BIKER NEWS BYTES
resident trump
authorizes epa
to make e-15 fuel
bY: bILL bISH, ncom
THE AIM/NCOM MOTORCYCLE E-NEWS SERVICE is brought
to you by Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (A.I.M.) and the
National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), and is
sponsored by the Law Offices of Richard M. Lester. If you’ve
been involved in any kind of accident, call us at 1-(800)
ON-A-BIKE or visit www.ON-A-BIKE.com.
PRESIDENT TRUMP AUTHORIZES EPA TO MAKE E-15 FUEL
AVAILABLE YEAR-ROUND
President Donald Trump has given the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) the authority to lift current
restrictions on E-15 gas (containing 15% ethanol) to
allow year-round sales of the higher ethanol blend.
Following the federal rulemaking process and public
comment period, the expanded sales are expected to
begin during the summer of 2019.
In 1978, a Clean Air Act waiver allowed the use of 10
volume percent ethanol in gasoline (E-10), and today
almost all fuels are E-10 blends. In June 2011, EPA
approved a partial waiver for blends of 15 vol% ethanol
in gasoline for use in model year 2001 and newer
passenger cars, light-trucks and medium-duty vehicles.
However, the EPA does not approve the use of E-15 in
small engines such as motorcycles or ATVs, and its use
can damage vehicles and void manufacturer warranties.
Currently, gasoline retailers throughout most of the
country are prohibited from offering E-15 during the
summer months. The President’s directive to the EPA is
to change that.
CHP TO ADDRESS MOTORCYCLE SAFETY WITH FEDERAL
FUNDS
The California Highway Patrol is using a federal grant
to promote motorcycle safety throughout the state,
with the goal of reducing the most dangerous traffic
violations which they say are speeding, improper
turning, and driving under the influence of alcohol and/
or drugs.
There are more than 1.4 million people with a
motorcycle license in the state. The education campaign
is called GEARS, or Get Educated And Ride Safe.
The year-long campaign will include the CHP
deploying officers on enhanced motorcycle safety
enforcement operations in regions with a high number
of motorcycle incidents. There will be a series of
motorcycle traffic safety education campaigns, including
the May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. Officers
plan to stress the use of properly approved helmets for
all riders and raise motorists’ awareness of sharing the
road with motorcyclists.
According to provisional data from 2017, the number
of motorcycle accident victims shows a 6% decrease
compared to the previous year.
ABS IS NOW MANDATORY FOR NEW BIKES IN JAPAN
In an effort to reduce the number of traffic-related
motorcycle accidents and fatalities, Japan’s Ministry
of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism (MLIT)
made amendments to the country’s safety standards
for road transport back in January, 2015, including the
requirement for all new motorcycles, 125cc or larger, to
be equipped with standard Anti-lock Braking Systems
(ABS) effective on October 1, 2018.
Additionally, newly launched two-wheelers from
125cc and below must come with either ABS or CBS
(Combined Braking System, which allows simultaneous
front and rear brake application with a single input).
Continuous production motorcycles have until October
1, 2021 to comply.
Dirt bikes specifically designated for off-road use and
competition are exempted from the law.
Europe has had ABS laws since 2016, and India’s
obligatory braking system regulations came into effect
earlier this year. Taiwan and China are expected to follow
in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Here in the U.S., the
National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has made
recommendations to the federal government to enforce
the same measures, while countries like Australia and
Brazil are also considering similar regulations.
As more countries get on board, vendors around the
world have reportedly been bracing themselves for
possible slowdowns in motorcycle sales due to higher
manufacturing costs.
PHILIPPINE POLICE SEIZE MODIFIED MOTORCYCLES &
ACCESSORIES
The past few months have been very busy for law
enforcement officers in the Philippines, where police
have apprehended traffic violators, cited smoke
belching vehicles, and impounded erring motorcycle
riders’ property.
Among those apprehended were motorcycles fitted
with certain modifications, which have been serving
as a bone of contention for both riders and enforcers,
according to MotoPinas.com. Among those accessories
confiscated were auxiliary LED lighting systems,
aftermarket mufflers, aftermarket side mirrors, and
upgraded brakes which aren’t compliant with Motor
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Vehicle Inspection System (MVIS) guidelines.
The Motorcycle Rights Organization (MRO-
Philippines) suggests that when apprehended for fitting
illegal accessories, refuse the order to remove your
accessories and insist the apprehending officer remove
the accessories from your motorcycle “because as far as
the LTO (Land Transportation Office) is concerned, you
are within set regulations,” adding “Do not argue with
the apprehending officers. There is always a proper/
lawful venue for contesting the apprehension.”
DRIVER FOUND GUILTY OF HOMICIDE IN RACER NICKY
HAYDEN’S FATAL CRASH
On May 17, 2017, a speeding driver struck renowned
MotoGP motorcycle racer Nicky Hayden as he was
riding a bicycle in Italy, tragically passing away from his
injuries five days later. Nearly a year and a half later, we
have learned that the driver was charged with murder.
The unidentified 31-year-old driver at the wheel
of a Peugeot 206 was reportedly driving at roughly 43
miles per hour (70 kph) in a 30 zone. Although Hayden
was zipping down a crossing street and ran through the
intersection, the judge in charge of the ruling considers
had the driver respected the speed limit, he would have
had time to react to Hayden’s presence.
The driver has been found guilty of “road homicide”
and sentenced to a year in prison. His license has also
been revoked and he will be expected to pay all the
court fees. The driver’s attorney has said they will
appeal the ruling.
The driver is not only facing a criminal sentence but
also a civil lawsuit, as Hayden’s family is suing the driver
for $6 Million, the maximum covered by the Italian
insurance policy.
Nicknamed “The Kentucky Kid”, 35-year-old Nicky
Hayden began his career in MotoGP in 2003 with Repsol
Honda and went on to win the MotoGP championship
in 2006. He also competed in American dirt track
racing, winning a few Grand National events. Hayden
continued racing in MotoGP through 2015, competing
for Ducati Team (2009-2013) and Aspar Honda (2014-
2015). Hayden made the jump to the World Superbike
Championship for the 2016 season, becoming the sole
American in the series until his untimely death last May.
MOTORCYCLE RACING INCIDENT MAY END UP IN COURT
Moto2 rider Romano Fenati was disqualified after he
astonishingly grabbed the brake of rival motorcycle racer
Stefano Manzi at high speed during a mid-September
race in Misano, Italy, and has since been banned for two
races, the FIM racing authority suspended his license,
and his team contract has been cancelled.
But now the fallout from the disgraced racer’s brake-
grabbing incident continues, with Italian news agency
ANSA reporting he could now face a charge of “private
violence.”
The Public Prosecutor of Rimini (in Italy) is said
to have opened the investigation for the less serious
charge, rather than that of “attempted murder.”
“Private violence” is akin to a motorist cutting off
another driver on the road. However, the use of such a
charge for competitors in a motor race would set a very
worrying precedent.
Fenati pulled Manzi’s front brake after the pair
had clashed repeatedly during their home race, and
although extremely dangerous, both riders remained
upright.
TRADE DEAL NETS CHEAPER MOTORCYCLES FOR EU, BUT
BREXIT RULES OUT BRITS
A trade agreement between Japan and the European
Union could spell disaster for British bike buyers, as the
British Motorcyclists Federations (BMF) reports that the
deal removes common EU external customs tariffs from
Japanese manufacturers’ imports.
Under the EU-Japan Economic Partnership signed
earlier this year, the 6% tariff affecting motorcycles
will be abolished over the next five years -- meaning
cheaper bikes for EU buyers. European consumers will
also benefit from common standards of type approval
on product safety as well as emissions.
However, this free trade deal is unlikely to apply
to the UK due to Brexit, with that country’s exit from
the EU. EU-based manufacturers will also enjoy more
competitive access to the Japanese market, while those
in the UK will continue to face tariff constraints.
But Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzō Abe did recently
state that Japan would welcome Britain with “open
arms” to the 11 country Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP),
though the timeframe is not likely to be soon.
So while EU riders look to benefit from less expensive
bikes and Japanese-standard type approval, Brits are
still in the dark as to what this means…
SINGAPORE BIKER GROUPS AGGRIEVED BY BAN ON
OLDER MOTORCYCLES
When the National Environment Agency (NEA)
announced on April 6 that motorcycles registered before
July 1, 2003 would be banned from the roads after June
30, 2028, many riders’ dreams of having an older classic
motorcycle or “hand down our precious bikes to our
children,” went “down the drain.”
Calling it a “Plain injustice,” bikers say the ban “will
push rare, vintage bikes into oblivion.”
The NEA told ChannelNewsAsia that the government
is trying to reduce emissions from some 27,000 older
motorcycles as part of a push to meet Singapore’s air
quality targets by 2020. Owners of older motorcycles
have been offered up to S$3,500 to de-register their
bikes within the next five years. Beyond that, emission
standards for such motorcycles will be tightened, before
the 2028 ban kicks in.
These initiatives come as NEA figures indicate that
older bikes emit up to 30 times more pollutants than
new bikes, and contribute 40% of the total carbon
monoxide emitted by motorcycles on the road. Bikers
counter that all motorcycles, regardless of age, must
pass inspection and emissions testing, though older
bikes are subject to less stringent standards.
Explaining its rationale for the July 1, 2003 cut-off
date, NEA said Singapore adopted Euro 1 type approval
standards for new motorcycles on that date. Motorcycles
registered before that are more pollutive than newer
models which comply with the Euro 4 standard.
Some of these bikes, however, may be able to stay
on the roads even after the ban -- provided they are
converted under the Classic Vehicle Scheme, which
allows vehicles to be used for up to 45 days in a calendar
year. But the catch is that to qualify for the scheme, the
bikes must be at least 35 years old; meaning that when
the ban begins in 2028, affected bikes registered after
June 1993 will not qualify…so “nearly two decades
of bikes will be destroyed…put into storage…or
exported.”
DUMB NEWS: YOUTUBE POSTING GETS MAN 1-YEAR
MOTORCYCLE BAN
A motorcycle rider who ran from police at speeds up to
143 mph was caught when his own helmet cam video
posting was spotted on YouTube. The rider had fled
from a St. Charles, ILL officer who spotting him making
an illegal turn and riding a bike without a registration
plate, according to a report in the Daily Herald.
The incident was included in a compilation video
of motorcycles running from police that was posted to
the FailsandFlights YouTube account, and shows the
elusive motorcyclist waiting at a red light, turn his head
toward the officer who is signaling for him to shut the
motorcycle off, but instead pulls away through several
stopped cars, runs the light and accelerates down the
road.
At one point, the video displayed a link to the film
star’s personal YouTube page, which investigators
used, along with his other social media channels, to
track him down and make an arrest. He was charged
with several felonies, but agreed to plead guilty to
misdemeanor reckless driving and will perform 100
hours of community service and cannot own or ride a
motorcycle for one year.
QUOTABLE QUOTE: “Always vote for principle, though
you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest
reflection that your vote is never lost.”
~John Quincy Adams (1767-1848) sixth U.S. President
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