Ducati has been sold, Audi the proud new owner

The motorcycle industry is all a buzz with the news that Ducati has been sold to Audi.

The Italian motorcycle company which was founded in 1926 and now employs some 1,100 people is a good fit for Audi according to their chairman, Rupert Stadler.

It looks like Ducati struck a win off the track!

Bathhurst NB is ready to crack down on noisy motorcycles and unlike last year where riders got warnings, this year they will not get off nearly as lucky.

New Hampshire's noise bill will become law shortly and will allow road side testing by police.

Now Calgary Alberta also has a new noise bylaw but have taken a different tact from most communities and are tackling ALL non commercial vehicle noise with the Noise Snare.

According to the article in Metro News, the city tested the Noise Snare which operates like photo radar but tracks sound as opposed to speed, last year and out "of 11,347 vehicles sampled over that time, only 15 produce noise that exceeded the 96-decibel threshold."

Different approaches are being used by various communities but at the end of the day, I like Calgary's approach - go after ALL NOISE VIOLATORS - booming stereos, loud and obnoxious diesel trucks, cars and yes motorcycles - if your vehicle is too loud - it's too loud...

At the end of the day, the minority always seems to wreck it for the majority - in the case of those communities that have adopted the discriminatory Motorcycle ONLY roadside tests and have bought in to the MIC and MMIC testing methodologies, I think that every riding community will be watching Calgary and if the technology appears to be as sound as it looks, there WILL BE a HUGE push back and a great case for discrimination.

Most of the communities that have bought into the J2825, were introduced to the Noise Snare around the same time as Luc Fournier was going around touting the J2825. These same communities have pushed the J2825 saying there is no technology to target all noise offenders - they are wrong and in many cases appear to NOT be telling their constituents the truth and reportedly, the police services are largely responsible for the mentality that the J2825 is the right way to go. I wonder why that would be?

So - the question of the day is - which form of catching the offenders would you rather see? One that is labor intensive and discriminatory like the J2825 that the MIC and MMIC have been selling to various communities or the Noise Snare, low overhead, no police involvement, no discrimination?

In other news:

Do you want to win tickets to the Eric Church Concert at the Buffalo Chip in Sturgis this year?

Well - guess what Russ Brown - Motorcycle Attorney has given us 2 sets of 2 tickets to give away!  We aren't quite sure what contests we will run to give them away yet so stay tuned...

In Manitoba, a Hells Angels Prospect is challenging the Peace Bond that some friends and family have had placed on them.

In the Electric motorcycle world, Brammo leaps ahead of Zero...

There is a ton of news in the feeds today - I invite you to visit www.beltdrivebetty.com and see what might affect your life as a rider...

Have a fabulous Thursday - I hope that those who subscribe to the Busted Knuckle Chronicles, Canada's Rider Powered News, are enjoying the paper - it's been almost a year since I have done the layout and have gone back to the page format so many have asked for...let me know your thoughts folks!

Hopefully I will be on the road home later today, after a bout of the flu, I am finally feeling well enough to start the journey home!

I leave you with a few funnies, shared with me by friends through Facebook and email.

Have a Happy Thursday!

Belt Drive Betty

Editor &a Rider

A job well done, how do you define it?

I recently hired someone to layout our paper, the Busted Knuckle Chronicles. She came with good references and had 30 years of experience. What I discovered however was that this woman wanted to lay out the paper according to industry standards instead of the way I wanted it done.  I wanted the paper done in provincial sections with the appropriate columnists in their provincial category - she wanted to put all of the columnists in the middle of the paper. I wanted certain fonts and colours used - she refused to use them - so at the end of the day we agreed to disagree and she no longer works for me.

Whatever happened to the customer being right? I am paying the bills, I know what I want and yet...it is virtually impossible to get people to do the job the way you ask for it to be done.

I hear it all the time from other employers. Finding good quality staff is near impossible - all of the good employees are already taken...so I will be on the hunt again for a new layout artist - and I want to find someone who rides, who understands the biker community.  If you have anyone to recommend let me know.

In the news today, there is a story of a rider doing 299 KMPH from Vancouver Island, who posted the video on Youtube and the cops are on the hunt - this story reminds me of the joke whereby a person posted the details of their proposed robbery on Facebook. Stupid is as stupid does and the biker community takes another black eye...

In Prince George a gangster from the Game Tight Soldiers who was ordered deported more than 4 years ago, is now wanted for kidnapping.  Why was this man not deported? Why has he been allowed to stay in this country? I shake my head...

Ducati may see the purchase by Audi completed this week and Norton has come out with a TT bike with an Aprilia engine in it...

Harley-Davidson strong armed a fan who started a social network called HarleySpace - the man has renamed his social network IronRiders, and Harley is getting pushback over their actions.

In Whitecourt AB they are getting ready to ride for Alzheimer's

There is a TON of news in the feeds today - check it all out at www.beltdrivebetty.com where we sift through the news so you don't have to!

I leave you with a few funnies to kickstart your day...these come from my friends on Facebook and by email.

Have a fantastic Hump day...
Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

How was your weekend?

I had a fantastic weekend at Cyclemania in Saskatoon, lots of great people and incredible motorcycles - I think that's what most of us in the riding community call a fabulous way to spend a weekend! The PMS is receding and what a relief it is!

Watch for this week's Busted Knuckle Chronicles, coming out on Thursday morning for the low down on the show!

Cookie attended the Port Dover, Friday the 13th celebrations and also has a wonderful report on that event in this coming Thursday's paper...

Now, on to the news of the day...

There is an article in the news today that may prove of interest to riders here in Canada who have experienced profiling by police officers. In Grants Pass, Oregon, bikers are protesting traffic stops and profiling & are considering legal action.

Everyday across north America, riders encounter the discriminatory practise of profiling by the police. (A practise that is disallowed by law when applied to ethnic communities.)

Many riders believe that what the outlaw and 1% clubs do or experience have little to do with them, however they would be very wrong.  Attend an event where outlaws and 1% patches are present and you can almost bet your bottom dollar that you have been photographed, so has your ride and license plate. You can also rest assured that you are listed on an associates list in the databases of the police services.  When you see the police attending motorcycle events in a large way, protection is only ONE service they are providing - the other is intelligence gathering.  Because the police view the outlaw and 1%er clubs as criminal organizations, anyone who speaks to them, admires their machines, attends the same events is fair game in the eyes of the police because you just never know when that 75 year old grandmother might be a drug mule.

In the US there are pushes taking place all over the place to challenge and change laws that are discriminatory towards motorcyclists. Just because you ride a bike, attend events does not automatically mean you have criminal intent.

The push for equality of treatment as road users and citizens is one that every motorcyclist should consider getting behind. Some argue that it's the outlaw & 1%er clubs that have brought this on themselves and they should fight their own battles and if the police ONLY targeted those persons when gathering their intelligence and stopping riders, then I would agree with them. However, it is the police that have made these issues something that has the potential to affect every rider who attends motorcycle related gatherings of any nature. It's one of those issues that like the use of helmets and the noise generated by some riders that causes lots of debates and disagreements.

Another article of interest comes from Virginia where it is now legal for motorcyclists to ride side by side.  

The old law in Virginia saw riders fined for pulling up beside each other at a light, or riding up beside a fellow rider to signal a need to stop etc..the new law now gives the riders the right to decide when it is safe to ride side by side. Bikers in that state are looking at the new law as a win against the discrimination that they face with regards to laws.

What are your thoughts on this topic? I think it should make for some interesting discussions!

In other news:

Steve McQueen of Calgary is the first Albertan sporting a Veteran's plate on his motorcycle. After 7 years of lobbying, his efforts have been rewarded!

In Michigan where the right to choose whether or not to wear a helmet was recently granted to riders, if you 1 - take a safety course and 2 have $20,000 in medical insurance is seeing an interesting debate starting...should riders who choose to ride without a helmet be forced to sign an organ donors card? What do you think?

In Zurich Switzerland, travellers are being treated to a massive series of displays of Ducati Motorcycles.

In Cuba, Harley riders are celebrating their first ever motorcycle rally.

There are travel articles, sports news and other bits and bytes that might be of interest to you over at www.beltdrivebetty.com where we sift through the news so you don't have to.

I leave you with a few funnies shared with me by friends on Facebook and by email...
Laughter is a great way to start a Monday!

Have a great day,


Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider