What a horrid start to what is supposed to be a holiday

The news feeds are filled with nothing but death and tragedy for the motorcycle community today. Accident after accident - most of them fatal.

On the Education for the Driving Masses web site/blog you can read other sad stories about families who have been devastated by the happenings of an Easter weekend barely under way.

It is so very sad.

Our sweet Diva Lise has passed away and many of the gals from the Chrome Divas have heavy hearts right now. Tom, our love and prayers go out to you.

The only "Happy" story in the news is about Charlene "Sassy Biker" Casey as she makes headlines with her gorgeous helmets.

If you are in need of a Hotel room anywhere in Canada - don't forget to use the Go Travel Canada Service that is linked on all of the Travel Pages on www.beltdrivebetty.com
Every time you book your room through our web site not only will you get a 15% discount but you will also be responsible for contributing $5 towards helping injured riders.

Remember that One Call does it All! Don't see a hotel in the list that will serve your needs? Intergy has partnerships with all of the major hotels - they will get you the best rate -
Use the links on www.beltdrivebetty.com - save yourself some money and support injured riders by booking your hotel room through us!

PLEASE people, if you are riding today - ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you and are in fact out to get you. Stay safe and have a Happy Easter.

Belt Drive Betty
www.beltdrivebetty.com
A MAX Award winning web site!
www.bustedknucklenews.com
www.canadianriders.ca
www.riderfriendly.ca

Contact Me

--- @ WiseStamp Signature. Get it now

What happens when 40,000 Riders come together for ONE CAUSE???

In France, 40,000 riders came together on the road ways of Paris to protest their government's ideas on changing a law.

This is what happened: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTi5PyWeraA


The protest event took place in Paris France on March 13th/2010 and was a reaction to the French Transport Ministry's proposed law preventing lane splitting. The riders used the protest as an opportunity to show the consequence of each rider taking up as much room as a car and not lane splitting.

Transport Secretary Jean-Marc Belotti told the protesters that if they can't follow the rules of the road and respect the "No lane splitting" law then  "they can take the metro (subway) like everyone else."

Well hundreds of leather and helmet clad riders converged on the subway system (on foot), and clogged it up it as well.

This protest - this vast showing of numbers might just have worked too as Belotti has since met the FFMC and is said to now be re-considering the lane splitting decision.

The power of a united voice - maybe we Canadians could learn a lesson here?

In other news:

An Oshawa man is fighting for his life after yet another accident on that city's streets.

Student's in York are building a completely solar motorcycle...

You can win with Fytness Fanatik

Classy Chassis has some deals for you

Steve Drane's Demos are coming...


Have a fabulous day folks...

Belt Drive Betty
Editor- The Busted Knuckle Chronicles
www.beltdrivebetty.com
A MAX Award winning web site!
www.bustedknucklenews.com
www.canadianriders.ca
www.riderfriendly.ca

Contact Me

--- @ WiseStamp Signature. Get it now

Controversial information in the news today

 A Motorcycle Accident Study Suggests Safety Courses Don’t Reduce Crashes (US)

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has apparently found that requiring young riders to take safety courses before getting their motorcycle licenses doesn’t reduce their likelihood of crashing. In actual fact, they found just the reverse to be true. Collision claims for riders younger than 21 are 10% higher in states that require them to take training courses, compared with states that do not require such courses is what the study found.

Now isn't that something else. Teaching people does nothing or little to reduce accidents - I wonder why?

Does the training give young riders a feeling of superiority or cockiness?

The study also found that bikes with antilock brakes are 37% less likely to be involved in fatal crashes than those without them. Motorcycle models with antilocks also have 22% fewer damage claims per insured vehicle year (a “vehicle year” refers to one vehicle insured for one year).

What we are supposed to do with this knowledge is frightening to contemplate...

In the UK they found something out that is also rather scary and mind blowing...
Tyresafe cited figures from the Department for Transport from 2008 that claimed that there was a 28% increase in the number of motorcycle accidents where illegal, defective or under-inflated tyres were a contributory factor.

I don't know about you folks, but those two articles have me scratching my head...

In other news:

Alberta's annual speeders crackdown is coming to a town near you.
In Oshawa, the Hell's Angel's Club House  has been torn down,
A motorcyclist in Oshawa is dead...
MRFD is gearing up to teach men about prostate cancer.

And the winners in the Blog Book Tour hosted by Adelle Laudan are: 
1st for Iron Horse Rider Series in PRINT ---- Lobo!
Congratulations!!

2nd for Iron Horse Rider Series in
EBook ---- Michelle Shields
Congratulations!


If you are fortunate enough to be riding today - please ride with care and respect....

Belt Drive Betty
Editor- The Busted Knuckle Chronicles
www.beltdrivebetty.com
A MAX Award winning web site!
www.bustedknucklenews.com
www.canadianriders.ca
www.riderfriendly.ca

Contact Me

Riding Season

Riding season is almost upon us. I say almost because I live in Northern Alberta and here it can be time to ride one day and snowing the next...

If you are looking to make some plans our events calendars have somewhere in the neighborhood of 450 events listed not to mention the ride nights, coffee rides, breakfast rides and group meetings.

We work hard to keep the events calendars up to date and the information as clean and clear as possible.  It's a lot of work and I want to thank Sally for helping us out. I am looking forward to Denise joining us as well - lord knows we need as many people as we can spreading the word that our calendars are here for them to use!


Tom Mann from Biker TV talks to Ian Gillespie about his motorcycle accident last August.

The MAC rally for Hope is on again!

The 1st CAV is hosting an inaugural run for fallen trooper Mark Wilson.

If you are fortunate enough to be riding today - PLEASE, ride like everyone around you is blind - can not see you and is out to get you and use some respect with that right hand...PLEASE.

Belt Drive Betty
www.beltdrivebetty.com
A MAX Award winning web site!
www.bustedknucklenews.com
www.canadianriders.ca
www.riderfriendly.ca

Contact Me

Another US community that does NOT want bikers...

Every morning I go through the news feeds - some days there is a vast quantity of information and others it is very skimpy pickings.

Sometimes, skimpy is good though because every now and then you come up with a piece of information you would have otherwise missed.

In today's case - that piece of information comes in the form of a newsletter that appeared on the Fuzzy Galore Blog:

If you read this newsletter's bullet points you will see that the Port Jefferson Business Improvement District thinks we bikers are unsightly and we and are motorcycles are not welcome to park on their main street. There is a growing movement in this type of banning behaviour in the US.


The gal who runs the Fuzzy Galore Blog makes some really - really good recommendations for all riders to follow:

Motorcyclists – Don’t Be Your Own Worst Enemy

• Ride proud, not loud.
• Pick up your trash, your cigarette butts, your coffee cups.
• Keep thoroughfares clear for walking.
• To be respected you have to be respectable.

Visit her Blog and tell her how you feel about this New York State Communities actions, I know she'd love to hear from you!

In other news:

A rider has died in Oshawa after a motorcycle accident.  (Prayers and love to the family and friends - my heart hurts every time one of these stories appears.)

BC's Vintage Swap celebrates 25 years this year.

A survivor of the Phoenix crash of a couple of days ago speaks about his recollections and his sense of loss and survivor guilt.

There are many other worthy stories in the new today over at www.beltdrivebetty.com

If you are fortunate and you are riding today - PLEASE, ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you and they are all out to get you! Use respect with that right hand and have a FABULOUS Monday!

Belt Drive Betty
www.beltdrivebetty.com
A MAX Award winning web site!
www.bustedknucklenews.com
www.canadianriders.ca
www.riderfriendly.ca

Contact Me

When the cause you support appears to be forgotten...

Have you ever been a part of a motorcycle club or group?
Have you ever been a member of any kind of volunteer association?
Then you probably understand why volunteerism is at an all time low.

Politics and personal agendas seem to be a big reason why so many people leave groups and quit volunteering. No matter how much people believe in the cause that they originally sought to support, when the directors decide that they are all powerful or they somehow start viewing the organization as their personal sand box and forget the true reason why they are part of an organization - volunteerism tends to go for crap - at least that has been my personal experience.

I have stepped down from my position of VP in Charge of Marketing for the Alliance for Injured Motorcyclists Canada for one reason and one reason alone: what I deem to be wrong minded politics.

There is currently a lawsuit going on between the founding chapter of A.I.M. and A.I.M. Can (A.I.M. Can is a federally registered and trade marked organization and is the governing body of A.I.M.). The court fight is over the use of the name A.I.M.


I will let those in the thick of this fight describe and explain away why they feel this fight is an honorable fight to take on should any of them decide to do so - I for one do not believe that there is anything honorable about such a court case amongst two organizations that are joined in the way that A.I.M. and A.I.M. Can have been.

I think it is sad and tragic that the purpose and reason for these two organizations  existence appears to have been forgotten:  Injured Riders and their families...support and awareness.

To my way of thinking any organization that would spend money, time and resources to initiate a fight like this the way the founding chapter of A.I.M. did is wrong minded.

A.I.M. Can had responded to the court documents by asking to the courts to allow them to represent themselves in court (without benefit or cost of a lawyer) - the court denied the motion and charged A.I.M. Can $700 for their efforts at self defense.

The A.I.M. Can board had a meeting over the phone where in we had a vote on what to do and it was decided and voted on to fold A.I.M. Can - the consensus was we would re emerge with a new name - same mission - to assist injured riders and their families.

One of the members of the board of governors has decided to file an appeal to the courts and ask yet again for the courts to allow A.I.M. Can to represent itself in this court battle. As a member of the board I was never consulted as to what I thought about the idea of an appeal. I was never shown the paper work. I have no idea if there will be costs associated with an appeal of the court's decision - I hope not.

I believe in the cause of supporting injured riders and their families when the need arises, I always have, always will. My motto is "There but for the grace of God go I, the next rider needing help could be me." A court battle over a name is not worth pursuing at the cost of those injured riders or their families, at least not in my humble and very personal opinion.

So there you have it, the reason for my resignation.

One of my national sponsors - Intergy has provided me with a way for the Belt Drive Betty Foundation to assist riders in need. If you book your hotel/motel through them not only will you save 15%  on the room you book- but $5 from every room booked goes into a fund that I will be using to donate to injured riders and their families. (www.gotravelcanada.com/belt_drive_betty) I haven't yet figured out what that will look like or how we will vet applications etc but - it is a place to start - to do what I believe in - supporting my community. Hopefully we will raise some decent funds through this opportunity and be able to make a difference.

In the news today:

I hope that you will not forget about Adelle's Fabulous Book Contest. You have until tomorrow night to throw your name in for the signed trilogy book giveaway.

It appears that the truck driver may have been doing/shuffling paperwork in the cab of hs truck when he struck the 8 motorcycles two days ago killing 3 riders. Although not yet confirmed, that is the statement from one eye witness. Distracted driving kills again?
It's beginning to look that way.

Randy Young from Friends of Veterans could use some help.

Manitoba is moving to make it illegal to wear body armor and have armored vehicles.

A motorcycle accident in Newfoundland is under investigation.

BC's proposed new laws for motorcyclists is in the news again.

The idiot of the day award goes to the rider in Edmonton who not only was involved in a high speed chase but crashed his motorcycle into a parked police cruiser.

If you are riding today - PLEASE people - ride like everyone around you is blind and can not see you and are out to get you - and use some respect with that right hand. PLEASE, for all our sakes ride proud not loud!

Belt Drive Betty
www.beltdrivebetty.com
A MAX Award winning web site!
www.bustedknucklenews.com
www.canadianriders.ca
www.riderfriendly.ca

Contact Me

Horrific and Tragic - I am at a loss for other words

Are there any words to describe the accident that happened North of Phoenix yesterday on the Carefree Highway where in three motorcyclists have died and 6 others are in hospital after they were mowed over by a garbage truck?

I can't seem to find ones that strongly enough convey what I feel.
Revulsion, anger, disgust, confusion...

How did this driver run these people over - literally? They claim alcohol was not a factor, so what the hell happened? The riders were stopped behind an SUV and the truck ran over them and into the SUV...did his brakes fail? Was he on the phone? Like so many other people I am looking for answers that just aren't there yet.

The American news feeds are so filled with accidents involving motorcyclists that I seldom report on them - there are simply too many for one person to add them all to our feeds but this accident....I have no words... My heart and my prayers go out to all involved.


There is so much in the news today:

The rock slide at the Tail of the Dragon could keep the highway closed until the end of July.

KTM has unveiled it's new electric motorcycles.

Michigan has voted to repeal the helmet law there however the law has gone to the next round in the senate where the Governor can and most likely will veto it.

The MAC rally is a go again this summer

Simon "Moose" Buckley, co-founder of the team Ride Right Round, died on Saturday, March 13, in a single-vehicle accident in Argentina when the rear tire of his motorcycle blew.

Don't forget the "Book Tour" that author Adelle Laudan has been on - she's been blogging around the internet to promote her trilogy "The Iron Horse Rider" Adelle has bestowed a very special honor to our readers - one lucky person is going to win the complete trilogy signed by Adelle and one luck person will win the E Version.

It's simple to win...read yesterday's blog post to find out what it's all about!

If you are fortunate enough to be riding today - PLEASE - PLEASE - ride like everyone is out to get you and they are all blind.

Belt Drive Betty

www.beltdrivebetty.com
A MAX Award winning web site!
National VP - A.I.M.Can - Watch for our new name coming soon
www.aim-can.com
www.bustedknucklenews.com
www.canadianriders.ca
www.riderfriendly.ca