50 Years of Activism

by John Stumpner

ABATE of Wisconsin members often talk about freedom of the road. While everyone expects to be able to freely travel, freedom of the road means much more. While we accept reasonable traffic regulations, we want to be able to use the roads in a way that allows us to enjoy traveling as well. This year, 2024, ABATE of Wisconsin celebrates 50 years of helping to maintain the freedom of the road.

For the first half of the 1900’s, bikers could wear whatever they felt comfortable wearing when riding their motorcycles. Then, in the 1960’s, certain people that didn’t ride motorcycles, decided that bikers should be wearing helmets. Now, we are not deciding whether or not helmets are good. Generally, the people that cry the loudest for helmets do not ride motorcycles. They also say that only helmets will prevent injuries and crashes, that training and awareness make no difference.

Anyway, the federal government eventually decided bikers should be wearing helmets. While the federal government could not get a national helmet law, members of the federal bureaucracy threatened to take away federal highway money from any state that did not pass a helmet law. Faced with the choice of passing a helmet law, or not being able to plow and maintain the roads, the states had to pass helmet laws. As a result, many bikers got together to form organizations that fight what these and other laws limiting motorcycle travel on the roads from being enacted. ABATE of Wisconsin was formed in 1974. The work of ABATE members, along with other like-minded groups, resulted in Wisconsin’s helmet law being overturned in 1978. This was accomplished by dealing directly with our state representatives and arranging massive protest rallies involving thousands of bikers.

The term “ABATE” in ABATE of Wisconsin actually means “A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian Enactments.” A government that tries to rule every part of a person’s life is called a totalitarian government, and enactments is a fancy word for laws. ABATE of Wisconsin opposes any laws that limit the reasonable use and enjoyment of motorcycling in Wisconsin. At various times, ABATE has had to take a stand against laws limiting how a biker can modify a motorcycle and special insurance regulations that only apply to bikers. ABATE continues to work for biker’s rights by emphasizing awareness and safe riding practices to reduce crashes, and to make sure we will always be able to ride the bike of our choice without undue harassment or monitoring.

So, please join your adult aged brothers and sisters of ABATE of Wisconsin in celebrating 50 years of effective activism for biker’s rights here in Wisconsin. And look forward to many more years of working for the freedom of the road.

John