THE ABATE UPDATE
THE
ABATE
UPDATE
The mission statement of ABATE of Oklahoma is to promote and defend motorcyclists freedom , safety , and awareness through education and legislation to make Oklahoma the best place to ride .
Go back in time to when you first started riding motorcycles . Motorcycles were heavy , brakes were simple and not high performance . Other vehicles only had a radio to divert the driver ’ s attention . Roads were less crowded and better maintained . Now think about today ’ s motorcycle riders entering into the sport . Their Yatsoo 250cc bikes have the power-toweight ratio of a race car . Bike brakes can stop on a dime and give you nine cents change . Suspensions and tires are much better , allowing ear-to-elbow-toground corning , and bikes can accelerate as fast as a dragster .
Today , a novice biker not only has to learn how to survive their high performance bikes , they have to learn how to survive crowded , poorly maintained roads , and drivers with more distractions than a woman at a shoe sale . Unfortunately , newbie bikers lack the driving skills , or the riding experience that increase their survival chances .
ABATE of Oklahoma recognized the dilemma and , in 2016 , proposed a solution to decrease deaths and serious injuries to entry level motorcyclists . With the help of Oklahoma State Senator Randy Bass , and Oklahoma Representative Chuck Hoskins , ABATE spearheaded house bill HB2260 , which requires all motorcycle drivers , under 18 years old , to pass an
6 Thunder Roads Magazine of OK / AR