99% of people won’t reblog this because they think it’ll make their blog look as shitty as their heart.
I support this cause with my reblog AND heart.
(Source: fl-u-me)
A 55 year old motorcyclist from Parish, New York, went on a ride Sunday organized by the Onondaga chapter of American Bikers Aimed Toward Education (ABATE) during which he sustained head trauma and died.
The ironic part of this tragedy is that he was protesting wearing a state-required helmet. A helmet that would have saved his life.
In response to the unfortunate turn of events resulting in this situation, www.abovethebars.com has the following to say.
Since every one can agree that a right should not be infringed upon, and drivers licenses are revoked every single day, then it would go with out saying that driving it’s self is not a right and would then be considered a privilege. It seems asinine to believe that mandating the ways a person shall safely and legally exercise this privilege is an infringement on ones rights. Additionally, what slack jawed, booger eating moron, is going to say “Sure Princess, you can get on the back of that 19 year old boy’s motorcycle that he got last week but don’t let him make you put on a helmet. I won’t let anybody control my little girl like that.” or “Hey, it’s my God given right to have my infant child ride anywhere in the car I dang well please. My little Bobby likes to ride on back dash in the hole where the speaker use to be before it busted and you Commies can’t tell me any different.” Finally, I don’t want to pay for your stupid, uninsured ass for the 16 years you spend in a coma after your head injury. Do you think the breathing machine and feeding IV’s are free. You want to talk about rights, if you want to exercise your right to not care about your well being, I should have the right to opt out of any program that would use my tax money to pay for your mistake.
I would like to also call out the, so called, rider safety organizations like the AMA and Abate who lobby against helmet laws. Shame on you. That’s like the NRA lobbying against safety buttons on guns. It’s like claiming that the training you were given by these organizations is supposed to create some magical deflector shield around you, making you invincible so a helmet is now over kill. You can teach people all the safety tricks you want but the moment you discourage someone from doing something to make them self safer, you negate it all. Period. It’s like catching your priest with a hooker; some people would change their outlook on the priest, some people would change their outlook on the hooker. Either way, wouldn’t it just be better if priests don’t use hookers?
So in the trader paper- “1994 H-D Softail Custom 2,800 miles”. Really? My 2008 Triumph is about to turn 20,000. That is exactly the reason I don’t take criticism from “HOG” members.
BMW testing water cooled R bike? That’s just crazy talk http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/news/bmws-liquidcooled-boxer-spotted-wild/
It was a dry winter where we live; in fact wildfires have already occurred here in Colorado. Wildfires are caused by humans nine times out of ten, and as offroaders, we must do our part in preventing them. How can we help? By making sure our vehicles have spark arrestors, fully extinguishing…
No sense burning down what you love.
Well, it’s the beginning of the season and they are at it again. Twenty-something, testosterone dripping, douche bags are out in full effect. It is the first warm, dry, evening of the season a swarm of under skilled, over anxious, over powered, under dressed males descend on the good people of the world as if to say, “Look at me and what I can do………in traffic………..in shorts……….without a helmet………….without a license……….or insurance…………….oh, and if you hit me, it has to be your fault.” It’s as if they are performing for the imaginary hordes of women that line the sidewalk; their pack competing with any other pack, competing with each other for inner-pack dominance, and all of them waiting for some pat on the back, or what ever piece of anatomy they wish, that they feel is owed to them by society as their right or a blow job. It is only 8:15 pm now and the best is yet to come because I live in an urban environment, in between 2 nightlife hot spots almost in line with each other and me in the middle. I get to listen to whatever GSXR or CBR that this 19 year old was able to get a loan for, go 0-75 stoplight to stoplight on one wheel, practicing to leave this world in only marginally more clothes than the came into it wearing. I might add also, that it is not exclusive to the operation of a motorcycle when alcohol is involved. I myself have way too many bar fights and misc. jackassery, without the bike, that have led to me dumbassing my way right out of bed with a beautiful woman. Every male with a dollar and a dick is trying to do something similar on a night just like this wherever you may be.
I’m not so old that I don’t remember using the engine between my legs as peacock feathers, however I do know that I never left the house in less than denim jeans and boots. As a door man at the city’s top rock and roll club at a tender age of 24, I remember what it was like to enjoy ownership of a motorcycle while trying to impress the opposite sex. I’m not saying it didn’t help, I am saying that the cock-strong, alpha male games that we play amongst ourselves have an adverse influence on the exact people we are trying to impress. Women dress for each other. We pop wheelies and do burnouts for the respect of other men in hopes that if we sit atop that pile, the women we desire will see us better. Instead, they are likely to look at us like some idiot that doesn’t have a chance of donating sperm to children that may have to depend on his not killing himself out of his own stupidity.
Message; If you are going to enjoy you machine to the full extent of it’s ability know this; it’s ability is greater than yours! Living on the edge only has appeal if there is a real and present danger of falling off of that edge. Not accepting the possibility of failure is ignorance. Not preparing for the likely hood of failure is stupidity. Self-preservation is self-preservation and, no matter what argument you make, not the responsibility of a reasonable and aware driver when you are acting a fool.
So, I am staying off the road and out of the bars tonight in hopes of being able to enjoy my evening in ignorant bliss of the douchbagassity around me.
Drew Waterfall
Editor in Chief
For me, riding my motorcycle has become my solution to ride to work. I have found many great reasons to ride to work on a daily basis, and very few not too. I am surprised at how few people I see ride to work. It kinda shocked me, so many cars in the lots and so few motorcycles. On the weekends you see motorcycles everywhere but come time to head into work, where did they go?
I know there a few good reasons, here and there, not to ride. There are many jobs that you just have to take your car, truck, van, or SUV to work. When you need your tools everyday, it would be hard to strap them to your motorcycle. I don’t want my pizza delivered on a motorcycle; it would be one cold pizza. I also understand the taking the kids back and forth to school and other functions. Then here are those days you have to grab groceries after work; just not going to work on the motorcycle.
Gas is set to hit all time highs this summer. That right there is the first, and biggest, reason to ride into work every day possible. I am almost positive that most people who own motorcycles and another vehicle are getting more MPG out of their motorcycle. There are exceptions, but very few. Why wouldn’t you ride the one that is going to get more bang for your buck? In times like these you need to save money where you can, starting at the pump.
I also find myself needing less caffeine to get motivated for my workday when I ride in, I arrive ready to take on any task the boss throws at me. I am focused and ready to go, if I had to guess, it’s because I can’t zone out and drive in all zombiefied when I ride in. I have to focus on all the other drivers that are talking on their cell phones, yelling at their kids or aren’t awake yet and won’t see me. I have to be ready to react to whatever is ahead of me and be prepared and that focus carries on throughout my day.
The ride home is also a de-stressing experience. There is nothing like hoping on the bike, taking a little more time and hitting the back roads to wind down. Twisting that throttle and hitting those curves, lets you forget your boss yelling at you, those closing deadlines, the customer being an idiot, or those coworkers that drive you nuts. I am in a much better mood and more relaxed by the time I make it home, it is great.
For those reasons alone I will ride into work any time I can, but the main reason is I love to ride and any time I can be on my motorcycle, I will. I love every second of it; it is just a one of my favorite things to do.
I am not sure what most people’s excuse is not to ride in to work whenever they can. I would like to hear them. It would be nice to get their insight and point of view. I just thought I would give my reasons and thoughts on this matter.
Thanks for reading. Be safe in your journeys. Enjoy the twist and turns on the road, and in life.
Kris Norton
Contributing editor
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