Naked Motorcycle Riding is Legal in Sweden
by Steve
Friday, May 04, 2007
An article from United Press International says that riding a motorcycle while naked is not illegal in Sweden, as long as you're wearing a helmet..."If you ride a motorbike you need a helmet but there is no other protective clothing required," said Mahler. However, Mahler said police would still like to speak with the man.
The article focused on reports of a naked man riding a motorcycle. Police say that while it's nothing illegal, they still trying to hunt him down. Make sense?
The report goes on to say that anyone can still report the man for disorderly conduct, but it's not clear that anyone has.
Labels: Legislation, Riding Naked, Strange Stuff, Sweden
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New Zealand District Bans Back Patches
by Steve
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Apparently, the Wanganui District Council in New Zealand voted today to adopt a "no colors" policy across its entire domain, according to The Daily Telegraph...
http://www.news.com.au/..../0,22049,21564353-5006506,00.html
Districts in New Zealand are similar to the counties we have in the USA.
At issue is escalating warfare between rival motorcycle clubs, including a serious head-injury of a MC member last month where shots were fired...Civil libertarians are horrified at the possibility of a law that would mean anyone wearing gang patches or regalia in a public place would get a $NZ5000 ($4400) fine.
The Bill would be aimed at those displaying gang regalia in the Wanganui shopping area, on beaches and in parks.
Banning the wearing of club patches won't stop gang warfare. Motorcycle club members can identify their association in other ways that the public doesn't recognize, but where other club members can easily identify.
If anything, not being clearly identified as a club member might cause other citizens to be confused as club members. Moreover, the general public will no longer know if they're walking among motorcycle club members.
Labels: Legislation, Motorcycle Clubs, New Zealand
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Motorcycles Banned From Highways in the Future?
by Steve
Sunday, April 15, 2007
A rider who goes by the name "Thorsblood" posted a thought-provoking article on HarleyChatGroup asking the question if motorcycles will one day be banned from our nation's highways...
http://www.harleychatgroup.com/....viewtopic&t=32225
At issue is a speech from Mark V. Rosenker, Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, given just a few days ago (Apr 11, 2007). The speech detailed the direction our federal government is moving towards with regards to two new highway safety technologies:
- Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS)
- Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems (IVBSS)
Both of these technologies involve small electronic sensors and transmitters placed along highways, bridges, and signs, that pick up information from the roadways and transmit them to devices built into cars and trucks. The idea is that this information could be used to provide useful information to drivers and to even take control of their cars to maintain a safe flow of traffic.
What Thorsblood pointed out is that this technology seems to exclude motorcycles, and that this may ultimately cause motorcycles to be banned from using "intelligent highways". That is, Rosenker gave examples of how this technology will help car drivers, but did't include a word about motorcycles.
Thorsblood went on to say that this technology is being deployed in Europe and Australia and in those regions there is already discussion about motorcycles not being included in this new technology, and that motorcycle interest groups need to step up and make their voices heard.
To add my dark-twisted thoughts to this, federal government could very well be interested in gaining more control of people using highways through these technologies, to automate law enforcement tasks, monitor the whereabouts of an individual, and therefore enact legislation to exclude incompatible vehicles from these highways.
Certainly motorcycle manufacturers can equip bikes with these technologies, up to a certain degree. That might prevent a ban of motorcycles from these highways. But it will also result in a change in the way we ride motorcycles. These intelligent control systems may prevent us from riding too fast, too slow, lane splitting, or too close to each other. It could eliminate all advantages of riding a motorcycle.
It's often been said that as gasoline prices go higher, more people will ride scooters and motorcycles, and that this will force government to rethink its transporation strategy. However, if biofuels like ethanol can gain greater usage, it could become cheaper than gasoline, and that could keep people in their cars.
Will ITS and IVBSS take more freedom away from riding motorcycles? Or will it utimately cause motorcycles to be banned from certain highways?
Labels: Legislation, Safe Riding
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Tennessee Bill to Rescind Helmet Law
by Steve
Monday, April 09, 2007
Television station WKRN in Nashville, Tennessee has a video segment about a proposed bill that will change the mandatory helmet law by giving riders over 21 years of age, the choice to ride without...
http://www.wkrn.com/node/87994#top
The video segment is actually part of the station's "That is Messed Up" feature, where the news program focuses on dumb things, in this case, modifying the helmet law.
I guess we know where they stand on this issue.
Interestingly, Tennessee is also the state that is considering a ban on motorcycle wheelies.
Labels: Helmet Laws, Legislation, Tennessee
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Britain Considers Mandatory Speed Limiters on Motorcycles
by Steve
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Reuters reports that the British government is considering a law that requires all motorcycles to be fitted with a speed limiter preventing them from being ridden "too fast"...Electronic speed limiters, already fitted on some scooters and high-performance bikes, could be required by law if the government adopts the committee's ideas.
Giving evidence to the committee, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said it saw no need for motorbikes that can comfortably exceed the 70 mph limit twice over.
The charity suggested that engine size be limited to 125cc.
125cc? Thank goodness this it was a just charity that made that recommendation. Sounds like someone in Britain wants their country to move around like Vietnam.
Read the full article here:
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=486022007
Labels: Legislation, Speed Limits, UK Motorcycle News
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Tennessee To Consider Wheelie Ban
by Steve
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
The State of Tennessee is considering amending its vehicle code to outlaw wheelies...The bill's sponsor, Rep. Vince Dean, R-East Ridge, said police can already pull over a driver for such stunts. But adding anti-wheelie language to the law will give officers assurance their cases will stand up in court.
AS IF wheelies are a particular problem on the road.
Read the full article here...
http://www.dicksonherald.com/..../1297/MTCN02
Labels: Legislation, Tennessee
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Chicago Unveils New Parking Lot Receipts for Motorcycles
by Steve
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
The biggest problem with parking your motorcycle in a gated parking lot or parking structure, is the wind blowing the receipt off of your bike.
While cagers can easily lay the receipt on their dashboard, or sometimes hang it from their rear-view mirrors, motorcyclists have nowhere to place it.
So the city came up with a receipt with an adhesive backing. They want bikers to stick it on their headlight.
They also want people to park their bikes at a 90 degree angle to the curb, so as to maximize the availble parking space. Because we all know how much space gets hogged up by motorcycles.
Via Chicago Sun Times
Labels: Legislation, Parking
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Proof that Loud Pipes Save Lives
by Steve
Monday, February 26, 2007
Here's an interesting new twist on the old saying that "Loud Pipes Save Lives"...The National Federation of the Blind, an advocacy group, says all hybrid vehicles should emit a sound while turned on and is calling on the auto industry to make changes. The group says the sound should be loud enough to be heard over the din of other ambient noise.
The article goes on to say that there are no statistics on how many blind people have been injured by hybrid cars, but that..."We want to get ahead of this and not have to wait until five blind people end up seriously hurt or dead," says Gary Wunder, who is on the NFB's Committee on Automobile and Pedestrian Safety.
Sounds like motorcycle rights groups have an ally in the National Federation of the Blind.
Read the full article here:
http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB117133115592406662-4gKiXEZVH0RXATvUvpkVpLUsbx8_20080213.html?mod=blogs
Labels: Legislation, Loud Pipes
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Fake Gonads to be Banned from Motorcycles
by Steve
Friday, February 23, 2007
A lawmaker in Maryland has authored a bill that would outlaw fake testicles hanging from people's vehicles.
http://www.wtkr.com/Global/story.asp?S=6131392&nav=ZolHbyvjThe measure was filed in the General Assembly Monday by Delegate LeRoy E. Myers Jr., R-Washingon, who says children shouldn't be exposed to giant plastic gonads dangling from pickup truck trailer hitches. The bill also would ban depictions of naked human breasts, buttocks or genitals, with offenses punishable by fines of up to $500.
Personally, I would never hang such stuff from my motorcycle, but I've seen other bikers do it. And so what?
Labels: Legislation, Maryland
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Missouri Bill to Change Helmet Law
by Steve
Friday, May 12, 2006
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Virginia Bill Expands Use of Lights on Motorcycles
by Steve
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Delegate L. Preston Bryant, Jr. (R) of Virginia introduced new legislation that allows the use of auxillary lights on motorcycles.
HB26 adds the following text to the State's existing law on motorcycle lights...Motorcycles may be equipped with low-voltage, low-intensity, steady-burning lights no larger than one-half inch in diameter, provided such lights may be of any color except red or blue.
I'm not quite sure what to make of this. The law already allows motorcycles to have up to two passing lamps on the front, so, this new text doesn't address that. The best I can tell is there may be an issue with bikers running their fog lights continously throughout the day.
Or, it could be that bikers are running engine LEDs colored in blue and red, and causing confusion with other motorists thinking they're being followed by a cop.
Thoughts anyone?
Labels: Legislation, Lights, Virginia
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Washington State Considers New Motorcycle Laws
by Steve
Saturday, November 26, 2005
An article from the Associated Press reports that officials from the Washington State Patrol and the Department of Licensing are discussing strategies to address older motorcycle riders killing themselves.
Among the solutions is a requirement that people must show their motorcycle license before buying a bike
While age certainly does play a factor towards reduced vision, and slower reflexes, I know some geriatric riders that ride better than I do. Who hasn't heard of "Turbo Dave", who's like 80 years old, owns umpteen different bikes, and rides coast-to-coast just to pass the time away?
If a guy wants to leave this world while riding his bike, let him. It's a lot cheaper for government to pay for road cleaning, than it is to pay for years of public healthcare services.
Labels: Legislation, Motorcycle Endorsements, Washington
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