According to the United States Census Bureau and the Department of Transportation, over eighty million cars and light trucks are used for daily commuting on American roads, and about 200,000 motorcycles and scooters are a regular part of this mix. On Ride To Work Day, the practical side of riding becomes more visible as a larger number of America’s 8,000,000 cycles and scooters are ridden to work.

“Riding to work on this day shows the positive value of motorcycles and scooters for transportation. For several hundred thousand commuters, riding is an economical, efficient and socially responsible form of mobility that saves energy, helps the environment and provides a broad range of other public benefits,” states Andy Goldfine, the event organizer. Motorcycle and scooter clubs and organizations in many countries encourage their members to ride to work on this day.

Ride to Work Day shows how riding makes parking easier and help traffic flow better. Motorcycles and scooters consume less resources per mile than automobiles, and they take up less space in parking areas and on roads. Riders seek employer support for this form of transportation, and increased government and public awareness about riding’s many benefits.

For more information, please visit http://www.ridetowork.org

In celebration of this anniversary, I have added some new features to the site. I have added the Google Friend Connect system to allow you to join the site community. In addition, Google Friend Connect now powers the site’s commenting and polling systems.

Please let me know what you think of these new features.

No anniversary would be complete without thanking those who have contributed to the site: Steve Johann, Michael Pierce, Rob Green, and Ian Stacconi have all been generous in their contributions to the site. A special thanks to Michael Pierce for providing some of the outstanding photographs featured throughout the site.

As the site has grown it has taken more and more time and effort to maintain. As a labor of love I don’t mind either. I do still need some help in the form of advertising sales. If you or anyone you know would be interested in helping advertisers connect with motorcyclists, please contact me. Commission is paid.

Finally I want to thank all of you who read and subscribe to NWCR. Please keep the comments and feedback coming.

“These videos do more than just show the skills test required for getting a motorcycle endorsement,” explained motorcycle safety program manager Steve Stewart. “They explain why you need those skills and how they translate to riding out on the open road.”

For more information, visit www.youtube.com/WALicensing. Here’s a sample.

Here’s a note from Brady about his trip:

As you may remember from November, I sent out a notice of my opportunity to make a difference by taking this trip and building houses for those who might not otherwise have the opportunity to own one. I’m stepping up and traveling to Zambia in March and April, as a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village program. I’ll be working side-by-side with people who need a decent place to live, helping to build simple, affordable houses.

If you visit my Habitat Web page, you can learn the latest details about my trip:

https://www.habitat.org/cd/gv/participant/participant.aspx?pid=93124701

Now that the preparations are nearly done, and the planning complete, we’re getting down to the last bit of fund-raising time. As you know, I’m raising money to support my team’s work, and I’d be grateful if you would consider making an online donation. Any amount is a great help, even $5. Habitat for Humanity is a charitable donation, and you’ll get a receipt for your taxes. You can even donate on line!

I want to thank all of those who have donated, so far, and urge those who have not to consider even a small amount. I appreciate whatever you can spare, even if it’s just good wishes for a safe trip.

Thanks for helping me build houses and hope in Zambia!

If you are so inclined, I encourage you to donate and support Brady’s efforts.

The inaugural study, which analyzes the reasons shoppers consider a particular motorcycle brand but ultimately purchase a different brand, finds that 51 percent of new-motorcycle shoppers cite dealer-related issues as a reason for rejecting a motorcycle brand. One of the primary dealer-related issues for rejecting a brand is the inability to test ride a bike, which was mentioned by one-fourth of shoppers as a reason for rejection, while 7 percent of shoppers indicate that the inability to test ride was the most influential reason for not purchasing a particular motorcycle brand. In addition, 18 percent of shoppers rejected a motorcycle because it was not available at the dealership, while the perception of being able to receive better service at another dealership is mentioned by 15 percent of shoppers as a reason for rejection.

“To avoid losing customers due to dealer-related issues, it’s important for dealers to better manage customer expectations,” said Tim Fox, research manager of the powersports practice at J.D. Power and Associates. “For example, making customers aware before they arrive at the dealership why they can or cannot test ride a particular motorcycle may help brands convert more shopper visits into sales. Since dealer-related issues can be controlled to a certain extent by dealerships and brands, focusing on meeting customer expectations in this regard can result in improved customer perception of a brand as well as lower rejection rates.”
The study also finds that price and financing are cited most often as the reason for rejecting a motorcycle brand, with 57 percent of shoppers mentioning price-related issues as a reason for rejection. Overall, price is cited by 41 percent of shoppers as a reason for rejection, and 28 percent name price as the most influential reason for rejection. Similarly, 16 percent of shoppers mention the lack of low-interest financing, rebates or other incentives as a rejection reason, while 23 percent of shoppers mention high maintenance costs.

“It is important for dealers to understand that for many of these lost sales, there was a legitimate chance of closing the sale during the shopping process,” said Fox. “Eighty-four percent of shoppers indicate they ’seriously’ considered the brand they rejected, and 41 percent indicate they ‘very seriously’ considered the brand. While price is often a major reason for rejection, 51 percent of shoppers end up spending the same or more on the brand they purchased compared with the brand they considered but rejected.”

A vast majority of customers (81%) report having used the Internet to research motorcycles when shopping, 73 percent say they read magazine reviews, and 28 percent say they attended a trade show or motorcycle event, according to the study. Seventy-eight percent of motorcycle buyers indicated they contacted or visited a dealership for information before purchasing.

“More than three-fourths of customers report interacting with a dealership to find more information on a particular motorcycle, so manufacturers have a great opportunity to win or lose customers at this point in the shopping process,” said Fox.

The study, which also examines the impact of gas prices on motorcycle riding habits, finds that 29 percent of motorcycle riders report that they changed their driving habits during late September and early October 2008 when gas prices averaged $3.42 per gallon. Among those riders who changed their habits, 75 percent report using their motorcycle more often for commuting to work or school, and 41 percent say they use their motorcycle more often when driving around town. Additionally, 31 percent report doing less cruising, and 30 percent say they did less extended traveling.

The 2008 Motorcycle Escaped Shopper Study is based on responses from 3,022 new-motorcycle buyers. The study was fielded in September and October 2008.

On Tuesday I contacted Cycle News‘ legal counsel and we discussed possible courses of action. In short, they have a strong case and the resources to win it. I have neither. I have submitted a proposal for a “ramp down” period during which I will rename my site and migrate all of the content to a new domain. I am waiting for a response from Cycle News.

The attorney from Cycle News was very reasonable and indicated that her client had no interest in causing me to lose readers and there were no issues with the content of my site. As a trademark holder, Cycle News is obligated to defend their mark lest it be weakened. While I did not think that I was infringing their trademark, using two common words that accurately describe what I do, trademark law doesn’t see it that way and essentially obligates Cycle News to defend their mark.

Stay tuned.

On the upside, I am very pleased to welcome a new regular contributor; Steve Johann. Steve is the producer and co-host of HogRadio, a weekly internet radio show focuses on the world of V-Twins and customs. I was recently interviewed on the show and Steve and I hit it off, so I am very excited to have him onboard.

Also in this issue, Michael Pierce continues his healing journey in part 2 of A Road Story. Michael, an accomplished professional photographer, also contributed the photo accompanying the story. Look for more of his photography here in the future.

First, it is refreshing to see the WSP taking action to reduce the number of motorcycle fatalities in our state. Certainly there is a lot that needs to be done to improve motorcycle safety in Washington. The fact that roughly half of all motorcycle fatalities involve no vehicle other than the motorcycle is telling.

It is clear that the WSP has made this program a high priority and put it on the fast track. Their very aggressive timetable of 22 YEARS is an indication of the seriousness with which they are pursuing their goal. (Yes, folks, that was sarcasm.)

Second, what kind of goal is zero fatalities anyway? I’m sorry, given the infinite number of ways for a motorcyclist to be killed on Washington roads, many of which are unforeseeable and therefore not preventable, how is this even remotely achievable? These are just “feel-good” words about unattainable goals.

I get very skeptical whenever I see government agencies and politicians use words like “zero.” (”Zero tolerance” anyone?) Usually the word “zero” is a good indicator of the amount of logic and sense applied. WSP’s Target Zero is another example of just that.

I am glad that a group of motorcyclists has finally stood up and let everyone know that the roads and highways are our personal playgrounds and that we don’t give a whit about the safety or convenience of others on the road.

Now that the truth has been revealed, I am sure the non-riding, voting public will simply quake with fear and tell their legislators to give us whatever we ask for. For example, I am sure that it will be no problem to get higher penalties for drivers who kill bikers and make sure that insurance coverage is available for injured riders.

Yep, after your masterful display, it should be no problem at all to convince drivers to treat us with courtesy respect.

So thanks I-5 stunters.

Nickels and Seattle Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske like to play up the safety impact of the program. This in spite of the city’s own report that indicates:

"There is little evidence that cameras have decreased the frequency of all auto crashes or of the more dangerous angle collisions…"

If safety is the goal, perhaps Nickels and Kerlikowske should have a look at a 2004 Texas Transportation Institute Study that concluded that increasing the length of yellow lights by just 1 second resulted in a 40 percent reduction in collisions.

Of course, no one makes any money from longer yellow lights.