International Women's Day

Today is a day to celebrate women. In the motorcycle community we ride on International Female Ride Day in May so we lucky ladies get to celebrate twice!

But as William Perry and his grand daughter Kayle so aptly point out, if you are a member of the oldest profession, there may not be much to celebrate. Kayle is studying sociology at a Catholic School and apparently, the topic of prostitution is a heated one.

I wished that ALL women, right around the globe had the opportunity to discover their true strengths and character and that they could all feel empowered, strong and loving.

Sadly, this is a pretty messed up world at times and many women do not know who they are. (The same can be said for many of the male of our species as well.)

In other news...

There is a new motorcycle rally/show being held in Niagara Falls this summer.

Out of BC comes word of a rather bizarre turn of events where a dead man's estate is being sued for damages, that dead man just happens to be a Hells Angel.

The news out of Denver is that the Biker Clothing addition to the discrimination law did not pass.

In the UK - having a place to ride if you like off road riding or trials was cause for discussion as businesses in Garker Valley feel the motorcycle noise negatively impacts their business.

There is a lot of news in the feeds again including information on a Ninja Recall

Check out all the news at www.beltdrivebetty.com cause you never know when something we find will be important to your day, or life s a rider.

If you are a subscriber to our weekly newspaper - The Busted Knuckle Chronicles you are treated to a 62 page paper this week featuring the Eastern Event Calendars.

Every week for the next bit we will print out a list for you of what there is to do in every province!
One week Western Events - next week Eastern Events - our goal is to make sure riders have the best season possible by arming them with the BEST INFORMATION POSSIBLE!

I leave you with a few funnies, shared by my most beloved and bent friends either through Facebook or Email...

Have a FABULOUS Thursday everyone...

Belt Drive Betty,
Editor & Rider

How safe a rider are you?

An article from Perth Now about motorcyclists, crashes and their causes exposes some scary information on crashes involving bikes there.

In all - 12 motorcyclists have died on Australian highways since the beginning of the year, with 5 fatal crashes since February 29th.

According to the article, in at least 4 of the 5 recent fatal crashes, alcohol, speed AND/OR inattention were factors.

State traffic operations commander Michelle Fyfe said: "While these crashes are still being investigated it would appear that in each case the rider was at fault," she said.

"Regardless of who is at fault it is a waste of a life."

Mrs Fyfe said police were pulling over motorbike riders on the roads simply to remind them of the risks.

"We've lost too many in the last couple of weeks and we don't want to lose anymore," she said.

"We're asking people to take responsibility for their actions and they need to understand that they are vulnerable when riding a motorbike." End Quote

With riding season right around the corner - I wonder how many of you actually brush up on your skills before you head out for that first ride of the year? Do you plan on taking any kind of advanced rider training?  

Drinking and riding as we have seen over and over again is not wise and yet so many riders seem to think they can push that envelope, what do you think could be done to remind people that when they make decisions, they ultimately affect everyone who loves them? 

It's the same think with helmets and the law - I think adults should have a right to choice, but I also feel that you need to be fully aware of the consequences of that choice - if you are in a crash and die, your family and friends grieve, if you are in a crash but alive and in a vegetative state, your family suffers for that decision too.

Everything in life is cause and effect - choice and consequence.

What are the right choices for YOU and what consequences you are willing to live with?

In other news:

In there is a move to have motorcycle clothing discrimination added to the state legislation on discrimination in Denver Colorado. 

AND

In Virginia - NO MORE MOTORCYCLE ONLY CHECKPOINTS!

There are many other articles in today's news feeds that may be of interest or have impact on your day or life as a rider: www.beltdrivebetty.com 

Have you gotten your roadside assistance package for the year yet?

If not, become a member at www.beltdrivebetty.com (membership is free) and take advantage of the Best Roadside Assistance package for OUR MEMBERS!

Check out all of the benefits - in your car? No problem...On your bike - no fear, in your pick up or SUV - you are covered!  Have a spouse? ADD THEM FREE! 6 calls - shareable between spouses and transferable from vehicle to bike!  

I leave you with a few giggles and thoughts to ponder, shared by my most fabulously bent and cracked friends on Facebook and through emails...

Have a fabulous Wednesday everyone!

Belt Drive Betty

Editor &Rider

The Death Penalty and not for the reason you would think...

Big Brother IS watching your every move...

Shanghai China - Dangerous driving became a death penalty crime in Shanghai China recently and as two riders found out, they are to be the first charged under the new law.

2 riders who lead police on a high speed chase and escaped, were discovered on surveillance camera footage and apprehended, their motorcycles - confiscated.

It is not clear from the article in the English Eastday if this law applies to motorcyclists only or if it applies to all motorists. So, if you find yourself in Shanghai, beware!

In Kamloops BC, 2 strikers for an un named motorcycle club struck out twice yesterday!
According to Kamloops This Week, the first man was nabbed for speeding on his motorcycle, doing 95 KPH in a 50 zone, he got a $368 ticket, three demerits and his motorcycle towed as excessive speeding in BC causes you to automatically loose you vehicle for 7 days.

He called someone to pick him up, when that person arrived, also a striker, the police noticed the plate tags were out of date, meaning he had no insurance, and as a consequence, he was issued a $598 ticket and his vehicle was towed.

So, how do you feel about the death penalty for dangerous driving in Shanghai?

What do you think of the penalties for excessive speed, no insurance in BC?

I would love to hear your thoughts on these two topics!

There is a ton of other news in the feeds to day. Check them out at www.beltdrivebetty.com You just never know what you'll find in there that could affect your day or life as a rider!

Membership on our site is free and comes with a ton of perks and benefits, hope you'll consider registering - you can sign up with your Facebook account!
Oh, and one other thing, please visit our Fan/Business Page on Facebook and like us please! Then when I see your stuff in the feeds on Facebook, I will be able to share it with others!

I leave you with a few funnies to lighten to mood....shared with me by my bent friends, through Facebook and via email!

Have a fabulous Tuesday everyone!

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

Recalls - how safe is the machine you ride?

From cracked handlebar mounts to the potential for stalling, quitting while operating, to faulty brakes, there are a ton of recall notices out.  Ted Lateurnus of the Globe and Mail has an extensive article on the defects noted by Transport Canada.

Leading the way:
Harley-Davidson has 28 recall notices
Indian - 12
Kawasaki - 7
Ducati - 5
Husaberg - 5
Triumph - 5
Honda - 3
Victory - 2
Vespa & Piaggio - 1 each

For more information on Recalls, check the Transport Canada Site - choose English or French
and then choose your Make, model and year range...Your life could be at stake....

As we riders in the nether regions of this country start working towards having our machines ready to go for the summer, there are a lot of topics up for discussion:
Safety; of the rider and the machine,  motorcycle "gangs" and how their interaction with the police services affect us, helmet and other laws, like the motorcycle Only noise bylaws that can affect travel plans and which rally, what vacation spots we want to experience.

We have talked politics and law to death of late, what with all of the debates and debacles that have been taking place world wide...

Today I want to discuss the good stuff - the reason we all bought motorcycles - I want to know about events and travel destinations you think a person should experience.

Our news feeds come from all kinds of sources from around the world and expose us to events that take place in far away places like the eastern cape of South Africa, and the climes of
Timaru in New Zealand not to mention those that happen in the US and right in our own back yards. Our Lifestyles - Motorcycle Events Section contains articles from all over the world about international motorcycle events.

Our Events Calendars contain information on some 1,400+ Canadian events (everything from racing to coffee nights - rallies to runs) and the news is always filled with articles out of the US about events like Daytona Bike Week, Laughlin, Sturgis and more...there is no shortage of information on where to ride and what events to consider...

I would love to know two things...

1st: What event in your hometown or region do you feel is a MUST do and why...

2nd: Tell me about one place or one event that is on your bucket list and what is it that has drawn you to want to experience it.

Enquiring minds want to know...

There is a TON of news in the feeds from the weekend and this morning for you to check out, visit www.beltdrivebetty.com to see what might affect your day or life as a rider...

Our web site is being moved - YET AGAIN - this time to a dedicated server, so that we are not sharing resources with other sites - this will improve the speed of our site immensely but it is also slowing down the streamlining and moving of content.  According to our stats, Google has already indexed 458,000 pages of content on the new site! Only 125,000 pages more to move and then, once Ali has the two huge tasks ahead of her accomplished she will begin again on the creation of our new content sections and menus to make the site easier to navigate.

Your patience is appreciated as is any feedback on the things you come across on the site that may not be working the way they should...

We announced the winners and their prizes in the 2012 Beat the PMS Blues Online Show 'n' Shine - it appears that I am not alone in the suffering from that most debilitating dis - ease as over 100 bikes were entered!  I want to take this time to thank all of our sponsors and all who participated either by entering a machine or voting - we all had a hoot!

I leave you with a few funnies shared with me by friends on Facebook and through emails...hope they make your Monday a little brighter!

Enjoy your Monday, it brings you one day closer to Friday!

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider