Saturday, July 17, 2010

From bikers being banned at an English Cafe to 105 Year old woman who still wants to ride.

Yes, you read the headlines right. In Great Britian a cafe that has for years catered to motorcyclists has recently begun to close early to discourage bike night and is in fact thinking of banning bikes all together if things continue the way they are. The owner John Simpson, who himself is a rider is overwhelmed. His ride night went from 200 bikes to upwards of 1,000 and consequently he and his staff of three can't keep up - to top it all off he is being slammed and criticized for discriminating.

According to the Northern Echo:
He said the cafe could not accommodate the volume of bikers turning up and it had begun to ruin the experience for other customers.
Mr Simpson said the Lord Stones was never meant to be solely a bikers’ cafe, and many of its customers were families, walkers, gliders, cyclists or horse riders.
Customers and members of the public had also been shocked after some bikers became aggressive – when Mr Simpson refused to open his gates after hours, or told them they would have to wait in line for their food, they shouted and swore......
“All we want is responsible bikers and they are very welcome.
“We used to have a nice friendly night, and we would end up with a couple of hundred.
But what happened this year went out of control. We just cannot cope with those numbers.
“We are everybody’s cafe – everybody is welcome and nobody is turned away in the hours we are cooking, as long as we can cope.”

The old adage that success can kill is true and how in the heck can these riders become so "Aggressive" It is also reported that there is a face Book Group that has become rather aggressive...come on folks...is this really the way to go about getting things changed? Threatening people, being rude, chasing away his other customers?


Whenever you get that many people converging in one place with no "supervision" the probability that things will become stupid goes up - I feel for this man and his staff, every article I have read on this story is the same, the man feels overwhelmed and under supported by a community that he says he has done a lot for. Responsible motorcyclists will always be welcome he says...

Then there is the story of a 105 year old woman  named Winifred Brown in the UK who want's to go for a motorcycle ride...
A SWINDON centenarian proved she is still raring to go as she celebrated her 105th birthday by asking to get back on a motorcycle...
Janet Cooke, Win’s only child, said: “It’s wonderful to see her doing so well.
“She’s still sharp and she always loved the outdoors.
“My father bought a motorcycle in 1929 and she put a cushion on the back and they rode it all the way to Wales.” 

There is a ton of news again today including our 2 contests...
The Ride Like a Local Photo Contest.
The Rules are simple...
Take a picture of YOU and YOUR Ride in front of your favorite Canadian Summer Destination, Attraction or Event.
We want to see photos from and in every province and territory in Canada!
Submit your picture between July 1st and September 30th, 2010
Win 2 nights stay at a participating RFBA hotel, motel, campground or B&B of your choice: (List of participating accommodations providers will be announced soon) OR $150.00 cash!

The other Contest: 
Take a picture of the WORST Canadian Road you come across this summer! 
We want to see photos from and in every province and territory in Canada!
Submit your picture between July 8th and September 30, 2010
We haven't decided on a prize yet!


The contests are open to registered members of www.beltdrivebetty.com and remember - membership is FREE!


In other News:
The RCMP in BC are warning those who drink and drive of new tough measures coming this Fall. In BC if you get caught driving in the danger/warning zone of .05-.08 you will get a three day suspension of your license, a $200 fine and then when you go to renew your license you will HAVE to go to a mandatory defensive driving course at a cost of $1200 and you will pay a higher license renewal fee. In all that one extra drink could cost you around $4,000...

Aerosmith's Joe Perry was rear ended while on his motorcycle - he escaped serious injury though...

There's a ton of other interesting stuff in the what's hot section of www.beltdrivebetty.com  hope to see you there!

PLEASE, no matter what event you are attending, no matter where your holidays are taking you - PLEASE, ride like every corner holds a moose/deer or elk, that every driver of a cage is BLIND , can not see you you and IS out to get you - ride safe...you are important here. Ride Proud not Loud - save those pipes for when someone tries to violate your lane...


Belt Drive Betty
A MAX Award winning web site!
National VP of Marketing
Foundation for Injured Riders, Rights & Education
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Friday, July 16, 2010

The East Coast of Canada

As many of you are aware I am taking a trip across Canada with my favorite riding partner.
Along the way I am meeting up with various riding clubs and individuals who have devoted a lot of time to the riding community.

My goal, my desire is two fold...to spread the news about the Foundation for Injured Riders, Rights & Education and to raise some money to send one terminally ill Canadian child and their family to Orlando and the Give the Kids the World Village.

F.I.R.R.E. is important to me - being a rider and doing what we can to help our fellow rider in the advent of an accident is wildly important to me because my theory in life is, there but for the grace of God go I.

The reason I want to help send a terminally ill child to the Village in Orlando - well I think childhood should be a time of laughter and light and what better place to regain or capture those feelings than Orlando and Disney World...

It is going to be interesting to see what comes out of all of this and I am excited and gratified to know that I will be meeting up with at least 120 people on the road along the way and the I will be getting to know so many from the Bikers Church in Ottawa - reportedly 5-600 will be attending their pig roast... I hope you will consider joining me be it for an hour, a day, a couple of days or the whole trip - I want to ride with my family in their towns & cities and get to know Canada and our Canadian Motorcycle community on an even more personal and intimate level than I ever have before...

I am going to get to ride like a local in a lot of different cities and towns and that turns me on hugely!

In Saskatoon we are meeting up with the Lonewolves, in Winnipeg with some from Lonestar Harley-Davidson and a friend for a long over due coffee. In Kenora, the National Motorcycle Ride for Dad's 10th Anniversary Ride and in Butler ON we are meeting up with the Mother Daughter Ride. In North Bay I am meeting Liz from the Canadian Women Motorcycle Council and in Thunder Bay, Robert Whaley and some of the Retreads are meeting hubby and I for a pie run.

Then as mentioned in Ottawa I am meeting with the Biker's Church and the good folks of the Biker Coffee Company. Somewhere in this time frame Shaun de Jager from Road Awareness and some of the Ontario Chrome Divas are hooking up with me too as is Cookie Chick from the OCC - then in to Montreal to see Dar from the Chrome Diva's and in to Leo H-D and Laval H-D..into Quebec City, Campbellton , Charlottetown & the Red Island Rally for a day...in Moncton I get to see the kids from the Bike Klub, the gang at Toys for Big Boys and then in to St John and the ferry where I will be hooking up with Bean're from Florida and his crew...while in Nova Scotia Janice Gould and I are going to try and get together along with some of the other gals in the province and I am looking forward to seeing Harold and Wendy from Motorcycle Tour Guide Nova Scotia.

Part of the trip is also going to entail doing reviews of our hotel partners - so as I stay at the various hotels and motels that have sponsored me I am going to be reviewing their customer service and their properties. Choice Hotels and Pacrim  Hospitality are our major sponsors for our rooms!

I will be working with Tourisme Québec and some of the other travel departments across this fair country of ours!

It is gonna be a busy trip and to be quite honest - I am so excited I can hardly sleep and it is still a month away! Press releases go out today and if anyone is interested in donating to help send a child to Orlando - there are pledge sheets in the widget here in my blog or on the www.firre.ca site for down load. You can also donate to F.I.R.R.E. using the same sheets...I will have F.I.R.R.E. membership forms with me on the trip for those who want to become a part of this great organization meant to help riders! The Never Ride Alone program, the toll free rider down hot line, discounts on rider training DVD's from Ride like a Pro Canada...the best $20 you will ever spend.

The sponsor for the Toll Free Rider Down Hot Line and Never Ride Alone Number is Intercon Messaging and I will tell you - these people are amazing. the call center is a 911 emergency services dispatching center and they are highly trained in what to do in the case of an emergency. We are blessed and fortunate to have them as a sponsor!

If you have a moment - check out the Conga Page on www.firre.ca and see if there isn't a spot where you could join my hubby and I. Even if it is just for a coffee or a bowl of soup - I would welcome the chance to get to know you!

In the news today:

A rider from Regina Saskatchewan is dead after a head on collision in Montana

In Perth County ON a 49 year old woman went to hospital after hitting a dog with her motorcycle.

In Greenville ON, a motorcycle accident on County Road 1 on Sunday, July 4 has claimed the life of a local man.

In Sudbury ON, at risk youth have the opportunity to learn some new skills while working with Rick "Ozzy" Osborne rebuilding a motorcycle

In Rexton NB a Richibucto motorcyclist was seriously hurt in crash.

In Truro NS the Organization of Responsible Bikers are planning a big shin dig August 13-15 - too bad I will only be in the Kenora area then... 

In Sylvan Lake AB, there is a Poker Run to support a little boy - Beau Gallipeau who requires surgery to save his eye sight. The surgery is not available in Canada...

In Strathmore AB, RCMP are trying to find a Jaguar involved in a hit and run with a motorcycle.

Riders in the Northwest Territories are not thrilled with the new, bigger polar bear plates...that are supposed to be gracing their motorcycles.


And the big news out of Sturgis: Victory Motorcycles is sponsoring the Buffalo Chip this year!

If you are one of the fortunate and you are riding today, PLEASE, ride like everyone around you is blind, cannot see you and is out to get you and please, Ride Proud not Loud - save those pipes for when they are truly needed - when someone is about to violate your lane.

Belt Drive Betty
www.beltdrivebetty.com
A MAX Award winning web site!
National VP of Marketing
Foundation for Injured Riders, Rights & Education
www.firre.ca
www.bustedknucklenews.com
www.canadianriders.ca
www.riderfriendly.ca
www.bikerfriendly.ca
www.motorcycletourism.ca
www.greatcanadiandayrides.com
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Thursday, July 15, 2010

It is time to make some serious noise!

I have become so sick to death of these bogus and disgusting violations of our rights and freedoms called Motorcycle Noise Bylaws that I want to start a movement....
I want to see every rider install an air horn on their motorcycle.

Then I want to get some bumper stickers made and some internet TV commercials and radio commercials....You have probably all seen the bright neon yellow Tee shirts of the B.A.D.D. group - Bikers Against Dumb Drivers - they loudly state "Can you see me now a$$hole???"

How about a motto - bumper sticker....
"Thought the pipes on my motorcycle were loud? This AIR HORN is Brought to you by DUMB DRIVERS everywhere. Now hang up and DRIVE!"
We could make it in a square shape for the back fender of your motorcycle - I am sure you boys and girls can come up with some GREAT ideas for slogans etc...

I truly, truly wonder - what would it sound like if EVERY time a rider had their right of way violated, if they were to get on their air horn at 140 decibels, what would that sound like? Can you imagine?

I was on Biker Lowdown Radio Show with LJ James & Chuck last night and if we think we are in tough - OMG our brothers and sisters south of the border are in tough.
People - how would you like to be capped at 80 decibels? How would you like regular motorcycle SAFETY Inspections/Road blocks?

People - it is time - it is LONG since time that we get behind Lianne Langlois of the Edmonton Motorcycle Club and we sign petitions and we get off of our collective a$$es and do SOMETHING. It is time to join F.I.R.R.E. and start working together for thoughtful solutions to what we are facing.

I am so frustrated after talking to LJ and Chuck. WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING PEOPLE and just because the bylaw is in Edmonton - don't think for two seconds that it isn't coming your way! Along with Saskatoon, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Windsor and how many others - add Kamloops - they announced yesterday that their city wants to curb noisy "Harley's" too. This is after all an election year for many municipalities - this is not about anything else than people being re elected or elected...

Folks...really, seriously - We need to educate ourselves, we need to start working together - we need to police our own and we need to make our voice heard NOW!

We here in Canada need to take a page out of what is happening in the US and we need to learn from that NOW so we can protect our freedoms, our rights because as we are seeing in the US and even here now, the police services have greater and greater freedoms to pull you over, to be an inconvenience and intrude on your life.

You may have nothing to hide, have a perfectly maintained bike with factory pipes...that doesn't mean you are not going to be inconvenienced - sadly folks, we are - just as they are in the US, moving towards being a police state - a baby sitting state where we are not allowed to think for ourselves - we are being regulated to death and treated like we do not know what's best for ourselves...folks - PLEASE, take some time, read what's going on, educate yourselves and then make a decision to WORK together as a community to take a stand to protect our rights and freedoms.

Our soldiers are fighting for rights and freedoms around the world while we here are refusing to see what is right in front of us...we are not protecting, cherishing and valuing our rights and freedoms they way they deserve to be. Remember - they are laying down their lives to protect our freedoms...

We are not defending and protecting them the way they deserve to be - we think someone else will do that - our lives are too busy...but one day you are going to go outside and get in to your "safe" car that drives itself - and you are going to long for the freedom of the open road - and you will be wistful as you remember what that was like - think I am wrong? Think I am being a fear monger? Think I am right off my rocker? Start reading, talking to others around north America and you will see that there is a lot to be concerned over.

As always, your thoughts and input are welcome - join us in the discussion on this and other topics in our forum on www.beltdrivebetty.com or on our Face Book Pages - Belt Drive Betty and Belt Drive Betty & The Busted Knuckle Chronicles...or leave a comment here!

Don't forget to check out the Biker Coffee Company - they have so many wonderful and flavorful blends of REALLY, REALLY good coffee - I promise you, if you like coffee - you will love their coffees. I am partial to the Belt Drive Betty Blend but hey... :)

In the news today: 
In Ontario a male motorcyclist suffered non-life-threatening injuries after his bike collided with a loose tire on Oxford Road 4.

Also in Ontario a 23-year-old man is dead after losing control of his motorcycle early Monday morning. And a 48-year-old Baden man has been transferred to a Hamilton hospital with serious injuries after crashing his motorcycle into a vehicle Tuesday afternoon.

In BC a motorcyclist is in hospital with serious injuries after a crash during yesterday morning's commute in downtown Victoria.

In New Brunswick a riding club called the Road Dawgs are heroes in one little boys eyes.

If you are one of the fortunate and you are riding today, PLEASE, ride like everyone around you is blind, cannot see you and is out to get you and please, Ride Proud not Loud - save those pipes for when they are truly needed - when someone is about to violate your lane.

Belt Drive Betty
www.beltdrivebetty.com
A MAX Award winning web site!
National VP of Marketing
Foundation for Injured Riders, Rights & Education
www.firre.ca
www.bustedknucklenews.com
www.canadianriders.ca
www.riderfriendly.ca
www.bikerfriendly.ca
www.motorcycletourism.ca
www.greatcanadiandayrides.com
Contact Me LinkedinFacebookBloggerTwitter

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Rider Safety - how do we improve it?

I read the news feeds this morning and like many mornings when I am looking at clear skies and a motorcycle that teases me and tries to lure me away from work - I wonder what will it take for my brothers and sisters of the family wind to be safe on our roads?

Advanced rider training is something I think we could all benefit from. I have watched the Ride like a Pro DVD Series and have benefited a lot from it but still feel that some hands on training could help me take my skill to a higher level. While only one part of the safety equation, it is very valuable I believe.

But what about the rest of it? The drunk drivers who wipe people out? The distracted driver who switches lanes without ever turning their head or looking in their mirrors...

What about the pot holes and the absolutely awful road repairs - I wonder if those who glob asphalt on a crack or pot hole with out smoothing it or feathering it have ever considered the damage a bad repair can inflict on a motorcycle and their rider?

How about the road construction where no signs indicate grooved pavement or sharp drops, or how about the sand and gravel on dirty and unkempt roads?

How about those unsafe loads - I have dodged plywood coming off the back of pickups or trailers, 4 x 4's off the back of welding trucks. I wear braces today because someone couldn't tie their canoe down properly....

Yes - I wonder what it is going to take for the DOT to enforce truckers to tarp their loads of wheat, sand and gravel, to secure their loads properly and clean their frames and rails off when they come out of the bush...these things are laws on the books that seldom get enforced. Then there is the whole issue of maintenance of these vehicles and how parts come off of them like the incident in Calgary recently or when tires shred...

Road debris from people throwing bottles, cans and other garbage either out of their moving vehicles or leaving it in the ditches as a method of disposal (for the wind to catch and whip all over the place)...then there are those who flick their cigarettes/cigars out the window only to land in the lap of a rider, or to go down a jacket front or in the eye...I have seen all three of those things happen and the ensuing chaos is NOT pretty!


I wonder at the death, the injury - the lives destroyed and forever altered - in many cases because someone who was driving a vehicle thought they were the only ones on the road, never once thought about how their actions could affect someone else.

Yes folks, there are many things to consider and think about. I know that only I can make my actions different, that only I can control my attention and keep myself focused on the task at hand. Only I can change my behaviors and force myself to think of how my actions might impact or affect someone else...

But can I make the lady who is scolding her kids or the engineer who is looking at a map and writing down directions as he his driving, can I make them understand BEFORE it is too late that their vehicle, being driven by some one who is otherwise occupied is now a 2, 3, 4, or 5,000 lbs weapon?  How about the girl who is texting her boyfriend and he is texting her back, both while driving or the gal putting on her make up or the guy who is reading his book...can i make them understand and want to change their behaviour before they kill or maim someone?

Can I make the trucker who is on his cell phone driving a truck with the seat slammed down on the floor so his head barely rises above the steering wheel - who forgot to or couldn't afford to repair his brake drums or put on new tires - that his truck is a 100,000 pound weapon?

I wonder...what is the answer????

Well one part of that answer - which has to be multilevel and multifaceted is AIR HORNS. 140 decibel AIR HORNS for about $50!

As always - your feedback, you comments ARE ALWAYS welcome here.

The news of the day is available 24 hours a day at www.beltdrivebetty.com where we comb and sift through the news feeds so you don't have to.

If you are one of the fortunate and you are riding today, PLEASE, ride like everyone around you is blind, cannot see you and is out to get you and please, Ride Proud not Loud - save those pipes for when they are truly needed - when someone is about to violate your lane.

Belt Drive Betty 
www.beltdrivebetty.com
A MAX Award winning web site!
National VP of Marketing
Foundation for Injured Riders, Rights & Education
www.firre.ca
www.bustedknucklenews.com
www.canadianriders.ca
www.riderfriendly.ca
www.bikerfriendly.ca
www.motorcycletourism.ca
www.greatcanadiandayrides.com
Contact Me LinkedinFacebookBloggerTwitter

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Noise & Sound - the differences - some clarifications and facts

If you go to the Occupational Health & Safety Web Site for Canada you will see that measuring sound and it's effects is far more complicated than one might believe.


Pitch, pressure and velocity have a lot to do with measuring SOUND.


NOISE is all about subjective interpretation.

I have researched a number of sounds and found some great comparison charts for you to look at to understand what's going on here and how our community is being judged and measured.

There are a lot of charts that measure the SOUND - decibels of various things:


Table 2
Typical Noise Levels
Noise Source dB(A)
pneumatic chipper at 1 metre 115
hand-held circular saw at 1 metre 115
textile room 103
newspaper press 95
power lawn mower at 1 metre 92
diesel truck 50 km per hour at 20 metres 85
passenger car 60 km per hour at 20 metres 65
conversation at 1 metre 55
quiet room 40



From the Centre for Hearing and Communication:
Home
Work
Recreation
  • 50 refrigerator
  • 50 - 60 electric toothbrush
  • 50 - 75 washing machine
  • 50 - 75 air conditioner
  • 50 - 80 electric shaver
  • 55 coffee percolator
  • 55 - 70 dishwasher
  • 60 sewing machine
  • 60 - 85 vacuum cleaner
  • 60 - 95 hair dryer
  • 65 - 80 alarm clock
  • 70 TV audio
  • 70 - 80 coffee grinder
  • 70 - 95 garbage disposal
  • 75 - 85 flush toilet
  • 80 pop-up toaster
  • 80 doorbell
  • 80 ringing telephone
  • 80 whistling kettle
  • 80 - 90 food mixer or processor
  • 80 - 90 blender
  • 80 - 95 garbage disposal
  • 110 baby crying
  • 110 squeaky toy held close to the ear
  • 135 noisy squeeze toys
  • 40 quiet office, library
  • 50 large office
  • 65 - 95 power lawn mower
  • 80 manual machine, tools
  • 85 handsaw
  • 90 tractor
  • 90 - 115 subway
  • 95 electric drill
  • 100 factory machinery
  • 100 woodworking class
  • 105 snow blower
  • 110 power saw
  • 110 leafblower
  • 120 chain saw, hammer on nail
  • 120 pneumatic drills, heavy machine
  • 120 jet plane (at ramp)
  • 120 ambulance siren
  • 125 chain saw
  • 130 jackhammer, power drill
  • 130 air raid
  • 130 percussion section at symphony
  • 140 airplane taking off
  • 150 jet engine taking off
  • 150 artillery fire at 500 feet
  • 180 rocket launching from pad
  • 40 quiet residential area
  • 70 freeway traffic
  • 85 heavy traffic, noisy restaurant
  • 90 truck, shouted conversation
  • 95 - 110 motorcycle
  • 100 snowmobile
  • 100 school dance, boom box
  • 110 disco
  • 110 busy video arcade
  • 110 symphony concert
  • 110 car horn
  • 110 -120 rock concert
  • 112 personal cassette player on high
  • 117 football game (stadium)
  • 120 band concert
  • 125 auto stereo (factory installed)
  • 130 stock car races
  • 143 bicycle horn
  • 150 firecracker
  • 156 capgun
  • 157 balloon pop
  • 162 fireworks (at 3 feet)
  • 163 rifle
  • 166 handgun
  • 170

So if you read these charts - your garbage disposal makes about the same sound levels as a motorcycle at 2000 RPM is being allowed in Edmonton, a leaf blower makes MORE as does a snow blower or a chainsaw. Hell a crying baby makes more sound than what they want to restrict motorcycles to...

Reading Federal Law says that any motorcycle over 175 cc's is not to exceed 82 db's
Canada does not "write" it's own laws in many cases but uses as in this case US law.

If you use the American Motorcycle Association Web Site you will see that in California the motorcycle noise emissions are capped at 96 db's: http://home.ama-cycle.org/amaccess/laws/result.asp?state=CA

Now according to many web sites - the pitch of a leaf blower is one of the most hated sounds around...and that has nothing to do with sound level and everything to do with pitch if I am understanding anything I read .

The more I read, the more I learn the more frustrated I get with what I perceive to be
BS being handed to us...I feel like we are being lied to by so many people and I can not wait for a lawyer to help us make sense of all of this. Truly - this is the most confusing mumbo jumbo I have ever read through.

In the news today:

 The Fire Fighter's Burn Camp kicks off this week in BC

In Alberta a Ft McMurray rider was killed in the early morning hours Saturday.

In Ontario a man is dead and his passenger in hospital after a crash on highway 17 near Yesno Township.

Also in Ontario another squeaky wheel is complaining to Windsor council about motorcycle noise.

Newfoundland and Labrador is getting a motorcycle museum courtesy of Selwyn Rose who is revving up to tell as much of the motorcycle history of the province as he can.

In Cape Breton the rider that was killed on the weekend has been identified as 25-year-old Steven Andrew Sorrey of Sydney

If you are one of the fortunate and you are riding today, PLEASE, ride like everyone around you is blind, cannot see you and is out to get you and please, Ride Proud not Loud - save those pipes for when they are truly needed - when someone is about to violate your lane.

Belt Drive Betty




  • Maximum sound level when measured from a distance of 50 feet behind the motorcycle is based on the motorcycle's year of manufacture. Before 1970, the limit is 92 decibels; 1970 through 1972 is 88 decibels; 1973 though 1974 is 86 decibels; 1975 through 1985 is 83 decibels. After 1985, the noise restriction is limited to 80 decibels.






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    Monday, July 12, 2010

    US Highland Motorcycle Company in mourning today

    The US Highland Motorcycle Company is reeling today after three of their top executives/partners were killed in a plane crash on Saturday night.
     Mats Malmberg , Damian Riddoch and Chase Bales were three of five partners in the Oklahoma-based motorcycle manufacturer. Highland was founded by Malmberg in Sweden, but the company moved its manufacturing base to Oklahoma only recently.

    The three were on their way to Tulsa when the crash happened. 
    US Highland is an off road motorcycle company specializing in motocross machines.
    I can only imagine how the families and employees must be feeling and my heart goes out to them all.

    In New Hampshire, riders are pretty frustrated at the thought of loosing their motorcycle parking at the beach in Hampton. After having specified parking for 40 years, the thought of loosing it is making them consider other beaches.
     
    Cape Breton, Nova Scotia & PEI are getting a boost from the Live with Regis & Kelly Show.  Motorcycle Tour Guide Nova Scotia was recently featured on the show! The pair are in the Atlantic region to tape four shows.

    In India, Harley-Davidson's first dealership is now open. Moving into India is part of Harley-Davidson's strategy to break into this and other emerging markets as its customers in developed markets are aging.The company, which cites the lure of India's rapidly growing economy and rising middle class, is launching 12 variants of their motorcycles in the country.

    In New Zealand, motorcyclists are fuming of the 69% increase in the cost of registering their motorcycles.   “The ACC component for registering a 650cc+ motorcycle has increased from $250.69 to $426.92, adding a whopping $174.23 to the bill,” Rick Barker said.

    The frustration level over an increase like that must be about on par with the frustration felt by riders in Quebec who saw fees for sport bikes jump by $1100 per year and regular street machines go up by $110. Our governments sure appear to love to stick it to us, no matter where in the world we live, or am I jumping to conclusions?

    In other news:
    In Fredricton NB a rider was injured in a single vehicle accident when he hit a curb.

    In Cape Breton a young rider from Sydney NS is dead following a crash, the circumstances around the crash are not known.


    In New Brunswick - the girls of the Bike Klub are all set to compete in the Chopper Challenge in Sturgis but they need a wee bit of help.

    In Ontario, Bob Probert's funeral saw him take his last motorcycle ride on a side car with 60 motorcycles escorting him to his final resting place.

    Also in Ontario a young Thornhill rider was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries. The driver of the car who hit him has been charged with careless driving.

    In Southern Alberta there will be a Leather & Chaps ride for SNAPS - Special Needs Association for Parents and Siblings on July 24th.

    In Grande Prairie - Will Skinner is recovering after he hit an elk on Thursday night and Floyd Funk who hit a deer two weeks ago is in much better spirits.

    In BC, the Pat Bat Highway was closed for a while after two speeding motorcyclists were stopped by the RCMP - well, one stopped for the RCMP, the other was stopped by a deer.

    PLEASE, ride like every corner holds a moose/deer or an elk, that every driver of a cage is BLIND , can not see you you and IS out to get you - ride safe...you are important here.


    Belt Drive Betty
    A MAX Award winning web site!
    National VP of Marketing
    Foundation for Injured Riders, Rights & Education
    Contact Me LinkedinFacebookBloggerTwitter