Harry Hurt, Granddaddy of Motorcycle Saftey, dies at 81.

[Colonel Nikolai]

A lifelong rider, he never crashed once.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/12/03/BAJQ1ATJM0.DTL

[Advwannabe]

His contribution to crash investigation and motorcycle safety are a welcome breath of sanity in amongst the interest preserving and legislation by emotion around the world

RIP

[Bixxer Bob]

As one who's constantly exasperated by the manipulation of data to  match anti-motorcycle dogma I was interested in this post, and read up on Harry.  I was immediately impressed by his work and thought that the UK motorcycle press should not allow his passing to go unmarked, so Emailed the most outspoken motorcycle journalist we have on this subject, Kevin Ash at Motorcycle News.

I didn't think any more of it until today when I opened this week's issue of MCN and found Kevin's column completely turned over to Harry's lifelong contribution to our safety.  I'm not claiming my Email did the trick, just saying well done to Kevin!!!

[John Stenhouse]

Well done Bob, shame the politicoes wont listen in the same fashion!

[Colonel Nikolai]

How does one get a copy of MCN on this side of the pond? And to what emotions are folk refering when talking about motorcycle saftey?

[Bixxer Bob]

Short of asking them to post you one for a subscription,  I don't know. Their website is here:  

www.motorcyclenews.com
 
but it doesn't cover half of what's in the weekly paper.

I could sent you an issue if you like though just so you could get a feel for it.

[Bixxer Bob]

Sorry, to answer your second question, MCN (as it's known) has rare outbreaks of balanced arguement but generally are a bit paraniod about the whole speed / safety thing.  It argues long and hard against ever-tightening speed restrictions and speed cameras but ignores the fact that if you stay within the law you've nothing to worry about, and it's the profligate law-breaking that leads to ever more draconian methods.

On the other hand though it does some sterling work in our defence.  Last summer the North Wales police decided that the easiest way to reduce motorcycle accidents on their patch was to force them to go and have them somewhere else.  They introduced a policy of blatant harrassment stopping all motorcyclists wherever possible and holding them up for long periods whilst they did a thorough check of bike and documents.  They stopped as many as they could, regardless of whether any wrong had been done.

After  a campaign organised by MCN, the North Wales police were reminded that the roads are public places and everyone has an equal right to use them, unharrassed.  They organised a gathering in the middle of the N Wales patch - and 10,000 bikers turned out.  Brought the whole area to a standstill.  Funnily, no-one was arrested and no harm was done as everyone behaved themselves.  The N Wales police are now re-considering their policy.....

[Sin_Tiger]

How does one get a copy of MCN

How does one get a copy here Bob, been looking but none in the usual haunts, an overseas subscription is too expensive for a tight Jockanese like me.

Well done with the agitation BTW