Federal action to allow more ethanol in gasoline could damage motorcycles.

Washington, D.C.: Federal action to allow more ethanol in gasoline could damage motorcycles. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has agreed to allow the ethanol portion of blended gasoline to be increased from the current 10 percent to 15 percent for certain vehicles, which could pose a danger for motorcycles.
Under the decision, E15 is now approved for use in model year 2007 and newer cars and light trucks. It isn't approved for use in any other gasoline-fueled engines. To see the EPA news release, go to http://tinyurl.com/US-EPA-E15.
For more than three years the AMA has been on the record opposing increases in the ethanol level allowed in gasoline until studies show that an increase will not damage motorcycle or all-terrain vehicle (ATV) engines, and will not make motorcycles emit more nitrogen oxides than are allowed by the EPA.
The AMA is a member of the Alliance for a Safe Alternative Fuels Environment (AllSAFE), a group formed to ensure that fuels containing ethanol are promoted in a thoughtful manner. AllSAFE is made up of associations that represent consumer and commercial users of ethanol blends, manufacturers of boats, vehicles, engines and equipment, and retailers who sell gasoline and ethanol-fuel blends.
Source and full story: http://www.amadirectlink.com/news/story.asp?id=2311
NEWS
Quincy, Calif.: At a recent meeting the Plumas County Board of Supervisors encouraged their Public Works Director to move forward with the creation of a county off-highway vehicle (OHV) ordinance. This will clarify which county roads within the Plumas National Forest and the Lassen National Forest are approved for recreational use by OHVs.
The ordinance would ensure certain county roads within the national forests in Plumas County are available for OHV and over-snow vehicle use where public works staff deemed it appropriate. The Forest Service has previously claimed many county roads were not available for OHV travel and contended their inability to designate the use of these county roads has resulted in loss of OHV opportunities. However, neither the county, the California Highway Patrol or the local sheriff’s office agrees with the position, and the Board hopes the OHV ordinance will clarify the matter. The director said the process began when the Plumas National Forest conducted a public workshop on its travel management project.
Source and full story: http://tinyurl.com/25o44fv


Massachusetts: According to the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office (AGO), an additional $12.1 million dollars in insurance policy overcharges is going to be returned to motorcycle riders previously insured by Arbella, Hanover, OneBeacon (aka: Homeland), National Grange Mutual (NGM), and Norfolk & Dedham (N&D). The addition of these five insurance carriers brings the total dollar amount returned to Massachusetts motorcycle riders to $33,800,000.
Policyholders can validate their refund status by going to the AGO Motorcycle Insurance Refund Database and entering their Policy Number.
The AGO continues to work with the remaining carriers who do business in the state and expects to announce additional agreements in the coming months.
Motorcyclists who have had insurance policies including comprehensive and/or collision in Massachusetts since 2002 are urged to contact their insurance carrier or e-mail MyRefund@MassMotorcycle.org with your insurance carrier and contact information. All information is kept confidential and will only be shared with the carrier and AGO.
For further details, please visit the Attorney General of Massachusetts website, http://www.mass.gov/ago/motorcycles, the Massachusetts Motorcycle Association website, http://www.massmotorcycle.org, or contact SafetyDirector@MassMotorcycle.org.

Brussels, Belgium: European commission rejects switch-off option for motorcycle anti-lock breaking system (ABS). In a recent meeting with member states the European Commission formally presented its proposal for new type approval rules for motorcycles. In addition to introducing mandatory ABS for motorcycles above 125cc, the Commission rejected the introduction of an off-switch for ABS, ignoring the recommendations of the Federation of European Motorcyclists' Associations (FEMA), that had called for mandatory switch-off buttons for bikes equipped with ABS, since ABS is not suitable for certain riding conditions, especially with regard to riding on unpaved roads.
The Commission, while acknowledging those concerns, considers the number of citizens living in areas with a high percentage of unpaved roads as negligible compared to the broader riding population. Indeed, the Commission said it feared that too many riders would switch off the ABS also when riding on common roads, due to “unjustified lack of faith in new technologies.” In addition to the limitation of consumer choice and increased costs for purchasing a motorcycle, FEMA is also concerned about the proposal not taking into account increased maintenance costs for ABS, and making no reference regarding durability and liability.
Source and full story: http://www.mag-uk.org/en/newsdetail/a6792