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Insurance Travel Information
Hello to all my Brothers and Sisters, After attending the Meeting of the Minds seminar, which was held in Denver Colorado I began thinking about
some of the topics, which were covered. Law enforcement throughout the country appears to have stepped up their efforts in
traffic stops, stopping bikers. So I decided to share this information with the membership An Unpopular and Popular Subject facing Bikers today: A very unpopular subject, with some bikers is becoming a very popular subject with law enforcement around
the country. What I am referring to is the lack of a motorcycle endorsement on many motorcyclists’ driver’s license. We as bikers should no longer ignore our compliance with the law. We in the biker community constantly
complain about people in cages not possessing valid driver’s licenses’. Whether a person is legal or illegal makes no difference.
Everyone who operates a motor vehicle of any size shape or form MUST posses a Drivers license. If a person operating a semi-tractor
trailer or transporting a Haz – Mat load they must have the proper endorsement on their license. A motorcyclist is no different. In fact, some other factors fall into play if you don’t have an M endorsement. 1. Your insurance may not cover you if you are involved in an accident.
2. If stopped by the police your bike can be towed at your expense, and you will incur the storage fees. If your bike gets towed,
where does that leave you? Probably on the side of the road looking for transportation with a couple of tickets in your pocket.
3. Let’s not forget that many tow truck drivers are not that skilled in how to properly transport a motorcycle.
If there’s damage to your bike, good luck in getting the tow yard to pay for the damage
4. If the police decide to tow your bike, they get to inventory the contents of the bikes bags and any other
containers on or in the bags. Could this search or as the police call an inventory, cause a problem for you?
5. If you are involved in an accident whether it’s your fault or not, your, Insurance Company may not pay
6. If you don’t have an M endorsement and you are not at fault, the police may write you a ticket, which may
result in your insurance company assessing blame on you, for the accident. It also could affect any civil suits involving you,
whether you are the Plaintiff or the Defendant. Insurance for your motorcycle: Is it current and do you have proof of insurance if stopped?
Many State Police, County Sheriff’s, and other police departments have begun using the M endorsement and no proof of insurance
to further a search of the biker and their bike to further an investigation on bikers around the Country. How to get your M endorsement: Many motorcyclists who don’t have an M endorsement have been riding for years. For whatever reason,
they have chosen not to get the endorsement, but are very efficient in operating a bike and have been for years.
Maybe you have a larger bike and can’t do the slow tight turns that are required on the test. Ask someone with a smaller bike to
borrow it for the test. A smaller bike will be more agile in doing the course.
Try to go with the smallest cc motor, which would allow you to still obtain your M endorsement. One of the best
bikes is a street legal dirt bike with a motor of 300 cc or more, which is a very agile bike.
If you don’t have an M endorsement, go down to the DMV pay the fee for the test and permit. Then when you are
comfortable go back and take the test, and get the endorsement.
Remember, if you have an M endorsement, proper registration and proof of insurance
on your bike the police are less likely to go any further than possibly issuing you a ticket for what they stopped you for. Until next month,
Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!
Ride Safe and Ride Smart
Tim O'Reilly
ABATE of Arizona
State President
 MMA & NCOM
Ray Huston, MMA’s Designated Lobbyist recently stepped down from that position and Mick Degn will be stepping into
it. Mick has worked for a short time with the current lobby team, and will be a great asset to them.
Ray Huston will also be replaced as the NCOM Region IX Rep. Ray along with Big ‘D’ of New Mexico are currently the
Region IX Reps, on the NCOM BOD as such and host the Regional Meetings at the NCOM Conference. 3 interested parties are currently
being considered for this position. Region IX is made up of NM, AZ, UT and NV. ACMC MEETING 11/01/08
As of January 1st – if the “Arizona” on your license plate is covered in any way, it will be a $140 fine. Left to
the discretion of the officer.
We need ALL members to check your motorcycle/vehicle insurance. We are finding out from others that if your wife
or other family member is on the back, they may NOT be covered or at least NOT fully covered in case of a crash. In some cases,
it could be a restriction in the policy, but Richard Lester, AIM Attorney, suggested that we check if there is something called “Family Exclusion” Clause on your policy. It may state that members of the family cannot sue other members etc. When CJ with
the MMA checked, he found that Betty was only covered for $15,000, but anyone else was fully covered. K
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