AMA members check in - why you should join

[budman]

Will add #'s tomorrow. Right on.

 

[ThumperX]

FWIW at Dubbelju Motorcycle Rentals we give a 5% discount to AMA members

 

[Marcoose]

FWIW at Dubbelju Motorcycle Rentals we give a 5% discount to AMA members

That is cool, Gwynne.

 

[weasel]

 

[Busy Little Shop]

I visited the AMA headquarters in Ohio... I was given a free
membership courtesy of Mark Mederski. Mark was the acting Executive
Director... he asked "Larry how is the AMA doing?" well Mark I said.
"you got 276,000 motorcyclist signed out of a possible 5.7 million,
that's 5.4 million motorcyclist or over 90% you have failed to sign
up". "What are your plans to attract new membership"? he didn't have a
plan... he didn't see only 3% as a problem... he cited that American
Motorcyclist is a strong individualist that doesn't want to join
anything... I disagreed. the American Motorcyclist would thrive under
a local chapter based motorcycle organization because if their one
thing motorcyclist like to do is get together and talk "kick stand"
with other motorcyclist... America needs a local chapter based
motorcycle organization... we don't need the center based dealer
dominated AMA who uses fear like a club that if you don't join them
then mean old Government will take away your bike... Hell since 1923
the banning of bikes had been part of motorcycle folklore... but mercy
people it's been 84 years... ain't it about time to quit sounding the
alarm???


I was a member for a year but I did not renew... I think the American
motorcyclist needs an local chapter based organization that will do
something for you like what Doc Wong does once a month... we don't
need the center based AMA that does nothing for you except collect
dues... mercy no wonder only 3% of total motorcycle population signs

"Here Larry is your free membership, now shut the hell up"

 

[ThumperX]

I visited the AMA headquarters in Ohio... I was given a free
membership courtesy of Mark Mederski. Mark was the acting Executive
Director... he asked "Larry how is the AMA doing?" well Mark I said.
"you got 276,000 motorcyclist signed out of a possible 5.7 million,
that's 5.4 million motorcyclist or over 90% you have failed to sign
up". "What are your plans to attract new membership"? he didn't have a
plan... he didn't see only 3% as a problem... he cited that American
Motorcyclist is a strong individualist that doesn't want to join
anything... I disagreed. the American Motorcyclist would thrive under
a local chapter based motorcycle organization because if their one
thing motorcyclist like to do is get together and talk "kick stand"
with other motorcyclist... America needs a local chapter based
motorcycle organization... we don't need the center based dealer
dominated AMA who uses fear like a club that if you don't join them
then mean old Government will take away your bike... Hell since 1923
the banning of bikes had been part of motorcycle folklore... but mercy
people it's been 84 years... ain't it about time to quit sounding the
alarm???


I was a member for a year but I did not renew... I think the American
motorcyclist needs an local chapter based organization that will do
something for you like what Doc Wong does once a month... we don't
need the center based AMA that does nothing for you except collect
dues... mercy no wonder only 3% of total motorcycle population signs

"Here Larry is your free membership, now shut the hell up"

Although it would be nice to have a local based chapter, I have to disagree that the AMA does nothing but collect dues.
The AMA uses its "central based power" to join forces with local interests such as the Sierra Access Alliance in fighting our locally specific fights. I'll keep sending them my dues.

 

[Busy Little Shop]

Although it would be nice to have a local based chapter, I have to disagree that the AMA does nothing but collect dues.
The AMA uses its "central based power" to join forces with local interests such as the Sierra Access Alliance in fighting our locally specific fights. I'll keep sending them my dues.

Local based chapters will pump up the central based power not replace
it... local based chapters meet one a month to strengthen the
alliances with greater and greater numbers covered by local
media... once a year the central based power in Ohio holds an annual
convention and invites the government officials that make the
policies to meet and greet the very riders they affect... now you have the
power to voice your concerns in a direct and personal manner...
because an annual convention of a 100,000 + riders in one spot in the
name of motorcycling is a powerful media tool... so instead of the
AMA collecting dues... do something big for the members...

AMA is 3% strong out of a possible 5.7 million... politically speaking
thats a 97% joke... why should they listen to AMA when 97% of the
possible membership don't think its worth joining???

 

[LongGoneJohn]

So quit talking, and start one that does better than 3%, BLS.

I'll keep sending the AMA my dues.

 

[Busy Little Shop]

So quit talking, and start one that does better than 3%, BLS.

I'll keep sending the AMA my dues.

I'm just a dumb guy with a Lathe and Mill... I talked but the AMA is not open to
any new ideas to increase membership... in fact talk talk talk is all that ever
happens at the AMA headquarters... we can talk about this again in 20 years
and it will still be only 3%... we need members who cry for action action action
or heads will roll...

 

[Lonster]

... we need members who cry for action action action or heads will roll...

Better than Barfers who just cry.
If you think you can do a better job, than do it.
Otherwise, stop crying.
(sorta)

Lonny

 

[Busy Little Shop]

Better than Barfers who just cry.
If you think you can do a better job, than do it.
Otherwise, stop crying.
(sorta)

Lonny

When I was a member I pleaded with the AMA board of directors to start
soliciting ideas on line from the membership on ways to make the 97% feel
like joining... nothing happened because I was just one member crying... who
can blame them??? if the majority don't want to see a change in membership
then nothing happens at the top...

Mark Mederski the then acting Executive Director confessed to me that the 2
items he does hear about almost daily from the membership is "stop helmet
laws" and "hands off my loud pipes." sounds like the Rhinos in Abate... thin
skinned... near sighted and ready to charge my helmeted head...

 

[Ironbutt]

Here! AMA competition member. Not sure what that means but it looks cool on the card.

 

[Carlo_Guzzi]

AMA #300802, 12 years now. I just get a "Veteran" pin now instead of an anniversary numbered pin for my HOG vest.

The perfect is the enemy of the good. AMA isn't perfect, but who else is looking out for motorcyclists at the government level with the effectiveness the AMA is? I will continue to be a member just for their fight against motorcycle-only checkpoints.

I bet way less than 3% of gun owners belong to the NRA, but they seem to have some clout.

 

[Busy Little Shop]

I bet way less than 3% of gun owners belong to the NRA, but they seem to have some clout.

NRA boast a membership of 4.3 million... members rally behind the
Second Amendment which guarantees the right of individuals to bear
arms... Members of Congress have ranked the NRA as the most powerful
lobbying organization in the country several years in a row... 8 U.S.
Presidents have been NRA members... whereas the AMA is only 270K
strong and we have no specific Constitutional right to ride... we have
right to ride slogans which are sand in the real politically arena...
however we could possible rank up there with the NRA's clout if our
AMA had a plan to sign up the other 5.4 million motorcyclist holding
out for something they would feel like joining...

My ideas for the CEO to consider are:
1) Start a local AMA Chapter in every major population center and meet once a month...
2) Fund a Annual Convention at HQ Ohio...
3) Fund a AMA Museum on wheels...
4) AMA active campaign for helmets and mufflers to stop unwanted laws... shift the old bare
headed biking and umuffled exhausts campaigns over to ABATE to defend in the political arena...

 

[Marcoose]

NRA's 4.3 million members rally behind the Second Amendment which guarantees the right of individuals to bear arms...

I doubt those 4.3M NRA members have ever read the 2nd Amendment:

"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed"

I don't see many armed barbarians trying to knock the gates down. And if barbarians showed up at the gates today, they'd be carrying nuclear and biological weapons, for which our Magnums and Colts would be no match.

And well regulated?

 

[Busy Little Shop]

I doubt those 4.3M NRA members have ever read the 2nd Amendment:

"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed"

I don't see many armed barbarians trying to knock the gates down. And if barbarians showed up at the gates today, they'd be carrying nuclear and biological weapons, for which our Magnums and Colts would be no match.

And well regulated?

I don't see any armed barbarians either but the point is the NRA's 2nd Amendment position is
defendable by the courts and politicians... whereas the AMA's right to ride is not...

 

[ThumperX]

FWIW...

AMA struck a deal with BayAreaRidersForum to increase membership and benefit the forum with $5 being credited towards something that benefits BARF directly.

AMA increases the voices of motorcyclists by including non-members in the loop with respect to hearing what is happening and the ease to take action for or against local, state, and national issues affecting motorcyclists.

 

[budman]

FWIW...

AMA struck a deal with BayAreaRidersForum to increase membership and benefit the forum with $5 being credited towards something that benefits BARF directly.

AMA increases the voices of motorcyclists by including non-members in the loop with respect to hearing what is happening and the ease to take action for or against local, state, and national issues affecting motorcyclists.

Thank you.. lots of useless pissing going on.

 

[Busy Little Shop]

FWIW...

AMA struck a deal with BayAreaRidersForum to increase membership and benefit the forum with $5 being credited towards something that benefits BARF directly.

AMA increases the voices of motorcyclists by including non-members in the loop with respect to hearing what is happening and the ease to take action for or against local, state, and national issues affecting motorcyclists.

Thanks for pointing that out... I think we all want a stronger more robust AMA
coupled with an increase in membership...

 

[HappyHighwayman]

I just renewed mine...I used to support it only for the 5 free tows, but now that I have BMW roadside assistance I support it because it's a good organization.