Motorcycle Headlines: It's Motorcycle Safety Month. Big Bike Theft Rings Busted. The $4 Million Single-Bike Crash

Watch for falling branches! A million bucks (?) in stolen bikes recovered. More women buying and riding bikes. 100-mph household chores. Helmet-law repeals and enactments proposed. What would Jesus ride?

Motorcycle Safety Month Observed in Different Ways in Different Places
Some states are promoting awareness of motorcyclists by autoists. Others are addressing riders with safety advice. In Southern California, free Experienced RiderCourses were provided to riders on May 6 and 7. The military requires a training course. Other events call atention to mtoorcycle safety. And one dealer advises wearing gloves...
Boston Globe, MA
St. Petersburg Times, FL
Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil, IA
Motor Trend Magazine
KBTV TV, TX
KGBT TV, TX
I-Newswire.com
Juneau Empire, AK
Quad City Times, IA
Twin Falls Times-News, ID
Motorcycle Safety Foundation Release on Business Wire
KRNV TV, NV
The Auto Channel
Stars and Stripes
KLTV TV, TX
Shamokin NewsItem, PA
Times Picayune, LA
Daily Mining Gazette, MI
The News-Herald, OH
Bismark Tribune, ND
The Union Leader, NH
University Daily
Albuquerque Journal, NME
Iowa Department of Public Safety
www.michigan-motorcycle-awareness.org
NHTSA
Texas Department of Public Safety

New Jersey Bike Theft Ring Busted with 40 Stolen Bikes
The ring stole mostly Japanese bikes, and apparently mostly sportbikes, judging by the "Operation Ninja" name. Reports say that 19 people were arrested and more than 40 motorcycles were recovered, though the half-million-dollar value seems high.
Philadelphia Daily News, PA
WPVI TV, PA
Burlington County Times, PA
Cherry Hill Courier Post, NJ
Philadelphia Inquirer, PA

And Another 40 Recovered in Ottawa
This gang dealt mostly with Harley-Davidsons.
Ottawa Sun, Canada

What's Victoria's Secret? Maybe that She Rides a Bike
Women continue to make up an ever-larger portion of motorcycle buyers—and riders. The American Motorcyclist Association has scheduled its next Womern and Motorcycling conference for June 30 through July 3, 2006 in Athens, Georgia
WKYC TV, OH
NewsNet5, OH
MLive, MI
WKMG TV, FL
Seattle Post Intelligencer, WA
The Olympian, WA
Harley-Davidson's Women & Motorcycling Site
AMA's 2006 International Women & Motorcycling Conference

Helmet Use in 2004 Believed Similar to 2002
However, it has declined from 2000—and from 1997, when motorcycling fatalities dipped to their lowest level. But you have to wonder why more than 10% of helmet-users in no-helmet-law states wear those essentially useless novely helmets.
NHTSA

Helmet Law Repeals on Dockets, and a Proposal for a National Helmet Requirement
Several states have bills pending that would repeal their helmet laws. Meanwhile, a lawmaker is proposong legislation that would pressure states to enact helmet laws.
WBIR TV, TN
Lincoln Journal Star, NE
MRF Alert
WCYB TV, VA
NAME
Woman Motorist
McCook Daily Gazette, NE
WKYT TV, KY
Oakland Press, MI
KETV TV, NE

Oakland, California's Black Dragons
The East Bay Dragons reign as one of the oldest black motorcycle clubs in the country and have been a positive influence in the community.
Kansas City Star, MO

The Wrong Way to Learn to Ride
Her instructor was apparently her passenger in this fatal crash.
WLUC TV, MI

Bad Week for Religious Honda 919 Owners
New biblical research means you won't want to look at your bike upside down.
BeliefNet
Guerrilla News Network
Q and O
National Geographic

Crash of the Week: When Sports Heroes Fall
Cleveland Browns tightend Kellen Winslow Jr. crashed his new motorcycle over the weekend, and it could cost him over $4 million. Besides hurting the chances of the struggling football team, the incident may legally determine if street riding is a "dangerous activity." That's because his contract, like thse of many highly paid athletes, contains language that prohibits players from engaging in dangerous activities. Some reports say that motorcycling is specifically listed as prohibited, though.
NewsNet5, OH
New York Times, NY
Cleveland Plain Dealer, OH
Reuters
Seattle Times, WA
New York Times, NY
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, PA
BBC, UK
Sun-Sentinel, FL
CBC, Canada
Akron Beacon Journal, OH
Cleveland Browns Statement

Freak Crash of the Week: Falling Branch Kills Rider
Why you need to fasten your helmet properly: the impact knocked his helmet off, and he died of head injuries.
Connecticut Post, CT
NBC 30 TV, CT
Connecticut Post, CT

Doing the Ironing at 100 mph
How to spark up your day...
Motor Cycle News

What Would Jesus Ride?
Father Mark Giordani, ministering a motorcycle mass, apparently believes ne knows.
New York Times, NY

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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.