Grump, I'm not so worried for a couple reasons. One, Cats have been out for several years now (thanks to BMW), so it would have been very easy for the EPA to slap requirements on motorcycles, as is the case in Germany. Even if that does become the case, and it will eventually no matter how hard any of us fight it, along with fuel injection, and enforced noise restrictions, I will still ride. Europeans and Asians have been living with these restrictions for years, and still enjoy the heck out of riding (just ask our Brit brethren). Europe has all of this stuff we are fighting, but the motorcycle market is as strong as ever there. Not to mention taxes and gas prices that we as Americans, are totally clueless about. To my knowledge there is a push to restrict pleasure craft (boats, jetskis) because as they become more popular and more prevalent, the problem of noise also becomes a problem. And as far as aircraft go, that is an ongoing daily battle that pretty much all airports are having to deal with, and why more and more airports are being moved further and further out into the country (and of course, as soon as they build further out, land developers and county boards allow people to build right next to those same new airports, and the whole cycle of complaining about the noise begins anew!!)
Oh, I wouldn't throw too many stones at the HD crowd, how many of us here have Bub's, Sceptres, and Thunderbike pipes, not exactly what I would call "stealth" technology,eh?
But in the end, what you said is true of all laws, they are created because of the actions of a few bad apples, and the majority of society who are more respectful of others are left to deal with the consequences of those new laws.
I think it is fine to continue the fight for as long as possible, but in the end believe it is delaying the inevitable. As health care costs continue to rise, the insurance industry (who probably has the most powerful lobby in congress) will seek to enforce more and more safety legislation on those groups seen as high risks, i.e., us! And if it comes to a decision about who our representatives will listen to, to us or to the Industry, guess who will lose.(the new Bankruptcy legislation is a clear sign of how much power industry has over Congress, in that case the credit card industry, but a lobbyist is a lobbyist is a lobbyist...)
Hey, I'm an occasional Allegra user, so I guess I fit all 3 stereotypes, huh?
