I post allot about joining your local ABATE or similar Biker Rights Group. Heres is an excellent article form a very dedicated member and will answer any questions about all they do so we can all ride.

http://abateflorida.blogspot.com/201....html?spref=fb

 

I am a proud Life Member of ABATE of Florida and, since I relocated last year, am also a member of ABATE of Michigan. In my opinion, ABATE of Florida does a great job as a motorcycle rights advocacy group and Doc Reichenbach is a very effective lobbyist. It is unfortunate that there is a small radical faction of former members who have personal issues with Doc and take every opportunity to attempt to discredit him (personally) and the organization as a whole.

It fascinates me that an organization solely dedicated to protecting the right of the motorcycle enthusiast is all but ignored by the majority of the motorcycle community and it amazes me that if you don’t ride a Harley you have probably never even heard of ABATE.

In my opinion, the largest challenge ABATE faces is the image it has as being an "old school" hard core biker club. ABATE is not a motorcycle club, it is a motorcycle rights advocacy organization. ABATE members are passionate about protecting the rights of ALL motorcyclist; it is a shame that those same members are more often judged by their appearance rather than what’s in their hearts. It is truly ironic that the scruffy old biker riding his Harley is far more politically savvy and, by far, better informed than most “motorcycle enthusiasts”.

I could go on and on but I hope I have made my point.

Ride safe.

Cigar

 

Could not have said it any better, and with only 1 reply to this post about our rights to ride what does that tell ya. I love the guys who bitch and moan that our rights and freedoms are being assaulted upon by big brother but wont get off $20 bucks for a year and join ABATE.

 

WOW... four days, 144 visits and only three posts... I guess either the "THIS AND THAT" section of the FD Forum is really obscure/lame or the interest in ABATE is even less than I thought.

 

I do support motorcyclist's rights by contributing to AMA (American Motorcyclists Association).

I feel they more closely represent my personal feelings about motorcycling than ABATE.

If you feel like contributing to ABATE, then go ahead. I'll continue to send my money to AMA.

 

AMA is a great organization to support for the rights from the federal govt. I am a president of a local ABATE Arkansas district and I myself feel the big threat is from our state legislators just this year there was a bill that abate of arkansas fought that would have required all motorcyclists to have passed a MSF course. It did not set up a course just said you had to have it. Imagine waiting in line for 12 months to be able to get the opportunity to take the course. AMA did not fight this fight it was ABATE of Arkansas. We also have no helmet laws thanks to ABATE of arkansas fighting.
One more bill that was voted down that Abate of arkansas fought against this last session was the turn signal bill which would have forced people who owned antique bikes that did not come with turn signals to retrofit their bikes with dot approved turn signals.

 

I thought about getting involved with ABATE a few years back....until I met the local president, and he had a patch on his vest that said, in bold white letters "PROUD TO BE WHITE".

That pretty much convinced me they weren't my kind of people.

People judge you by the company you keep.

My ex is Asian, my adult kid therefore is 1/2 asian, and I have fought in combat with guys of all races. No room for racism/bigotry in my world, sorry.

If they want to be taken seriously by the public at large....gotta leave the swastika's, SS stuff, and racist crap at home.

1% do it for shock value and they don't care about acceptance.

ABATE claims to be trying to get acceptance.

In other words...the president having that patch on meeting prospective members was just a plain old stupid move, IMHO.

So...thanks....but I'm not interested.


~Joe

 

Joe,
You don't have to subscribe to anything you don't want to.
If you believe in supporting the rights of motorcyclists, that is enough.
And getting involved in riders' rights, in whatever capacity or avenue, helps ALL riders.
JMO.

 

People dont have to be members of abate but numbers matter when you go to a congressman If only you get out of abate the issues that come up like stupid bills these state senators and reps put up so you could contact your rep or senator that would help big time to protecting our rights.

 

Abate does more on the state level than the ama. your local abate chapters are on the front line when it comes to motorcycle rights in your state. I have been a member of abate in three states for well over 20 years, pa, md,ks, and now back in md again. it is all about freedom and your right to ride when, where, and how you wish. on the federal leval, everyone should support the mrf.