It’s that time of year—awards season—with the Golden Globes, Oscars and of course the MBI Riders Choice awards. What? Never heard of the Riders Choice awards. Guess we’ll have to forgive you as this is only their second year.

The Riders Choice awards are presented by MBI (Motorcycle Bloggers International) which is an association of bloggers who ride and write about motorcycling. Between now and the end of January you can nominate your choices for the best and worst of motorcycling in several categories for the year 2006. Then MBI members will select the finalists after which you can cast your vote for the your top choice in each category. The winners will be announced March 15th.

Go to MBIweb.org and enter your nominations.

ninja250.kingston.net/hand_signals Study and memorize these motorcycle riding hand signals. They’re bound to come in handy. :-) Thanks to Da Magnator on the mortorcycle-usa forums for the link.

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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For those whose pockets are overflowing with money or who love to lust, the auction is not to be missed. Or you could just look at it as a nice extended weekend ride (assuming you live on the left coast). This year’s auction is July 20 - 22 in Monterey, Calif—which, when I was a kid, was a beautiful, serene area but is now probably chock-a-block with people. Still, there is some nice riding in the area and that weekend also offers the U.S. Grand Prix at nearby Laguna Seca so it is worth a vacation trip.

The auction promoters are promising this year’s event will outdo last year’s inaugural auction which saw bids approaching a half-million dollars for a KR Proton Moto GP. Maybe in my next life I’ll be able to throw money around like that.

If you can’t make it to Monterey you can register to preview the auction and listen (or bid if your SO is not at your side) to the live auction. Get the details at MCBA.

Fatality Alley is what police and paramedics are calling an eight mile stretch of US 26 between Blue Box pass and the Warm Springs reservation. Seven people have died there in the past seven months. This contrasts with ten deaths between 1985 and 2005. Police say the increase may be due in part to recently completed construction which has prompted higher speeds.

This section is on the east slope of the mountains. It is a remote well maintained, two lane downhill stretch in a sylvan setting that just begs drivers and riders to go fast. So be extra careful if you travel it.

Motorcycle Bloggers International is off to a good start. Ducati very happily accepted our award and has issued a press release about it.

Gizmag, a respected, high readership web magazine, wrote a very nice article about us and the awards. Their only point of disagreement was our selection of the Boss Hoss BHC-3 as the ugliest motorcycle. They then referenced a photo of the bike with a very pretty lady riding it. To whch I cry foul. A lovely woman will make any bike look great. Don’t believe me? Just ask any guy at a bike show.

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.