X Games going deep in heart of Texas to Austin

The X Games are going from the glitz of Los Angeles to deep in the heart of Texas.

Athletes with skateboards and motorcycles will be competing in the Texas capital after ESPN announced Wednesday that Austin will be the next North American host city for the X Games.

"Austin over the last several years has really become synonymous with supporting big events," said Scott Guglielmino, senior vice president, ESPN programming and X Games. "The music scene is fantastic. The night life is fantastic and definitely a young, active town."

The home to the University of Texas also has the new Circuit of the Americas sports and entertainment complex, which will be the primary site for X Games Austin. The 1,500-acre complex opened in November by hosting the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix and held a MotoGP motorcycle race in April.

Austin was selected over three other finalists: Chicago, Detroit and Charlotte, N.C. There were initially 13 qualified bids for the Olympic-style selection process, with Austin picked to host for four years starting next May 15-18.

"X Games is a great action sports competition and is an ideal fit for the city of Austin, which has a tremendous fitness orientation, a tremendous action sports community," said Steve Sexton, president of Circuit of the Americas.

Sexton said 16-18 X Games athletes live in Austin, and that a "couple of thousand people" showed up at the State Capitol to watch an exhibition when Austin was announced as one of the four finalists earlier this year.

X Games is nearing the end of its first year of global expansion and transformation, with events already held in Aspen, Colo., France, Brazil, Spain and Germany.

The X Games will wrap up an 11-year run in Los Angeles with this summer's event Aug. 1-4.

"L.A. clearly, Southern California, it's a special home when it comes to action sports and that whole culture, no question about it," Guglielmino said. "But we felt like it was time to move the X Games to a new venue, a new city. We leave Los Angeles with a lot of great memories, certainly. ... We leave after quite a good and prosperous stay, but definitely looking forward to getting to Austin and really growing out the event."

Aspen has been the host of the winter X Games since 2002, but its contract expires after next year's event. Bidding to host winter competition in the United States just ended, with the next site likely to be picked in early 2014.

There are about 350 fully developed acres at Circuit of the Americas, including the 3.4-mile race track with 20 turns, an expansive outdoor live music space for 14,000 spectators and a 25-story observation tower. There is a pit/paddock building with 34 garage bays and two upper levels of hospitality space, and a 44,000-square-foot event center.

Sexton expects at least 100,000 spectators for the four days of competition.

"The ability to host the X Games fits into our overall strategy, to have a multidimensional entertainment and sports destination," Sexton said. "We're more than motor sports. The X Games is kind of one of the first of many steps in the process."


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Source: The Boston Herald News (AP, 7/17)

CMRA Racing At MotorSport Ranch, In Cresson, Texas, This Coming Weekend

This coming weekend, July 5-7, 2013, the Central Motorcycle Roadracing Association (CMRA) will be tearing up the track at MotorSport Ranch in Cresson, Texas. The track is located 14 miles south of Fort Worth on Highway 377. MotorSport Ranch is composed of two road courses: a 1.7-mile, 11-turn track and a 1.3-mile, 6-turn track, both of which will be utilized this weekend.

The weekend activities begin at 7:00 a.m. Friday with a CMRA License school, racer practice and street-rider track day provided by Lone Star Track Days (www.lstd.com).

Saturday's schedule begins at 9:00 a.m. on the 1.7-mile track. The 2-rider, 60-minute Team 60 race starts off the day, followed by Open Sprint Bike Practice from 10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The Solo 30 races begin at 4:40 p.m. Activity on the “big track” concludes with a Track Walk from 6:40 – 7:40 p.m.

Meanwhile, Saturday events on the 1.3-mile track begin at 10:10 a.m. with a full slate of Mini sprint races including our one-of-a kind Junior Motard race designed for our youngest racers, ages 8-12. The 4-Hour Mini Bike Endurance begins promptly at 12:30, after the conclusion of the one hour lunch break. Saturday's racing concludes with a trophy presentation and trackside racer/spectator Meet and Greet party.

Sunday's schedule is jam-packed with a full day's worth of exciting and competitive Big Bike sprint races. Qualifying for Sunday’s premier race, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation/P1Racing Formula 1 Expert, begins at 9:45 a.m. Motorcycle road racing doesn't get much better than CMRA sprint racing where some of the fastest racers in the country grid up to show them how it's done in Texas!

There is live timing and scoring available for all the races via the Race Monitor App on mobile devices and online at www.cmraracing.com/timing.html Keep up with the action if you can't make it out to the track!

Gates open each day at 6:00 a.m. and we race rain or shine! Weekend entry into the event is only $15 on Thursday, Friday or Saturday, and just $10 on Sunday. Tickets are good for the entire weekend. Ride your street bike to the event and you'll pay just $5 for entry on both Saturday and Sunday! Kids 12 and under are free. A spectator lap of the track will be conducted during the lunch break on Sunday, schedule and weather permitting. Bring a cooler or visit the on-site mobile food truck. A special discount for 50% off official CMRA merchandise is available by printing the weekend flyer from the CMRA Home Page and bringing it to the merchandise booth at the track.

Please note that no pets are allowed at any of the CMRA race events and alcohol consumption is not permitted until racing is done for the day.

On behalf of our racers, the CMRA would like thank our 2013 Class Sponsors including: 212Decals.com, 995PaintWorks.com, Body Evolution Fitness Center, Breast Cancer Research Foundation/P1 Racing, HighPerformanceCrew.com, House of Paint Designs, Houston Superbikes, Island Racing Services, K&N Motorcycles, Lone Star Track Days, Moto Liberty, North Texas Superbikes, OnRoad OffRoad Suspension, RaceworX, Relentless Swagg, Road & Track Suspension, Six Three Cycles, South Central Race Center, Texas Tornado Boot Camp and TrackTactics Track Days. Please remember to support the products and services of the companies who support you!

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Source: RoadRacing World (AP, 7/2)

Bikers cruise Amarillo roads

AMARILLO, TEXAS -- Anywhere from 500 to 1,000 motorcyclists took part in the second Amarillo Bike Fest this weekend, June 28 to June 29, 2013.

Bikers from all over the Panhandle set up camp at Western Cowpunchers and toured the Palo Duro Canyon. They also traveled the historic Route 66.

Live music and vendors was also a perk to the event, which raised money for Family Support Services.

Amarillo Bike Fest Coordinator, Cedrick Graves said their goal is to have fun, stay safe, and bring business to the Amarillo area.

"We have quite a variety of things going on today," said Graves "Along with their bike runs they can enjoy food, leather apparel, and even get tattoos or airbrush painting."

The fun continued June 29, 2013 with, Cracker Jack the Band performing.


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Source: Connect Amarillo (Mills, 6/29)

Mexican Bikers Make Trek to Texas

Jorge Rojas López says that like the hippie counterculture movement of the 1960s, bikers and their reputation for being rough, tough and rebellious is uniquely American.

But that did not stop Rojas, 61, and about three dozen other Mexican nationals from traveling as far as 900 miles to attend an event in Austin that celebrates the fierce independence and individuality of the Lone Star State, the Republic of Texas Biker Rally.

Billed as one of the largest rallies of its kind in the country — rivaling similar events in Sturgis, S.D.,and Daytona Beach, Fla.— the rally draws more than 35,000 people from across the world, promoters said.

The event, which celebrated its 19th year when it was held this month, included performances by the 1980s metal stars Twisted Sister and the Mötley Crüe front man Vince Neil. It also featured, for the first time, performances by Mexican motorcycle acrobats, part of a national club called the Confederación Internacional de Motociclistas Oficiales y Policías de Caminos. The group includes members of regional clubs, like Dorados de Villa in Ciudad Juárez, of which Rojas is a member, across the border from El Paso. Others come from Mexico City, Nuevo León, Querétaro and Guadalajara. The group’s performers are daredevils who mount one another’s shoulders, ride backward on front-end rims or form human pyramids on two motorcycles as they cruise along a designated route. By day, they are professors, teachers, police officers and businessmen.

“The biker is from here, the real biker, and this is a Mexican expression of that culture,” Rojas said. But the Mexican signature, he added, is the acrobatic element. “We don’t see them dominate the bike the way the Apaches dominated the horse better than the Spaniards,” he said.

Rojas, a criminology professor and the rector of the Universidad Cultural in Ciudad Juárez, said the performance transcended the tumultuous histories between Texas and Mexico.

“From my sociological point of view, Texas is really a mixture of cultures,” he said. “Mexicans, we don’t harbor resentment. To the contrary, we see this as a cultural expression. The culture is universal: it doesn’t have borders or limits, it doesn’t have a color. We’re citizens of the world, and as such, we understand this cultural expression.”

Alejandro Galán, the national group’s leader, acknowledges the history but uses it as a punch line instead of a point of contention.

“We’re here because we want to take it back,” he joked, referring to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, under which Mexico in 1848 lost its northern territory to the United States.

The state’s Chicanos, Americans of Mexican descent who identify with both cultures, say the Mexican bikers are a welcome addition to the Texas event.

Mikey Rodriguez, 42, is a member of the Latin Lords MC, a group from Baytown, near Houston. This was his 13th visit to the rally. In previous years, the Mexican riders would caravan in, wearing Mexican wrestler masks amid a cheering crowd. That they make the trek, he said, is not surprising.

“When you’re involved in this lifestyle, you travel left and right,” he said.

Rachel Salas, 36, a Latina and native of Lubbock, said the Mexicans were as welcome as anyone else and just as embraced.

“Everybody gets along, I think that’s a good thing,” she said. “Everyone is very friendly, almost too friendly.”

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Source: Texas Tribune (Aguilar, 6/21)

Pioneering Electric Motorcycle Riders Complete Two Cross-Country Trips This Week

 Two electric motorcycle teams made cross-country trips across the U.S. this week. Terry Hershner, a green energy and electric vehicle advocate, took a solo trip from San Diego, Calif. to Jacksonville, Fla., riding a modified 2012 Zero S. The other, Team Moto Electra, took a replica vintage Norton Featherbed, that was electrified by Brian Richardson and a James Madison University team led by Dr. Robert Prins.

Hershner set out very early on May 31 from San Diego, and reached Jacksonville on June 5. He ran into a few snags, such as traffic accidents stalling traffic for miles, a large rainstorm in Texas, and a serious problem when the motor failed. Fixing the problem required the overnight delivery of a replacement motor from Zero Motorcycles, and late night motorcycle surgery by Hershner. Total travel time was 5 days 15 hours—including the 40 hours required for the roadside motor-ectomy, to cover 2,659 miles.

This makes Terry Hershner the first to complete a solo unassisted cross-country electric motorcycle trip.

If At First, You Don't Succeed...

Hershner's first cross-country attempt with his 2012 Zero S was last November, when he traveled from Orlando, Fla. to Los Angeles to attend the launch party for the 2013 Zero S. After he didn't quite make it, due to the long distances between charging stations along I-10 in Arizona, he spent the last six months living in California and modifying his bike for long-range travel. The battery pack capacity was increased to 18 kilowatt-hours—the stock Zero S has a nine kilowatt-hour pack—and charging rate was amped up to support a one-hour charge time. Legendary motorcycle designer Craig Vetter also lent a hand with aerodynamics.

Between the bigger pack and improved aerodynamics, Hershner can ride 150 miles or so on a charge, at 70 miles per hour. The one-hour charging system uses multiple Elcon 2500 chargers, for a total 13.5 kilowatt charging rate. It's designed to simultaneously plug into multiple power outlets or multiple J1772 charging stations.

The improved aerodynamic design of the fairing, a shell placed over the frame of some motorcycles, is the result of a few years research and design by Craig Vetter. He contends that motorcycles are aerodynamically inefficient, and with better fairing designs there could be huge fuel savings, whether that fuel is electricity or gasoline. With the fairing, a motorcycle becomes a smooth object that slides through the air—rather than getting pushed against air.

Mobile Charging

Team Moto Electra is the brainchild of Brian Richardson, of Blue Grass, Va. He built the electric motorcycle on a vintage Norton Featherbed frame, with technical assistance from Dr. Prins and his students at James Madison University. The bike was raced in the 2010-2011 TTXGP seasons, with AMA Motorcycle Racing champion Thad Wolff as the rider. They were the first team to race an electric bike in a sanctioned gas bike race.

They left Jacksonville, Fla. on June 3, and arrived in Santa Monica on the afternoon of June 6. There were no major snags, but they did have to get throttle parts shipped to them while near Tuscon.

For the trip, they upgraded the battery pack to provide longer riding range. The whole team was along for the ride, following along in a van and carrying a standalone generator for charging the bike. Wolff and Brian Richardson, the manager of Moto-Electra Racing, traded off riding duties.

Prior to the trip, Richardson said, “We will travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean using only the batteries in the vehicle.” He explained that Thad Wolff, one of the great AMA Superbike racers of the 1980s, would be racing against the clock.

Ride, Charge, Repeat

The pattern for both Moto Electra and Terry Hershner was to ride for about two hours, then charge for about an hour—repeating this pattern as many times as required.

The goal of both teams was to demonstrate the capability of fast charging for a long-range all-electric motorcycle trip. The 2:1 riding-to-charging ratio is quite different typical electric car trips that have a ratio of one hour of driving to three or four hours of charging. The more challenging ratio of driving-to-charging for most EVs is part of the problem for taking long-range trips in an electric car. Fast-charging potentially flips the ratio.

Tesla Motors and Nissan are investing in nationwide fast charging networks that could feasibly let electric car owners make road trips. Until then, electric vehicle owners have to be enterprising and brave to make long range trips. “At the turn of the 20th century, gasoline powered vehicles were useless for long distance travel,” said Richardson. “There were no roads, no filling stations, and the vehicles were not dependable. Our goal is to challenge perceptions about the useful range of electric vehicles, and set a world record in the process.” Mission accomplished.


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Source: PluginCars (Herron, 6/7)

R.O.T. Rally

One of the most awaited summer biker rallies is almost here! And, as usual, Texas Biker Lawyers will be there!

This rally will be held in Austin June 13 at the Travis County Exposition Center. The R.O.T Rally is mostly know for their high caliber music acts, cool motorcycles, and the beautiful women of texas.

Over the years the city completely closes of 54 blocks. Over 50,000 people have attended. This year R.O.T will be showcasing motorcycle and vintage bike shows, classic car and hot rod shows, custom bike builders, motorcycle acrobats including the world famous Wall of Death, bike giveaways, tattoo expos, nationally recognized bands, a swimsuit competition, comedians, even a mixed martial arts competition, but also much, much more.

Some of the performing bands this year will be the amazing Twister Sister, Los Lonely Boys, Vince Neil (of Motley Crue), Ray Wylie Hubbard, Texas Flood, Omar and The Howlers, American Swindle, Black Foot, and the list just keeps going! Most R.O.T. related events will be hosted by comedian Steve Trevino! So come on down to Austin: the capital of music.

Motorcycle Injuries Worsen With Weaker Helmet Laws

Across the nation, motorcyclists opposed to mandatory helmet use have been chipping away at state helmet laws for years while crash deaths have been on the rise. In September 1997 the state of Texas amended its motorcycle helmet laws. The change meant only riders younger than 21 are required to wear a helmet. During the first full year following the weakening of the law, deaths jumped 31-percent compared to the year before.

For more than 40 years, Michigan required all motorcycle riders to wear helmets. State legislators changed the law last year so that only riders younger than 21 must wear helmets. The average insurance payment on a motorcycle injury claim was $5,410 in the two years before the law was changed, and $7,257 after it was changed — an increase of 34 percent, the study by the Highway Loss Data Institute found.

After adjusting for the age and type of motorcycle, rider age, gender, marital status, weather and other factors, the actual increase was about 22 percent relative to a group of four comparative states, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin, the study found.

“The cost per injury claim is significantly higher after the law changed than before, which is consistent with other research that shows riding without a helmet leads to more head injuries,” said David Zuby, chief research officer for the data institute and an affiliated organization, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The data institute publishes insurance loss statistics on most car, SUV, pickup truck and motorcycle models on U.S. roads.

While other studies have shown an increase motorcycle deaths after states eliminate or weaken mandatory helmet requirements, the industry study is the first to look specifically at the effect of repealing helmet requirements on the severity of injuries as measured by medical insurance claims, Zuby said.

Some states have sought to mitigate the repeal or loosening of mandatory helmet laws by setting minimum medical insurance requirements, but “that doesn’t even come close to covering the lifelong care of somebody who is severely brain-injured and who cannot work and who is going to be on Medicaid and a ward of the state,” said Jackie Gillan, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, which backs mandatory helmet requirements for all riders.

Jeff Hennie, vice president of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, dismissed the study, saying the insurance industry views helmets as “the silver bullet that’s going to change the landscape of motorcycle safety.” He said insurers are upset because “life has gotten more expensive for them and they have to pay out more.”

“The fact is our highways are bloody,” Hennie said. “This (the Michigan helmet law change) doesn’t make helmets illegal. … No one is forcing anyone to ride without a helmet.”

Vince Consiglio, president of American Bikers Aimed Toward Education of Michigan, blamed the increase in the severity of injuries on bikers who don’t take safety courses required to obtain a special motorcycle license. He said bikers without motorcycle licenses have made up an increasingly larger share of fatalities and injuries in recent years.

But Gillan said the study “clearly shows there is no such thing as a free ride, and the public is paying the cost for this.”

There’s no way to know how many of the Michigan claims involved motorcyclists not wearing helmets, the study said. But another recent study by the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute found a significant increase in motorcyclists involved in crashes who weren’t wearing helmets after the law changed. From April 13, 2012, the first full day after the change took effect, through the end of the year, 74 percent of motorcyclists involved in crashes were wearing helmets, compared with 98 percent in the same period for the previous four years, the study found.

Nationally, motorcycle deaths have risen in 14 of the past 15 years, with more than 5,000 deaths last year, according to an analysis by the Governors Highway Safety Association of preliminary 2012 data. That’s the highest proportion motorcycles have ever represented of overall traffic deaths, more than 14 percent, the association said.

Currently, 19 states and the District of Columbia require all motorcyclists to wear a helmet, 28 states require only some motorcyclists — usually younger or novice riders — to wear a helmet, and three states have no helmet use law. States have been gradually repealing or weakening mandatory helmet laws for nearly two decades.

In 1967, to increase motorcycle helmet use, the federal government required that states enact helmet laws in order to qualify for certain federal safety programs and highway construction aid. The federal incentive worked. By the early 1970s, almost all states had motorcycle helmet laws that covered all riders. In 1976, Congress stopped the Transportation Department from assessing financial penalties on states without helmet laws, and state lawmakers began repealing the statutes.

In 1991, Congress created new incentives for states to enact helmet and seat belt laws, but reversed itself four years later.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which sent observers to states last year to count how many motorcyclists wore helmets, found that 97 percent of motorcyclists in states with universal helmet laws were wearing helmets compared with 58 percent of motorcyclists in states without such coverage.



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Source: CBS (AP, 5/30)

Comedy Defensive Driving Celebrates Motorcycle Awareness Month

Comedy Defensive Driving is joining the national movement to promote motorcycle safety, urging drivers to be both aware of and conscientious toward motorcyclists and to help prevent motorcycle accidents.

Comedy Defensive Driving is the latest supporter to join the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in marking May as national Motorcycle Awareness Month, a campaign designed to help reduce the number of injuries and fatalities to motorcycle drivers across the country. According to the NHTSA, motorcyclists are approximately 30 times more likely to be killed in a crash than drivers of other vehicle types, with lack of visibility being one of the major contributing factors.

Comedy Defensive Driving is a driving and traffic school that is dedicated to providing driver instruction to its students that is both entertaining and informative in order to make sure that all motorists, regardless of vehicle type, are safe on the road. They offer both online and classroom-based courses, including ticket dismissal and court-ordered classes.

To see or sign up for any of Comedy Defensive Driving’s available classes visit their website at http://www.ComedyDefensiveDriving.com.

Comedy Defensive Driving has nearly 20 years of driver education experience. Their goal is to use laughter to make what can otherwise be a boring, frustrating process both fun and educational. They have classrooms across Texas and Florida and offer defensive driving courses online that are accepted by courts and licensing agencies across the country.

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Source: Chron (AP, 5/10)

DPS Urges Motorists to Use Caution Around Motorcyclists

The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is reminding drivers on Texas roadways to use extra caution around motorcycles as part of Motorcycle Safety and Awareness Month, which is observed during the month of May.

“Because of size and visibility, motorcyclists face unique challenges on the road that make them more vulnerable,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw. “We encourage all drivers – whether on two wheels or four – to actively watch out for each other and obey traffic laws. Motorcyclists can further protect themselves by wearing helmets; and other drivers can help by looking twice and giving extra space to motorcyclists.”

Currently, there are more than 440,000 motorcycles and mopeds registered in Texas, and that number is expected to grow.

DPS recommends all drivers “Share the Road” and “Look Twice” for motorcycles, which are Texas Department of Transportation public awareness campaigns that highlight motorcycle safety. Motorists should use caution, especially at intersections and when changing lanes – two common places where serious motorcycle collisions occur. Half of all fatal motorcycle crashes in Texas occur because a car or truck driver never saw the motorcyclist.

In 2012, 460 people in Texas died in motorcycle crashes – down from the 488 motorcyclists who died in 2011. However, those deaths accounted for approximately 13 percent of all traffic deaths in the state last year, and 89 percent of motorcycle crashes in Texas result in death or injury.

In addition to the annual awareness campaign, May 2013 also marks the 30th anniversary of the DPS Motorcycle Safety Unit. The unit coordinates training courses at more than 200 locations around the state for both basic and experienced riders. Motorcyclists must be properly licensed to operate a motorcycle in the State of Texas. For more information on motorcycle training or to find a training location in your area, please call 1-800-292-5787 or visit www.dps.texas.gov/msb.

Drivers and motorcyclists can significantly reduce their chances of being involved in a serious or fatal crash by adhering to basic safety measures, including:

• Always allow a motorcyclist the full lane width – never try to share a lane.

• Perform a visual check for motorcycles by checking mirrors and blind spots before entering or exiting a lane of traffic, and at intersections.

• Always signal your intentions before changing lanes or merging with traffic.

• Allow more following distance – three or four sec¬onds – when behind a motorcycle so the motorcyclist has enough time to maneuver or stop in an emer¬gency.

• Never tailgate. In dry conditions, motorcycles can stop more quickly than cars.

• Never drive while distracted.

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Source: KBTX (AP, 5/2)