Somebody got this from AMA today

yes it is politically but impacts us all

Congress members urge U.S. transportation secretary to suspend funding for motorcycle-only law enforcement checkpoints
Congressional letter aims to suspend NHTSA program to fund discriminatory motorcycle-only checkpoints

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Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and some of his colleagues sent a letter to Sec. Ray LaHood urging him to suspend a grant program that would expand the highly criticized practice of creating motorcycle-only checkpoints by law enforcement agencies. The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) strongly supports this important letter.

Along with Sensenbrenner, Reps. Tom Petri (R-WI), Walter Jones (R-NC), Aaron Schock (R-IL), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), Paul Ryan (R-WI), Denny Rehberg (R-MT), Lee Terry (R-NE), Ron Paul (R-TX) and Joe Wilson (R-SC) signed the letter.

To see the letter, click here.

The program is the Motorcycle Law Enforcement Demonstrations Grant (DTNH22-10-R-00386). Although the grant has been closed to new applicants as of August 13, 2010, you can view the grant notice here.

The AMA has formally questioned the potential discriminatory and legal nature of this program, administered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The AMA sent a letter to Administrator Strickland on August 9 urging him to suspend the grant program until questions have been addressed. To date, Administrator Strickland has not responded. To view AMA's letter, click here.

While law enforcement officials may defend the program as a safety measure to decrease motorcycle crashes, injuries and fatalities, there is no proof of its effectiveness. The practice, first modeled in New York State, has drawn the ire of thousands of motorcyclists nationally.

NHTSA is now seeking up to five other law enforcement agencies, besides the state of New York, to participate in motorcycle-only checkpoints, and is offering $350,000 in federal funding.

The AMA believes that the best way for NHTSA to reduce motorcycle crashes is to employ proven strategies, such as rider education and motorcycle awareness programs, that decrease the likelihood of crashes from ever occurring. These strategies must be research-based. Motorcyclists would be much better served by applying the funding to the national motorcycle crash causation study that is currently underway at Oklahoma State University. This is a sentiment supported by Sensenbrenner and many of his colleagues in Congress through recently introduced H. Res. 1498.

To urge your Representative to support this important resolution, click here.

AMA Government Relations - Legislative Supporter


Hot Bike Baggers Magazine that just come out, December issue, has a special section or voting in November which will be laws that are trying to be passed on motorcycle riders and even 15% ethanol.

It is a great article and would be worth yer time to read, even if its in the store.

The MRF (Motorcycle Riders Foundation) has asked the U.S. Defenders to have its members write letters and send emails to their state representatives about this matter. I received the “Call To Action” late last Thursday evening. Check out the following web sites.
History
TCOC&I
Project Vote Smart - American Government, Elections, Candidates and Voting
Any one who rides should be sending letters and emails to their state representatives.

A new California law requires street motorcycles registered in the state and built on or after Jan. 1, 2013, to have an exhaust system label certifying the motorcycles meet federal sound limits.

On Sept. 28, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law Senate Bill 435, sponsored by Sen. Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills). While motorcycle manufacturers have been complying with the federal law since it was effective in 1983, the new law now makes it a state crime to operate any motorcycle registered in the state that was built on or after Jan. 1, 2013, that doesn't have a federal Environmental Protection Agency exhaust system sound emissions label.

In addition, the law requires aftermarket exhaust systems made on or after Jan. 1, 2013, to display the EPA sound emissions label, and therefore applies to individuals who seek to replace the exhaust system on affected streetbikes.

To view the legislation, see SB 435 Senate Bill - CHAPTERED.

Thousands of motorcyclists utilized the AMA website at AmericanMotorcyclist.com first to oppose the bill, and then to urge Schwarzenegger to reject it.

AMA Western States Representative Nick Haris expressed major concerns about the new law.

"Many EPA labels are very difficult to locate on motorcycles," Haris said. "This law could lead to a flurry of tickets for motorcyclists who have legal exhaust systems with EPA labels on their machines that can't be easily seen. It's unreasonable to expect a law enforcement officer to easily locate an EPA label, and it's simply unfair to expect a motorcycle owner to partially dismantle an exhaust system along the roadside to prove the label exists."

Violators face fines of up to $100 for a first offense and up to $250 for subsequent offenses. Judges have the discretion to dismiss the fine for first-time offenders if the violation is corrected.

Also, a violation is considered a secondary offense, meaning a police officer can't stop a motorcyclist solely because the officer believes the motorcyclist is breaking the sound emissions label law.

"Requiring that a motorcycle display a readily visible EPA label isn't the appropriate way to address concerns about excessive motorcycle sound, which the AMA has pointed out repeatedly," Haris said. "The only objective way to determine whether a motorcycle complies with sound laws is for properly trained personnel to conduct sound level tests using calibrated meters and an agreed-upon testing procedure."

In 1972, Congress passed the federal Noise Control Act, which required the EPA to set sound standards for a number of products. It took several years, but the EPA eventually wrote rules affecting all new motorcycles sold in the U.S. beginning in 1983.

Those regulations, which still stand today, required that all street-legal motorcycles be limited to 83 decibels at that time, with a stricter, 80-decibel limit imposed beginning in 1986, measured with a ride-by test.

The AMA has long maintained a position of strong opposition to excessive motorcycle sound. In September 2009, the AMA developed model legislation for use by cities and states seeking a simple, consistent and economical way to deal with sound complaints related to on-highway motorcycles within the larger context of excessive sound from all sources.

The model legislation offers an objective method to evaluate motorcycle sound based on the Society of Automotive Engineers' (SAE) J2825 standard, "Measurement of Exhaust Sound Pressure Levels of Stationary On-Highway Motorcycles," which is a stationary test. For more information, click here: http://www.americanmotorcyclist.com/legisltn/Model_On_Highway_Sound_Ordinance.pdf.

I got it last week too. I responded.

There's a great site to find out a lot of information. I especially like that you can enter your zip code and find out who all of your representatives are.

Project Vote Smart - American Government, Elections, Candidates and Voting