A goodbye to my friend Jessi Combs— educator, welder and fabricator, land speed record holder, motorcycle builder, TV show host, off-road racer, Queen of the Hammers, beautiful, bad ass, intelligent woman.
Goodbye Jessi Combs- Legend, Leader, Lady
EICMA International Motorcycle Show 2012
MOTORCYCLISTS HAVE CHANGED.
I Motociclisti sono cambiati; Biker haben sich verändert; Les Motards ont changé; Los Motores han cambiado!
The motto for this years EICMA International Motorcycle Show is pretty simple, it seems. But what does it really mean?
Are the Italians behind EICMA saying that motorcycling is no longer dominated by men, or are they saying something entirely different? It seems the meaning is not as easily inferred as we would like. From their press release on Februrary 18th, “The basic consideration, which prompted the claim, stemmed from the observation of current society and the way it has evolved: two-wheel vehicles are the ideal solution for sustainable mobility.” It seems that within the development and broadening of the motorcyclist demographic (evolving purposes for riding, changing laws for motorcyclists around the world) they see not just women riders but a new way of approaching motorcycles and manufacturing.
EICMA’s Seven “Virtues” of a Motorcycle
- Safety: an entire sector – i.e., vehicle, component and accessory manufacturers – invests in R&D to ensure a future of progress and growth. Responsibility: protecting one’s integrity and that of others. Spreading the culture of two-wheel vehicles means laying the foundations for virtuous behaviour, in line with the new urban scenarios.
- Mobility: powered two-wheel vehicles are the solution that ensures time savings, the preservation of the environment, fuel economy.
- Passion: motorcycles have it in them to become legendary icons in individual minds and the collective imagination. In the choice of a model over another, emotional factors play a major role. Another key factor are the wins of bike makers and riders.
- Infrastructures: in Italy, poor infrastructures are a concomitant factor in 25% of the incidents recorded, about twice the European average. Confindustria ANCMA (National Association for the Bicycle, Motorcycle and Accessory Industry) is committed to constantly bringing up this problem in the appropriate venues. Infrastructures should become a valuable contributing factor for the growth and the development of the industry.
- Creativity: motorcycles, scooters and accessories are the epitome of design, technology, styling. Nowadays, countless customisation possibilities and the opportunity to wear fashionable, fine-looking apparel do away with any preconception.
- Vision: we work at present to be present tomorrow. Thanks to its institutional and field activities, Confindustria ANCMA promotes and protects the sector, with the aim to meet the needs of a society undergoing a profound transformation.
Perhaps motorcycles for many of us are not only an unavoidable addiction and form of relief, but actually a portion of the truly sustainable lifestyle we need for the future?
“The Show approaches this year’s rendezvous in the wake of an ongoing drive to ‘release’ the sector from the constraints of banal stereotypes.” as the EICMA press release put it. Are the evolving aspects of the motorcycle industry going to suffer while under pressure from a society that’s “going green”? Will this bring the community further together, or drive us further apart?
Posted on February 22, 2013 in Motorcycles by Alicia Mariah Elfving