Winter has already started to hit the North Central regions of Arizona. The Verde Valley has had a few nasty cold snaps already and I for one am loving it… There are several of us that love to ride in the cold, the air is fresh and crisp and a good ride make you feel truly alive!!!!!!

First off lets get to the heart and soul of matters that affect the riders of Arizona. The elections have come and gone and we all now know the directions that are ahead of us all……
President elect Obama will soon be choosing his staff to meet him in Washington, one of those possible staff members is our present Governor, Janet Napolitano.

How could this effect motorcycles and riders in Arizona? Simple, with the change in administrations there will be new people in and old ones out… One of those old ones out could benefit motorcyclists as a whole. Mary Peters will soon be out of a job…. This is a good thing for riders on a national level however bad for riders in Arizona but I will get back to that in a minute….
The real question is who will replace Ms. Peters in Washington? Will they share her distorted views? Will they be a breath of fresh air? Will they focus on others rather than motorcyclists?? We don’t know, however odds are anyone will be more rider friendly than Ms. Peters.

Now back to why is it so bad that Mary Peters is out of a job for Arizona Riders?
Well you see its like this, Mary Peters soon to be out of a job will be move back to her regular home fulltime and that full time home is right here in Arizona. Once back fulltime in Arizona and unemployed what do you think she will do???? Sit at home and knit?
Work at Walmart? Etc. No I for one don’t think so, I think she will attempt to continue in her field of work, Transportation politics and policies or even worse state level politics.

Do you see were I am going with this yet? Ya lets take a few steps back to what I was talking about earlier. Janet Napolitano might be going to Washington, lets just say for a minute that she does in fact get a cabinet offer and takes it, were does that leave us in Arizona, with an open seat for Governor of Arizona that’s were. Imagine HELL on Earth right here in Arizona, Governor Mary Peters ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! Ya, I just gasped for a breath too…… Lets say see doesn’t aim that high and we dodge that bullet, here is the next shot just as bad. Director, Deputy Director, or Chief of Staff for the Arizona Department of Transportation, aka. ADOT. Let face it, she has the resume, she has the friends and she is unemployed. The possibility of these scenarios is very real and if one were to materialize we would all be screwed, to say the very least…….

So I say it is time to get to work NOW and form a preemptive strike if you will, get our proverbial ducks in a row and dig in for the freedom fight of our lives… We must all unite and work together. It is time now more than ever to make sure we, the motorcycle riders of Arizona give no reasons to fuel the possible future fires against us. Get out and get your motorcycle endorsements, watch out for our speed in residential areas, lay off the pipes while riding in neighborhoods, beverages etc. etc. etc. in short “police our selves” or they will. Enough said on this, I think that you all kinda get the picture here.
Next for some good news. Verde Valley district and all of the districts in Congressional and Legislative Districts 1 it looks like we have a few allies in the copper dome and on the hill. Below are the results of the elections and our future representation. You might remember a few months back I contacted all the candidates and asked them a few questions. The results of those questions basically determined if they were pro motorcycle rights or against motorcycle rights. Here are your newly elected officials and there platform on motorcycle rights per their answers to the questions that were presented to them. Now it is OUR JOB to hold them to what they said they would stand for! ! ! ! ! !

Legislative district 1
Lucy Mason (R) Pro- Motorcycle Rights
Andy Tobin (R) Pro- Motorcycle Rights

Congressional district 1
Ann Kirkpatrick (D) Pro-Motorcycle Rights

We have had some fun over the past few months in the Verde Valley District as I have reported on regularly. Our most recent event was a blast to say the least.
The Chili Cook-off and Run for Knowledge turned out to be a true competition and motorcycle rights rally. The Run for Knowledge was a lot of fun and it was interesting to see what members and riders really knew about motorcycle rights, laws and history. There were 50 questions for the run. Each rider had to answer 10 multiple choice questions at each run stop and they had fun with it.

Dale Vandermolen won with the most correct answers missing a very minimal amount. A little bit of history on Dale is that he has been involved with motorcycle rights for a long time. Dale is a member of the MMA-AZ, MRF, AMA, ABATE just to name a few. He is additionally one of the MMA-AZ state board of directors members representing the Verde Valley District as well as the Verde Valley district’s Road Capitan. Congratulations Dale, You are truly a knowledgeable freedom fighter and valuable asset to the Verde Valley and the MMA-AZ as a whole. Dale was awarded with a life time membership paid for by the Verde Valley District.

We also had the chili cook-off competition and winners of the bike show. There was some great chili to be had that is for sure. I was happy to see the wide variety of types entered. Thanks to all the participants and their efforts. All the judging was done per peoples choice and the results were as follows;

Grand Master of Chili = Big-Bo

Best individual
1st  place = Pattymelt
2nd place = Big-Bo
3rd place = Ed Hinkley

Best District
1st place = Big-Bo Verde Valley
2nd place = Ed Hinkley Verde Valley
3rd place = Marrow District unknown

Best Business
1st place = Flinn’s sports bar and restaurant
2nd place = S & M Custom Cycles
3rd place = Ed Hinkley Masonry

The Bike show had some incredible machines to choose from but in the end there were 3 that stood above all others.

1st place = Pat Montreuil-Ross and her custom Trike
2nd place = Mike “Punk Rock” Knox and his custom Shovelution
3rd place = Shelly and her Cream Cycle Sportster.

Thanks to everyone that helped put this event together and all that attended. Thank you to the Sober Riders M/C for all their support at the event.

Below are the questions that were on the Run for Knowledge. Test your self and see how many you truly knew the answers too.

Who founded the original modified motorcycle association?
Answer = Ron Roloff founded the original MMA of California in March of 1973.

What year did the Modified Motorcycle Association – Arizona start?
Answer = 1987

Were was the first MMA-AZ meeting held?
Answer = Tucson

Who was the first president of the MMA-AZ?
Answer = tom jackley

In what year was the office of president eliminated and the office of chairman adopted and who was the first chairman ?
Answer = 1995 / Bill justice

Who is present chairman of the MMA-AZ?
Answer = Colin “cinders” Macdiarmid

Who founded the mma-az?
Answer = joe eggleston, Richard lester, ron roloff

How many mma-az districts are there?
Answer = 14

Who is the designated mma-az lobbyist?
Answer = ray Huston

What is the name of the charity the mma-az supports?
Answer = the mma-az “we are the charity”

What type of corporation is the mma-az?
Answer = 501-3c

Who is the us secretary of transportation and arch enemy of the mro’s nationwide?
Answer = mary e. peters

What state does the us secretary of transportation live in?
Answer = Arizona

How many states have mandatory helmet laws for all riders?
Answer = 20

What is the legal blood alcohol limit for “MOTORCYCLE RIDERS” in Arizona?
Answer = BAC .08% for all

How many states have no helmet laws at all?
Answer = 4

What is the minimum equipment you must have for a motorcycle to be street legal?
Answer = Headlight, taillight, brakelight, 1 mirror, horn, rear breaks

More than half of all crashes occur involve?
Answer = riders that have less than 6 months riding experience.

Legal height of handle bars in Arizona are?
Answer = none of the above ( must be below riders shoulders)

When riding you should?
Answere = d. turn just your head and eyes to look where you are going.

The way to handle tailgaters is to?
answer = d. change lanes and let them pass

To reduce reaction time, you should?
Answer = cover the clutch and brakes at all times

Making eye contact with other drivers?
Answer = c. doesn’t mean a damn thing.

The best way to stop quickly and safe is to?
answer = d. all brakes at same time

When riding in the rain it is best to?
answer = c. ride in the tire tracks left by a car

If your bike starts to wobble?
answer = d. grip the handle bars firmly and close the throttle gradually.

Passengers should?
Answer = a. lean as you lean

When riding in a group, inexperienced riders should position themselves?
answer = c. just behind the leader

In Arizona what is the legal blood alcohol limit for a motorcycle operator?
answer = b. bac .08%

It is most important to flash your brake light when?
answer = b. when you plan to slow suddenly

Your front brake supplies how much stopping power?
answer = d. 75%

To swerve correctly you must?
answer = c. press the grips in the direction of the turn.

If you get a flat while ridding it is best to?
answer = c. brake on good tire only

When entering a busy intersection it is best to?
answer = b. slow down and be ready to react

What does the MRF stand for?
Answer = motorcycle riders foundation

What is the restriction on your driver license in you test on a bike that is 100 cc or less?
Answer = J

What type of Arizona license is a motorcycle license?
Answer = d. none of the above ( it is a class d with an “m” endorcement)

What is the most common brake fluid used in motorcycles?
answer = d. dot 5

What year and model metric motorcycle sparked the harley Davidson lawsuit?
Answer =1999 Honda shadow

What was the first Harley Davidson ever built?
Answer = 1903 116cc power cycle

What year was the 45 deg V – twin engine created?
Answer = 1907

What is the best selling bike of all time?
Answer = 1958 Honda C100 super club

When was the gas powered motorcycle invented and by who?
Answer =  Gottlieb Daimler in 1885

What was the first motorcycle frame built with?
Answer = wood

Who is the us secretary of transportation?
Answer = Mary Peters

How many mma-az districts were there in 2007?
Answer = 13

Who is the ncom district 9 board representative for the mma-az?
Answer = ray huston

What are the minimum officers an mma district must have?
Answer = district manager, treasurer, secretary

What does a individual lifetime mma-az membership cost?
answer =  $250

What does a mma-az annual business membership cost?
Answer = $120
What does a MMA-AZ lifetime business membership cost?
Answer = $500

What was the first official MMA-AZ district?
answer = Tucson district

What is the largest congressional district in Arizona?
answer = district 1

How many electoral votes does the state of Arizona have?
answer = 10

Fellow Freedom Fighters, Brothers and Sisters,
It is time to unite as one and focus on the work have ahead of us in the near future…
Please have a SAFE and happy holiday season…. See you all out on the road.

RIDE FREE, RIDE HARD and RIDE FOR YOUR RIGHTS

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