Extra Credit
Points for Your Apehangers
I learned something in class
the other day. Well, at the ABATE State Board
Meeting to be more specific. I knew there was a
rumble brewing with the apehanger
handlebar situation in California but had no idea
of the grave seriousness of the situation.
As it turns out, many folks throughout the
state have been receiving citations for high
handlebars. Touring cyclists from other
states, who generate revenue for our hefty budget
deficit have been cited as well.
You might think, big deal, I don't
HAVE high handlebars.
But the citation itself is
only half the dilemma. The other half
has direct and immediate impact upon you.
Especially if you plan on being cited for a beanie
helmet or a loud pipes violation any time
soon. Have you checked to see if your
particular offense is correctable or
non-correctible lately?
A bureaucratic entity known as the Judicial
Council of California, whose 27 hand picked
members keep the California Bail &
Penalty Schedule up to date has compounded the
nightmare of dancing your way through a
ticket. Your Judicial Council
has changed a high handlebar ticket from
a simple "fix-it" ticket to a
non-correctible offense that could put points
on your drivers license!! Get enough magic
points on your record and you could lose your
privilege to drive/ride.
The more humorous among us would
like to believe that a few Judges got
together over lunch and created another hoop for
us Bikers to jump through. What needs to
be remembered is that when a law is passed, the
Legislature also lays down what is
called it's "specific
intent". The separation of powers,
Executive, Legislative and Judicial, exists
to prevent one branch of Government from
overpowering another. I imagine the
Legislature categorizing high handlebars as
a Vehicle Code Division
12 Equipment statute in the first
place would suggest the mamby pamby nature of
such an offense. Now, take a deep
breath. What you need to realize is that this
situation is grave for ALL motorcycle
modifications because what has been
done by the Judicial Council is to categorize
what WAS a correctable offense in the Vehicle Code
Book's Equipment Section into a
non-correctable offense which can affect the
status of your drivers license and possibly
increase your insurance rates. Now, think
hard about all the aftermarket parts you've added
to your own private scoot. Have you modified your
exhaust system? Have you put on those funky little
baby sized turn signals? Got mirrors? Do you have
a blue dot brake light? Is your license plate
illuminated with a white light? Do you have an oil
leak? That's a bio-hazard to law enforcement in
Orange County! I'm not saying any of those
violations would qualify you for a point on
your license, but you can appreciate the severity
of what is possible if we motorcyclists stand back
and do nothing while others burn the midnight oil.
What this means for the
motorcyclists of California is yet another run
in with the legislators in Sacramento
who've never ridden a motorcycle. We've
trusted legislators to look after us in
regards to issues they really don't
understand. It's become obvious that we
ourselves must get involved to help create
common sense legislation from our own unique
perspective. Who knows best what works on a
motorcycle other than Bikers? The call has been
issued and we're now forced to unify once
again. We're looking to remove handlebar
height limits from the Vehicle Code
outright. We'll toss in helmet law
modification for good measure. In the mean time,
you need to join a State Motorcyclist Rights
Organization today. Get your friends involved. Let
them know, "it ain't just about helmet laws
anymore". Sure, we might not like this guy or
that guy...but our common thread is two wheels and
we must begin to regain what's been lost. Apathy
must be vanquished. That's up to all of
us. It doesn't matter what you ride. It
doesn't matter IF you ride. What matters most as
an American is that you get involved with the
processes that affect your OWN life. Your freedoms
deserve a proprietary sense of ownership. A small
sacrifice to preserve what our
forefathers fought and died for. Now it's
YOUR turn to step up to the plate and swing away
for future generations. The ride you save
just might be your own.
By the way, a couple thousand of
us, we're Storming the State Capitol in
Sacramento on Monday January 12th. Freedom
Rally 2004...10 am SHARP...State Capitol
Steps...look for me, I'll be the guy dressed in
all black. Rumours abound that the "Governator"
might stop by as we ask the Assembly
Transportation Committee to consider modifying the
helmet law. Strap an American Flag (POW flag =
extra credit) on your scoot and do the right
thing. I wanna see you there, looking sharp
and on your best behaviour. You can
leave your teddy bear at home or bring him along
to watch the bike while you visit your State
Assemblyman and State Senator.
As Benjamin Franklin once said, "We must all hang together
or assuredly we will all hang separately"
