It seems there’s more than a little unrest within ABATE of Colorado. This letter, authored by Steve Turner, found its way to us unsolicited. It seemed important enough to share here. Could it be the unorthodox ways of that groups’ leadership are finally causing serious damage to the organization that is supposedly dedicated to protecting the interests of all Colorado motorcyclists? Read for yourself.

Dear ABATE Members and Rider Coaches,

SEE MORE OF ANGELA & THE HYDRAGLIDE IN THE PHOTO GALLERIES

With pace of the world being ridiculously fast—stupid even—every so often it’s nice to take a minute, relax, and take a look back to appreciate all that has come before. Of course the classic look of the ‘50s is one that just doesn’t get old.

By Tim Anderson

The number of people killed on Colorado roads in 2009 appears to be at the lowest point in three decades according to a preliminary report released by the Colorado Department of Transportation and Colorado State Patrol.

464 people were killed in traffic crashes in 2009, a 15% decline from the 548 people killed in crashes in 2008. The 2009 total also marks the first time the fatality total has dipped below 500 since 1988. Colorado has seen a steady decline in fatalities since the total peaked at 743 deaths in 2002.

The lawsuits resulting from the City of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina attempting to implement its own helmet law and other ordinances in an attempt to put an end to the long-running motorcycle rallies there Will be heard by the South Carolina Supreme Court on February 3, 2010.

One of the oldest, if not the oldest, motorcycles in the world will be up for auction April 25, 2010 at The International Classic Motorcycle Show in Stafford, England.

The twin-cylinder, four-valve, water-cooled, 1488cc Hildebrand & Wolfmüller was built in Munich, Germany in1895 and is an example of the first powered two-wheeler to enter series production. It is also the first such vehicle to be described by the name “motorcycle”--motorrad in German. This bike is in all-original, unrestored condition.

The Pueblo, Colorado, man at the center of the events resulting in an accident that killed Pueblo Bike shop owner Gregory “Griz” Robinson May 12, 2009, has finally been sentenced after pleading guilty to charges stemming from that tragic afternoon. Robinson died May 20, 2009, of injuries sustained in the crash.

In late December 2009, Juan Vasquez Maldonado, 48, was sentenced to four years in prison for his roll in causing Robinson’s death. Maldonado pleaded guilty to the sole charge against him, contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

The Wyoming Supreme Court ruled in early January that a Wyoming state worker injured in a motorcycle crash in Utah on a workday is not entitled to worker's compensation benefits.

The ruling upheld a Uinta County, Wyoming, judge's denial of Richard J. Shelest's application for benefits.

Court records indicate Shelest crashed his motorcycle in June 2006, after he and two other state transportation workers took a longer, scenic route from Rock Springs to Evanston.

Harry Hurt, one of the world's foremost authorities on motorcycle crashes and their causes, has died. Hurt passed away in early December. He was 81 years old.

Hurt suffered a heart attack Sunday at Pomona Valley Hospital. The cardiac arrest was a complication of back surgery that he had a week earlier, according to Hurt’s eldest son, Harry Hurt III.

Hurt was the principal investigator of the Hurt Report, an in-depth, on-scene investigation of 900 motorcycle accidents in Los Angeles from 1976 to 1977.

This might be a direct link between smoking and human intelligence.

A Newark, New Jersey man found himself in critical condition after he accidentally lit himself on fire with a cigarette.

The unidentified man was reportedly cleaning motorcycle parts with gasoline, and unintentionally splashed himself with gasoline, authorities said in the report.

He then lit a cigarette and—poof! --accidentally lit himself on fire, according to Newark Fire Chief Michael Lalor. Lalor said relatives rushed over and put the flames out.