The Dangers of Races like the Hoka Hey

In the news today is an article about a woman from Seattle that participated in the 2010 Hoka Hey Challenge.

She was on the last leg of the Hoka Hey - riding in Alaska, when she fell asleep and crashed into 2 bicyclists. The bicyclists were triathletes who were training and their bicycles were worth about $4,500 each.

Vik Livingston, 54, will spend 16 months in jail for 2 misdemeanour counts of assault and was ordered to pay restitution of $9,000 for the bicycles.

During that same race another motorcyclist, Charles C. Lynn, 44, of Florida, died in Wyoming when he apparently fell asleep and crashed.

Racing for $500,000 in cash cost two bikers their lives. Kenneth J. Greene, 63, of Ocala, Fla., was killed at 107 Mile of the Glenn Highway between Palmer and Glennallen when he drove onto the shoulder, lost control and crashed. (It is believed he was taking a short cut to reach Homer Alaska as where he crashed was not part of the official race route)

800 people started out on the 2010 race with somewhere around 200 riders finishing it.

The term Hoka Hey means "It's a good day to die" - it was the battle call of Sioux warrior - Crazy Horse and was the theme of the 2010 race.

On their web site for 2011, however, the claim now is "It's a good day to Ride".

Participants of the race must sleep outside, no hotels or motels or any inside accommodations, they must follow the route, are limited to a 6.2 gallon fuel tank, the bike has to be a Harley, (Can be a custom but certain restrictions apply), the bike must have a working odometer...the restrictions are many.

On top of the $1,000 entry fee every rider pays their own expenses: fuel and meals.

For riders who are not accustomed to long distance riding, this can be a deadly race. Between dehydration, fatigue and the inherent dangers of competition, I wonder, is $500,000 really worth the risk. Many say yes.

Harley-Davidson sponsored the 2011 race which had riders traverse 14,000 miles at much personal expense. The cost out of pocket  to participate was somewhere around $5,000 - $10,000 depending on the individual rider's situation - not including the fee and riders did crash and were injured.

Bill Alviles from Las Vegas tells his story of participating in the 2011 challenge on the Las Vegas H-D blog (http://lasvegasharley.wordpress.com/2011/08/30/hoka-hey-challenge-rider-bill-aviles-in-his-own-words/)

This year the winner did not get the full $500K but shared it with the top 11 contenders - No where on their blog or web site could I find the prize pay outs. (The rules stated the prize would be split between the top 25, but only 11 crossed the finish line in the prescribed time)

Next year's Hoka Hey is reportedly going to be only 7,000 miles - the reasoning behind that is to attract more participants and will take about 12 days as opposed to the 40+ this years race took to accomplish.

Do you have what it takes? Is long distance riding your thing? I for one would not participate in a race like this, I like long distance riding but seriously feel that this type of race is too dangerous - but that is one woman's opinion.

In other news:
Some bikers in Los Angeles get involved with the Wednesday's Child Project

A motorcycle auction in Los Angeles is attracting bikes from some big names including: Elvis, Madonna,  The Fonz, k.d Lang, God Smack & Guns & Roses

A company in Australia is making motorcycles that run on compressed air

There is a ton of news in the feeds today over at www.beltdrivebetty.com where we sift through the news so you don't have to.

Until Monday, have a safe and wonderful weekend...

Belt Drive betty
Editor & Rider

The Boob Tour and other interesting ways bikers support various causes

Biker Comedian James Uloth is coming to Grande Prairie and I can't wait to go the the Stonebridge Hotel to finally meet the man. The Boob Tour is stand up comedy at it's best featuring some talented comedians and they have been affected by Breast Cancer in one way or another. James, at 16, watched his best friends mom die of breast cancer and has wanted to do something positive to impact the disease ever since.

The Boob Tour is the result of that effort.
Begin Quote: To date, the tour has raised close to $150,000 and now that they're entering their second year, Uloth says that word is spreading. Their recent return to Edson and Hinton saw a huge jump in audience attendance.

"People really catch onto the idea and when they see the quality of what we're doing, people really get behind it," he says.

At this weekend's event, the audience can expect the night to be like any other evening of comedy.

"That's one of the most common questions we get. It's pretty much a regular act, we all touch on cancer a little bit. It's not 90 minutes of boob jokes like some people are afraid of. It's meant to be a laughing affair that's uplifting." End Quote

Besides James,  Lars Callieou, Alysia Wood and Allison Lane, who is a breast cancer survivor will be on stage to fight Breast Cancer with humour...The Boob Tour plays at the Stonebridge Hotel here in Grande Prairie AB on Saturday. Tickets are $30 and can purchased through the Canadian Cancer Society by calling 780-538-8205.

In Smithers BC, the HOG Chapter is holding a bowling night right after their meeting to discuss the MDA Dance in March. For those of you interested only one member on your team needs to be a HOG member and the HOG Chapter is picking up the tab...

In Ontario, there is a new CAV Unit called Sicily, and is named for the 1943 Battle of Sicily when the Allies launched one of the largest combined operations of WWII for control of Sicily.
Begin Quote: There are three regions: 1st CAV which covers central Canada (Manitoba to Quebec), 2nd CAV in Eastern Canada and 3rd Cav in Western and Northern Canada. Members gather in units named in tribute of Canadian Battle Honours.

The local unit is in 1st CAV and is named for the 1943 Battle of Sicily when the Allies launched one of the largest combined operations of WWII for control of Sicily.

“Our mission statement is to ‘ride and have fun, while helping others’,” said Betts whose nickname is Lurch and who was an Administrative Clerk in the military for 14 years.

CAV does have several charities of choice, such as “Ride for Dad”, an annual ride for prostrate cancer and ICROSS, International Community for the Relief of Starvation and Suffering of the world’s poor. It also supports a number of military organizations including Soldier On and the MFRC (Military Family Resource Centre). End Quote

In Airdrie AB, the Kosovo Unit of CAV honoured area soldiers who gave up their lives for this country in a moving ceremony and ride.  Begin Quote: The Remembrance Day ride and march began at the Legion and eventually wound its way up Veterans Boulevard where Legion members erected white crosses along the road in memory of the fallen soldiers.

Each cross was starkly marked with the soldier's name, age, rank and date of death ­— a symbol of quiet heroism that was not lost on anyone attending the event.

"I saw one cross that truly moved me," noted Kosovo Unit Secretary/Treasurer Norman Macrae. "It was a boy from the Royal Canadian Navy who was killed in 1916 at the age of 14.

"These crosses represent real people with real names and real families. End Quote

Information on The CAV can be found at www.thecav.ca

There is a ton of interesting news in the feeds today and I hope you will check it out at www.beltdrivebetty.com where we sift through the news so you don't have to.

I hope that those of you who subscribe to our National Newspaper - The Busted Knuckle Chronicles, are enjoying the paper, it has some wonderful stories in it!

If you are fortunate enough to be riding today, Please - ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you and if your baby is put away for the winter, hope you have changed the oils...you gotta protect her yah know!

Have a fabulous Thursday,
Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

Canadian Motorcycle Events in 2012

Well folks, looks like the 2012 riding season is going to offer we riders here in Canada and those visiting Canada some wonderful opportunities!

The Great Canadian Bike Rally is all set to take place July 12-15, 2012 and they already have some great Canadian talent lined up to entertain you! Joani Bye and the Homewreckers, Steve Kozak and the West Coast Allstars, the ultimate party band: Brickhouse as well as March Hare & Shotgun Messengers.

Mike Fairchild says the street mall in Merritt BC is already booking vendors with many of last years vendors returning and new ones coming on board! I am looking forward to attending this event and being a sponsor again this year!

The organizers of Ride to Live in Vancouver and Vancouver Island are getting all geared up for their 2012 ride.  Peter Groenland and his wife Colleen are on a mission to ensure men get their prostrate checked! You can visit them in their booth at the Vancouver Motorcycle Show January 19- 22, 2012

It's going to be a wonderful season - I can just tell, as many motorcycle events are starting to come in all ready.

You can download our FREE Motorcycle Events app for your smart phone be it an IPhone, an Android or any one of 2,000 phones! Here is the address to download the free app: http://m.magmito.com/105563/mctravel

And here is the QR Code for those who just want to scan it and download: 

And for you event coordinators - when you enter your event into our calendars - once it is approved and goes live, it will automatically be available on the App - not only that but your event will also be shareable to 86 social networks including Facebook & Twitter plus by email!  This is the most effective way to get your event information out there and BEST OF ALL - IT's FREE to all of the riding clubs and charities and our Rider Friendly Business Partners!  

Last year we had almost 1,300 Canadian Motorcycle events in the calendars! They are searchable by province and type of event and will help you plan your 2012 riding season!

Also - back by popular demand this year will be our printed motorcycle calendars in the Busted Knuckle Chronicles. With the help of our layout artist Darryl, we will be once again producing monthly event listings in the paper!

I am busy getting the 2012 Rider Friendly Phone Book ready for it's first printing - we will be distributing the books at the Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver Motorcycle Shows in January, Moncton in February and Toronto in March!  The books are free and subscriptions to the Busted Knuckle will be on sale for $15 for 48 issues or FREE when you join the Canadian Riders Support Network!

Cookie, our calendar gal will be approving events and emailing all of you riding clubs to ensure your 2012 information is accurate...so watch for those emails coming over the next few weeks!

Coffee Nights, Ride Nights, Group and club meetings, Swap Meets, Rallies, Poker Runs and more are all featured in our calendars and the APP! So what are you waiting for - get your 2012 events added!  

We are also updating all of the Canadian Riders Information and the Riding Club Web Sites - if your club or group is not represented - send us the information - we can not promote what we don't have! We are overhauling the appearance and delivery of the Riding Club Web Site Links - so watch for those changes to start coming soon - in fact the whole web site is being overhauled and you are going to see some fabulous changes!

Ali and I look forward to your feedback on the changes you'd like to see on the site and the changes we implement - we have been listening and are looking forward to taming the dragon this web site has become! With over 200K pages of information, jokes etc we need to streamline it and that's the mission over the next few months!

We have one other exciting tid-bit for you!  Our 2012 Beat the PMS Blues On Line Show n Shine has already got a fabulous line up of prizes including a campout for 12 in Haida Gawii, a Drift Camera, detailing of your bike, appraisals and soooo much more so start sifting through your photos of that special a baby of yours - we start accepting photos for the competition on January 1, 2012!!!! Voting will begin on Feb 1 ending March 15th with the winners being announced shortly after the 15th of March!

Last year we had over 160 bikes entered - can you help us reach our target of 200 bikes?  I hope so!

The Beat the PMS Blues is a FREE EVENT for members of www.beltdrivebetty.com and remember, membership on our web site is FREE!

In Other News:

How would you like to own the first Polaris produced Indian?

Bob Marley's boys went on a motorcycle expedition to Africa and you can catch it on TV.

New Hampshire is not forgetting motorcycle noise even if our bikes are slowly being put to bed.

East Coast Biker Magazine On Line is available for your reading pleasure

In Michigan, the Helmet Law repeal is one step closer to reality

In New Zealand, the Hells Angels are in the news for - of all things, poaching

There is a TON of news in the feeds today over on www.beltdrivebetty.com where we sift through the news so you don't have to!

That's it for me today - have a fabulous Hump Day and if you are lucky enough to still be riding, please remember to ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you!

Belt Drive Betty

Editor & Rider

Kids and Motorcycles

There is an interesting article out of Illinois this morning about kids and motorcycles.
There is apparently no law governing the wearing of motorcycle helmets for kids in that state.

There is a push on to ban kids from riding and at the very least to force helmet laws on their parents and by that I mean to force parents to put helmets on their kids.

What I found bizarre about the topic is the fact that the article sites two crashes involving kids on motorcycles, where both kids were wearing helmets and they also use the death of race Peter Lenz, who was 13 when he died as an example.

Begin Quote:
“Some people don’t understand the vulnerability of children or don’t care,” said Janette Fennell, president of KidsAndCars.org, a nonprofit child-safety organization. End Quote

Begin Quote:
But in Lorrie Walker’s view, it’s up to lawmakers to help parents make the right decisions.
She is technical adviser for Safe Kids USA, a nonprofit group aimed at preventing childhood injuries.
“There are restrictions on rides at Disney World — why do something less for motorcycles?” Walker said.
“Sometimes parents need guidance. If there’s no law, they assume it’s safe.” End Quote

Begin Quote:
Secretary of State Jesse White intends to take up the fight again, a spokesman said.
“It’s common sense,” White press secretary Dave Druker said. “When someone makes a decision to use a motorcycle, they’re making that decision for themselves. (But) children don’t have any say. They should have every defense that they can.” End Quote
The ABATE feels the government needs to butt out: Begin Quote: “No. 1, it’s not the government’s place to tell anyone what to wear,” said Greg Smith, public relations coordinator for the DuPage/Kane chapter of ABATE, or A Brotherhood Aimed Toward Education. End Quote

What I take away from this article and the arguments of these doctors and safety experts is that they are attempting to make something out of nothing.

The arguments they are using in this article make no sense to me. No where in the article do they report any injuries of kids who ARE NOT wearing helmets and yet these people feel the need to tell parents they have to act responsibly when it appears that they are.

In the one crash that they site, the father died because he wasn't wearing a helmet but his 9 year old daughter WAS wearing a helmet. So tell me how was this parent acting irresponsibly? Simply because his child was a passenger? Or because he chose not to wear one?
If the push is for a helmet law for kids, it seems rather ridiculous to site cases of a kid who was a racer and two kids who were wearing helmets on street bikes. It also seems ridiculous that they site crash stats involving kids yet none of the stats support the argument that parents aren't responsible and need to be told to put a helmet on their kids.

As far as banning kids from riding goes, I wonder at that too.

With the popularity in this country of the sport of motocross, I wonder at the opinions of the legislators.
Could you imagine attempting to ban kids from riding in this country?

From what I understand the average law regarding kids as passengers on street bikes is that they must be big enough to have their feet firmly planted on the foot pegs of the bike. This is probably the most sensible approach to the issue of when a kid is old enough to be a passenger. Size, not age. That and a parents individual choice as to their level of comfort with their ability as riders and their choice to involve their child in a family recreation.

The questions this article raises for me are:
1) If none of the stats support the argument, then what is the issue?
2) Why does the government feel the need to stick its nose into something that appears to be a non issue?
3) Do parents have the right to make motorcycling a family affair?

I would LOVE for you to wade in on this topic. The discussion is on Facebook, Twitter, here in this blog or in our forum on www.beltdrivebetty.com

In other news:

The rider who died on the Malahat Highway on Vancouver Island is identified and his family and others are calling for the highway to be improved.

A rider  from the Guelph Ontario area with 300,000 KM under his belt is telling other riders that "Loud Pipes Save Lives" is a myth - that it is smart riding that keeps you safe.

In Sports - the Baja 1000 is set to get underway on Friday with the Pre running, the race starts November 17th.

There are other articles in the news feeds that may be of interest to you, check them out at www.beltdrivebetty.com where we sift through the news so you don't have to.

Our calendar sales are over and we have the results:

We pre sold 20 Kidz Calendars so the Little Warriors Fund will be getting a donation of $200

We pre sold 27 Ladies Calendars so the International Breast Cancer Conga will be getting $270

We pre sold 22 Men's Calendars so the CMTA's Injured Riders funs will be getting $220

After all of the excitement of the contests themselves, I am rather disappointed with the actual sales numbers. I had thought that the charitable causes would be a bigger influence in purchases than they were. 

The calendars go to print tomorrow and should, if all goes well start arriving to the purchasers towards the middle to end of the month.  I thank all those who took the causes we supported seriously. 

Ali will be putting the print ready files up on our web site for download (They are large files and will take time to download) - the cost will be $10 plus tax for downloading the calendars so that you can print them off at home or Staples and have your own calendar made - perhaps then we will be able to donate more to the charities. It will take a day or two for that to happen though.

Have a safe and wonderful Tuesday,

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

When we riders unite, it is amazing what we can do!

In the US, as here in Canada, there are events that discriminate against our community by posting signs saying motorcycle colours are not allowed. Some of those signs, here in Canada, anyway say things like "No Illegal Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Club Colours", some just say "NO colours."

Here in Canada, those signs are generally forced on event coordinators by the police services and the liquor boards - the threat is - allow the "Bad Guys" in wearing their colours and we will shut down your event.

In Shreveport Louisiana, bikers stood up to their state fair board. A campaign on Facebook triggered a ton of calls to the fair board and the next thing you know, the discriminatory signs came down.

This all transpired in the space of one day.

The article in the Examiner goes on to state that bikers in Louisiana still have to fight against the discriminatory practices of the Louisiana Boardwalk that does not allow biker gear to be worn on the boardwalk and that bikers need to continue wearing their colours, patches and gear proudly, continue to do the good works they do and work at changing the fear that the general public has about our community.

Here in Canada, I have been calling for bikers to unite under that same message for a long time.  We need a national organization to protect us, we need to be protected under the charter as far too many people in this country are discriminated against and profiled by police services who use the Liquor Boards and event licenses like the proverbial carrot stick to prevent what they call the show of force by "Illegal Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs".

The sad fact of the matter is that the police services will not provide event coordinators with the images of the patches and colours that the police services deem as illegal and in order to protect themselves and be allowed to host events and have a liquor license, many events simply say NO CLUB COLOURS.

It is also sad but true that internal politics in our community prevent us from uniting for protection.
You have groups, associations and clubs that "dislike and resent each other", that will not work with each other for the common good because they can't see beyond their own narrow views or their own fears and others that simply will not support anything if "THOSE GUYS" are present - meaning 1%er's.

The bottom line is that the discrimination started with "Those Guys" and has now swept through our community like a cancer and fear of reprisal keeps bikers from working with each other on the things that matter most.

You have others who never attend events and since they don't , they refuse to get involved because they feel it doesn't affect them. That kind of apathy affects our community just as bad if not worse than the internal squabbles and the internal discrimination.

Hubby and I just finished watching season three of Sons of Anarchy and for those of you that watch the show there is one underlying theme throughout the show that I observed. People are people, it doesn't matter whether you wear the uniform of the police,  of business or a club - there are crooks, cons and cheats in every walk of life.

The mentality of far too many people who have never really been exposed to our community is one of fear. Fear of the unknown, fear based on what is served up to them in the main stream news and by the police services. Only we can change that fear into something positive and the writer of the article, in the Examiner, Mary Baker is right.... Begin Quote: This is only one small victory for the biker community.  We still have the prohibitions at the Louisiana Boardwalk and we have the negative image that so many of our neighbors have of us. Continuing to proudly wear our colors and gear while participating in charitable events is one way we can change this image.  And, sticking together as a family, and standing up for our rights as we saw in the State Fair instance, is another.  I'm proud to be a member of the motorcycle community in Shreveport." End Quote

I hope you will join the discussion on joining forces to work towards the ending of discrimination in and of our community. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, our forums and here in this blog - I love hearing from you!

In other news:

A 54 year old male rider was killed on the Malahat Highway in BC yesterday. It is believed that the driver of the vehicle has a medical condition that may have been a factor in the crash. Our hearts go out to the rider's family and friends.

Steve Drane Harley-Davidson has donated a reconditioned oil drum FILLED with coins to support Jeneece Place which is being built next to Victoria General Hospital to provide out-oftown families with a home-like place to stay while their children are in town for medical treatment. Seventeen-year-old Jeneece has been the driving force behind the $5.5-million facility after recognizing the need for it during her many trips to Vancouver for specialized care.

In Saskatchewan, friends and family are going to be laying Mark Popowich to rest, mark died of a heart attack while in Florida.

In Elmira Ontario a horse and buggy and a motorcycle collided. Everyone including the horse sustained minor injuries and is OK, the horse and buggy was making a left hand turn out of a driveway when the crash occured.

Today is your LAST DAY to order your calendars. If you miss today - you are out of luck until next year. I will only be ordering a very few extras to ensure that we do not miss anyone who did order. IF I have any left they will be sold at the Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver Bike shows - but that is a HUGE IF - so if you want a Biker Kidz, Ladies of Riding or Motorcycle Men's Calendar - today would be the day to get your order in. Remember $10 from every calendar sold goes to the charity of your choice!

There is a ton of news in the feeds today - check out the news that might affect your world over at www.beltdrivebetty.com where we sift through the news so you don't have to.

I wish you a fabulous Monday - if you are still riding, please ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you....

Belt Drive Betty

Editor & Rider

Biker Trials & Biker Feuds in the news

It's a wild and woolly day in the news!

In Montreal Superior Court Justice James Brunton refused a motion by the crown council to streamline the 5 mega trials where 124 members of the Hells Angels are charged with 22 murders.

Prosecutors failed to apply the new federal initiatives aimed at speeding up the mass hearings. According to the justice, the new rulings only apply to single trials. Two out of the five trials are already under way, with Brunton presiding over the trial of the Hells Angels in Sherbrooke QC and another is trying the Angels from Quebec City. Two of the other three trials are slated to begin in June of 2013 and the final one not until June 2015.

In California, the largest Biker Feud in ten years started at a Starbucks in California last year and satirist BC Bass had some fun with it in the Bennington Vale Evening Transcript yesterday.
He weaves a tale about bikers who get into a pissing contest over who has the right to hang out at a Starbuck's coffee shop. He has quite a way with words.

The real news is that there was a feud that started at Starbucks - the bloodshed started in January 2010, when the Hells Angels' and Vagos fought outside the downtown Santa Cruz Starbucks, using hammers to bludgeon each other before the police arrived. According to accounts in Visordown, Business Insider, MSNBC and many other sources, Santa Cruz Deputy Police Chief, Steve Clark said that: "The Vagos brazenly came in and tried to cement their presence. It was a pretty strong play on their part to establish themselves as the premiere club." He added: "Only in Santa Cruz would you have biker wars over who is going to control pumpkin spice lattes."

Since then, there was a gunfight between the two clubs in Arizona, the president of the San Jose chapter of the Hells Angels was shot to death, the Sergeant -at- arms of the San Jose Chapter was shot to death by a fellow HA member because he believed the Sergeant-at-arms failed to protect the president.

Wow - I wonder if that's why so many Timmy's locations really don't seem to like riders hanging out at their coffee shops?

In other serious news, a police officer in Indianapolis who was reportedly/allegedly drunk while on duty and struck motorcyclists that were at a red light killing one and injuring two others had a blood test that was administered two hours after the crash with a reading of 0.19% The results were disqualified for use in bringing a charge of drunk driving because standard procedures were not followed, but is being allowed to prove the charge of criminal negligence.

In Stugis SD, a group of business people are attempting to have the Sturgis Rally & Black Hills Trademarks quashed. The group - "Concerned Citizens for Sturgis" is taking their case to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.

Begin Quote: “People have been using these marks for years,” Mortimer said. “There are so many people angry. This is their livelihood.”

The petition will be heard by a judge who will evaluate the petition on the legalities of the trademark registration, he said. The case will be decided on facts, not emotion, he said.

“We’re saying they lied on their applications,” Mortimer said.

It its petition, CCS alleges that “for many years the terms “Sturgis” and “Black Hills” are and have been used for goods and services by non-licensed third-parties,” including many members of CCS, in connection with the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, not only in Sturgis, but throughout the area." End Quote

Apparently, this past summer during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, the SMR Inc approached vendors marketing goods with one or both names demanding that vendors register their products for the right to use the Trademarks sparking the challenge.

Now for some bizarre personal news.... A gal in the Okanagan calling herself Bare Knuckle Betty has started a motorcycle clothing and touring company. I have been fielding calls from people asking me if this gal is somehow connected to me and the answer is an unequivocal NO. From the calls and letters I have been getting, I understand that her use of the name Bare Knuckle Betty in conjunction with the items she is selling and the runs and tours she is promoting is causing some confusion in the industry.

I did speak with the gal in question who claims that she has had the nickname for 8 years, however no one else that has called me or written to me to ask about this situation had ever heard of her being called that until she met me and many of the people calling/writing are long time residents of the area and belong to the motorcycle industry/community in one way or the other

So if a gal calling herself Bare Knuckle Betty comes calling to your business please note that she has NOTHING to do with Belt Drive Betty Media which is a registered trade markor the Busted Knuckle Chronicles which is a copyrighted publication of Belt Drive Betty Media.

What a wild day in the news - it's no wonder we riders can't seem to get it together to protect our own or our rights - look at the feuding....geez!

What are your thoughts on these topics? I would LOVE to know...

In other news:

Jesse James is back on TV, with a Bike Builders challenge to air in December between Jesse and the Paul's Sr & Jr.

SOA star Kim Coates has found himself being approached by real bikers who, while they love the show have some issues with some of the details but the Saskatchewan native can hold his ground!

In Guelph Ontario a call to tone down the rhetoric on Noise has been issued by Greg Mercer of the Mercer Retort column in the Guelph Mercury Paper.

For all of you speed nuts, the results are in from the Bonneville Salt Flats!

There is a ton of interesting news in the feeds today, so check them out at www.beltdrivebetty.com where we sift through the news so you don't have to.

Have a safe and fabulous weekend.

Belt Drive Betty

Editor &a Rider

A widow's pain and a chance to win a $500 gift card

There are challenging issues for riders to look at - there always will be I guess, seems to be the nature of our lifestyle. My heart broke for the widow of a Bracknell England biker.

You see her husband and the father of their three children was killed by a driver who made a right hand turn (the equivalent of a left hand turn here). Although the driver of the Mercedes was charged and convicted with careless driving causing death, all he got was a suspended sentence, 15 months prohibition from driving and 150 hours of community service. The widow, Nicola Hazel, is furious. Her three daughters have to grow up without a dad and she is asking the same question that Shirley Plourde's family in Nova Scotia is asking - is that all a human life is worth? (The driver who killed Shirley got a $160 fine)

And I quote: After sentencing, Nicola, who has three children with Steve, said: “As a family we feel disgusted and outraged that Mr Donne has escaped a prison sentence and only received a 15-month disqualification from driving and 150 hours’ community service.

“Is that all a man’s life is worth?

“As for the 36-week suspended sentence, I see that as nothing.

“We feel a custodial sentence and at the very least a three to four-year driving ban would have acknowledged Nicholas Donne’s complete lack of humanity and remorse, both immediately at the scene of the accident and for the past 15 months of hell he has put us through.

“In court he lied under oath to try and blame a dead man for his own actions – a man who he knew was no longer here to defend himself.” End Quote

So you see folks, these injustices do not just happen here in Canada or in the US - they happen all over the world, it's sad but true that it appears that we riders, our lives and our families are not considered very valuable in the courts eyes - the laws do not really express justice. Civil court is the only place this gal will get any compensation to raise three daughters, I find that so hard to swallow. It appears to me that the "Justice" system is not just broken here, but everywhere. We are not isolated in these occurrences.

I wonder if there are any solutions out there? Is there anything we as riders could do to turn the tides, see some changes happen... What would happen if 600,000 voices united for this one cause? If we all wrote our MLA's, our MP's...They might not listen to one person, but 600,000, I think there is a good chance they'd listen then... I wonder what we could, how much positive change could we effect if we all decided to take ten minutes...

What say you? Join the discussion here or on Facebook, Twitter or our web site! I'd love to hear from you.

I feel frustrated sometimes that there are so many challenging and sometimes painful things that we need to discuss and work through, so I find it refreshing when there are really good and positive things to balance it out with and today we have a few great things to share!

Our good friends at RevZilla have a wonderful contest going on right now. Your chance to win a $500 Gift Card...the rules are really simple:

Entry 1 (Required): Leave a comment to their blog (http://bmwmoarally.com/) about what touring or adventure riding means to you. Keep it short, 2–3 sentences max. Limit 1 comment.

Entry 2: Tweet: “I’ve entered http://bmwmoarally.com/motorcycle-adventure-blog-contest hosted by www.revzilla.com”. (let us know in the comment section you tweeted). Limit 1 tweet.

Entry 3: To gain an additional 10 more entries, write a brief blog post (at least 3 - 5 sentences) that links to http://bmwmoarally.com/motorcycle-adventure-blog-contest and to www.RevZilla.com. (let us know in the comment section you posted). Limit 1 post.

The deadline for entries is Tuesday, October 30th. The winner will be chosen at random using www.random.org and will be announced Monday, October 31st.

If you don't have a blog you can post your comment here to fill requirement 3!

Spend 10 minutes to fulfill the requirements and you could find yourself with $500 to spend on great gear - now that's a pretty good gig if you ask me! I don't know how many of you have ever checked out RevZilla but they really do have a great selection of gear and you can use your gift card towards tires and other accessories!

Today is paper day for many of you, the National Weekly Newspaper, The Busted Knuckle Chronicles get's delivered via the weekly provincial and regional newsletters we send out every Thursday, 48 times a year. The newspaper features stories from across the country, stories submitted by riders just like you and the newsletter has all of the last minute stuff, from your province or region that didn't hit the paper.

In January of 2011 I had set a target of 5,000 registered members & newspaper subscribers on our site by December 31st, 2011.

We are at 4,330 members! SOOO close! Ali and I have been offering free newspaper subscriptions & membership at www.beltdrivebetty.com for every rider who joins our Canadian Riders Support Network. The support network is all about making your information available for fellow riders to contact you if they get jammed up while on the road. We have helped a few riders through this network and think you'll find it's comforting to know that no matter where you travel in this great and vast land, there is a good chance we can find you some help along the way.

Our wonderful sponsors - Intercon Messaging man a 24 hour rider support line (1-866-765-6718) that can assist you finding some support & if you like they can also track you during your travels - just so someone knows where you are and can send help if you don't check in. There are travel specials and other great informational tools for our members and we can even help you find the events you want to travel to and check out. Heck - we even have fantastic special pricing on Roadside Assistance for our members!

So - if you think being part of a support network is something you could do, that you might find valuable - we say thank you by adding you to our web site membership so that you can take advantage of the free classified ads we offer, the daily news feeds, the jokes, all of the other great information our web site has and all of the benefits like the Never Ride Alone Program, the Discounts PLUS the free newspaper and newsletter that is delivered in one tidy email every Thursday.

Join us as we continue on the path to greater information, communication and a bigger sense of community right across this fair land. It's free - just register at: http://www.beltdrivebetty.com/index.php/canadian-riders/apply-to-be-a-canadian-rider

In other news:

Polaris has bought a minority stake in Brammo Inc - the Electric Motorcycle Company.

An American Barber goes on a Spirit Ride every September...it's truly a wonderful story about giving and paying it forward that I encourage you to read!

Michigan is one step closer to a new helmet law

A 1894 Roper Motorcycle is expected to set a world record for its selling price when it goes to auction in January - there is only one other known Roper and it is on display at the Smithsonian!

H-D Shares are up on unconfirmed talk that Harley-Davidson might be the subject of a leveraged buyout

I wish you a wondrous day...

Until tomorrow,

Belt Drive Betty
Rider & Editor