Motorcycle News Roundup: 50 Million Honda Super Cubs. Motorcycling More Dangerous than War. Google Blacklists BMW.

Yamaha profit up. Virginia helmets on. Indian wedding off. Motorcycle paramedics in. Brit safety video stunning. "World's Fastest Indian" wows 'em. Keep your enemies close and your friends farther back.

Honda Makes 50-Millionth Super Cubs
The "nifty 50," the little step-through bike that you met the nicest people riding, has just kept going since it's introduction in 1958. It has averaged more than a million examples a year.
Honda World News

What's More Dangerous, Fighting a War or Riding a Motorcycle?
Bad news for bikers in this story.
CBS News
Fort Worth Star Telegram, TX
Scripps Howard News Service

Brit Campaign Urges Drivers to Look Harder and Riders to Be More Conspicuous
The video linked to below appears to contain a very relaistic car-bike collision to dramatize how hard a motorcycle can be to see. One motorcycle crash investigation expert told us, "The car damage, motorcycle and rider points of rest are pretty realistic for a low-speed perpendicular crash. Somebody who knows their motorcycle crashes was helping on this ad."
Video
Bike Biz, UK
Easier, UK
TMCnet, UK
Lakeland Radio, UK
24 Dash, UK

The World's Fastest Indian Rapidly Charms Critics
Most enjoy the tale of Burt Munro's quest of speed on his ancient Indian, and some say it's Anthony Hopkins' best performance ever.
Orange County Register, CA
Seattle Post Intelligencer, WA
Epoch Times International, NY
Biloxi Sun Herald, MS
Salt Lake Tribune, UT
Cinema Blend
San Francisco Chronicle, CA
East Valley Tribune, AZ
DetNews, MI
Monsters & Critics
Santa Fe New Mexican, NM
Seattle Weekly, WA
Catholic News Service
Christian Science Monitor
The Patriot Ledger, MA

BMW's Website Blacklisted by Google for Cheating
The company's German website has been removed from Google's search results for showing consumers different pages than the search engine saw.
PC World
CNN
New York Times, NY
BBC, UK
ZDnet
Forbes
VNUNet.com, Netherlands
CNET

New Majority Leader is Motorcycle-Friendly
U.S. Rep. John Boehner of Ohio is on the American Motorcyclist Association's list of congressmen who have supported pro-motorcycle legislation.
AMA DirectLink

Yamaha Profit Rose 16% in 2005
However, it warned of rising commodity costs and doesn't expect such strong growth to continue. Strong ATV sales in the U.S. and motorcycle sales in Asia have fueled its success. Motorcycles are a bigger part of Yamaha's business than they are for the Japanese companies (Honda and Suzuki) that have previously reported 2005 results.
Forbes
Reuters

Our Kinda Guy!
This would-be husband walked away from the wedding ceremony when he learned that the motorcycle his bride-to-be's parents had promised him was not going to happen. It seems the cops still want to talk to him. Maybe they just want to say, "Way to go!" but we don't think so.
Gulf Daily News, Bahraine

Virginia Maintains Helmet Law
A proposal to relax the state's helmet law was killed.
Virginia Pilot, VA
Insurance Journal

Harley Opens Dealers in Middle East
"This is important to enjoy the Harley-Davidson lifestyle forever," said one of the new dealers.
The Peninsula, Qatar
Brunei Direct, Brunei

Paramedics Arrive Quicker by Motorcycle
More cities keep discovering that first-responders can get to victims sooner on motorcycles. This time it's Oslo.
United Press International
Aftenposter, Norway

Wreck of the Week: California Cluster Crash
Sometimes your friends can inadvertently be your worst enemies: All six riders were hurt when two bikes ran into two other bikes in the same group who had stopped for traffic. Fortunately all six riders, even the two in their 70s, are expected to survive. Watch out for the other guy, especially if he's in front of you and your buddy!
KPIX TV, CA
Palo Alto Online, CA
San Francisco Cronicle, CA
San Mateo County Times, CA

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.