splitters are less likely to be rearended (2.7% of crashes vs. 4.6% for average motorcyclists), and lane-splitting motorcyclists involved in crashes were notably less likely than other motorcyclists to suffer head injury (9.1% vs. 16.5%), torso injury (18.6% vs. 27.3%), or fatal injury (1.4% vs. 3.1%). Lane-splitting in California appears to be on the rise, with 62% of motorcyclists admitting to lane-splitting on both freeways and other roads, a 7.5-percentage-point increase over 2013. Data from the studies will be shared with the CHP, which this year began working on guidelines for lane-splitting. Authors say the report, the first of its kind about lanesplitting, will be followed up by more in-depth analysis, including looking at rider age, rider gender, motorcycle characteristics and collision and roadway characteristics.
2 pounds ground beef 1 envelope taco seasoning 1-1/2 cups water 1 can (16 ounces) mild chili beans, undrained 1 can (15-1/4 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained 1 can (15 ounces) pink pinto beans, rinsed and drained 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes 1 can (10 ounces) diced tomato with green chilies 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies, optional 1 can (4 ounces) sliced black olives 1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
In many countries, lane splitting and filtering are normal practices for motorcyclists, particularly in highly urbanized areas of Europe and Asia. LANE FILTERINg APPROVED DOWN UNDER
In heavy pot cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Add taco seasoning and mix well and then stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until heated through, stirring occasionally. Serve with toppings such as sour cream, shredded cheese, jalapeños, fritos or totilla chips.
Bacon Cheddar Potato Cakes 3 slices bacon 4 cups cold leftover mashed potatoes 2 eggs 1 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Following consultation with riders, motorists and road safety groups, the government of Queensland, Australia decided to make changes to the laws regarding motorcycle riding, and beginning early next year motorcyclists will now be able to move around stationary or slow moving vehicles, as long as they are travelling less than 30 kilometres an hour (18.64 mph). A trial in New South Wales found lane filtering could help ease traffic congestion and Transport Minister Scott Emerson agreed it should be rolled out in Queensland, but it will only be allowed for experienced riders and won't be allowed in school zones during school hours.
Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned and crisp about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon slices, crumble set aside.Leave the bacon drippings in the skillet.Mix mashed potatoes, eggs, onion powder, salt, and black pepper together in a bowl; stir in the crumbled bacon and Cheddar cheese.Form the mixture into 8 patties. Heat the bacon drippings over medium heat, pan-fry the patties in the drippings until crisp on each side, about 4 minutes per side.
Among other “sensible changes,” motorcyclists will also now be able to legally stretch their leg off the bike to help avoid fatigue, take both feet off the footsteps to reverse into a parking space and turn their head to do a shoulder check.
Albóndiga Soup For the Meatballs: 1 pound ground chuck ½ cup jasmine rice or long-grain white rice 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 2 teaspoons garlic powder ½ teaspoon pepper 1 teaspoon salt 1 chipotle, minced 1 egg For the Soup: 2 Roma tomatoes, diced 1 small poblano pepper, diced 1 medium zucchini, diced (about 3 cups) 1 small white onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 serrano pepper, minced 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped and more for garnish Juice of 1 lime 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed 1 teaspoon oregano Salt and pepper to taste 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth Combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs, stir well to combine, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. In a dutch oven pot, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil to medium heat. Add the onions, poblano, and serrano pepper, season lightly with salt and pepper, cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, and chicken broth. Bring up to a boil. While the soup comes to a boil, crush the oregano, cumin seeds and coriander seeds with a mortar and pestle, add to soup, stir well. Remove the meatball mix from refrigerator and make 30 small meatball while the soup comes to a boil. When soup is boiling, reduce heat just slightly and carefully drop in the meatballs. Gently stir, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 to 35 minutes. Add the zucchini the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking time. Taste for salt. Garnish soup with lime wedges, green onions and more fresh cilantro. Serve with warm corn tortillas.
Buckwheat Cookies 1 stick butter, room temperature 1 1/8 cup buckwheat flour 1/3 cup brown sugar some honey and walnuts for Decoration Mix butter, flour and sugar until you form a ball. If the butter crumbles too much you may add 1-2 tbsp milk or water. Put the dough on a working surface and form a log. Wrap it with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with a parchment. Slice the chilled dough into pieces, put them on the baking sheet. Put a drop of honey on each slice of dough and put a walnut on the honey to stick it. Bake for 10-12 minutes, let cool before serving
January/February 20 5
Put Your Ad In The Motorcycle Patriot