The Lake Express will operate from April 30th through October 31st this year; and for the months of May and June, motorcycles will ride for free, a savings of $38.00 per one-way crossing. That offer applies to standard two-wheeled motorcycles. Keep in mind, there is still a fee for each passenger. According to the Lake Express customer service operator we spoke with, that fee per person is $95.50, which includes the fuel surcharge and the port and security fee. While perhaps not the most frugal method of circumventing the southern tip of Lake Michigan, the approximate 28% discount being offered by Lake Express was certainly worth mentioning and most definitely will be appreciated by the many bikers who will no doubt take advantage of this savings during May and June.

Accustomed to transporting bikes, the Lake Express has space specifically designated so that riders can enjoy the crossing confident that their bike is safe and protected. There are tie-downs provided for riders to properly secure their bike to the vehicle deck, and there is an easy on-and-off "nature" to the ferry allowing riders to go ashore within moments of reaching port. There is a minimum of 12 available slots per departure set aside for motorcycles, but exceptions may be made for larger group bookings. Motorcyclists are asked to be at the ferry 45 minutes prior to departure; and for safety and security reasons, once the Lake Express is ready for departure, no one is allowed on the vehicle deck. There is an open deck available for those who want to enjoy the cruise outdoors. There is also a classic climate-controlled cabin and the L'Expresso Cafe with on-board dining and movies to keep you entertained for those who'd prefer to cruise indoors.  For a slightly higher fee, you can opt to sit in the premier cabin where you will enjoy steward service, complimentary newspapers, non-alcoholic beverages, headsets for movies, and work-friendly table seating with electrical service for those traveling with their laptops. There is lots of good info on the Lake Express web site, such as attraction pages to check out for both Wisconsin and Michigan.

Wondering what's in the area specifically for bikers? Well, the Harley-Davidson Museum is located right there in Milwaukee. You'll want to check out the H-D Museum site for scheduled events that might be going on during your visit. For example, during May, there is a Women Riders Month Celebration in Milwaukee (May 22), and the First Rumble at the H-D Museum (May 27) scheduled.  A little further north in Tomahawk, WI, is the Harley Davidson plant where you can schedule a behind-the-scenes plant tour.  In Milwaukee, you may want to check out the upscale Iron Horse Hotel which caters to business travelers and motorcycle enthusiasts alike. Whether you book a room for the night or just want to drop by one of their restaurants or bars, the Iron Horse would be a fun aside visit for any biker visiting the Milwaukee area. Of course, there are lots of scenic routes through coastal and country back roads throughout southern Michigan and Wisconsin. Don't forget to check out the lodging map on BikerCamps.com. There are plenty of good motorcycle-friendly camping sites to choose from for those interested in camping.

This month, Senate Bill 22 narrowly failed to get the two-thirds votes of the House required to get enacted into law. The vote came down to 282 yes votes vs 144 no votes. That’s a 66.2% yes margin which is about as close as it gets.

The Omnibus bill, which in reality was 160 bills rolled into one and included more than 1,300 pages, was the latest attempt to steam-roll a bill, which none of the legislators had read, through the Congress. Luckily, the AMA, along with other outraged motorcycle groups, were able to scream loudly enough to be heard. They  urged motorcycling voters to get involved and  let their congressmen know how they felt about this law, and the people responded. Luckily, enough of the representatives listened to their constituents to halt the measure before it got sneaked through.

Had the bill passed, it would have banned any motorized vehicles from more than 2 million acres of public land. Despite this bill failing, expect it to come up again. As always the price of freedom is vigilance.
 

Here is the Voting Roll for Senate Bill 22

Check to see how your representative voted, if they voted NAY, you might want to thank them, if they Voted Yea you might want to tell them that they are working hard to lose your vote next election.  If they are one of the six that didn’t vote at all, you have to wonder how they got elected in the first place.

International Motorcycle Rallies in '09

• Speed Fest – Mar 14-15 (Valles, Barcelona/Spain)
• Honda 40th Anniversary Rally – (Queensland, Australia)
• 7th Costa Rica National Rally – April 24-26 (San Jose/Costa Rica)www.harley-davidson.com
• 17th Love Ride – May 3 (Switzerland)
• Harley-Davidson – May 7-10 (Port Grimaud/St. Tropez/ Cote d'Azur/ France
• Skagen Rally – May 21-23 (Copenhagen/Denmark)
• 64th Rally FIM – May 25-30 (Zadar-Zaton/Croatia)
• Swiss 500 Miles – June 6-7 (Zurich Dietikon/Switzerland)
• Custom Bike Show – June 6 (Norralje/Sweden)
• XIX Reunion International HDC-C – June 11-14 (El Vendrell/Spain)
• Helsinki Bike Show – June 13 (Helsinki, Finland)
• Ultimate Rally 2009 – June 26-27 (Marcillat en Combraille/France)
• International Trucker & Country Festival – June 26-28 (Interlaken/Switzerland)
• Swiss Harley Days – July 3-5 (Interlaken/Switzerland)
• H.O.G. Rally – multiple dates in July and August (Cranbrook/Victoriaville/Halifax/Barrie/Calgary/Canada)
• Bulldog Bash – August 6-9 (Warwickshire/England)
• 12th European Bike Week – September 8-13 (Faak am See/ Austria)
• 10th Caribbean H.O.G. Rally – November 6-8 (Copamarina/Puerto Rico)
• The Carole Nash NEC Bike Show – November 27 – December 6 (Allesely, Coventry/England)
• Snowdogs Moto Rally – (Russia)

Many of the websites are not translated into English, so check the details listed carefully before making travel plans. While we attempted to provide the most accurate information about the rally date and location, the rally website will be most reliable. For those that end up attending one of these rallies, send us details of your adventure to share with other BikerCamps.com readers.

Sturgis Chamber of Commerce – New Owner of Sturgis Bike Week

For nearly a decade, the relationship between the Sturgis Chamber of Commerce and the owners of Sturgis Bike Week, Inc., have remained strained in a dispute over who would own the motorcycle rally’s marketing rights. When you have an event that has that much notoriety among motorcyclists worldwide, attracting hundreds of thousands of bikers to the venue yearly, it’s likely that trademark and copyright ownership for that event would be worth big bucks. In the world of motorcycle rally games, this tug of war seemed like it would never end. Finally, on March 3rd, 2009, that ongoing dispute was finally resolved.

Happy Campers Only at Sturgis ’69

The  details of the transaction that put this Sturgis Rally issue to a much-needed rest has not been disclosed, but the news is that Sturgis Bike Week has been purchased by the Sturgis Chamber of Commerce and that both parties are happy with the resolution. Francie Ruebel-Alberts, one of the three Sturgis Bike Week, Inc., owners, stated that, "…we just kept coming back to our desire to keep it in the Sturgis community. Despite the fact that we have had our differences over the years, the Sturgis Chamber seemed the obvious choice and to maintain local ownership was very important to us." Gary Lippold and Bob Davis were the other two owners.

This wasn’t the first newsworthy dealing to take place in Sturgis this year. The Glencoe Campground and the Rock’n the Rally Amphitheater also changed ownership this year. Gary Lippold, again co-owner of those properties, participated in a little official paper inking a few months back that finalized that $8.6 million real estate transaction. These are just a couple of  Sturgis behind-the-scene details we thought might interest you. The 69th Anniversary Sturgis Rally countdown is still ticking down to its scheduled August 3-9, 2009, date with plans for a great motorcycle rally still in the making. Aerosmith and Toby Keith are just a couple of the top-named musicians you’ll find on the ’09 event calendar along with lots of other great motorcycle rally activities.  

Moto Honda da Amazonia LTD., a Brazilian subsidiary of Honda, has announced that beginning sometime in mid-March 2009, the CG150 Titan Mix, which introduces the new flex fuel technology, will become available for purchase in Brazil.  This will be the world’s first motorcycle to be equipped with a mix fuel injection system, a technology independently developed by Honda. By blending gasoline-based fuel with bio-ethanol fuel, often produced from sugarcane and wheat, Honda anticipates a reduction of CO2 emissions along with customer fuel costs.

So why Brazil as the venue to launch this new motorcycle? Well, turns out that while the CG 150 Titan Mix will be the first motorcycle in the world to offer this new flex fuel technology, around 90% of new automobiles already being sold in Brazil now use this technology. So the Brazilians already have ample supplies of this fuel mixture already available.

Commuter Bike – Clean & Affordable

Honda is expecting that because of the lowered fuel costs and cleaner emissions of the CG 150 Titan Mix, it will be an ideal form of transportation for commuters. In 2008, there were approximately 1.91 million motorcycles registered in Brazil. Of those bikes, 1.326 million (about 72%) were Honda’s. So brand recognition among the Brazilian people is already in place. Another feature that Honda hopes will be attractive to commuters is the starting price for the CG 150 will be 6,340 Real. Converted to U.S. dollars, that would  be 2758.32, a price that Honda believe commuters will find affordable. They’re hoping for annual sales of about 200,000 units.

2009 Tax Credit for Motorcycle and RV Purchase

The recent stimulus package that was signed into law on Tuesday (2/17/09) had a last minute inclusion for motorcycles and recreational vehicles. Cars and light trucks already had dibbs on their dollar share of the stimulus billions, and with the successful lobbying from the AMA, Harley-Davidson, and other industry groups, along with the support of four senators from areas most affected by a struggling motorcycle industry (Bob Casey, D-PA, Christopher Bond, R-MO, Russell Feingold, D-WI, and Herb Kohl, D-WI), motorcycles and RVs quietly squeaked there way into the bill. This is not an industry-saving piece of legislation, as we understand it, but may be a gentle purchase incentive for certain buyers. The cost to include motorcycles and RVs to the stimulus is estimated at around $100 million.  

Section 1008 of the Stimulus Plan

Section 1008 in the stimulus bill allows taxpayers purchasing a motorcycle or RV under $49,500 to deduct state and federal sales tax paid in 2009 when filing their ’09 tax returns. It is important to understand that this is a tax deduction and not a tax credit.  A tax deduction reduces income reported and not taxes owed. To be eligible for the tax deduction, a single person’s annual modified adjusted gross income for that tax year cannot exceed $125,000 or $250,000 for a joint return.  The effective date for this deduction, according to the language of the bill itself applies, "to purchases on or after the date of the enactment of this Act in taxable years ending after such date." We interpret this to mean that for any bike purchased after the date the Act was signed until one year from that date.You may want to check with the dealer on that if you are purchasing close to the beginning or ending date.

What does that mean to me?

Let’s say you were buying a bike that costs $20,000 and you pay 6% sales tax where you live.   The sales tax wold come to $1,200 and is deductable from your taxes next year.  So if your tax bracket is say 30%, then that would be a savings of $400.  Not a lot, but every little bit helps.  If you were thinking of buying a new motorcycle anyway, that’s $400 worth accessories that you won’t have to shell out the cash for.

While several annual motorcycle rallies have been canceled or had to be scaled down in ’09, the Americade Rally organizers have instead announced a newer and bigger activities calendar for this year’s rally. The ’09 Americade Rally, scheduled for June 1-6, 2009, will be the 26th Americade Rally to be held in the scenic Lake George, NY, area.  In ’08, the Americade Rally attracted over 50,000 motorcyclists, and they are hoping for a similar turnout for this year’s rally as well. Residents of the Lake George area actually look forward to the annual return of  motorcyclists that will undoubtedly give their economy a welcoming boost.  As rallies go, the Americade is known as being tamer than some of the other scheduled rallies, so it’s unlikely that overly loud, lewd, or destructive behavior would be the manner of the day at this family-friendly-type rally. Rally organizers suggest that visiting riders should become informed and abide by state helmet and pipe laws. There is a FAQ section on the Americade Rally website that discusses these.    

New Activities Added to ’09 Americade Rally Calendar of Events

Since this is one of the larger of the annual motorcycle rallies, there is already an unbelievable amount of activities scheduled that should keep you entertained.  The new activities that have been added for the ’09 Americade Rally include:

• Mardi Gras Boat Cruise that will include a Cajun menu and music. What recession? Les Bon Temps Roulez!
• Country music and line dancing with a 3-course dinner.
• Guided "Luxo Lunch" tour.
• Activities: Fuel Economy Run, Adirondack Adventures (Whitewater Rafting, Horseback riding, and ADK Dual-Sport), Bowling Thunder, and more.
• 7 Lake Loop MiniTour on Tuesday and Thursday and more for Trike riders.

Those are just some of the newly-added events for ’09. There are lots more activities scheduled, not to mention some spectacular riding in the nearby Adirondack Park. Visit the Americade Rally website for further information. 

The motorcycle industry, like the auto industry, has been delegating some of its R & D dollars to the design of innovative fossil-fuel alternative bikes. While motorcycles are known for their excellent fuel economy, few people are aware that hydrocarbon emissions on some bikes and scooters may be up to 90 times more than an SUV.  The reason for this is that while motorcycles and scooters have better fuel efficiency than cars, their engines are able to convert fuel into energy at a faster rate than autos thereby producing more nitrogen oxides, which is one of the primary ingredients of smog. Adding catalytic converters to motorcycles has been proposed by some, but motorcyclists are generally opposed to these  power-robbing and fuel-efficiency destroying devices that are mandated for automobiles.

However,  some have been experimenting with alternative ideas for "green" bikes and currently the most common approach is the electric motorcycle. Electric vehicles have been around for long enough in the automobile industry for us to know that the primary shortcomings are their limited range between recharges and puny acceleration capabilities.  For most motorcyclists these are both non-starters.  But as we all know, motorcycles and cars are completely different animals, and while range is still an issue, the speed and acceleration problem seems to have been conquered.

Green Means Go

Just to show you how much progress has been made in terms of acceleration, one of the newer motorcycles that recently made history in the drag racing world is the KillaCycle. On October 23rd, 2008, the KillaCycle, ridden by Scotty Pollacheck, did 7.89 seconds @ 168 mph, becoming the new official NEDRA (National Electric Drag Racing Association) record holder. This amazing time was the quickest quarter-mile time for any electric vehicle in the world. The KillaCycle will accelerate from 0-60 mph in less than a second and has over 500 hp. What makes this bike so powerful is the A123 Systems nano-phosphate battery cells. This is the same type battery used in the  DeWalt cordless hand tools. Not a bad speed for an electric screwdriver with wheels.

Another electric motorcycle that has been introduced in 2009 as a street version is the Zero S, which sells for just under $10,000.  The Zero S has a top speed of 70 mph and a range of 60 miles before needing to be recharged.  While we don’t envision cruising along the highway like George Jetson on this thing, it could make a 20-mile each way commute a lot cheaper when gas prices go back up.  I would expect to see a lot of these hitting the city streets as soon as OPEC tightens the thumb screws on us again. 

Zero Motorcycles, the company that makes the Zero S, also has a dirt bike version called the Zero X which accelerates from 0-30 mph in less than 2 seconds.  Award winning designer Neal Saiki came up with the Zero design, and we found it interesting that the frame of the Zero X, being made of aluminum, weighs only 18 lbs. The total weight for the entire motorcycle is only 140 pounds.  The Zero power pack uses a non-toxic lithium-ion technology and contains no toxic metals whatsoever, meaning these batteries are rated for land-fill disposal in the US, Canada, and Europe. Several celebrities, including Jay Leno and James Denton, own one of the Zero X bikes. Jay Leno has done a YouTube video about the bike in his private garage and James Denton did a video with him doing a demo ride at his cabin property in Montana.

In the recent TED Conference (Technology, Entertain, Design), there was yet another of the green bikes to be unveiled. To purchase one of these beauties, you’d better have plenty of the spending kind of green. Scheduled to release a limited 50 bikes in 2010, the new Mission One bike will cost $68,995. Not an economical solution if you’re looking for a commuter bike that will save money at the pump. There will be a more affordable model announced at a later date. The Mission One bike is a design of Mission Motors and is going to show its power ride reaching a top speed of 150 MPH with 100-foot  pounds of torque between 0 and 6,500 RPM. The lithium-ion battery energy source will have a charge time of under 2 hours at 240 V and 8 hours at 120 V, with a running distance of 150 miles. The bike design is truly a beauty, and we’re hoping Tarantino will come up with another Kill Something movie, so Uma can show us what one of these babies can do.

There are other alternative-fueled scooters and bikes available, with more still in the labs. As stated earlier, we don’t expect these newer bikes to replace all gas-powered motorcycles. They will be an alternative to some, and an addition to others. Doubt tattoo artists will be inking these brand names into anybody’s arms in the near future though.

Motorcycle Rallies & Rock’N Roll

Most people have certain word associations that come to mind for almost any given topic. Mention the word beach, and within seconds similar words might come to mind such as ocean, followed by a sequence of other words like seagulls, bikini, or sunset. Try the same thing with the word biker, and some of the words that might pop into mind would be Harley, leather, tattoo, or open road. Similarly, with the mention of a motorcycle rally, one of the word combos that immediately comes to mind is Rock ‘N Roll, followed, of course, by biker contests and games, tasty Bar-B-Que, and checking out all the cool bikes and people that will show. 

2009 Motorcycle Rally Scheduled Entertainment

Over the years, there have been lots of top-name bands that have performed to the thousands of bikers that annually attend some of these motorcycle rallies. The larger rallies such as the Sturgis Rally will offer several headliner bands, while the smaller rallies may attract just a few. Some of the much smaller rallies may feature local bands or tribute bands known for playing tunes of some of the greats like Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top. The budgets of the smaller rallies may not afford having the superstars appear at their events, but there will still be lots of great music to be enjoyed. Count on it.

While many of the 2009 rallies are still finalizing their entertainment schedules and some of their websites mention that schedules are still tentative, here is a sampling of the musical talent that you might find should you be looking forward to attending one or more of this year’s motorcycle rallies. Got to say, it’s looking like a great 2009 motorcycle rally year.

• Arizona Bike Week – Gin Blossoms, Blackfoot, Eddie Money, & Cheap Trick
• Bikelahoma – David Allan Coe, Jackyl, Texas Hippie Coalition, Crooked X
• Cherokee Survivors – 38 Special, Shooter Jennings, The Nighthawks, Big Engine
• Laughlin River Run – Eric Burdon & The Animals, The Charlie Daniels Band, Creedence Clearwater Revisited, Skynnyn Lynnyrd
• Thunder Beach Rally – Geneva, Eli, Mustang Sally, King Cotton, Grip, JB Walker Band, Relix, New Fangled Theory
• Delmarva Bike Week – Stone Throw, Bobby Friss Band, Great Train Robbery, Laura Lee and Trip Fabulous
• Ohio Bike Week – Travis Tritt, Jimmie Van Zant, Ekoostik Hookah, and more TBA
• Carlisle Bike Week – Torn From Red, The Underwater, Nate Myers and the Aces, Kilego Vert, Ledbetter Heights, Sarari So Good, Cyphor, The CCL, Right as Rain, Mitch Hood
• East Coast Sturgis – 65 Fastback, Ronnie Ray and the Coolers, Blues Unchained, The 69 Band, Nighthawks, Great Train Robbery, Gatorhead,
• Lightning in the Highlands – Fran Cosmo – former Boston lead singer, Jimmie Van Zant Band, Pat Travers, Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers, and more
• Sturgis – Aerosmith, Toby Keith, Judge Jackson, Aultimate Ozzy, Jackyl, George Thorogood and the Destroyers, and lots more TBA

This is just a small sample of the great rock ‘n roll lineup the 2009 rally organizers are putting together to make for a great rally year. Got a rock ‘n roll rally story you’d like to share?

Traveling across the country on a motorcycle can be exhilarating. You have a greater sense of your environment and immediate surroundings on a motorcycle and can have a sense of freedom when riding. It’s a wonderful way to explore the countryside. Camping with your motorcycle, though takes some planning and adjustments from other, more traditional forms of camping.

Because you won’t have as much space on a motorcycle as with a car, you have to pack lightly and include only the essentials. This is easier then it sounds but will take some planning. Make sure you choose items to take with you that are small and have multiple uses. A good multi tool knife is great and will allow you to do repairs and maintenance, cooking and preparing.

Take a small bag for personal items and choose travel size bottles of everything needed. These are readily available at discount and grocery stores and will help save storage room. Use saddle bags for storing food, clothing and personal gear. You’ll have to economize so be prepared to wear the same clothing several times. Take re-closable plastic storage bags or plastic trash bags for disposing of items and for storing dirty clothes.

You should have ample room in saddlebags and the glove compartment for small items. For sleeping and camping equipment, use the luggage rack or passenger seat and secure these items with bungee cords. Make sure to bring compact equipment that can tightly fold or roll up. You should easily be able to store a collapsible tent and sleeping bag. You can even add a sleeping mat for added comfort.

If you intend to cook while camping out pack only what you’ll need. Look for camping recipes that only require one pot. There are many available and this will help conserve space. You can get eating utensils to store in a saddle bag. These do not take up much space.

For safety, make sure your motorcycle is serviced and in good working condition before embarking on a trip. Chart your route so you know where gas stations and restaurants are on your route. These can be valuable in restocking food supplies and in emergency situations. Keep a map and compass handy so you don’t get lost on the road or while camping.

You may not be able to camp in the lap of luxury when you bring your motorcycle but it will be a fun experience. Your motorcycle has ample room to store the necessities and if you can accept sleeping outdoors and only packing essentials, this can be a highly rewarding experience. Having a motorcycle available also gives you a lot more flexibility in traveling in and out of campsites. It is easy to pack all your gear and leave or go on a short sight seeing trip.

About The Author
Gray Rollins is a featured writer for http://www.dreamcamping.com. To learn more about motorcycles and camping trips, visit http://www.dreamcamping.com/motorcyclecampingtrailer/