Thursday, March 8, 2012

Question of the Day: Should Michigan repeal its motorcycle helmet law?

Published: Sunday, February 26, 2012, 6:00 AM
HELMET_LAW_MIAG104.JPGA motorcycle rider puts on his helmet as he prepares to leave the state Capitol after an anti-helmet rally in 2006.
The just-announced Thrills of the Hills Bike Festival aims to bring motorcycle riders into Jackson, Hillsdale and Lenawee counties from July 12 to 14. State Rep. Mike Shirkey, R-Clark Lake, suggested state lawmakers will help the festival in one respect:

“I think this is going to get a big boost between now and when this event occurs, because it is my strong prediction that the Legislature is finally going to get through a no-helmet law for Michigan."

Will it? State lawmakers have been trying to repeal Michigan's helmet law for motorcyclists for years, getting as far as the desk of former governor Jennifer Granholm, who vetoed a repeal. They will be trying again this year.

So, the question is, should they? Do you believe Michigan needs to join neighboring states that do not require helmets for motorcyclists? Or should we keep the current law on the books?

Bike show accelerates empowerment


IOL mot pic mar5 Cape Town Bike Show 1
Dave Abrahams
Jenni Abrahams tries out a custom machine on the Viper Lounge stand.
It was more like a village fair for Cape Town's two-wheeled community than a conventional motorcycle show.
The 2012 Cape Town Bike Show, held on Sunday in the deep south suburb of Kommetjie, boasted only one dealer stand - an eye-popping display of Harley-Davidson, Victory and custom machinery by Viper Lounge - and two club stands (one of classic motocross bikes and the other supporting Wheels Motorcycle Club's annual safety campaign), but there were stalls galore, offering food, biker jewellery, rider training, magnetic stick-on artwork for bikes and cars, even custom-made cruiser bicycles.
And, of course, a live band pumping out 1980s rock 'n roll music Yet some of the most interesting machinery was ridden in by spectators and casually parked among the sports-bikes, muscle-bikes and Harleys - dozens of Harleys - out front.
OUTRAGEOUSLY ART DECO
A walk through the parking area yielded such gems as a Honda Rune - an outrageously art-deco, 350kg blingmachine with a tweaked 1832cc Goldwing engine that was (briefly) built at the Honda plant in Maryville, Ohio in 2004, mostly for the US market. Biking legend has it they sold for $26 995 (R200 000) - but cost Honda $100 000 (R750 000) each to make!
Then there was a full dress Harley-Davidson tourer, beautifully airbrushed to resemble a Second World War USAF aircraft, complete with rivets, serial numbers, bullet holes and warning signs saying “No Step” - and, mounted on the primary drive casing, a belt-driven supercharger feeding a pressurised intake chamber on the right via an intercooler mounted in front of the engine.
IOL mot pic mar5 Cape Town Bike Show 2
The Cape Town Bike show attracted every kind of motorcycle you could think of, plus a few you could not.
Dave Abrahams
FULLY FURNISHED HOME ON WHEELS
The bikes ranged from state-of-the-art sports machines, to spidery off-roaders, fully-furnished homes on wheels and, in the shade of its own tent, a BMW R100 GS that had been ridden all the way from its home in Canada.
Hundreds of riders strolled between the bikes, checked out the stalls or sat in the shade with a long cold one and a slice of pizza or a “boerie roll”, listening to the music, yet it seemed that everybody knew everybody - I even met, for the first time, the owner of the Yamaha YZ400 that broke my foot on Christmas Eve, 1999!
The show, which is planned as an annual event, was held on the campus of the Living Hope ministry in Kommetjie, and all proceeds went to fund its Living Way empowerment programme, primarily in the nearby Masiphumelele and Ocean View townships, providing opportunities for people to work their way out of grinding poverty, teaching life skills and entrepreneurship.

Indian firm Hero to buy Ducati?

The boss of India’s biggest motorcycle firm Hero MotoCorp has confirmed his company has discussed the possibility of buying Ducati
The boss of India’s biggest motorcycle firm Hero MotoCorp has confirmed his company has discussed the possibility of buying Ducati
 
General news
 05 March 2012 14:36
The boss of India’s biggest motorcycle firm Hero MotoCorp has confirmed his company has discussed the possibility of buying Ducati according to a report issued by business press Bloomberg.
Hero managing director Pawan Kant Munjal is reported to have said: “Lots of people have been coming to us with Ducati: Not one banker but many bankers. We’re talking to a lot of people. Not just Ducati, whoever comes to us, we talk to them.”
Hero MotoCorp and Honda recently ended a 26-year-old cooperation with Hero now looking around for technology gains through acquisitions and partnerships.
Hero is reported to have cash reserves of £650m which is roughly the same amount as current Ducati owners, InvestIndustrial, is thought to be hoping to raise from the sale of the Italian firm.
InvestIndustrial boss Andrea Bonomi recently said: "Ducati is now a perfect company but the further growth it requires needs the support of a world-class industrial partner. This year, we will work towards that partner."
Investindustrial is a private-equity firm which has overseen the complete overhaul of the financial and product line-up on offer by the Italian bike firm which is reporting a big increase in bikes sales to around 42,000 in 2011.
The Indian motorcycle market is booming with a 15% increase in sales in 2011 to almost 10 million overall with sales of larger capacity machines now increasing as riders have more money to spend.
Munjal added: “We’ve been seen as a utility-bike maker, fuel-efficient bikes, and somebody who’s at the lower level of the market, who’s more small-town and rural-market focused.
“So our ambition is to become one of the biggest global two- wheeler players and to do that, you cannot only be in one small segment.”

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