Franks Biker News June 5th archive

.AMA eGrandPrix Introduction: American debut of electric racebikes mixes the future with the past at 2009 AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days
PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is pleased to announce that enthusiasts attending AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, America's grandest celebration of motorcycle heritage, will get the first glimpse into motorcycling's future this July 24-26 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, with a special presentation of the AMA eGrandPrix Introduction.

Showcasing the cutting-edge technology of electric road-race motorcycles alongside the grandeur of the country's premier gathering of vintage motorcycle enthusiasts, the AMA eGrandPrix Introduction will feature new-breed zero-emission racebikes circulating at speed on the sinuous 2.4-mile Mid-Ohio track. The electric bikes will perform spirited exhibition laps during breaks in the vintage road-race program that will run as part of the AMA Racing Vintage Grand Championships. The Introduction marks the first international gathering of high-tech electric road-race bikes in the U.S. in the 21st century.

"AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days is all about celebrating motorcycling's gloried past," said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. "Yet, as the AMA celebrates its 85 years of two-wheeled history, we thought it only fitting to also offer a glimpse into what the next 85 years of motorcycling may bring. The AMA eGrand Prix Introduction showcases the sharpened point of the latest cutting-edge technology, and we're excited for fans to see the future up close and personal."

The AMA eGrandPrix Introduction will showcase a number of teams, racers and machines taking part in the inaugural TTXGP eGrandPrix race on the Isle of Man in June. The bikes are sleek, all-electric machines with performance on par with many of today's internal-combustion racebikes.

Azhar Hussain, founder of the eGrandPrix, said from his office in England: "The world's first eGrandPrix will launch clean-emission motorcycle racing onto a global platform and demonstrate to the world that clean technologies have matured. AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days provides us with a fantastic opportunity to take our message directly to the United States, a nation with a passion for motorcycling."

Mission Motors is one team participating in the TTXGP that has agreed to take part in the AMA eGrandPrix Introduction.

Jeremy Cleland, team leader at Mission Motors said: "This is fantastic news and represents a great opportunity for the American public to experience zero-carbon motorcycle racing up close. I believe this event will be the perfect first pit stop for the TTXGP roadshow as it embarks on its global journey."

He added: "The U.S. right now is a hotbed of advancement in electric motorcycle technology with a number of companies, including ourselves, already taking innovation in this area to the next level."

Mission Motors, based in San Francisco, is the developer of the Mission One, which the company claims to be the fastest production electric bike. Mission Motors was founded by Forrest North, who first dreamed of building an electric motorcycle when leading the Solar Car Team at Stanford University. The dream stayed with him, even as he joined Tesla Motors to help engineer the company's cutting-edge battery pack. Mission Motors' mission is to build an electric motorcycle that can finally compete with gasoline-powered machines.

About AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days
AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days includes vintage racing, North America's largest motorcycle swap meet, bike shows, demo rides of current production bikes, motorcycling seminars, stunt shows, the new product Manufacturers' Midway and club corrals featuring marque and regional clubs. The Marque of the Year for 2009 is BSA, whose bikes became synonymous with racing in the United States when the brand swept the top five positions at the Daytona 200 in 1954. The Classic Clubs this year will be the Sandcast Only Owner's Club (SOOC), and the International CBX Owners Association.

This year will be particularly special because it commemorates the 85th anniversary of the AMA, and will feature a parade of classic motorcycles representing the past 85 years. Volunteers are encouraged to contact the Museum for information about participating in the parade via MotorcycleMuseum.org .

Riders divided on need for helmet law - Daily Chronicle - Lynn Hoffman never wears a helmet while riding a motorcycle. Gene Shields always wears one.
Both bikers agree that the helmet question should be left to their personal discretion.
Illinois is one of four states – Iowa, Colorado and New Hampshire are the others – that has no laws on the books requiring the use of motorcycle helmets. The most recent attempt was defeated in the Senate in April by a vote of 14-42, and a similar bill never even made it to the floor in the House.
State Sen. Brad Burzynski, R-Rochelle, voted against the recent bill and said he has always opposed mandatory helmet legislation.
“There are some reasons why people should wear helmets, but people need to use their own common sense and judgment to decide that,” he said.
Shields is the co-director of the DeKalb chapter of the Gold Wing Road Riders Association, a group that emphasizes safety, including wearing full safety equipment, he said.
“I’ve seen too many accidents where a person’s helmet looked pretty rough afterward but it saved their chin or their head,” he said. “Do I believe a helmet will save you in all accidents? Absolutely not. But I felt it was well worth taking and wearing a helmet at all times. I’d rather have my helmet bouncing down the road than my skull.”
Nonetheless, Shields said he doesn’t think there should be a law requiring helmet use. If anything, there should be more educational campaigns encouraging their use, he said.
Cindy Graves feels differently. Director of emergency services at Kishwaukee Community Hospital, Graves said she “has seen some bad stuff” in her 24 years in nursing, 15 of those in the emergency department. It’s a common and strong belief in the medical community that helmets should be required, she said.
“When somebody gets into an accident like that, within reason, you can usually fix bodily stuff,” she said. “But if that brain gets injured, there is nothing you can do to recover that. The brain is not a retrievable kind of organ.”
DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Kevin Hickey has also seen more than his share of motorcycle accidents. The sheriff’s office responds to an average of 20 motorcycle accidents a year, most of which are not the fault of the biker, he said. He has seen serious injuries and fatalities among both those wearing helmets and those without, he said.
“For my personal opinion ... Individuals should be able to make their own personal decision about the safety equipment they are going to wear, based on common sense issues such as route, destination, traffic congestion and weather,” he said. “I do believe it should be their decision as conscious adults, and they should live with the consequences of their decisions.”
That sentiment was echoed by Hoffman, a member of the Open Roads chapter of ABATE of Illinois, which covers DeKalb County. ABATE is a lobbying organization for motorcyclists’ rights.
“We should have the freedom of choice,” Hoffman said. “In many states that have made it law, motorcyclists go out and buy cheap helmets that aren’t going to help anyway. ...To me, the key is educating people, making sure they can ride well.”
In some cases, helmets can be a safety hazard, Hoffman said. A helmet reduces her vision and hearing, and it hurts her neck, she said. If a biker’s helmet fits too loosely, the wind can catch it so that the chin strap chokes the rider, she said.
“There are so many things people don’t take into consideration,” she said. 

Motorcyclist killed while riding birthday gift to self  - San Antonio Express-News - James Tyson had just become comfortable riding a 2002 Yamaha motorcycle he bought as an early birthday present for himself when he collided Tuesday with a car on the far Northeast Side, his family said.
His father, Gary Collins, said Tyson purchased the motorcycle three weeks before his 23rd birthday, which his son celebrated Sunday.
“We didn't want him to get it,” Collins said. “Motorcyclists cannot stop like a car can, and they're dangerous.”
Tyson, a father of three, all under the age of 2, was killed around 4:45 p.m. when he collided with a blue Mitsubishi Eclipse at FM 1976 and Glen Haven Drive.
The driver of the Eclipse, Mario Moreno, was not injured and told Bexar County deputies he didn't see the motorcyclist, said Lt. Kyle Coleman, who added that Moreno likely won't face any charges in connection to the accident.
Tyson was wearing a helmet at the time of the wreck, Coleman said.
Collins said he spoke to his son about riding a motorcycle last week and told Tyson, for the first time, that he rode a motorcycle as a teen. Tyson didn't believe his father was a biker until Collins showed his son his motorcycle operator's license, Collins said.
“I told him there are too many cars on the road, and that your odds of getting hit are much higher now than when I would ride,” he said.
The oldest of four children, Tyson loved to fix cars and had the mind of a businessman, said his mother, Sherryl Collins. Recently, he had been working on starting a mobile detailing company, and he also was interested in real estate, she said.
But, she said, his true love was his children.
“He was very dedicated to them, and always played with them and took care of them,” she said. “We all saw them every day.” 

Motorcycle Mission Trip Kickoff Saturday - The Clarke County Democrat - The Seventh Annual Motorcycle Mission Trip Kickoff will be Saturday, June 6 at St. Stephens Historical State Park from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The Biker's Charity Ride will begin with check-in at 2 p.m. and the ride at 4 p.m. starting at the park and ending at What-ABurger on Highway 90.

Lawrence prepares for downtown Harley invasion - The Tonganoxie Mirror - Lawrence, get ready for a little horsepower harmony.
You know, it’s that low, throaty rumble that will make an unsuspecting pedestrian jump. It’s the pop, pop, pop from a chrome pipe that shines like a mirror. It’s the background noise of “Easy Rider,” Steppenwolf and small roadside bars the country over.
Yeah, it is the unmistakable sound of a Harley-Davidson, and this week Lawrence will be treated to a full-blown symphony.
From Thursday through Saturday, Lawrence will play host to 500 to 700 Harley-Davidson riders as part of the Kansas Harley Owners Group 2009 rally.
“We’re coming,” said Mark Marcellus, the coordinator for this year’s rally.
But don’t worry. These aren’t the old days.
“We laugh a lot about the used-to-be reputations,” said Marcellus, who puts about 10,000 miles a year on his Harley from his Liberal home. “A long time ago, you got a bike to go visit the bars. These days, we have a lot of meetings that end up at ice cream shops. We realized we like ice cream.”
Marbles, not mayhem
These days, Harley-Davidson couldn’t be more mainstream. Lawrence’s Harley dealership in North Lawrence sells cycles, but it also sells a variety of merchandise — everything from jeans to jackets, pool balls to pewter — to people who don’t have a bike but want a piece of the culture.
“I can’t say that it has become a yuppie thing,” said Herman Morris, who has been on top of bikes for the past 44 years. “But it’s damn close.”
Somewhere along the way, Harleys ceased to be a license to be a bad — well, let’s say apple — but instead became more of a Zen thing.
“I think for most folks it is about the solitude,” Morris said. “When you are on a bike, it is time to think and reflect about what is going on or the lack of what’s going on.”
That’s not to say that a Harley still isn’t a good calling card. Most Harley riders say they can’t fill up their tank without having someone come by to say hello.
“People just accept you when you’re on a bike,” said Lawrence Harley rider Pat Drake. “Even people you’ve never seen before. You ride into a group as a stranger, and you ride out as part of the crowd.”
And in the new world of Harley-Davidson — well, it’s new if you haven’t been paying attention — the rides can be to almost anywhere. At this weekend’s Lawrence rally, one of the more popular riding destinations is expected to be to Bonner Springs to visit the Moon Marble Co. to see how marbles are made.
Now that’s a whole new definition of an Easy Rider.
‘Motorcycle Alley’
Several Lawrence businesses are loving the new motorcycle movement. North Lawrence, in particular, is becoming a hub of activity with three major biker attractions along North Second and Third streets: Riverfront Harley-Davidson, Combs Custom Cycle, and Slow Ride, a biker bar and grill.
“It’s Motorcycle Alley” Lori Combs of Combs Custom Cycle said of North Lawrence’s main drag. “That’s what we call it now.”
Thus far, the economic downturn hasn’t killed the momentum the businesses began to build on over the last few years.
“In economic times like these, it is important to a lot of people to be able to go home and go to their motorcycles, have a release,” Combs said. “They’ll do anything to keep them.”
This week, Lawrence motels and merchants are expected to be the beneficiary of such loyalty.
“You can’t find a hotel this weekend in town,” said Anne Buhler Dillon, conventions marketing manager for the Lawrence Conventions and Visitors Bureau. “It is as full as it can get.”
Dillon said the rally is expected to generate the equivalent of 900 room nights for local hotels. At an average rate of about $90 per night, that’s a direct infusion of more than $80,000 into the local economy.
And Dillon said that doesn’t count the gas, the shopping or the drinks that the Harley riders will consume while in town.
Or all that ice cream.

Clubhouse seized - Welland Tribune - It has been a rough year for the Niagara Hells Angels.
Its most influential member, founding president Gerald Ward, is serving a long term in prison.
Its membership has been so decimated the chapter was forced to bring in out-of-towners to keep their numbers up.
And now, the club is on the verge of being homeless.
During an early yesterday morning police raid the gang's Darby Rd. clubhouse in Welland was seized by the attorney general's office.
The courts will determine how the building will be disposed of or if it will be returned to the property owners, police sources said.
Until then, the rural, east-side fortress remains in government hands.
About 15 officers from the Niagara Regional Police and Ontario Provincial Police, descended on the clubhouse before 8 a. m., cutting through a lock on a gate at the side of the property.
Armoured in riot gear, they stormed the clubhouse, which turned out to be empty.
"You're always going to assume the worse case scenario," said NRP spokeswoman Const. Jacquie Forgeron.
"We don't know if they had a tipoff. ... Our members were dressed in full emergency gear. You take all precautions."
One of the property's owners, Hells Angel Tim Panetta -- the last original member of the local chapter -- arrived dressed in a black Hells Angels Nomads shirt shortly after the raid.
Police served Panetta with a box of papers. He responded by yelling profanities at police when he was forbidden from entering the clubhouse.
There was no physical altercation with police, however. He looked through some of the documents, put the box in his vehicle and sped off.
A number of unmarked police vehicles, including two cube vans and an SUV entered the property.
One officer was seen on the outside of the clubhouse on a ladder, moving video surveillance cameras facing down on the property up into the air.
Police in full tactical gear entered the back of the facility, canvassed the property, and opened up a shed at the backyard.
Police also took photographs of the facility, prior to having the front gate unlocked by the owner.
Police, Forgeron said, have sent a clear message that they want to get "motorcycle gangs out of Niagara."
The property, was seized on an exclusive possession warrant that was issued Friday in a Toronto court by Justice Campbell because it "was considered a place where illegal activities took place," said Forgeron. There are six members of the Hells Angels Niagara Chapter and four known associates.
"The NRP is continuing to effectively dismantle criminal enterprises."
By using all legal tools available, she said, it enables police to remove "assets derived from criminal activity on property that facilitated criminal activity."
The clubhouse has been home to the Niagara Hells Angels since 2001, shortly after the chapter was formed.
Forgeron said the government seizure of the clubhouse was driven by evidence gathered during a 2006 joint forces, provincewide police operation called Project Tandem.
The project's raids resulted in 15 Hells Angels being arrested, including Ward and his lieutenant, Kenneth Wagner.
Last year Wagner was sentenced to 11 years in prison for trafficking cocaine. In March, Ward was sentenced to 14 years, minus five years for pre-trail custody, for trafficking cocaine and instructing people to commit crimes for a criminal organization.
Police sources say the seizure was made by the attorney general's Criminal Remedies for Illicit Activities office. It's a civil action, rather than a criminal one. Police detectives at the clubhouse, including members of the joint forces Biker Enforcement Unit, were there to execute the order rather than conduct an investigation.
Forgeron said officers were remaining at the scene Monday to prevent anyone from accessing the property.
This is the fourth clubhouse seized in Ontario using a civil action, the others being in Oshawa, Thunder Bay and London, Forgeron said.
It's the second Niagara clubhouse seized by authorities. Several years ago, the Outlaws clubhouse on Oakdale Ave. in St. Catharines was seized under proceeds of crime legislation. It's final fate has yet to be decided by the courts. 

Motorcyclists to Ride for the Children - The Charleston State Journal - HUNTINGTON -- More than 100 riders are expected to participate in Ride for the Children to benefit the Ronald McDonald House, sponsored by the Fire and Iron Firefighters Motorcycle Club Station 29 in Kenova, W.Va.
Riders will leave the Ronald McDonald House of the Tri-State at 12:15 on June 20 and end at Charlie’s Harley’s in Huntington, where a reception and games will be hosted. During the ride, participants will draw cards for a poker hand competition.
“Our families depend on us to be here for them during one of the most stressful times in their lives,” said Tanyia Oakley, executive director of the Ronald McDonald House. “We couldn’t do that without the support of groups like Fire and Iron. Their belief in our mission enables us to not only meet our financial goals but be a home away from home for seriously ill children and their families.” Registration is open to all motorcyclists and will begin 10 a.m. at the Ronald McDonald House. The entry fee is $20 per rider and $10 per passenger.
Riders will have the opportunity to purchase an additional card for the competition, and prizes will be awarded for best and worst poker hands. The largest Fire and Iron Club to participate and the rider who traveled the farthest to attend will also receive prizes.
After the ride, participants will compete in biker games, including a slowest bike race and balloon toss, against riders from a run for the Huntington Area Habitat for Humanity. Dinner and door prizes will be provided. A 50/50 raffle drawing will be held during the event. All proceeds will benefit the Ronald McDonald House.
“We wanted to benefit a charity that helped out the whole Tri-State, not just Huntington,” said Toney Calhoun, president of Fire and Iron. He said one of the members of the club had a personal experience with the House and recommended the event support the charity. Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Tri-State has served as a home away from home for more than 9,000 families of critically ill children across southern West Virginia, eastern Kentucky and southeastern Ohio for more than 20 years.
For more information about Ride for the Children or the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Tri-State, contact Oakley at (304) 529-1122 or visit www.mchouse.org .