One of the stories that was headlined last evening was the reported "crisis" and public awareness expose' type stories about motorcycles.. The hype and buildup of the story was clipped all day, to prepare everyone to watch it.. There were many references to the middle aged riders that are dying and/or killing themselves on public roadways.. The commentary during the actual newscast only included a couple of brief clips showing a very impressive GoldWing motorcycle.. There was some pictures of a 41 year old son, with his family, and the interview with his mother.. We've all heard the horror stories of sons, brothers and friends who've been killed on motorcycles.. Understandably.. the survivors are not keen on motorcycles.. The main footage that was aired, seemed to target the sport bikers and stunt riders. Whether we ride a sport bike, cruiser or a touring bike.. when our media targets any one of the two wheeled marvels of the highways, there is something going on.. that we should all be concerned about.. Local media has reported various stories recently and depicted the sports bikes as extremely dangerous to the public.. What's up with all that ? And, what's next ? Red flags should be going up all over the place.. No one seems to notice.. Pay attention .. people.. The public is being conditioned to accept severe and strict restrictions on specific motorcycles allowed to use public streets and highways.. This phenomenon has been coming at us for a number of years.. Legislation and regulations coming from various government agencies that regulate and restict, are already on the books and only awaiting the proper time to be enforced.. If you need all this to be explained to you, you don't get it, anyway.. Current EPA regulations are in place, to make mine and many other motorcycles, illegal to operate on public thorofares.. Just another "Conspiracy Theory".. not hardly.. Legislation and Regulations are already in place to park our motorcycles.. The public just hasn't been conditioned to tolerate enforcement at this time.. The targets that are currently being aired, seems to be the sport bikes and the stunters who ride them.. You guys should be extremely concerned by what you are seeing unfold on television and other media.. When traffic enforcement commences to enforce the tools already available to them, it will be too late.. You'll be hauling those motorcycles to the areas that you'll be allowed to ride them.. Many of the motorcycle advocacy groups have been opposing and petitioning our government for years.. They've stood their ground and successfully kept all of us reasonably free.. Whether you ride a tourer, cruiser or a sport bike, the attacks on one class, is an attack on all of us.. Whether you are twenty or eighty, when one group goes down, the other groups will follow.. Whether you wear a helmet or not.. when one group is forced by law to be in compliance, we all lose.. One voice will not be noticed, many voices will be heard.. Maybe it is time for all of us to decide which advocacy group we become associated with, before we are all legislated into extinction.. Your Friend in Irving Bill Walker
