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Riding Your Motorcycle in Cold Weather Can Be Deadly.

Written on October 10, 2011 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, California Motorcycle Accident, Editorial, Education, In The Wind, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Motorcycle Safety Tips, Other, Riding Attire, Riding Your Motorcycle

I knew that the title of this article would get your attention.

With winter and cold weather either here for some of us, or almost here for the rest of us, there are things about riding your motorcycle in the cold that you need to know.

Riding your motorcycle in cold weather can be deadly because of something called hypothermia.

Hypothermia is a medical emergency that occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce heat, causing a dangerously low body temperature.

Normal body temperature is around 98.6 Fahrenheit. Hypothermia occurs as your body temperature passes below 95 Fahrenheit.

When your body temperature drops, your heart, nervous system, and other organs can’t work property. Left untreated, hypothermia can eventually lead to complete failure of your heart and respiratory system, and to death.

As the temperature falls, the body shunts blood away from the skin and exposure to the elements. Blood flow is increased to the vital organs of the body including the heart, lungs, kidney, and brain.

Hypothermia most often occurs because of prolonged exposure to cold weather. Inadequate clothing for conditions may not provide enough insulation for the body to prevent heat loss.

Many of you may know that riding your motorcycle in cold weather can cause hypothermia.

I must admit, when I was younger, and did not know so much, I rode around in cold weather all of the time. Many times I was so cold; that my hands were numb, my feet were numb, and my crotch felt like it was frozen. No one ever told me about hypothermia, I just thought I was butt cold.

Luckily I live in an area that has yearlong riding, however, because of this I sometimes take it for granted, and ride in cold weather that I should not ride in, or I get stuck on the road, and am forced to ride home in very cold weather.

Coming from Southern California, I sometimes ride to other areas or States where it is much colder than it is here.

The trouble is that when you ride in cold weather and you’re not dressed properly, your body senses as well as core temperature start to drop, your decision making abilities start to slow down, and just like an intoxicated person, you start to have problems with simple tasks such as clutching and braking because your hands and feet start to go numb.
Many of you may be saying to yourself “why is he writing this, I already know about hypothermia.” Well I had heard about hypothermia as well.

However, in the past when I was freezing my ass off while riding my motorcycle, I never even had any idea that I could be suffering from hypothermia and that my life was at risk.

There is another risk when riding in cold weather as well, frostbite, however, let’s just stick to hypothermia.

Just to show you how fast temperatures can drop at certain speeds while riding, I am attaching a wind-chill chart here which you can click to read.

Take a look, if you are riding at 60 miles per hour in 40 degree temperatures, the wind-chill factor is 25 degrees. You could get hypothermia in a matter of minutes without the proper riding attire on.

The point of this article is to make you aware of the danger.

There are many solutions out there for cold weather riding, from electric vests, gloves, pants, and insulated riding attire, to standard riding gear.

What is best for you or what is out there for cold weather riding, I will let you research on your own. There are many websites out there dedicated to this one subject.

The next time you are freezing your ass off on a motorcycle ride and you feel your hands and feet becoming numb, you will now think about this article and hypothermia, and maybe stop in a warm restaurant of motel somewhere to get your body heat back and to recover.

Yes it may be a hassle, but it is better to live to ride another day.

By California Motorcycle Accident Attorney, and Biker Lawyer, Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © October 10, 2011

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Tags: biker attorney, biker law blog, biker lawyer, california motorcyle accident lawyer, california motorycle accident attorney, cold, cold weather, frostbite, hypothermia, norm fernandez, norman fernandez, norman g. fernandez, norman gregory fernandez, Riding Attire, wind chill

Fonzie’s Triumph motorcycle up for auction

Written on October 9, 2011 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Celebrities, In The Wind, Just BS, News, Other

Happy Days's Fonzie Triumph motorcycle is for sale.

Classic television fanatics and motorcycle aficionados alike can rejoice in the news that the Triumph Trophy TR5 ridden by one Arthur Fonzarelli in “Happy Days” has been found lurking in a motorcycle shop. The bike effectively vanished after the sitcom wrapped up in 1984, leaving collectors to assume that the machine met an unpleasant end at a scrap yard. The Fonz’s motorcycle was originally owned by stuntman Bud Elkins, who kept the Triumph after filming shut down. You may remember Elkins as the man behind many of Steve McQueen’s stunts, including the famous barbed-wire fence jump in The Great Escape.

Elkins held onto the bike until 1995, when he sold it to friend Marshall Ehlers. Ehlers purchased the old Triumph on the notion that the machine was simply a fairly well-preserved example and didn’t know that it had any ties to one of America’s most iconic TV shows. Now that the bike’s origins have been established, it’s headed to auction in Los Angeles on November 12, where it’s expected to bring in north of $90,000.

Here is the text of the full press release:

“Famous double-headline bike was owned by legend Bud Ekins.”

The 1949 Triumph Trophy TR5 Scrambler Custom ridden by The Fonz in the television hit series Happy Days will be one of the highlights at Bonhams’ upcoming Classic California Sale in Los Angeles.

Happy Days, the beloved American sitcom that aired for ten years from 1974 to 1984 and attracted millions of viewers each week, helped launched the career of such actors as Ron Howard, Scott Baio and Henry Winkler. Winkler’s character, Arthur Fonzarelli – known famously as The Fonz and Fonzie – was initially just a secondary character that became so popular with fans he was soon made the central figure of the show. As the epitome of cool, the motorcycle-loving Fonzie, dressed in the stereotypical garb of The Wild Ones, spawned countless wannabes among the youth of America and became a cultural icon that still resonates today. And Fonzie’s motorcycle, a customized Triumph, was owned off-screen by another cultural icon, Bud Ekins.

The late Bud Ekins was famous as a motocross racer, Hollywood stuntman (he’s the one that made that legendary motorcycle jump over the barbed wire fence in The Great Escape), and as Steve McQueen’s best friend. With his warehouse of hundreds of motorbikes, Ekins was the go-to man in Hollywood when producers needed two wheels. So when the people from Happy Days called, it was Ekins who determined what the coolest guy on TV should be riding. Taking an old Triumph in his collection, he simply removed the front fender, replaced the handle bars and spray painted the tank silver and, violá, the Fonzie bike was born. Of course, no one had any idea of just how popular the show would become or the magnitude of fame Winkler’s character would achieve.

This now iconic emblem of American pop culture will be offered by Bonhams at their annual Classic California Sale, held November 12th, at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Renowned for offering property from famous actors each year – Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Clark Gable and Bruce Willis, to name just a few – this autumn auction is not to be missed by aficionados of pop and custom culture and entertainment and automotive history.

By California Motorcycle Accident Attorney, and Biker Lawyer, Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © October 9, 2011

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Norman’s Tidbits, October 8, 2011

Written on October 8, 2011 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Just BS, Tidbits

Working Hard: I will be working through the weekend on my many active cases. Although I will take some breaks it will pretty much be a working weekend.

Ride with friends: I am going to take a killer ride this Sunday with some friends. Ya I know I said I was going to work through the weekend, and I will, but a 6-8 hour time off period to do a great ride will not take away from my work.

Palm Springs American Heat Biker Rally: I am looking forward to going to the last major west coast biker rally of the season next weekend in Palm Springs. This event is always a blast and I will be thinking about it all week!

By California Motorcycle Accident Attorney, and Biker Lawyer, Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © October 8, 2011

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Tags: biker attorney, biker lawyer, california motorcyle accident lawyer, california motorycle accident attorney, norm fernandez, norman fernandez, norman g. fernandez, norman gregory fernandez

Las Vegas Bikerfest 2011; a Review

Written on October 7, 2011 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Editorial, Events, In The Wind, Norman Gregory Fernandez Ride Reports, Videos

Liz and I decided to ride to the Las Vegas Bikerfest biker rally last weekend. We rode to the rally on September 30, 2011 through October 2, 2011.

Below you can see 1 ½ hours of video I shot at the Las Vegas Bikerfest. Lots of interesting sites in the video.

We took off for the rally on Friday evening, September 30, 2011. We had a great ride to Las Vegas except for a few minor rain showers on the way.

The weather was warm and balmy all the way to Las Vegas.

We have gone to this biker rally before, and it was packed, so this is kind of what we were expecting when we got there.

We arrived at our hotel, The Palace Station at approximately 2am or so. The hotel was kind of dead when we arrived and notwithstanding the fact that we stayed off strip; I was really surprised to only see a few motorcycles parked at the hotel.

We gambled for a couple of hours and then hit the sack so we could get an early start for Saturday’s festivities.

We woke up on Saturday, grabbed some excellent buffet food from the Palace Station, and proceeded to head to Vendor Village at the Cashman Center.

We had to pay $15.00 bucks a piece just to get in to see the vendors, because we did not pre-register for the event on the internet. I must say that I did try pre-registering for the event on the internet like I have done in past years, but for some inexplicable reason, they cut off pre-registration a few days before the event which makes no sense. Anyway……

I do not understand why we had to pay $15.00 a piece to see vendors who then charge you for what they are selling. At events like Laughlin and Reno, and other events all over the nation, the vendors are set up in a public place and there is no charge to basically shop the vendors.

One thing we noticed was the vendor village was basically dead compared to the other biker events we have gone to this year. I am not sure why the event did not seem to be as crowded this year. Don’t get me wrong there were people there, just not as many as I have seen in past years.

I found a leather vendor who offered me a distressed heavy brown leather motorcycle jacket that I have seen in the biker stores before for around $400, for $60.00. The motorcycle jacket has all of the bells and whistles, armor in the elbows, vents, zip liner, etc. Although I already have a bunch of jackets, I could not resist. I pulled the trigger for $60.00.

I also scored some bandanas which I do not need, and a few other things.

We walked around inside and out, looked at the cool motorcycles in the Artistry in Iron exhibit, listened to the band outside, and then decided to split.

We went to downtown where all of the Saturday night events at the rally usually happen. There were lots of bikes, but again, not as many as in past years.

Downtown was very busy as you can see in the video, however, I remember in past years where you could barely walk through the crowd.

Downtown was a trip. They had a Led Zeppelin and AC/DC tribute bank going, along with another tribute band playing 80’s glam rock.

Check out the video, it gives you a good idea what downtown was like.

There was a very heavy police presence at the event.

We walked around, listened to the bands, had a good time, and then split at around 2am to go back to the hotel.

The next day we went to a Las Vegas Biker shop that has the largest selection of leather items supposedly on the west coast. I picked up a few things there, and then we got on the road. Most biker rallies empty quickly on the last day.

We had a good time at the rally as usual, and a good ride home.

Next we have Palm Springs American Heat biker rally in two weeks………..

By California Motorcycle Accident Attorney, and Biker Lawyer, Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © October 7, 2011

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Tags: 2011, Articles, bikefest, biker attorney, biker law blog, biker lawyer, biker rally, california motorcyle accident lawyer, california motorycle accident attorney, california personal injury, golden nugget, las vegas bikerfest, motorcycle rally, norm fernandez, norman fernandez, norman g. fernandez, norman gregory fernandez, palace station

Then I met Steve Jobs……..

Written on October 6, 2011 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Celebrities, Editorial, Education, In The Wind, Just BS, Other

Steve Jobs looking the way I met him in 1984

Yesterday’s news that Steve Jobs passed away brought back memories to me that I have not thought about for many years.

You see, almost 30 years ago, I met Steve Jobs at Apple Computer in Cupertino, California.

In what seems like another life ago, in my first career as an Engineer, I was at the age of 21, a Senior Field Engineer working for a company called Micom Systems, whose corporate headquarters was in Chatsworth, California.

As part of my promotion to a Senior Field Engineer in 1983/84, I was relocated up to Menlo Park, California to start up, and head up the customer service operations for Micom Systems in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Although I was primarily relocated to exclusively handle NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, I was also responsible for all service operations in the Bay Area, including Silicon Valley.

My job included installation engineering, training, and maintaining complex data communications networks for what was a who’s who of corporations, governmental entities, and the military.

My company came out with a new device called the 470, T1 multiplexor.

This device was basically a time division multiplexor that integrated up to 128 asynchronous channels running up to 19.2kbps, into a proprietary 819.6kbbps composite link, and then DE multiplexed them out on the other end of the composite link. (See the picture below)

Although this multiplexor was not really a true T1 multiplexor, (true T1’s run at 1.544mbps) it was a major innovation in its day.

A hand drawn schematic of the network I installed at Apple about 27 years ago.

Many Micom customers purchased the 470, and it was my job to figure out how to get it operating.

One day in 1984, I was notified that Apple Computer had purchased the 470, to connect its Dec Vax computers in its Cupertino data center, to asynchronous dumb terminals in another Apple building in Cupertino.

When I got there in the day to do a walk through, I noticed the reserved parking spaces of Steve Jobs, and Steve Wozniak, the co-founders of Apple Computer.

I went in and met my contact whose name I cannot recall after all of this time.

After looking at the job, I informed my contact that since we would have to disconnect existing multiplexed connections to connect them to the new 470, that the best time to do the job would be at 2am in the morning, when everyone had gone home. He agreed.

After our meeting, my contact asked me if I wanted some Pizza; I said sure. He walked me into a conference room where a bunch of cool looking people were eating pizza. He introduced me to everyone. Mind you, I was 21 years old, and basically a geek like everyone in the room.

A guy with long hair, who did not seem much older than me came up and introduced himself to me. He said, “Nice to meet you Norm, my name is Steve.”

Mind you there was a bunch of people in the room gobbling up pizza. I was the only guy in the room with a tie on. I met a bunch of people in the room and did not think much of Steve when he introduced himself to me.

Like everyone else I gobbled up Pizza. I did notice that Steve kind of controlled the room, meaning everyone was paying attention to him. I myself was looking at this really cute looking blond gal who turned out to be a receptionist.

When we left the room, my contact said to me “Do you know who you just met?” I said “who?” He said “Steve Jobs one of the founders of Apple Computer.”

I was blown away. I could not believe I met Steve Jobs, I could not believe that I did not recognize him, but I was glad that I did not know who he was. It meant that I interacted with him as a normal guy instead of a celebrity type of thing.

The installation at Apple turned out to be a nightmare from hell.

To make a long story short, we spent no less than a week straight, every night at 2am working until 6 or 7 in the morning to get the new network working.

Each night, I made it a point to park in Steve Job’s parking space. Hell, he was not there anyway at that time of night. I thought it was a gas.

One night I brought my girlfriend in (she later turned out to be the mother of my daughters) to watch us work.

My contact took my girlfriend and me over to a bench and told her that she could play with the new computer on the bench. It turned out to be one of the first new color Macintosh computers that was ever produced. Hell I wanted to play too, but I could not.

No matter what I did, I could not get the multiplexors to sync up. The composite link required 2 twisted pairs with no loading. I took an oscillator and set it to transmit a 1Kilocycle frequency at 0DB, and then went to the other side and measured the DB loss. I was getting something like a 30 DB loss through the wire. I knew something was wrong.

My contact called up Pacific Bell and was finally told that there was a parallel circuit running off our circuit to another building at Apple. We were told where it was. I took a 900 ohm resister and punched it across tip and ring to terminate the circuit. I did this on both pairs.

Wholla, the multiplexors synced up, we were able to get the new network working, and I got an award from Apple Computer for my efforts.

Apple was supposed to provide me with two unloaded twisted pairs. It turned out that Pacific Bell Telehone gave them what we call two bridge tap circuits!

It was only because of my training in the Air Force in applied science and telephony that I was able to know what to do in this situation. This is why Micom gave NASA and the bay area to me at such a young age.

Frankly I was too young to appreciate where I was at the time, or what I was doing.

The reason why I have gotten a bit technical in the article is because I know Steve Jobs would have liked it like that, and because I know geeks like me who were pioneers of OSI networking back in the 80’s and 90’s will appreciate the detail. I still remember the RS232 interface as though it were the back of my hand.

Rest in peace Steve Jobs. You are one of those human beings that have changed the way many other human beings do things!

By California Motorcycle Accident Attorney, and Biker Lawyer, Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © October 5, 2011

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Tags: 470 multiplexor, apple computer, biker attorney, biker law blog, biker lawyer, california motorcyle accident lawyer, california motorycle accident attorney, Celebrities, Dec Vax, macintosh, MICOM, NASA, norm fernandez, norman fernandez, norman g. fernandez, norman gregory fernandez, Silicon Valley, steve jobs

An Example of Extreme Weather Riding, Reno 2011

Written on September 28, 2011 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, California Motorcycle Accident, Editorial, Education, Events, In The Wind, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Motorcycle Safety Tips, My Harley Davidson Electra Glide, Norman Gregory Fernandez Ride Reports, Riding Attire, Riding Your Motorcycle

A nice view from the Go Go Bar, Reno Street Vibrations 2011

My old lady and I just completed a run up to the Reno Street Vibrations Biker Rally this past weekend.

It was around a 450 mile run each way from our home, and sure was an exercise in extreme weather riding for us Southern Californians, who are used to mild temperatures.

The route we took was from the 14 freeway to Highway 395 to the 80, and to our hotel in Reno.

The day we rode up to Reno, Friday, September 23, 2011, started out to be a mild day. The weather was calm at 5:30am when we left our home, around 75 degrees.

As we started riding north, the weather got hotter and hotter, cooled off, and then got hot again as the day went on.

You see highway 395 took us through the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, past Mount Whitney, the highest mountain in North America, up around 8,000 feet and higher, then through Carson City (Lake Tahoe is just above Carson City), and then to Reno which is basically in the Nevada Desert.

I usually wear a light long sleeve type of t-shirt on hot days to protect my skin from the sun, and blue jeans. I know I should wear an armored fabric type of jacket, and I am in the process of trying to find a good one.

My old lady also wears long sleeves, and usually always wears chaps as well.

On Friday, due to traffic conditions, an accident in a bad spot where a biker went down due to a defective road under construction, the heat, and the extreme traffic in Reno again due to construction and the fact that lane splitting is illegal in Nevada, Liz and I were totally spent by the time we got to Reno.

A view from the Reno Street Vibrations 2011

My new Electra Glide Ultra got so hot that it almost cooked that day.

We tried as best as we could to hydrate along the way, but I think that we over did it on Friday. We both almost suffered severe heat stroke by the time we got to Reno. We were both dizzy and sick upon arrival.

I was in such a rush to get to Reno; I ignored my basic riding principals!

In the future, I will make sure we take more breaks, hydrate more, and give ourselves more time to get to a long destination.

450 miles in one day riding two up, is a very long ride under any circumstances. In heat it can be tough.

On the way back from Reno, it was warm when we left, but soon, when we got up into the mountains, we suffered severe weather. There was lighting storms, rain, hail, and cold. Imagine going from warm to very cold in just a few miles.

I let Liz use my chaps since she left hers with a friend by mistake, I put a sweatshirt on, my leather jacket, my gauntlet gloves, and we proceeded through the severe weather.

Upon reaching Lone Pine, we stopped to get some food at the Mt. Whitney Restaurant. (A great local restaurant with damn good food.)

Lone Pine is a tourist town along the 395 which caters to people on their way to see Mt. Whitney and Yosemite.

When we walked into the restaurant to eat, we were all bundled up in leathers and more, all of the locals were in t-shirts and shorts. I took my jacket off and sure enough it was at least 80 degrees outside.

We went from warm in Reno when we left, to cold lighting storms, back to warm again, all within a 300 mile stretch.

I proceeded to take my leather jacket and gauntlet’s off again, and switch to light gloves, and then we got on the road again.

There was a 30 mile stretch after Lone Pine, just before Mohave and the 14, where I never was so afraid in my life while riding a motorcycle.

Out of no-where we hit cold, and 60-70 mile per hour wind gusts or more that literally almost knocked my bike over while we were riding.

The wind was hitting us from the side going north to south. When a gust would hit us it caused my head to jerk hard to the left. It also caused the bike to jerk violently, and I have a very heavy bike.

Liz and I had our intercom hooked up, and she was freaking out. I had to tell her to be quiet and not panic. The wind was so bad that I knew if I slowed down and tried to pull over there would be no way I could hold the bike up. I knew the wind would knock us over.

I knew the forward energy and centrifugal force of the tires turning made it safer for us to keep riding than trying to stop.

I was genuinely afraid like I have never been before in my life while riding. It was a horrible experience, especially in the pitch dark of the Mohave Desert.

When we got to a 76 truck stop in Mohave where the 14 hits the 395 we pulled over to get our bearings back. It was then that another couple pulled in on a motorcycle in a panicked state.

They were on a Harley Davidson Road Glide, they each had beanie helmets on with clear glasses on for eye protection, and they were even more panicked than we were.

The women got off of the back of her old man’s bike and literally hugged him and would not let go.

We discussed the fact that it was by the grace of god that we all made it through unscathed.

I put my leather jacket and gauntlet’s back on and we rode off watching the woman from the other bike hugging her old man like there was no tomorrow.

Moral to the story; when riding a motorcycle, be prepared for any weather.

I can’t wait for next year

Keep Both Wheels on the Road!

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September 11, 2001, Ten Years Later

Written on September 11, 2011 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Editorial, In The Wind, Other

I will never forget September 11, 2001, probably the worst day in American History, and a day that changed my life forever.

Ten years ago today, I was awakened by my mom who told me that I had to get up and watch CNN. She woke me up as soon as the story hit the news.

My daughters were still asleep because it was very early, around 5 or 6 am PST.

The news was saying that a small plane had hit the World Trade Center. I took one look at the hole in side of the building and knew something was not kosher. I told my mom that dink terrorist probably attacked us.

As we watched the coverage, the second plane hit the World Trade Center and I knew it was war.

There was no doubt in my mind that Arab Terrorist and Muslim fanatics had hit us.

Hell, who else in this world would do such a cowardly thing as to attack and kill innocent civilians in a major city because they know civilians would not fight back?

As I watched what was going on literally for like a week straight, I had thoughts of wanting to get some payback on the sons of bitches who attacked us and wanting to kill as many of them as possible.

I was pissed off at George Bush for hiding all day and not showing up on the news until the evening with what I thought was a weak message.

I was pissed off that tactical fighters had not been deployed to stop the second and third planes from hitting. I was pissed off and horrified.

I immediately put the American Flag out at my mom’s house, and went out and got two American flags to put on my car of the type that goes in the window and sticks up. Hell I had those flags on until the literally fell apart.

I even went out and got a certain tattoo on my inner forearm so that in case I ever was on a plane with some of those dink terrorist, I would have no choice but to fight unlike the passengers on the two planes that hit the World Trade Center, and the Pentagon.

We all know that the passengers on a 4th plane fought back, they died, but at least they went down fighting, they probably saved hundreds of lives.

I called my old Air National Guard unit, the 261st Combat Communications Squadron who put me in touch with a recruiter who was attached to the 146th Tactical Air Lift Wing, about re-enlisting back into the Air National Guard. I wanted to do whatever I could.

I was told that I was too old to go into Officer Training School, I was 38 at the time, but I was told that I could re-enlist at my old Air Force enlisted rank doing my old job, which has been basically obsolete for many years now.

In the end I decided that my mom and my daughters needed my financial support more than the Air Force needed an attorney who they would put back in as an enlisted Airman and have to retrain in some other job.

I really wish the Air Force could have done something to get me into OTS. It would have been a pay cut, but I wanted to serve again after September 11th.

They say that 3,049 people died on September 11, 2011. I say that probably more people died than that. You know there had to be some people in the towers or on the streets that had no family, or were disenfranchised from their families, that went unreported.

In the two wars that we have fought and/or are still fighting as a result of the terrorist attack, we have lost over 4,000 troops with countless others injured and maimed as a result.

I am so very glad that we killed the dink Osama Bin Laden, but I am very unhappy about how we have fought the two wars.

We should have never been in Iraq; we went into Iraq because of an intentional lie by Bush and his cronies. I feel for our troopers in Iraq, went in and paid the ultimate price for a war based on a lie. Notwithstanding this fact, they did fight with honor, and they deserve our full support and respect. They did what they were ordered to do!

With respect to Afghanistan, why are we playing tootsie with the enemy?

In World War II, we learned how to win an all-out war, why don’t we fight our wars like that anymore?

In Korea, Vietnam, Somalia, Iraq, and Afghanistan, we have fought our wars half ass. Yes we win the battles, but we are not winning the wars. You want to know why, because we want to be politically correct.

I say bomb them until they surrender like we did to the Germans and the Japanese. Forget about collateral damage, forget about anything but winning. Eventually they will surrender or be destroyed. We learned this in WWII. Why don’t we fight like this anymore?

Anyway, I got off subject here.

So here we are ten years later. We are still playing tootsie foot with our enemies in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the World Trade Center was not rebuilt, and instead they have built a memorial on the footprint of the old buildings and are building a consolation building instead.

I would like to have seen the World Trade Center towers built back to their original glory except maybe re-designed to withstand an airplane strike

To make matters worse, gas is twice the price it was on September 11, 2001, so we are in effect helping to finance those who would attack us.

I am confident that we will get through this turmoil in our history, however as for me, I will never forget September 11, 2001.

May god bless the United States of America.

By Norman Gregory Fernandez, September 11, 2011

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Tags: 2001, 9-11, 9/11, biker attorney, biker law blog, biker lawyer, california motorcyle accident lawyer, california motorycle accident attorney, norm fernandez, norman fernandez, norman g. fernandez, norman gregory fernandez, september 11

What do you have to watch out for the Most when Riding a Motorcycle?

California Biker Attorney and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez at the Beach Ride

As a California Motorcycle Accident Attorney and Biker Lawyer, I regularly deal with all sorts of different motorcycle accident cases that are caused by all sorts of different scenarios. As an actual rider of motorcycles, something that sets me apart from other lawyers who handle motorcycle accident cases, I know firsthand the risks and dangers of riding motorcycles.

I am always asked what do you have to watch out for the most while riding your motorcycle. I could write an entire book on this subject, however, I will do my best to answer the question in this short essay.

There really is no simple answer to this question. Motorcycle accidents are caused by other negligent motorists, lack of riding experience or knowledge, road conditions, loose debris, mechanical failure, excessive speed, tire failure, weather, animals, drugs and alcohol, even medical conditions of a rider.

All of these topics warrant a lengthy discussion.

However, in my practice and in my opinion, the single largest cause of motorcycle accidents is other motorists in 4 wheel or greater vehicles, we bikers and motorcyclist call these persons “cagers.”

The largest threats to a biker and motorcyclist from a 4 wheel motorist on his or her motorcycle are; (1) A motorist turning left in front of you, (2) A motorist cutting you off or hitting you while exiting a driveway or an ally, (3) A motorist cutting you off or hitting you while coming from a side street, (4) a motorist merging into you from the side while driving next to you or near you, (5) a motorist pulling out from the curb, and (6) getting rear ended.

Among all of the motorcycle accident cases that I handle, the threats articulated above are the main causes of motorcycle accident and motorcycle accident death cases that I handle.

There are some basic preventative measures you can take to minimize the chances of you becoming the next victim of a negligent motorist while out on your motorcycle.

Beyond taking a certified motorcycle safety course, and advanced course on your own motorcycle, not driving while intoxicated, wearing proper riding attire including a DOT certified full face or modular helmet, and making sure you have a proper motorcycle endorsement, there are a few tricks I have learned throughout the years that I will share with you.

(1) Don’t ride too fast for the conditions you are in.

Most motorcycle accident happen on city streets, and within a 5 mile radius from your home. If you are on let’s say a 4 lane street (2 in each direction), there are risks everywhere. Make sure you keep your speed down so that if you have to stop or slow down quickly, you can. Remember, the faster you ride, the longer distance it takes for you to slow down or stop.

(2) Cover your brakes at intersections or when you see a risk.

Covering your brake means to put your hand over the front brake lever to prepare to use your brake. You should cover your brake anytime you enter an intersection where you see a car stopped on either side of you, or a car waiting to make a left turn in the opposite direction. Why, because already having your hand on the brake lever will give you an extra second or two to hit the brakes and to potentially avoid and accident if one of the cars drives or turns in front of you.

I know it sounds like a hassle, but if you do it everytime, it will become engrained into your muscle memory and you won’t even have to think about it in time.

Under certain circumstances, you may even want to hit your brakes while covering, to heat the them up so that you can stop faster, and to signal the car behind you that you are slowing down. The car behind you cannot see you if you let off of the throttle and use your engine to slow you down.

(3) Look at the tops of the wheels of a threatening car.

When you see a car stopped as you approach a driveway, a side street, or in the oncoming left turn lane, look at its wheels, especially the tops of its wheels if you can see them. If you cannot see the tops, look at the tire rims or hubcaps. The tops of the wheels actually move much faster than the actual car does, and it will give you an indication of whether the car is moving towards you or not. Your eyes will be able to perceive the wheels moving way before your eyes will be able to perceive the entire car moving forward. Don’t ask me why, it is just the way we perceive things.

Obviously if you are riding along and you see a car stopped at a driveway or a side street, and you see its tires moving, you better assume that they do not see you, and take evasive action. The best evasive action is to brake or stop and to not swerve because when you swerve you have less motorcycle tire contact than if your tires are straight up and down. The less tire contact you have, the more likely that you will not be able to stop in time, and/or lose control of your motorcycle and lay it down.

If you see an oncoming car in the left hand turn lane, and its tires start to turn in your direction, assume that they are going to turn in front of you, and take evasive action.

(4) Assume that other motorist cannot see you when you ride.

No matter how bright your clothing, how many lights you have on your motorcycle, how visible you think you are, no matter what you do, for some inexplicable reason, we motorcycle riders seem to be invisible to motorist in cars, trucks, or other motor vehicles. I am not telling you to try do anything you can to be more visible to other motorist, on the contrary, you should do everything you can to try to be more conspicuous to other motorist.

There have actually been studies done to understand how we human beings perceive things, and it has been found that we humans actually and not consciously selectively filter out certain things that we see for various reasons.

It seems that many people riding in cars, trucks, and other vehicles for some reason, filter us motorcycle riders out. After an accident these people swear that they did not see us, when they should have. Whether it is unintentional or not, some motorist flat out do not see us.

When you ride you have to assume that other motorist do not see you and you need to ride accordingly. If you ride as though you are invisible to other motorist, you will actually be a much more cautious and better rider.

Assume that the car in the oncoming left hand turn lane is going to turn left in front of you Assume that if you are on a two lane road with cars parked on the side that a car will pop out from the parked position. Assume that the car you see waiting to turn out of a gas station or waiting to make a right turn at the intersection will turn in front of you.

I know it’s not fair, but as a motorcycle rider, we have to be much more diligent about our own safety when we ride our motorcycles. Yes you may have the right of way, but that is not going to stop the negligent cager from hitting you and doing some major damage to you.

Exercising caution and some restraint, will make your motorcycle riding experience much more pleasurable, and above all, will allow you to make it home after your ride instead of in the hospital.

Keep both wheels on the road!

By California Motorcycle Accident Attorney, and Biker Lawyer, Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © August 28, 2011

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One of the Pleasures in Life; Being a Motorcycle Rider.

Written on August 12, 2011 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Biker Rights, California Motorcycle Accident, Criminal Law, In The Wind, Just BS, Motor Vehicle Accidents, My Harley Davidson Electra Glide, Norman Gregory Fernandez Ride Reports, Personal Injury, Riding Attire, Riding Your Motorcycle

California Motorcycle Accident Attorney and Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez in Malibu, CA

There are few things I enjoy in life more than jumping on my Harley Davidson Electra Glide Ultra and riding my motorcycle on the open road, especially with my brothers.

To be frank, it really is hard for me to express how much I enjoy riding motorcycles. The good thing is that I really do not have to explain it to those of you who already ride motorcycles, because you already know what I am talking about.

One of the reasons I bring this subject up is that last Friday night, I was on my home from a gathering of motorcycle club brothers in Tehachapi, California, when I stopped in Palmdale, California for some gas.

A fat guy dressed in what appeared to me to be medical scrubs of the type that doctors and nurses wear at a hospital, made it a point to walk up to me as I was gassing up my motorcycle to say “You really should not ride motorcycles around here because of all of the illegal aliens and unlicensed drivers.”

I looked at the guy who thought he was giving me genuine advice that would make me stop riding motorcycles after 40 some years, and said “dude, life in general is dangerous, I am not going to live my life here in America, worried about getting hit by an illegal alien or an unlicensed driver. Further, life itself is a fatal illness.”

The guy gave me a puzzled look and walked away.

This guy must be out of his fucking mind thinking that I would quit riding because I was afraid of illegal aliens and unlicensed drivers.

Riding motorcycles is one of the important pleasures that I have in my life.

This guy was not giving advice to a novice. I have literally handled many motorcycle accident cases all over the State of California. Everytime I handle such a case, I think about “what if that were to happen to me.” Yes it kind of freaks you out, but then again, flu season is coming up, am I supposed to hide in my estate afraid of getting swine flu? Hell no.

There is one unalienable fact of life; those who are alive today, will someday die. You cannot live your in fear of what could happen, all you can do is just live.

I am not cavalier about riding motorcycles. I am about as safe of a rider that there is out there, although I could improve my riding attire somewhat. I am thinking about adding an armored riding suit to my repertoire.

This weekend I will be on my new motorcycle. I cannot wait to test out the intercom and the CB that came standard on my Ultra. I have installed the speakers and mic inside Liz’s helmet and mine.

I hope we all have a safe riding weekend everyone; keep both wheels on the road.

Also just a reminder, My 02 Harley Davidson Electra Glide is still for sale. She is sitting in my garage waiting for you to come pick her up. You can check it out here at http://www.galaxystorm.com/bike.

By California Motorcycle Accident Attorney, and Biker Lawyer, Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © August 12, 2011

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Tags: biker attorney, biker law blog, biker lawyer, california motorcyle accident lawyer, california motorycle accident attorney, california personal injury, california personal injury attorney, illegal aliens, norm fernandez, norman fernandez, norman g. fernandez, norman gregory fernandez, palmdale, tehachapi, ultra, unlicensed drivers

Amongst the Best Motorcycle Riders in the World; a Video

Written on July 26, 2011 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Demonstrations, Editorial, In The Wind, Riding Your Motorcycle, Videos

I just saw this video of a motorcycle police officer running his Harley Davidson Electra Glide Police model through an obstacle course and it completely blew me away.

I have seen many skilled riders in my years of riding. Hell I can even do a pretty tight circle in a small area on my motorcycle, but check this guy out in the video. His skill on a motorcycle speaks for itself.

I only wish that I can attain that level of skill on such a big motorcycle.

Enjoy the video.

By California Motorcycle Accident Attorney, and Biker Lawyer, Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © July 26, 2011

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Tags: biker attorney, biker lawyer, california motorcyle accident lawyer, california motorycle accident attorney, motorcyce police officer demonstration, motorcycle riding skills, motorcycle riding video, norm fernandez, norman fernandez, norman g. fernandez, norman gregory fernandez

Some Good Music for You

Written on July 24, 2011 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in In The Wind, Just BS, Other

I have complied a playlist of some really good music. Simpy hit the play button and listen all day if you like. You can open another window on your browser to surf while you listen to the tunes.

Enjoy!

California Motorcycle Accident Attorney, and Biker Lawyer, Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq.

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Tags: biker attorney, biker lawyer, california motorcyle accident lawyer, california motorycle accident attorney, Music, norman gregory fernandez, rock & roll

Biker Chick

Written on July 17, 2011 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, In The Wind, Just BS, Other, Videos

I thought that you may like this; check it out.

California Motorcycle Accident Attorney, and Biker Lawyer

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Happy belated Independence day for the year 2011

Written on July 5, 2011 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, In The Wind, Just BS, Other

4th of july 2011

I usually write my annual Independence day article sooner, however later is better than not all at all right?

This year’s 4th of July celebration was a good one for my family and I. Both of my daughters, my son in law, my grandchildren, my sister, my nephew, my older first cousin, and my dad came to my home for the day and it was good to spend time with them; sort of.

Liz and I went hog wild with the food this year which consisted of typical 4th of July Americana fair, you know, hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, macaroni salad, green salad, chips, baked beans, you know the works.

My cousin and I engaged in our normal pool table, and ping pong competitions. Hell we have been competitive ever since I can remember. He is like my older brother rather than an older cousin. The rest of the family joined in. Hell even Liz got her feet wet playing ping pong. It was funny watching her.

I purchased over $200 bucks worth of fireworks. Where I live everyone blows off their own fireworks. It is kind of like a mini Vietnam right here in Southern California. If you close your eyes, the sounds are probably typical of any war zone anywhere in the world. Hell, we Americans are celebrating our independence day so what the hell.

As I handed my son in law fireworks to set off such as ubiquitous Piccolo Pete’s, fountains, and so forth, some of my neighbors blew off more radical fireworks, some of which rival the kind you would see at any of the big time firework venues. Except where I live it is a 360 degree panorama.

This year’s Independence Day was much better than some in years past. My dad has been in bad health for the last couple of years, so it was nice being able to share the day with him, smoke a cigar with him, and scare the shit out of him by setting off a piccolo Pete right next to him. Hell he still has it. He jumped up real fast. He insisted he thought that the fireworks went off by themselves that is why he got up so quick. In reality, I got him good!

So there it is. It is now 1:35am on Tuesday, July 5, 2011. I am now recovering from a great independence day.

By California Motorcycle Accident Attorney, and Biker Lawyer, Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © July 5, 2011

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Tags: 4th of july, biker attorney, biker law blog, biker lawyer, california motorcyle accident lawyer, california motorycle accident attorney, family, fireworks, food, holiday, independence day, liz, norm fernandez, norman fernandez, norman g. fernandez, norman gregory fernandez

By Brother went Down Today.

Written on June 24, 2011 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Biker and Motorcycle Law, Biker Rights, California Motorcycle Accident, Car Accidents, Editorial, General Legal, In The Wind, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, News, Personal Injury

Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez, and his Brother Slider on a Motorcycle Run to the Angeles Crest Highway on June 19, 2011

I got a call today from my Brother Slider who went down today on his motorcycle.

It seems that a woman who was not paying attention, decided to make a right turn directly in front of my brother who had no chance to stop or get out of the way. He then laid his bike down and slammed into the car that turned in front of him.

Although I do many motorcycle accident cases every week, this one hit me real hard. Hell, I just rode with Slider and his old lady this past weekend up to Angeles Crest. Slider is my brother, and he is a friend.

As usual, when Slider called me today, he acted cool as if nothing was wrong. He told me about someone who had a motorcycle accident, and asked me if I could help. I said of course brother. He then told me it was him that went down. I could not believe it.

Here my brother is sitting in the E.R. at a major hospital with a broken and torn knee, road rash, and in major pain, and here he is talking as though everything was normal.

You have to know Slider to understand his coolness even while he is in extreme pain.

I went to the ER with a couple of brothers on Thursday evening to see Slider and his old lady. He is in pain, but I think he will live.

I ride with a lot of hardcore bikers, and Slider is no different, however, due to my experience in dealing with these types of cases, I know once Slider gets past the physical issues, he will have to get past the mental issues as well. Most riders that I know who have gone down, end up being much more careful and cautious riders as a result.

God please be with my brother Slider and his old lady and give him a speedy recovery.

By California Motorcycle Accident Attorney, and Biker Lawyer, Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © May 24, 2010

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A ride through the recently reopened Angeles Crest Highway on June 19, 2011.

Written on June 20, 2011 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, In The Wind, Norman Gregory Fernandez Ride Reports, Videos

My buddy Slider, his old lady, and my old lady and I rode through the recently reopened Angeles Crest Highway yesterday on June 19, 2011, a day before my 48th birthday. You can see a video of it below.

We met at the Shell station located at the base of the crest at around 1:00pm. There were a bunch of HOGS there waiting to go up the hill. We went and got a quick bite to eat, and then we rode up as well.

You can see from the video below taken with my GoPro helmet camera that they re-paved a good chunk of the Angeles Crest Highway.

YouTube has recently upgraded my account so that I can post videos greater than 10 minutes. The video below shows the full 27 minutes of the ride from the first visitor station all the way to Newcomb’s Ranch.

Unfortunately due to my hitting the wrong button, I did not get the second half of the ride.

Most people only go up to Newcomb’s Ranch and then turn around and go back down the hill. We ended up riding all the way to the Mohave Desert down through the back route. It was a long great ride.

Enjoy the video!