The California state Senate passed a bill that would make it a violation to ride your "roaring" hog.  The idea behind the bill is to make it a more severe violation to remove your standard exhaust and replace it with custom, after-market parts which, in theory, make your motorcycle louder.  Avid biker, Governor Arnold Schwarzenneger, has yet to make a statement on whether or not he will sign the bill by September 30th.  If passed, the bill would require bikes to have an EPA label that certifies that the exhaust system doesn't exceed 80 decibels (about the same as a vacuum) and is clean burning.  They are claiming that first time offenders will get "fix-it" tickets with a fine of $100 that will be voided if the exhaust is fixed, however if your bike doesn't meet standards after the first charge you can possibly pay up to $250.  Other major cities have already passed similar laws including Boston and Denver, but most bikers and product manufacturers feel that the change in standards will effect sales and performance of custom bikes. 

Imre Szauter, who works for the AMA stated "We're never going to advocate breaking the law, what we're trying to advocate is reasonable choices to allow consumers to customize their vehicles."

The Motorcycle Lawyer appreciates all views on this matter so feel free to let us know what you think.

The Motorcycle Lawyer received news today of a crash involving a motorcycle being hit by a semi truck.  Like most cases we see here at The Motorcycle Lawyer's office, the crash was a result of the biker not being seen as the truck made a left turn.  The University of Iowa student was thrown from the bike and as he was spinning through the air, lost his shoe.  We always stress the importance of wearing proper safety gear, however, this rider was in a sweatshirt and shorts with NO helmet on.  He's a lucky guy because, amazingly, this young biker walked away from the accident relatively unharmed.  The driver of the truck was cited for Failure to Yield.  

It's always best to take safety courses and wear a helmet and leathers.  As bikers you are much more vulnerable than drivers when on the open road.  In the event of a motorcycle accident, call The Motorcycle Lawyer and we'll get you the benefits you deserve.

Want an airbag for your motorcycle?  Currently the first and only brand for bikers that have installed airbags in their motorcycles to increase safety is Honda.  The "Goldwing Air Bag" is designed theoretically to lessen the force of impact and slow the ejection rate of the rider after a front-end collision.  While most bikers will appreciate the extra safety, they will agree that the real issue is not being seen by cars.  We need more auto makers to design cars that help avoid crashes.  Many auto manufacturers have new designs that can sense when objects are in their direct path therefore reducing crashes.  Volvo has even gone so far as to say "By 2020 nobody shall be seriously injured or killed in a new Volvo."  Although these new precautions are being put into place, single vehicle accidents where the riders error is the cause will still undoubtly happen, that's why The Motorcycle Lawyer believes it is always important to take safety courses to stay caught up on your riding skills.

Volunteers Needed to Help Kids

This year at the annual Sturgis Rally, a company called Buffalo Chip is teaming up with Schwinn to raise money for the Black Hills Children home.  Schwinn has donated 60 helmets and bicycles to the Kids & Chrome Foundation that helps raise money for the foster home for abused and battered children.
On Sunday August 8th at the Sturgis Rally, Schwinn and Buffalo Chip are asking for volunteers to help them in their “2010 Biker Buddy Build-Off” from 3pm to 5pm.  The plan is to have bikers who are friendly and have knowledge of bike assembly to help build the donated bikes with children from the home.   After donating your time, volunteers will receive a commemorative “Biker Buddy” t-shirt and a free VIP pass to a special reception where all the newly built bikes will be on display.  Also, this charity event will be covered by tons of local media including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.  For more information on this event or to sign up to volunteer visit  http://www.buffalochip.com/EVENTS/SpecialEvents/SchwinnBikerBuddy.aspx    
 

Give Blood, Win A Harley!

Harley Davidson is teaming up with The Red Cross to promote donations at local blood drives. From July 5th through September 26th, 2010 a region in Ohio is promoting their blood drives by giving all eligible donors the chance to enter to win a Harley Davidson Sportster. 100 finalists will be randomly selected and the grand prize drawing will be held at Napoleon Harley Davidson on October 2nd. Join the cause and contact your local Red Cross.

www.redcrossblood.org

There is a website designed for bikers to visit when they want to purchase a motorcycle, it will educate them on the product they BEFORE they buy.  Riders can enter the year, make, and model of the motorcycle they want to buy, much like the Blue Book.  The site includes motorcycles listed for sale for those who are ready to buy right away and reviews by other consumers.  Visit the website yourself and make the smart decision at www.smartcycleshopper.com
 

For the first time in years, BMW has come out with an inexpensive way to touch-up the paint on their motorcycles.  This product is available to all bikers for only $17.97. It is said to have a seven year shelf life.  The pens are formulated from BMW color standards for an exact match.  The product is available in over 60 colors and was added to the BMW online catalog recently.  www.sierrabmwonline.com
 

U.S. cities are becoming more biker friendly.

Cities like Columbus, Ohio, Boston, and San Francisco are now offering designated parking for scooters and motorcycles. The spaces have their own meter and allow bikers to park perpendicular to the sidewalk. These new parking spaces can be a reality in your city too! For information, motorcyclists should contact AMA Grassroots Manager Jessica Irving at

jirving@ama-cycle.org or visit AMADirectlink.com/legisltn/mcparking.asp

Engineering students at Michigan Technological University are working on a prototype for advanced safety in motorcycle helmets. The team wants to mimic our bodies own natural defenses against head trauma, they used the human head as a model for developing a new helmet lining.

These students are one of 16 teams that were chosen from 200 colleges to compete in a National Inventors Conference in San Francisco. They will be demonstrating this new model that they call an Enhanced Biomorphic (EBM) helmet layer at the Exploritorium Science Museum.