First things first…

by Bill Kingsley

All ABATE of Wisconsin insurance coverage is completely up to date. Yippee! I can ride my motorcycle more!

ZOOM Video & Chat Webcasting – This is a great low cost, easy to use software program that will allow virtually any of us to attend any ABATE of WI meeting using our mobile or computing devices. Many of you may already be using it (or a similar program) already to stay connected with family, friends, or other organizations.

ZOOM has great potential for ABATE. ZOOM can be used for smaller meetings (regional, committee, remote locations) to larger statewide meetings and events. Some of the benefits are more member inclusion, no limits on any meeting you choose to attend, regional meetings can either be in-person, virtual or both, full interaction, the list is endless… Think about the possibility of attending the monthly BOD meeting from the comfort of your home or get with other ABATE Brothers and Sisters to tune in together.

Regional Reps and District Directors are asked to start incorporating these ZOOM meeting into their regular meeting formats. We are going to start by crawling with Zoom before we try walk and run. Please check it out and stay open minded to how we can all benefit by using ZOOM. Please contact your ABATE rep or me for assistance.

Regional Reps – Please be sure to plan for your appropriate raffle/event licensing. Also, please be aware that an Incident Report will need to be complete in the event of an injury or damage to property at an ABATE event in your region. Consult your Red Book for the form and details that need to be included. Please reach out to me for any questions on this.

Insurance –There should not be any additional insurance needs for remainder of the year and early 2022 – unless a special event is to occur.

Here is a previously published newsletter article from Jim Moeckler. Jim is an ABATE member and is our former Business Agent. Jim was good enough to share this timely article.

Tips to avoid a motorcycle tip over.

Nothing can be more embarrassing than having to call your insurance agent to say that you need to file a claim because your bike tipped over. This type of loss would be considered a “COLLISION”. Your bike fell over and collided with the ground. I get at least 10 calls a year with this scenario. You would be amazed how much damage can be done to your bike when it tips over. Hopefully, the rider would not be hurt but often a rider can get pinned under the bike if you are not agile enough to push away and roll out of the way. Don’t get me wrong, accidents do happen and sometimes can be avoided. Below are some good tips to keep in mind.

It’s never too early or too late to get a refresher on motorcycle safety, especially when it comes to ways to avoid tipping a motorcycle. So here are a few tips to keep in mind to keep the motorcycle upright and the good times flowing:

• Practice riding slowly: Practice riding at slow speeds to work on brake, clutch, and gas controls.
• Keep the handlebars straight: Good advice when stopping and braking.
• Focus ahead: Keeping your eyes up helps maintain balance.
• Watch your footing: Surfaces such as sand or gravel—or even potholes—can mean losing your footing when coming to a stop.
• Be aware of slants: Not all intersections are level. Take note and adjust accordingly.
• Check the side stand: When parking, make sure the stand is all the way down and watch for similar hazards as with your footing.

If your bike does end up lying on its side, hopefully your bike is equipped with crash bars (engine guards) to lessen damage. If possible, get someone to help you pick up the bike because we all know how heavy they are.

If you have motorcycle insurance questions you can reach Jim at 414-540-9101 / jim@barandshieldinsurance.com / www.barandshieldinsurance.com

I will be posting pertinent information in my newsletters for the members (at all levels of participation) to use and become more knowledgeable of the behind-the-scenes details. Sometimes there may not be much news to report, however, I will try to find something timely and of interest. Contact me if you have a topic you would like to see covered.

We are always looking to reduce our costs and spend our Members money wiser while maintaining necessary insurance and licensing coverage while serving our Membership. Suggestions are always welcome!

Should you have any questions regarding Insurance or Licensing (Raffles, fundraiser, etc.) please contact me. My info is listed towards the end of this newsletter. I may not have the answer, but I will get you the answer.

See you at the next Big One!

Bill