EVERYONE needs to get the latest issue of AMA's American Motorcyclist. In it is a picture of what today's bike should be ... IN THE EYES OF REGULATORS! This isn't a "what if" vision. The photo is a comulatation of all the hair-brained, half-baked ideas that have been proposed and EVEN TESTED, by our thoughtful governments around the world.
Air bags with a "trigger" that wraps arount the front tire, roll cages / bars, exhaust heat sheilding, zillons of reflectors and the worst one... leg protectors incase of side inpacts. It was this one, our former Sec. of DOT tried to push for here in the US. The idea came from England's equivalant of the NTSB.
In testing, it was determined that these "leg guards" caused FAR MORE injury to the rider then if the bike didn't have them. With these facts clearly proven by GOVERNMENT TESTING, both nations STILL tried to get regulations passed to require such "protection".
I don't agree with all of AMA's views, just like the NRA. Still,I gladly maintain my membership and try to send a couple of extra dollars for their lobbying efforts. Both the NRA and AMA are basically the only groups that actively lobby the government and international organations for the rights of shooters and riders.
Until another organation or group comes along that's closer to my views, my money on these two. If your not an AMA member, SHAME ON YOU! You can individually write all the letters you want. You still won't have a fraction of the impact that the AMA has.
"Planned communities", city parks, parking decks, your work's health care plan and even Shoreline Drive in Chicago (I think) have all tried to excluded bikes. It's the AMA that helps get these issues into the courtrooms of America.
Three city parks that banned licensed motorcycles have been forced to open back up. Federal laws now say that you can not discriminate against motorcycles in health insurance plans. Shoreline Drive had to reopen to motorcyclists since it was pointed out (in court) that Shoreline Drive is also a federally funded highway and the local government can not regulate what types of licensed vehicles can utilize the road.
Even if all of us wrote 10 letters for every one post we put here, we still wouldn't have that kind of impact. For the amount of money we spend on our bikes, is it too much to send $25 + $10 (for the AMA lobbyists) once a year? Just so we can have the RIGHT to ride what we enjoy so much?
What good is a "tricked out scoot" if you can go to the local park? If you have to park it on the street since the secure parking decks won't allow bikes? If you live in a planned community and you have to park it outside the gates? If your work's health care policy won't cover you when you get hit by a lil' ole lady who turns left in front of you, BUT WOULD COVER YOU, if you were DRUNK and got hurt ramming a school bus full of kids?
If you think it's a joke or it won't happen where you live, go ahead... take that chance. But when it does (and it will), don't cry to me. If any of you have a dirt bike or a 4-wheeler, you know what I'm talking about. Clinton wants to make ANOTHER 800 MILLION ACRES off limits to all motorized vehicles. That's bigeer than some of our ENTIRE state.
