No History Lesson this Month

As Junior Patriots, you are a part of ABATE of Wisconsin. But you may be wondering what is ABATE of Wisconsin and what does it do.

ABATE of Wisconsin is a state motorcyclist’s rights organization. A state motorcyclist’s rights organization looks

out for the rights of motorcyclists and freedom of the road in that state. While the organizations in some states use the ABATE name, some use a different name, such as the Freedom of Road Riders of Missouri. There are also national motorcyclist’s rights organizations, such as the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, that look after the motorcyclist’s rights on a national level.

You may be wondering why we need motorcyclist’s rights organizations in the first place. After all, it’s not illegal to ride a motorcycle. But it could be. There are many people that think bikers are dangerous people, and that they, and especially motorcycles, should be outlawed. Organizations such as ABATE of Wisconsin work to show that bikers are people like everyone else and that motorcycles are a fun and useful form of transportation.

Occasionally, well-meaning people will try to get laws passed that would make motorcycling difficult or impossible. For example, Wisconsin farmers produce a lot of corn that is made into a renewable fuel called ethanol. Because ethanol is renewable, the government wanted more ethanol in the gasoline we use. However, the increased levels of ethanol would have wrecked many motorcycle engines, as most motorcycles can only burn small amounts of ethanol in their gasoline. The various motorcyclist’s rights organizations worked to make sure that low or no ethanol gasoline would remain available at all gas stations in the country, so motorcyclists could continue to enjoy the freedom to travel wherever they wanted to.

Motorcyclist’s rights organizations also try to be influential in road planning for the future. You may have heard of self-driving cars. Self-driving cars must be programmed to recognize other road users, including other cars, pedestrians, bicyclists and, of course, motorcycles. Without the input of motorcyclist’s rights organizations, the cars might not be programmed to recognize motorcycles, which would make it unsafe for motorcycles to use the roads.

ABATE of Wisconsin is one of many motorcyclist’s rights organizations in the United States. These groups work tirelessly to preserve the rights of all bikers and ensure the freedom of the road. As Junior Patriots, you can be involved, both now and in the future, in preserving the freedom of the road for generations to come.

John