Getting ready to ride
Can ABATE achieve significant gains in reaching out to sportbikers? From what I've seen, it remains a daunting task. TwoColorShoe (SBN) cautioned me about painting too rosy a picture.
I can tell that you're going to try to spin the article towards a positive light in the end; speaking about how even though some may not agree with ABATE's confusing position on helmet use sportbikers/cruisers/etc. can still all get along and support a group that is really just trying to fight for our rights. I do not think it's a very realistic position. -- TwoColorShoe (SBN)
Rather than try to forsee the future, I will list the changes or actions that these sportbikers say that ABATE would have to make if they are to succeed. "SBN" identifies the speaker as coming from The Sportbike Network, and "CSC" identifies them as coming from the Colorado Sportbike Club. (I was informed this group prefers CSC to the CSBC that I was using previously.)
Without a real change in policy through ABATE, by being much more safety conscious and by trying to appeal to the younger sport bike crowd, only then will people start to recognize the organization's real worth. Right now, it doesn't seem like there is much appeal. If ABATE doesn't change, then the ever growing idea of safety consciousness through the motorcycling world will only keep more people away. They need to really change some stuff, and if they don't, there's a good chance they'll just die out and another pro-motorcycling organization will take their place. -- TwoColorShoe (SBN)
ABATE is better than nothing, but...
• They need to align the membership on their stance regarding helmet use.
• They need to align the membership on how to interact with other riders.
• Increase exposure to what they do, other than fight helmet laws.
Getting sportbike riders to buy into ABATE's agenda means welcoming sportbike riders and possibly changing the agenda to include the beliefs of sportbike riders. Right now that just isn't happening. -- bimmerx2 (SBN)
If they want to garner support from the sportbike community, they need to broaden their advocacy to include other issues like punitive insurance rates for sportbikes, and police profiling of sportbike riders. -- TFOGGuys (CSC)
ABATE needs a PR makeover. Sponsoring an MRA rider is one step. So will support for local sportbike events. The only things I've seen are ABATE patches on leather jackets and their name attached to poker runs and cruiser events. That could be part of the perception problem. -- asp 125 (CSC)
That's my one minor quibble with ABATE. While they push AGATT in class, they often don't "walk the walk" and personally set a good example to the new riders who should be coaxed and reminded every second they're around experienced riders to wear gear. -- Wintermute (CSC)
I took, what I seem to remember was, an ABATE class last year and the instruction itself benefitted me greatly. What helped just the fact that I had a chance to practice pretty much any type of maneuvers on a closed course while someone watched with a critical eye. That said, I am very interested in seeing a more sportbike oriented version of the class that features more advanced & real world-type situations. I felt the class was more cruiser oriented, but even more disappointingly, it was merely a reproduction of the original class I took to achieve my endorsement, with the exception of my being allowed to use my own bike. -- MetaLord 9 (CSC)
When you look at the "majority" of Sportbike riders (not just on this forum) most of them are younger (18-30) and not interested in being active participants in the legislative process. Take a look at the "majority" of cruiser riders, they are mostly above 30+. -- Zuhalter Vati (CSC)
All the more reason for ABATE to get involved. If rider apathy means anti-sportbike laws get passed unopposed, the presence of an organization to give some voice might be a good thing. -- asp 125 in response to Zuhalter Vati (CSC)
Show me that you are lobbying to allow lane splitting in all fifty states, or in FL for that matter. I'll cut you guys a check today. -- Jim Moore (SBN)
I like that ABATE does charity work and have participated in one of their charity rides for a friend's father. He was killed during a poker run by an ambulance that ran a red light. We went from bar to bar on the charity ride. Not really my crowd. As previously expressed, if they started actively advocating for lane splitting, then I may be interested in membership but I don't see enough from them right now. -- cbartz (SBN)
I'll refer back to my previous post - ABATE itself is nothing but a name, the organization is made up of real live breathing human beings. It is how those human beings act that defines the true beliefs of the group. So, the policies of ABATE are meaningless unless the people who make up the group actually believe in and support those policies. The fact that ABATE has such a well defined reputation as helmet haters (not helmet law haters) means they have a lot of members who are not aligned with the stated goals. Let's face it, those are pictures of helmets being roasted, not a book of helmet laws. -- bimmerx2 (SBN)
Where do things go from here? The ABATEs are not one organization, but a collection of separate organizations. Some may be willing to make the efforts that will be needed to draw in sportbikers as members. Others may conclude that the division on helmets is too wide to bridge, not to mention a position they have no intention of changing. Who knows, perhaps an especially egregious assault on motorcyclist rights will force the two groups together despite their differences. Politics often makes for strange bedfellows.
I will remain an interested observer and will report back with updates as this dynamic evolves. The one thing I am confident of is that only time and hard work will significantly alter this status quo.
Sportbikers and ABATE
Can the twain meet?
Helmet issue is primary dividing point
Is there common ground?
ABATE actions that may sway sportbikers
Comments
Does any of this realy matter? ABATE has been around for a long time protecting my right to ride. Keeping motorcycles on the road. That may be why the members are old and riding crusers and not on sport bikes. When I first became a member (1990)I was riding a sport bike. From my years of riding and racing motorcycles I now ride a cruser. I support ABATE because they have always done what they said they were going to do. Thats keeping unneeded laws from being made and helping get more people involved in motorcycle riding. By the way lane splitting is more dangerous than riding without a helmet. No matter what bike you ride.
I find need to throw my 2 cents again. By the way, I might be a little biased because I am the State Coordinator for ABATE of Colorado. I am proud of our organization. All of the issues I have seen addressed in comments have been about why doesn't ABATE focus on other issues besides helmets? Well, we do!! Maybe you should check out your local ABATE web sites. ABATE of Colorado offers a motorist awareness program called Operation Save A Life. We have volunteers from all over the state that give these presentations to anyone that will listen to us. We also offer Accident Scene Management Inc, classes for motorcyclists. We have fought EPA issues, insurance issues, noise ordinances, right of way violations, and lobbyied heavily for the passage of Federal Transportation funds to be used for motorcycle awareness. We also teach 3 wheel classes. Don't these issues apply to all motorcyclists? It was also commented about aligning members to a solid focus, we try to do that.
Part 2
But when you have a large membership, it is kind of like herding cats. We try to keep our members informed and all on the same page. ABATE feels we have put our money where our mouth is, we believe education is the key to saving lives. We teach certified MSF classes, we have no control over what the curriculum offers. ABATE now offers the MSF Avanced Rider Course - Sportbike Techniques. We are one of a handful of States that is certified to teach this course. ABATE of Colorado believes in being progressive. We support Bike Nites, for both cruisers and sportbikes. In Colorado we welcome ALL riders at our events. If you are in Colorado, come to one of our events. I guarantee you will be welcomed, if not, I want to be the first to know about it. Thank you Ken for reporting on this importanat issue and providing a forum for debate.
Pt. 1 -
I have been reading this series of articles with great interest. I am glad this discussion is coming to light.
I am employed by ABATE of Colorado (as Director of Rider Education).
First thing: there is no direct relationship of any one state's ABATE to any other state's ABATE. They are all run differently. Therefore, my comments are based on ABATE of Colorado, and on no other organizations called ABATE.
ABATE of Colorado is profoundly safety-oriented. Our rider education division is the largest one in the State, and trains well over 5,000 students per year. We have been training riders since 1990.
ABATE of Colorado supports voluntary helmet use. Personally, I wear a helmet when I ride (and no, it is not required by my job).
ABATE of Colorado offers the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's new Advanced RiderCourse - Sportbike Techniques as one of our rider education courses. One of my bikes is a Buell. ABATE does support an MRA racer (Jonathan Kuo).
Pt. 2 –
ABATE of Colorado is a progressive organization, one that is constantly changing. Reputations, which are often outdated, die hard. Riders who do not support motorcyclists’ rights organizations (MROs) should take another look, as ABATE of Colorado supports all motorcyclists, including trike and sidecar riders.
Infighting sucks; it does no one any good. We, as riders, need a united stance. MROs aren't perfect, but we need them. Before a person complains, he/she should consider joining and then making whatever tweaks are needed to make the organization more inclusive and successful. We will all benefit.
ABATE can be good or bad, depending on which state. But ABATE isn't the only game in town ... not any more. A new breed of biker activist is now writing the rules.
ABATE was originally a natural response to the nationally mandated helmet laws of the 70s. Since then world has changed, and in many states ABATE hasn't been able to keep pace.
But the helmet law is the central issue for a new type of network, called "Bikers for Bill Sponsors" (B4BS.NET). It's using military strategy, management science, and a dash of eastern philosophy to fight -- and win -- the helmet law battle.
B4BS.NET doesn't attempt to sway anyone on the helmet law issue. Instead it unifies bikers that are already convinced, and focuses their energy in the only activity that matters: Building a biker-friendly majority at the state capitol.
It takes the fewest number of bikers, and the least amount of their time. But ground we gain is ground we keep. And it gets results.
I actually have a question for Terry and Ben. How does one donate to the organization and make sure it goes to a specific chapter, eg ABATE of CO? It sounds like your organization is a great one. You guys should really talk to the other ABATE groups and let them know how to really run a group of motorcyclists.
To TwoColorShoe,
Thank you. Visit our web site www.abateofcolo.org. You can join as a member if you so choose or you can click on the link "Randy Run Grant Info" on the Events scroll menu, on that page you will find a link to donate. You can indicate where you want the funds to go within our organization. We have several out of state members within ABATE of Colorado, so if you want to join you are welcome to. Your support is greatly appreciated.
"By the way lane splitting is more dangerous than riding without a helmet. No matter what bike you ride." Well, that's another matter for much debate, because both of those activities are inherently dangerous, as motorcycling in and of itself is, but many educated and proficient riders do practice those habits with no problems. I think habits such as drinking alcohol and riding in groups from bar to bar are pretty dangerous too. I do support ABATE as a whole and almost everything they stand for. Heck, at least they're standing up. I am having trouble believing that the sportbike community and ABATE will ever find common ground though, there is plenty of closed-mindedness on both sides of the tracks.
May I inject a bit of levity here?
"There are some things nobody needs in this world, and a bright red, hunchback, warp-speed 900cc cafe racer is one of them -- but I want one anyway, and on some days I actually believe I need one." - Hunter S. Thompson
Me, too!
The misconception that many of the posters here have of ABATEs not being safety concious shows that they have not investigated the ABATE organizations, what many have accomplished, and what they stand for. As the State Legislative Representative for ABATE of Maryland I can tell you that our organization was instrumental in forming the Motorcycle Safety Course used by the state of Maryland since the early 1990's.
Just a few years ago, after a horrendous sport bike crash with multiple fatalities, one of our state delegates wanted to outlaw sport bikes in MD. ABATE of MD was at the front in telling him and other legislators how discrimintory this was and it was dropped quickly. We recently successfuly worked to have penalties for right of way violators increased and had auxilliary lighting legalized for road use to increase visibilty.
Yes, we work for rider choice concerning helmets but we are much more than "The helmet guys"
I would like to add a little more. I agree that most sport bike riders are in the younger age groups and will say that I feel many belive they have the "right" to ride a motorcycle without government intrusion. Without grous such as ABATE watching what the legislators do the sport bike riders may very well find themselves legislated out of a sport and pleasure. We do not have the right to ride, it is a priveledge which can be restricted by laws passed by unfriendly legilslators. We even had a legislator who wanted us to have to have revolving yellow lights on top of our helmets. Ridiculous, yes, but they are there and we fight them.
Our group has tried often to have sport bike groups get involved but for whatever their reason they haven't taken to joining us.
Maybe after they have enough restrictions jammed down their throats they will see we are worth working with for more than helmet laws.
As a member of ABATE in PA, we also do more than talk about helmet laws. Until 2006, the maximum punishment a cager could recieve for killing a motorcyclist was a $120 fine and a three month driving suspension. Thanks to ABATE, it's been increased to six years in prison. We are also closing the HIPAA loophole that permits employers the ability to refuse insurance coverage due to injuries while riding motorcycles. BTW, I wear a helmet and hate drag pipes too.
ABATE fills the need when the AMA didn't/doesn't give a crack about certain issues.
Member of neither organization though ABATEs were and are always more visible in places I lived than any AMA groups...
As one of the members on SBN, I will never support any motorcycle organization that pushes voluntary helmet laws. They should be absolutely mandatory. After smacking the back of my helmet during a 30mph crash, I can tell you first-hand that I would not be here today if I wasnt wearing a helmet. There's NO excuse for not wearing one. Stand straight and let yourself fall backwards. Let your head hit the ground. That's NOTHING compared to what happens to the head in a bike crash.
No wonder Abate is for cruisers. Most crashes on a cruiser means probably a day or more in the hospital, (if they survive the crash), not counting the ER. With the protection we wear, it would be only a couple of hours in the ER. Sportbikers take riding seriously and know the dangers inherent in it. We wear armored jackets, gloves, knee and shin protection, and REAL motorcycle boots, not Redwings.
News Flash! Armored bandannas and leather sleeve-less vests don't help in a crash.
There's absolutely NO way the Sportbike community will ever find common-ground with an organization that does not support helmet laws. We're not all young kids riding sportbikes. We're old enough to have enough common-sense to know that helmets save lives. A friend of mine has a sister that works in an ER. When a bike crash victim is brought in and not wearing a helmet, (usually a cruiser rider), they know that person is dead or going to die.
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