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Are you ready to ride in 2021?

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President/Founder BikerDown Foundation

By Laurie Montoya, President & Founder of BikerDown Foundation

Warmer weather and year-round riding has become our New Normal.  Gone are the days when you winterized your bike and put her or him away for the winter months.  The growth of BikerDown nationwide and in warmer climates has seen an up tick in rider accidents in our chapters and nationwide.

Sadly, COVID it has it us all hard in one way or another.  We are seeing cagers now choosing to drive with very limited insurance or NO INSURANCE and riders having to lower the levels of their policy. BikerDown has a membership program that is different than most program that you are currently enrolled in and  we ask you in 2021 to take a look at what our programs offer.  They are priced to give you value and services you will need in the event of a breakdown, accident or fatality.

To Join Click here

In 2020, BikerDown implemented levels of assistance based on membership.  While we will always help ALL riders who request help, being a PAID member will give you higher levels of assistance available thru BikerDown.

Riding comes with risks and rewards, but we all can make a decision today to try to get additional supplemental coverage to ensure in the event of an accident, we can focus on recovery and not how to keep a roof over our heads.

Here is a brief outline of our most valued memberships

ROADSIDE PLUS – This is our most valuable membership level at $35.00 per month ($1.16 per day).  The cost to pay for your services is $29.69, so BikerDown only receives $5.31 into our Accident Fund to help injured riders.
BikerDown Assistance – By being a paid member of BikerDown in 2021, you will have access to a highest level of assistance in the event of an accident.

To sign up please click here

Aflac Individual Accident Indemnity Policy that includeson the job coverage + nationwide motorcycle towing from MTS.
Every motorcycle accident is serious and most riders just don’t realize how bad it is or how under covered they are until it happens to them. 

On average, injured riders can be out of work for 6-10 weeks depending on the severity of their injuries.  This supplemental accident policy can pay you cash money to use for household expenses to keep you going during recovery.  Most of the time Aflac will pay you more money than any fundraiser friends or family can raise. 

Nationwide Motorcycle Towing – you are covered by your bike insurance and think that you are covered, but do you really know what type of tow truck will be dispatched when your bike breaks down.  Have you also asked them if you ask for roadside will that go against you as a claim?  Worry no more, we have partners with MTS the #1 motorcycle towing company in the US/Canada. 

They have certified motorcycle towers ready.  This level of coverage would cost you over $55 dollars per year and includes 2 tows per year at $150 each tow. This is inclusive in your BD Roadside Plus Membership.

http://bikerdown.org/join-us/

ROADSIDE – This membership level at $35 per year and has been our best seller for year.  

BikerDown Assistance – By being a paid member of BikerDown in 2021, you will have access to a higher level of assistance in the event of an accident.
Nationwide Motorcycle Towing – you are covered by your bike insurance and think that you are covered, but do you really know what type of tow truck will be dispatched when your bike breaks down. 

Have you also asked them if you ask for roadside will that go against you as a claim?  Worry no more, we have partners with MTS the #1 motorcycle towing company in the US/Canada.  They have certified motorcycle towers ready.  This level of coverage would cost you over $55 dollars per year and includes 2 tows per year at $150 each tow. This is inclusive in your BD Roadside Plus Membership.

50% of Drivers have little or no insurance – ARE YOU SURE YOUR COVERED?

Insurance Checklist 2020 has seen many challenges financially and emotionally.  Families are having to make hard decisions.  Insurances on your car or bike seems to be 1 of the first to let lapse when trying to keep a roof over your head.  Motorcycle riders NOW more than ever must NOT LET YOUR POLICY LAPSE and in fact riders should find a way to ADD under or un-insured motorist to their policy or risk the chance of that driver having NO COVERAGE!  
RiderJustice.com has provided this this checklist to help make sure that you’re covered properly.  As a motorcycle rider, you need to have each of the following coverages:

  • Underinsured Motorist (UIM) – Purchase a minimum of $250,000
  • Medical Payments (MedPay) – get the maximum offered by your insurance company, usually between $5k and $25k
  • Umbrella Policy – If you own your home, you need an underinsured motorists’ umbrella policy for $1 million.
  • Liability – Purchase a minimum of $250,000;
  • Collision
  • Comprehensive
  • Accessories Coverage – This protects all of the customized accessories on your bike. (Be sure to get replacement value coverage)

Before your next ride, call your insurance provider today and get the coverage you need to be safe on the road.

2021 is HERE! What Resolutions will you stick to this year?

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Editor & Publisher of Colorado Rider News

By: Laurie Montoya

2020 is behind us, A new year is upon us and many hope that 2021 will bring healing to all. The start of a new year is a time of making positive change, arriving at fresh decisions, and transforming old habits into great ones.

This year, life looks different than it did last December. When the 2021ball dropped the streets were not filled with hundreds of thousands of people, many celebrated in a quiet, low-key way, perhaps snuggled on the couch. 

As motorcycle riders, our bikers had more time to ride and saw an uptick in motorcycle fatalities and accidents and as a rider myself, I know it is time to consider what I can do to be safer on the ride. 

Dieting and saving money might sound like good 2021 new year’s resolutions. But, really, the best resolution you could make is: ride more motorcycles and make some changes in how you ride.  Here are some motorcycle resolutions to keep in mind in 2021

To get an FREE Insurance Review contact RiderJustice or visit this link click here
  1. Increase your bike/car insurance – not the most glamorous first resolution, but certainly the most important.  Colorado riders ride year-round and accidents as we know happen weekly in our community.  All riders MUST have at least 250k dollars in under or un-insured motorist coverage.  50% of all drivers in Colorado do not have car insurance and if they do another 25% of them have liability only.  No-one likes high priced insurance, but FREEDOM of the ride is NO LONGER FREE.  Do it for your family and friends if nothing else, family members are the ones who will struggle to help you if or when you have an accident.
BikerDown offers the Aflac Accident Essential policy inclusive in our Roadside Plus Membership for $35.00 Click here to JOIN

2. Add a Supplemental policy such as Aflac or MedPay – These supplemental policies are vital coverages to have in the event of an accident and will cost you less than you think.  I cannot tell you how many times a rider has said to me I have FULL-COVERAGE, so I am good.  Full coverage covers your bike loan or helps you if you hit someone.  What full coverage does not DO is help keep your family financially a float while you are out of work.  Health insurance will pay your medical or doctor’s bills.  But having 1 of these supplemental policies will help offset your loss of income while you are recovering. 

Aflac Accident policy inclusive in their 35.00 per month ($1.16 per day) membership that you can utilize in any type of an accident not just on the bike. 

MedPay – Medical Payment Coverage, also called MedPay, is a premium that your car insurance company must offer you. MedPay is relatively inexpensive, adding about $5 per month to the cost of many policies. This is because its use is limited, and its maximum payout is low. In fact, to forfeit the coverage, you must sign a waiver. The value of the coverage can range from $5,000 to $25,000.  Watch this video for more information on MedPay

3. Get your Living will and affairs in order – again not on most people’s top 10 of things to do, but vital in the event of an accident.  We all know that life can change in a blink of an eye.  Accidents can happen but thinking that your family and friends know your wishes or will honor your wishes after an accident of fatality is quite a different story.  We lost many of our biker family in 2020 and the aftermath of confusion would shock most of you.  Take a day to do your living will or watch for one of BikerDown Foundation’s Free Will Friday that will be scheduled for 2021 monthly.  They are planning on bringing in experts who can help you get your documents in order..

4. Motorcycle Maintenance – Regular maintenance is one of the best ways to ensure motorcycle safety on the road.  Just because your bike starts and runs…doesn’t mean it isn’t a risk for a breakdown leaving you possibly stranded on a ride and causing more damage to your bike when you are forced to get it fixed.   If you don’t know what you’re doing, then the New Year is the perfect tie to learn.  Take your owner’s manual and get more familiar with your specific bike.  You should also always check your tire pressure for the temperature and conditions on the road.  Your tires will lose pressure in colder riding conditions and not give you the performance you might need…traction is also so important in Colorado with the ice/gravel and other hazards that can be on our mountain roads

5. Get your endorsement – Many riders are riding in our state and nationwide without their motorcycle endorsement.  While your state may not require it, many states do…so taking that trip cross country you might head into a state that requires it. I believe there are also some insurance discounts/benefits that you can get from your insurance company by showing them that you have your endorsement or have completed some refresher classes.

6. Update your riding skills – Many of you have been riding for years, but there is not anything better than taking a day to refresh your motorcycle skills and learn some additional defensive driving tips.   There are also Accident Scene Management classes sponsored by Rider Justice and BikerDown that can help someone render aid in the event of an accident.

7. Is it time for a new helmet? – In terms of safety gear, a DOT helmet is one of the most important items you can add to the bike, and if you are planning on any road trips outside of Colorado, you will need to carry a helmet when you travel.  While Colorado riders have always believed in the choice to wear or not wear a helmet it is astonishing just how many bikers will compromise their safety in a bid to look cool on the road.  I too had never wanted to wear a helmet, but now have taken that leap to additional safety when I ride by purchasing a DOT helmet.

  • 8. Safety clothing and apparel – For years if you wanted to wear motorcycle safety gear you had to go to a sport bike clothing manufacturer and it really did not match your clothing or style of clothing.  Companies like Tobacco Motorwear Company have brought to the motorcycle riders (male and female) clothing such as Kevlar riding pants and jackets and vests that have D30 back protectors.  D30 is a new technology is the thinnest and most advanced protection against impact around.  Basically, it is very thin and flexible until impact and then hardens instantly.
  • Ride more often – you should try, and ride more than you did in the previous year. Set a goal of riding a specific amount of days per month. It can be hard to do with family, work and other commitments occupying most of your time, but if you are a passionate rider, then it shouldn’t be viewed as a chore. Even if you must go around the corner for a few groceries, make it your duty to take your bike instead. Once the nice weather hits your area, get out and join up with local organized charity rides.   Find a group of riders that share your passion and style of riding is also a great way to get out and ride more. The more buddies you have that want to hit the road, the easier it will be for you to get off your butt and go for a ride.

9. Plan a Motorcycle Trip – Colorado riders has some of the best riding in the country.  Make a list of states that you have always wanted to ride to and start planning. Road trip can get expensive, but if you decide on taking your motorcycle somewhere instead, you will enjoy the freedom and experience of getting to your destination a lot more. Now is the perfect time to start planning something for 2020 because, in Colorado winter is still upon us and will limit our riding over the next few snowy months.  There is some amazing riding outside of Colorado…so make your bucket list and start your saving for your trip. The possibilities are endless. You just need that determination and drive to start organizing things and follow through with it. You only live once, so you might as well make it memorable experiencing the unfamiliar.

Being pro-active with your riding and taking some simple necessary steps to keep you a little safer on the road seems to me to be the BEST Motorcycle New Year’s Eve Resolution!

BikerDown’s Adopt a Family for Holidays Meets Goals with Help from Special Donor

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Adopt a Family raised over $14k for families in need!

There is nothing more stressful than the holidays for families, whether it is the COVID world that we currently live in with job layoffs, food service industry shutdowns and in-home learning requiring 1 family member to not work.   Also, the normal high cost of living in Denver and surrounding areas makes it difficult for any extras each month.  Gone are the days, when a family can put a little away every month, or the Christmas savings accounts one used to open every year to save for the holidays.  Families struggle every year to provide the kind of Christmas that all children deserve.

BikerDown Foundation saw the need in the motorcycle community 10 years ago and implemented a holiday program called Adopt A Family for the Holidays.  Since its inception BikerDown thru Adopt A Family has helped over 500 families have the resources to provide Christmas for their children.

Each family in the program receives a $250 Walmart gift card and partnered with Walmart to provide a full holiday dinner and to ensure that children have food to get them thru the New Year.  What makes our program different is they allow donors to see their donations at work by meeting with the families, reading about their circumstances and getting to personally meet them at our Dinner with Santa. 

Their goal in 2020 was to help as many families as they could but to also be realistic that everyone in our community was struggling and that donations could possibly be down this year.  Adopt A Family even limited the number of families that could apply to 40 families, from the normal 75-100.  BikerDown Adopt A Family also expanded their reach in 2019 to include the Las Vegas BikerDown chapter which each year has reached their family goals with the guidance of Shannon Venturo from Full Throttle Law & Bling Devas, MC, Cheryl from Original Sinners, MC and the Southern Nevada Confederation of Clubs.

On December 11, 2020, with 2 weeks away from Christmas, they began to get very worried that they just would not meet the goal of helping 40 families. On Wednesday, December 16, Laurie Montoya, President and Founder of BikerDown and Adopt A Family, received a phone call that she will never forget.
Michael Lord, a local Denver entrepreneur, called to adopt the last 4 families in our program. Mike then asked if there were any other families that they could help. In a matter of minutes, Mike and his co-workers adopted 10 additional families that were on the waitlist!

The program would be remiss to not recognize all the Colorado donors of this program, that each year make sure to adopt at least 1-2 families.  These biker community donors have been the back bone of our program for 10 years and Adopt a Family would not have been able to survive and increase our help without their commitment every year.  We would like to give special recognition to Scott O’Sullivan from RiderJustice.com and The O’Sullivan Law firms, Greg & Brooklyn Chmel, Art and Khris Cleveland, Derek from Ironwood Earthcare, BO Martinez, Skip Hohnhorst, Eli Ohlauser, Deborah Thomas, Kevin Maki, and all of you who attended the November Chili cook off.  You are truly a blessing to this program.

Adopt A Family will continue the mission in 2021 and we look forward to bigger and better events that will enable us to extend our reach to more and more families.


We will all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  I hope you will raise your glass and join me in say FAREWELL to 2020.

“Modified” Toy Run Scheduled for Saturday, December 5th

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COVID red levels in Denver and surrounding counties have put a hault on many of our charitable events and rides in December. Most recently, Rocky Mountain Harley-Davidson had to cancel their 35th Annual Children’s Hospital Toy Run. This has been a time honored tradition in our biker community in Colorado with attendance hitting all time records in 2019.

Rider Justice, BikerDown Foundation and Colorado Rider News took it upon themselves to try to ensure the kids from Children’s Hospital didn’t go without their toys for Christmas by organizing a Modified Toy Drive/Run and to put a smile on Kathy Yevoli, owner of Rocky Mountain HD face.

On Saturday December 5th, riders are asked to decorate their bikes, strap on their toys just like they have done for years and meet at Dirty Dogs Roadhouse in Golden at 12pm. Kickstands are up at 1pm and we will do a short ride to Rocky Mountain where Kathy and Marina will have bins and boxes ready to accept your unwrapped toys and gifts for the kids.

If for any reason you cannot make it on Saturday, bring your unwrapped toy today thru Friday to the dealerships.

Adopt-A-Family for the Holidays – Nominations are open until November 30th

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Please visit our website for more information

BikerDown Foundation is in our 9th year of Adopting Families for the Holidays program.  The program started with the desire to help 2 families that had suffered a tragic loss due to a motorcycle fatality.  While we knew we couldn’t replace the loss they were feeling, we could ensure that the family wasn’t alone and that the children had Christmas under the tree.

The Adopt-a-Family program has helped almost 450 families over the years and the need for families in the Denver and surrounding areas continues to grow as rent and the cost of living increases.   In 2020 due to COVID-19, this has affected many families in ways they could not imagine.  Many parents are still not back to work, children cannot attend school and parents are forced to stay home.

As we enter the holiday season many of us begin to feel joy and excitement as we get closer to Thanksgiving and Christmas.  However, for many families in our community, they begin to WORRY about how they are going to make their children’s Christmas wishes would come true.

This year the Adopt-a-Family program is going back to our grass roots and have limited each state to 25 families to ensure that we meet our goal of fundraising.  We see this as a challenging year for all.

BikerDown with the help of Dirty Dogs Roadhouse in Golden will host a Freezin for a Reason Chili Cook off and Toy Drive on November 28th after Thanksgiving and Black Friday.  All teams are encouraged to pre-register for this event and we will have great prizes for the winners.

Adopt-A-Family has not yet determined their ability to hold the Lunch/Dinner with Santa which is where we normally distribute the gifts to the families.  We will work very hard to manage a program that meets local guidelines and continue to make the event the BEST that we can make it.

All of this wouldn’t be possible without the help of Walmart, Rider Justice, BikerDown sponsors, riders and our biker owned business supporters, each family receives a $250.00 Walmart  gift card.  Adopt-a-Family has a direct line to Santa Claus and he always comes to visit the children and bring some gifts for them.

This year we are on an aggressive fundraising effort to help over 75 families, but we need your help, if you would like to Donate to our program please visit our website at  www.adoptafamilytoday.org.  This website is also where we ask all families to request adoption.

#2Wheels4Meals distributes meals to the Hornbuckle Foundation

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One of the primary goals of Hornbuckle Foundation is to collaborate and work together with other Recovery Community Organizations and non-profits. Monarch Sober Living played a pivotal role in the success of the Hornbuckle Foundation’s sober living placement and recovery coaching program. With their experience, they helped fine tune a dream and turn it into a successful reality, by providing guidance and teamwork. 
We were approached by Rider Justice with an idea to bring meals to sober living houses through 2Wheels4Meals. The Hornbuckle Foundation had dreamed of being able to do an event like this for the last year, and 2Wheels4Meals made it happen! 

Residents of sober living are near and dear to our hearts. They are working toward achieving long-term sobriety. This journey is not for the faint of heart! Many bridges have been burned, reputations destroyed, and it can be a long road to getting back on the right track. With COVID happening, isolation has wreaked havoc on the world. This event brought people together and was a reminder that they are not alone; that the community cares about their intrinsic value and worth. They’re worth some amazing, gourmet Italian food- worth the effort to be blessed. I loved what Laurie said the best, “We see you and we are proud of you.” So many people don’t get to hear that very often, even those not in recovery. It was a special day to be a part of. We are grateful and humbled to be chosen to play our small part. 

Sarah Hornbuckle visits with the #2wheels4meals crews

Winners of BikerDown’s Customized Wheelchair Competition

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Motorcycle Awareness and bringing unity to the biker community is the Mission of the BikerDown Foundation. Saturday, October 17th, Five (5) teams from the riding community gathered at Dirty Dogs Roadhouse in Golden to present their customized wheelchairs. Another phase of the day was a medical equipment drive to collect additional medical equipment that BikerDown loans out to the injured riders in the Colorado community.

RiderJustice.com is the advocacy arm of the O’Sullivan Law firm one of the premier motorcycle law firms in Colorado

Sponsor Rider Justice had donated 10 standard wheelchairs to get the competition started and to ensure that all teams had the same wheelchair to work with. The teams had several months to use their creativity and get their club, ministry or groups message reflected in the wheelchair. Teams were judged on their creativity, usefulness of the wheelchair and overall presentation

1st place and People’s choice winner Soldier’s for Jesus Colorado

The 1st place winner of the competition and People’s choice winner was Soldier’s for Jesus of Colorado. Their chair showed so much creativity and was completely functional for an injured rider because the whole electric chair design came off so that the injured rider could use it.

2nd Place went to Biker’s For Justice an group that helps abused children in the Denver area

2nd place was given to Biker’s for Justice a riding group that helps abused children here in Denver. Thomas Train was their inspiration for their customized wheelchair and Fuzz, Founder of Rider Justice pulled out all the stops with steam coming out the train pipe, a track for Thomas and a bell to let everyone know that Thomas the Train is riding thru. This wheelchair is so amazing, that BikerDown has asked Biker’s for Justice to work with us to donate the chair to Children’s Hospital in Denver, so that a child in the hospital might get to enjoy Thomas.

3rd Place went to the Sober Souls, MC – Sober Souls is a motorcycle club that enjoys a sober life and helps anyone in their journey to recovery.

Sober Souls, MC – 3rd place – This was one of CRN’s favorites because every time you came to see their booth, you found something else they had done to customize this chair including but not limited to the brass nuts, and brass knuckles on the arm rests. BikerDown Foundation has had a long standing friendship with the Sober Souls, MC and we were so honored that they participated in this competition.

Christian Riders in Faith spared no expense on this candy apple red HD wheelchair

All teams were WINNERS in this event and we want to give a special mention to the Christian Riders in Faith motorcycle ministry who really got creative in their wheelchair from the leg rests to the split HD tank on the sides or the arm rest. The paint job was amazing, and I just know that they next injured riders will be rocking this beautiful red wheelchair.

420 from Valiants MC North had but 2 weeks to customize this FAST wheelchair.

Honorable Mention goes to 420 from the Valiants MC for their customized wheelchair. 420 did an outstanding job of customizing this wheelchair and while most people didn’t know this they were a last minute entry and only had 2 weeks to get their chair done. A HUGE thank you to everyone from the Valiants MC, they have over 10 years of supporting BikerDown and are 1 of the reasons that this organization exists.

After the event and awards were distributed there was a rumor between the teams that they wanted to RACE their wheelchairs around Dirty Dogs. It was finally decided that the teams would do 2 laps around the Dirty Dogs. You quickly learn how difficult it is to get around on a wheelchair, so some of the contestants got a little help from their team members.

All in all it was an amazing day and because of these teams efforts, BikerDown has 5 new cool wheelchairs to donate to injured riders. They also were able to fill their trailer with donated medical equipment including a almost brand new Electric Scooter donated by Jocelyn Cavender who contacted Home Medical Supplies in Lone Tree for the donation.

100 Motorcycle Fatalities in Colorado

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CDOT posted an article on the 18th of this month giving some year-to-date totals and the one that popped out to me was that our community has lost 100 motorcycle riders and is on track to surpass last year’s number of 103 fatalities.

Laurie Montoya, Publisher

As many of you know I am also the President and Founder of BikerDown Foundation and help injured motorcycle riders after an accident and/or fatality.  I decided this month to take this forum on CRN to try again to ask this motorcycle community to put in place some offensive measures, so that in the event of a motorcycle accident or fatality, you have the services you need to recover.

For years, CRN and BikerDown have put into this publication articles about increasing your motorcycle insurance to include at least 250k under or un-insured motorist coverage.   This coverage is absolutely the MOST IMPORTANT item you can have on your bike when you ride. 

Due to COVID-19, loss of work or just being down right irresponsible, at least 50% of all drivers out there are now driving without vehicle insurance.  So when (and I mean when) that driver hits you, if YOU do not have under or un-insured motorist coverage, you are literally screwed.  This will leave all the medical costs, and out-of-pocket recovery expenses UP TO YOU! 

If you have full coverage on your bike, please understand THAT ONLY COVER YOUR BIKE (maybe).  Full coverage does not mean your medical bills will be covered; it does not mean that your lost wages will be covered.  It means that you might get enough from the insurance company to fix or pay off your loan on your bike.

As the Biker Advocate for BikerDown who calls these riders or family members daily to see how BD can help them, one of the questions I routinely ask is what type of insurance did the driver have? And this week alone 3 injured riders family member told me that the driver had NO LICENSE and NO INSURANCE.

This publication has attempted since the inception to gently nudge riders thru advertising and articles to educate and give you the resources to make changes to your personal bike coverages, but I feel WE are LOSING the battle out in this biker community.  IT IS NOW TIME, TO BEG YOU and HOUND YOU to call your insurance company today and add at least $250k under or un-insured motorist.

There is still a lot of riding in 2020, and before you get on your bike in October, please MAKE A PLEDGE TODAY, to at least call your bike or vehicle insurance and CONFIRM, VERIFY and have them send you something that shows that you have under or un-insured motorist coverage.

If you do not want to do it for YOU, please do it for your FAMILY, your wife/husband, your children, your mother, or father and EVEN YOUR FRIENDS.  These are the people who will be the ones struggling to keep you going while you are recovering in the hospital.

Please forgive me this month for such an abrasive Letter from the Publisher, but we are in an epidemic of motorcycle injuries and fatalities and THE TIME IS NOW to at least have the coverages you need, so you can recover in peace.

As always enjoy the ride, let us know what we can do better and BE SAFE OUT THERE

~ Laurie Montoya, Publisher

info@coloradoridernews.com

Custom Wheelchair Competition set for October 17th – Medical Equipment Needed

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The contest is on!  The wheelchairs have been given to the clubs, organizations and biker owned businesses and BikerDown is looking forward to hosting our 1st Annual Customized Wheelchair Competition on Saturday, October 17th from 1pm to 5pm at Dirty Dogs Roadhouse.

2020 BD Las Vegas winner

In February 2020 we launched this competition in our BikerDown chapter of Las Vegas Nevada, and the response was overwhelming.  10 teams competed and each team really pulled out all the stops.  Tents were set up and the creativity of their booths almost outshined the amazing work each team did on the wheelchairs.

The premise of this event is to gather medical equipment for our charity.  As many of you know, for 10 years BikerDown has been supplying much needed medical equipment to injured riders in the Colorado area.   We decided this year to include the biker community and to try to make a medical equipment fundraiser FUN. 

No injured riders ever wants to recover in a wheelchair, they are depressing and the only motivation a wheelchair gives you, is how fast can you get out of it.  Our customized wheelchairs have given our riding community great joy and put a smile on their faces during one of the toughest moments in their life.  The injured rider also gets to SEE that a group, club, or organization/business took the time to jazz up a wheelchair and show the community we care about you.

All medical equipment is needed

In 2020, due to COVID-19, BikerDown Colorado began to run out of wheelchairs and the other much needed medical equipment such as shower seats, toilet seat risers and walker.  We are hoping that this event on the 17th will replenish the needed medical equipment that we need to help riders until the end of the year.

A special THANK YOU to Rider Justice and The O’Sullivan Law firm for their continued support of helping injured motorcycle riders.  RiderJustice.com donated 10 brand new wheelchairs for this competition and sponsored the trophies. 

So, if you have any gently used but good working condition medical equipment, please bring it to Dirty Dogs Roadhouse on October 17th and vote for the BEST Customized Wheelchair!

Colorado records its 100th Motorcycle Death for 2020

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2020 has been a difficult year, even for motorcyclists on Colorado roadways. With fatal motorcycle crashes up 12% over last year, a new partnership between the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and Grease Monkey is addressing this concerning trend by reminding motorists to watch for motorcyclists.

“Since January Colorado has seen a startling increase in motorcyclist fatalities and the state is expected to exceed the number of fatalities from last year,” said Darrell Lingk, CDOT Director of the Office of Transportation Safety. “With the fall riding season approaching and many riders currently enjoying the warm weather, we are urging drivers to use caution and be aware of motorcyclists. Drivers, please remember to look twice and save a life.”

As a reminder to watch for motorcycles, Grease Monkey will be placing safety stickers on vehicles receiving oil changes at 64 Grease Monkey locations throughout Colorado. There will be 60,000 window stickers distributed over the next two months to all drivers getting their oil changed.

“Grease Monkey hopes getting this message out will help save a life,” said Wes Stephenson, president and chief operations officer for Grease Monkey. “As a motorcyclist myself, safety on Colorado’s roadways is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone needs to do their part to make the roads a safe place to drive and ride.”

With the launch of the new campaign also comes the debut of a CDOT vehicle wrapped with a safety message. The eye-catching visual depicts a motorcycle crash in which the motorcyclists is thrown from his bike.  The CDOT fleet car will be seen driving throughout the Denver metro area over the next two months.

CDOT reminds drivers to be more aware of motorcycles and suggest drivers:

Check your blind spots

Check blind spots.

Since motorcycles are much smaller than cars, it is easy for them to get lost in blind spots. Before making any lane changes, thoroughly check all blind spots and use traffic signals.

Look twice.

When making lane changes, turns, merging and other traffic changes, check twice to save a life. 

Use extra caution when turning left.

Motorcycles are smaller which makes it hard for drivers to determine their speed accurately. When making left turns, look carefully for motorcyclists as the eye is not trained to detect them, then take the time to more accurately gauge their speed before entering the intersection.

Never follow motorcyclists too closely.

Motorcycles and their riders can slow down quicker than cars. Giving riders more space than a car ensures that drivers have enough time to slow or stop.

50% of drivers say they have driven distracted

Eliminate distractions while driving.

Being mindful and aware of driving situations, changes on the roadways and other unexpected incidents increases the safety for drivers and motorcyclists.

“My son, Nick, was killed by a driver who made a left turn in front of my son on his bike,” said Debby Uberecken-Standard, who lost her son in 2014. “As a mother, driver and Colorado resident, please always look twice. Motorcyclists are not as protected as drivers and can be hard to spot. Look twice and save someone’s life.”

Facts and Statistics:

  • To date there have been 100 motorcycle fatalities in 2020. This is up 12% from 89 at the same time last year.
  • In 2019 there was a total of 103 motorcycle fatalities.
  • Motorcyclists make up 23% of all deaths on Colorado roadways yet represent just 3% of the vehicles.
  • Of the 100 motorcyclist deaths in 2020, the following counties are noteworthy:    
  • The top three counties with the most motorcycle deaths are El Paso (17 fatalities), Adams (nine fatalities), and Jefferson (nine fatalities).
  • Northern Colorado – Larimer and Weld Counties have both had seven fatalities each.
  • Southern Colorado – El Paso has had 17 fatalities and Pueblo has had seven fatalities.
  • Western Slope – Mesa County has had six fatalities. Delta, Garfield, Gunnison, Montrose and Rio Blanco have each had one fatality.   

In addition to the window decals and CDOT fleet vehicle, Grease Monkey will also be placing motorcycle information in stores across the state while CDOT will be posting on social channels and running radio ads across Colorado to spread the message.

CDOT motorcycle safety efforts are part of CDOT’s Whole System – Whole Safety campaign which aims to reduce fatalities and injuries and “Bring everyone home safely.”