are our fellow motorcycle riders. Not all riders of course, but there’s enough dumb riders out there to make it seem like we are all crazies. We are tarred by a broad brush I’m afraid. Three recent news items.

A not so young Florida rider did a wheelie, dumping a woman who was riding pillion. He kept on going and while fleeing hit an eight-year-old boy. Did he finally decide to stop? No, he kept on going. The boy was fortunate, suffering only bruises and bumps. The woman passenger is in critical condition. The police of course tracked him down and he has been charged. What was he thinking?

A young Montana rider had just finished passing a vehicle on US 2 in a no passing zone when, at 90 – 100mph, he broadsided a Volvo station wagon that was pulling out of a gas station. He was killed and several of the car’s occupants were injured; at least one little boy critically. We’ll never know what the rider was thinking.

One night last week two Portland riders were gunning their engines while stopped at a signal. When the light turned green they took off with the Suzuki rider reportedly wheelieing his way down the street. He hit a SUV broadside and was killed. The other rider on a Harley with extended handlebars and blue, ground-effect lights did not stop.

I wonder how we can educate the public to be more aware of motorcycles when we can’t educate riders to ride responsibly.

MBI today announced the winners of it’s first annual awards. MBI (of which I am a charter member) was formed by an international group of motorcycle bloggers who believe the awards presented by magazines and industry groups don’t necessarily reflect the views of rank and file riders. So we have been working for several months to put together an awards program that recognizes the good and the bad within the motorcycling world. You could think of the awards as being a combination of the Peoples Choice and Razzie awards.

Recipients get either an MBI Star for noteworthy achievement or a Fallen Star for serious lapses in judgement. The 2006 recipients for achievement during the year 2005 are:

MBI Stars

Most promising new concept motorcycle – Ducati HyperMotard
Best web presence – BMW
Object of lust – MV Agusta F4-1000 Tamburini
Best new everyday motorcycle – Triumph Scrambler
Wish we’d thought of that – SportVue MC2 heads up display
Standing ovation (for best contribution to motorcycling) – Ewan McGregor (movie Long Way Round)

MBI Fallen Stars

What were they thinking? – Harley-Davidson brand coffee
Ugliest new motorcycle – BHC-3 502
Thumbs down (worst contribution to motorcycling) – Jeremy Clarkson, BBC Top Gear program

To get the program off the ground the members nominated and voted for the candidates. Beginning in 2007 riders everywhere will be able to participate in the process. The awards will thus be a true “riders choice.” For more information about MBI, the awards program and all the nominees visit www.mbiweb.org. If you are a rider and maintain an active motorcycling blog, please think about joining us and working on making the 2007 awards a success.

The AMA has produced three new 15 second PSA’s for play by radio stations. The topics are: driver awareness, drinking and riding, and loud pipes. To hear them: Watch for bikes - Ride straight - Sound advice