What is up with that?

First they come out with a draconian Motorcycle Only noise bylaw and now they want to give motorcyclists free parking? Cereal? What would drive the city of Edmonton to be so generous?

In Vancouver, Jay Dobyns - the American Cop turned Hells Angel infiltrator spoke to an "Enthralled" audience about the leniency shown the Hells Angels in BC - Dobyns was the keynote speaker Thursday at the Vancouver Gangs and Guns Symposium for police and educators.

Dobyns said the sharing of law-enforcement intelligence and strategies is essential to tackle the Hells Angels and other violent criminal groups. He was quoted in the Vancouver Sun stating:
“That is how the police win — when we cooperate with each other. We share our experiences. We share our successes. We share our failures. We share our intelligence. And that’s how good overcomes evil. That is how society survives.”

I recall saying that to the riding community on more than one occasion!

Also in BC - people are finally calling for a ban on cell phone use by the police and other emergency services persons citing that is hard for ordinary citizens to follow a law that the police and others don't.

In the US - Insurers have figured out that women are buying more motorcycles and since they tend to put in fewer claims than men do, they are beginning to offer discounts to women on their motorcycle insurance...hmmm - wonder when Canada will do the same.

Got lots of money? Want an ultra cool if slightly outdated dirt bike? Steve McQueen - the King of Cool's favourite dirt bike is going up for auction!

Also in the US - congress woman Gabrielle Giffords will be co chairing the Congressional Motorcycle Safety Caucus - she is recovering  after being shot in the head during a shooting spree in a store in Arizona.

There is a ton of other interesting news in the feeds this morning - visit www.beltdrivebetty.com where we sift through the news so you don't have to!

Voting for our show 'n' shine hit a bit of a snag yesterday - a technical glitch that Ali had to over come - most of the voting gallery is in and ready for votes - the remainder will go up this morning - sorry for the inconvenience but like all things computer related - sometimes things happen you don't expect. I am looking forward to the middle of next month when we see who wins in each category - we have some incredible machines for your viewing pleasure!

Have a fantastic Friday and an even better weekend!

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider
www.beltdrivebetty.com
www.bustedknucklechronicles.com

Riding in the snow - would you or wouldn't you

Yesterday on my Facebook page I got slammed a little for posting a video of a friend riding home after working a night shift - On her sporty - with her helmet cam on

In the video of my friend you could see she is running knobby tires on her sporty...

Some criticized - feeling that I was promoting riding in the snow and that it is unsafe and that since I am always promoting safety that I was wrong to post/share ii.

Now - in some regards they were right. I probably should have kept my amazed comment of good job to myself and not shared the video - I was mesmerized though - I really hadn't looked at it from the safety point of view. 

But now that the topic has been broached - I gotta tell you I am intrigued.

It would appear that there is a sub culture of people who don't just get caught in a snow storm and have to continue riding, but people who actually seek to ride on the snow and ice.

I found a whole host of articles that talk about cold weather and snow riding, these are just a sampling of the articles I found:

From Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine-

http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/streetsurvival/riding_in_cold_and_snow/index.html

From Lazymotorbike: http://www.lazymotorbike.eu/tips/weather/

 From Ice Road Bikers: http://motorcycleinfo.org/2008/08/ice-road-bikers/

From E How: http://www.ehow.com/how_2090059_ride-motorcycle-snow.html

From EZine Articles: http://ezinearticles.com/?Motorcycle-Riding-Tips:-Cold-And-Snow-Rides&id=5169024

From Redlegsrides: http://redlegsrides.blogspot.com/2007/12/side-wheels-for-heavy-motorcycles.html

MCN Magazine featured Snow Chains: http://www.motorcyclenews.com/MCN/News/newsresults/General-news/2010/january/Biking-snow-chain-equivalent/

This article features a back right hand tire addition for the bike for stability: http://redlegsrides.blogspot.com/2008/11/sanokes-snow-outrigger.html

Ural riders seem to do a lot of snow riding - I know YKStorm in the NWT loves riding her Ural, through town, out on the ice roads and well - anywhere she'd ride her Harley in the summer.

Here's another interesting blog: http://www.mc-addict.com/aguidetowinterriding.htm

Here is a video of a guy riding his BMW on ice, in town: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gmDuJEAyuk

Now folks - I am in no way condoning anything here - I am attempting to

1: Educate myself as to the dangers of snow and ice riding. Being that I wear braces on both feet - there are a ton of things I would NEVER entertain doing myself. 

This is one of them I would not do, but I decided to educate myself on the topic.

I love going to the ice races and watching the riders fly around the road course, I admire the skill it takes to ride on the ice and snow. Living in the far North - not the Extreme North like many people I know in the Northwest Territory, I am used to seeing a certain number of riders here who take their bikes to work - in the snow, on crap roads. There are not many - three or four - but they exist.

2 - I am hoping to enlighten others - for I know many who live way up north that have side cars and will ride no matter what. But what I never gave thought to it - and I guess it is because of where I live - I never once really gave thought to the safety - because I have never heard of, read of a rider being injured in the winter except at the races and I have always been exposed to winter riders.

There are guys like Paul Mondor:  http://www.calsci.com/motorcycleinfo/PaulMondor.html

Paul is absolutely  passionate about riding in a snow storm. He calls the term "ride of a life time" an understatement to explain riding in the snow.

Here he is on a cruiser: http://www.bikerspost.com/video/paul-mondor-frozen-butt-tour?commentId=2153104%3AComment%3A351059&xg_source=activity

I don't get it - I don't have the guts - but he talks about the fear - as he calls it GUT WRENCHING fear like it is something to embrace - he talks about pushing the limits - challenging yourself.

Here he is on the news: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zi8D4_L4nZ0

Here is info from the BMW rider page... http://www.bmwrvi.org/links/ 

Here is info on my friend Robin in the NWT and her Ural Side Car: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=422290&page=5

Check out her video channels on YouTube, or web site, read some of her articles on the Polar Bear Ride on January 1st...

After hours of reading and watching videos I finally found some information on accidents involving motorcycles on ice and snow - Here is an Accident alert from an insurance company - it makes reference to the Cardiff Call Centre for AA: http://www.thermahelm.com/blog/blog-post/2010/12/08/motorcyclists-beware-snow-related-accidents-rocket.html

This info from a motorcycle training school : https://www.lrn2ride.com/the-joys-of-winter-motorcycle-riding/

From the female riding site: Ride my own... http://www.ridemyown.com/links/winter.shtml

One link on her site isn't working right - the AMA one, here is the right one: http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Riding/Street/Resources/KeepingWarm.aspx 

From Bennett's in the UK: http://www.bennetts.co.uk/You-and-Your-Bike/Biking-Advice/Biking-Tips/Winter-Motorcycle-Riding-Tips/ 

Now folks - there are tons and tons more links like the ones I am giving you here - the Dneepers forums, the Adventure Riding Forums - heck there are even tours - mostly self guided that have been created for winter motorcycle tourism in the north.

I gotta tell yah - this is a sub culture of our community. Some do it far more prepared than others, but all seem to embrace the risk, the fear and for some they simply say: If I had to wait for a riding season, I would never get to ride.

Are they crazy? Are they foolhardy - I have no real answer to those questions. It is not something I would attempt but then again, with the braces on my feet, I wouldn't even attempt snowmobiling although I used to love it.

For the purposes of this blog post I stuck mostly to featuring North Americans, a number of them Canadians who seem to do and love the extreme, but if this topic at all intrigues you the way it did me well - go sign up for the ADVRider Forum - google or bing search motorcycles and snow, motorcycle riding in snow, snow riders or any other search term you can think of. You will find a vast array of difference in opinion on safety, on enjoyment, on skill and gear, accessories - in fact you will find a whole subculture from ice racers to road riders that think riding in the snow and ice is the cats arse!

(I also found that the number of bicycle riders who love to ride in the snow is also far more than I would have ever guessed had the thought ever truly crossed my mind.)

These riders who love riding so much, who embrace the adrenalin and as they call it - extreme gut wrenching fear - these people are either crazy or very skilled - or passionate or something....you either admire their accomplishments or shake your head at them - me - I think I fit in somewhere in the middle - mesmerized - amazed, awed and yet - would I attempt any of it? NOPE.

Canadians like Paul Mondor and the people who rode with him (3 riders - one of those riders rode across Canada both directions on his trip with Paul - his name is Steve Becraft : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogvxl46PX9g) and Robin from the NWT on her Ural to Mike Cole on his Harley riding across Canada in January for Diabetes Research...these are some extreme riders.

In closing I want to say that there is enough of a sub culture for snow and ice riding that an entire industry of cleats, studs, tire chains has evolved no to mention contraptions to add a third wheel or training wheels to your motorcycle or bike.

I never really gave it that much though before - the only times I have ridden in snow is during a storm on a road with no where safe to pull off. I am not that much of a die hard. I know my personal, physical limits.

I would love your feedback on this topic - Please note though - that I am neither condoning or bashing the snow and ice riders - this is about your opinions on the topic - would you ride on the snow and ice - ON PURPOSE? If yes - why and if no, why not.

Have a fantastic day - I gotta get to my other tasks...

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider
www.beltdrivebetty.com
www.bustedknucklechronicles.com

Left hand turn bill gets tabled...

There was an interesting article out of Utah this morning - it appears that at least one politician wants stiffer penalties for drivers who make reckless left hand turns that contribute to a fatal crash.

The bill has been withdrawn as other members of the hearing had concerns with changing only one section of the law - in Utah the ticket  for a “Failed to Yield Right of Way” violation is $90.

In Norfolk County the hospital that got a $1,600 donation from a Bikers Rights Group was some grateful!

In Vancouver - the young racer killed in Indianapolis, Peter Lenz is being memorialized with an athletic field.

Merritt BC's Great Canadian Bike Rally is heating up, check out their newsletter!

I have a ton of work today and need to get back at it so you all have a fabulous day!

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider
www.beltdrivebetty.com
www.bustedknucklechronicles.com

Police Services - who really runs city hall?

I posted an article from the Peterborough Council meeting for their budget - many may ask why a biker news site cares about budgets from cities or communities - well - because of HOW the police services appear to ignore city and town councils requests to trim their budgets.

From the Peterborough Examiner:

After driving the tax increase down to 1.335% from the 3.2% it started with last month, council finished with a 1.8% increase largely as a result of putting $303,000 back into the public transit budget to maintain current service levels and city police failing to meeting council's request to shave $300,000 from its almost $1.3-million budget increase.

City police returned with a request for a $1,177,380 increase, which will increase its budget to $18,940,149 from $17,762,769.

Coun. Bob Hall argued that council should keep the police budget increase in line with the rest of the city budget.

The police force is adding eight positions this year, but it reduced the cost this year by delaying the hiring until later in year, Hall said.

"It's probably a $2 million annualized impact," he said, adding the police service plans to return to council with a request for 11 more positions next year. "We don't get the bill this year, we get it next year."

Hall added that council doesn't have control over the police budget because it has one representative on the police services board and it gets to appoint one community member, giving it two out of the five members even though it pays 97% of the police budget.

"It's a huge governance issue. The people who pay should have the say," he said.

Coun. Dan McWilliams supported the budget increase for city police, pointing to the biker gangs, guns and drugs in the community.

"I really truly believe that they do need it," he said.

End Quote.

Do you see how this gets done? Do you see who really runs the city halls across the country? I know for a fact that Peterborough is not unique here and I find it frustrating - taxpayers get held for ransom constantly.

In the US, the Canadian Free Press has a great write up on the Nanny State that has come about...

It suggests that the reason for so many inane laws that are meant to protect the stupid from themselves come from bureaucrats that want to author as many laws as possible to see their name in print and that certain media companies must be in the hip pocket of said bureaucrats because of their investigation methods...Sadly - I think the author of that article is right - look at Helen Jaczek right here in Canada - there is the typical attention seeking politician IMHO.

I have been saying for a long time that we have become a police state and that the nanny state mentality is ridiculous. I guess I am not alone in my line of thinking - question is - when does the pendulum start swinging the other way?  We have gone so far in the protection of people from themselves that the rest of us who think for ourselves are penalized for everything we do.

Your thoughts and feed back on this topic are greatly appreciated - help me to see the other sides of these two issues - cause right now I am angry and feeling rather impotent for the anger.

In other news:

A video is circulating of a father letting his four year old daughter ride a motorcycle on the freeway in India - what do you think of this situation?

In Winnipeg, off duty police officers are being bullied by criminals and the Toronto Labour Relations board is using this information to squash the Toronto Police services desire not to wear name tags citing that name tags for officers do not increase their risk of being targeted for harassment and Winnipeg is proof.

In the US the debate over Ethanol in fuel has some very concerned.

Arizona is gearing up for a multi cultural motorcycle rally

Also in the US a unique auction is being held to support motorcycle museums.

There is a ton of other news for you to cathc up on over at www.beltdrivebetty.com

Hope you'll join in the voting for our Beat the PMS Blues on line show 'n' shine - Voting begins Thursday!

Have a FANTASTIC day!

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider
www.beltdrivebetty.com
www.bustedknucklechronicles.com

Big Egos and Big Business - OCC Foreclosure or just looking for more media?

The boys from OCC are at it again. They are on the verge of being foreclosed upon and from what I am reading - EGO has lots to do with it.

It would appear that since the recession the building that they bought is now worth less so they are trying to convince GE Capital to reduce their mortgage. Really - seriously, that's the train of thought.

From Clutch & Chrome: The lender financed Orange County Choppers' new headquarters in the Town of Newburgh with two mortgages, one for $11 million and another for $1.5 million. Supposedly the complaint and reason for the hard negotiations by OCC and its attorneys; the building was worth $12-$13 million then and now it’s only worth about $7-$8 million.

I wonder at this train of thought. I wonder if your banker would reduce your mortgage and dip into their profits to pay for the difference between worth and paid price? 

Not ruddy likely is my thought.

What makes these people think that they are more special than anyone else? It is no secret that I am not exactly a fan - I especially dislike Paul Sr., and this kind of thinking and attitude would be why. I think that this is another of their publicity stunts - which yes, I have fed in to by virtue of writing about them. If they do nothing else right, the Teutul's sure know how to create controversy.

In Ft Lauderdale Florida, Larry Wilcon - former TV star of ther series CHiPs was given a three year probation sentence after getting caught trying to bribe an FBI officer in a sting.

According to the article in the Orlando Sentential:

A choked-up Wilcox told Cohn that his crime had been an act of desperation, an attempt to keep his company afloat so his friends and investors didn't lose the money they had entrusted to him. He drained $12 million of his own funds to keep UC Hub Group — a mining business — alive, he said.

"My actor's pride and ego led me to areas well beyond my ability to perform," Wilcox said.

Although ego may have played a part in his decision making, the judge truly believed that Wilcox was remorseful.

What a stark contrast between the two situations.

Sturgis North is the next topic of discussion as I have a few misconceptions about the event that I would like to clear up for people. This is in response to Poet's comments yesterday. Further - Please note I sponsor all 4 events - The Great Canadian Bike rally and The Stomp, Sturgis North and the CMDRA. I am in no way promoting one over the other but attempting to answer the questions that have been asked of me.

Number one - Sturgis North and the Summer Stomp are two separate events but the two groups are working cooperatively - Sturgis North is providing shuttles to and from the Stomp venue to the various music and entertainment venues hosted by Sturgis North. Safety of the guests being number one priority! BC has a .05 liquor law that will see you walking as they confiscate your vehicle/motorcycle for 7 days - you get a fine, have to pay storage and if you are a BC resident look out for your insurance hike and the fact that you will have to take a mandatory drink driving course - in all it will cost you somewhere around $5K or more...

Summer Stomp is $50 for the weekend and includes camping from what I understand - they do not allow cars etc in past the gate and if you look on the bottom left hand side of their web site you will see their statement of cooperation with Sturgis North.

The next mis conception is that this is not a motorcycle event - referring to Sturgis North.

Many of the people on the Sturgis North Committee are riders or have riders in their life. The CEO of the organization is a rider. They are marketing predominantly to the riding community and to the locals of the Salmon Arm region. There are poker runs scheduled,  a custom bike show, trade show and of course entrainment - tons of it.

Sturgis North is donating camping to Veterans, has the Fraser Valley Thunder handling the charitable end of the event and is working cooperatively with the CMDRA Drags in Ashcroft and The Stomp. How can you say this isn't a motorcycle event?

Like any event held in any town, you have to market to the locals and like any community based event you have to make it some how - to some degree - family friendly. There is a day care type service being offered and kids 12 and under are free to get into the venue. I know countless riders who have their kids with them at events - the Stomp will make everyone looking for an adults only party happy but the Sturgis North event is family friendly.  

That does not mean it isn't a motorcycle event. It means it is about as motorcycle community related as you can get. We bikers value and cherish family - so why is this being singled out as a cause for dissension by some?

For those who feel Sturgis North is an expensive event, let me put a different perspective on this issue.

If you look at the line up of bands and you decided you wanted to take in EVERY band on the list and purchase the 5 day pass AFTER the early bird prices fall of on the 5th of February you will be paying about $350 per person - this includes the 12% HST. If you take in 2 bands a day you will see 10 great concerts. If you took in those same concerts in say Edmonton - your average ticket price per person would be $50 lets say - already you would have spent $500 

If you take in EVERY Band that is being offered up your cost per concert WILL go down. 

If you look at the parking costs per event you could safely add another $5 - 10 per event or $50 - $100 for 10 events depending on where you park.

Now camping at Sturgis North is $114 for 5 days and again includes the 12% HST so the camping fee is comparable to the parking fee.

Now that's the 5 day pass - the three day passes are less expensive and I am positive the one day passes will be even less so.  Then there are the side events and entertainments that will go on like the burn out competition, the custom bike show....etc, etc.

Just thought I would give you a different way of looking at things....

If none of the three events mentioned - the Stomp, Sturgis North or the CMDRA Drags appeal, then there is the Great Canadian Bike Rally in Merritt the same weekend - another great motorcycle rally in it's first year and only 190 Kms away from Salmon Arm. 
You have 4 events to choose from or because of the 5 day span you might want to take in all of them - there are plenty of options - it's about which one fits with you the best - your time, your budget etc.  Just because something may not be your cup of tea why would you denigrate something that others might truly enjoy and want to be a part of? 
These are 4 great events - each has their own unique flavour - their own unique appeal.

As always - even when I disagree with you - I welcome your comments and feedback. 
I always learn something from the differing points of view.

There is a ton of news from the weekend for you to get caught up on and this is your last reminder that tonight at midnight we cut off the entries for the Beat the PMS Blues on line show 'n' shine. Voting will begin on February 3rd.

We are giving away a ton of prizes and it's free to enter. 

The only hitch? You have to be a registered member on www.beltdrivebetty.com 

Have a fantastic day everyone!

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider
www.beltdrivebetty.com
www.bustedknucklechronicles.com