May is often considered the official start of the riding season.  I know, I know, many like me have already been putting a few miles on for a while already by the 1^st of May, but in general this is the start of the “official” season.  The Governor of Iowa for numerous years has proclaimed May as Motorcycle Awareness Month. The Feds via NHSTA and Motorcycle Safety Foundation designate May as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month also.  The AMA as well acknowledges the month of May as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.  Many other states and localities also promote May as being Motorcycle Awareness or Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.  Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa also proclaims May as “Get the hell out and ride your bike month”, with an emphasis on safe riding and returning home to ride another day.  With all these notices, you would think the public would just put down their phones, cheeseburgers, hairbrushes, and whatever else is distracting them while driving and pay attention more as to not kill us.  Sadly, that does not seem to be happening, but we as riders also have a vested interest in riding and doing so safely.  If you want to have fun on your bike and make it home alive, there are things that can be done to make sure that happens.  Make sure you are properly licensed and educated to ride. A strangely high percentage of accidents on two and three wheels are from people without the proper endorsement on their driver’s license, or no license at all.  This should be remedied if possible if it is you, and if it is someone you ride with, encourage them to fix that post haste.  If you have not done so, take a rider education course, or repeat one.   There are tons available all over the state and here is one place to look: https://iowadot.gov/mvd/motorcycle/motorcycle-rider-education.  Many motorcycle crashes are single vehicle incidents, with a high percentage of those involving alcohol, which some could be alleviated if riders would make smarter decisions.  Sometimes we are our own worst enemies in the safety factor of riding.  This year let’s try to make better choices and return home to ride again.  Safe travels everyone!

I do know that we have had a widespread change of events in the last decade or more.  I know that things never seem to stay the same, that they either get better and flourish, or the stagnate and contract, or end all together.  The biker life and all that is has to offer is much older now than it ever has been.  Gray hair and gray beards are an overwhelmingly common trend.  The younger generations don’t seem to be too interested in the lifestyle that we live, and that is truly saddening.  I try all the time to get younger people excited about the sport, the life, the way of being, but it seems to fall on deaf ears many times.  I know there are a few that are absolutely digging the life, but they are in the minority in the biker world for sure.  I beg every one of you to try and spark some interest with younger people, because it may end up being the difference between long standing events staying alive or dying off.  When you see someone of the younger generation interested in motorcycles, take them under your wing and show them the ropes!  Encourage them to partake of the thoughts and feelings of two wheeled freedom, and get them interested in any and all types of motorcycles that they may be interested in.  Quite simply, our future, and the future of our lifestyle may depend on it!

Before parting ways for the month, I want to remind you to try and darken the doors of the places you see on these pages.  We thank them for their loyal support of Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa and greatly appreciate their support, as we could not do this without them.  Check out their places of business and let them know TRMI sent ya!

Until next month, ride with purpose, ride with vigor, ride safely!

Vernon

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Proud Editor/Owner Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa

Owner Thunder Guns and Thunder Guns West

IMDA Board Member

MRF Iowa Assistant State Rep

COC Liaison

NCOIR State of Iowa Representative

Quote of the Month: "America without her soldiers would be like God without His angels." Claudia Pemberton.