Motorcycle News Roundup: Confederate as BSA. Motorcycle Rebels Wanted. Wrangling Over Rider Training.

Mississippi's monstrous motorcycle tax arrives in the mail. Is it better to make women walk than let them ride? The west's growing cell phone menace. Guided coast-to-coast tour. Honda to build bikes in Argentina. Feds decide to let lesbian riders be Dykes on Bikes. Big noise about loud pipes. And where are rebellious motorcycle-riding kids when you need them?

After Katrina, Confederate Motorcycles Leaves New Orleans—and Becomes BSA
The company was washed out of New Orleans but will still be south of the Mason-Dixon line. It turns out that the move puts the Birmingham back in BSA motorcycles. Production is set to resume in February.
KATC TV, LA
Roadracing World
Birmingham Business Journal, AL
Confederate Motorcycles Pictures of destruction

Where Have All the Young Motorcycle Hooligans Gone?
Where's Johnny Strabler (of "The Wild One") when you need him? "Nowadays, their mothers think it's too dangerous and forbid their sons to buy bikes. And anyway, youngsters would prefer to stay in and play on their computers," bemoans one motorcycle company executive. Is the future of the motorcycle market in danger?
Times Online, UK

Struggle Over Control and Direction of Rider Training
Some local rider training and rights groups are clashing with the Motorcycle Safety Foundation over who runs programs, curriculum, and rights to intellectual properties.
BikePac of Oregon (See second item)
ABATE of Colorado
Motorcycle Riders Foundation
Corvallis Gazette-Times, OR
MSF Comments on "The Future of Rider Education"

The Loud Pipe Threat
Noisy exhaust systems "could affect our right to ride." Harley-Davidson and riders' groups have been urging riders to pipe down. For those who won't rein in their "cheap thrills," there is Officer Wall and his decibel meter.
Los Angeles Times, CA

Who's Using Their Cell Phone While Driving?
A new NHTSA study says that younger drivers, women, drivers of large vehicles, westerners. and those without passengers are more likely to be impaired by a handheld cellphone.
NHTSA
All Headline News
Bryan College Station Eagle, TX
KLAS TV, NV

Unfair Tax on Motorcycles in Mississippi?
The tax rate is higher than for cars, says this owner who got an annual tag renewal bill for over $700.
Jackson Clarion-Ledger, MS

Honda Will Build Bikes in Argentina
It will employ 30 people to build small (105cc) step-through models. Motorcycle sales have recently taken off in the country, more than doubling annually.
Auto Racing Daily
Honda World News

Dykes on Bikes Finally Gets Trademark
The lesbian motorcycle organization finally got to trademark its names after patent office decided that it was not derogatory
Santa Fe New Mexican, NM
The Advocate
San Francisco Chronicle, CA
Reuters
San Jose Mercury News, CA
Shot News, Germany
Motoring, South Africa
Yahoo! News

Women Have to Walk
In this Nigerian state, they'd apparently rather make women walk than ride on motorcycle taxis. The commercial motorcyclists are striking back, but we think their interest is more economic than in equality.
Nigeria Daily Independent, Nigeria
People's Daily Online, China

A Guided Tour—Coast to Coast
Two weeks, 4000 miles, $5000, no interstates, and only three riders each way.
West Virginia Riders

Should Congress Approve "National Motorcycle Charity Rally Weekend" in June?
That's the proposal made by one motorcycle T-shirt vendor. Would it mean we couldn't go to one every weekend?
PR Web

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