Riders and the Controversy Over Noise

As you are all well aware, many jurisdictions across North America have an issue with motorcyclists whose bikes are excessively loud or ridden in a manner that makes them excessively loud.

The sad fact is that all of us get labelled as obnoxious, loud, rude.

Take a look at the latest thing happening in Kaslo, BC in the Kootenay's one of the most beautiful riding regions in Canada.  4,300 signatures on a petition!

"The petition asks Anton and the RCMP to crack down on excessive motorcycle noise.

Kaslo's Art Mason, one of the people behind the petition effort, said the bikers are a real problem.

"It's just one after the other, after the other, just all summer long," he said. "They may think they go by and they're the only one. They don't realize that two minutes after them, there's another group … it goes right into their houses, the noise." CBC News
The petition is asking the police to do their job, not implement new laws, but none the less, the selfish few are ruining it for the quieter, more respectful majority.

Noise is a huge issue folks and one of the only ways we as a community are ever going quit being targeted and discriminated against by law enforcement and citizens as noise offenders, is if we riders are all respectful of the fact that we SHARE this world.

Shift workers, really tired moms who have been up with sick babies, people trying to host meetings, have functions out of doors, these are just a few of the people that riding in an obnoxious manner can disturb and turn against us.

Riding with respect for all, that is the key.  

Another way to make people think about motorcyclists in a more positive light, is to educate people in a polite and informative way that #MotorcyclistsLivesMatter.

WE matter because we are moms, dads, siblings, grand kids and grand parents.

WE matter because we are Politicians, CEO's & Celebrities too.

We matter because we are taxpayers who contribute a lot.

We matter because we are charity and community minded, we matter because we spend money, we matter because we are a visible minority.

We are vulnerable on the road to all sorts of hazards (texting etc.), we are often subjected to discrimination, we are often tarred with a brush we didn't earn as a whole.

Yes our community has some in it that do bad things, rude things, selfish things and then there is the rest of us who work hard at being decent people.

#MotorcyclistLivesMatter BECAUSE WE ARE PEOPLE!

PLEASE Share the Infographic, the information on them will help educate the non rider.

Have you voted for Canada's MOST Rider Friendly Community?

If not, there's still time to support a community you love to ride to or are a part of!


Well, that's all for me today folks...

If you are blessed to be riding, PLEASE remember to ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you, consider dressing for the slide, not the ride and please be respectful with your throttle hand.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

The Power of the People

As we see in the conflicts that are brewing around this world of ours, the power of the people to affect change is powerful.

A small group of committed individuals can accomplish much.

They can topple governments or back them up against a wall.

The on highway motorcycle community in Canada is rapidly approaching 1 million registered motorcycles.

Every weekend you will see thousands of us gathered at various events across our respective provinces and territories, always riding and working for charities that mean something to us, that hit home for us.

Very seldom however, do you see this community rally around itself and its own issues outside of riders we love/care about needing help.

As we get prepared for the 2014 riding season, we as riders are going to face a variety of issues. Some will affect all of us, other issues will only affect certain riders.

Insurance is an issue that affects us all as are the condition of the highways in this country. So is distracted driving.

As a rider who has ridden across this great land of ours, I can tell you road maintenance is also an issue in the majority of regions.

Some of us will experience police harassment, others will ride uninterrupted.

Some of us will experience headaches in communities with Motorcycle Only Noise Bylaws, others will never be detained or bothered.

Some of us will have great experiences at dealerships and others not so much.

Some of us will experience discrimination and be turned away from establishments because of how we dress and what we ride, others will experience none of that.

This summer, when you experience issues, do something about it.
Remember the POWER OF THE PEOPLE!

Document it.  Photos, videos and written accounts of the situations you encounter.

Then if you live in a province/territory with a Riders Rights Organization like BCCOM, ABATE, BRO, Coalition of Manitoba Motorcycle Groups, RAGE or the newly formed Atlantic Motorcycle Coalition, get that information into them so that they have something concrete to work with.

They can't help you or anyone else unless YOU give them something to work with.

If you are in a province where there is no collective to represent your voice, like in Alberta, NWT, YT - the only three regions without a provincial/territorial lobbying voice, then you'll really want to document things well especially if it involves court and lawyers. If it is about roadways and other concerns, you can at least present your MLA with the information.

Every rider who experiences something of a discomforting nature should stand up and say something, do something, so that the others who come after you, might not have to experience the same thing.

If you aren't a member of your local riders rights coalition, consider becoming one.

Our voice counts be it as an individual taxpayer or in a collective with many voices united, but they only count when the person/s we are discussing our situation with can actually do something about it.

Whining and not taking the right actions do nothing to alleviate problems - so this summer, get a camera for your motorcycle or helmet, have a note pad and a pen in a tool pouch or jacket pocket and remember, the information you take down and share with the right people, will do some good, if not today, somewhere down the road.

That's what's on my mind today, what are your thoughts on the topic of the Power of the People?

Have a great day and if you are one of the lucky ones who is riding today, please remember to ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider