They are back, like a BAD PENNY

The event from HE Double Hockey sticks just keeps coming back to haunt the motorcycle community - Sturgis North has just announced that they are going to be holding the  2013 version of the event at the site of the old Merritt Music Mountain Fest in August.

No word on why they are moving out of Chase or what state their relationship with the Neskonlith Band is in.

Can you imagine what this event is going to be like this year? 

The relationship between the founder of Sturgis North and the RCMP & Liquor Board brought down the wrath and disdain that those organizations feel for the founder  - on the heads of every rider last year with restrictions that were unbearable, especially when you take in the costs of attending the event.

I can not imagine how badly every rider will be harassed by the RCMP in Merritt and region.  

The top cop there does not appear to appreciate the motorcycle community at all.

The Great Canadian Bike Rally was hosted by two locals - both from Merritt, both community involved and minded people  and look how it ended up - having the legs taken right out from under it last year with the heavy handed and oppressive presence of the police.  

And if we thought what happened in Vernon was bad...

Add the Sturgis North's owner and his president into the mix and Merritt should be a full blown police state if last year was ANY indication at all.

And even though they had benefit of a really great property to use last year, Sturgis North organizers could not get away from from appearing greedy and or desperate and ended up screwing up the layout of the event so bad that vendors in the infield of the Vernon Motoplex were seeing zero traffic. 

($20 was the fee one had to pay to get into vendor ally - who pays to go to the mall? Over $100 to see the bands and get to the vendors in both vendor alley and in the infield for 1 day.)

And then of course the Liquor Board put some heavy restrictions on the camping areas and where they could be located...and don't get me started on the beer gardens.

With the trail of debt (between six hundred  & 800 thousand dollars worth if the public figures are even remotely close to accurate) and the destruction of good feelings and goodwill that has been wreaked in the Okanagan by this event, I simply can not wrap my head around HOW they managed to land the Mountain Fest site.

Not only do I find it hard to believe that they have landed the spot they have, but I simply can not fathom how or why anyone in the motorcycle community would want to give these organizers another chance. 

The sad thing is that no matter how connected we riders are becoming - not everyone will get the word about what Sturgis North has been like for the past two years. There will be those who will lay their money down to attend the event and, if the last two years are any indication...

In their press release and on their new web site, they are making a claim that I would have to question/challenge.  3rd Annual Sturgis North Burnouts?  Seriously?  Sturgis North never organized the burnouts that were held in Sicamous in conjunction with the Sturgis North event - ever and they had nothing whatsoever to do with their success. 

It was the Chamber of Commerce in Sicamous and the CMDRA who made the burnouts happen.  Sturgis North simply did some cross promotion from everything I have been told.

And it is the CMDRA and the Chamber hosting the event again this year in Sicamous in conjunction with Summer Stomp that has moved to Sicamous.

It saddens me. It frustrates me.

Who knows - I suppose they could turn it around and make it enjoyable and affordable...

I guess we wait and see...

I know I won't be sending any reporters to the event - what you see here is as much energy as I want to give it.

What say you?

In other news there has been another rider fatality, this time in Brampton ON and a motorcyclist was caught up in a crash on the 404 near Stouffeville.  No word on his/her injuries.

For Medric Cousineau - our writer from Eastern Passage NS who is undertaking the Long Walk to Sanity from his home in NS to Ottawa with a goal of raising the money for 50 dogs for 50 vets in 50 days should be ecstatic today. His mission was to help other vets and hopefully have someone in Ottawa hear how a service dog can change lives.

Today there is word out of Texas that PTSD Dogs are one step away from being funded for vets who suffer from PTSD in that state with the passing of a new bill in the Texas House of Representatives.  The bill has gone to the state Senate for approval.

Since Medric's mission is to have Ottawa fund service dogs for our vets, this has to be good news.

Our government can not ignore the benefit that PTSD dogs offer to their patients/handlers.

I pray that someone in Ottawa reads the article and decides that Medric and a whole host of veterans who are benefiting from the use of service dogs are right and that prescription drugs are not the only answer to PTSD and the ravages of war.

Please people, please...

Ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you.
May is Motorcycle Awareness Month - Do your Part - Ride Smart™

Belt Drive Betty

Editor & Rider

UPDATED: 2:26 PM May 8th, 2013

In the Sturgis North Press Release there was something that caught my eye and bothered me:

New this year we are adding some country artists on Sunday in conjunction with the City of Merritt, the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame and the Walk of Stars. 

So I decided to make some phone calls and low and behold - what do I discover ...
I spoke with the president and the vice president of the Country Music Hall of Honour and the Walk of Stars in Merritt today.

There is no agreement between the Hall of Honour and the Walk of Stars (which is all one organization, not two separate entities as the press release would have one believe) and Sturgis North. One phone call is all that has taken place between - are you ready for this - Mr. Sanders and Mr. Sasseville and while ideas were swapped, there is NO agreement. So much for the claims made by President of Sturgis North, Joan Hansen, that Mr. Sasseville is hands off...
it's funny how you learn things.

I spoke with the CAO of Merritt, Matt Noble, who also confirms that there are no agreements in place
that would see the city of Merritt working with Sturgis North to provide country entertainers, or to sponsor the event or in any way work with the event beyond the fact that people will be coming through Merritt.  I asked pointedly if tax payers money would be spent on sponsorship or providing any acts and was told NO. The CAO was adamant that the event is out of their jurisdiction and while they will be good neighbours to the event, the city of Merritt is offering no special support for the event.

I have been unsuccessful in getting ahold of the property owner, Claude Lelievre. He is the man who co founded and ran the now defunct Merritt Music Mountain Fest and his company Active Mountain Entertainment Corp. owns the property that reportedly Sturgis North is going to be held on.

I wonder, and will continue to do so, at the validity of the statement that they are moving to the Mountain Fest property -  until I get confirmation that there is a lease in place.

I will continue to dig and will let you know what else I find out...

For anyone wanting to know more about Sturgis North and th people who own and run it, visit my previous blog post: http://beltdrivebetty.blogspot.ca/2012_11_04_archive.html

UPDATED 4:51 PM

Well - for now at least nothing is confirmed and I have shared the information I have found in the public domain and asked everyone to do their due diligence. If after people read the information and talk to others who have had involvement they still decide to work with them - so be it. At least they made an informed decision. There is nothing more to be done by me. 

The rest is now up to this community. You guys have voices, perhaps if you feel inclined you will get involved in helping people make informed decisions. The small businesses and charities, non profits, they just need to know what happened - they can then look at the over all picture - weigh the pros and cons and decide what feels right to their community, but they can't make and informed decision without input and information.

If the riding community won't support it and they prepare for all of you and you don't show up, what's that going to do to things?

Merritt is a community that has had their Mountain Music Fest shut down, the Great Canadian Bike Rally is no more, help this community make an informed decision. Who knows, your input might actually help the thing to succeed...yah just never know what can come out of dialogue...

The City of Merritt:http://www.merritt.ca/city-council

Merritt's Country Music Hall of Honour & The Walk of Stars http://www.merrittwalkofstars.com/contact.html

The Merritt Chamber of Commercehttp://www.merrittchamber.com/contact#.UYrVGZW1zi4

I hate Mondays, but not for the same reason most of you do...

Mondays are the day of the week I hate and dread, just like many of you.  But my reasons are going to be much different than yours are, I am pretty sure.

I don't work 9-5 or Monday to Friday.

Monday holds no "jail like" meaning for me about trudging off to work for 5 days.

Just like it being Friday really means nothing to me. I work 7 days a week.
And I love my job, just not all of it...

So why do I hate Mondays?

Every morning I generally sift through the news feeds to ensure that there are no mountain biking stories mixed in with the motorcycle news for our web site.

And every Monday, more than any other day of the week, I have to read and post about the motorcycle crashes that have taken place over the weekend.

Some involve people I know personally, some involve severe injury, some death and yet others walk away.

As a rider, everyone of these crashes affect me.
Reading the stories, seeing the crash site images, watching the videos...everyone one of the breaks my heart.

In far too many cases, dumb choices be it from the rider or the other vehicle driver (when another vehicle is involved) have contributed to the crash.

For the riders - going too fast, not being aware of surroundings, not using emergency techniques, target fixation, riding in blind spots, riding without good gear, riding over their ability.

Our roads are in such disrepair across this country...and have been contributing factors in crashes.

For the drivers of other vehicles - going too fast, pulling unsafe u-turns, turning left without looking, changing lanes without looking, target fixation, texting, well, the list goes on...

Then there are the crashes that involve game (wildlife) - these tend to be the true accidents of our community...

I have hardly scratched the surface of the ways these crashes happen.

Every Monday my heart breaks just a little bit.
Every Monday those images, the stories and the senselessness of it all hits home - HARD.

There are people who think I am far too opinionated for my own good, far too serious about things.

To those people I say: "You don't sit in my chair and see the things I see. When you read the news, it's about the things that interest you. For me, I read it whether or not I want to because it's my job."

The stories I read, daily harden me in some ways.
I work really hard to keep a balanced perspective on everything.
I work to see both sides of every situation, but - the stories I read sometimes make it really hard to not be a pissed off human being, to not be hard nosed and vocal.

Monday is the day for me, when I have to screw up the courage to do my job because I know I am going to be sad, mad, disappointed...

Well, besides the motorcycle crashes the took place in Toronto, Regina, Saskatoon, Edmonton and Vancouver Island this weekend (see the Riders Down news feed on our site www.beltdrivebetty.com), the news had a ton of articles about the Hells Angels Annual run from Nanaimo to Victoria in BC.

According to the article on Castanet: 
Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit spokesman, Sgt. Lindsey Houghton said: "the bikers ignored red lights at intersections, were seen speeding, and unsafely passing other vehicles.

He says the group blocked traffic and refused to pull over for safety inspections by police.

Houghton says those who did not comply with police direction have been noted and will face appropriate enforcement action.

He says police won't allow bikers to intimidate communities with their noisy rides.

Houghton says May is designated as Motorcycle Safety Month in BC, and police used the opportunity to conduct road safety checks on members of the outlaw motorcycle gangs."

And yet, according to a video of their ride, they observed the rules of the roads and did not appear to be speeding, running red lights and their pipes did not seem to be overly loud.

So - besides being sad today, and frustrated over the deaths and injuries this past weekend, I am PISSED at the RCMP again...

Motorcycle Awareness month is not an open ended license for discrimination.
And yet this RCMP spokesman blatantly admits "police used the opportunity to conduct road safety checks on members of the outlaw motorcycle gangs."

The problem with Mr. Houghton's commentary is that not all who wear the patch of an outlaw club are 1% and the police too often stop and unlawfully detain all kinds of riders based on the erroneous assumption that a three piece patch means gang.

Ask members of the Falcons...the Veteran's Canada MC and on and on...

Not only that, but it would appear based on the video evidence above, that yet again, the RCMP are lying about the conduct of the riders in question.

And then there is his most ignorant of comment: "police won't allow bikers to intimidate communities with their noisy rides."

In other articles like the one from the Province: “Seeing a large group of bikers rolling down the highway and through towns can be intimidating for the public and that is their intention — to intimidate,” Houghton said. “Today was yet another example of groups like the Hells Angels thinking they are above the law. CFSEU-BC and its policing partners will continue to monitor events like today’s and ensure the public’s safety by seizing every available and appropriate enforcement opportunity against those involved in organized crime.”

The article from the Times Colonist was equally PRO police.

“Our goal was to stop them and let them know we are aware of their activities and that we will continue to monitor them like this in the interests of ensuring public safety. We will seize every opportunity to look at appropriate enforcement action against the people engaged in organized crime in communities around B.C.”

Houghton said traffic on the highway was at a standstill for 15 to 20 minutes.

“Understandably, on a nice day like this, it was an inconvenience for people. We did have a very large area off to the side of the road, and if the bikers had complied, there would have been no delay in traffic. But they chose not to,” he said.

“Seeing a large group of bikers rolling down the highway and through towns can be intimidating for the public, and that is their intention — to intimidate,” Houghton said.

“Today was yet another example of groups like the Hells Angels thinking they are above the law.”

The spin doctor in all of these articles, Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit spokesman, Sgt. Lindsey Houghton would have the general public think that ALL large groups of riders are out to intimidate.

He would also have the general public think that the Hells Angels - READ BIKERS IN LARGE GROUPS do not respect the rules of the road and should subject themselves and their motorcycles to a traffic safety stop that they know full well will be filled with questions about their patches, tattoos, associations and other discriminatory/harassing questioning.

Their motorcycles would have been safety checked by people who are not mechanics and whose sound testing equipment is not "certified".  Now let me clarify a few things:  The RCMP have reportedly in the passed used noise testing equipment that is not standardized by anyone.  And under Federal law - the officer's opinion is what counts when it comes to whether or not a vehicle is noisy.

We all know that the J2825 noise test for motorcycles that the SAE put together for the MIC and MMIC is subjective to the officer's skill level and the surroundings in which the test is conducted. 

And we know that most officers do not follow the testing requirements hence why so many of these "violations" get thrown out of court if a person has time to fight them.

And remember, if your bike is damaged during such a test - your motorcycle is NOT covered by YOUR insurance - your only recourse is to sue the officer.

On a side note, that I am aware of, the RCMP federally has not as of yet been trained to do the J2825. 

I will attempt to find out about that...

The spin doctor would have the general public believe that the bikers are at fault for traffic being halted, when in fact, the RCMP are the cause.  Staging big public displays at exorbitant expense is something we have seen done time after time with no positive results. This time appears to be no different.

The RCMP, it appears, want the general public to be pissed at large groups of bikers. Period.

Time and again you read and hear this man say - "police won't allow bikers to intimidate communities with their noisy rides."

I ride without a patch, I ride a stock motorcycle, I have ridden in large group rides that have been pulled over for "motorcycle safety checks".  

I have never been ticketed. BUT I have been inconvenienced, asked ridiculous questions about "who is holding the drugs", where are the Hells Angels and other equally intimidating and disgusting questions that have nothing what so ever to do with the ride I am on or the safety of my bike - which was never checked by the by. Only my helmet and papers were ever checked.

This mentality of the RCMP disturbs me.

And it should disturb you too. 

There are many who never ride in group rides for any cause or charity simply because they have no wish to be labelled or tarred or inconvenienced.  There are some who never ride in large groups cause it isn't their bag.

BUT - whenever a police agency starts saying discriminatory things with the sole purpose to mis lead the public - it should concern every citizen.

You and I both know that there are those in some of these 1% clubs that are bad asses.  

But there is nothing illegal about going for a ride as a club.  They are after all members of a motorcycle club - motorcycle being the operative word.

You and I both know - if you have been around this community for any length of time, that it is a very, very rare thing for a full patched member of any 1% motorcycle club to do anything in public that will reflect badly on their club.

The RCMP however would have one believe that they are all criminal and the only reason they get on their bikes in large numbers is to intimidate.

You and I both know that sweeping statements like that are ridiculous, dangerous and highly mis leading.

It is too bad the general public only has the mainstream media to rely on for their information, that they are never subjected to the mannerisms, demeanour or attitude of a police officer who wants to be an intimidating, fight provoking jerk.

Don't get me wrong - the job of a cop is not easy, it is filled with danger and there are many cops who do their uniform a great credit. There are those on police forces everywhere who know how to use critical thinking skills - who understand you get more with honey than vinegar. Those who know it is wrong to label everyone based on the actions of the few.

But there are enough of them out there who are in no way polite or courteous - those who look for and instigate fights, who are adrenaline junkies that thrive on anger...that should cause very citizen to be concerned.

I am tired of the never ending spins that the RCMP and other police services use when it comes to the riding community and the main stream media that seldom ever prints the other side of the story.

So, if you start noticing more aggression and push back towards riders, you can thank three groups of people.

The RCMP and police services for their special brand of spin. 

The mainstream media that does so much one sided reporting.

And you can thank the people who lend credence to the police services myths about ALL bikers and ALL BIKERS IN BIG GROUPS.

You know, the guy/gal who rides 300 KPH through traffic.  

The guy/doll who uses their loud pipes, not in times of danger but as fashion plate attention seeking accessory.

Or the guys/girls who wheelie in traffic...or on big group rides.

These people are the people who are our "Bad Press" spin doctors. 

Their conduct is a black eye to all riders.

And the conduct of those riders polarizes the non rider against the rider because the actions of a few combined with the spin by the RCMP/Police forces as printed and un -investigated by mainstream media creates a hatred.  

We have had people killed because of motorcycle noise.  Not long ago a guy in California stabbed his neighbour over motorcycle noise

We have had riders purposely run off the road by other drivers who hate motorcycles.

And then we have riders who when they realize a guy is trying to purposely run them off the road -  put themselves in really dangerous positions TO BECOME A STATISTIC.

I am sad and angry and frustrated...that's how I can tell it's Monday.

Join Kickstands Up on Reality Radio 101 as I join Lou to have a frank discussion  about our riding season and the ways to successfully enjoy it...

I hope you have a good week and if you are fortunate enough to be taking advantage of the glorious if late riding season, PLEASE ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you.

I leave you with a few funnies shared with me by friends on Facebook and via emails.  After a crappy start to my day, I like to balance it our with laughter and meditation.

Here's to the laughter.

I am going to meditate now.

Belt Drive Betty

Editor & Rider

Riding season - the pros and the cons...Motorcycle Awareness

May is Motorcycle Awareness Month - "Do YOUR PART - RIDE SMART"™

I love riding. I am happiest when on my bike.
My motto in life is "A bad day of riding still beats a good day in the office."

However, there is an aspect to riding season that I dread.

When my friends and acquaintances are in a motorcycle crash.
It saddens me deeply no matter the how's and why's of the crash.
It does not matter who is at fault - if a rider is injured or killed, it bugs me.

I want to address the "riding gear, some gear and no gear" issue and I want to address the issue that some in our community create by their attitudes.

May is Motorcycle Awareness Month - but what are non riders aware of?

Seriously - the riders who ride respectfully and safely seldom get any notice - no one remembers them.

The riders who are stunting and showing off - those are the people that non riders NEVER forget.
And too often many in our community get to pay a price for the "rotten apples".
Look at the motorcycle only noise bylaws and you'll catch my drift.

It is my hopes that through some dialogue that I can convince just one person to really look at their actions and the consequences and perhaps change their ways and prevent a bad situation. Perhaps just one rider will weigh the consequences of not wearing good gear and save themselves a lot of pain and heart ache... perhaps one rider will choose to be smarter about the risks they take, like taking certain behaviours to the track.

Riding can be a very safe activity, but it can become very dangerous if under taken with a lack of gear and/or the wrong attitude...

I am all for freedom of choice.  
Freedom comes with a heavy, heavy price tag called responsibility - ownership of conduct and consequence.

If you choose to ride without a helmet, then you must suffer the consequences of that choice if you are in a crash.  But your decision does not just affect you.
If you survive the crash, the road to recovery will be filled with people whose hearts are breaking, who have to shoulder the burden of care. If you don't survive, well, that's a whole other discussion.

If you choose to ride without appropriate footwear or other gear because of the heat or for whatever other reason, the injuries that you face, in the event of a crash can be horrific and involve lengthy recovery times.
But who is by your side, also paying the price for your choice?

I understand the reasons for riding with no helmet. I understand the riding without gear in high temperatures. I have done both of those things many times. I got lucky.  I don't push those limits today.
I have seen the consequences of that type of risk and decided it wasn't right for me. Or my daughter.

There is gear now a days, like Kevlar jeans, that make it so you can be a lot cooler on your bike and still be protected. Cordura and armour - these things weren't around when I started riding.

I've talked about choice, now let's talk about wrong attitude and it's consequences.

The need to show off and be "cool".

PLEASE NOTE THAT I AM COGNIZANT of the fact that we were all young once.
We have all done things in our lives that should have killed or seriously injured us and yet, for some unknown reason we are here to talk about it, even laugh at it.
Just think back to playing lawn darts!

I will warn you that some of the videos and photos I have found are graphic in nature.

If your stomach is squeamish - stop reading now.

When it comes to riding a motorcycle, especially with so many more people using the highways and byways these days (compared to when we were young and stupid), the wrong attitude - the "Oh look at me aren't I cool" attitude, can and often does have some serious, serious consequences.
It always has but now a days the consequences can be extreme depending on the traffic.

Karma - cause and effect...will get you in the end.

My goal here is to get you to think about the consequences that your choices, your decisions can have on yourself - but more importantly on your family and loved ones, the lives of others that you might endanger.

Think about the insurance  premiums we all have to pay - your decision is linked to my pocket book if nothing else.

Sadly, the people who need to see this the most, won't read it, but I am putting it out there and hoping...just one person learns to take smarter risks.

In this first video - I am only concerned with the crash caused by one of the stunters.
Showing off can and will bite you in the ass - you may get away with it for a while, but...



Notice the lack of gear worn by most of these people. Perhaps stupidity should hurt.
But what if you were riding beside the one stunter who goes down - and you are behaving - but wearing no gear...and you get caught up in his aftermath?
Now in this video, the dude is an absolute show off. Thinks he's cool, but he gets it in the end...

Every one of use looses because of guys like this and we all know one or two...they cause our insurance's to go up. They give the rest of us a bad name... In this next video you will see all sorts of crashes. Some caused by the show off mentality, some from plain stupidity and almost all of them where the rider was at fault - speed and riding OVER their ability appears to be the cause.

In this video link, a young girl shares her experience about riding on a motorcycle with only a helmet for protection: http://vimeo.com/brittanymorrow/roadrashqueen Still think it's no big deal not to wear the gear?   Here are just a few of the less gory photos of what happens to you when you are not wearing protective gear. Left is Brittany - the young girl in the video link above... Like I said, it's your choice, but your choice affects my insurance, affects my community. It affects the people who love you. You might be prepared to pay the price but is everyone else around you? That's all I ask, that you consider those questions and if the answer for you is still yes, then that is your right.

 You might be the safest rider in the world, but I think you need to worry about the rest of the drivers and riders out there. People, be they on motorcycles, in cars, semis - people in general are selfish and self involved - and in my humble opinion, none of us are immune to being self involved at least some of the time. But the ones who drive and ride like idiots all of the time, tend to be highly self involved, seldom do they think of others before they wick the throttle or do that burn out at a stop sign. Seldom do they think of anyone but themselves and their own gratification. These people take chances that endanger others and they exist in every community of drivers - no community is immune from them. I say, if they want to pay the price for their actions - great, but don't put others at risk. Take it to the track or a parking lot - not on the street. If they think they are OK to pay the price, I wonder - did they first ask their care givers or their loved ones if they wanted to pay that price? These people who take chances, that are reckless and selfish are often times spurred on by your applause, and cheering. It encourages them. So please - consider not giving them the attention they seek. Ignore their behaviour, shun it and eventually they might change. At the very least maybe they will take their stupidity elsewhere. Some stunt and take extreme chances because they think they are cool...some how better than others. But how cool are you when your wife/mom has to change your shitty diaper at 20+ years old? How cool are you when you are in a wheel chair with a head injury? Would you still say the risk was worth it? You might think so, I am not so sure how the people who love you would feel. All of the videos above have one thing in common - most people got lucky and walked away. There are many other videos that I did not post because of their extreme graphic content, where the riders did not walk away as a result of their choice. They are either dead or in rehabilitation. It's May - finally Mother Nature is cooperating, most people are out and about on their bikes, in their muscle cars...everyone has experienced a 7 month winter - they are antsy - have spring fever...We know that other drivers are unaware and taking chances - not all but a lot and so we need to treat every driver with caution and assume that they are not aware - riding defensively is your best protection out there. As many of you know, video footage can be used in court to fight tickets and in the case of a crash, can prove who did what to whom where and if you laid your bike down to avoid a more serious impact - your lawyer would have the proof needed.  The other benefit of running video is that if you have no crash, you will have some great memories captured! So, if you are interested, Sharon from VSun is making a special offer to our members and the people in my circle who want to take her up on it. 10% off of video sunglasses, goggles and helmet cams. For group orders of 5 items or more - free shipping! Email me and I will send you the promo code! (bdbetty@gmail.com) We all have to be aware, hyper vigilant. Please weigh the chances and risks you take... Motorcycle Awareness Month - "Do YOUR PART - RIDE SMART"™ PLEASE ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you. Belt Drive Betty Editor & Rider