 |
|
By Michael Dapper
VRA Page Webmaster
Nowhere does useless and inaccurate information spread the way it does on the internet, but we’ve heard the warning you’ll read below a few times from varied sources, so we’re curious if it’s true.
Read on, then we’re going to want to hear from Florida Victory Riders, so drop us a line at the Victory Mailbag.
The word on the street (and on the web) is that the Florida Legislature in October passed new laws that give law enforcement officials enhanced opportunities to stop and prosecute motorcycle riders. The info we’re hearing includes this:
• It is now an infraction to have an improperly mounted license plate – including one mounted on the side of the bike and one mounted vertically. We’re told a motorcycle license plate must be at least 18" above the ground, centrally located, mounted horizontally, rigidly mounted and clearly visible from any angle behind the bike. This means a plate mounted by a rear axle, on either side of the motorcycle or in a hinged manner so it can be tucked out of sight is a violation.
A first-time offense reportedly carries a $1,141 fine, a second-timer costs $2,500, and the three-strikes offender will need to pony up $5,000 and will lose his/her motorcycle license endorsement for 10 years. (This last bit sounds too harsh to be true, which fuels our skepticism about these alleged new laws.)
• There is reportedly also a new law requiring that motorcycles tires remain in contact with the road, so you can be ticketed and fined for wheelies and stoppies. If this is true, the police on Daytona’s A1A will get to meet a lot of sport bike riders come March.
Florida Victory Riders, we’re turning to you for verification about these laws, especially the license plate law, which would affect a significant number of Victory Riders. Are these laws now on the books in Florida? If so, any idea of about how tightly they are being enforced?
We aren’t trying to help riders avoid the law by raising this discussion. We’re simply trying to verify if these laws really exist, and if they do, to encourage Victory Riders to make sure they have legal license plate mounting when they head to Bike Week.
And if you’re going to do wheelies on your Victory Vision (it’s been done) or stoppies on your Hammer (dual front disks, anyone?), well, we’d like to be there to see it. We might even chip in to help you cover the fine.
Goodyear Tires at the Drags
We have heard from a credible racing source that the Goodyear tire truck is expected to be at Orlando Speed World on Wednesday night, March 4. That’s street night at the strip, and a large group of Victory Riders will be there to make runs for time slips (and bragging rights), or to hang out and take in the action.
At least one Victory drag racer, Jethro Pearce, is running Goodyear racing tires on his purpose-built Victory drag bike. Jethro is running a 5.5”-wide Goodyear racing slick on the rear and a 2.5”-wide Goodyear up front. That doesn’t sound like much meat on the ground, but we’ll assume the dude knows what he’s doing. (Stop laughing, all you guys who know Jethro.)
So look for the Goodyear truck at the race track.
Bike Week Ride to the Space Center
Heading to Bike Week and looking for a good group ride?
The Hurricane Alley Victory Riders have teamed up with the folks at Volusia Motorsports (1701 St. Rd. 44, New Smyrna Beach), for a group ride to the Kennedy Space Center on Thursday, March 5.
The plan calls for kickstands up at 11 a.m., but you can come to the dealership early for pre-ride coffee. For those who are interested post-Space Center, riders will come back to Pub 44 (by the dealership) for wind-down session.
The dealership’s phone number is 386-428-2212.
Bike Dirty? Check Out Pure Victory Polishes
If you’re just getting your bike out of the garage after a long winter of no riding, it might need a good cleaning. To make it as easy as possible, get your cleaning supplies from the folks at Pure Victory Polishes.
Check with your Victory dealer to see if the dealership carries Pure Victory Polishes (PVP). There’s also a map of participating dealers on the PVP website. If your dealer isn’t currently stocking the PVP cleaning and protection products, order it directly from the PVP gang.
And if you’re going to be in Daytona for Bike Week, the Pure Victory Polishes folks can give your bike a World Class Detail – just like they do for the Victory display and demo bikes. Contact them, via the PVP website to schedule a detail.
New Look for Mountain Man
No, “Mountain Man” Ross Thacker didn’t buy a brand-new Touring Cruiser. He simply had his trusty ride painted and it’s looking sharp. His painter was shooting for a red similar to the Antares Red of the original V92Cs. The early photos shot on a chilly Colorado Springs morning make the bike look a little more maroon than Antares Red, but whatever you call it, it’s a great look.
Mountain Man was planning to ride the bike to the 100,000-mile mark, then change horses. But with about 20,000 miles (or less) to go, his bike must seem like new, so we’ll stay tuned to see if that changes his plans.
What’s New on Your Ride?
What have you done to your bike over the winter? Send a photo(s) and some info to the Victory Mailbag so we can include your profile in the special 10th Anniversary Victory Riders’ Rides section of the website.
We started posting riders on September 10, 2008, and have posted a new rider every day since. If you folks keep sending your photos and bio info, we’ll try to keep it going until summer as the Victory 10th Anniversary celebration continues.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|