Some sad news...

The news feeds are pretty quiet - not much in the way of motorcycle news in them other than the shocking news that the poor American economy has shut down the Love Ride.

After 25 years of serving children's charities, the organizer - Glendale Harley-Davidson has said if we can' sell enough tickets to cover the costs, we can't do the event. There would be nothing left for the charities. And the children's charities is what the event is all about, 12 of them in fact.

In his comments, Oliver Shokouh owner of Glendale California's Harley-Davidson dealership said that the event is a victim of the recession.

It is sad to see an event go from being labeled as the biggest ONE day charity event in the world to dead in the water.

Speaking of events. We here in Grande Prairie are having an AIM-Can fall social and membership drive event.

Roxy Wilde is heading up the event being held at BJ's Q Club.

AIM-Can has some exciting news to share. We have a new chapter starting up in
Thorsby AB!  Baker Bruce and Betty have got 10 members - enough for a board of directors and will be holding their first meeting soon. If you are interested in joining the Central AB Chapter of AIM-Can you can reach either Bruce or Betty at: (780) 789-3992 or (780) 996-9382 - the more members the chapter has, the better.

Cindy Nobis down in Foremost is working on a Southern Alberta Chapter for AIM-Can.


If any of you are interested in getting a chapter off the ground again down there, please contact her at: (403) 867-3019

The Alliance for Injured Riders. Riders helping rides in their time of need.
It's a great cause and one I feel everyone who rides should be a part of because you just never know when you will need support after an accident.

If you are fortunate enough to live in an area where you can be riding today, PLEASE - ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you.

Belt Drive Betty
National VP AIM-Can
www.aim-can.com
www.beltdrivebetty.com

In the news today...

Dayton Boots was sold to a former Reebok Executive. The company will maintain it's operations in Vancouver.

Motress' Vicki Grey is hosting a tour of Germany's Lake district and the Austrian Alpine roads.
She will be hosting a one day riding clinic as part of the 12 day tour. Seems like a long way to go to get training, wondering why this storied Canadian wouldn't do something like this in Jasper where way more women could attend than 12. I bet we could get Jasper Motorcycle Tours all over something like that.

Or how about around the Nelson, Kaslo region....a day of training, then a day of riding - practice.  Now wouldn't that be a cool way to take an advanced rider training course....
FLO - you reading this???? Any hoteliers in the area willing to do some special room rates????
Mary? Special camping rates....
HMMMM....I feel an idea brewing.

Calling all members of the www.beltdrivebetty.com web site.


Our sharing wall has been fixed!
This means Ali can start loading all of our modules back in! Hopefully a lot of them will be reinstalled by this afternoon!

That also means we will have our BDB Points coming on stream where you can earn prizes by participating on our web site!

It also means our 2010 "Beat the PMS Blues" On line show 'n' shine will be coming on board again soon too and like last year, you will be able to win some fabulous prizes!

Yeah - I am so happy with the way this wall is working now and all of the interesting things we are going to be able to do again!

Moving servers was the best thing we ever did!

Hope you are having a great day and if you are lucky enough to be riding today - Please ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you!

Belt Drive Betty
Natioanl VP AIM-Can
www.aim-can.com
www.beltdrivebetty.com

Custom Bikes in Abu Dahbi and a four letter word appears in my vocabulary...

I read with much interest this morning about a Custom Motorcycle Show in Abu Dhabi.
I am not quite sure why I never thought much about a custom scene in the desert, but I never did until I got the press release.

The Barbican Turbo looks like quite the show!

And, what is the four letter word that has crept in to my vocabulary today? SNOW.
NOOOO, bot SNOW, but yes, I check the window again and there is all of this fluffy white stuff descending on us.

Oh well...might still get a ride or two in yet.

Stay safe out there...

Belt Drive Betty
National VP AIM-Can
www.aim-can.com
www.beltdrivebetty.com

Am I ever...

Going to find any help?

In the on going saga of me trying to find an admin assistant the gal who was going to start working for me hurt her knee during their move and has to have a couple of surgeries now.

It could be 6 months and a lot more before she can go to work anywhere, let alone for me.
I feel so bad for her and for me. She has all of the skills, the savvy...

So anyhoo, if anyone hears of someone with decent computer skills looking to pick up some extra cash - I'm looking again. The wages aren't big, but the hours are flexible and if I can ever get the right person in here, then I can be out doing sales and making that person's wage bigger. For now - Some work can be done remotely. I do need at least one person with a bit of Quick Books Background for basic data entry and invoicing. 3-5 hours a week.

The longest Lori can stay with me is until the mid to end of November so - HELP!

Thanks - BDB

A Four Million Dollar Insurnace Settlement

Sounds impressive doesn't it. 4 Million dollars.

That was what the jury awarded a young Vancouver Island man - just 32 years old.
The father of three young children will never walk again - is a complete paraplegic.

He gets $327,100 for his pain and suffering - the maximum allowed under the law.
The rest will go to aides and equipment to help him live.

Imagine - $327K to cover the pain he will live with for the rest of his life.
$327K to compensate for the fact that he will never run with his children, never hold them.  How can that be enough? No amount of money will ever make up for what he can not now do, never mind the pain he will live with for the rest of his life - I know that, but really? What an insult...the young woman who was responsible for the accident, Jessica Kloosterman, was driving on the wrong side of the road - yet she was seen as only bearing 85% of the fault.

I can not imagine that - it took 4 years for Ronald Kirk to get this settlement.
And for the rest of his life he is wheelchair bound with no real pleasures in his life and somehow $327K is supposed to make it better.

There is something fundamentally wrong here - in my humble opinion.

The young 27 year old rider who was hit by an elderly man 83 yrs old who was backing out of his driveway has died of his injuries. Police are investigating to see if speed on the part of the rider was a contributing factor in his death.

I am so tired of hearing about these types of accidents people.
Haven't we lost enough riders across this country this year?

If you are riding today, PLEASE - ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you.

Belt Drive Betty
National VP AIM-Can
www.aim-can.com
www.beltdrivebetty.com

Gotta "Git er done"....

I am doing my best to get things done in a timely fashion but I sure could use some help.

You event coordinators could help out a lot by making sure we have your 2010 events in the calendars. Remember, we start printing these in the newspaper the first week of January - if your riding club wants the exposure - we'd love to help you! Help us help you by getting the info into the calendars. Membership on our site is free - so come one and lets make the 2010 calendars the best they've been yet!!!!

Speaking of Riding Clubs - we'd love profiles on your clubs/groups. Why would you want to do that, well....if you want to grow your membership, promoting your club to the rest of the community is a great place to start.

Membership on Belt Drive Betty dot Com comes with a unique perk too...

The BDB Club Savings Card. That card is good for special services, discounts and other perks at over 160 locations across this great country and growing!

Download yours today - you'll find links to it in the member tools on the right hand of the main page and in the Business Section under the BDB Club  - Only members can see the link on the right hand page or download the card - why not take advantage of the specials offered by our business partners - I mean, seriously, Christmas is just around the corner!
Use the Rider Friendly Directory for the retailers who honor the BDB Club card...

The 2010 phone book ad sales are coming along nicely - but again - I could use help with sales for the newspaper and the web site - so if anyone is looking to make some Christmas money - contact me. I need reps in Atlantic Canada, Quebec and Ontario!
We will be "giving" away the book to our members - you will only have to pay the shipping fee if you want one!  

Well, speaking of sales, I gotta get on with it, so please, Ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you and please, stay safe.

Belt Drive Betty
National VP - AIM-Can
Alliance for Injured Motorcyclists
www.aim-can.com
www.beltdrivebetty.com

The 2010 Winter Ride for Diabetes

Crazy man Mike Cole rode across Canada last year to heighten awareness of Diabetes and to raise funds for Diabetes research and a cure.

He braved icy roads, blowing snow and minus 67 degree Celsius temperatures to accomplish the 2009 ride and he did that ride largely without sponsors or funding. (Click on the above link to view one of many videos from the 2009 ride)

This year, Michael is looking for assistance.

He needs sponsors and we are reaching out to the motorcycle community to find him that support.

Your help is needed to help stop the Diabetes Epidemic.

Here are some facts about Diabetes and the preliminary information on the 2010 ride:

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From the Canadian Diabetes Association: The personal costs of diabetes may include a reduced quality of life and the increased likelihood of complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, amputation and erectile dysfunction.

• Approximately 80% of people with diabetes will die as a result of heart disease or stroke.
• Diabetes is a contributing factor in the deaths of approximately 41,500 Canadians each year.
• Canadian adults with diabetes are twice as likely to die prematurely, compared to people without diabetes.
• Life expectancy for people with type 1 diabetes may be shortened by as much as 15 years. Life expectancy for people with type 2 diabetes may be shortened by 5 to 10 years.

The financial burden of diabetes and its complications is enormous.

• People with diabetes incur medical costs that are two to three times higher than those without diabetes. A person with diabetes can face direct costs for medication and supplies ranging from $1,000 to $15,000 a year.
• By 2010, it’s estimated that diabetes will cost the Canadian health care system $15.6 billion a year and that number will rise to $19.2 billion by 2020.

The Statistics:
An estimated 246 million people worldwide are affected by diabetes. With a further 7 million people developing diabetes each year, that number is expected to hit 380 million by 2025. (Canadian Diabetes Association: www.diabetes.ca)

Update from world clock:

- Today 15,840 people DIED from Diabetes, that's what has been reported.

- Today 31,680 people developed Diabetes. (11,563,200 a year - 5.2 million more than predicted)

- “Diabetes has increased 61% in the past 10 years and 76% among people in their 30’s. One in every three children now being born in the U.S. ultimately will become diabetic.” Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld.
 - 1.3 million new cases of Type 2 Diabetes were diagnosed last year alone – that’s 3,562 new cases diagnosed EVERY day!
-  24,000 people in the U.S. become blind each year due to diabetes – that’s 65 EVERY day!
 - 100,000 people require kidney dialysis or kidney transplantation each year due to diabetes – that’s 273 EVERY day!
- Each year 82,000 need to have a foot, leg or arm amputated due to diabetes – that’s 224 EVERY day! (The above statistics and information is from the US Center for Disease Control)

The Radical Roads Ride for Diabetes:

Tentative Schedule:

January 5TH St John's to Halifax Depart  I will ride to Gander then truck to Sydney NS  

Jan 6 - Arriving Halifax  Mid afternoon
Jan 7 - Halifax to Charlottetown PI VIA Confederation Bridge Mid afternoon
Jan 8 -  Charlottetown to Fredericton NB with a stop in Moncton
Jan 9 - Fredericton to Edmundston NB
Jan 10 - Edmundston to Montreal
Jan 11 - Montreal
Jan 12 - Montreal to Ottawa arrive Ottawa noon
Jan 13 - Ottawa
Jan 14 - Ottawa to Toronto lunch in Kingston
Jan 15/16 - Toronto
Jan 17 - Toronto to Windsor early afternoon ETA
Jan 18 -Windsor, London ( lunch ) Barrie
Jan 19 - Barrie to Sudbury ETA noon
Jan 20 - Sudbury to Sault Ste Marie ETA mid afternoon
Jan 21 - Sault Ste Marie to White River
Jan 22 - White River to Thunder bay
Jan 23 - Thunder Bay, Fort Frances, Nestor Falls
Jan 24 - Nestor Falls, Kenora Mid morning Winnipeg ETA late afternoon
Jan 25 - Winnipeg
Jan 26 - Winnipeg to Regina
Jan 27 - Regina to Medicine Hat
Jan 28 - Medicine Hat to Calgary ETA Calgary 1 pm
Jan 29 - Calgary Red Deer ( lunch ) Edmonton
Jan 30 - Edmonton
Jan 31 - Edmonton to Jasper
Feb 1 - Jasper to Kamloops
Feb 2 - Kamloops to Vancouver Stop in Langley ETA Vancouver late afternoon
Feb 3 - Vancouver
Feb 4 - Vancouver to Victoria ETA noon

The Radical Roads Motorcycle Ride across Canada in January will be filmed and our production crew will edit the video filmed daily and stream it on line.

A new video each night: 32 towns and cities.

The Radical Road Ride for Diabetes needs Sponsors:

Equipment Needed:

2 Support Trucks

1 Helmet Camera

1 Dash board camera for lead support truck

Heated Motorcycle Gear

Good & Services Needed:

Motels for a crew of 4: (Approximate cost: 74 room nights @ $120 = $8,800)

Meals for a crew of 4: (Approximate cost: 404 meals @ $15 = $6060)

Fuel for support vehicles and the motorcycle: (Approximate cost:

Cell & Internet Service:

Film Crew Expenses: (Approximate cost: 32 days x $300 = $9,600)

Marketing & Promotion: (Approximate Cost: $15,000)

Sponsorship & Recognition Opportunities:

Web Site

Print Ads

TV Ads

Radio Ads

Support Vehicles

8958 kms riding 15879 kms total in 37 days  (includes 5 days to get to Newfoundland with the crew and vehicles from Vancouver)

The Radical Road Ride for Diabetes is recognized by the Canadian Diabetes Association as a third party fundraiser and awareness campaign

To become a sponsor or for more information:
                 Michael Cole
                 michaeljcole2006@hotmail.com
                 Ph: (604) 574 7281
The purpose of this ride was and still is to educate the general public on the facts about diabetes and to raise funds to find a cure. Your life depends on it - this disease can be stopped.

If you are fortunate enough to be riding today, PLEASE - ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you.


Belt Drive Betty
National VP
Alliance for Injured Motorcyclists
www.aim-can.com
www.beltdrivebetty.com