Motorcycle Headlines and Upcoming Events: One Million New Bikes, "World's Fastest Indian," Motorcycle Limo.

Dodging deer, motorcycle crashers a burden on hospitals, litigating with the Big Dogs, Orlando bike owners need locks, Daytona Beach bike-week changes could hurt charities, and more.

U.S. Motorcycle Sales Set to Top a Million in 2004
Sales are continuing to climb and sales will top a million for the first time in two decades. However, the rate of growth is slowing down.
Motorcyclist Online
Businesswire
Arizona Republic, AZ

Filming Underway on "World's Fastest Indian" Movie Due in 2005
Starring Sir Anthony Hopkins, the movie chronicles the adventures of New Zealander Burt Munro who spent years building a 1920s-Indian-based Bonneville bike and then came to America to set the motorcycle land speed record in 1962. The Bonneville footage has already been shot, but the only thing to crash was one helicopter. We are thinking that "The World's Fastest Indian" may be the first great big-budget motorcycle movie in a long time.
Stuff.co, NX
Cinescape.com
The New Zealand Herald
New Zealnad Government website
KTVX-TV, UT
KillerMovies.com

Motorcycle Crashes Hurting City Teaching Hospitals, Report Claims
This release about an article in the December issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine says that the rising number of motorcycle accidents is placing an increased burden on teaching hospitals in urban areas, where accident-involved riders—especially those with head injuries—tend to end up. Though it's unclear exactly what the release is trying to say, it seems to imply that motorcyclists with head injuries are less likely to be insured, and not surprisingly, they are hospitalized longer than those with other injuries. The report's author blames weakened helmet laws for the rising number of deaths but, at least in this release, offers no exposure data to back that up. Nor does it mention that more motorcyclists are on the roads.
Eureka Alert

November is Deer Month
Last year collisions with deer killed 60 motorcyclists, and this year the number is likely to be higher. You might want to slow down, put on that helmet, and pay extra attention in deer country...especially in Texas.
Modesto Bee, CA
Chicago, Sun-Times, IL
San Marcos Daily Record, TX
NAME

Orlando MOtorcyclists: Lock Up Your Bikes
Nineteen bikes have been stolen from local apartments recently, mostly on Wednesday and Thursday nights.
WKMG-TV, FL

No-Pants Fatal-Stunt Rider is Fined
The rider involved in the no-pants stunt for a video that resulted in his fellow stunter's death got away with a $1000 fine. He also vowed to stop riding.
AMA DirectLink
Washington Post, DC
WTOP-TV, DC

Big Dog Vs. Big Dog
The motorcycle company is tired of having to ask the sportswear maker for approval.
Wichita Business Journal

Daytona Beach Charities Worry About Bike Week "Reforms"
The city is talking about curtailing outdooer amplified music and tempory vendor stands. Charities using such stands raise hundreds of thousands of dollars during Bike Week, which also brings more than &700 million into the area.
Daytona Beach News-Journal, FL

Samsung's Fuel Cell Cycle
The electronics maker has built a small bike that runs on hydrogen.
Fuel Cell Works

Some Upcoming Events
Nov. 28: Asgard Charity Toy Run, Biloxi, MS
Dec. 3-5: International Motorcycle Show, Long Beach, CA
Dec. 5: Toy Run to Children's Hospital, Los Angeles, CA
Dec. 5: Toys in Sun Run, Pompano Beach, FL
Dec. 5: For the Kids Toy Run, Denison, TX
Dec. 10-12: International Motorcycle Show, Seattle, WA

For more breaking motorcycle news, visit the home page of www.MotorcycleCruiser.com.

If you have questions or comments about the stories referred to here or know of an article or event that you think we should include, email Motorcycle Cruiser's web editor at Art.Friedman@primedia.com or at ArtoftheMotorcycle@hotmail.com.