Go on Vacation & Improve Your Skills!

March, April and May are three of the hardest months in the year on a rider's psyche, especially if you are from most places in Canada.

In March, Mother Nature generally delivers some horrid snow falls and blizzards.  April starts bringing hope, but ice and mud prevent many from getting their bikes out of the garage.
May presents such a mixed bag that you can't really plan anything because of the potential for - you got it - MORE SNOW!

Going on a vacation where it is generally warm and you can ride is something a lot of riders from the northern climates do.

Have you ever considered going to California to ride the Pacific Coast Highway?

If you have, then you might want to consider taking your spring refresher course from
Superbike-Coach, Can Akkaya.

 
Can (pronounced Jon) is a former pro racer with many records and trophies under his belt.

When he retired Can worked as a test rider and a coach for track days all around Europe and found he had a passion for teaching and became the head instructor of Germany's first racing school.  In fact he has taught over 2,500 riders so far!

Can immigrated to the US in 2008 and has a book coming out soon called "Racers Story"

When he and his family moved to California, Can opened up his school, Superbike-Coach and developed courses for those who want to race, those who already race, stinters and regular everyday riders.

He has also put together an amazing guided tour of California that you can take.

So if you are frustrated by Mother Nature and PMS (Parked Motorcycle Syndrome) and you are considering an escape, why not check out the Superbike-Coach, take some training which starts at $89 US, take a tour and come home to Canada ready to conquer the roads with your brushed up skills.

According to the testimonials from former students, it's the best money and time you will ever spend on training.

I am not in a position to go down to California so I'll have to make do with watching the action in the 2014 Beat the PMS Blues Online Show 'n' Shine where our sponsors like Kimpex are giving away some great prizes!

Have a great Thursday everyone,
And please, ride like everyone around you is blind and cannot see you if you are lucky enough to be riding.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

Motorcycle Training & Mentoring Program saves lives

Randolph Air Force Base in Texas has reached a mile stone of safety when it comes to their troops who ride.

The base has gone 769 days with out a motorcycle fatality.

Begin Quote: "Teamwork made this happen," said Colonel Creig Rice, AETC Safety director, "Commanders set the tone, our safety offices provided training and education, our motorcycle mentorship clubs aided our inexperienced riders, and our motorcyclists exercised sound risk management. As long as leaders stay involved and individuals continue to use sound risk management, we can continue this positive trend." End Quote

In the past, the Air Force has sadly had a lot of crashes where their riders/service members have died and a push was made to increase the training and it has paid off. According to the Colonel, mentoring is a big part of the safety training.

Begin Quote: "Mentorship is a great way to ensure this streak continues," Bailey said. "Riders should talk to other riders about the importance of making good decisions and the consequences of using bad judgment. We have a great wealth of experience out there; we need to take advantage of it."End Quote

I am not sure about the rest of you, but this is something I have spoken of in the past, there are some people who are open to learning and others who are not and in the civilian world - we have a lot of riders who take unnecessary risks. We can choose to be proactive and talk to our fellow riders, talk to them about the risks they take and how it affects the others around them. And for those who are not open to hearing those suggestions we can walk away asking them to never ride with us again or shunning them in some other way - not giving them the attention they seek.

Look at what took place in Wichita Kansas on the weekend where there were several crashes at their toy run - some caused by alcohol and a lot caused by inexperience. Some 3,000 riders participated in the Toy Run and police are calling for changes after everything that took place.

Begin Quote:
The event attracts a large number of inexperienced riders, Schroeder said, who have not learned the safe way to ride in a procession. The result is gaps opening up, which leads to the “accordion effect” which sets the stage for accidents.

“Riders participating in any kind of group run need to be trained in how to keep proper spacing,” Schroeder said. “Inexperience leads to a lot of accidents.”

Alcohol consumption prior to the ride is also a major concern, he said, so measures to report and withdraw violators should be created or strengthened.

“Consumption of alcohol has no place in that event,” Schroeder said. “They put themselves in danger, and put people around them in danger.” End Quote

I personally feel that motorcycle training should be mandatory, not so much to protect the rider from himself but to protect other riders. I am not generally an advocate for the government sticking their noses in our lives but at the end of the day, I feel that if riders were trained properly from the beginning, there would be far less crashes and far fewer innocent people would be affected.

There are enough other challenges that face the rider when it comes to safety - every rider knows that however, the crashes that are caused by we riders either through inexperience, unwise choices and or a show off mentality could be greatly reduced by proper training.

There will always be selfish people, people who think they have the right to do wheelies going down the street or highway and making other unsafe and unwise manoeuvres, but if we increased the number of people who were adequately trained, we could see a big reduction in crashes.

I also feel that driver education should be mandatory. People in cages need to be trained to watch for bicycles and motorcycles, to stay off their phones and leave other distractions out of the equation.

One thing I think needs to happen when it comes to driver training...every driver should be taken out in a big chunk of asphalt with obstacles, given a phone and told to text through the obstacle course - maybe if they saw how bad their driving became - how many people and other obstacles they killed/hit etc - they would learn to put the damned things away...

What say you?

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, hope you'll take a moment or two to check it out and see what might affect you in your world.

Here are a couple of funnies from around the net that I would like to share with you - cause we all need a giggle to start the day with:

Have a safe and happy HUMP day.

Belt Drive Betty
Editor & Rider

Free Rider Training...how do they do that?

In the beautiful state of Pennsylvania they appear to do things differently than the rest of north America...

According to a press release this morning: Pennsylvania riders can enhance their driving skills and safety awareness by taking free training offered through Pennsylvania's Motorcycle Safety Program. Courses are free to Pennsylvania residents and are held from March through October at approximately 70 sites across the state. Motorcycle permit holders who successfully complete the course will be issued a motorcycle license.

The 15-hour, Basic Rider Course (BRC) consists of five hours of in-class instruction and 10 hours of practical riding experience on a riding range under the watchful eyes of certified rider coaches. The BRC is a comprehensive safety and skills overview that provides valuable training for new riders. This course is also helpful to more experienced riders, allowing them to polish their skills and recognize any unsafe habits they may have picked up. Motorcycles and helmets are provided for students taking the basic course.

If a rider has completed the BRC, the six-hour, Experienced Rider Course helps experienced riders refresh their safety knowledge and hone their skills on a riding range under the guidance of certified rider coaches. Students taking the ERC must provide their own motorcycle and helmet.

So - how can they do it and no one else seems to? Free rider training...to read the rest of the article and to find out more on the rider awareness program: Click here.

I think that there is a ton that could be done to increase the awareness of riders and drivers a like - the task or the challenge is to get the grants to hire the staff to be dedicated to that mission. For volunteers to try and do anything - well - life gets in the road no matter how good their intent!  As a member of F.I.R.R.E. I will be encouraging our executive to apply for operational grants to hire staff to tackle these very issues....

In the news today:

Harley-Davidson has announced it's 2011 models and it's CVO Models (we will have the CVO info and the new military line of clothing info for you this afternoon). Victory has also outlined their 2011 offerings - the 106" Freedom Engine will be the only engine offering for Victory this year - no more 96"!

Right across this fair country of ours there are a rash of Motorcycle Accidents and Deaths to report. Visit the Rider Down section of our web site to learn more.
In Sports: Jordan Skoze is on his way to Shubenacadie and his 5th championship!

The third annual Bushwacked in the Outback event went off without a hitch.

If you are fortunate enough to be riding today - PLEASE - I beg you  - Ride like every SOB in the country has an unsafe load, is blind and can not see you and IS out to get you and please ride Proud not loud and consider some push back on the issues that affect our safety!

Belt Drive Betty

www.beltdrivebetty.com

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Growing, learning and evolving

Like our community which is in a huge growth stage, I too am experiencing a growth, different yet similar.

It is a growth of spirit and direction.

I had, for a time, lost my sense of direction, purpose - I rediscovered it when I started the paper and the devastating losses I experienced in Olds, took it way again - for a while.

You see when I started the newspaper 6 and a half years ago, I was a lost soul. I had been a florist, a farm girl. I loved riding horses, gardening and canning. And then I had a car accident and so much of what I thought was me - was suddenly, irrevocably gone.

I had new physical limitations to learn how to get around. Some I had to learn to accept.
Acceptance of those limitations was the hardest thing for me.

I pushed my body hard trying to get it to do things that only a short time before had come naturally. As a consequence I hurt myself even further.

One of the new limitations that I had the hardest time accepting was the fact that my ankles now roll over very easily. I have ZERO control over my ankles. That meant no more high heels. (As a former model, high heels were something I had plenty of.)

I loved beautiful shoes. I loved the way they made my legs look. I love the way my body moved when I wore a sexy shoe. I loved the way my body moved when I was wearing a "business" pump. They were distinctly different ways of moving - it depended on the shoe and how it made me feel.

The day that I finally came to accepting that I would never be able to wear high heels or gorgeous boots ever again - at least not with any degree of safety or comfort, was one of the most devastating days I had had in a while.

I had this beautiful pair of Harley-Davidson knee high boots that had double front zippers.
My foot doctor had just sentenced me to wearing ankle braces and army style riding boots for the rest of my life and I was none to pleased about it. (The Knee boots would not accommodate the braces.)

I remember thinking he was an ass, although painful, I was still wearing certain boots and shoes - I can do this was my attitude. You watch me Sawbones! One day very shortly after, in an attempt to prove him wrong, I got on my old sporty, gorgeous knee boots and all - and off I went. I made it a block.

The light had changed to red, I put my feet down. My left foot stepped on a rock, my ankle rolled and over bike and I went.

Having a 400+ lbs sporty on top of my leg did not feel real good and neither did my ego.

The driver behind me got out of his car and lifted the bike off me. I got up, my ankle was swelling and my hands were shaking.

I took the bike home along with my bruised and wounded pride.

I hobbled downstairs, sat with some boxes and purged my shoe closet of everything that was unsafe for me to wear. Over 300 pairs of shoes and boots...(My husband used to tease me that I was the Imelda Marcos of the north.)

It was for me, a hard and emotional afternoon. As I took exquisite $4 and $500 pairs of shoes, held them, admired them for their quality and craftsmanship, and then put them in boxes to give away. I admired the $20, $50 & $100 pairs in much the same fashion. I admired them for different reasons than the expensive ones, but I admired them none the less. I remembered different functions or times when I had worn them - some made me laugh, some made me cry.

In all, I gave away over $4,000 worth of foot wear that day and resigned myself to "granny" shoes. It seems that sensible and good looking do not really go hand in hand.

Now I know most guys reading this blog are scratching their heads right now. What the hell does High Heels and motorcycles have in common. Nothing - But safety and vanity are really what this small sad tale is about.

I have learned to appreciate my braces, orthopedic insoles and army boots. I now love the way I stride when I wear them. I appreciate that their functionality and sturdy looks are what allow me to stay on two wheels safely. I learned to be PRO my own safety and to ignore the female vanity.

After the financial loss of the Olds bike show, I went through another phase of personal growth.

I had to re examine why I was doing shows. I had to look at the fact that I had lost my passion and drive. I had to figure out what went wrong.

I revamped the newspaper and web site, and just like the re birthing they went through - so did I. I remembered why I had started the paper. My desire to see our community, the rider community have a place to have a voice and the deep desire to see it get some respect.
We as riders have so VERY MUCH to celebrate and there was no collective place for us to really share that sense of celebration.

As I sit here today and I look back on my personal growth so far I realize how far I have come.

I also realize even more, how important it is for our community, from coast to coast to coast - to communicate, share and evolve and to think about and work towards our common good.

Too often we spend time complaining about change, about laws we don't like and how others perceive us. We dwell on the things that bother us instead of celebrating all of the good that there is here.

The phase of growth I am in is about discovering/rediscovering that what you resist you get more of.

What you celebrate you also get more of.

Whatever you think about, what ever you put out there, you will get more of.

If we want more laws that restrict our freedom - keep fighting them.
If you want fewer laws that restrict become "FOR" something.

If you want more denigrating comments and attitudes about our community, just keep getting angry and being offended when they come your way. If you want to be treated with respect, then give respect and when you get it - CELEBRATE IT!

You see energy goes where attention flows.

The war on drugs has not stopped drugs - nope - it's accelerated the use because more people are living in an awareness about drugs.

I have decided to be for things I like/enjoy and to ignore and disregard as much as I am capable of, the things I don't. It's a weird place for someone in my position and yet - it's not.

You see, unlike a normal mainstream newspaper, the Busted Knuckle Chronicles has become a place of celebration. It is our place as riders to celebrate our differences, our achievements our communities.

While we still discuss controversial or touchy subjects, we tend to focus on being for a solution instead of just griping about things.

It's an interesting time to be in the rider community.
There are many challenges - some we have created through our own collective thoughtlessness (Loud Pipes Issues in particular), some have come from old perceptions (Bikers/Riders not being welcome in certain establishments) and others have come from our legislators who are trying to either make names for themselves or trying to get rid of a community they don't like or fear (Bill 117 in ON would be a good example - the attempt to ban kids under 14 from being allowed on motorcycles)

How will we as a community face these challenges - how will we change them?

By being FOR something instead of being against it, that's how.

The Bikers Discount Buying Club for riders and the Bikers Doing Business Association (The BDB Club) is one way we can reduce denigration. By elevating those who work with us, who want our business we reduce the impact that those who do not like or understand us have. By celebrating those who treat us well, we find more people willing to treat us well.

By being PRO rider training, awareness and motorist awareness and education we can stem the tide of deaths our community experiences because we are focusing on a solution and not the problem.

Yes, we as a community are growing and evolving and it is going to be an interesting ride.

So tell me, what would you like to see change in the rider community and what do we need to be for to affect that change?

If you are lucky enough to be riding today, please take a walk around that iron steed, check it's oil, inspect your tires...stay hydrated, ride like everyone around you is blind and can't see you and use respect with that throttle hand and the say - "Yes Mom" - LOL

HAVE GREAT DAY,
Belt Drive Betty

Long weekend proves very tragic and it's not over yet.

This long weekend has proved to be a very tragic one and we still have today to go.

It's sad and scary to see the number of riders that have been killed or injured.
The news feeds are just LOADED with death after death and injury accidents.

A good number of these accidents appear, at least from the news feeds to be rider error. Riding too fast in corners, not enough experience or training.

The rest are drivers making left hand turns.

HOW do we get the message out to riders to get additional training and how do we get the message across to motorists?

Shaun de Jager of RoadAwareness.ca has some very important tips for riders on the Riders Info page on his site.

Every piece of advice he offers is valid and TIMELY!

Total Control Motorcycle Training by Lee Parks is being brought to Canada by Nancy Mayer of Tech Sox. She is finishing her instructors course and says that "I have been riding for 20 years and the training I got as an instructor has forever changed riding for me and for the better!"
Nancy lives in Toronto.

On Vancouver Island, Flo Fuhr is bringing the Ride Like a Pro course to Canada. Jerry Motorman Palladino has trained Flo and she is currently training 4 people to be a part of her team. Taking advanced rider training is one of the most important things a rider can do for themselves as part of their life long learning program. Ride like a Pro DVD's can be purchased from Jerry "Motorman" Palladino on his web site. Tell him I sent you and get $5 off the cost.


In other news, our new community cook book is now live.
You will find it under Lifestyles - Food

Share your favorite recipe by adding it to our community cook book.
I know that I am always on the hunt for great recipes - there's nothing I like better than good food, unless of course it's being on the highway on my bike.

For those using IE 6 or 7 on our site, if you were experiencing fatal errors that would not allow your browser to open, Ali has found the offending component and removed it from the site.

Apparently in her excitement over the new component that allowed us to see who was on line with their avatars showing she forgot to test it in IE.

If you are still using Internet Explorer - you might want to consider either adding a secondary browser like Safari, Google Chrome or Firefox or get rid of Explorer all together.
IE has so many problems and even their new release - IE 8 has some fatal flaws.

Anyway, cross testing in all of the browsers now shows there should be no more crashing for those of you still using Internet Explorer.

The newly revamped site is busy, this morning when I started work there were 98 visitors on line and as I write this there are 104!

Google has been crawling our new site steadily and we are finally seeing Yahoo, MSN and Baidu crawling it as well. Our search engine rankings are improving again and that makes me a happy gal!

If you are lucky enough to be riding today, please, take a walk around your iron steed before you get on, ride like everyone around you is blind and can't see you, stay hydrated and PLEASE, use respect with that right hand.

Belt Drive Betty

The RCMP, a Supreme Court Ruling and Rider Deaths & Injuries

In BC, the Supreme Court verdict is in.

The members of the Hells Angels are guilty as charged of their crimes, but they did not commit their crimes on behalf of a Criminal Organization, namely the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club - it is not illegal to belong to the club. Read the news article.

So what are your thoughts on that ruling?

If you are Pro the Charter of Freedoms and Rights you will probably applaud it.
If you think the club is a criminal organization you'll probably be scratching your head.

I am sure of one thing: the RCMP must be pulling out their hair. Hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayers money has gone in to trying to prove that the club is a criminal organization.
Thousands upon thousands of man hours by the RCMP have gone in to that fight.

How does this ruling affect the one from Ontario? Or the laws in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta that have banned the wearing of the club patches due to the "Criminal Nature" of the club? I wonder what the next move in this chess game is going to be...
Stay tuned as I am positive the saga will not end here.

In other news the numbers of deaths of riders is appalling.

I believe that the time has come in this country for a few things to happen...

Number one for me is AFFORDABLE Mandatory Rider Training- it has to be introduced in this country. It is long since past time in my humble opinion.

Number two: Graduated licensing for those wishing to purchase sport bikes - just like what is being introduced in Quebec OR Mandatory Road Racing Training. These machines are far too powerful, too responsive, too short in wheel base to be allowed on the street with inexperienced riders in command of them.

If mandatory Road Racing Training came as part of the package - the riders of these machines would be given the skills to handle the power. Out of all of the machines available to ride - these machines are the easiest to have a fatal accident on in my humble opinion - it's simply a matter of physics.

I know that may opinions my not be terribly popular however, I am tired of seeing young people on these machines winding up dead or severely injured. I feel for their families and friends.

I am also very discouraged by the number of accidents I am reading of that involve cagers and left hand turns. Driver Awareness and Rider Awareness campaigns need to increase to my way of thinking.

I also think that Advanced Rider Training needs to become more affordable and more widely offered. The Ride like a Pro V DVD will help those of us that are not in locales where advanced courses are offered and I think that if every rider practiced the techniques offered on the DVD there would be a lot fewer deaths and severe accidents.

Read the main stream media news feeds on www.bustedknucklenews.com
They are filled with accident information...I can only imagine how many of these accidents could be prevented if riders were given extra training, if drivers of automobiles paid more attention and if young riders did not have this idea that they are invincible.

Your thoughts and ideas on preventing accidents - your ideas on my opinions are VERY MUCH welcome. It is through dialogue with members of our own community and those of the non riding community that perhaps we can find some solutions that will help us all.

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

Belt Drive Betty

The headlines...

There have been some interesting things in the news for riders today.
Quebec is banning high powered sport bikes to anyone under 25 and those riders have to have more than 5 years of riding under their belt! Check out all of the headlines we have posted on the Canadian riding community at www.beltdrivebetty.com

Saskatchewan is going to a graduated licensing system...hmm do I detect a trend here?

What are your thoughts on that subject?

I personally think it's about time. I think rider training needs to be mandatory as well. The more riders we can keep safe the better off our community will be. Motorcycle awareness starts with rider awareness in my mind.

Have a wonderful Monday, ride like everyone around you is blind and be respectful with your throttle hand.

Belt Drive Betty

I feel GRATEFUL!

From comments like Berge Baronian's to the fact that I just signed our first PEI sales rep/reporter for the province of PEI I am feeling grateful.

I have, over the years picked up some survival skills and habits that don't serve me well.
We have all had our sack of hammer handles to drag around with us in life. Everyone has a story!
Dysfunction is something that most of us are familiar with - intimately!

Mine hammer handles were sexual abuse and rape as well as an alcoholic mother and - yada, yada, yada.

The survival skills of someone who has been abused range from self sabotage (I don't deserve anything good) to hiding and swallowing pain (I deserve to have bad things done to me).

In my case, self sabotage and time management skills have been the biggest hurdles for me to over come.

For years I have worked on bettering myself, breaking the chain.
I did not want my child to experience what I had at my parent's hand and I did not want her making the same dumb assed bad choices I had made as a result of the training I had received from my family environment. I went to counseling, I read self help books. (Still read self help and self enlightenment books today.)

Kid's don't come with an instruction manual.
No where does it say that child A likes this but hates that.

All I could do was try something different. I remember one day teaching my kid how to skate.
I loved skating as a kid almost as much as I love riding my motorcycle now as an adult.

Anyway, she wanted to learn, I had the skills and teaching background - perfect bonding time right? WRONG.

There we are on the ice at Mara Lake BC...she's being a clown, goofing off, not taking this seriously. I am furious - how dare she...keep in mind that she's five years old.

I go to back hand her on the fanny, I raise my right arm and all of a sudden I get this flip card rolling through my minds eye of my mother doing exactly the same thing to me...immediately I felt the pain of the hit on the behind, the humiliation I felt because hey, I was just having fun and feeling free...down went my right hand. I stopped and looked at my daughter and I joined her in being a clown. After we were done, we took off our skates, I put her in the truck and we went in to Sicamous and I registered her in skating classes. I changed the outcome of that horrible time for me, by changing it for her.

Yes, I have been working at changing me, my programming, my interpretations of the world around me for a long time. It is amazing how what you are taught as a kid, the values you learn, the beliefs you hold on to, how they stay with you - how long they impact you until you discover that they are really aren't serving you all that well.

Sometimes I get it and sometimes I am a slow learner.

I go though spells of working at improving me, getting complacent and then getting back on the treadmill so to speak. Self improvement is like exercise, you need to be consistent with for it to have lasting impact and value.

Working with the Law of Attraction, watching the Secret, reading books, practicing every day at being a better, more loving, more abundant person. I have to tell you, no matter your religious beliefs. No matter where you are today, you can change things in your life quickly if you choose to. The Laws apply to everyone, kind of the way the law of gravity does. It doesn't matter if you are Christian or Muslim, whether Judaism or Buddhism is your faith. The laws are the laws...

It's hard work working with the laws - yet it's not. It's more like it's joyful work. The more you concentrate on the things that make you feel happy, the more things to feel happy about you attract to you.

The more of your energy you devote to anything, the more of that you will attract - good or bad.

Working with the riding community, focusing on the good things in life, the things I am grateful for has brought me so much. My life, as I work on the housecleaning in my brain and my soul, is becoming richer, better and more abundant because of it.

I am following my passion in life, I hope that you are following yours.

When you are happy, grateful and joyful, it makes living and working so much fun!

Stay safe and ride like they are blind and can't see you...
You are important and valued!

Belt Drive Betty