The Motorcycle Lawyer didn't get a chance to make it out to the 71st Annual Sturgis Rally in South Dakota, did you? If not no worries, here's what you missed!

To know how the rally got to be what it is today, you have to look back on its origins. In 1936 the forming of the Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club is what started it all. Once they were officially chartered by the American Motorcycle Association a year later, AMA began promoting the events, which started the very first rally in Sturgis on August 14, 1938. With only nine racers that year, it's amazing to see the growth and support this rally has had to the present day. On the 40 acres that the club owns there is a light short track, motocross track, field meet area, hill climb area, clubhouse, office and state approved concession. (www.sturgis.com).
 

Just how big is this 71 year old rally? In attendance in 2008 were 400,000, 66 marriage licenses were issued, and 697 vendors were present. Can't wait to see what the stats were from this year!  With such a large population to entertain, the rally has an on-going wide range of events. Just some of the events that attendees enjoyed this year were swapping Harley Davidson parts, machine gun shooting, fire dancers, World's Biggest Biker Pool at 5,000 sq ft., “Burn-Out –In-The Sky," Star Boyz-Stunt Riders, The World Pickle Lickin' Federations World Champion Contest, World Famous Coleslaw Wrestling, AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building, sky diving, checking out the latest custom bikes, tons of races and concerts, and even getting a souvenir tattoo!
 

For 30 years now Buffalo Chip's has been a part of the Sturgis Rally and to celebrate they pulled together a concert line-up to remember. Acts from this past rally included Alice Cooper, Styx, Buckcherry, Def Leppard, Poison, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and  Puddle of Mudd, just to name a few.

And if that isn't enough, what could be greater than getting married in the great outdoors at a bike rally? Not much so thinks Mary-Maisey Ireland, wedding officiate and ceremony planner for weddings at Sturgis. Weddings are officiated year round in the Black Hills. Ireland works hard to make the ceremony personal by asking couples for little details like a favorite poem, song, etc.  And what better way to celebrate after than returning to a rally of 400,000!
 

Be sure to mark your calendar for this awesome time next year! The 72nd Annual Sturgis Rally will be held from August 6th thru August 12th 2012. For more information on accommodations, events, and photos from this year's rally visit www.sturgis.com.
 

The Motorcycle Lawyer recently discovered a new company Thermahelm which claims their helmets to be the airbags of motorcycles, and they're so cool they will literally put you on “ICE.”

Thermahelm essentially is a helmet that upon impact acts as a cooling pack for the brain. Brain injuries are the leading cause of death in motorcycle accidents, which are typically due to swelling of the brain and medical response time. The thermahelm helmet claims to reduce brain swelling by keeping the brain cool for up to 45 minutes, allotting more time for emergency response.

Invented by neuro-protective specialist Julian Preston Powers in 2005, the basic science of the helmet is that it contains polystyrene foam, which is found in all helmets; the same foam used in walls, refrigerators and portable coolers. This specific foam is a great energy absorber in the event of an accident; however also being an insulator it can cause over heating for the wearer. Powers' helmet combines this foam technology with two chemical packs in the lining. The first pack contains ammonium nitrate and the other water. When an accident occurs and the helmet is impacted the packs mix to create a cooling reaction which will stabilize temperature of the brain and ease swelling.

The first round of helmets sold out when they were introduced in Britain for 999 pounds or 450 US dollars. Even with such a huge initial success, some consumers are skeptical. One reaction is that “anything like this distracts from the central message which is don't have the accident in the first place, be careful, and…you've got to have consideration for motorcyclists,” says Iam Mutch of the Motorcycle Action Group in Daily Tech's “Thermahelm Motorcycle Helmet Helps Prevent Injury by Inducing Brain Freeze.” Others like Martin Dugard British Speedway racer, believe it's important to protect yourself, especially the head. 
 

Beyond the safety aspects of Thermahelm's helmets, they've extended their cooling technology to comfort levels for motorcyclists as well with their ICE system (Internal Cooling/Extraction). This system consists of tubing which when activated releases compressed gas which can significantly cool the head by several degrees in a matter of seconds. This makes the rider more comfortable on hot summer days, but again promotes safety by helping riders stay concentrated in warmer weather conditions. The network of cooling tubes can be activated by a trigger which can be placed in any convenient spot for the rider. Some models even come with a built in GPS system which is traceable in the event of an accident, increasing medical response time.
 

Curious and want more information?  http://www.thermahelm.com/index.html
 

Many motorcyclists are familiar with groups whose main focus is to control the noise level of motorcycles and to stop them adding ”noise pollution” to certain areas.  Many states have a mandated decibel level for motorcycle exhausts, some higher than local citizens would like, some lower than bikers would like…
 

In New Hampshire, as unlikely as it seems, Seacoast Harley-Davidson has teamed up with local law enforcement to help enforce the mandated decibel level and educate non-bikers about the actual parameters of the laws and many misconceptions that the volume of noise they are hearing is not actually in violation of the law.
 

New Hampshire's maximum decibel level for motorcycle exhausts is 106 decibels.  Most local bikers have no problem complying with the level set by the state, however, some continue to use modified exhausts that exceed the maximum decibels and risk an $84 ticket.  At a press conference held at Seacoast H-D, police officials said they are considering suspending motorcycle registrations of repeat offenders as further incentive to comply with the law.
 

Seacoast Harley-Davidson helped fund the noise campaign including printing brochures explaining commonly misunderstood motorcycle laws.  They have even gone as far as putting up posters outside the dealership saying “Motorcycle Noise Annoys.”   The owner says that they “want to educate owners and the public about what legal motorcycle exhaust is.”  All motorcycles sold at their dealership are compliant with the law, as are most all motorcycles registered in general; a lot of the complaints are “perception problems.” 
 

The belief of Seacoast and New Hampshire police is that this partnership will help them come up with a solution locally that will meet everyone's needs.  In the 2010 ballot a group of citizens successfully created an ordinance that stated in the town of Hampton, motorcycles could not exceed 82 decibels.  North Hampton Police Chief Brian Page says that is it common knowledge, however, that he will not enforce this ordinance because it is overridden by state law.  He wants to make sure he is being fair to the citizens of Hampton as well as all motorcyclists passing through.
 

To find out the motorcycle noise restrictions in your state you can visit http://drivinglaws.aaa.com/laws/motorcycle-noise-limits/
 

Some of you may know about the very old Blue Laws that banned the sale of motorcycles (among other things) on Sundays in the United States.  Did you also know that a few of our states still upheld these laws?  Up until last week, New Jersey was one of these states.  Many New Jersey business owners, like Barb Borowiec, owner of Barb's Harley Davidson, lost business because people couldn't buy a motorcycle at her shop on Sundays.  Tons of potential customers have full-time jobs on the weekdays which left only Saturdays to purchase a bike, a day which was usually crazy busy at motorcycle shops across the state.  This prompted eager buyers to cross state lines and purchase their products at neighboring states like Delaware and New York, which allow the Sunday sales.  In an economy that is already struggling, losing a day of business can be a hard hit.  Borowiec said she still had her shop open on Sundays so customers could buy accessories and take riding classes but serious buyers had to be turned away until Monday.  Barb could not see any reason for the ban especially when liquor, cigarettes, and gambling are still available on the seventh day.  For six years the business owner wrote letters to New Jersey lawmakers and then finally, on March 3rd, Governor Chris Christie signed a bill into law that repeals the ancient Blue Law and now allows the sale of motorcycles on Sunday.  The bill was sponsored by Senator Donald Norcross, D-Camden, whose office is right by Barb's Harley-Davidson shop.  The change of law will not affect the ban on Sunday sales of automobiles and will not apply in Bergen County (across the Hudson River from New York) where Blue Laws still prohibit the sale of almost all non-essential items on Sundays. 
The states that currently ban all automobile sales, including motorcycles, on Sundays are Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin
Maryland, Michigan, Texas and Utah have certain restrictions banning some counties from automobile and motorcycle sales on Sunday but not others.
Jason Waechter is The Motorcycle Lawyer.  He represents injured bikers all over the country.  If you or anyone you know is injured in a motorcycle accident, call us for FREE advice.  Call toll free 1-877-BIKER-LAW
 

The Motorcycle Lawyer, Jason Waechter's Certificate of Appreciation for his work in Washington D.C.  He was part of a group brought together by the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and The National Judicial College to educate judges on Motorcycle Safety.

For fellow bikers that are heading down to Daytona Bike Week, we want to give you a warning about traveling through Georgia.  A $70,000 federal grant was awarded to the state to set up motorcycle only checkpoints.  Bikers will be instructed by portable road signs to pull off the road where they will be inspected for a properly endorsed license, a DOT approved helmet, and the condition of their bikes including good tires, and working headlights & taillights.  The checkpoints have been reported to be operating from 8am to 5pm on I-75 at the vehicle inspection station in Monroe County and on I-95 in Chatham County.

While discussions about these types of checkpoints have gotten very heated, it's best to abide by Georgia's laws while passing through to bike week.  The estimated delay for bikers with proper equipment and endorsements should only be a few minutes.

Electric motorcycle maker Zero has released their new model, the XU that comes equipped with a removable battery pack to make charging more convenient.  The battery can be taken inside and charged in about an hour.  With the purchase and charging of multiple batteries non-stop use can be achieved by simply carrying the batteries with you and swapping them out as you lose your charge.  The XU was designed for more city riding, while Zero's previous models, the X and MX were designed specifically for off-road use.

Another bonus, without the removable battery pack, no one can steal your motorcycle!

Do you want to immerse yourself in the world of Harley-Davidson?  Or do you just miss that old summer camp feeling?  Well H-D is providing a way to for biker enthusiasts to do both!

The Harley-Davidson Museum is hosting 5 day motorcycle camps throughout 2011 in their hometown of Milwaukee.  May 9th-14th is Biker Boot Camp for Women, June 27th-July1st is H-D Fantasy Camp and July 6th-11th is Speed Camp.  All camps feature unique tours and rides aimed specifically for the registered group.  Cost is $3,000 which includes a night out, riding time on a Harley, hotel, transportation to all camp destinations, admissions to all planned activities and of course food.  Each group is only accepting 20 riders so if this sounds like your kind of vacation, register now at http://www.harley-davidson.com/wcm/Content/Pages/HD_Museum/programs.jsp?locale=en_US or call 414-287-2799

Have you ever been riding your motorcycle and decided it was time for a nap?  Although the grassy patch on the side of the road may seem like a cozy place to doze off, it can cause other drivers to assume the worst.  A man in New Zealand recently laid his bike down next to him while napping on the side of the highway.  Another driver, assuming the man had been hit by a car and was unconscious, called for an ambulance.  When the local police realized the man was just sleeping they warned him to always keep his bike standing up when stopping for a rest.  Although there was no accident in this situation, The Motorcycle Lawyer recommends always stopping at a designated rest stop while riding your motorcycle.