It’s winter and I hate riding in the cold and rain. So with time on my hands I am doing a lot of cleanup of the web site. The blog is done so you are looking at the new layout and styles. I will do the other sections page by page.

Now this is my kind of Christmas tree.

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Man…that’s a lot of bikes! About 10,000 bikes in a Taipei parking lot. Taiwan has nearly 13 million motorcycles, more than half the island’s population.

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NSW, Australia – “They got me good this time, sweetie…” Those were Ruce O’Malley’s words after a truck wheel ran over his head. O’Malley was riding with his wife when they went down after encountering the truck. He is surprised to have lived to tell the tale and attributes his life to his Arai helmet. NEWS.com.au

Eugene, OR – The city is replacing 11 HD motorcycles with BMWs (model not stated). The new bikes cost $19,500 and they are getting $10,000 - $12,000 trade-in for the HDs. KVAL 13 - Eugene

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While looking for more information about the MSF’s allegations of plagiarism and threats to sue Team Oregon, I stumbled across a lot of information about rider education in general, the MSF and Team Oregon’s BRT course on Wendy Moon’s Moonrider’s Motorcycling World web site. Wendy is a teacher at USC, freelance journalist and Sportster rider. She is the author of the Is This the MSF’s Secret Plan? article for MCN.

Below are links to articles pertinent to the situation between Team Oregon and the MSF.

A brief look at the TEAM Oregon curriculum, 05/1/05
Rocky times in the Rocky Mountain state, 11/29/05
What about Bob? The sequel, bigger and better, 11/30/05
Corner. M$F. Paint. And all thanks to Tim, 11/30/05
Troubled times continue in the Rocky Mountain state., 12/19/05
What are the charges and what do they mean?, 12/20/05
Copyright, plagiarism and fair use, 12/21/05

My search for information continues.

Yesterday in Team Oregon vs MSF (part 1) I wrote about friction between Team Oregon and the MSF. At that time I was not aware of the history behind the squabble. A reader on the Motorcycle-USA forums pointed me to three articles in Motorcycle Consumer News.

“Trouble in Rider Training” May 2004 (3 parts)
“The Fuss About Rider Training” January 2005 (2 parts)
“Is This the MSF’s Secret Plan?” August 2005 (6 parts)

The articles are well worth reading and I encourage you to do so if you are interested in this subject. For those who want only the short version, here is my take on the contents of the articles:
Read the rest of this entry »

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There’s discord in the motorcycle training family. Team Oregon, a cooperative partnership of OSU and ODOT, had previously used the curriculum for a course developed by the MSF. That course was revised and renamed the BRC. Believing that the revised course did not meet the needs of Oregon riders, Team Oregon developed and implemented its own curriculum, the BRT course. The MSF alledges that Team Oregon appropriated MSF intellectual property and is threating to sue Team Oregon.

Team Oregon is the only organization currently certified by ODOT to provide motorcycle training in the state. That certification allows a successful graduate of the Team Oregon BRT to obtain a motorcycle endorsement to his/her drivers license without taking the DMV skills test.

In November, BikePac of Oregon posted a news item (second item on the page) on it’s web site noting that the MSF has petitioned ODOT to have their course certified. The MSF’s submission includes their evaluation of the MSF program compared to Team Oregon’s program. The critique features a condemnation of Team Oregon and the methodology of Oregon’s study of rider training in the state.

I find the MSF condemnation both interesting and questionable in light of the fact that Team Oregon’s program is the best in the nation according to the NHTSA (article in the Corvallis Gazette-Times).

Furthermore the MSF seems to be muddying the water in other states. CDOT was studying the Team Oregon curriculum. According to Terry Howard in a post on the ABATE of Colorado website, the state has discontinued that review and consideration of the Team Oregon curriculum until all legal matters in Oregon have been resolved. “After discussion with folks in Oregon,” Terry writes, “what legal matters are present?? Per a conversation with BikePAC of Oregon, nothing has been filed by MSF against anyone. Threats? It seems our government [the state of Colorado] is bowing down under the pretense of “maybe” they will be sued.”

Terry adds “Earlier this week, we spoke to an attorney [who serves as outside general counsel to MSF]. He informed….that MSF has previously asserted a plagiarism claim against Steve Garets of Oregon State University/Team Oregon. MSF has also notified OSU/Team Oregon of it’s intent to pursue claims against them arising from MSF’s allegations that Team Oregon has misappropriated MSF curricular products in preparation of the Team Oregon’s BRT curriculum materials. Subject to approval of the MSF Board of Directors, MSF is prepared to assert claims against OSU/Team Oregon for copyright infringement, violation of the federal Lanham Act, common law misappropriation and/or a governmental “takings” claim. MSF has deferred legal action pending a decision on its request to the Oregon Department of Transportation for approval of MSF’s Basic Rider Course curriculum in Oregon.”

Terry continues, “What is this? Sounds like leveraging, or maybe we could call it blackmail? [The MSF outside counsel] goes on to inform us, and later confirmed in writing, that MSF will pursue the same legal claims against states, entities, or persons that use “misappropriated BRT curriculum outside of Oregon”.

Well Terry, I don’t know if it is blackmail but something is awry when one non-profit organization starts threatening another. Both organizations are dedicated to increasing motorcycle safety through education and training. Now it seems that some of the money that should be spent to that end may wind up being diverted into lawyer’s pockets. Oh, goody…that’s just where I wanted my tax dollars and contributions to go. <irony off>

Does the MSF have its nose out-of-joint because the Oregon program is so highly regarded? Are they jealous? Is Team Oregon taking money that the MSF thinks should be theirs? Or do they have a legitimate beef? I don’t know but I hope this is resolved soon and without lasting rancor. Both organizations do good work and that is what they should be doing—working, not litigating.

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Some people don’t need any help from inattentive automobile drivers: Youth + Sports Bike - Common Sense = Do It Yourself.

LA TUNA CANYON, Calif. — A 19 year old speeding motorcyclist on a Honda CBR600 crashed and died in the early AM today while being chased by California Highway Patrol officers. No other vehicle was involved in the crash.

He reached speeds well in excess of 100 mph, and the CHP unit was unable to overtake and stop the rider. NBC 4.TV

If I remember correctly, the first toy run was held decades ago as a way to improve the public image of a biker club. Since then they seem to have become an obligatory part of motorcycling culture.

Are they having fun yet? With 50,000 expected participants, I think the Big Texas run (photo above) is well past the point of insanity. I wonder what a cost-benefit analysis would conclude—there must be cheaper ways for a person to donate a toy to needy children.

Mark me a curmudgeon if you will but…why? Why put yourself in harms way among hundreds or thousands of riders? Why consume valuable police resources for traffic control? Why consume so much gasoline? Why not just drop your toys off at a nearby collection center on your way to work? Better yet, why not just donate a little money to a fund and allow the parents to buy toys that are appropriate for their children?