See Team Oregon vs MSF for background information.

This news is a bit old but you may not have heard it before. Oregon BikePac reported that the MSF did not attend the Oct 20 Governor’s Motorcycle Safety Advisory Committee meeting—not even their local attorney showed up. An ambiguous report from ODOT was submitted. Ambiguous because the MSF never produced a business plan, despite numerous requests for such a plan.

After a full and thorough hearing the committee unanimously recommended that the state of Oregon not accept the MSF program as an approved course for DMV skills waiver. The issue will next be addressed at the Nov 28 meeting of the OTSC.

Sounds like the MSF is going out with a wimper.

On a February 2006 post (Moto Medics), Helen, a member of the DOCV in Australia recently commented about their club’s effort in supporting organizations that provide health care in remote, difficult to access regions. In December of 2005 the club donated two Honda NX 125 motorcycles to Pilotos Solidarios (Riders with Common Goals, in Spanish) for use in providing health care to Indian communities in the Santiago del Estero (Google map) province of Argentina.

Her comment led me to another organization, Riders For Health a UK based charity, born out of the world of motorcycle racing, that provides reliable 2 and 4 wheel transportation for the delivery of health care in Africa. Their mission: “Riders for Health ensures vehicles used for the delivery of health care and associated development in Africa are available for the maximum time at the minimum cost.” Their objective is to ensure that completely reliable transport is available for the complete delivery of health services throughout Africa by 2015.

That is a laudable and worthwhile endeavor, but it won’t be easy to accomplish. They will need donations and support from many like minded people to accomplish their mission. After reading their website I am convinced they are a solid, well organized non-profit organization. Take a few minutes to browse their site then if you agree with their aims, add them to the list of charities that you support as I have.

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Anybody from Portland going to the annual motorcycle show in Seattle, Dec 1-3? I’m thinking about driving up Sat. am, staying overnight and visiting a friend on Sunday. Do you know of any inexpensive motels not too far from downtown?

I was pondering whether to post some information I recently received when it dawned on that I haven’t posted in quite some time and that an explanation is probably in order. I frankly have not been in a mood to write about motorcycling because, not having ridden in a year, I’m not sure that I can call myself a motorcyclist any longer.

Last summer during a trip to Utah I bit the dust. By the time I healed, the Oregon fall rainy season had begun. Then winter set in and with it came a return of my depression. (I have battled depression all my life and of late it has become harder to fight off). On top of that my health deteriorated to the point that even a little physical exertion has become difficult. (My life long smoking habit resulted in a serious case of emphysema).

I imagine you have come across some “avoiders” in your life. Well I am one of them. I put off going to my physician to see if there was anything (besides inhalers which I already use) that might alleviate my shortness of breath. So I sat out this summer occupying myself with non-riding and non-physical activities.

Turns out there is something that might help improve the quality of my physical life. It involves surgery and I don’t know yet if I “qualify” for it but I am finally addressing the problem. Whether or not I’ll be up to riding a motorcycle come next year I do not yet know. But if not on two wheels then perhaps I can handle three wheels.

Conventional Harley/Honda trikes don’t hold much appeal for me. Not to knock them (hell, I might wind up owning one) but to me, not having ridden one, they seem to be designed primarily for straight line riding. There are, however, some designs emanating from Europe that are more appealing. If/when they become available in the US I will take a serious look at them. These trikes (or in some cases quads) are “leaners.” They lean into the corners like a motorcycle.

This winter, instead of gloomily staring at the walls, I am going to research these vehicles and pray that they become available here sooner rather than later. I’ll also say a prayer or two that with increased volume their costs come down. Seems they’re currently running $30,000 - $50,000 in Europe.

In the meantime I’m going to pretend I’m still a motorcyclist and start posting again as I find things that interest me.

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