Total Motorcycle Community Forums

looks like silly a title dont it?well its not,its started in sweden and the rest of the european union is looking into the idea.it comes from a swedish transport policy that aims to cut accidents to zero by 2020.called "vision zero" the genral idea seems to be totally seperate vunrable people from motor veicles)predestrians/cyclists)with motorcycles this wont be easy,so the anwser is to ban them.the author of this ruibbish is claes tingvall.transport advisor to the swedish gov.the only thing thats stopping the gov jumping on the band wagon is the fear of losing votes.write to your mp/euro mp/minister for transport,and let them know it will cost a lot of votes.if you dont live in europe keep your ears/eyes open.it could be on the way.xjrjohn

in california they are trying to pass a law that says your not allowed to ride your dirt bike on your own land...i saw it on 2wheel tues last nite...i dont know many specifics but check out the AMA website for more info.

theyre out to get us and im not paranoid(i hope)
best bike ive ever owned.go as far as to say if i change it will be another xjr.xjrjohn

Another good example of control freaks thinking they know what's best for everyone else. This kind of thing is the reason alot of us say it's best to mind our own business concerning helmet laws, MSF, all of it. All these things should be options, not laws because their will always be groups of people who want to take things one step farther. I personally would go to war over the banning of motorcycles and i am not kidding.

In this new era of global-thinking, we will increasingly see cases of one country adopting policy, with the rest of the countries following suit. There have been selective bans of motorcycles in various areas of the US for some years, and the Swedish thing is just another example of how many people view motorcycles.
I don't think it's just people trying to control others, either. Comments about loud pipes and other offensive aspects demonstrated by a few riders are to blame, too. We all know of riders that always insist on blipping their throttles at stop lights then allowing us the full opportunity of hearing their straight pipes under full acceleration. Crotch rockets racing from stoplight to stoplight, riders with no gear spreading their guts like an ugly coat of paint when they crash.
It is our own behavior that creates the perception of the voting public. Some of us choose to give the public at large the finger, standing behind our freedom to do whatever we want, America is a free country, blah, blah, blah, and we will be paying a price for that attitude. We are only as free as the government allows us to be, and flipping them off is not the way to keep what we have. I have said it before, and it still stands, at some point in the future, motorcycles will be banned entirely from all public places.

oldnslo wrote:It is our own behavior that creates the perception of the voting public. Some of us choose to give the public at large the finger, standing behind our freedom to do whatever we want, America is a free country, blah, blah, blah, and we will be paying a price for that attitude.

Right on man. This is what I was talking about when there was a thread about lane splitting. Not in California, because it is legal, but lane splitting and any other rude, rebelious behavior only serves to anger the non-riding world, which is the majority my brothers.

If we are the safest and most polite group we have a shot, but with the things John is talking about in his post, and other such behaviors viewed as anti-social, dangerous, or just annoying, we are all at risk.

Allowing everyone to do what ever they want is what will kill the pass time we love IMHO. And don't think non-riding people don't take notice of the non-helmet (and non-gear) riding population that ends up being scraped off the road. I've heard them talking and they think bikes should be illegal to protect you. No, I don't want them to protect me, but the majority rule may over-ride your "freedom" of choice. You won't have to wear a helmet, because you won't be able to ride your bike.

oldnslo wrote:We are only as free as the government allows us to be,

While I agree with what you are saying, I'll digress at this point because, afterall, we are the government. Vote accordingly.

It's actually quite sad that the possibility is there. I know in the area I live (suburbs of Atlanta, GA) I see more people on the surface streets in shorts and a t-shirt (but wearing a helmet) than I do with any sort of additional riding gear. I have even seen the occasional person riding in sandals.

If motorcyclists are the government, our position is weak. Ku Klux Klan members, the Aryan Nation, and Skinheads could also be said to be the government, but we riders sure as heck don't want to be on the same list with them. Too many people already think all motorcyclists are Hell's Angels, Mongols, or Gypsy Jokers. Ordinary people fear us. That is not good for our future. The legislature works for the MAJORITY. If the majority wants something done, a small group of dissenters is brushed aside with ease, and the wishes of the majority will prevail.
It is definitely in our collective best interests to peacefully coexist with the non-riding public.

Well if riders did something about changing that image, I'm sure we'd have little or nothing to worry about.

I was in a little resort town about 90 miles from home on a day ride with blues2cruise. Just after we had parked our bikes a woman and her two children walked by.

The woman commented on the bikes as her little boy loved them. It was the little guy's 4th birthday that day so I asked him if he had ever been on a bike. With eyes as big as saucers he said no. So I asked him if he wanted to sit on my bike. His mom agreed and he was ecstatic as I lifted him up onto the bike, (I had to put it on the centre stand for him) We put the helmet on him, took a picture and even had to put his older sister up on the pillion to keep her happy.

After pictures were taken you could see that we had made those two kid's day. I sent the pictures to their mom's supplied email address and she was thrilled.



So, for about 5 minutes of my time, I've made a friend for life and changed one persons conception of a "biker", something she will pass on to everyone that sees those pictures. It's all about attitude, something that a whole lot of bikers I know, need an adjustment to...