Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125802
from fhecaQilof by Russ San ford POT POURRI u o ~ w Two or three times a year, we have to generate a column devoi~d to all of the little bits and pieces of information gained. but which in themselves do not constitu te sufficient material for a full column. Such is now the case. LICENSE PLATES IN THE DIRT A member recently wrote that he licenses his dirt-bike each year for strcel·use because some Enduros demand street-licensed machines. In his Z W ...J U ~ in defense of freedom U byJ.G.Krol Try to Imagine an organization which protects the environment, fighls poverty, regulates commerce, safeguards the public health, educates the masses, and othenvise busies itself with all the pretty activities or government. ..with one significant exception: ii is absolutely powerless to kill anybody. Would such an organization be a government? Could such every chamber of e,}(!ry state legislature in the Union, with some left over for Congress. Concentrating the funds on the twenty. say, states that tend to lead the law-making process would multiply lhe effectiveness. $J.OOO.OOO in campaign contributions per election is not gOing to buy a law reqUlnng every an posey-sniffer to carry a legally-certilied organization even exist? If it did. could it continue to exis~? The answers are clearly in the negative. You can take away education. electric power generation, subsidies to farmers, land-use zoning, price and wage controls, adminjstratio!l of the motorcycle on his person while back-packing on public land, but it can provide a sympathetic reception by legislators to the plans. programs, proposals and posture of motorcycling and that's a whole bunch more valuable than a million dollars worth of "image currency, or any of the hundreds of building" clap-trap. Dollar for dollar, other functions associated with modem government, and what you have I.eft is still a government. You can take away constitutions, freedom of speech, elections and even democracy. and government still survives. But the moment you take away the power to impose decisions on djssenters, by mortal force if necessary, the institution of government simply evaporates ... for lhe power to improse its will by mortal force is the one necessary defining characteristic of government. In normal, day-to-day practice, of course, governments kill only a few good government relations are vastly more productive than good public relations. Even the most casual glance around the USA reveals that those industries, trades, occupations, professions. etc which are the f'allcst. happiest and most prosperous are precisely the ones which. have devoted the most allention for the longest time to cementing good gove.rnment relations. Monopolies. as you've heard 4l thousand times, are the ultimate evil of American economic policy. Item: Labor unions are exempt from the people. and that only after a gradual anti-monopoly laws. Item: Labor unions escalation of sancLions threatened and deliver voLes and tens of millions of applied. dollars The point 'is that should anything stop the government short of killing dissidents when necessary - for example, its own scruples or lack of will - it will be toppled and replaced by a new government that will kill lo stay in power. Laws unbacked by mortal sanctions are merely sentimentaJ poetry. If you doubt that unpleasant fact, as you probably do, just suppose that worth of what they call "political educalion". AnybOdy can say that's just coincidence, buL who can say it while keeping a straight face? Item: Insurance companies have fantastic mclrkct power vested in them by law; they can do as they please with policy-buyers. Item: According to my count in the official records. the insurance industry has more than two you're the Director of the IRS and that dozell you're supposed to collecl a hundred billion dollars in taxes every year but that you're absolutely powerless Lo use force against any who refuse to pay. If paying taxes were absolutely voluntary, absolutely uncoerced. how much do you think you'd be able Lo collect? And without the revenue, what would it in Sacramento alone. Is that just coincidence? Of course nolo Good government relations are so important that even governments have lobbyists. Severa.l California counties and cities, plus associations of counties and cities. plus yet other associations of county and become of all the wonderful programs of governmen t? city officials all have paid lobbyists in the S tate Capitol. Political theorists from Plato to the present have always recognized the essential role of force in government but Public relations is fun for movie stars but government relations is a dead serious business. for "dead" is most everybody else, by highly-paid lobbyists working-for common ultimately to be taken in a perfectly consent. tacitly agrees to ignore it and to pretend that politics is harmless fun and games. Yet we should think about this grim fact from time to time, else we wander off into romantic daydreams that mislead us aboul the primacy of go od go ve rn men t al re Ialions. literal sense. Government may change form, but it is not going to go away. It is not going to leave us alone. We must reach an accommodation with it. Consider the case of the hard-working. clean·living, God·fearing opium farmer. He flourishes in the few Unfortunately. many leaders of the countries where he stands hand-ill·hand; motorcycle industry seem to have succumbed to such dreams. In recent years, mOlorcycle manufacturers and importers have poured vast sums of money into the sink·hole of upublic relations" while largely ignoring the much more important problem of good government better: hand-in.pockel, with governmeJ)t. Elsewhere, he is extinct. There is perfect proportionality between prosperity and extinction, good government relations and bad. Before you dissolve in a fit of scoffing at the absurdity of this comparison, spend a moment thinking relations. They have supplied fleets of about how easily arguments used to training bikes to charitable organizations. advertised to "save" the ecology. and supported rider·education projects to promote "safety". According to recent reports, the industry has committed about two million dollars to the last effort alone. Such programs. in skeleton form, should not be eliminated for their mere existence makes a good talking point in negotiations. but it· appears that the industry, at the n~\tional level, could easily raise a political education fund on the order of one million dollars per biennial election. This small but respectable sum would go a long way towards gaining an attentive hearing of motorcycling's views by elective officials if it were wisely disbursed as campaign contributions. The same am lint devoted to public relations and servile obedience to arbitrary ukases has accomplished precious little. for governmen ts still swoop down on the helpless industry like vultures aiming to pick clean the b nes of a fallen stag lhis after se\'er-al years of costly publk relations and "good citizensnip" eHons. justify the extermination of the opium-farming industry can be turned against the motorcycle industry: "Injurious to individual and public health", "Dangerous", "Reckless". ·'Destructive". "lIarmful", HCauses loss of wages and earnings to society", "Imposes a burden on societ)' to care for its victims", "Appeals to individuals who are psychologically immature, who are unstable, who have poor se'x-role identification", "Irresponsible escapism" "Poses irresistable temptations to children and immature youth". "Creates a public nuisance". "Encourages criminal behavior". Many of these a tlac k.s are not merely transferable to motorcycling, they hat'e ill fact already been made! Because the motorcycle industry is more compact and organized than individual riders. it is the natural first line of defense for the sport. if only it can find the gu ts to confront the realities of the power struggle in which it is engaged ..\ny industry leader who announces his subsen,jence to presen t and future whims of go\,enlment A million dollars means a 10,000 Glmpaign contribution to one key legislator (e.g.. the chairman of the commiuee through which mo~t anti-motorcycle legislation is routed) in office-holders is begging for extermination. Incredibly suicidal. yet exactly what some industry leaders seem to be doing. Gvd save us from our friends. case, 99% of his riding is in an off-road capacity. lIis question: "Now that we must have an OR V Registration Decal or legitimate street license when riding off-road, must I keep my street license on the bike or can I explain the situation by showing my Registration Certificate if stopped?" . We asked the DMV for a legal opinion, and this is their reply. As the result of an inquiry addressed to the Registrar, the question has been raised whether a motorcycle. which is registered under the provisions of the Vehicle Code, is required to display the assigned registration plate when used on private or public property as an off-highway vehicle. By the provisions of Stat. J 971, Ch. 1816 (effective July 1, J972) Sections 38000-38300, dealing with the "identification" I registration I of off-highway vehicles were added to the Vehicle Code. Section 381010(a) provides that after July 1, J 972, every new motor vehicle and every other motor vehicle ~'which is not registered under this code, because it is to be operated or used exclusively off the highways ...shaJI be issued and display an identification plate or device issued by the department." (Emphasis added) This requires such a motor vehicle to be either registered under the provisions of the Code deali ng with registration (Section 4000, et seg.), or, be registered under the provisions 9£ the Code dealing with the registration of 'off-highway vehicles (Section 38010. et seq.). A motor veh icle is defined by Section 415, and by the terms of the definition contained in Section 400, a motorcycle is a motor vehicle and thus subject to registration as required under Section 4000, et. seq. Section 5200 states that the license plates issued by the Department for a designated vehicle "s'hall be attached to the vehicle for which they are issued ": and Section 5202 states that "Every license plate issued by this State of any other jurisdiction ...shall remain attached during the period of its validity to the vehicle for which it is issued while being operated within this State ..... (Emphasis added) While the word "operated" is not defined in the Vehicle Code, reference to "operate" in Black's Law Dictionary indicates that it signifies a personal act in working the mechanism of a motor veh icle. There being no authority within any of the provisions of the Vehicle Code for the removal of the license plate from a motorcycle while it is being used as an off-highway vehicle, such practice by rhe unidentified persons cannot be approved, condoned, or authorized by the Department. Your inquirer should be so advised. KR. RAUSCHERT Administrative Adviser OFF HIGHWAY VEHICLE PROGRAM EXPLAINED The DMV has developed distribu ted 3D-second I;adiQ television announcements and and reminding ORV enthusiasts that they are now required to participate in the program. These have been personally delivered to more than 100 stations throughout California by the DMV's Frank Bragg. Mr. Bragg is a special .consultant working with the Off Highway Vehicle Program, and is available throughout California to address organized clubs and a sociations for purposes of helping to explain the program. Interested groups can contact him at this address: Mr. Frank Bragg; Spec. Consultant, Off Highway Vehicle Section, P.O. Box 1192, Sacramento, CA 95806. HOPE FLICKERS No, fellows! That's not the name of some new movie starlet. It's just a lead-in for news that Sacramen to County has earmarked 100,000 of its 1972-73 budget to modify 340 left-tum signals 'so that they will be activated by the weigh t of even a small motorcycle. AU 340 signals will be modified by next summer and all future signals will be so constructed when installed. Once in awhile, something nice happens to mo(orcycIists. ADULT PROGRAMS EDUCATION I recently had lunch with Mr. Fred Christensen. Information Officer for Sacramento County. Fred was introduced to motorcycling a few years back and now his entire family have become motorcycle enthusiasts. Fred even rides h is bike to work, daily. During lunch, he men tioned that he would like to learn something about motorcycle repair and basic mechanjcs and asked if such training is available. Unfortunately, I had to reply in the negative, at least for this general area. Later in the lunch, Fred asked if there was anything that he could do on a free-time basis to hell' the cause of motorcycling. Intending to be funny, I replied, "s tart and Adult Education program in motorcycle mechanics." Well, Fred has just informed me that arrangements are nearing completion and a one·semesler course will be offered in motorcycle safety and maintenance. If this proves to be a winner, the idea could spread statewide overnight. Anyone from the Sacramento area wishing to take the course, can contact me for particulars and sign-up. FEDERAL INTERVENTION I was once told that the federal government derived its power from the people. But, evidently Doug Toms, our Great White Father in the Dept. of Transportation, read a different set of text-books than I. In the past two years, our Guardian Angles have decided that they know what is best for the motorcyclist on almost every issue. They have set standards for motorcycle tires; there are new standards for uniform positioning of motorcycle con trois (knobs, levers, etc.); and uniform markings of controls and dials. Of course, the DOT has been the big push behind compulsory motorcycle helmets, even threatening to withhold federal highway funds for states not implementing compulsory helmet and headJigh t laws. And now the 'feds under Doug Tom's leadership are about to mandate eye protection and special training for motorcycle operators. I can personally see some merit in some of these proposals, therefore my concern is not that of anti-establishmentism. My concern stems from a simple, but unanswered question: If the federal government gets its power from the people, where and who are the people that empowered the Dept. of Transportation to become our 'Guardian Angels'? I can't believe that motorcyclists asked the DOT for these rules and regulations. And I also can't believe that non-motorcyclists are concerned enough to seek such controls! Then who appointed the DOT as OUT protectors? Like someone said, "God protect us from our protectors". MAYBE THERE IS HOPE The Dept of Transportation, not satisfied with making life miserable for motorcyclists, has now moved on to bigget and better things. They are now going to tackle the general motoring public of tbe United States by demanding compulsory wearing of automobile seat belts. There is still no provision for buses, trains, trucks, etc .. bu t they are going to attack the automobile public. And guess what they are going to use as a lever. Yep! They are threatening to withhold federal highway funds from any state that doesn't enact mandatory seat belt laws! Sound familiar? Well, I've got a strong premonition that: I. The California Legislature will tell Doug Toms to go suck eggs. And further, if there is any attempt to withhold federal highway funds, California will withdraw from the Federal Highway Aid Program. You see, California contributes more dollars to the fund than it receives in return. By withdrawing, we would probably have twice the money for highway construction that we now have. Of course, South Dakota and some of the other 'donee states' will have to settle for dirt roads instead of freeways, but if that's what Doug Toms wants, he ought to get it.' 2. I think that Mr. John Q. Public is' about fed-up with federal intervention. _ The 'Great Seat Belt Fiasco' is about all it will take from the American Public to seat a President who will put the Department of Transportation back in the transportation business and simultaneously restore a few of our usurped constitutional rights: Please address all inquiriq and comments to Russ Sanford. c/o R.E., P.O. Box 26062, Sacramento, CA • 11~~ 6. ....... 6 , .. , . , .. ... ( .. ....