The American Motorcylist Association reports that the California Air Resources Board completed an investigation of the Power Commander ignition module produced by DynoJet Research, and found it to be in violation of the agency's emissions standards...

CARB said that the installation of these devices would adversely affect the emissions control systems of vehicles that were certified by the original equipment manufacturers to comply with the agency's emissions standards. Dynojet has now certified a California version of the "Power Commander" and has agreed to pay $1,000,000 in penalties to the California Air Pollution Control Fund.

Labels: California Motorcycle Laws, Motorcycle Emissions

The Board of Supervisors in Orange County, CA voted 4-1 to add a healthcare fee to all traffic tickets written by Sheriff's deputies.

This means if you get busted for speeding, running a red light, having noisy pipes, or looking too imitidating, you'll have to pay extra so that county-funded hospitals and clinics can service the ever-growing public dole.

Steven Greenhut, who writes the Orange Punch Blog, sums up the sorry state of affairs pretty well...

This is a tax increase, and it's wrong to make government more dependent on tickets. That only increases the tendency of police and police agencies to behave primarily as revenuers. In LA cops play games to see who can arrest the most people and write the most tickets and in OC, deputies will be encouraged to hand out more tickets in order to increase funding for government services.

Labels: California Motorcycle Laws, Traffic Tickets

HDForums user, "friknjok" says he got ticketed by a law enforcement officer who told him the suicide shifter on his motorcycle was unsafe...

was cited for "non-original suicide clutch" in southern california. Calif vehicle code 24002(a), unsafe vehicle.

Never heard of getting a ticket for a suicide clutch. Any help with literature or resources to fight this ticket are appreciated. Thanks.

Labels: California Motorcycle Laws

California State Legislature today approved a bill that would require the installation of traffic light sensors that can detect both motorcycles and bicycles. The bill, AB 1581, now goes to the Governor for signing.

You read the text of the bill here...
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/....bill_20070712_amended_sen_v98.html

However, it's not a slam dunk the Governor will sign it. There were two previous bills almost exactly like this one, AB 930 of 1998, and AB 2521 of 2002, which Governors Wilson and Davis each vetoed, citing that these measures levy too much cost on local government, and that local government is already free to incorporate these sensors.

However, local governments will not be required to implement these sensors until CalTrans can identify and test the technology that will be used.

AB 1581 goes on to say that the State will impose duties on local governments to pay for a state-mandated local program. It's not clear to me, but it sounds like this program may include CalTrans' testing of the sensors, monitoring the implementation progress, and possibly reimbursing local governments for these new sensors.

This whole idea sounds like an attempt to extract city and county tax revenues to create another bureaucratic system. Local governments are already free to implement motorcycle-detecting sensors, they just haven't done so.

Most traffic lights are able to detect motorcycles, there are only a minority that don't. It's not necessary to spend money to fix a traffic light that doesn't need to be fixed.

I like the idea of allowing motorcycles and bicycles to pass through a red light as if they were a stop sign, only doing so when cross traffic has cleared and when it's safe to do so. That doesn't require the creation of a bureaucracy. I thought California was to enact this as a new law, does anyone know what happened to it?

Labels: California Motorcycle Laws, Traffic Signals

There have been attempts in various states to address the problem of motorcycles not being able to trip the traffic light sensors at intersections, causing unncessary waits.

Here's a website that deals with the issue in California, but also goes on to list what other states have done.

Check it out:
http://www.bikernation.net/stoplightbill.htm

Labels: California Motorcycle Laws, Traffic Signals

Just a perspective on how bikers are still not tolerated in some places, the City of Canyon Lake, CA, is debating a vote on whether or not to allow motorcycles in their town.

Right now, it's illegal to ride a motorcycle in much of the city. Specifically, Canyon Lake is a gated city, with about 90% of its inhabitants sealed behind a wall and secured gates. You can't ride a motorcycle within the gated area. You can ride a motorcycle in other parts of the city, outside the gate.

But believe it or not, there's a motorcycle club existing inside the city, within the gated area, called Canyon Lake Motorcycle Club. They can't ride their bikes there, they can't even ride them to get out of the gated area. They have to be pushed or trailered out.

Chuck Marler, the President of the club, was able to get a special ballot measure created to vote on whether or not to allow motorcycles to ride within the gated area. This ballot doesn't open the doors wide open to motorcycles, it only allows speeds no faster than 15mph, and still prohibits riding on streets with bike lanes. The ballot was created so that all riders don't have to trailer their bikes out.

And the ballot is getting a lot of criticism. The town's newspaper, The Friday Flyer, has an article about it.

He reiterates that he and other motorcyclists only want to be
able to ride their bikes to and from their homes to the gates. They are not asking to ride here recreationally or to attend Taco Tuesday and other functions on their bikes, he maintains.

Labels: Biker Discrimination, California Motorcycle Laws, Motorcycle Bans