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Greetings to my motorcycling friends out there as we approach Fall! I hope this finds all of you well, and enjoying the road as we wrap up the 101 Critical Days of Summer, and I'm sure a number of you, maybe most, are glad to see your kids go back to school. Remember that, with the school year beginning, Law Enforcement agencies will be watching School Zones very closely for speeders and other inattentive motorists, so ride carefully and more aware through those areas to safeguard the little darlings getting an education, and to avoid serious damage to your wallet! Even though we experienced one of the hotter Summers in Oklahoma with lots of days in the 100s, there still have been lots of bikes regularly out there trying to offset the relentlessly higher gas prices. Motorcycle registrations continue to increase in our state, at present well past 70,000, and we riders need to continue to function as a more powerful political force to improve motorcycling Quality of Life for all of us. That's where ABATE of Oklahoma comes in, and has as a State Organization since 1990! I continue to cordially invite all individuals and groups out there to seriously consider taking out an Individual or Sustaining Membership in ABATE of Oklahoma. If you value Freedom, you belong in ABATE, so lets all get out there and convince others to join us in safeguarding and expanding Motorcycling Rights! I also look forward to seeing a great turnout at the ABATE State Party coming up September 29-October 1 at Camp McFadden in Ponca City. Anyone who has attended one of these in the past knows what a terrific time they are. ABATE members, particularly the Three Sands Chapter, have worked hard to ensure a good time will be had by all, so get all the necessary information from the ABATE flyer on our State Website, and come out and have a great experience with us!

After taking a one-month timeout in August so folks could enjoy some Summer riding, like to Sturgis, we in ABATE are ready to start tackling issues pertinent to improving motorcycling Quality of Life in 2007. I'm looking forward to our ABATE State Board Meeting on September 9. Even though the Legislative Session doesn't start until next February, it's not too early to begin considering what specific items we're going to interface with the House and Senate members on next year. With a number of legislators getting ready to be replaced due to term limits and after what should prove to be a landmark State Election this November, this'll be important as we make new friends in the Capitol, and count on the continued support of old ones. Our State Board Meeting will also provide us an opportunity to welcome aboard Mike Lander of the Sunset Chapter, as he officially assumes responsibility as our new ABATE State Secretary! As I mentioned last month, Mike graciously volunteered to step forward and finish up the balance of Rachael Turner's term. He's an avid motorcyclist who has been active in ABATE of Arkansas and in his Chapter here in the Sooner State, and we're all looking ahead to a productive working relationship--Mike, we're glad you're here! I'd like to take this opportunity to again thank Rachael for the years of hard work she put in as our Secretary, and to thank Roxie Pennel and Rob Perkins for filling in and taking notes for the meeting minutes every month in the interim. ABATE appreciates all you've done for our Organization, and you folks are a credit to the cause of Riding Freedom. I also want to mention that one of ABATE's own is getting more involved on the national scene. David Gallant, who's been involved with ABATE of Oklahoma before and is once again a member, is now on the Motorcycle Riders Foundation's board and is that organization's Webmaster. He'll also be backing up MRF State Representative Charlie Williams as his assistant. As a Sustaining Member of the MRF, ABATE of Oklahoma looks forward to interacting closely with you, Dave, and we appreciate you getting more involved with furthering Riding Liberty, both in the Sooner State and Nationwide.

We haven't gotten through this riding season without some in our Riding Community taking their lumps, and I hope all of you out there that know folks who are hurting will remember them in your thoughts and prayers. One of our ABATE State Board Members, Brook Bullock of the Three Sands Chapter, wrecked his bike in Mid-August on N.W. Expressway in Oklahoma City and hurt his back and pelvis, and our thoughts go out to him. Members of Oklahoma's Motorcycling Community attended a memorial service on July 27 for two members of the Hands With Prayer Motorcycle Ministries, one of our Oklahoma Confederation Of Clubs member organizations, who were killed on Sun., July 23, in a Right-Of-Way wreck caused by a negligent driver. They were riding on Harrah-Newalla Rd. (two-lane road, 50MPH speed limit), about 20 mi. east of Oklahoma City, when a pickup truck hauling a flatbed trailer with a farm tractor aboard came the other way at highway speed. The trailer was crossing into their lane, and the farm tractor flew off into their path, killing Brady and Donna instantly. According to network news agencies, the Oklahoma County District Attorney is considering charges against the pickup driver for using a flatbed trailer without the required brakes per State Law, crossing over the solid center line into the opposite lane, and traveling with an unsecured load (yes, the farm tractor was NOT tied down!). Brady's mother was interviewed (heartbroken, naturally), and she vowed to pursue Justice for as long as she needs to--I sure hope she and both families get it! Additional charges of Vehicular Homicide are being considered. So, two more of my Riding Family have to die for America's right to drive stupidly--I'm getting sick and tired of it!

I just received this information from Larry Miers, our Rogers County Chapter President, and need to emphasize being especially aware when riding in Northeast Oklahoma around the Claremore area, north of Tulsa. According to the Claremore newspaper, the city police will be setting up "Safety" checkpoints to target both drunk drivers and motorcyclists. Here are some excerpts:

..."But auto drivers under the influence won’t be the only ones being watched more closely by the police department —motorcyclists also will be feeling the increased attention from the law.

“In addition to our efforts to reduce impaired drivers, we’re also going to be concentrating on motorcycle safety enforcement,” Capt. Brown said. “This will include traffic safety checkpoints, radar speed enforcement, and equipment violation stops, such as not wearing goggles, loud pipes, improper handle bar height, etc.”

Claremore police officers also will be checking motorcyclist’s operator’s licenses to ensure they have the proper endorsement for driving motorcycle."...

This might be the outgrowth of a situation where we have had specific members of the Law Enforcement Community in Northeastern Oklahoma, a very few, who are vehemently Anti-Motorcycling and have been giving motorcyclists a hard time, including out-of-state visitors. There are some uniformed officials in our environment who may not know the law, but they know what they like, and motorcycles aren't on the list! I'll include a couple of reminders: you MUST have an "M" endorsement on your Driver's License to legally operate a motorcycle in Oklahoma, and you MUST be wearing approved Safety Goggles if your bike is not equipped with a windshield (sunglasses WILL NOT satisfy the requirement). The Osage County Sheriff's Dept. stakes out the big May and Sept. biker rallies in Pawhuska, and regularly hands out $100 tickets to generate revenue from this infraction. Other information relative to motorcycle equipment in Oklahoma is governed by Title 47 of Oklahoma Statutes. The handlebar height restriction has been liberalized to allow up to eye height, but the statute requires exhaust systems to have baffles--you're going to be ticketed if you're running drag pipes. I don't know if the Claremore officials have sprung for decibel meters to measure exhaust noise, so if you get a Loud Pipes ticket without the noise level being measured, take it to court and fight it! Some officers attempt to get around this by issuing a ticket for "exhaust modification to increase noise" (read: non-stock pipes). Personally, I'd still fight the ticket. Regarding running extra lights (not being able to run with more than two head/spotlights on a bike, and classifying spotlights as headlights), first, I thought we had ironed this Title 47 issue out but obviously we haven't, and secondly, I find it ironic that motorcyclists get hassled for running extra lights in the interest of PROMOTING their Margin of Safety by increasing their illumination and awareness for surrounding motorists. This, in my mind, once again reinforces that not all measures like this are about Safety--they're about Politics, Money and Control! We're definitely going to address these issues in more depth during our State Board Meetings in the Fall, as we prepare for the 2007 Legislative Session. This is also something I'd like to talk about at the OK Confederation of Clubs Meeting on Sept. 10.

Well, I have things to do, places to go and people to see, so that'll do it for now. With the recent hassles taking place regarding motorcycle lighting, I thought I'd resurrect a Tiger's Tip O' The Month from a few years back and update it, since it continues to be relevant: One of the items that has been retained in Oklahoma's Motor Vehicle Safety Equipment statute identifies that motorcycles shall not be equipped with more than two headlights. As we all know, a significant number of Harley riders out there like to run dressers, Road Kings and the like with their spotlights on, and a bunch of the new-generation Japanese cruisers and touring bikes are equipped with spots to use as well. Personally, I like seeing bikes running their spotlights to enhance visibility, especially since more cars and trucks are out there with Daytime Running Lamps (DRLs), causing motorcycles to become lost in the crowd. Trouble is, some Oklahoma communities such as Claremore are pulling riders over, interpreting the running of spotlights as violating the two-headlight rule, and the results can range from a verbal warning to a hundred-dollar equipment violation ticket. The wording of Title 47 is really weird, in that it states that spotlights can only be used in conjunction with the high beams, which is impossible the way most bikes are wired (most automatically cut the spots off when switching to high beams). Additionally, some towns like Midwest City are stopping riders for having their machines equipped with extra lighting accessories such as neon, wheel accents and spark plug wires. Apparently, law enforcement officials are citing these items, both on cars and motorcycles, as constituting a Title 47 safety violation. The statute definitely prohibits blue lighting, to avoid confusion with Emergency Vehicles. In my opinion, this is certainly an issue that needs to be cleared up in the near future, and motorists should be afforded the opportunity based on Freedom of Choice to customize their rides with lighting if they're not causing a hazard, which seems to be the case in most situations. In any event, it comes down to you, the situation, and the official pulling you over, although I say again that I'd probably take the matter to court instead of rolling over and just paying the fine. Just exercise consumer awareness as you would in other areas--Let The Buyer Beware. Before closing for this month, I want to remind everybody about the Mid-South M.I.L.E. taking place October 27-29 at the Clarion Hotel in Springfield, MO. This year will mark the Fifteenth Anniversary of the event, which provides a forum for Freedom Fighters representing Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas and Arkansas to share ideas and programs promoting Free Riding. Among other things, the event will be an occasion to celebrate both Missouri (Clutch's Law) and Oklahoma (Jaggers' Law) passing their Careless Driving legislation. The Lakes Area Chapter has volunteered to construct the ABATE of Oklahoma State Basket for the M.I.L.E., so everyone is urged to PLEASE donate non-perishable Made In Oklahoma items with which to fill it. Many thanks in advance, Lakes Area, for what I'm sure will prove to be an outstanding contribution! Folks wishing to donate can bring the items to the Sept. Board Meeting on the 9th, the October Board Meeting on the 14th, or join us at Camp McFadden for the State Party and bring them along! Take care of each other, and I wish for you lots of fun motorcycling miles as the weather gets cooler, football season starts, and Autumn arrives!

Keep It On The Black Strip Between The Trees,

Tiger Mike