Bikers rally at State Capitol for new motorcycle bill

Hundreds of bikers rumbled their way to the State Capitol Monday morning to promote a new piece of legislation.

The group of bikers is asking state lawmakers to pass the Motorcycle Crash Prevention Act, a bill aimed at lowering the number of motorcycle accidents across Texas.

Among other things, the bill would provide funding to expand Texas’ “Share the Road” program--a public service campaign intended to make drivers more aware of motorcycles on the road.

If the proposed bill becomes law, it would also fund more training for riders.

One of the event’s organizers says she's optimistic about the bill passing, thanks to the motorcyclists' lobby.

"We're all registered voters and we're heavily involved in all the politics of the state,” Terri Williams with the Texas Motorcycle Rights Association said. “We want to make them aware of us in large numbers to let them know that we have the backing of the state of Texas with the motorcyclists."

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Source: YNN (AP, 1/28)

RIDE FOR KIDS: RAISES $3.8 MILLION TO FIGHT CHILDHOOD BRAIN TUMORS

America’s motorcyclists and families battling childhood brain tumors joined together to raise more than $3.8 million to support the work of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation in 2012. The Ride for Kids, held in 40 cities across the country, recognizes top fundraisers in four categories: Motorcycle business, motorcycle club/chapter, individual and special organization.

The overall leaders for 2012 were:

- Northwest Honda of Houston was again the No. 1 motorcycle business, with its customers raising $291,754 for Ride for Kids events in Houston, Dallas, Lafayette, La., Albuquerque and Birmingham.

- Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA) TX-C was also a repeat winner from Houston. Its members collected $87,026 in donations at four Ride for Kids events to make TX-C the country’s top motorcycle chapter.

- Texan Sam Caine was the top individual fundraiser, with $81,413.

- The Caden Johnson Memorial Fund was the country’s top special organization, raising $57,192 in Dallas/Fort Worth.

“Children with brain tumors and their families had a lot to cheer about last year,” said PBTF President and CEO Robin Boettcher. “The motorcycle community, volunteers and sponsors helped us fund cutting-edge international medical research and provide support, such as college scholarships for survivors. We’re gearing up for some exciting changes in 2013, and thank everyone for their ongoing support of our work to cure the kids.”

Program enhancements for 2013:

Ride for Kids events are planned in 43 locations in 2013, including the 40 on the current schedule and three pilot rides to be announced later this year.

At each event, we will continue to draw for a new Honda motorcycle and other great prizes. Online registration and integrated personal fundraising pages are coming this spring. The early bird registration rate of $40 per motorcycle includes one ticket for the prize drawing. Walk-up registration (day of event) is $50 per bike.

A new prize redemption program will give fundraisers a greater selection of incentive items. Participants can earn a collectible event T-shirt for as little as $100. Depending on how much is raised, they will qualify for one additional incentive with a selection of great prizes offered at each fundraising level.

Thanks to our partners:

American Honda is the presenting sponsor of Ride for Kids, and GEICO is our national insurance sponsor. Our supporters include Cycle World, Advanstar Communications and the International Motorcycle Shows.

This year’s Ride for Kids/Cycle World motorcycle drawing features a 2012 CBR1000RR donated by Honda and customized by Gregg DesJardins with assistance from Blue Cat (Roberto Serangeli), Performance Machine, Cycles 128, Bell Helmets, Leo Vince, Saddlemen, CRG and Dunlop. Get your chance to win online. No purchase is necessary to win, and the drawing is void where prohibited. See official rules for details. The winner’s name will be drawn in May 2013.

Riding to cure the kids:

Pediatric brain tumors are one of the deadliest forms of childhood cancer, striking 11 American children each day. The Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation works to eliminate the challenges of this killer disease by funding medical research and family support programs.

The Ride for Kids program has helped make the PBTF the world’s leading non-governmental source of childhood brain tumor research funding. We are also one of Charity Navigator’s highest-rated nonprofit organizations.

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Source: Cycle World (AP, 1/30)

Driver sought in hit-and-run

A Hallsville man died Sunday night after wrecking his motorcycle and then being run over by a pickup truck whose driver fled the scene in rural Upshur County, said investigating Texas Depatment of Public Safety Trooper Brandon Love.

Officers were seeking a white pickup which ran over Maxwell Kyle Hardin, 35, as he lay in the roadway of FM 726 after wrecking the motorcycle in an accident which also injured his girlfriend, Love said.

Hardin died after being taken by ambulance to East Texas Medical Center Gilmer, where Upshur County Pct. 4 Justice of the Peace W.V. Ray pronounced him dead at 8:35 p.m., said Love.

Donna Rene Miller of Hallsville, who was marking her 36th birthday, was taken by ambulance to Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview with possible head injuries, but was expected to recover, Love said.

She and Hardin had left a birthday party for her at her home in Hallsville, the trooper said.

Authorities do not know whether it was the motorcycle crash, or the pickup, which killed Hardin, Love said.

The trooper gave this account of the accidents and related events:

The couple was southbound on FM 726 between the intersections with Hwy. 154 and FM 1650 (near Glenwood), when Hardin swerved the 1999 Honda Shadow to miss a deer. The driver lost control and ran into a ditch on the roadway’s right side, throwing him and Ms. Miller off the motorcycle.

Hardin was lying in the southbound lane when, probably within 30 seconds, the southbound pickup ran over him and stopped momentarily before continuing southward on FM 726.

A man who was sitting on his porch witnessed the motorcycle accident and was going to help when he saw the pickup run over Hardin.

The witness couldn’t tell anything about the driver, but said nobody exited the vehicle. Authorities have no description of it, other than it was a white pickup, and anyone with information on the incident is asked to call the Tyler DPS office at 903-939-6000 or the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office at 903-843-2541.

Leaving the scene of the accident was a felony offense.

Hardin and Ms. Miller weren’t wearing helmets, but she was able to call 911 on her cell phone. Love was notified of the incidents at 7:15 p.m.

Those were the first of four traffic crashes attributable at least partly to animals in rural Upshur County Sunday evening. The other two, both caused by a calf who strayed into FM 2263 three miles northeast of Gilmer (off Hwy. 155), resulted in no serious injuries, according to Love.

David Sterling, 55, of Gilmer, was southbound when his 2001 GMC pickup struck the calf, Love said. Sterling exited the truck, was charged by the animal, and received a minor knee injury when he ran and jumped back into the vehicle, said the trooper.

Love said he was called to that accident at 10:30 p.m., arrived at 10:39, and was turning his patrol car around when he witnessed the second crash. The calf had run northward up the road, and 55-year-old Amron Dailey of Gilmer overturned her southbound 2005 Chevrolet Malibu when she swerved to miss the animal, the trooper said.

“I saw her car rolling in my headlights  in the ditch. . . I saw it roll twice,” Love said at the scene. Ms. Dailey escaped injury when the vehicle ran off the roadway’s right side and ended up right side up, straddling a ditch.

Ms. Dailey was wearing her seat belt, which “definitely saved her from getting ejected,” Love said.

Both accidents occurred near the intersection with Blue Bell Road, and both Sterling and Ms. Dailey were alone in their vehicles, Love said. Both reside on FM 2263, he stated.

Love and an Upshur County Sheriff’s Deputy used a flashlight to spot the calf in a pasture beside the road. The animal jumped up and ran a short distance away from the officers into the pasture.

Rain began within an hour after Ms. Dailey’s crash.

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Source: The Gilmer Mirror (Williams, 1/31)

Motorcycle crashes, shootings, train accidents killed Fort Hood soldiers in 2012

While Fort Hood saw 19 suicides in 2012 — nearly double that of 2011 and just three less than the record 22 suicides in 2010 — even more soldiers suffered untimely deaths at the Army post in incidents ranging from motorcycle crashes to shootings to train accidents.

At least a dozen Fort Hood soldiers died in vehicle crashes in 2012; eight were on motorcycles. Motor vehicle crashes, and especially motorcycle crashes, are a long-standing problem throughout the military, and a 2012 Statesman investigation found similarly high numbers of motor vehicle crashes among Texas veterans who died after returning from war and leaving the military.

The motorcycle deaths come despite the extensive training and safety measures that Fort Hood officials require of all soldiers who ride a motorcycle. Officials and safety experts have said that returning service members can struggle with driving outside a war zone, where aggressive habits such as fast driving, avoiding unknown objects on the road and not coming to a stop help keep soldiers alive.

Riders must take up to three training courses, participate in a mentorship coaching program and wear fluorescent vests, helmets and eye protection. And soldiers returning from deployments must take a refresher course before riding again.

Several of the reported deaths were the result of extremely risky behavior on the part of soldiers. Among those killed in 2012 were a soldier who lost control while “doing wheelies” outside a Fort Hood-area restaurant in April and another who died during a February police chase after participating in motorcycle races on a Killeen avenue, according to Fort Hood safety memos.

Three Fort Hood soldiers were killed by gunshots last year. One was killed in October during an argument outside an off-post house party; another by a fellow soldier who told authorities he was trying to cure the victim’s hiccups by scaring him with a gun he thought was loaded with dummy rounds. One soldier was shot and killed by Fort Hood police after they came under fire while approaching his car, which was parked near a lake on the post.

Two soldiers were killed in train-related incidents outside Fort Hood. In the first, a soldier drove past lowered gate guards at a railroad crossing and was struck by an oncoming train. In the second incident, freight train engineers said they saw a body on the tracks in Copperas Cove before running over a soldier. It’s unclear how the soldier ended up on the tracks; police refused to release further information on the incident. One Fort Hood soldier died from an unintentional drug overdose, according to Fort Hood officials. The 2012 Statesman investigation found overdoses, particularly of prescription drugs, were nearly as prevalent as suicides among Texas veterans receiving disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Several of last year’s untimely Fort Hood deaths remain unexplained. Five soldiers, ranging in age from 24 to 47, were found “unresponsive” in their homes or barracks, according to Fort Hood officials, but their deaths weren’t ruled suicide or overdose by medical examiners. Fort Hood officials didn’t provide their causes of death.

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Source: Statesman (Schwarts, 1/19)

Texas Tornado Boot Camp 2013 Camp Dates

Texas Tornado Boot Camp is alive n kickin' and ready for a new year! Edwards and crew are gettin’ ready to fire up the bikes for its 2013 season. It’s looking to be one heck of a WEEK-LONG-RACER-CAMP coming up at the end of this month.

Texas Tornado Boot Camp will be hosting special guest instructors; 2012 AMA Pro Daytona Sportbike racer Jake Zemke and the one and only Mr. Daytona, Scott Russell will be in attendance. These boys will be at camp ALL WEEK and are ready to get rowdy with ya’ll!

The week camp will be stacked full of racing curriculum, team challenges, endurance races, gun challenges, a points paying four-race series and of course, all the after-hours, smack talkin’ bench racing you can handle.

Folks, we mean to give you all the skills that two former World Superbike Champions and a 2008 Formula Extreme Champion can muster up! Better bring your big boy pants; it’s going to be one for the record books!

Get prepared for your 2013 racing season by joining us, January 28th- February 3rd

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? ONLY 6 SPOTS LEFT! GET SIGNED UP RACERS, THE TEXAS FUN AWAITS!

2013 TTBC Schedule

January 28th - February 3rd- 1 Week Racer Camp (Special Price $1950.00)

March 6th & 7th 2-Day Road Race School- Harris Hill Raceway (Featuring Colin Edwards for the Special Price of $1200.00)

March 9th - DIRT WARS I (Special Price $125.00)

April 13th - 16nd 4 Day Camp - Pre-Austin GP

April 23rd - 26th 4 Day Camp - Post-Austin GP

June 6th - 9th 4 Day Camp

July 25th - 28th 4 Day Camp - Post-Laguna GP

August 10th - 13th 4 Day Camp - Pre-Indy GP

October 31st - November 3rd 4 Day Camp- Halloween

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Source: Motorcycle USA (Waheed, 1/9)

BMW Recalling 2,385 Motorcycles for Kickstand Problem

BMW is recalling 2,385 of its 2012-13 motorcycles to keep gravity from having its way with them.

In a report to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, BMW said the kickstand on its S 1000 RR models could fail, allowing the $15,000 motorcycle to topple over.

BMW told the safety agency that the problem was that the attachment threads were not properly cleaned. So the remaining bits of metal could allow the bolts to loosen and the kickstand could separate from the frame.

BMW told the agency it had its first report of a problem in March followed by five more in June and July. “Given the low number of warranty claims and the long period of time in which the claims were received,” BMW said it continued to “monitor” the situation.

Following some additional reports in Germany – as well as in the United States – BMW began investigating in October, found the cause and concluded a recall was needed.

BMW described the recall as “voluntary,” but once a manufacturer finds a safety problem it has five business days to inform the safety agency of its plan for a recall or face civil fines.

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Source: The New York Times (Jensen, 12/28)

Winter Motorcycle Riding Tips

For Bikers, winter riding is not a simple option. Their bikes hibernate in their garage, with a thick lawyer of grease to protect it until spring arrives once more.

But bike hibernation doesnt need to happen. with a few changes in your riding style and the right kit, you can ride your motorcycle averywhere.

Its important to be cautious while riding in the winter for the many dangers it brings with its beauty. Below are some tips to keep riding, and most importantly be safe while riding in cold weather.

Wrap up against weather

It may sound obvious, but investing in specialist winter riding gear can make a massive difference to your winter warmth and comfort. One-piece leathers are clearly the best as they offer less opportunity for the icy wind to find a way in. If you can't afford these, make sure your layers overlap well.

If you can only invest in one piece of winter kit, then make it a quality pair of gloves. Modern technology has created a range of waterproof, thermally efficient gloves that will keep your hands warm and dry as you ride. Failing that, make sure you keep a spare pair of inner gloves in your pocket so you can change them if they get wet. The wet pair can then dry in your pocket from your body heat ready to be changed again.

Riding in the correct kit is not just a comfort issue either. If you're wet and cold, you will tire more easily and will not respond as sharply to events around you. This is particularly true of cold fingers. Combine these slower reactions with the more hazardous roads of winter, and you've got more potential problems.

Respect the winter roads

From the autumn storms, when rain falls on roads which have accumulated grease and oil all summer, to the treacherous black ice of winter frosts, the riding conditions in winter demand your utmost respect.

The simple advice is to take it easy. Save your carefree open-road riding for those glorious summer mornings. In winter the conditions need as much care as you can muster. Not only will there be much less grip on wet and icy roads, you will also be challenged by the wind and the rain as you ride along. So use your lane, and give yourself space to adapt, adjust, and slow down. And if you have a long ride ahead, plan to stop and warm up along the way.

Stop, revive, and survive

It's worth remembering that poor conditions affect everyone else around you too. Motorists, who struggle to see bikes at the best of times, are even less likely to see you when their windows are misted up. Even pedestrians become a real hazard, as they bow their heads to the rain or hunch up against the cold, leaving them prone to walk out in front of you without looking properly.

Wet Roads

Increase the breaking distance between you and other vehicles to account for wet and greasy road conditions. By increasing your distance you will get minimal spray of other vehicles and will be able to judge and anticipate other road users driving much easier. Watch out for wet leaves on the road. These can make the surface slippery and could make you lose control.

Vision

Bad weather such as fog or even low winter sun can restrict your view. Be aware of the hazards; ride to suit the road conditions. Rider Visibility

Bikers need to be as visible as possible to other road users. By wearing reflective clothing it helps other road users to see you, especially on dark mornings and early evenings. By making contact with drivers using their mirrors, this also makes you visible to the driver.

Signal earlier

Signal earlier to give as much notice as possible to other road users of your intentions.

Lights

Check your lights regularly to make sure they are working. Also ensure your lights are visible and clear of dirt.

Tires

Check your tire pressure to ensure it's suitable for winter riding.

Mirrors

In winter months, use anti-misting spray on your visor and mirrors.

Strong winds

Try to avoid riding in strong winds, however if it is absolutely necessary then be aware of hazardous objects being swept onto the roads such as carrier bags, boxes, branches of trees, cones etc.

If you do have to go out this winter on your bike, stay alert and ride well within your limit.

But For all the problems of winter riding, it still beats standing at a bus stop in the rain, or struggling to de-ice your frozen car every morning. With a little planning and a little care, you'll be enjoying the sunshine of spring before you know it.

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Source: Bennets (AP)

EXCELLENT IDEA OF THE DAY: CUSTOM WOOD HELMETS

While many in the helmet industry are busy finding the latest technological innovations to build new, safer helmets, one man in Oregon is turning to a primitive material to make custom-designed helmets that absorb more energy than the standard plastics: wood.

Dan Coyle has been making helmets (and paddles and even eyeglass frames) since the 1990s, Outside Magazine reports. Now, with some help from Indiegogo, Coyle is selling his Tree Piece Helmets and billing them as "The First Sustainably Built Natural Fiber Bicycle Helmet."

The helmets are made of salvaged wood -- mostly Douglas fir -- and lined with cork, making them more durable than polycarbonate. At 21 ounces, they're heavier than a racing helmet, but on par with a typical recreational helmet. There's some circulation and venting from the cork liner, but the company admits the helmets are generally warmer than plastic.

Although Coyle has had the helmets tested (favorably) at an impact lab, certification calls for large-scale production. He's hoping to get funding for two of his models to be certified through his current Indiegogo campaign.

One of the most frequent questions Coyle gets is, "Won't the wood crack?" The answer is a partial yes, in an accident.

"The cracking that happens in a wood shell as in a foam helmet is energy being diverted into the destruction of the helmet rather than the skull," his website explains. "On the other hand, it is still important that the shell retain some integrity and not fragment. HMVK, the polyurea compound we coat the inside of each shell with, allows the shell to absorb energy without fragmenting in an accident."

One undeniable difference, however? The price tag. The helmets start at $375.

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Source: Discovery News (Eldred, 12/14)

Oklahoma's lack of helmet laws for adult motorcyclists still gets debate

The most recent statistics available from the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office show there were 98 motorcycle fatalities in 2011.

It's the freedom of choice they like.

They ride their motorcycles with the wind in their hair and say helmets shouldn't be required by law.

This is a motocycle helmet worn by Jim Watson, of Edmond, during motorcycle safety training Saturday July 26, 2008 at Edmond Fire Station 5.

Our position is very simple, that helmets are a very good device but it should be our choice whether to wear one.”

John Pierce, Legislative chairman for the American Bikers Active Toward Education In Oklahoma, adults 18 and older don't have to wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle, only those younger than 18.

John Pierce, 69, of Collinsville, staunchly defends bikers' choice to wear a helmet. Pierce is the legislative chairman for the American Bikers Active Toward Education, a group of about 1,100 motorcycle enthusiasts in the state.

“Our position is very simple, that helmets are a very good device but it should be our choice whether to wear one,” Pierce said. “We believe we have the right to decide whether to wear a helmet.”

Others say it is a safety issue and helmets should be mandatory. No helmet law increases insurance rates, they say.

The most recent statistics available from the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office show there were 98 motorcycle fatalities in 2011.

Of those killed, 81 percent were not wearing helmets. In 2010, the figures were 78 people killed and 85 percent not wearing helmets.

Oklahoma City police have reported 10 motorcycle fatalities this year. Seven of those people were not wearing helmets, police Capt. Dee Patty said. In 2011, Oklahoma City police worked eight fatal motorcycle crashes; six people who died did not wear helmets, Patty said.

AAA Oklahoma, a company that sells insurance, supports enacting an Oklahoma helmet law to save lives, spokesman Chuck Mai said.

“The proof is there. AAA Oklahoma strongly supports enactment of legislation requiring motorcycle riders and passengers to wear helmets and encourages all motorcycle riders to educate themselves of the lifesaving qualities of helmet use,” Mai said.

He said motorcycle insurance premiums can be affected by claims in a geographic area.

Texas does not require a helmet for adult riders age 21 and older who have $10,000 medical insurance coverage. Kansas requires motorcycle riders younger than 18 to wear helmets.

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Source: NewsOK (Medly, 12/17)