A bipartisan effort by U.S. Senators Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) and Gary Peters (D-Michigan) has lead to the creation of the first-ever Senate Motorcycle Caucus. Both senators are lifelong motorcyclist, and will serve as co-chairs of the caucus, which will advocate on behalf of both motorcycle riders and manufacturers.The American Motorcyclists Association thanked the senators for the efforts.
“The AMA has long sought the establishment of a Senate Motorcycle Caucus, and we are happy that this bipartisan effort has come to fruition,” said Wayne Allard, AMA vice president of government relations. “We look forward to working with the members of this caucus on all the issues affecting the motorcycle lifestyle and the future of motorcycling.”Joni Ernst (R-Iowa)Ernst said her concern for motorcycles and motorcyclists started when she was a child: “Some of my most cherished memories include motorcycles, from delivering messages as a young girl to my dad while he was working out in the fields, to riding through the rolling hills of Northeast Iowa with family and friends.”“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to encourage thoughtful discussion and solutions on behalf of motorcycle riders and manufacturers through my new role as co-chair of the Motorcycle Caucus. Throughout my 99 county tour of Iowa, I have heard from many of these folks about some of their priorities, including improving safety, infrastructure and energy efficiency. These concerns are shared by folks across our great state and country, and I look forward to working with Sen. Peters toward solutions.”Gary Peters (D-Michigan)Peters bought his first motorcycle at age 11: “I’ve loved motorcycles since I was a kid, and I started a newspaper route to buy my first motorcycle at age 11. To this day, I believe there is no better way to see Michigan’s beautiful scenery than by bike, whether I’m riding to meet with constituents and small businesses or taking my bike out on the weekend,” Peters said.“Motorcyclists come from all walks of life, and I can’t think of a better way to bring together a diverse and dedicated group of advocates to discuss everything from safety concerns to manufacturing. I’m looking forward to working with Sen. Ernst as co-chair of the bipartisan Senate Motorcycle Caucus to foster these important discussions and find common ground with motorcycle lovers across the country.”For additional information, visit the American Motorcyclist Association.
Hello everyone and welcome to Ultimate Motorcycling’s weekly Podcast—Motos and Friends. My name is Arthur Coldwells.
This week’s Podcast is brought to you by Yamaha motorcycles. Filling the gap between the entry-level R3, and the flagship superbike R1, Yamaha’s YZF-R7 is a brilliant supersport machine that provides real performance—perfectly balanced with rider comfort. Check it out at YamahaMotorsports.com, or of course you can see it for yourself at your local Yamaha dealer.
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This week, Senior Editor Nic de Sena gives us his impression of the outrageously cool-looking new Indian Scout Rogue. The Rogue features a larger front wheel among several other changes, and the bobbed-looks and excellent 100 horsepower motor make the Scout Rogue an interesting—and very real—competitor to the offerings from Milwaukee.
In the second segment Neale Bayly brings us the third and final segment from Brian Slark—the man who helped bring Norton motorcycles to America. Having spent 27 years and counting at the Barber Museum in Birmingham Alabama, Brian talks us through the final part of his career, that of course includes how the museum got started and where it’s going.
From all of us here at Ultimate Motorcycling, we hope you enjoy this episode!