QWR Sends Congrats to Arnold for Winning 2010 AMA Award

The Recreation HQ congratulates Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for winning the AMA’s 2010 Motorcyclist of the Year Award. Actually, if you read the following news release… this is one award he may not want.


AMA News Release on Arnold’s Award
http://www.ama-cycle.org/news/story.asp?id=2404

Unlike some years where a rider wins an award for having a positive impact on motorcycling, the award this year correctly takes Arnold to task for signing SB435 – the CA “sound reduction” bill.

Just like so many of Arnold’s recent endorsements of the far-left agenda, SB435 did not make sense as written, will do little if anything to reduce loud street bikes, and brings harm to the motorcycle industry and community.

Quiet Warrior Racing opposed SB435 early on and urged the legislature and Governor Schwarzenegger to oppose this goofy bill.

QWR SB435 Blog on Arnold Signing Bill
http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2010/09/arnold-signs-sb-435-no-surprise.html


QWR SB 435 Alert to Send Letters to Arnold
http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2010/09/action-alert-send-letter-today-to-ca.html


The General had high hopes for Arnold when he took office but when he started to embrace the radical environmental agenda of the left…those hopes were dashed. By signing SB435, Arnold has justly earned his place in motorcycle history. Congrats big guy!

Arnold Signs SB 435 - No Surprise

The Quiet Warrior was disappointed (but not surprised) yesterday when The Governator signed SB 435 into law.
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PHOTO: The Quiet Warrior

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LA Times Article on Signing of SB 435
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/09/motorcycle-noise-bill.html

Over the years, HQ and QWR have seen his administration embrace too many far-left proposals and programs. There for awhile, every time the Obama administration would propose a new EPA regulation the Governor’s Office within 5 minutes would issue a news release praising that job-killing regulation or law.

As much as I am critical of the Governor regarding his passion for environmental over-regulation, QWR is even more critical of the street-riding community for digging their own grave on the street-sound issue.

I remember doing an OHV Sound Day at Malcolm Smith’s shop back in 2003 to help educate riders about the new CA 96 dBA law.

Article on Malcolm Smith Sound Day
http://www.sharetrails.org/releases/?filter=media&story=243

What is not in that story is that the loudest bike at the event was not a dirt-bike going through the SAE J-1287 sound check but a v-twin about 50 feet away in the street blowing a 105 dBA on my sound meter (remember the dBAs from dirt-bikes in the article were taken from 20 inches).

No this time, obnoxiously loud street bike owners are to blame for Arnold signing SB 435. Just as in my interview with Chris Daniels on KMJ radio who is a strong conservative and generally against government over-regulation… when it came to SB 435 he (and many others) have become desperate for ANY measure (no matter how ineffective that bill might be) that gave even the slightest hint of addressing excessively loud street bikes. Also another industry person who is a life long motorcyclist told me last week that he was in favor of the bill for many of the same reasons.

Blog with KMJ Radio Interview (a good case study of to why Arnold signed the bill)
http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2010/09/radio-talk-show-on-sb-435-with-quiet.html

Let’s hope Arnold’s signing of this bill sounds a clarion call for both OHV and street riders to respect the rights of others when it comes to being grossly obnoxious on either the road or trail.

Radio Talk Show on SB 435 with The Quiet Warrior

Many followers of this blog ride both on and off road motorcycles. As some of you know, Quiet Warrior Racing is opposing SB 435 because it really does nothing to address excessively loud street bikes but rather sets up a discriminatory fee/ticket schedule and bureaucracy designed to single out motorcyclists for unfair punishment.

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PHOTO: The Quiet Warrior on his 2001 Intruder this summer

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See Blog with QWR Alert on SB 435 with letter to the Gov.
http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2010/09/action-alert-send-letter-today-to-ca.html

Yesterday, the Quiet Warrior was invited on the Chris Daniel’s show on the powerhouse radio station KMJ in Fresno to talk about SB 435. I think Chris is, for the most part, a conservative who supports freedom and less government, but the excessively loud bikes in his area was pushing him to possibly support SB 435 out of sheer desperation.

The Recreation HQ invites you to listen to the show and send in your comments. The SB 435 interview with The Quiet Warrior starts about 9:00 into the show and goes to about 17:00. After the interview, Chris takes calls from listeners who ride. I think the caller section is very interesting as it covers the entire spectrum on this issue from folks who champion the “loud pipes save lives” concept to riders who think that we should respect the rights of others.

Link to “Pipe Down!” Segment (click on “listen” icon)
http://www.kmjnow.com/pages/archive?app=podcast&podcastID=774

AP Article with Quote from Don Amador and others
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hnKFh-vuy12ogTY81-4MOc6dMSAQD9I6VPMO0

I think the interview explains to Chris and the audience that SB 435 unfairly discriminates against the rider and really does not address or offer any substantive way for law enforcement or educators/advocates to deal with excessively loud exhaust.

HQ believes that riders should be given the choice to purchase either OEM or aftermarket mufflers and that any legislation should come as the result of a collaborative process (similar to what OHV did regarding the 96dBA sound limit for public land use) and is based on SAE J2825.

Here is a recent news article on SB 435 for your review
http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/bill-99080-state-riders.html

As the article suggests, the bill awaits a veto or approval by the Governor who is also a motorcyclist. HQ hopes that common sense will prevail and SB 435 is vetoed.

HQ encourages you to listen to the whole show and feel free to comment on the blog or send the Quiet Warrior a PM at: damador@quietwarriorracing.com

ACTION ALERT - Send Letter Today to CA Gov. Asking for Veto of SB 435

HQ knows many of you are still in a state of shock after learning yesterday that Cycle News has closed its doors. The General still can’t believe it and hopes it is not true. Be that as it may, HQ is asking that you man (or woman) your motorcycle battle stations by sending a letter today urging Governor Schwarzenegger to veto SB 435.

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COPY OF Aug. 5, 2010 QWR Letter to Gov. asking for Veto

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AMA has made it easy for you to use their action alert system to send that letter to the Governor’s office.

AMA Alert on SB 435
http://capwiz.com/amacycle/issues/alert/?alertid=16039911&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

QWR Blog on SB 435
http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2010/07/hqs-view-on-sb-435-and-loud-street.html

Besides calling his office and emailing a letter today, HQ is asking that you also FAX in your letter to his office in Sacramento as well as the office nearest you.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-558-3160 ( new number )

District Offices:

Fresno Office
2550 Mariposa Mall #3013
Fresno, CA 93721
Phone: 559-477-1804
Fax: 559-445-5328

Los Angeles Office
300 South Spring Street
Suite 16701
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Phone: 213-897-0322
Fax: 213-897-0319

Riverside Office
3737 Main Street #201
Riverside, CA 92501
Phone: 951-680-6860
Fax: 951-680-6863

San Diego Office
1350 Front Street
Suite 6054
San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: 619-525-4641
Fax: 619-525-4640

San Francisco Office
455 Golden Gate Avenue
Suite 14000
San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone: 415-703-2218
Fax: 415-703-2803

Washington D.C. Office
134 Hall of the States
444 North Capitol Street NW
Washington D.C. 20001
Phone: 202-624-5270
Fax: 202-624-5280

Thanks for your continued support and service!

HQ's View on SB 435 and Loud Street Bikes

Several street riders have contacted the Recreation HQ to see where The General stands on SB 435. This is a piece of legislation that has evolved from a motorcycle emission bill to a motorcycle sound bill.

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Quiet Warrior Racing's Letter to the Sen. on SB 435 (click on it for expanded view)

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July 7 Modesto Bee Op Ed on SB 435
http://www.modbee.com/2010/07/07/1243455/support-bill-for-quieter-motorcycles.html

KCRA Article on SB 435 (a bill in search of an issue)
http://www.kcra.com/mostpopular/24075288/detail.html

Having seen the success of addressing excessively loud OHVs on public lands via the 2003 96dBA OHV sound law based on SAE J-1287, HQ believes that street riders should be proactive and embrace a similar effort for CA street bikes based on the new SAE-J2825 sound test.

Edmonton, a town in British Columbia, recently adopted a sound law based on J2825 and is holding sound clinics so riders can find out how loud their bikes are.

See Article on Implementation of Edmonton Sound Law
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/technology/Countdown+enforcing+motorcycle+noise+bylaw/3199670/story.html

Both on-road and off-road motorcyclists must understand the general public does not distinguish between a loud off-road motorcycle or a loud on-road motorcycle. To the public - ALL motorcycles are the same and judged collectively. Off-road motorcyclists got their act together almost 8 years ago to protect their access to public lands by addressing excessively loud OHVs. Now it is time for the street-bike crowd to step up to the plate. Be proactive or get shut down.

Thanks for your interest in this subject. Your comments are welcome.