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Been very lean lately; this too shall pass.

Written on February 18, 2012 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Editorial, In The Wind, Just BS, Other

Biker Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez on the way home from a ride to the Grand Canyon

As you can probably tell, I have not written too many articles lately. The reason I have not written that many articles lately, is frankly that I am swamped with work.

Obviously being swamped with work is a very good thing, especially in today’s economy.

Another unfortunate side effect to being swamped with work is that I’ve not been able to ride my motorcycle as much as I like lately.

As a matter of fact, I have a jury trial starting in Orange County California on Tuesday. The trial may take me out of the office for a week to two weeks.

Notwithstanding the fact that I have been very busy lately, I will commit to you my loyal readers to writing at least one to two new articles a week here on the Biker Law Blog. Who knows, I may be able to do more.

One thing I found is that during the wintertime bikers and motorcyclist tend to spend more time on the Internet reading about motorcycles because many are either snowed in, or cannot ride due to inclement weather conditions.

This winter has been unusually mild, so many who otherwise would be unable to ride their motorcycles due to the weather are able to ride.

For all of you, who are out enjoying the nice weather and riding your motorcycles, think of me as I sit here in my home office writing this article for you and preparing for trial on Tuesday.

This too shall pass.

By California Motorcycle Accident Attorney and Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez, © February 18, 2012

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Tags: 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

Happy New Year from the Biker Law Blog

Written on December 31, 2011 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Announcements, In The Wind, Other

California Motorcycle Accident Attorney and Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., Courtesy of the Riverside Press Enterprise Newspaper, and Jennifer Fraley of Sunshine Photography

As the year 2011 comes to an end, I would like to take this time to wish all readers of the Biker Law Blog a Happy New Year.

For those of you reading this message before the clock strikes midnight, make sure that no matter what you do not drink and drive tonight.

Alcohol is one of the most powerful drugs known to man. Driving after drinking is almost like playing Russian Roulette except that you are putting innocent people at risk along with yourself. Don’t do it.

I hope that all of you have a great New Year along with good health and prosperity in the coming year.

Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq.

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Tags: Announcements, biker attorney, biker law blog, biker lawyer, california motorcycle accident lawyer, california motorcycle attorney, california motorcyle accident lawyer, california motorycle accident attorney, new year, norm fernandez, norman fernandez, norman g. fernandez, norman gregory fernandez

Is the Sons of Anarchy TV Show a Biker Soap Opera?

Written on November 17, 2011 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Editorial, Education, In The Wind, Just BS, Other

I saw a comment from one of my Facebook friends wherein he stated that he just got through watching “Days of our Sons of Anarchy” which was a jab at the popular TV show Sons of Anarchy, comparing it to the “Days of our Lives” women’s soap opera on TV.

Unfortunately, I will admit to watching the TV show since the beginning.

I have been in motorcycle clubs, plus some of my friends are extras on the show playing both Sons and Mayans.

At least for me the bottom line is that the TV show has become, and probably has been nothing more than a biker soap opera the entire time.

One of my good friends, who has ridden in a club with me and who some would consider to be a hardcore biker called me last week after one of the shows to discuss a specific thing that happened in the show. He was dead serious about the issue.

It reminded me of my mom many years ago, discussing General Hospital with one of her friends.

In the back of my mind I was laughing. Here is this hardcore biker dude calling me about something that was shown on the Sons of Anarchy TV show.

The TV show only shows a trivial amount of actual riding on motorcycles. It does show a bunch of guys running around with cuts on, but all in all, the TV show is designed to keep you wanting to come back and watch some more.

The Sons of Anarchy TV show has no basis in biker reality other than the fact that there are dudes on the show wearing motorcyle club patches and who ride motorcycles from time to time.

Hell the only reason I have watched it this long is because my Digital Video Recorder (DVR), is set to record the show each week.

One interesting thing that I have seen as an outcrop from the Sons of Anarchy TV show is a bunch of guys riding around with Sons of Anarchy t-shirts that look like soft cuts, (a soft cut is a shirt that has a motorcycle club patch printed on the back and that can only be worn by members), and even guys wearing Sons of Anarchy cuts. (a cut is a leather or denim vest with a members motorcycle club patch on it only for members)

I have even seen purported Sons of Anarchy motorcycle club chapters popping up all over the nation.

These guys do not realize that there are real motorcycle club members worldwide who worked very hard to earn their motorcycle club patches, and they may not be too kind to a guy that sticks on a Sons of Anarchy patch that was purchased off of eBay, to make him look like a real motorcycle club member.

If you watch the TV show, fine, however, don’t be stupid enough to show up at motorcycle events with Sons of Anarchy soft cuts or real cuts, you may get yourself into trouble with real deal club members.

I have seen another new trend on the internet, and in real life, there are a bunch of new riding clubs and motorcycle clubs popping up because of the TV show.

I have seen one group in particular that I will not name, wearing cuts with front name badges, side rockers, the works. They only have one a one piece patch in the back, but the color of their patches is the same as the guys on the TV show.

I think it is a big mistake for these guys to be wearing cuts the way they are. I would not want to be anywhere near them when they get confronted by a real motorcycle club.

If you are not in a real and recognized motorcycle club, you should not be putting on club patches and pretending you are in a real club. It can only lead to trouble.

On one last note, in all my experience riding with and dealing with motorcycle clubs throughout the years, I have never seen anything go on like what goes on in the TV show.

So there it is, the next time you watch the TV show Sons of Anarchy, remember, you are watching a soap opera.

By California Motorcycle Accident Attorney, and Biker Lawyer, Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © November 17, 2011

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Long Distance Motorcycle Riding; how do you Carry What You Need?

Written on November 13, 2011 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Editorial, Education, In The Wind, Motorcycle Product Reviews, My Harley Davidson Electra Glide, Norman Gregory Fernandez Ride Reports, Other, Reviews, Riding Attire

One of California Motorcycle Accident Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez's motorcycles all packed up for trip to 4 corners rally in Durango Colorado

I have been a serious long distance motorcycle rider for many years now. You may ask what is a long distance motorcycle rider. To me a long distance motorcycle rider is someone who rides 800 or more miles on a motorcycle trip multiple times a year.

So according to my definition, even a first time rider who does a few 800 mile or more motorcycle trips per year would qualify as a long distance motorcycle rider.

I regularly do trips of 1000 miles or more like they are no big deal.

I know many guys who are bikers, and what some would consider to be hardcore bikers, that literally do nothing but bar hop on their motorcycles. To them doing 300 miles in a day is unheard of. Further, many of these guys have motorcycles that are in no way set up to do any serious mileage.

Most of these guys do not have saddle bags, and brag about how they do not need wind screens.

I am not going to knock these guys that are basically local bikers, but they really have no clue what it is like to be a long distance biker.

There are also what I call your ubiquitous trailer queens. These are guys that trailer their motorcycle to events, and then unhook them and ride at the actual event, making it appear that they rode to the event. This article not about packing up your car, it is about packing up your motorcycle.

Unless you are doing an Iron Butt Ride which is 1000 miles in a 24 hour period, (basically nonstop riding except to stop for gas and quick meals) a 1000 mile or more motorcycle trip will be a trip that is at least a 2 days or more.

I have done runs that last a week or more.

The big issue for me on long distance motorcycle trips is; what should I carry on the trip, and how should I carry what I need on the trip.

For me what to carry with on long distance motorcycle runs is almost automatic. I carry:

Water
Sunscreen
Flashlight
Small Tool Kit
Knife
1 Quart of Oil
Flare
Lighter
Sunglasses, and clear night glasses
Warm weather and cold weather gloves.
Leather Jacket
Leather Chaps
Spare clothes
Tennis Shoes
Emergency Contact Form
Cell Phone
GPS
Fine cotton cloths
Spray Wax
Plexus windshield cleaner
And whatever else I may need.

When I go on long distance motorcycle runs at least for the past 11 years or so, Elizabeth has been with me. Therefore inevitably, I also have to carry her purse, gloves, jacket, chaps, and whatever else she might want to bring as well which always includes her makeup and cloths.

In the past when I just had a softail or regular large cruiser motorcycle and no bagger, (see the picture above, the motorcycle is packed up to the brim, with tents, chairs, and everything for a full motorcycle rally.) my solution to accommodate all of the stuff that I like to carry, was to first to buy soft saddlebags, or a locking rigid saddlebag system, install a luggage rack behind the sissy bar, and buy a T-Bag soft luggage system that sat on the luggage rack behind the sissy bar, and then secured around the sissy bar.

The locking saddlebag system, called Leatherlykes Bags, was better than soft saddle bags, because they were bigger, and I could lock the bags and walk away without worrying about being ripped off.

I used the soft T-Bag motorcycle luggage system on a couple of my motorcycles. After a few years, I switched from the T-Bags, to something called the Kuryakyn Full Dresser Bag, when they first came out. This bag had a rigid plastic shelving system in it, held more stuff then the T-Bags, and actually looked better as well. Not only that, but it had a wheel system on it like conventional luggage so when I got to a destination, I could lift it off, and wheel it in.

I used this system a few times on my FLHT Electra Glide Standard when I got her, but once I put the removable Tour Pak on; there was no room for the Full Dresser Bag.

For 6 years with the Electra Glide we would use plastic bags to fill up the side hard Harley Davidson Saddle bags, and the Tour Pak. We would also utilize the luggage rack on top of the tour pak to bungee tie our leathers as necessary.

I eventually went back to T-Bags and got a Dakota bag which is specifically designed to fit the premium luggage rack on a Harley Davidson Electra Glide Tour Pak.

The Dakota Bag is so big, that it pretty much holds everything we need. Obviously there are some items that will not fit in the Dakota, so we continue to keep small plastic bags in the hard side saddle bags.

The Future

Liz and I are talking about riding cross country this summer. I figure on a cross country run we are not going to want to have to constantly lift the Dakota Bag off everytime we stop, and we are not going to want to have to park in a place where we can see the bike everytime we stop so someone does not rip off our Dakota bag.

So after doing some research, I have found a motorcycle tow behind cargo trailer solution that I may purchase and use for our cross country trip on the Electra Glide.

I can get a cargo trailer that holds anywhere from 18 cubic feet of stuff, up to 25-26 cubic feet depending upon how much I want to spend, or how big I want the trailer to be.

I would need to install a motorcycle ball hitch onto my motorcycle for the trailer to hook onto, and rig up a wiring harness for brake and signal lights on the trailer.

It looks like there are many off the shelf trailer solutions for my Harley Davidson Electra Glide.

A cargo trailer at least to me would be the optimum way to travel cross country on a motorcycle, because we can just throw everything we want to take in the trailer, plus there will be room to store souvenirs if we decide to buy any along the way.

The trailer will take away the fun of trying to cram everything into a few small spaces on the motorcycle.

Even with a full Harley Davidson Electra Glide Custom Ultra, things can get tight real quick.

On a cross country trip I want to be able to enjoy the ride and the sights, without worrying about having to wash clothes every couple of days on the road.

There are many out there that say towing a cargo trailer behind a motorcycle is dangerous. Based upon my research, it can be done safely so long as you get used to it and take it easy just like anything else.

In closing, I have found that rigid saddlebags, a nice luggage rack mounted soft or rigid motorcycle luggage system, tour paks, and cargo trailers, all will allow you to carry the things you need on a long distance motorcycle run. What you do is really up to you.

Keep Both Wheels on the Road.

By California Motorcycle Accident Attorney, and Biker Lawyer, Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © November 13, 2011

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Have a Happy Veterans Day, 11/11/11.

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

California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez sitting in a Helicopter on the Flight Line at Sheppard Air Force Base, June 1981

Each year I wish all of my fellow veterans, both past and present a Happy Veterans Day.

You can read my many articles by typing in Veterans Day on the search box on the upper right.

This year is a special veterans day. President Obama has announced that we will officially be out of Iraq by year’s end which is great news. We lost a lot of men there, and many tens of thousands more were severely injured and/or have suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as a result.

Our men are still fighting Taliban and insurgents from Pakistan in Afghanistan as I write this article.

Further, this year we finally got the asshole Osama Bin Laden and dumped his ass into the ocean where he belongs. We also got the asshole Anwar al-Awlaki and a whole bunch more of those Al Qaeda assholes.

With our help and the help of NATO, Libya’s Kaddafi is no more.

However, our nation is facing some major challenges in the upcoming years. The U.N. has finally acknowledged that Iran has been lying about its nuclear program, and in fact is trying to develop a nuclear weapon, which may mean we might have to take out Iran, and Communist China is building its military and space capabilities with our money.

In the end there may be more wars in store for our nation.

At least for now there are many veterans who are coming home to find that they cannot get jobs, and their benefits are being cut and/or are non-existent. This to me is a travesty.

There are many other veterans who are homeless on our streets, and who have become addicted to drugs and alcohol as a result of having to deal with the nightmares they went through on our countries behalf.

There are many others that have suffered horrible injuries that will haunt them for the rest of their lives.

It’s time for us as a people to step up and do more for our veterans than wish them a happy veterans day, it is time to actually help them out and show them that we love them and honor their service.

I am asking all of you to donate money to a reputable veteran organization this day.

Happy Veterans Day!

By U.S. Air Force Veteran, and California Motorcycle Accident Attorney, and Biker Lawyer, Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © 11/11/11

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My Two Prong Solution to End the Political Stalemate in Washington

Written on November 7, 2011 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Articles, Editorial, Education, General Legal, In The Wind, Just BS, Other

Lying in bed recovering from surgery has given me time to contemplate solutions to our nation’s woes.

You will find that I have previously wrote a short article on how to get millions of America back to work, while reducing our dependence of foreign oil. You can read it below or by clicking here.

I am now going to lay out my solution to end the political stalemate in Washington, and make congress more accountable to the people.

Before I begin let me start off by stating for the record that I think that there are some congressmen who have betrayed our nation by doing what is in their political parties best interest rather than our nation’s best interest.

Our nation’s credit rating was recently downgraded because of the actions of some of these congressmen; they should be ashamed and they should be ousted out of our government. They have done enough damage.

As an Air Force veteran, these congressmen make me sick to my stomach and are aberrant to everything I believe in.

With that being said, some may think my solutions are too simple, and that is because I have designed them that way, to be simple.

To end the political stalemate in Washington, we must first get special interests and corporations out of our government.

I firmly believe that our government is firmly in the control of special interest, corporations, and oligarchies right now. (An oligarchy is a form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique; government by the few. These would be the super-rich 1% who control most of the wealth in this nation.)

The Declaration of Independence says: “a government of the people, by the people, and for the people,” nowhere does the Declaration of Independence say by special interest, corporations, or oligarchy.

In order to flush the special interest and corporations out of our government toilet bowl, we need to enact campaign finance reform.

In other words, the way things work right now, someone who wants to run for congress or political office has to raise mega millions of dollars in order to do so. In order to win, a candidate either has to pay for the campaign out of their own money, or they have to go to special interest, corporations, or wealthy contributors for the money to do so.

Either way, these candidates end up being for the most part non representative of the people because they have to answer to those that gave them money to be elected.

Ultimately, these candidates end up owing favors to the special interest, corporations, and wealthy benefactors who contributed to their campaign.

How does this help our nation, it doesn’t, it is a system ripe for corruption.

In the end rather than doing what is in the best interest of the American people, you end up with candidates doing whatever they can to be re-elected, and to please whoever gave them money for their campaigns.

I say the Federal Government should give each candidate a set amount of money for their campaign, and that is it. No more money allowed!

No candidate should be allowed to use private money or special interest money again for their campaigns.

Each TV channel in return for being given a broadcast license in this nation should be mandated to give each candidate a set amount of time on the airwaves to campaign, and that is it. No more crappy political ads every commercial break.

This solution should get rid of the special interest control over our elections, corporate control of our elections, and the oligarchy control over our elections.

The Supreme Court made a horrible decision in Citizens United by allowing corporations to donate unlimited amounts of money towards political campaigns, because it took the voice of the people away and gave it to the corporations.

I know some may balk at the government financing campaigns, and putting limits on how much money each candidate may spend, but this is the only solution if we want to take our nation back from the special interest, corporations, and oligarchies.

Do we have the guts to take our nation back?

My second solution is term limits for all congressmen, just like we have for our president. 2 terms and then you are out of there.

There are congressmen who have been in office their entire careers. I do not think our founding fathers had this in mind when they set up our nation.

These career congressmen have learned how to game the system, and exert an undue influence on what they call junior congressmen.

Some of these career congressmen are so cavalier; they think they have an automatic entitlement to be re-elected. Therefore they do what they want instead of what is best for the people and their constituents.

Most if not all of these congressman are loyal to their political parties more than they are loyal to the American people.

It is time to flush these congressmen down the drain, and get people in there who care more about our nation than their political party.

Therefore let’s enact term limits for each congressman, 2 terms and that is it!

My solution to fixing our government is simple; (1) Campaign Finance Reform, and (2) Two Terms for each Congressman only.

We need to take our nation back before it is too late.

By Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © November 7, 2011

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Out for the next Month due to Surgery.

Written on November 3, 2011 by Norman Gregory Fernandez in Announcements, Articles, Editorial, In The Wind, Just BS, Other

California Motorcycle Accident Attorney and Biker Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez

I had surgery on October 28, 2011, which will keep me off work and off of my motorcycle for at least one month, however, I am told that that I could be off of the motorcycle a bit longer.

Ordinarily I would not post personal business like this on the Biker Law Blog but since my postings will be few and far between in the next month, I thought you all had a right to know.

Now you know why Liz and I hit so many rallies so quickly this past summer, I knew I was going to have the surgery and I wanted to get as much in before I had it done.

Due to the magic of technology, i.e. my Asus Transformer Android Tablet, I am able to type this blog post from my recovery bed!

I just want to let you all know that I have been told by the doc that my prognosis is a 100% recovery but it is just going to take a bit of time.

I am going stir crazy laying in bed with pain watching TV and this is only the 6th day! There is nothing worse than a liquid diet, yuk!

While I am recovering, I will do my best to type blog post with my tablet from bed.

While I am recovering, none of my clients need worry, my law firm staff are still all hard at work on your cases!

Take care for now!

By California Motorcycle Accident Attorney, and Biker Lawyer, Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © November 3, 2011

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Tags: biker attorney, biker law blog, biker lawyer, norm fernandez, norman fernandez, norman g. fernandez, norman gregory fernandez, sick leave, surgery

What is up with all these So-Called “Biker Lawyers” all of a Sudden showing up with Booths at All of the Motorcycle Events?

California Motorcycle Accident Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez

California Motorcycle Attorney Norman Gregory Fernandez, Photo courtesy of the American Bar Association Journal, and photographer David Newhardt

Well with Palm Springs American Heat I have finally had enough with what I think is a disgusting advertising practice by what in my opinion are bottom feeder personal injury lawyers.

In Palm Springs a certain so-called Biker Lawyer group had some scantily clad young girls aggressively coming up to people who were walking by saying that they worked for a lawyer who actually rides, as they tried to force feed passerby’s their business cards, and cheap novelties and trinkets.

I told the girls who came up to me, “Sorry, I am a Biker Lawyer who actually rides.” They kind of had a shocked look on their faces.

You see, I actually ride to many motorcycle events all over the nation. This year was no different.

All of a sudden there are a certain group of the same personal injury lawyers showing up at events calling themselves “Biker Lawyer” and “Lawyers that ride” at motorcycle events.

To me a Biker Lawyer and a Lawyer that rides, is someone like me who is a lawyer and who also is a biker that rides motorcyles. It is a real simple concept, not some bullshit marketing slogan!

I think that I may have been the first Biker Lawyer to coin that term back in 1997 or so, because I am a lawyer who really rides. Once I started putting it out there on my website and on my blog, all of a sudden I saw other lawyers claiming the same thing.

Well now all of a sudden there are groups of lawyers showing up at motorcycle events all claiming to be “lawyers that really ride.”

It is not that I do not mind competition, hell I think it would be great to find a group of lawyers that actually ride motorcycles, hell I would like to go ride with them and make some new friends.

But what I really think is going on is a marketing gimmick aimed at bikers, and the way I see it, showing up at a motorcycle rally with a booth telling people if they crash their motorcycles, to call them, is disgusting and despicable to me.

In two words it is “Bad Karma.”

At the Las Vegas biker rally a few weeks ago, as we were walking by one of these booths, some guy sitting on his ass in the booth looked at my wife’s hat and said in a smart ass way, “who is the biker lawyer?” (The hat said Biker Lawyer, www.bikerlawyer.net on it) I told him I was. I also told him that I don’t sit at booths at motorcycle rallies; I actually ride to the rallies.

He had a stunned look on his face because I was actually in my biker garb because; yes I was riding, unlike him.

Curious about what it actually takes to be a Biker Lawyer with one of these organizations that has started up in the last couple of years I believe; I contacted one who I think was based in Arizona if I am not mistaken. They sent me a bunch of literature. At the time I contacted them, they had some firm based in San Diego as their only California firm.

In researching them, I saw no indication whatsoever that anyone from the firm listed for California at the time rode motorcycles. Matter of fact, I never even heard of them! Now it could be that someone from that firm actually rode motorcycles, it all seemed fishy to me.

Basically, I was told that if you pay at the time I contacted them, approximately 10k or so yearly fee to the organization I am referring to, you can be a Biker Lawyer with their group.

They would advertise for cases for you, and send you the cases in your territory. Very interesting!

Now the casual person looking at this group would think that it is all the same organization. Well it is not. It is a marketing vehicle that attorneys pay to be a part of.

Nowhere on the application did it ask if you actually ride motorcycles. Further, they hold themselves out to be Lawyers that really ride.

I think this practice is very misleading. I think consumers and bikers should be notified that lawyers pay a fee to be a part of this organization, and I think each of their lawyers should actually ride if they are going to advertise that they are lawyers who ride!

My next question is that most States require you to be licensed in that particular State to practice law in that State. You can apply to represent an individual in Court on a one or two time basis if you are an out of state lawyer, however, you cannot do it all the time.

So I wondered, how do the now 3-5 groups of lawyers that show up at all of the biker rallies, and that advertise in all of the biker rags, actually practice law in all 50 states legally.

The answer is that they cannot. It appears to me that these groups of lawyers that are advertising nationwide either have some kind of fee splitting deal going on with lawyers in the different States so the main lawyer will advertise and get cases for them, and then they will share the attorneys fee with the guy in the State actually doing the case, or they have some kind of marketing scam going on, where the attorney pays a fee like the organization I contacted, and the main attorney will advertise, and then send cases to the lawyers who are paying their franchise fee.

I think this entire practice is misleading, and despicable.

I saw American Chopper last night where even another group that I have never heard of before has popped up. It appears to me to be another marketing setup where they have created a website to target nationwide the “niche” market of motorcycle riders.

After digging deep into their website, it looks like the main law firm sponsoring their “Biker law” marketing campaign is based in Pennsylvania, and they too are claiming that they are lawyers that ride. I have no clue how this site or law firm work, but again, unless they have attorneys licensed in each state, they too must have some kind of fee splitting or franchise type of deal going on.

They do not limit themselves to just one State on their website.

On the TV show, they had a guy who they represented to be an attorney come in and order a custom bike to honor the firefighters or something to that affect. Somewhere it stated that he was the “lead counsel” or “managing counsel” of the biker law end of the firm. What the hell does that mean?

Anyway, at the end of the show there were a bunch of people in t-shirts with the biker law website address on it.

I almost threw up. You got to admit these people are marketing geniuses. They get an hour of TV advertising for what looks to be new operation, and all they had to do is pay (probably overpay) for a custom chopper from Orange County Choppers.

In the end there sits us real bikers. What are we supposed to believe is true?

First, I think that no lawyer should be going to motorcycle events and advertising for motorcycle accident cases. People are at the events to have fun, not to have the fact that they could crash shoved down their throats by a bunch of marketing hacks.

Second, I think that all of these firms should be forced to disclose the truth about their organizations, i.e., whether they are a fee splitting shop, whether lawyers pay them to have cases sent to them, and who in fact is the real biker lawyer in their organization.

I personally know at least two major attorneys in the so-called biker lawyer nationwide marketing scam, and neither of them rides motorcycles. One of them even stated in the Los Angeles Times in an article that he does not ride; because he wants to see his grandkids grow up. The article featured one of their new associates who had just got a Sportser, who had ridden for less than 6 months. (This guy has since left and opened his own bike lawyer shop)

So here I sit a humble real California Biker Lawyer who actually rides motorcycles. I am the friggen real deal. I am not playing some marketing scam on my clients. They know what they are getting when they retain me.

If you are in California and want the real deal call me; 800-816-1529 x.1.

For the rest of you there is a saying; Caveat Emptor, which is Latin for let the buyer beware.

Finally, you can have a say so if you also don’t like these bottom feeders showing up at our motorcycle rallies, simply don’t call them if you have an accident.

With a little research you can find someone like me who actually ride’s and is not part of some marketing operation geared towards bikers!

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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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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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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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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

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