From the Prez:

The primary elections are over.   We are in a fight now.  The dark days of Granholm are almost over. Yet the path to our success is not clear.  We must clear the path to our success.  We have many hurdles.  Involvement is the key.   We need you to get involved.  We are not a one issue group.   We do have issues that are critical to motorcycle rights.  I am writing this article to you in a FREE state.  We need you now.  Fifty five house seats are up for grabs.  Meet these people and talk to them.  Go to where they are or go to their house.   Ride your motorcycle to see them.  Give them the message.  Last session it took myself, Jim, and Herb almost a year to get an accurate house vote count.   We can’t wait that long in 2011.  It’s time to be active and visible in your area.  Talk to your candidates, and give feedback.  Our positions paper is online and ready to go.  If you need information call Pam.  If your representative, senator, or governor candidate is a yes vote, call Jim.  We need to know.

The Advanced Rider Course-Sport Techniques has been out from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation since last fall.   I got a chance to ride it last year, but was just certified to teach it recently.  It is superior to the current Experienced Rider Course.  Speeds are higher, and the emphasis is on turning, braking, and swerving on the range.  It explores alternate methods of leaning and steering.  How it is delivered is always the key, working hard to have it in the 2011 schedule.

Back to the legislature.  During the rest of this legislative session we will be focusing on stopping the revisions to the Motorcycle Safety Program.  We do favor a modest student fee hike, but a low cost public program.  We are not going to give total control of the Motorcycle Safety Program to the Department of State.  We would like to see those bills die in their current form and go with a smaller, shorter revision of the program. 

SMARTER-OHSP –Safety Conference is being held in September in Mt. Pleasant.  SMARTER is the safety group, “wear all the gear, all the time.”  OHSP, the State Police, are using our federal funds against ABATE.   Please follow the MRF memo from the Bikers In The Beltway urging federal lawmakers to support accident prevention methods, not mandatory helmet law measures.

Ride this fall, somewhere, and recharge your freedom battery, and get in this election.  We need your now to make a difference.  The 2011 outcome will depend on what we put in to the 2010 election. 

Ride Free And Safe,

Vince