Attention all riding clubs and event coordinators in Canada

Every year right across this great country called Canada, Riders who work for an employer are asked to have their requests in for holidays and long weekends before March 31st.

If having more people attend your event is something you would like to see happen, one of the best ways is to have your event posters done and ready BEFORE March 31st!

We are all busy people and we are all controlled to a degree by the demands of our jobs and employers.

The ideal time to start promoting events is December, January, February and March for maximum exposure and so people can book their holidays and long weekends.

Yes there is still lots of time to promote events after March 31st, but if you want that tourist, that rider from two or three provinces away whose going on vacation in your direction to show up, you need to at least get your event name and date out there by MARCH 31st!

One of the pet peeves that most riders have with event posters is the lack of important information on them.

Too many event coordinators think on a local level, they don't stop to think about that touring rider and the information they are going to need.

You see the CVMG poster on the right? It is pretty decent BUT it assumes that everyone knows where the Westerner Fairgrounds is. At least there is an phone number and email to contact the gent running it and the fact that the area code is in the phone number lets a person figure out this is an Alberta Event.  This particular event is in Red Deer Alberta for those interested.

Every poster should have the name of the event, date and times.

They should also include a street address, the NAME of the town and the PROVINCE

Contact information is vital - for both the event itself and the venue.

A lot of coordinators don't stop to think about that person who might break down or get lost on their way. If it's a poker run, they are going to want to call the venue where everyone met up at to see if they can find out where the first stop is to try and catch up.

If they have broken down they might want to call and get a message to people that they need help or to let others who are expecting them that they will be late, need help or won't be coming.

WHO - WHAT - WHERE - WHEN & WHY is what people need to know FIRST - then you can add bands, and other pertinent information to entice people.

Don't ASSUME anything.  If you are hosting an event do not assume that everyone knows where the Crossroads is or the Big Red Barn or the Western Fair Grounds is.

Think like a tourist when you are making your posters.

We here at Belt Drive Betty Media offer free promotion of all riding club events, charity events etc.

You can add your posters to www.canadianmotorcycleevents.com by registering on our site.

If you have ANY challenges getting your event information and need help - email me at bdbetty@gmail.com and I can help you.

We have a small team of data entry people who can also add events for those who are computer unfriendly.

This is my gift to the Canadian Riding Community every year and has been for 13 seasons!

We work these events calendars hard by reaching out to all of the clubs and coordinators we know and hounding them for the information.

My goal always has been to help the riding clubs and charitable events to get the most exposure they can FOR FREE and that the rider can, FOR FREE use these highly sortable, sharable and MOBILE calendars on their phones, computers and tablets.

When I first started out I did all the work and research myself, now we are a team of five people making sure these events are out there for all to have access to.

We are here to SERVE the riding community and if you want or need some help all you have to do is ASK!!!!

In other news:

An Ontario family is challenging the findings of the Ontario Special Investigations Unit regarding the June 14th, 2014 crash that killed their loved one Clayton Rivet, 29, who was travelling on Queensville Sideroad, near Hwy. 404, in East Gwillimbury at around 11:15 p.m. last June 14, when his BMW sport bike slammed into a York Regional Police cruiser which was making a U-turn.

The Gatekeepers MC has expanded from Nova Scotia to Ontario and the OPP's Biker Enforcement Unit is very aware of them and spreading the word to the citizens of Elgin and Stratford about their presence.

There is a move in Washington state to see the helmet law there be repealed!

Victory is doing its level best to come out with an electric motorcycle before Harley-Davidson dos by the sound of it! They have filed a patent for the name: Victory Charger.


I hope you have a fabulous day!

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider







Disclaimer:
All data and information provided on this site is for informational purposes only. The Belt Drive Betty Blog makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this site & will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. All information is provided on an as-is basis.

Tragedy in Chino California

A student at Newman Elementary School, fired the AR-15 that was mounted on a police motorcycle that was on display during an event for students called Red Ribbon Week, a drug and alcohol awareness event.

Why was the rifle loaded? Why was it not on safety?  Why was it even on the "display bike". 

Those are answers we'll have to wait for.

The gun was apparently locked on the bike and the bullet hit the steel plate locking device causing the shrapnel that injured the students.

In other news:

Indian Larry's bike, built for the Discovery Channel’s Biker Build-Off against Billy Lane

 is for sale in the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalogue - you too can own it for just $750,000...

Gulf Week in Dubai is getting ready to kick off.

In sports, there are those who are wondering "Can Erik Buell Racing Make Enough Bikes to Enter World Superbike Series?"

That's right, it is rumoured that Eric Buell Racing might become part of the WSBK. He has a lot of hurdles to jump, but if he can do it, well, let's just say it seems people are rooting for him.

The manufacturers have a lot of news today...

The Indian is being test ridden. Click here to see the review

Yamaha to invest $150mn to build a new plant in Pakistan.

And Triumph is launching in India.

There is one other story I would like to draw attention to, police have shot and killed a 13 year old boy who was playing with a fake assault rifle - a toy gun.

I can not imagine the grief that his parents must be going through. As I lift a prayer for him, his family and friends, I ask that you do too. I also pray for the police forces - they have a tough job, get criticized a lot, sometime rightly, other times not.  I pray that something is learned and this you man's life is not in vain.

Funnies don't feel appropriate today.

Have a great Thursday, for those who subscribe to our weekly community news paper, the Busted Knuckle Chronicles, Canada's ONLY Weekly, I hope you enjoy the read on the Conga's time in Fredericton!

If you are blessed enough to be riding today, please ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you, and remember to dress for the slide and not the ride.

Belt Drive Betty

Editor & Rider

Manufacturers new models, a Ducati goes off road and a few other interesting stories

The news is rather light today but what is in it is very interesting!

Ducati's new 1199 Superleggera has been revealed. It is a stripped down version of the 1199 Panigale R and the pwer to weight ratio is said to lead the chart for production motorcycles.

Honda is revealing it's new models in Milan and Tokyo, 16 in total, with 3 of those being worldwide models. Apparently the CBR250 is back on the market - it had been reported earlier that it was to be replaced by the new CBR300, but the CBR300 will only be available in limited markets.

In Portland Oregon, MotoCorsa, a Ducati dealer, decided to take a Ducati 1199 Panigale S off roading....the results apparently were quite amazing. According to the article on WIRED, the bike was dubbed the Ducati 1199 Panigale TerraCorsa!

Read the article to find out the minor changes it took to take this bike off road.
Watch the video below to see how well the TerraCorsa handled going off road.

In Sturgis SD, an early October blizzard that ravaged farmers and local businesses has caused the Sturgis Rally to divert funds that would normally go to rally charities towards the aid of their locals.
According to the article in the Republic $15,000 had been diverted.

In British Columbia, the trial for the gent accused of doing 300KPH is set to start.

Also in BC, the identity of the rider killed by logs that crushed him has been released.
Hugh Craig Roberts of West Vancouver was the victim.

In Quebec, the case of a Hells Angels member will remain in limbo for another 4 months because he had escaped from jail when a judge had stayed charges on his co-accused.

And in Queensland Australia, 8 alleged members of the Hells Angels were charged during a drug bust.
3 of them are reported to be high ranking members who have also had their motorcycles confiscated.

I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday and leave you with a few funnies shared with me by friends on Facebook and via email:

If you are blessed to be riding today, please ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you and remember to dress for the slide and not the ride!

Belt Drive Betty
Editor  Rider

War in Australia? Things are heating up on all fronts.

The battle against the bikies in Queensland Australia is going to create a backlash. It has to.

The tough new laws in Queensland are said to be forcing bikies to leave their clubs.

AND YET...

The Bandidos have not only patched over the Finks, but new reports express that they have also patched over the Rock Machine and the Mongols have moved into Australia.

In my humble opinion that can only mean one thing - WAR.

The police have reportedly asked for more and bigger weapons as well as more and better armour as they fear reprisal.

Officers who have expressed their concerns over the new laws have been told that they should rethink their involvement with the force.  Begin Quote:
"If people aren't prepared to do that, to step up in times when the going gets tough, then they really do need to consider another career or another line of employment."

Overnight it was reported that front line police were being threatened with the sack if they failed to enforce the State Government's new bikie laws. End Quote
They have also been told how to protect themselves and their families.

Police officers are complaining that resources are being stretched too thin already.


The police have begun a campaign of terror against tattoo parlour owners, as bikies are not permitted to own or work in them any longer.

The daughter of a former head of the Queensland Bandidos says her tattoo shop is being unfairly targeted because police think her dad has something to do with her shop.  He "retired" from the Bandidos in light of the new laws and has an office in the back of her shop.
She claims that her father has NO interests in her shop beyond having an office there and that police have had her shop under surveillance and have searched her car.

She says that no club members visit her shop and that she herself is not a club member. She says it's not only hurting her business but other businesses around hers.

I get the fact that the police are going to monitor places like hers, but I wonder at the tactics and what the backlash will be.

There have been numerous reports of innocents being arrested and then released like one man who was wearing an SOA shirt that police mistakenly thought meant he was a bikie - he was released once they realized he was only a fan of a TV show. Another man was arrested as an associate because he attended a charity run hosted by Odins Warriors.  Another man claimed to have been stopped 11 times in 11 days.

THESE LAWS ARE ONLY A WEEK OLD!

These new laws have created a situation that is going to become untenable and soon.

I have an issue with knee jerk laws that are not well thought out and are rushed through for approval like the laws in Queensland Australia were. At some point there needs to be good sense exercised, some devil's advocacy used.

Innocents are going to get caught up in this war against bikies, their civil liberties will be trod on - and then what?

What say you?

I'd dearly love to know your thoughts on this subject.
Join us on Facebook, Linked In, Twitter, Google+ or right here for some discussion on the ramifications of these new laws and what could or should be done differently.

In other news:

A number of military supporters from Canada will taking part in the Battlefield Ride 2014, when they will cycle 400KM's through various battlefields in Europe in support of Wounded Warriors.

BMW is planning on taking the Milan Motorcycle Show by storm with two new models and a new scooter.

The FIM has announced the newest member of the Women in Motorcycling Commission.

An Indonesian motorcyclist, riding alone,  is working on completing an around the world journey for peace.

Our newspaper, the Busted Knuckle Chronicles is Canada's only weekly newspaper for motorcyclists - get your subscription today.  You can get it free by becoming a member of the Canadian Riders Support Network or for a small fee by subscribing.

I leave you with a few funnies shared with me by friends on Facebook and via email:

If you are blessed enough to be riding today, please ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you and remember to dress for the slide, not the ride.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

Logging Truck looses control, rider crushed by logs - Whistler BC

It's been a busy 24 hours in the news today and not all of it is good news.

There is sad news out of Whistler BC today, a rider was crush by a load of logs that came off of a logging truck that lost control.  My heart goes out to the 65 yeard old West Vancouver man's family and friends.

And more sad news, this time out of Pennsylvania as 5 people died when 2 motorcycles crashed head on into an SUV killing the 4 riders and the driver of the SUV.

Newcastle Harley-Davidson and Geordie Harley Owners Group Chapter fundraising push for the Elderberries programme got an extra push from The Duchess of Northumberland who rode in on a Harley.

The 30th Annual LOVE Ride is set to go on October 20th.

In Australia they are asking themselves what the Mongols take over of the Finks means for the 1% scene.

In sports, Tom Sykes has won the 2013 World Superbike championship at Jerez and JORGE Lorenzo has won the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix, after championship leader Marc Marquez was disqualified.

It's going to be a wild and wooley time in Australia with the new laws in Queesland and now the Mongols moving in. Not sure I would want to be a rider there.  The reports from some regular every day riders about police stops and harrassment have been un nerving.

What do you think is going to happen there? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter...join us on Facbook, Twitter, Linked In, Google+ or right here in this blog to share some dialogue.

I leave you now with a few funnies, shared with me by friends on Facebook and via email:

If you are fortunate enough to be riding today, please ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you and remember to dress for the slide, not the ride.

Belt Drive Betty,
Editor & Rider

Harley-Davidson recalls over 30,000 2014 motorcycles

It's a wild and wooley news day...

Harley-Davidson has issued a DO NOT RIDE notice to their customers and a DO NOT DELIVER order to their dealers on touring motorcycle models: FLHTCU, FLHTK, FLHTP, FLHX, FLHXS, FLHTKSE and FLHRSE, plus Softail CVOs and Trikes, models FLHTCUTG, FXSBSE and FLSTNSE, built between May 3, 2013, and Oct. 14, 2013

If you own one of these models and have not yet gotten your notice - PLEASE do not ride your bike but load it up and take it to your dealer! 

Apperently the hydraulic clutch is not disengaging properly making the bikes hard to slow down or stop.

Honda has launched their new CBR300R and is saying goodbye to their CBR250R, although it was launched in China, it is a "global" bike according to the article from Visor Down

In BC, three riders lost their motorcycles for speeding for 7 days, one of them crashed in front of the arresting officer. All three were were in their 20's and live in Abbotsford.

In Ottawa police are on the hunt for a motorcyclist from Quebec riding a yellow sport bike after he broke an officers arm while riding past him.

In the US, an entreprenuer came up with a new helmet he hopes will reduce motorcycle crashes.  According to the article, the Skelly helmet  will provide GPS information but it isn’t projected on the visor itself but onto a display that appears to the rider as if it’s about 6 meters ahead of them. It doesn’t interfere with the rider’s primary field of view and allows riders to lift the helmet visor without losing the display.

In International News - the Bandidos are reportedly turing in their colors in droves after the announcement of a new harsh law in Queensland Australia.

The new law will make it illegal to ride in groups, to wear colors in hotels and will see a special jail built just for bikers that will have them in lock down 23 hours a day.  

The new law includes mandatory 15-year sentences for drug possession, trafficking, dangerous driving and assault, plus an extra 10 years for office-holding bikers, unless the gang member becomes an informant.

I wonder why the Mongols have decided to patch the Finks over when the rest of the 1% world seems to be fleeing Queensland?

I am finally getting over jet lag and getting back into a more normal work rythym.  I had heard that jet lag can kick your arse harshly, now I know first hand just how badly!

I hope your Thursday is a good one, and if you subscribe to our newspaper, The Busted Knuckle Chronicles, that you are enjoying your paper today.

I leave you with a few funnies, shared with me by friends on Facebook and by emails.
Laughter is an important part of a healthy life!

If you are blessed to be riding today, please ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you.

Until tomorrow,

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

2 Million bikers denied a parade permit by Washington DC city hall

Here is the article: http://www.militianews.com/2-million-bikers-denied-permit-to-ride-through-dc-going-anyway/

Now you'd think the city would want to have the procession move quickly through town.  

I wonder why they chose this route as a city council? The article doesn't really say. 

I wonder if we will see a day where we could get Canadian Bikers out in full force?

There are some 650,000 of us in Canada, but a large gathering is 2,000 - 8,000 bikes here. The magic number here should be around 100,000. 

I wonder what one thing could cause Canadian Riders to want to show unity and soldarity in serious numbers.  There are, estimated last stats I have, 11.5 million riders in the US.  

What's that tell you...strength in numbers. No public squabbles, no libelous or heated comments - only thoughtful consise questions and answers with behaviour that is polite, courteous and yet underlined with steely determination.  

                                                                                        

We have no truly united voice in this country - but how and who and what about the time, money and commitment it would take to unite this way...do Canadians have the fortitude? 

The desire? I seriously would love to know, because it is time.      

I am almost done my cross Canada jounery and have seen first hand, heard first hand a number of the issues that affect all riders and how at times we are our own worst emeny.   

                                                                             

We need to find common ground and a common message to send to our governments, our communities and our police forces what the needs, goals and dreams for this community are.  

We need to come up with a working strategy for education and communicating with our community, the auto driver community, the police forces, our physical communities and their leadership - to learn from them, to work with them to build better relationships. We need to have our voices heard over insurance issues, road conditions, policing issues both within our own community and dealing with police services.  

We the riders of Canada need to unite.                                                                                           

Somehow, we have to grow and evolve through communication and networking or our way of life, one that we hold dear, sacred - will be legislated into becoming a really rich man's lifestyle while the rest of us who truly, passionatley love this way of life, will not be able to afford to excersise it unless we move south of the border where there are still some freedoms and a united voice working to have our issues heard and addressed.

But hey, that's just my two bits worth - what say you?

THIS JUST IN: A Trooper hits a bike injuring both rider and passenger - he NEVER SLOWED DOWN -  http://www.wdtn.com/news/local/greene-county/2-news-obtains-video-of-trooper-crash

Until next time, ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you.

Belt Drive Betty,

Editor & Rider

Imagine...what if it was you?

I want you to imagine for a moment what it would be like to wake up one morning and realize the your once perfect child is a shattered version of him/herself.  Perhaps a limb is missing or their brain is traumatized.

Or perhaps it is your spouse, or parent.
Once active, lively, loving and engaging, now withdrawn, tempermental and moody - distant.

This is the reality for over 6,000 military families in Canada.  The families of our veterans - those who have been in harms way courtesy of our government, the boss of their loved one - are hurting, badly.

In 2005, the government of Canada introduced the New Veteran's Charter, that charter changed the way our veteran's are compensated when they are injured in the line of duty.  The changes are devestating and wrong minded in my humble opinion.

Since 1917, there has been a sacred covenant between soldiers and their government in this country - a covenant that our current government has broken.

The NVC has been assessed by phychiatrists, doctors and many others, read the "Shaping the Future - Military & Veteran Health Research" PDF. Chapters 15, 16, 17 & 18 are of extreme importance to understanding the changes. The entire document is important, but those two chapters in particular are important.

It's a dry document - written by people who appear to have a direct relationship with drug therapy, although they do look at the arts as a form of therapy.

It looks at the social causes for change in the way our veterans are supported and it looks at the attitudes of government regarding out veterans.

Begin Quote:
Extremes of perceptions of the military in a society can be illustrated by these contrasting views held by two prominent Kingston politicians, Sir John A. MacDonald (Canada’s first prime minister) and W.F. Nickle (Kingston’s Member of Parliament (1911-19), respectively:

…‘regulars’ are useful only for hunting, drinking and chasing women…they are soldiers because they are no good at anything else.9

…this war has clearly demonstrated …that the hero is to be found under practically every jacket…10
End Quote

It is clear that how the Prime Minister and government officials percieve our troops relates directly to their compensation for being put in harm's way by our government.

I personally do not recommend any young person join our military, at least not under this government - as the callous disregard for them and their families' welfare is evident in statements made by the governments lawyers regarding the Equitas Class Action Lawsuit - Please view the YouTube Video that I recorded of the Press Conference with Peter Stoffer - NDP Veteran's Affairs Critic on Parliment Hill 2 days ago:

Personally I feel that if we can not afford, financially, to look after those our government puts in harms way, then we should not be poking our nose in the affairs of other countries and should instead go back to a peace keeping role.

The fact is that in 60 years of Peace Keeping we lost fewer soldiers than in the 10 years of active combat during the Afghanistan conflict.

If we send them, we must mend them - as Medric Cousineau of Paws for Thoughts is fond of saying.

The RCMP are now being affected by the NVC which has replaced the Pension Act.

Our government included the RCMP in the 2013 budget and if you consider the ramifications to attracting quality people to the job, you will see that we will be sucking the bottom of the pond, very soon, as the compensation and supports for the families is brutal, never mind the serving member.

I am terrified of the quality of people we will attract into the RCMP as well.

Today Medric Cousineau began his long walk to sanity - he will arrive in Ottawa on the 19th of September - his goal is to raise the money for 50 dogs in 50 days for 50 veterans - his is one of three causes I am riding to support - so far I have raised just shy of $5,400.

It's a drop in the bucket - but it is an important drop, as we Canadians prove to our veterans that we will support their therapy and reintegration into civilian life where our government is failing them.

I hope you will go out and meet Medric along his journey or come out and meet me on mine - the cause - the reason is the same - supporting our veterans and thanking them for their service to our country by helping them to heal.  Dog therapy is not funded by our government - sadly, our government does not appear to value the lives of our veterans or their families - read - educate yourself and then please consider joining us along the way.

Here are the links:

Medric's Walk
www.pawsfurthought1.com

My Conga
www.beltdrivebetty.com/home/conga

The Document Shaping the Future for our Military & Veterans
PTSD Book Download

When a Child's Parent has PTSD
http://www.canadianveteransadvocacy.com/blog/?p=857

Until the next time that I have time to write...

Belt Drive Betty
Editor &Rider

PS - Ride safe - like everyone around you is blind and can not see you.

Why I am riding across Canada in support of our Veterans

Most civilians do not understand the New Veteran's Charter created by the Liberal Government and defended relentlessly by the Harper government.

It is all about money - it is all about saving the Government money - but we the people ARE the government and if enough raise our voices in a united way, we can force our government to do the right and honorable thing - pay our veterans a pension.

As it stands right now if a verteran has served at least 10 years they get a buy out based on 20% of their best 5 years of pay. If they serve less than that, their source deductions are returned to them - and that's pretty much it.

When they are discharged for medical reasons - be it PTSD or physical injury - they are not getting the supports they need beyond prothstetics or drug therapy. If the drugs don't work for them - too bad.

I want you to read this - PLEASE: http://veteranwatch.blogspot.ca/2013/07/how-government-views-veterans-it-isnt.html


If that doesn't make your stomach churn - I am not sure what will...

I have another day of hard riding to get to my next fundraiser in Midland ON at the Tim Horton's at 5:30 pm tonight - hope to see some of you out there to support our veterans...

TTYS

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

Motorcycles, stamps, cops and more...

The weekend at the HHR and the National Memorial ride was impressive and deeply emotional.

If you are a subscriber to our newspaper, then you already know how I felt about attending the Heroes Highway Ride & Rally.  Lou and Graeme did an amazing job with the support of the Canadian Army Veterans Motorcycle Units.  The ride was awesome, mother nature cooperated for a change and everyone who rode enjoyed the unified ride much better than last year's staggered leave ride.

The Heroes Highway Ride and Rally is a unique, free event that provides everyday Canadians the opportunity to meet members of the Canadian Armed Forces and say thank you personally.

It is also an opportunity to find out about the needs of our soldiers and our veterans along with the needs of their families.

While our government offers a fair amount of support for our troops, vets and their families I think we all agree that it can get better - a lot better.  Hence why there are organizations like the Tony Stacey Centre, a long term care facility that allows the vet and their spouse to remain TOGETHER.

There are other organizations looking to be supported and not just financially but with volunteering and other supports like the Military Family Resource Centres and the S.O.S. Project (Soldiers of Suicide), events like the Long Walk to Sanity and the Hillbilly Scavenger Hunt all hoping to attract your attention and support.

You can view all the photos from the HHR that I took on my Facebook Page - Bikers United in Remembrance

I ask you to like this page please as it will help keep you up to date with the Bikers United in Remembrance Conga among other things!

The ride to Ottawa on Sunday morning was overcast and cool, but Mother Nature didn't rain on us until after the ceremony and then only for a few minutes!

A Voodoo at the National War Museum

The started out with us going to the National War Museum, then we all gathered at the Air Force Museum to get ready for the short 2.5 KM ride to the cemetery. This is the ONLY day of the year that motorcycles are allowed!

About 70 bikes and 170 people took in the National Memorial Ride.
Our National Military Cemetery - Beechwood, is a beautiful final resting place.
It was a moving ceremony.  I will be writing an article for next weeks Busted Knuckle Chronicles.

Again, you can view the photo gallery of the ceremony on the Bikers United in Remembrance Facebook Page.

Monday was another wonderful day.  After editing photos and writing my HHR article and editorial, I was blessed to spend an afternoon riding with Jon Burman of Classy Chassis in Lakefield Ontario.

Jon is without a doubt one of the kindest people I have ever met.  And I do not say that just because he gave me his Road Glide to ride for the duration of my stay in Ontario, I say it, because he is.

We had the most wonderful afternoon taking in the renovations at Classy Chassis, going for supper and then riding into Whitby to take part in the last hale of the Kickstands Up Radio program on RealityRadio 101 - we ad a ball. Lou DeVuono, the host of the show, is also the organizer of the HHR.
Kyra Breach who raised $2,600 for the Wounded Warriors and her dad Shaun were in studio, along with Graeme Hume, cofounder of the HHR and organizer of the Kingston leg of this year's HHR was present, as was Bob Deadman - in total 7 of us shared the mic and our thoughts on the amazing weekend we had all just shared!

Tuesday was a hectic day, getting packed and ready to head home. I dropped Jon's Road Glide off - reluctantly, and then we were off to Hamilton.

I arrived home yesterday feeling like I had run the gauntlet.

Between the emotion that drained the life out of me at the Heroes Highway Ride & Rally and the National Memorial Ride and all of the riding and visiting I got to do - I was tuckered out.

My flight home from Hamilton Ontario was less than stellar. I had attempted do check in electronically 24 hours before my WestJet flight. That didn't work out so well and I ended up in the back row with no way to recline my seat and so I was about as comfortable as a cat on a hot tin roof.

I have never been so grateful to get in my car in all my life!
I stayed over night in Millet AB with a good friend and then made the drive to Grande Prairie.

I got home to cases and cases of our 2013 Rider Friendly Phone Books that arrived while I was away.  I am happy to say that they are gorgeous and I am very pleased with how they turned out.  They maybe two weeks late getting here but it was worth the wait. I begin the process today of getting them out in the mail to everyone who ordered them and to our advertisers to give away.  There are 12 ride maps in the books this time and it is my plan that the 2014 books will be even more extensive!

Canada Post has decided to honor the Motorcycle with a couple of stamps!

We have a new - former motor officer named Dave Hale from New Brunswick writing for The Busted Knuckle - if you get a moment visit Issu to read his columns and our entire paper.

The man has a wealth of information and guidance to offer...

Well folks - that's it for me today - got a ton of stuff to get labelled and off to our subscribers and businesses!!!!

Have a fabulous day and if you are lucky enough to be riding today, please ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you!

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

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