So where are you this weekend?

Grande Prairie's Mighty Peace HOG Chapter is hosting a poker run today at 9 am at Grande Prairie Harley for those around here with no major travel plans.

I'm going to drop in but work prevents me from riding - that slave driver I work for says I can't go play.

I hope that no matter where you ride this weekend that you will stay safe and ride like they are all out to get you.

Belt Drive Betty

A great ride to Fox Creek

Yesterday I went to Fox Creek to train a couple of new sales people.

I rode with Cindy and we had a great trip.
The weather was amazing - 31 degrees!

If you are lucky enough to be riding today - have a great one, if like me you are chained to your work, hopefully your 6/49 retirement program kicks in....

Ride like they are out to get you!

Belt Drive Betty

Canadian Roger Goldammer does it again!

Wow - what wonderful news to wake up to - Roger Goldammer is crowned for his third time as World Champion of Custom Bike Building! Makes me really wish that I could have gone to Sturgis as planned!

Congratulations Roger, if anyone in the custom industry deserves this win - you do.

Goldmember is a fabulous bike and in one discussion that I had with Roger not all that long ago he proclaimed that this machine was the most fun to build and ride. I know Roger and for him, the ultimate meaning of this Championship is the fact that this bike is a World Record Holder at the Bonneville Salt Flats and now a World Championship of Custom Bike Building winner.

Yes, Roger Goldammer from Kelowna BC has proven once again that he is the BEST Builder in the WORLD!

CONGRATULATIONS and thank you Roger for once again bringing the focus of millions to Canada, your achievement is a proud moment for all Canadians.

Calling all members

If you are a registered member on our site we want to hear from you!

Submit your customer service story, your favorite day or destination ride, add your favorite event to our calendars, submit event and community news and stories....

If you aren't a registered member yet - do you know what you are missing?

Come help us create the best information source for all things Canadian Motorcycling.

If your sport, discipline, club , team or community aren't represented on www.bustedknucklenews.com or www.beltdrivebetty.com it's only because you aren't involved!

We'll publish, promote and generally help get your message out to other riders.

Helping the rider community connect is what we are all about - so come join us today - it's free!

Have a safe day and remember to ride like they are out to get you!

Belt Drive Betty

Sometimes I wonder...

Have you read some of the latest news on www.bustedknucklenews.com ?

Man it's depressing how many injury accidents motorcycles have been involved in.
What's most depressing is the fact that so many involve motorists who "didn't see" the motorcycle and equally disturbing, the number involving speed and alcohol.

I do hope all riders here in Canada know about AIM -Can - the Alliance for Injured Motorcyclists and that you are card holding members. If not, perhaps it's time to set up a chapter in your community.

AIM-Can is all about riders helping each other out at the time of an accident and beyond - a coordinated effort to help a rider with the practical day to day needs - for more information on AIM-Can and how to be involved go to http://www.aimcan.com/

Please, ride like they are out to get you as it appears they are!

Belt Drive Betty

Getting Involved - your community needs you!

I have been asking for input and help on the community web site www.beltdrivebetty.com in the forum under "Brainstorming and Ideas) No one appears to have any feedback....

So am I to assume that I am doing what my community wants and I don't need to fix anything or do I assume that I am heading in the wrong direction and no one knows how to tell me?

Both Ali and I want to keep improving things. We want to see the site and all of its sub sites be a valuable resource for the community, by the community. How in the heck do we accomplish that task?

I know we are all busy people BUT I can't read minds.

How do I get people to get involved? What am I missing? What I am I doing that could be improved? I know I am not alone in my quest for participation and feedback. I am a member of the Board of Directors for the Peace Country AIM-Can Chapter - getting people to attend meetings and have input and getting volunteers and assistance for our events can be sooo very tough.

I am not alone - I hear the exact same complaints from the other charities, the riding clubs, the event coordinators, here is a small sample of some of the things I hear:

• "I gave out 80 tee shirts to volunteers and 13 actually did the job they signed up to do, the rest either never showed up again or they spent the weekend getting drunk."
• 
  
• "We put out a call for help with a fundraiser and got 3 people, we have 60 plus members!"
• 
  
• "I am so tired of hearing what a great job I do, I'd gladly share in the praise if I could just get some help."
• 
  
• "I am so tired of hearing complaints about the different aspects of our riding club rally - everyone says they want one, but no one gets involved with the planning. How can I give them what they want if all I ever hear is what they don't want?"

Yes - everyone is busy.
Yes - we all have different focus and priorities.
I know that volunteers burn out.
It is tough to balance community against family, work and some R & R time. I know, I live it every day.

The bottom line for everyone folks is USE IT OR LOOSE IT and that statement does not just apply to the newspaper "The Busted Knuckle" or www.beltdrivebetty.com ...NO, that goes for the little Leather Shop in your community, the rider owned coffee shop and the rides, poker runs, rallies and other events that are hosted. It also applies to our freedoms as citizens.

If WE don't get involved, if we don't care enough about the causes and needs in our respective communities to pitch in and help out then who will?

I truly feel that if we all work together, share our stories, our dreams and support each other we can make our community a strong, united family from Coast to Coast.

If you have ANY Feedback - we really would love to hear it. If you have stories, we want to publish them. If you know of a rider who needs help, a business that deserves supporting - we want to spread the word. If it's about motorcycles, the motorcycle community and its many disciplines - we want to promote it, so - Help us to help our communities - right across Canada...use the Members Only Menu to submit your stuff - It's fast and easy.....

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Have a great day....and PLEASE - stay safe out there.

Belt Drive Betty

Have we lost our minds?

Have any of you come across a site called Bad Cop News? www.badcopnews.com

After reading some of the articles, my stomach was queasy.

I started on the pursuit of draconian laws and bad behaviour after a post I read in a forum.
One of the members it appears is a wee bit fed up with the new racing law in Ontario and the impact to our Charter - police taking away your license and your vehicle at the road side - effectively, they are judge and jury on the roadside.

We do appear to be heading down a slope that will see our freedoms - those of the 95% of the population who try to be decent citizens - become eroded.

I looked at tons of sites about laws, and justice in Canada and have come to the conclusion that this country's politicians and a lot of its citizens have gone nuts.

The Mayor of Toronto and Ontario Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty want to ban handguns - the Mayor of Toronto wants to ban gun ranges and gun clubs.

After the bizarre beheading of a Greyhound Bus Line passenger earlier this week, one reporter asked the minister of Public Safety- Stockwell Day- about banning knives. The minister said it wasn't feasible - my question is who is the idiot who asked the question in the first place?

BC has a new law that's really just a knee jerk reaction and not well thought out at all.

Grant's law requires drivers in BC to pay for fuel before they fill up.

"The law was named for gas attendant Grant De Patie who was run over and killed in March 2005 trying to chase a driver who hadn't paid." http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/03/06/Pre-pay_gas_law_affecting_drivers_credit/UPI-46811204817860/

If you read the article there you will see what the gas companies are doing to people, never mind the impact to the station owner in lost confectionery sales! It's nuts! And the gas companies and what they are doing to your credit cards is disgusting - not to mention the credit card fraud potential - yes this law fits in the stupid category.

Why was Grant not taught to take down a plate number and call the police? Why was he not taught that you always give a robber what they want and get as much information as you can to give to the police? Why is education ignored and punishment the first reaction?

I don't know how many gas station attendants there are in the province of BC, but would it not be easier to put in place mandatory training for attendants than putting the motoring public, the small station owner and credit card holders in this unbearable predicament?

Don't we have enough laws? Is there no common sense left?

Here are some of the other sites I visited in an attempt to educate myself about the laws in our country and the people who write them, implement them and attempt to uphold them:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070912.wstab0912/BNStory/National/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20070912.wstab0912

http://www.dumblaws.com/laws/international/canada

http://gizmodo.com/389255/canadian-cops-tase-knife+wielding-82+year+old-patient-in-his-hospital-bed

http://www.canadacops.com/blog/

http://www.orwelltoday.com/

http://www.libertarianrock.com/topics/letters/cops_in_canada_abuse.html

The four editorials here bring some interesting arguments against some dumb laws....

http://www.cfdp.ca/citizen.html

I do not know what the answer is but I do hope I have given you something to think about.
Educating ourselves in a busy and demanding world is tough. I decided to take a couple of hours and read - my eyes were opened and it really makes me wonder where we are heading.

If you are lucky enough to be at a bike event this weekend or off camping/sightseeing - enjoy every second you can and know I'll be green with envy as I sit chained to my computer and the work I have to do.

Ride safe...

Belt Drive Betty