Belt Drive Betty's Blog

Have you ever?

Belt Drive 0 Canadian Riders, Community 6:10 AM

Have you ever heard of Hogs on the High Seas - the biker cruise started by Dean and Debbie Anderson in the US? 
 
Well, some people here in Canada decided it was high time that Canadian riders have their very own biker cruise. I have been looking at the itinerary and I have to say it sounds like fun. 
Much more mellow than the HOHS type of rally and they want to do it in February - way better timing wise for we in the frozen north than the November HOHS cruise. After you get done off the HOHS cruise you still have a lot of winter ahead of you. 
 
The HOHS cruise is on Royal Caribbean and this new cruise will be on a Carnival ship. 
 
So, I have a question for you - is a cruise with fellow riders, that ends just as Daytona Bike Week is getting ready to start something that interests any of you? Have you been on a cruise before? 
 
I think that a Canadian's Cruise to the eastern Carribean in February would be a great answer to the winter doldrums...I would love to hear your thoughts... 
 
If you are one of the lucky ones who is riding this weekend, please ride like everyone around you is blind and can't see you, stay hydrated and please use respect with that throttle hand! 
 
Belt Drive Betty

Have you ever?

Have you ever heard of Hogs on the High Seas - the biker cruise started by Dean and Debbie Anderson in the US? Well, some people here in C...

Alberta RCMP and motorcyclists!, what's the truth in what's going on?

Belt Drive 0 Motorcycle Awareness, Motorcycle Community, Rider Safety 5:53 AM

Under the guise of <a href="http://www.beltdrivebetty.com/Motorcycle_Media/component/content/article/2576-july-is-motorcycle-safety-month">July being Motorcycle Safety Month</a>, the RCMP here in Alberta are giving you a warning - they don't say it in the press release that I can tell, it's not written anywhere that I can find - but be prepared, if you ride a motorcycle YOU will be stopped, jacked up - whatever you want to call it! It is what has happened in the past and I don't believe it will change any time soon. 
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"July is Motorcycle Safety Month, and Alberta RCMP will be teaming up with enforcement partners to reduce motorcycle collisions this summer. </div>
Although speed and alcohol are often behind motorcycle collisions, driver inexperience is also a major factor. The RCMP stress that it’s extremely important for new and returning drivers to develop their safe operation skills, especially after a long winter. This may include driver training courses, using bikes that are suitable for their skill level and wearing proper safety gear." 
 
Remember the provincial Motorcycle Awareness campaign month is MAY...??? The goal they claim is to reduce motorcycle collisions - Maybe to some degree, they do have radio ads and newspaper ads to that effect but... 
 
In my humble opinion, the RCMP are setting aside the month of July again to ensure helmets, pipes, handlebars, lights, plates etc are up to snuff. So be prepared, if you aren't wearing a DOT helmet, if your pipes are too loud, if your plate is not attached to the bike as prescribed by law, if your handle bars are too high, YOU WILL find yourself the target of enforcement services in this province. 
 
Maybe my interpretation of what I read in the article is wrong. Maybe they really do only want to reduce fatalities - but, the RCMP are not in a position to tell you if you can handle your machine, there are no mandatory courses to take - only voluntary - and how do they know if your gear is safe...so, you tell me - what are they doing by declaring July Motorcycle Safety Month? 
 
I shake my head at what I view as the lame attempt to hide the full measure of what they are up to. Why don't they just tell it like it is? 
 
Maybe, just maybe I am wrong - wouldn't that be nice if I was! 
 
I hope you have a wonderful day today and please, if you are riding today, ride like everyone around you is blind, stay hydrated, be respectful with that throttle hand and don't do anything that gives the RCMP or other police services any reason to stop you... 
 
Belt Drive Betty

Alberta RCMP and motorcyclists!, what's the truth in what's going on?

Under the guise of July being Motorcycle Safety Month , the RCMP here in Alberta are giving you a warning - they don't say it in the pre...

Special Announcement from McCool's Street Bar & Grill

Belt Drive 0 Community 10:01 AM

Special Announcement from McCool's Street Bar & Grill

Scott from McCool's just called to say he and his staff are overwhelmed by the quantity and quality of the entries in his Logo Contest....

Ride Like a Pro

Belt Drive 0 Canadian Riders, riding community 6:36 AM

So, the sun is out here in the north Peace after a few really cool, overcast trying to rain kind of days. 
 
I feel better than I have for days - besides hurting myself when I slipped last week, I had a flu bug or something that had me feeling off for a few days, but today I feel like I can tackle the world - so... 
 
Flo sent me a copy of the <a href="http://www.ridelikeapro.com/">Ride like a Pro DVD</a>, and I am impressed with what I have seen. I am going out today to buy some tennis balls, going to take off my saddle bags and put some foam on my crash bars and hit the parking lot! (If you decide to order one - tell Jerry- Belt Drive Betty sent you and save $5) 
 
I have watched Flo progress from a timid, unsure rider (like we all are when we first start out) into this absolutely polished, powerful and confident rider - my goal is to look and feel as confident on my machine. 
 
I'm an OK rider, I am no fireball that's for sure. I am reasonably confident, I am very hyper aware, especially in town...but the extreme confidence that Flo exhibits - I want to feel that - be that. 
 
I look very forward to some one on one time in the parking lot with my machine... 
 
In other news Layton - our <a href="http://backroadscholar.wordpress.com/">Back Road Scholar</a> who went down in Ely Nevada in June is doing much better. He was pretty busted up and is now in Kelowna General's ICU... 
His wife, Myrna is keeping us all updated until our mouthy funny guy can do it for himself. According to Myrna, his sense of humor is still very much intact! 
 
Hubby's MRI results are in and it's not good. The lesions in his brain and spine are much bigger than the last one he had over 7 1/2 years ago. He can't sleep, he says it feels like his skin is crawling and his feet are still numb. He's learning how to get around better BUT...it's still scary - he starts the day out not feeling too bad but a couple of hours in he looks like someone drug him through a knothole backwards... I know that this too shall pass, I hope sooner than later. It hurts my heart seeing him this way. He looks old before his time...what a horrible and vicious disease. 
 
I hope and pray that if you are riding today that you will ride like everyone around you is blind, stay hydrated and be respectful with that throttle hand... 
 
Belt Drive Betty

Ride Like a Pro

So, the sun is out here in the north Peace after a few really cool, overcast trying to rain kind of days. I feel better than I have for da...

Our Brothers & Sisters South of the Border are at it again...

Belt Drive 0 Community, Traffic Injury Research Foundation 6:49 AM

Only in America it seems do riders truly stand up for what they believe are their rights. 
 
Our friend and colleague <a href="http://www.ldrlongdistancerider.com/">Bruce Arnold</a> sent us in some interesting news from Boston involving a <a href="http://www.beltdrivebetty.com/Motorcycle_Media/busted-knuckle-news-home/news/2540-motorcyclists-rights-advocates-to-make-noise-and-sue-city-of-boston">huge lawsuit over a noise ordinance.</a> 
 
"There was an obviously rush to keep this under the radar screen, - it is so flawed, abusive, and puts the safety of law enforcement in jeopardy, having to crawl under motorcycles looking for some stamp," claims Cote....(Most do seem to be knee jerk reactions instead of well thought out) 
 
I find it interesting how Americans stand up and are proactive when something is stuffed down their throats. 
 
I am not saying we here in Canada need to become like Americans, what I do think though is that we could learn a few things. Sometimes it really is the squeaky wheel that gets the grease. 
 
Here in Canada a new Poll was done regarding Motorcyclists, <a href="http://www.beltdrivebetty.com/Motorcycle_Media/busted-knuckle-news-home/news/2544-motorcycle-riders-is-concern-warranted-poll-">the way we ride and are perceived</a>. 
(Ever notice we tend to do polls and surveys while just to the south of us they tend to just do....) 
 
TIRF (Who did the Poll)- The Traffic Injury Research Foundation provides four core services: 
<ul>
<li>Research on road crashes</li>
<li>Program and policy development</li>
<li>Knowledge transfer and exchange</li>
<li>Evaluation plans, program and policy evaluations</li>
</ul>
So are these the guys we blame for some of the dumbassed laws we have or do we blame the law makers for not following through? I've never heard of this group before today and <a href="http://tirf.ca/main.php">upon looking at their web site </a>I see no evidence of achievements - what I do see are a lot of conferences and symposiums... Does what they do have any real significance or meaning? I'm not sure, but I will be on the look out for some evidence... 
 
Ah the joys of being a motorcyclist! 
 
If you are lucky enough to be riding today, please ride like everyone around you is blind, stay hydrated and PLEASE, be respectful with that throttle hand - heaven forbid we Canucks be forced to go to court to defend our rights.... 
 
Belt Drive Betty

Our Brothers & Sisters South of the Border are at it again...

Only in America it seems do riders truly stand up for what they believe are their rights. Our friend and colleague Bruce Arnold sent us i...

A forced few days off...

Belt Drive 0 Law & Politics, Rider Safety, riding community 6:41 AM

Sorry there have been no postings here in the last few days. I slipped and hurt my hip making it extremely painful to do much else but lay down. 
 
After a trip to the massage therapist I am feeling better and able to accomplish a days work again. 
 
There is so much to say, as usual. 
 
Today I want to talk about the politics of motorcycling. 
 
I had gotten an interesting article for our international news from Bruce Arnold of 
<a href="http://rightsriders.ldrlongdistancerider.com/">BRUCE'S RIGHTS RIDERS LIST</a> 
 
The article entitled: 
<a href="http://www.beltdrivebetty.com/Motorcycle_Media/busted-knuckle-news-home/law-a-politics/198-politics-international/2527-slacktivists-lobbyists-advocates-a-activists">SLACKTIVISTS, LOBBYISTS, ADVOCATES & ACTIVISTS The Farces and Forces of Motorcyclists' Rights</a> 
Hits a number of nails on the head here in Canada! 
 
Our rights and freedoms as riders are always under siege here in the great white North. 
 
There are many Organizations here in Canada that work for our rights like the Motorcyclists Confederation of Canada, BCCOM, BRO... 
 
Are you a member of any of these organizations? Do you just pay dues or do you actually volunteer or otherwise get involved? 
 
Canadians as a whole tend to be very complacent. We don't get indignant terribly often, we will whine and snivel - but do anything about it? It has to be something pretty awful and pretty drastic for us to actually do anything - or at least that's the way it appears to me. 
 
So as Bruce asks his American readers - I ask you - what will you do to protect motorcycling as a way of life in Canada? I'd love to know. 
 
In other news... 
Layton Park, Our Back Road Scholar is back home in Kelowna. Well OK - not home but in the hospital in Kelowna. He can talk and is doing much better. To keep up with Layton and how he's doing since his accident: <a href="http://backroadscholar.wordpress.com/">Back Road Scholar</a> 
 
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi66GviZYps0XG2ZUZyNP9-V-FD8VTj1Eurl8qBLRDZOFXCRV8J3LWGXutNkUG1tZ6z-G7TLIiOtjE-QJQPL8gYESaNRsr8k1MGYI1Y2VuwanlRmv27FHu40O41yLtMWM1YVRQ/s1600-h/Peace+Region+Dice+Run.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352735814664693682" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi66GviZYps0XG2ZUZyNP9-V-FD8VTj1Eurl8qBLRDZOFXCRV8J3LWGXutNkUG1tZ6z-G7TLIiOtjE-QJQPL8gYESaNRsr8k1MGYI1Y2VuwanlRmv27FHu40O41yLtMWM1YVRQ/s320/Peace+Region+Dice+Run.jpg" style="float: left; height: 383px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 248px;" /></a>Hubby, well that's a different story. He is finished with this round of steroids and still can not fully feel his feet. That from what we are told is not a good thing. The steroid treatment is only a temporary fix and is meant to bring on the "healing" process faster. The fact that his feet are still numb after the treatment suggests that he may not regain the full feeling in his feet once this "attack" is done. It's a waiting game... 
 
Here in the north Peace region of Alberta we are getting geared up for a very special Run! 
I hope that we have at least a hundred riders show up who aren't afraid to be on film! 
The ride is being filmed for a Motorcycle Tourism DVD for Mighty Peace Tourism Association and will be featured on a new web site that is being built just for this event. 
The ride will also be featured in the full length DVD that will be released in January 2010. 
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If you are fortunate enough to be riding today, please ride like everyone around you is blind and can't see you, stay hydrated and please use respect with your throttle hand. 
 
Belt Drive Betty