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August 2021 A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS, INC. NEWS
A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS, INC. NEWS AUGUST 2021
THE MISSION OF A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS IS TO
PRESERVE THE UNIVERSAL RIGHT TO A SAFE,
UNRESTRICTED MOTORCYCLING ENVIRONMENT,
AND TO PROPOSE AND ADVOCATE ACTIONS THAT
CAN BE TAKEN BY ELECTED OFFICIALS TO
PROTECT AND CONSERVE THE NATURAL
RESOURCES OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, AND
ENSURE THROUGH PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT
THAT SUSTAINABLE USE, RECREATIONAL
OPPORTUNITIES AND ENJOYMENT OF THESE
RESOURCES IS AVAILABLE FOR THIS
AND FUTURE GENERATIONS
A.B.A.T.E. of ILLINOIS, INC.
PO Box 526
Avon IL 61415-0526
www.abate-il.org
1-800-87-ABATE
What you will find in this issue……...… page
Legislative Report ……………………… 2
Officers/Committees …………………… 3-4
E-Board Reports ………………...……….. 5-6
Thank you list ……………………………. 6
Letters of Intent …………………………….7
Bike Raffle……………………………….. 8
Ask Our Lawyer ……………………......... 9-11
Supporting Businesses .………………… 12
Chapter Reports ………………………... 13-20
MRF …..…………...…………………… 20-23
Calendar of Meetings and Events ……… 26
August 2021 A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS, INC. NEWS 2
Not much has changed since July. ABATE is still waiting on the following bills that Passed in 2021 and are awaiting Governor’s Signature HB96 – Originally banned tinted windscreens (bad bill language), updated to allow brain injury as a medical con-dition allowing for tinted windows above legal limits. SB58 – Started as bill to fix the $10,000 trade in limit on car tax credits. 1st language ended up raising taxes on mo-torcycles. ABATE worked with Auto Dealers to get it fixed. Bill ends up getting amended last 2 days of session to include TA plates at $36 instead of $118. Goes into ef-fect on Jan 1, 2022. HB656 – Started out as a proposed ban on children riding on motorcycles. ABATE wrote compromise language that states a passenger must be able to touch a footrest. Riders are allowed to modify their footrests to accommodate shorter riders. Creates a clear legal standard and avoids unnecessary stops by law enforcement. SB1231 – Allows Polaris to sell a Large Off highway Ve-hicle (greater than 65” in Width, less than 75”) but does not allow the vehicle to be on DNR protected trails. Al-lows an additional 500lbs in current OHV weights for elec-tric OHVs only. Are you Watching This Week in ABATE? This Week in ABATE is a weekly program hosted by Chris Hansen and myself on Facebook Live every Wednesday at 8pm. We talk about the latest issues and events in Illinois, and interview folks from around the na-tion on motorcycle related events / groups. We’re looking for new topics and interviews. If you have an interview idea or topic you want to see covered, email [email protected] or [email protected]. Here’s hoping we have resolution on our State bills by the time September rolls around. - SKI
LEGISLATIVE REPORT
August 2021 A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS, INC. NEWS 3
STATE COORDINATOR Ryan Hubbard 309-267-0606 [email protected] ASSISTANT STATE COORDINATOR Cathy Brush 779-207-5907 [email protected] OFFICE MANAGER Paula Ward Ph. 800-87-ABATE /309-343-6588 PO Box 526 Avon IL 61415-0526 [email protected] SECRETARY Teri Smith 217-621-9226 [email protected] TREASURER Paul Truax 217-741-2233 [email protected] LEGISLATIVE COORDINATOR Josh “Ski” Witkowski 217-816-2646 [email protected] SAFETY & EDUCATION COORDINATOR Mike Mahorney 217-504-3124 [email protected] fax:217-748-6415 PUBLIC RELATIONS COORDINATOR Chris Hansen 630-618-7551 [email protected] BIKE RAFFLE COORDINATOR Howard Nation 217.341.6483 [email protected] ACTIVITIES COORDINATOR Mark Werries 217-638-4247 [email protected] NEWSLETTER COORDINATOR Carla Enburg 309-738-1896 [email protected] PRODUCTS COORDINATOR Sharilyn Kibler-Russell 217-480-5212 [email protected] NORTHWEST REGION COORDINATOR
Sandy Murrell 815-291-7956 [email protected]
NORTHEAST REGION Co-COORDINATORS
Rich Gruner 847-533-8349 [email protected]
KD “MadMaxx” Meier 331-452-0499 [email protected]
WEST CENTRAL REGION Co-COORDINATORS
Mellissa Brinkschroeder 319-372-2443
April Jones 309-525-8429 [email protected]
EAST CENTRAL REGION Co-COORDINATORS
Howdy Mills 217-260-6649 [email protected]
Steve “Squirrel” Norman 217-202-0699
SOUTHWEST REGION Co-COORDINATORS
Dennis “Skinny” Kinnikin 618-917-6243 [email protected]
Wayne Cornick 618-406-4271 [email protected]
SOUTHEAST REGION Co-COORDINATORS
Bob Isaacs 618-663-7011 [email protected]
BY-LAW REVIEW COMMITTEE Teri Smith—Chair,
WC-Hunter John, Mike Thompson (Alt.) NW- Sandy Murrell,
Toepfer (Alt.) EC- Howdy Mills, Jeff Marsh (Alt.), SW-Dennis
Kinnikin, SE– Bob Isaacs, Bob Stout (Alt.) NE- Pat Jones, Chris
Hanson (Alt.)
PARLIAMENTARIAN Bob “Mouse” Ellinger
815-674-5944 [email protected]
ABATEPAC
John Harris Chairman
309– 678-8613 [email protected]
Neal Toepfer Secretary/Treasurer
815-297-5819 [email protected]
NORTHEAST REGION TRUSTEES:
Rich Gruner, 847-533-8349 [email protected]
Dan Harper, 773-330-3111 [email protected]
Chris Hansen, 630-618-7551 [email protected]
Patrick Jones 708-280-6053 [email protected]
NORTHWEST REGION TRUSTEES:
Neal Toepfer 815 297 5819 [email protected]
EAST CENTRAL REGION TRUSTEES:
Joel Wannenmacher 217-317-9384
WEST CENTRAL REGION TRUSTEES:
"Hunter" John Harris, 309 678 8613
Mike Thompson, 217 219 5550 [email protected]
SOUTHWEST REGION TRUSTEES:
Mike Fisher, 618 357 1399 [email protected]
Rich KinKade, 618 514 3422 [email protected]
SOUTHEAST REGION TRUSTEE:
Bob Isaacs, 618-751-7676 [email protected]
FEDPAC
Cindy Lannom, Treasurer 618– 967-5768
1716 Oak Street, Chester, IL 62233
Elizabeth Winters, Chairman 847-505-9017
“Hunter” John Harris, Trustee 309-678-8613
Mike Scovel, Trustee 815-557-8525
Bob Myers, Trustee 618-917-4919
Dennis Yeager, Trustee 815-238-6262
Ryan Hubbard, Trustee 309-267-0606
Patrick Jones 708-280-6053 [email protected]
Chris Hansen 630-618-7551 [email protected]
MRF REPRESENTATIVES
Dennis Yeager 815-238-6262 [email protected]
August 2021 A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS, INC. NEWS 4
OFF ROAD ISSUES
Contact “Hunter” John Harris 309-678-8613
WEB SITE abate-il.org
LIAISON Cathy Brush, [email protected] -
send all correspondence thru Cathy and she will forward to
the Website Master, Ray Lytle
ADVERTISING
Paula Ward
PO Box 526
Avon IL 61415-0526
Camera ready ads and flyers only. If you submit anything other-
wise, it will not be printed. Please send flyers or pictures as a
JPEG or TIF. Articles preferred as an e-mail or attachment in
Microsoft Word.
ADVERTISING RATES
PAID IN ADVANCE DISCOUNTS
(black & white only)
10% FOR 6 MONTHS
20% FOR 12 MONTHS
Business Card…. $20 per issue
ABATE members receive 10% discount
1/4 page 4w x 5h.……...$40 per issue
1/2 page 8w x 5h…….... $75 per issue
Full page 8w x10h … ... $150 per issue
No advertisement will be accepted if it contains material that is
not consistent with A.B.A.T.E. of Illinois’ stated mission or
goals i.e. safeguarding the rights of all motorcyclists.
Report errors and omissions to
All classified ads are due by the SECOND SATURDAY of the
month and will run for at least 3 months, or until space is needed.
Be sure and let me know if your item has sold so it can be re-
moved and leave room for someone whose item has not sold!
DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions expressed in the articles in this paper are
those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of
ABATE of Illinois, Inc. or its officers.
ABATE of Illinois News is a publication of;
ABATE of Illinois, Inc.
PO Box 526
Avon IL 61415-0526
Ph: (309) 343-6588
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
The paper is intended solely for informing its members of issues
affecting motorcycling. All rights are reserved. ABATE of IL
News will accept articles pertaining to ABATE and motorcy-
cling. NO letters containing personal attacks, profanities, or is-
sues not related to motorcycling will be considered for publica-
tion. We cannot guarantee the publication of any article received
after the 2nd Saturday of the month deadline. If you want your
news on time, then you must be on time.
Newsletter Coordinator Carla Enburg
IMPORTANT NOTICE
10% INTEREST WILL BE CHARGED ON
PAST DUE BILLS EVERY 30 DAYS!
CHAPTERS WILL RECEIVE
50% DISCOUNT ON AD
FREE CLASSIFIED ADS FOR MEMBERS
CHANGE OF ADDRESS FORM
NAME (S) __________________________________________________________
ADDRESS__________________________________________________________
CITY ______________________________ COUNTY ______________________
STATE _________ ZIP CODE _________ PHONE NUMBER ______________
MEMBERSHIP # (S) ___________________ __________________________
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT ___________ SENATE DISTRICT ____________
REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT __________________
MAIL TO: ABATE OF ILLINOIS
PO Box 526
Avon IL 61415-0526
ABATE of Illinois and Social Media
Twitter @abateofillinois
Instagram (@abateofillinois)
Facebook (@ABATE4IL)
YouTube Channel.
August 2021 A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS, INC. NEWS 5
Brothers and Sisters, Many times our membership recruit-ing discussions focus on the need
and ability to attract sport bike riders, non-Harley riders, younger riders, or off-road riders to join our ranks. While I agree we may need to come up with different messages in order to reach these other communities, I believe our overall recruiting message must still appeal to all riders. Another thing I’ve noticed in these dis-cussions is a focus on the differences we have with those who don’t ride what we ride, wear what we wear, or ride when, where, and how we ride. Are we not an organization focused on all the rights and free-doms of all riders? I don’t know about you, but I’m not con-cerned with what a person rides or wears when they are riding. When I see them on the road, I’m still going to give a wave as we pass and talk with them at the gas station. To me it’s about the simple pleasure of riding and the peace of mind it provides me. I take to heart the statement, it’s not the destination, it’s the ride. How about we start focusing on what we have in common with those we are trying to recruit? The enjoyment of the ride. Wheth-er that ride is down a 100 mile stretch of perfectly paved high-way or a jump and rut-filled romp through the dirt. We all have a passion to be on the ride of our choice, and we want the freedom to enjoy that passion on our terms. It’s not up to us to discrimi-nate against anyone if they choose to (or not to) wear a helmet, wear specialized riding gear, ride a different brand/style of bike, or belong to a different riding group or club than we do. These are individual choices for each individual rider to make. The point we need to make when recruiting: ABATE of Illinois is always looking for riders who want to ensure everyone re-mains free to choose to enjoy their ride the way they want, when
they want, and with whomever they want to share it. It takes all riders working together on the issues in order to preserve your rights and freedoms. Instead of using a stick and telling someone they have to join or ABATE of Illinois will die out, we need to offer the carrot and inspire their interest in us. Once we get that person to join, we need to create a friendly and inviting atmosphere at our ABATE meetings and events. This must start with how we welcome these new members and make them feel they are a valued part of the team. Seek out their ideas and ask for their help on your projects and events. Don’t try to keep them quiet until they are “more seasoned” in the ways of the organization. In order to tap into the energy provided by new members, we must offer positive motivation. If that means changing our messaging or how we operate, then that is what has to happen. Given that change is a constant in today’s world, we should wel-come it. Teach your members what we do and how we do it, but also be open to making changes when and where necessary. An idea that can really transform your chapter or the state organiza-tion can come from your newest member or those who have been around the longest. However, you only learn about those ideas if you ask them and listen to what they have to say. Remember: Freedom, Responsibility, Safety, and Respect. I appreciate what you have done and will do for ABATE of Illi-nois and the motorcycling rights movement. I look forward to seeing you at events and meetings throughout the year. Ride Safe – Ride Smart – Ride Free – Ride Often, J. Ryan Hubbard A.B.A.T.E. of Illinois, State Coordinator
***August Meeting Date
Change***
Due to a Schedule conflict the E-Board and BOD meet-
ings for August have been moved to the 14th.
Same time, same location, New Date.
Nominations for 2022 Executive Board Officers will
begin.
The Following Chapters have not had representation at 2
or more meetings for 2021
Backroads Kaskaskia Valley
Spoon River Riders St Clair County
State Line Riders
Hello A.B.A.T.E. of Illinois Chapters!
I hope that you all had an amazing 4th of
July and were able to celebrate Independence Day by getting
out and riding your motorcycle or ATV. I know that I did, and I
was proud to have the American Flag waving on my motorcy-
cle for every mile of it. Now August is here, and we are headed
towards some of the best riding of the summer. To those that
are headed to Sturgis, keep the rubber side down and watch for
texting drivers on your route. Make sure that T-CLOCK is part
of your traveling plans and keep it safe.
I feel like I am beating a dead horse here, but social media con-
tinues to be an important part of A.B.A.T.E. of Illinois moving
forward. The chapters that have embraced social media are hav-
ing success with it and are having further reach to spread the
name and message of A.B.A.T.E. of Illinois. Facebook Pages,
Twitter, and Instagram are all FREE and easy ways to get your
chapter out there to the public. Many of us complain about the
lack of numbers when it comes to membership, so what is your
chapter doing to change that? Social media can go a long way
in recruiting new members, especially the younger sport bike
riders. As always, let me know if your chapter needs any help
getting social media set up. I am here to help!
Myself and your State Safety & Education Officer Mike Ma-
horney receive weekly updates from Christopher Rector and the
Illinois Department of Transportation. At the time of writing
this article, Illinois is up to 60 motorcyclist fatalities from 57
accidents. This is wildly unacceptable. Motorcycle Awareness
is a big part of what we do as an organization, and we need to
be more visual and vocal in our local communities about mo-
torists putting down the cell phones and opening their damn
eyes and seeing motorcyclists. Make this part of your public
relations plans for each of your chapters. We have yard signs
and banners available for this, so utilize them!
As always, tune in each week to the A.B.A.T.E. of Illinois Fa-
August 2021 A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS, INC. NEWS 6
PRODUCT SPECIALS:
AUGUST — 10% OFF TOTAL ORDER SEPTEMBER — PINS 10% OFF OCTOBER — STOCKING CAPS $10.00
ABATE OF ILLINOIS
STATE PRODUCTS COORDINATOR
cebook Page at 8pm on Wednesdays for This Week in
A.B.A.T.E. where myself and your State Legislative Coordina-
tor Josh Witkowski cover everything motorcycle in Illinois.
Just a reminder that if you want your events on the show, I need
them the Monday before or they will not make it on. And let us
know what topics you are wanting to hear about each week. We
have many things we can cover, but if there is something spe-
cific that you want to hear about, let us know!
Enjoy Sturgis Bike Week Everyone!
Ride Safe – Ride Free
Chris Hansen
DuKane Chapter of A.B.A.T.E. of Illinois President
A.B.A.T.E. of Illinois Public Relations Coordinator
630-618-7551
Thank you!!! Thank you!! Thank You ABATE of Minnesota for your $75 donation in memory of Jim "Legs" Korte.
Thank You Starved Rock Chapter for your dona-tions: $500 to Safety & Education, $500 to Legis-lative Day and $500 to the Memorial Fund.
Thank You Shawnee Hills Chapter for your $147 deposit to the General Fund.
Greetings fellow members,
The September issue will be in print and it will include the first
round of nominations from the August 14 BOD meeting. We
hope to have the map posted back in the newsletter for next
month too.
All articles must be submitted in an editable format. The text
can be in the body of an email or by an attachment in Mi-
crosoft Word. Camera ready ads and flyers only. Please send
flyers or pictures as a PDF, JPEG or TIF. If you submit any-
thing otherwise, it will not be printed.
Carla Enburg,
[email protected] 309.738.1896
The deadline is always the second Saturday of the month.
The next deadline is August 14, 2021
August 2021 A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS, INC. NEWS 7
Pot holes, unsafe road conditions….
They can be reported at ROADHAZARD.org
or 1-800-257-4337 An ABATE Legal Services Program
7/11/2021
Hello Brothers and Sisters of A.B.A.T.E.
My name is Donna Mills. I am the BOD and Legislative
Rep. for Eastern Chapter. I would like to run for State
Treasurer. I have an associate's degree in accounting
with 23 years of experience. I have been treasurer of 3
different chapters and worked in an accounting firm for
10 years. I have been a member in good standing of
A.B.A.T.E. since 1993. I would appreciate your vote to
become your next State Treasurer.
Thank You and Ride Safe
Donna Mills
7/17/2021
My name is Sonya Link. I am the current Public Rela-
tions Officer for Heart of Illinois Chapter. I have been a
member since 2015, I have enjoyed attending the State
Seminar, State Party and several of the local chapter
events. I currently am organizing the upcoming 4 Cor-
ners Rally, A.B.A.T.E. Fundraiser for Heart of Illinois,
Salt Creek, and Eastern Chapters. This is my letter of
intent to serve as the State Newsletter Coordinator of
A.B.A.T.E of Illinois.
Thank you, Sonya Link
7/18/2021
Having been the Southwest Regions coordinator for a
few years now, I intend to run as the region coordinator
for 2022.There is still a lot of work to do with the re-
vised Marble Run coming up next year, along with the
January seminar and Heartland Steam. I feel that I have
the region's confidence in future endeavors that the chap-
ters decide to embark on.
Dennis Kinnikin
Southwest Region Coordinator
7/21/2021
Letter of intent to stay on the FEDPAC Committee for the next
two years.
I Dennis Yeager would like to stay on the ABATE of Illinois
FEDPAC Committee for the next two year of 2022 and 2023.
I’m currently setting on the committee, along with being the
State Rep. for the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (“MRF”). I
believe the two work together hand and hand.
I’m also looking to be reelected as the MRF State Rep.
("Ride Safe, Ride Smart, Ride Often, Ride Home!!")
Beowulf M.C. LTD (Oct. 1976 - Life)
H.O.G. #US0011276 (April 1983 - Life)
A.B.A.T.E. of Illinois #01078 April 1986 - 04/2028
A.B.A.T.E. of Wisconsin #1000095 - 02/2023
A.M.A #0787849 - 02/2022
MRF member #11876777 - 01/2028
MRF Illinois State Representative.
"Cleaver"
Dennis Yeager
14459 W. West Grove Rd.
Forreston, IL. 61030
815-238-6262 [email protected]
August 2021 A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS, INC. NEWS 8
Buy now!!
Sell now!!
Drawing held
September 5, 2021 at
the Springfield Mile.
Contact the ABATE of ILLINOIS
State Office at 309-343-6588
to get your tickets or
Contact Howard Nation 217-341-6483
$5.00 donation Need not be
present to win.
2nd
Prize
2021 ABATE STATE BIKE RAFFLE
HARLEY DAVIDSON SOFTAIL SLIM
$ 1500.00 CASH 3RD PRIZE
$400 4th Prize
$300 5th Prize
$200 6th Prize
$100 7th Prize
5 year ABATE membership 8th Prize
REGISTRATION LOCATIONS:
Aug 7, 2021 Forreston IL City Park Sauikraut Car &
Bike Show
Aug. 10-13 2021 Belvidere IL. Fairgrounds Boone’s
County Fair
Aug. 14-15 2021 Mendota IL. Downtown Sweet Corn
Festival
Aug. 18-22 2021 Fairbury IL. Fairgrounds Fairbury Fair
Aug. 27-28 2021 Tonica IL. Downtown Bike & Car
Show
Sep. 3 2021 Springfield IL. Short Track (Fairgrounds)
Motorcycle Races
Sep. 4-5 2021 Springfield IL. State Fairgrounds Spring-
field Miles
Please have all sold bike tickets turned in by AUGUST 31ST.
They can be sent to the office at: A.B.A.T.E. of Illinois PO Box 526 Avon IL 61415-0526 Or you can deliver them to the State Fairgrounds September 3-4-5 before the races.
August 2021 A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS, INC. NEWS 9
DROP MY NAME
From Lisa Best, A.B.A.T.E. of Illinois, Inc. -
Rod, “We wanted to say thank you. We felt our car insurance
company was taking advantage of us after an accident. We
dropped your name during a discussion with them and the prob-
lem was resolved within an hour. You must be famous!”
Lisa, any ABATE member is free to use my name anytime.
Hope it works. Rod
Comment from attorney Jim McCarthy regarding “Turnip Blood” Article Rod, in response to “Turnip Blood,” you might have mentioned
that the friend should look into his own UM/UIM coverage,
which might kick in above the $25,000 the other driver had. Jim
McCarthy, ABATE member.
Jim, I usually mention that and have in other articles (which are
set out below as a refresher). Just went brain dead this time.
Will mention your good comment in a future article. Thanks
for taking the time to comment. Note from Rod - Jim McCar-
thy is an excellent insurance defense lawyer in Chicago and a
long time rider and member of ABATE. He does a good job
keeping this lawyer keyed in. The article “Turnip Blood” Jim
referred to follows as a refresher along with another that gives
the full story.
TURNIP BLOOD (follow up)
Q. Rod, my friend was in a bad motorcycle accident last me-
morial day on Highway I- 65 just outside of Indy, he was side-
swiped by a woman going in the same direction, causing him to
lose control of his bike, he went down at 65 mph. His hospital
stay was lengthy, and bills from that amounted to around
$500,000.00. The woman that caused the accident only had
state minimum insurance of $25,000.
After contacting a lawyer, my friend was told that suing the
woman would be futile since you can't get blood from a turnip.
He is now stuck with the total amount of bills, with more com-
ing from the radiologist, therapist etc. all the time. My question
is, does he have an alternate way to get these bills off his back?
Can he sue this woman, her insurance company? He has not
signed off on any insurance. Steve - ABATE of Indiana mem-
ber.
A. Steve. Sorry your friend is having these problems. Most
people who carry minimal insurance limits do not have money
or a way of paying for the damages they have caused that is
why they chose the state minimum for insurance.. If your friend
sues and gets a judgment, the debtor usually files bankruptcy,
and garnishing poor people is usually pointless, unless they hit
the lottery or inherit uncle Skeets farm. Your friend should in-
vestigate the assets of this lady before he signs a release and
takes the limits if that is all there is. His lawyer will know how
to do that search, if not have him call us. The internet is a good
cheap tool for that investigation. Hate to spend lots on a full
blown asset investigation when it is obvious from the signs
there is no money to be had other than the insurance limits, but
always be on the lookout for the cheap skate farmer with lots of
hidden dough. Hate to use the “B” word - bankruptcy, but your
friend should look into all of his options. He may be able to
negotiate a minimal amount of payment on the hospital bills and
avoid “B”. Ride safe, Rod.
PLAYING MOTORCYCLE ROULETTE - THE MOST
IMPORTANT ARTICLE YOU WILL READ REGARD-
ING YOUR MOTORCYCLE/AUTOMOBILE INSUR-
ANCE POLICIES. Follow up article per Jim McCarthy
Like playing Russian Roulette? How about for $100
bucks a year? Worth it? Absolutely not. But that’s what you’re
doing if you don’t buy adequate uninsured/underinsured motor-
ist coverage for all of your motor vehicles, but especially for
your motorcycle. Studies by the Insurance Research Council
indicate that up to 14 percent of drivers do not carry any sort of
coverage. And I bet they make up the worst drivers. That is one
in eight. And some say that figure is going higher. Even more
have inadequate coverage - 25k is not insurance. That is just
enough to piss a guy off if you are lying in the hospital with a
100k hospital bill and still more bills to go. Then how do you
pay your medical bills, mortgage/rent payments and living ex-
penses? What about pain, suffering, temporary and permanent
impairment? The answer is having adequate uninsured/
underinsured motorist coverages that you buy. Without it, you
may be out of luck - financially.
If you don’t have significant uninsured motorist/
underinsured motorist coverages (UM/UIM coverage), you are
unprotected against the driver with no insurance or inadequate
insurance. If you carry the legal minimum coverage, you may
be in compliance with the law, but you are woefully underin-
sured if you are seriously injured. In other words the roulette
game is on for you. It irritates the hell out of me to hear the
adverse say “I have insurance” and to discover that driver has
minimal limits. Sorry folks but that is not insurance. Repeat -
that is not insurance.
August 2021 A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS, INC. NEWS 10
Let’s say you get injured in a crash that is the other
guy’s fault. You have medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffer-
ing of $200,000.00. The other guy has minimal coverage of
$25,000 or even $50,000.. His insurance company pays all he
has, leaving you with thousands of uncompensated damages. If
you do as I say, you can claim money for your additional losses
from your own insurance company under your UM/UIM cover-
age. But you can only make a claim for your losses to the extent
that your UM/UIM coverage exceeds the coverage of the other
guy. Of course, the higher your uninsured/uninsured limits, the
better your protection. So just do it. Be easy on me when you
call and tell me you are in the hospital and that the adverse has
no insurance, and that you did not follow my “I told you so”
advice. I will do my best to keep my thoughts to myself.
Note from Jim McCarthy... Thanks! I like it (the above arti-
cle)! Don’t forget to mention that he may also have med pay
coverage available. Jim
JUST IN TIME LAWYERS
Q. I just had a traffic accident ? Do I need a lawyer right now?
A. Well, that depends. In a serious crash always call and talk
to your lawyer or someone at ABATE Legal. You can get valua-
ble starting points and the do’s and don’ts. Most traffic accidents
fall into four categories: property damage only, minor injury,
moderate injury and major injury. These classifications aren’t
exact, but can be useful guidelines. (This discussion presumes
that you weren’t at fault and there is insurance coverage availa-
ble.)
1. Property damage only: Almost always, no lawyer
needed, except when a special edition or customized bike/
vehicle is involved. If the damage to the car or bike is readily
evaluated, the insurance company will make a settlement based
on the value of the property and the policy provisions. There
may be a little room for negotiations, but generally, the esti-
mates will dictate the settlement. As to value disputes with the
insurance company, get on EBAY and get comparative value
information. And remember that you paid retail - not wholesale
as the adjuster may try to pull one over on you. If you have
trouble with that, call us.
2. Minor injury: Usually, no lawyer is needed, so long
as your injury is truly minor. Have your doctor sign off on that
one before you even think about signing a release and accepting
a settlement for your injuries, and don’t be in a hurry. Take the
time to completely heal. Your doctor should be able to deter-
mine if you have fully recovered. If the insurance company is
not responsive, call us. We can help. Sometimes just mentioning
my name does it. See first article above. In these types of accidents, the injured person has
bumps and bruises, and may be a bit sore, but has no symptoms
that last more than a week, and will have lost no more than a
couple of days off work. Oftentimes, the medical claims will be
only for a brief visit to the hospital to be checked out after the
accident, a follow up visit to the family doctor, and some pain
medication or muscle relaxants. In these cases, the insurance
company will make a settlement offer after you have been re-
leased from treatment by the doctor. The settlement will general-
ly include the medical bills, lost wages, and an amount to com-
pensate you for your pain and inconvenience. The amount of the
settlement will be negotiable, and the insurance company may
not make an offer unless you have made a demand first. Make
sure that your communications with the claims adjuster are in
writing (preferably email), and keep your demands reasonable.
We can assist you with a proper evaluation.
3. Moderate injury: A lawyer is needed. These injuries
are ones that may debilitate for a period of time, or may lead to
lifelong impairments of a part of the body, but are not life threat-
ening. The lost wages may be significant, or the calculation of
the pain and suffering damages may be complex. Our office will
be able to negotiate with the insurance company and secure the
best compensation for you. If a suit is necessary, we can repre-
sent your interests.
4. Serious injury: You should always contact a lawyer.
These cases involve life changing circumstances. There are
many complex issues that will have to be evaluated and consid-
ered. Without an attorney, you will be at a serious disadvantage.
CUSTOM BIKE BLUES
Q: I have a bike that I bought stock five years ago and have
made a number of improvements to it since then, including a lot
of chrome, custom paint, and other customized equipment. My
bike was stolen last month, and the insurance company only
wants to offer me book value for the bike. By my estimation, it's
worth about twice the book value of a stock bike. Is there any
way I can convince the insurance company to re-evaluate their
offer? ABATE MEMBER.
A: There may be a way to do that, but it depends on how good
your records are. Most insurance contracts/policies cover cus-
tomization and items added to bikes, but the insurance company
has to assure itself that the customizations that you claim you
added were actually added to the bike and became a part of the
bike. Some insurance companies will agree to a value up front
and charge a premium based on that value.
The easiest and best way to make your claim is to doc-
ument all the customizations done to the bike. This means keep-
ing records of the modifications done to the bike, who did them,
when they were done, how much they cost, and what effect
those customizations had on the value of the bike. And don’t
forget the photos; you can’t have too many. Oftentimes you
need to hire the services of an appraiser to evaluate the bike with
and without the modifications.
Let's assume you did a custom job with three distinct
components: First of all, you did some body work - you put on a
August 2021 A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS, INC. NEWS 11
Advertise your event or
business in the
A.B.A.T.E. of Illinois paper.
new fork, new handlebars, and new wheels. You did that dur-
ing the course of one season and didn't plan on doing any more
work that season. It would be a good idea once that work was
completed, to take pictures of the bike, put them together with
all the receipts from the work done to the bike and send copies
of all that information to your insurance company, asking them
to add that to your file and explaining that those modifications
have been done to the bike since you purchased it. You may at
that point want to get an appraised value for the bike from an
appraiser. Often, appraisers will work at a motorcycle shop or
dealer. You would want to get an appraisal if the value of the
bike in total with the additions is more than the value of the
bike plus the value of the additions. For example, you bought
the bike for $5,000.00; you added $5,000.00 worth of addi-
tions, but those additions caused the bike to be worth
$15,000.00 rather than the value of the bike plus the parts,
which was $10,000.00. In that event, getting an appraisal
would be in your best interest because you could prove to the
insurance company that the bike is worth more than the sum of
its parts.
Now let's assume it's the next season, and you have
added a lot of chrome to the bike. Again, you would want to
take pictures of the bike, keep copies of the receipts, descrip-
tion of the work done, and submit it to the insurance company
for their files so you can maintain the value of the bike. Let's
assume now that you have decided to complete the customiza-
tion and get a custom paint job on it. Once you finish all the
customization that you plan on doing, at that point you should
get an appraisal of the value of the bike to show the insurance
company what it's worth with all the customizations. With all
those documents and evidence of the customizations, you will
be in a good position to prove the value of the bike to the insur-
ance company should you need to make a claim. And always
send the insurance company copies of your latest appraisals.
Some insurance companies offer special insurance
deals for customized bikes or those with historic or antique
value. If your bike has value for collectors beyond the book
value of a stock bike, check with your insurance agent about
modifying your insurance policy to make sure your investment
is covered. You may be able to agree on the value of the bike
if it is totaled or stolen. So if the bike is totaled or stolen they
will send you a check for the agreed amount.
Ride Safe.
Rod Taylor
ABATE Legal Services
www.abatelegal.com
All questions from ABATE members are answered confiden-
tially unless otherwise authorized and only after the matter is
concluded, except when authorization for publication anony-
mously or otherwise is given for pending matters. Remember,
injured ABATE members pay only 28 ½% of total recovery
motorcycle crash cases, and expenses as approved by the client.
Elsewhere, you may pay 33 ⅓%, 40% or even 50% of your
recovery. In those cases, ABATE members are not charged for
recovery of damage to their motorcycle, and have access to a
24-hour toll-free telephone number. Call us at 1-(800)-25-
RIDER. Questions? Submit them to:
[email protected]. © 2021.
August 2021 A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS, INC. NEWS 12
CENTRAL EAST REGION
**Thunderbird Lounge- 1405 S Houston St. Taylorville IL
217-824-8411
**Fox Hole Pub N Grub- 915 5th St Lincoln IL 217-651-8665
CENTRAL WEST REGION
The Clinic Bar & Grill- 205 Pine St Dallas City 217.989.1074
Hohimer Automotive 928 S 2nd St Pekin IL 309-346-7361
Slup’s Bar & Grill- 225 S. Main St. Blandinsville, IL. 309-652-3822
The Bar 301 S Center St LaHarpe IL 309-313-2933
Riverview Bar & Grill 490 W 1st St Dallas City Il 217-989-1079
NORTHWEST REGION
The Friendly Tap- 14 N Center Plano IL 630-552-3696
Dixon VFW Post 540 1560 Franklin Grove Rd Dixon IL
815-288-5165
The Black Rose Saloon 802 E Peru St Princeton IL 815-915-8003
GP Cyclesport Inc- 1209 N Bridge St. Yorkville IL 630-553-8225
Plano American Legion Post 510 E Dearborn St Plano IL
630-552-8313
Hometown Lanes & Sports Bar 209 W Main St Plano IL
630-552-4177
Big O’s on the Hollow 1931 IL-75 E Freeport IL 815-616-8543
Logan’s Bar & Grill 1805 S West Ave Freeport IL 815-232-4592
Pub 225 310 N Main Ave Milledgeville IL 815-973-3981
Ecky’s Tap- 132 E Main St Wyanet IL 815-699-9372
NORTHEAST REGION
Judge’s Bar 35 E Cass St. Joliet IL
SOUTHEAST REGION
SOUTHWEST REGION
** It’s renewal time for these businesses. Please use the form
below to submit your renewal.
A.B.A.T.E. of ILLINOIS NEWS SUPPORTING BUSINESSES
ABATE OF ILLINOIS NEWS SUPPORTING BUSINESS APPLICATION
Business Name ______________________________________________________________________
Business Address ______________________________________________________________________
Business Phone ______________________________________________________________________
Business Contact Person ______________________________________________________________________
E-mail Address ______________________________________________________________________
Chapter and/or Region ______________________________________________________________________
Fee for 1 year of listing = $50
Please send to:
ABATE OF ILLINOIS STATE OFFICE
PO Box 526 Avon IL 61415-0526
Office use only: date of first issue or renewal ____________________
If you prefer to get the newsletter online
only just let us know. To opt out of a
paper copy that gets mailed to you please
contact Pauli to be removed from
the mailing list. You can call, text or
email.
309-343-6588.
August 2021 A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS, INC. NEWS 13
GREETINGS FROM YOUR NW REGION
COORDINATOR SANDY MURRELL
Hope everyone is enjoying the great weather we have been having, getting out and riding to some great destinations. Please ride safe!!!
As of this writing, the Convergence Run has not happened. I will have a write up in the September newsletter.
State Party has come and gone. I have not heard how many peo-ple attended, but I’m certain everyone enjoyed themselves. Yes, we had to deal with LOTS of rain, but the golf cart games were able to be held but the bike games were not. Thanks to Mark Werries for having a HUGE tent up so that we all could get un-derneath it when the heavy rain fell. It was a life saver, but as we all say, State Party wouldn’t be State Party if it didn’t rain.
Chapters in our region have most of their rides set up for the season so check their Facebook page or their website for events. Go and support one of our chapters in our region. This is a good way to get to meet other ABATE members in our region and make new friends.
Please check the chapter Facebook page and website for their meeting locations and times. The chapters are in our region are: Blackhawk, Twin Rivers, Open Roads, Kish-waukee Valley, Freeport, Big River, Starved Rock and Thunder Rock.
I have the 2021 posters for selling bike tickets, so if you are having an event but not the bikes, get ahold of me and I can get the posters to you.
As your chapter plans their events/rides, please email me a copy of your flier to [email protected]. I share this with all the chapters in our region on Facebook.
Hoping to see you all soon. Stay safe and healthy!!!
Peace!
Sandy Murrell NW Region Coordinator Freeport Chapter Member MRF Member [email protected]
815-291-7956
August is here already and the sum-mer is going by fast. Our chapter
members have been participating in group rides to ABATE events, Summer Book Run Stops, etc. The weather has been good and everyone has been anxious to get out and ride. What a fun time of year…things to do, places to go, be with our friends, freedom in our wind therapy, and support each other’s activities. Always ride safe and smart. Sad News – Mike Hamburg passed away on June 26 as a result of an accident at home two years ago. He was an ABATE mem-ber for thirty years. He was a genuinely nice guy who always was kind, personable, and enjoyed life. He will be missed by all who knew him. Our condolences and prayers to his family. Membership - Welcome to Arick Freese, Mike and Karen Giuli-ano our newest Open Roads ABATE members. Congratulations to everyone who has renewed their membership with Open Roads. We need YOU to retain our many freedoms of riding. Please contact your state senator and representative about pro-posed bills, voice your opinion, and together YOU and I will make a difference. 2021 Summer Books – if you don’t have yours yet, you better get one soon. Two more months to get your 45 regular stops and at least one bonus stop for the cash prizes at our post party on Saturday, October 2 from 3 to 6 pm at the Plano American Le-gion. Over 275 books have been sold which means we will be giving away around $1400 in cash prizes. For just buying a book you have a chance at the many raffle prizes that have been donated, free dinner, chances of winning game prizes, and a great time. Please note that Greenhorn’s in Morris was de-stroyed by fire. Your Summer Book Committee decided to al-low everyone to have this stamp regardless if you had a chance to visit Greenhorns or not. Bonus Stop Reminder – Farm Friends is a bonus stop in the Summer Book and will stamp books on 1 more day during the summer – August 8 – from 11 am to 3 pm. Freedom Run at Grundy County Fairgrounds and Marseilles - June 19 was a great day in remembering our fallen soldiers at the Freedom Run with a great lineup of speakers and guests, awesome weather, lots of vendors, food, refreshments, and a day of seeing fellow bikers. Open Roads members who partici-
pated were Frank Lorang and Cliff/Linda Oleson. “Blaze in the City” Sandwich Car/Bike Show - July 3, chap-ter members worked a booth selling beef/bike raffle tickets and to promote ABATE. Lots of classic cars on display, sold tickets, and talked to many people about ABATE. Congrats to Open Roads ABATE chapter member, Brent Martin, for being a runner-up in the bike show. Sheridan Celebration – July 4, chapter members promoted ABATE and sold a lot of raffle tickets. Chapter members (Frank Lorang, Sam Mataya, Fred Chaffer, and Kevin Smith) partici-pated in the Toilet Bowl Races. Even tho Open Roads didn’t place, they had a great time and are working on next year’s en-try. Car Shows – set up our awning/booth at the following car shows to sell beef and bike raffle tickets and to promote ABATE: July 11 Millington (noon to 3 pm?), July 18 Plano (reg 9 am to noon, show noon to 3 pm), July 25 Sycamore (set up 7:30 am, show 9 am to 4 pm), and July 31 Norway (2 pm to 6 pm?). NW Region Convergence Run – Members “converged” with other NW Region ABATE chapters in Dixon on July 31. This is a bonus stop in our Summer Book and summer books were stamped from 4 to 6 pm.
UPCOMING EVENTS: Beef Raffle Fundraiser – Get your tickets NOW to win a ¼ steer – 4 chances to win. $5 per ticket or five tickets for $20. Drawing will be November 13, 2021, during the Open Roads ABATE Train Fun Run. Proceeds to support STEAM in April, 2022. Bike Raffle – Our chapter will have ABATE of Illinois bike raffle tickets for sale to anyone who would like to help out by selling bike raffle tickets. If you would like tickets either to buy or sell, please call Sally on 815-791-3435. You could win a 2020 Harley Davidson Softail Slim; 2019 Honda Rancher 420, money prizes up to $1500, 5 year ABATE membership. Upcoming Group Rides – watch for details, KSU, and times on Facebook – August 1 to Durand, Rockford, Oregon, Malta, and Maple Park, meet at Country Kitchen in Somonauk for Break-fast at 8 am, KSU 9 am; August 21 to Elizabeth, Savanna, Lan-ark, Polo, and Freeport, meet at Exquisite Skillet in Plano for
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August 2021 A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS, INC. NEWS 14
breakfast at 8 am, KSU 9 am; September 18 to Darien and Wa-terford WI, Woodstock, Marengo, and Pingree Grove, meet at Exquisite Skillet in Plano for breakfast at 8 am, KSU 9 am.
Ice Cream Ride – Saturday, September 18, ride to 3 ice cream shops and to get a stamp at Blue Collar Bikes (no ice cream). Meet for breakfast at Country Kitchen in Somonauk at 8 am, KSU 9 am, eat lunch along the way, and should be a treat of a day.
Rookie Run – Sunday, August 22, 9 to 10:30 reg, KSU 10:30 am, ride begins and ends at Friendly Tap in Plano, 4 stops.
Next Meeting and Family Picnic – Saturday, August 28, 1 pm, at Kevin and Patti Smith’s home (1091 Anne Street in Lake Holiday, Sandwich side). Bring a dish to share as we will have a meeting at 1 pm followed by a picnic. Chicken will be the main entrée and plates, napkins, and plasticware will be provided. Lots of events to be talked about, nominations for officers, and legislative updates. Hope to see everyone there.
Fall Train Run – Saturday, November 13, be at Aurora Train Station at 9:45 am, 3 stops, games, great food and drink, 50/50, fun. $10 for train ticket and $5 for run. Beef raffle drawing will be held on the train run.
Future Events – Trivia Pursuit, Escape Room, haunted ride, din-ner rides.
Let’s get out and support our meetings and events not just our local chapter but other chapters as well. You might be surprised what opportunities you may find. Think of new ideas and events for our chapter to try. Your idea might be the key to new hap-penings. Check out our Facebook or Twitter page at Open Roads ABATE for events and latest updates. Come to a meet-ing, event, or call Cliff (630) 546-7519 or Patti (815) 498-6025 if you have questions or suggestions.
Submitted by Linda Oleson, Publicity
Pictures:
Open Roads signed up 4 new members in June. Pictured are Open Roads ABATE president Cliff Oleson with new members – Travis Leitheiser, Mischelle Reiners, Cheri and Rich Kossak.
Brent Martin was runner-up in the “Blaze in the City” Car/Bike Show. Congrats, Brent.
Toilet Bowl Races were a plunging hit in Sheridan on July 4. Pictured is the Open Roads ABATE team – Kevin Smith giving pointers to his grandson, Austin, John Niles, Sam Mataya, Frank Lorang, and Fred Chaffer.
Starved Rock Chapter would like to welcome new members: Collin Eiten
from Mendota and Jacob Leonard from Troy Grove. What Starved Rock Chapter has been up to: On Saturday June 19th we had a Membership Booth with State Bike Raffle Tickets for sale at the Marseilles Motorcycle Free-dom Run. Thanks to Dan Kleckner, Shane Bice, Jerry Sexton, Peggy Mills, Bob Ganze, and Jeff Mccully for selling tickets, etc. We had a meeting Sunday July 11th at Smitty’s Tap in Leon-ore. There were 31 members and 2 guests present. Doors prizes were awarded to members Bonnie P and Mary H. Guest door prize was awarded to Rose. Joseph H won the membership drawing. A get well card was passed around and signed for member Randy Butt who was in a very serious motorcycle acci-dent. He is currently in a hospital in Rockford. We are all think-ing of Randy and wishing him a speedy recovery! It was report-ed that the Sunday Fun Day run made a profit! Woo-hoo!! All of the money will be donated to ABATE PAC and will be pre-sented at the NW Region Convergence Run. Starved Rock Chapter would like to challenge the rest of the Chapters in the NW Region to make a donation to the ABATE PAC! It was also reported that our chapter turned in 30 signed Proclamations de-claring the month of May as “Motorcycle Awareness Month”. This was the most signed proclamations turned in for all of the chapters throughout the state! Thanks to everyone who helped! Our chapter is making a donation to St Jude’s Hospital and will make a like or greater donation to the NW Region Fund. Kevin and Karen Bramel will be taking over for Jerry and Mary Sexton
who were involved with the St Jude’s Hospital Run for many years! Thank you Jerry and Mary! Smitty’s is owned by Starved Rock Chapter member Randy Schmitt. If you want a really huge hand- pounded tenderloin, check out Smitty’s in Leonore! He has many other sandwiches and a variety of cold refreshments! Upcoming Starved Rock Chapter Events: Saturday July 31st is the NW Region Convergence Run. The chapter will meet at Mike’s Brownstone Pizza in Troy Grove at 12:30. Wheels roll at 1:30 to head toward Dixon Illinois. Meeting Sunday August 8th at or South Shore Boat Club in Pe-ru. The meeting will begin at noon. Saturday and Sunday August 14th & 15th Membership Booth and Bike Raffle Tickets at the Mendota Sweetcorn Festival. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday August 27-29 at Tonica Days Bike & Car Shows. Membership Booth and State Bike Raffle Tickets. Meeting Sunday September 12h at Softaitls in Ladd at noon. There will be a limited fried chicken buffet for a set price. Sof-tails is owned by Starved Rock ABATE member and supporter Noreen Griffin. Meeting Sunday October 17th CortiLeno’s (The Old Golf & Pub) at noon 131 E Walnut St. in Oglesby. Meeting Sunday November 14th at Stone Jug BBQ in Peru. The meeting will begin at noon. Stone Jug is owned by Starved Rock ABATE member Matt Becker. Meeting Sunday December 12th at Jamie’s Outpost in Utica. The meeting will begin at noon. Jamie’s is owned by Starved Rock ABATE members Tracy and Jamie Mix.
August 2021 A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS, INC. NEWS 15
You can renew your membership online at https://www.abateilupdate.com/product-category/dues/ You may follow Starved Rock ABATE on Facebook!
Nora Kleckner-Starved Rock Chapter Newsletter Officer
HELLO FREEPORT CHAPTER!!!
August 14 is the Chapter Fun Day/Bike games and is being
held at Hot Rod Nellies, 122 Jackson Rd, Pecatonica, IL. (off of
Rt 20 E past Pec Corners/police station. Cruise Night in Free-
port is that evening, so after the bike games, head on down
town to look at all the cars, trucks and motorcycles that will be
there.
The chapter continues to do the Queen of Hearts and is being
held at The Crooked Roof in Lanark, IL. The drawing are al-
ways held on Tuesday’s. Go down to The Crooked Roof, eat
some good food and buy your cards. Who knows, you could be
a winner. Monies from this benefits ABATE.
The August officers meeting is at Big O’s, 1931 IL 75 East,
Freeport, IL on August 11. Meetings start at 6:00 p.m. Officer
Meetings are open to anyone. Big O’s has good food so come
on out, order supper and stay for the meeting. The chapter
meeting on August 15th at Riviera Park, 4513 Cranes Grove
Rd, Freeport, IL will also be out Family Picnic. Bring a dish to
pass. Meeting starts at 12:30 sharp.
The August Eboard and BOD meeting for August was changed
to August 14th due to scheduling issues with RT66 Hotel and
Convention Center in Springfield. If you were planning on go-
ing make sure you change it in your calendar. Times are the
same for of meetings.
The August breakfast run is August 1. Meet at Freeport Visitors
Center, kickstands up at 9:00 am. Group decides where to go.
The August burger run is set up for August 21. Meet at Slurp
and Burg in Loran, Il by 6:00.
There is a Truck and Car show at the Eagles Club in Freeport,
IL from noon to 3:00 on August 22.
Peace!
Sandy Murrell
Freeport Chapter Treasurer
August 2021 A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS, INC. NEWS 16
June 17, 2021, General Meeting Minutes Call to Order at 7:30pm
Pledge of Allegiance/Moment of Silence
President provided hardcopy of minutes from May 20, 2021 meeting. Motioned to approve passed.
Officers
President – Daisy Perez
Vice President – vacant
Secretary – Frank Labudzik
Treasurer – Joanne Louridas
State BOD/Legislative – John Umgelder
Membership Coordinator – Elena Lopez
Safety & Education – vacant
Activities Coordinator – vacant
Guests: Steve Graef, Law Tigers Motorcycle Lawyers
Members present: ten (10)
ABATE of Illinois state meeting scheduled for June 19, 2021. Anyone else interested in attending along with BOD Rep?
May Motorcycle Awareness Month was recognized by five sub-urban locations/villages (34 were mailed out). Proclamations were received from Oak Lawn, Crete Tinley Park, Hickory Hills, and Palos Hills. Thank you cards requested to be sent to these municipalities in recognition of their support to ABATE of Illinois.
We had the pleasure of welcoming another Southern DuPage Chapter member Nick Savas to South Suburban. Nick’s pres-ence allowed the delivery of an ABATE of Illinois Memorial Fund check on behalf of Margaret Steele (deceased). Nick mo-tioned to return the check to South Suburban to be used towards a future member event. Motion passed.
Our June birthday raffle winner is Ray Jones!
The July birthday babies are: John Umgelder, Joanne Louridas, Bob Cornacchia, Linda Miller, Douglas Ellis, John Flanigan, Tim Colwell, Patrick Flanigan, Edward Muszinski, Robert Tar-queno, Michael Haley, James Fanello, Donna Partl, Helga DeJongh, Raymond Voris, Michael Lazamo, and William Beck. Come out and let us celebrate all these birthdays and enter you
into winning one free year of ABATE membership. Winner need be present.
Sunday, June 20 is set as the next Sunday breakfast with friends. Meet at 10am at Kingsberry Waffle House, 5420 West 159th Street, Oak Forest, IL. Bring Dad and/or Mom!
Dennis Byron will follow up with status of replacement post office key. Still MIA since March!
Officers’ Reports
· The treasury report was read by Joanne and the payment for the e-mail domain was sent and we are in good standing finan-cially.
· Our legislative report by John was reported and the bike Raf-fles are continuing and are doing good. John also said he is try-ing to acquire new shirts for our members.
· Elena gave our membership report as 7 renewals were mailed out and our total membership is 168, no further report was giv-en.
Unfinished Business
Summer Bash Saturday, July 17, 2021 – cancelled due to too many obstacles and too many events goings on at the same time we have decided to not host a Summer Bash this year.
Motion passed to cancel event.
New ways were discussed to increase membership also, includ-ing the breakfast runs and rides afterwards.
Chapter Participation on Saturday, August 14, 2021, Toys for Tots sponsoring “Crazy Joe Burke and Larry Erwin Toy Drive” – contact Daisy, John, or Elena.
Hometown Tap Sports Bar is anchor business at event
4068 Southwest Hwy
Hometown IL
· A couple of members have stepped forward to help cover the chapter membership booth.
· Still need additional volunteers.
· Steve Graef, Law Tigers will also have a booth at event.
· Vendors wanted – please contact Elena Lopez or Daisy Perez.
NE Region Coordinator Report I am happy to see that ABATE of Illinois had a successful lob-by effort in the spring legislative session. Lowering the trailer plate fees not only raised the awareness of ABATE in the mo-torcycling community it did so in the marine, recreational vehi-cle and automotive sectors. Additionally allowing kids to ride as long as they can reach the foot pegs, allowing tinted wind-shields, showing that we can work with manufacturers of off road products, and holding awareness rallies has increased our membership totals in Illinois. We need to keep this momentum going as we head into August and September. The chapters of the Northeast Region are all holding events that have the poten-tial to draw new members into our ranks as well as raise funds for our cause.
The 2020 case of a man driving under the influence and killing motorcyclist came to a conclusion this past month in McHenry County. The sentence seems far too light as do many others in crashes and deaths involving motorcyclists. Robert Roth of Crystal Lake plead guilty to Aggravated Driving Under the In-fluence and was sentenced to 5 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections for the death of 41 year old Adam Antoni. A
wrongful death suit may be filed by the family. It is im-portant that we work together with legislators, judges, states attorneys and police agencies to get more significant charges and sentences when a driver causes the death of a motorcy-clist.
Motorcycle crashes and deaths continue to rise in the North-east region and in many areas of Illinois. A crash with death in a group ride in Carpentersville. A crash with death in a group ride on I-80. A death on Golf Road west of Woodfield and another up on Route 53 in Schaumburg to name a few. While many of these may be due to motorists turning in front of us, dui or striking us while driving distracted, a great number of crashes are on us. Little or no training, no m en-dorsement on the license, speed, stunt riding, drugs and alco-hol contribute negatively to the numbers and perception of motorcycling. Take to heart the saying Live to Ride, Ride to Live!
Regards,
Rich Gruner
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August 2021 A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS, INC. NEWS 17
Business was discussed as far as Wild Apricot being accepted. Kevin O'Meara's run for Big Bikes, Little Tikes on July 17th, starting at Demma's, 5805 W. 87th St., Burbank Illinois and ending in the town of Geneva, IL. A motion was made to donate $100 towards Kevin's run and the motion was accepted.
New business – none to discuss
Meeting Adjourned 8:31p
-Our next Sunday breakfast is on August 15th at 10am at Kings-berry Waffle House, 5420 West 159th Street, Oak Forest, IL Join us to meet your fellow riding friends.
Join us at 7:30pm on the third Thursday of the month at:
American Legion Glenn Maker Post #1160
10739 South Ridgeland Avenue Chicago Ridge, Illinois
Parking lot is very roomy so get your motorcycle out of the gar-age and zoom over for lively engagement amongst friends! Come celebrate your birthday with us and potentially win a free year of ABATE membership.
REMEMBER,”A.B.A.T.E. focus: freedom, safety, responsibil-ity, and respect. We are pro-personal choice and individual re-sponsibility.”
Daisy Pérez, South Suburban President
Frank Labudzik, Secretary
Northern held its most recent meeting on
a rainy Saturday June 26th. Chapter mem-
bership continues to rise as the Covid 19 situation has eased up,
the spring legislative session has ended favorably for ABATE
and we head into the heart of the riding season. Thank you Jack
M. and Rich N. for your membership renewals. Welcome Mat-
thew R. to our group!
Posts on the chapter Facebook site continue to be of concern.
We want individual motorcyclists to join, support and partici-
pate in ABATE events however we have individuals/businesses
that seem to be just advertising on our site. Rich and Vicki will
be closely monitoring and removing posts that are not related to
motorcycling issues and excessive in quantity.
Three fundraisers were a large part of the chapter meeting.
Donna is working to create the advertising flyer and cards for
the Sweets & Treats Fun run that will begin at our July meeting
and end at our Christmas Party. Come to the meeting to pur-
chase your card then get out riding around northern Illinois and
lower Wisconsin.
The gold tee drawing was held for the first time. Congrats to
Jim J., the third member to draw and win!
Next month our membership drawing begins…you must be
present to win!
Condolences to Kevin S. whose brother Ryan (Rusty) passed
away after returning home from a family vacation in Wyoming
the last week of June.
Our upcoming chapter meetings will be August 28, 11 AM.
Save the date for our Christmas Party…Saturday December 18
at 5 PM.
The location for these events will be Doyle’s Pub in Richmond,
IL.
See flyer on page 19.
Hello from DuKane A.B.A.T.E.!
What a great July it was! Many of our members put
on hundreds of miles on a beautiful Independence
Day and then we had two great events in the Bikini Bike Wash
and the 6th Annual Sethtastic Motorcycle Run. The Bikini Bike
Wash is always a fun event and Dan and Shelly at Knuckle-
heads always welcome DuKane A.B.A.T.E. there as they are
HUGE supporters of A.B.A.T.E. Many motorcycles found their
way there to get cleaned up by the DuKane Santa Girls and as I
always do, I recommend that any time you are in the area, stop
and support Knuckleheads Tavern. It was a great Saturday of
biker camaraderie and another great event put on by your
DuKane Event Officer Chris Newman! Then on July 24th we
had the 6th Annual Sethtastic Motorcycle Run to bring aware-
ness to suicide in teens and young adults. DuKane A.B.A.T.E.
has always been a supporter of this run and it was another great
success. 75 miles of riding backroads without putting our feet
down and fully escorted and blocked by the Kane County Sher-
iff’s Department and local Police Departments with an awe-
some after party at Schmidt’s Towne Tap. I cannot wait til next
July!
But now it is August, and it is the 35th Annual DuKane
A.B.A.T.E. Toy and Food Run Season! 35 YEARS!!! Your
DuKane Secretary Amy Nelson is already out busting her ass
raising money from sponsors to help children in need this com-
ing holiday season. If you have never done the DuKane
A.B.A.T.E. Toy and Food Run, you have missed out. It is a
fully escorted and blocked motorcycle parade that leaves
Knuckleheads Tavern and Schmidt’s Towne Tap in Elburn and
ends at the Sycamore Speedway for a HUGE after party with
live music, vendors, vintage motorcycle games, a burnout com-
petition, and more. And the best part is that we collect toys and
food for children in need. So, not only do you get a great day on
the motorcycle with a huge party, but you get to do good for the
community. Make sure you have Sunday October 10th on your
calendars and join us!
We are continuing the work with Kane County Madam Chair
Corinne Pierog on bringing an off-road motorcycle/ATV park
to Kane County. There are discussions happening with many
moving pieces, but Corinne is not backing down from her want-
ing to work with DuKane A.B.A.T.E. to bring this to the coun-
ty. She knows that it is a need, and that Kane County would be
a great centrally located area to bring it to. I cannot thank her
enough for keeping her promise and working towards making
this dream a reality. We will keep you posted as we go forward.
To all of those heading to Sturgis Bike Week, ride safe and
make sure T-CLOCK is part of your traveling plans. Keep your
eyes open for those pesky texting motorists on the roads and
enjoy the week! Tune in each week at 8pm on Wednesdays for
This Week in A.B.A.T.E. on the A.B.A.T.E. of Illinois Face-
book Page.
Get Out – Ride Safe – Ride Free
Chris Hansen
DuKane A.B.A.T.E. President
IL ABATEPAC/FEDPAC NE Trustee
630-618-7551
August 2021 A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS, INC. NEWS 18
DEDICATED TO PRESERVING THE RIGHTS OF MOTORCYCLISTS!
Central Illinois ABATE
We will have our Nite Flite Ride on July
17. We have 3 Bike Nights planned for July 16th at Big Catz
BBQ Knoxville, IL. July 30th Crescent City Tap in Galva, IL.
the last Bike Night is August 20th at Twisted Sisters Bar JCT
41 & 116 this will be the 7th stop for the chip trip before the
Bash.
We have started our Chip Trip to the Bash. Started July 9th,
we have 8 weeks to the Bash. Randy Upton is working on the
39th Annual Bash and Motorcycle swap meet August 27 - 29,
2021 at the Knox County Fairgrounds 1392 Knox Hwy 9,
Knoxville, Il. Gate opens at 5 pm Friday. Tent camping no pow-
er is free, Camper with power $30. No water. We have a lot
of vendors, a motorcycle swap meet, live music Friday night
and Saturday night, Saturday morning we will have a mys-
tery ride at 10 am. Saturday afternoon bike rodeo, Sunday
Bike Show, Rib Cook-off, Live auction.
Please check out #centralillinoisabate on the Facebook page
Central Illinois ABATE. We have the flyer for the Bash
posted.
CENTRAL ILLINOIS ABATE, August 8th ..BOD meeting
at 5 pm and at 6 pm is the general membership meeting
Harley's Pub 2243 Grand Ave Galesburg, Illinois, IL 61401
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Hello Liberty! The riding season is in full swing, get out and ride! But as
always, watch out for other motorists, and always assume they do not see you. As you go on runs or just out and about, remem-ber that alcohol is involved in the majority of accidents. Please ride smart out there.
Happenings- Thanks to all those who helped with the July 4th parade and the float decorating on Friday evening. We were well represented and received many favorable comments. Thanks to Gary Reynolds and Gary Jr. for spearheading this event. Also a shout out to Gardner Excavating for use of their truck and trailer.
Social Media -Keep up with the latest events and happenings and watch This Week in ABATE on the first Tuesday of the month and then every Wednesday, at 8pm brought to you by Josh "Ski" Witkowsky and Chris "2.0" Hansen. Also check out the State website for info and updates at abate-il.org.
Legislative- After the passage of SB 38 which lowered trailer plates to $36, the people on your ABATE legislative team are not to busy patting ourselves on the back to go on to the next challenges. Upcoming issues in the pipeline include- Il Gaming Board harassment of Bars that host Poker Runs or benefits. Agents have threatened pulling licenses because of association with Motorcycle Clubs. Also we are looking to modernize mo-torcycle lighting laws to include the latest advancements in LED Lighting and get red and blue legalized.
State Board News- A new computer program and consultant was hired at our last meeting on June19th, This will update our membership records and improve access and online sign up and
renewal. The present system in use is a DOS based system running on a 25 year old computer. A big Thank You! to Lincoln Land Chapter for stepping up and donating the $6080 for the first years fees.
Coming Up- Bagelfest on July 16 and 17. Liberty Chapter will have a booth set up at Peterson Park. If you can, come out and volunteer for a bit, even an hour would be appreci-ated. We will be selling our products, and this is the main event to sell bike raffle tickets. Also this is a good event to spread the word on ABATE and what we do. We will be starting on Friday at 4 pm. and on Saturday at 1 pm. Hope to see you there!
Scholarships- We still have a $500 scholarship available to any Liberty family member to help with secondary education costs. See Libertyabate.org. for the application. The State also has a scholarship available see abate-il.org for details.
Member News-Sad to say we lost recently a long time member-Fred Irby. He was a great supporter of Liberty. Our membership officer recently resigned for personal reasons, and we will someone to step up to fill this important position. Also our ac-tivities officer transferred to Praireland chapter, good luck to Josh Shuey over there.
To see the latest news, schedule updates, pictures from events, go to Libertyabate.org, or Liberty ABATE on Facebook. Renew online through Libertyabate.org or abate-il.org. By mail-PO box 1502 Mattoon IL 61938
In person at our monthly meeting or at any event. You can also contact any officer.
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Due to scheduling conflicts, we
were not able to hold our “Christmas in
July” party that was postponed earlier due to COVID. We all look for-
ward to Christmas 2021!! Hopefully, by then we will be back to
‘normal’.
By the time you read this, the 4-Corners Rally will have come & gone. It
was tons of work for the Chapters involved. Please let them know their
time & effort is appreciated. I am sure there will be tons of pictures post-
ed on the events Facebook page.
The Annual Toyz Run is fast approaching. It will be held on September
25 beginning at Mid-State Cycles in Champaign. The artwork for the
shirts has been posted on all social media. Please check it out & pre-order
your shirts. As requested, the men will have a front left pocket with the
A.B.A.T.E. logo. Women’s will have the logo on the front left & will be
a V-neck. Artwork will appear on the front with sponsors listed on the
back. You may contact Greg at [email protected] with the style
(men’s or women’s) & the size. There will be a limited supply the day of
the event.
Chapter Meetings: All will be held at Shooters Bar & Grill, 215 S. Tan-
ner in Rantoul at 1 pm
August 8: Round 1 of New Officer Nominations
September 12: Round 2 of New Officer Nominations
Toyz Run Shirts to be distributed at the meeting
October 10: Election of Officers
August 2021 A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS, INC. NEWS 19
The July meeting was held at The Bar By The Lake in Sibley on
Monday July 5th at 6:39pm with 6 members attending. After calling us to order, Chris led us in the Pledge of Allegiance.
The June meeting notes from the last meeting were read, and were accepted.
Chris gave The Treasurer's Report. The libaility insurance bill has been paid. The Treasurer's Report was accepted.
Bob gave the Legislative Report. ABATE is having a dispute with the gaming board over poker runs. This should be resolved within the next 3-4 weeks. Other issues being worked on include tinted motorcycle wind-shields, the bill to fix the $10,000 trade in limit on car tax credits that raised taxes on motorcy-cles, child passengers on motorcycles allowed if they can reach the footpegs, Large Off high-way Vehicles not allowed to be on DNR pro-tected trails, and definition of an electric mo-torcycle. Details are available in the Legisla-tive Report in the July State Newsletter. New by-law changes should be ready to bring to the chapters for a vote soon. Implemtation of the Wild Apricot membership mamagement soft-ware system has been approved. The State Party attendance down because of the lousy weather.
Chris gave the Activities Report. Chris is working on setting up a poker run. Christian riders have event in LeRoy, Il.
There was no Safety And Education Report.
Chris gave the Membership Report. The Bar By The Lake in Sibley renewed their member-ship.
There was no Public Relations Report.
There was no Products Report.
Under Old Business, we will need to find an alternate location for the September meeting by next month due to JT’s Saloon closing.
Under New Business, a motion was made and approved requiring members wanting a hotel room to attend an event like the state seminar to be paid for by the chapter member, and then reimbursed by the chapter after submitting a receipt.
The meeting was adjourned at 7:33 pm. The chapter thanks The Bar By The Lake in Sibley for hosting our meeting.
The next meeting will be held on Monday Au-gust 2nd at 6:30pm at Pub13 in Pontiac, Il.
Joe Hodge
Review of yearly activities
November 7: Food Auction to raise funds for the Christmas Party
Upcoming Events:
8/28: Scavenger Hunt & Cook Out
9/6: Labor Day
9/25: Toyz Run
10/9: Halloween Party
11/10: Toy Shopping Date #1
11/13: Toy Shopping Date #2
11/25: Thanksgiving
11/29: Chanukah Begins
12/11: Swann’s Christmas Party
August 2021 A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS, INC. NEWS 20
REGION COORDINATOR REPORT SW
Well another state party is in the books, if you were
not there you missed a great time. Yes it was wet
but what would a state party be without rain? Mark
had a lot of good music line up and great games to
entertain everyone all weekend. Saturday morning the weather
cleared up and we were able to take a scenic ride around the
area. All in all everyone had a great time and by the looks of it
we had a big crowd this year. I stayed dry by walking between
the rain drops if you believe that.
If your chapter has events planned don't forget to advertise your
event in the state paper, that's a good way to reach your mem-
bership and create revenue for the state paper. Don't forget each
chapter needs to submit their article on the second Saturday
each month, let your members know what's going on in your
chapter.
The hot weather is on us so when you are out riding be sure
to drink plenty of liquids (water), I have noticed lots of farm
machinery out there to. Just remember to keep a eye out at
all times there are lots of cars and trucks that are not paying
attention to us out on the roads. How many of you have been
watching Ski and Chris on there live feed on motorcycling
issues on Wednesday evenings? If you have been missing
them they are live on Facebook you can also catch them on
you tube too!
Aloha Skinny
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Hello Backroads and All ABATE members,
Hello Everybody! Hope you all had a Happy and Safe 4th of July! Please be careful in this heat we are having, drink plenty of proper fluids and stay hydrated while outside working or riding! Please do a midyear T-clock on your bike to keep it in good running shape.
Our August meeting will be held on Sat 14th of August at Gar-den of Eden, Sparta, Illinois at 11:00 am.
Had our monthly chapter meeting today at the Garden of Eden in Sparta. We had 12 people in attendance . Talked about the Korte Memorial run for the region next year. Our chapter only has 2 spinners, the rest either got lost or the bars threw them away when the state came through. Sounds like our chapter will support the run. We are having Mouse Races at the Sparta VFW on Oct 29. Our rodeo will be on Sept 18 at the Garden of Eden, went over details today. August meeting will be at the Garden of Eden. Talked about possibility of having a Hog Roast at the Garden possibly in early October. Sept 11 will be having a ben-efit cancer run leaving out of the Garden for Kim and Jason Morison, more details to follow. Talked about having a larger half/half raffle, selling tickets over a longer period of time for $5.00 per ticket? Our membership drawing was won by Keith Melliere, he donated $15.00 back to the chapter.
I also hope that everyone is signing on the state website for the State Paper!
If you guys know of any runs or parties that are happening (especially for Veterans), bring flier or info to our meetings so I can get in our newsletters to spread out the info.
Either scan or send me copies or just call me, I don’t hear about a lot of runs in Sparta until too late!
Still could use more e-mail addresses for any member’s not receiving current e-mails from me, please send me your address to: [email protected] .
August Birthdays are:
Michelle Davis…..8/7, Rhett Rinne…..8/21,
If your Birthday doesn’t appear in here, it’s because it is not on the state list because it was not on your application. Please get it to me so we can list it.
Upcoming Events & Dates:
Aug 14 Monthly Chapter Meeting, Garden of Eden, Sparta, IL
Sept 9 Benefit cancer run, Garden of Eden
Sept 18 Backroads chapter rodeo
Oct 29 Mouse Races, Sparta VFW
Ride Free….Ride Safe…..Ride the BackRoads!
Look forward to seeing you at the August meeting!
Old Phart
MRF REPORT
Help! I’m looking for some good strong members that would
like to become a MRF Assistant State Reps.? To work along
and with Elizabeth Winter and myself. It’s easy and it’s not a lot
of work. I would like to see one person from each region of the
state. This is to help cover parts of the state that I cannot get to
all the time or if at all? The more help we have the easier the job
can and will be. Please contact me for more information about
becoming an MRF Assistant State Rep today!! (See page 28 for
more info.)
MRF upcoming events for 2021 37th, Annual Meeting of the
Minds Atlanta Georgia, September 23-26, 2021 more info to
come on www.mrf.org
As of June, 30th 2021 the State of Illinois MRF membership is,
320 total in the state with 44 lapsed members.
Dennis Yeager, "Cleaver"
14459 W. West Grove Rd.
Forreston, IL. 61030
815-238-6262 [email protected]
August 2021 A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS, INC. NEWS 21
MEETING OF THE MINDS 2021 -- Sixty days is cutting it
closeSeptember 10, 2021, the rapidly approaching cut-off date
for hotel and registration for the Motorcycle Riders Founda-
tion’s 37th Annual Meeting of the Minds conference is too
close to put off any longer.
Think about the past sixty days… After nearly 18 months, the
country was just starting to come out of its pandemic co-
coon. The MRF was putting finishing touches on what turned
out to be a very successful Bikers Inside the Beltway, you were
watching the early sprouts from your gardening endeavors, tak-
en your favorite ride for a longer ride than the winter allowed,
and were thinking about a large get-together for Independence
Day.
Now with just sixty days remaining before the registration cut-
off, you’re cleaning up after your July 4th celebrations, thinking
about a long weekend ride, or maybe even a ride to Sturgis. If
you’re getting this electronically, then you don’t even have to
get up off your chair to register. Use this link to regis-
ter: Meeting of the Minds 2021
Based on the input we received after Meeting of the Minds
2020, the MRF has “up’d our game” and this year’s event
promises to rival anything we’ve done in the past few years.
The Meeting of the Minds, with a little more than 48 hours for
keynote speakers, dynamic presentations, and at least 12 work-
shops, will keep you busy from the time you check in until
you’ve checked out. Plus, you’ll still be sorting through your
notes and the material long after you’ve returned home!
Although we jam a lot into the Meeting of the Minds weekend,
there’s always time for you to network with new and old
friends. That’s an added benefit when 400 motorcyclists’ rights
advocates are in the same place at once.
If you’ve been following the MRF’s successes in Washington,
D.C., then you know that those successes don’t happen just
because a hundred bikers meet with members of Congress. In
our world, successes happen because you’ve taken the time to
educate yourself on the issues, attend workshops and stay active
on behalf of motorcyclists’ rights.
If our history repeats itself, we’ll have workshops with standing
room only. We’ll have keynote speakers and presentations that
will enlighten, entertain, and provoke you into even stronger
commitments to the fight to protect motorcycling and the free-
doms we enjoy.
Don’t cut it close. Follow these three steps and register today
for the 37th Annual Meeting of the Minds.
Make your travel arrangements.
Make your hotel arrangements: J W Marriott Atlanta Buck-
head 404-262-3344 & mention MRF. Cut-off is September 10,
2021.
Register for MOTM 2021 using this link: Meeting of the
Minds 2021 https://mrf.org/events/
Yeah, you still have a little time before the pre-registration cut-
off for the 37th Annual Meeting of the Minds Confer-
ence!!! Registration includes all workshops, workshop materi-
als, and Saturday banquet. Registration questions call the MRF
at 202-546-0983, or email Fred Harrell at [email protected].
Thanks, and we look forward to seeing you September 23-26, at
the JW Marriott Atlanta Buckhead Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia,
for the 37th Annual Meeting of the Minds Conference!!!
Yours in Freedom,
Fredric Harrell
Director, Conferences & Events
Motorcycle Riders Foundation
P.S. A 2021 Meeting of the Minds t-shirt on your list? They go
fast at the conference; to guarantee you’ll get your size, reserve
your shirt now.
P.P.S. Getting in early? Then make plans to attend the MRF
Board Meeting on Thursday, September 23; it starts at 8:00 a.m.
Letter of intent to be the MRF Representative for ABATE
of Illinois in the year of 2022.
I Dennis (“Cleaver”) Yeager would like to stay on as the MRF
Representative for ABATE of Illinois for the Year of 2022.
I’ve learned a lot of things in being the state rep. and would like
to learn more in the day moving forward. I’m slowly moving
things into place for the betterment of the MRF in Illinois. This
is something that doesn’t move all that fast, or as fast as I
would like it too?
I have picked up one Assistant State Rep. in Elizabeth Winters,
and I’m looking to pick up, or ad some more Assistant State
Rep. in over parts of the state.
I will do my best to keep the State of Illinois ABATE informed
to what the MRF is doing and the other way around too.
I hold membership in:
1. Beowulf M.C. LTD October 1976 to _____?
2. H.O.G. Life Member #US 0011276 April 1983 to _____?
3. ABATE of Illinois #01078 Freeport Chapter April 1986 to
_____?
4. ABATE of Wisconsin #1000095 February 2000 to ____?
5. AMA #0787849 February 1997 to _____?
6. MRF #11876777 January 2009 to _____? & Illinois State
Representative.
· Dennis Yeager (“Cleaver”)
· 14459 W. West Grove Road
· Forreston, IL. 61030
· 815-238-6262 · [email protected]
· Date: July 8, 2021
August 2021 A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS, INC. NEWS 22
August 2021 A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS, INC. NEWS 23
Who We Are is Who We Were
Mark Buckner
Executive Director, Motorcycle Riders Foundation
“We understand now, we've been made to understand, and to
embrace the understanding that who we are is who we were.” –
John Quincy Adams
When President Adams spoke those words, he was arguing be-
fore the United States Supreme Court, long after his time in the
White House had passed. The case being heard was to determine
the fate of insurrectionists aboard the Spanish slave ship
‘Amistad’ in 1839. The insurrectionists were captive Africans,
being transported to the United States to be sold as slaves.
Arguing in favor of freeing the Africans, Adams referenced the
Declaration of Independence, which reads in part:
‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created
equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unal-
ienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pur-
suit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are
instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the con-
sent of the governed…’
When Adams said ‘who we are is who we were’ he was talking
about the importance of looking back into our past, remember-
ing what is really important to us as Americans. While some
people will argue that the founding principles laid out in the
Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution and are
no longer valid, that the changing nature of our world precludes
any lasting adherence, many of us believe those principles are as
valid and inviolate today as they ever were.
If you’ve seen the film ‘Amistad’ or if you know the story, you
know that Adams and the other members of the legal team were
successful in obtaining the freedom of the Africans. No small
feat considering the political machinery of the day.
That understanding of ‘who we are is who we were’ will always
be relevant when we’re faced with those who would take away
our freedom in the belief that government, not the governed,
should decide what is best for the people.
In the motorcyclists’ rights movement, our core values haven’t
changed. For more than fifty years we have remained true to our
founding principles. Some people think of us only as ‘the helmet
law people’, and while we are as opposed to mandatory helmet
laws as we have ever been, we are so much more than that. We
work with like-minded elected officials and governmental agen-
cies to promote motorcycling. Since the inception of motorcycle
safety training, motorcyclists’ rights organizations have been
among the strongest proponents of rider education and safety
programs. We fight unfair insurance provisions targeting motor-
cycling. We stand up for motorcycling businesses and our right
to safely modify our machines. We never stop monitoring state
and federal legislation for any bill that affects motorcyclists, and
we always take a principled stand, regardless of who we’re go-
ing up against. And we win.
The Motorcycle Riders Foundation, alongside our partner organ-
izations, those who continue working to preserve and protect
motorcycling, will always remember; ‘Who we are is who we
were’.
https://mrf.org/join-the-mrf/
Looking for some help with an Assistant MRF
State Rep.
I just returned home from a motorcycle event promoting the
great work the MRF and ABATE of IL are doing and seeking
memberships in both organizations. I was reminded why I have
such a passion for preserving our freedom to ride. The message I
was sharing was clear -- to ride free, we must stand together and
fight for our rights. Many attendees walked past my booth with-
out stopping. This is when I realized I need more help to get the
message out there.
So, here is my "ASK". Will you sign on to be an MRF Assistant
State Rep representing your region from ABATE of IL? I know
one person from each region can't do this alone so I am looking
for multiple Assistant State Reps from all regions. So how do
you qualify? Be a member of the MRF AND not be afraid to
strike up a conversation with someone.
Your ultimate goal is to help grow the membership of the MRF.
This can be achieved by setting up and working membership
tables at various events, both locally and state-wide. You don’t
need to be a salesperson; you just need to be genuine in your
delivery so you can motivate a person to become a member.
Simply sharing your love for motorcycles and having some basic
knowledge of how the MRF supports the motorcycling commu-
nity will help to close the "sale". There are lots of tools and
handouts available to help with this. I am happy to give anyone
guidance on how to successfully work a membership table. I can
honestly say I feel like an expert in this area and have photos to
prove it. AND it's not that hard to do!
As an Assistant State Rep, you will have the opportunity to
share in the fun! Events like the STEAM conference and Meet-
ing of the Minds are amazing events to learn more about becom-
ing successful as an Asst. State Rep. And there’s even the possi-
bility of winning awards! I know none of us volunteer because
we want an award, but a little recognition never hurts, right? As
of this writing, ABATE of IL is in 3rd place in the country for
the best recruiting state! The only states ahead of us are Minne-
sota and Iowa. It’s no surprise that the Midwest is kicking butt!
Wisconsin (4th) and Arizona round out the top five. I'm sorry,
but I want us to be in FIRST PLACE. To do this, we need every
member of ABATE of IL to join the MRF (www.mrf.org).
Chapter memberships count too.
Members of ABATE of IL are the best freedom fighters that I
know so go ahead, pick up the phone and give me a call. I would
be excited to talk to you and to add YOU to the MRF IL Team!
As always, stay vigilant, my friends!
Dennis Yeager “Cleaver” MRF State Rep. for Illinois, Cleav-
[email protected] 815-238-6262 Elizabeth Winters, MRF As-
sistant State Rep. for Illinois, [email protected] 847-505-
9017
August 2021 A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS, INC. NEWS 24
All classified ads are due by the 2nd SATURDAY of the month and will run for at least 3 months, or until space is needed. Be sure to let me know if your item has sold so it can be removed and leave room for someone else that has items to sell! [email protected]
FOR SALE: 1962 FLHF Have all
original parts, upgrade ignition, 12 volt
system, very good condition asking
$23,000 815-228-5645 (5/21)
FOR SALE: 2001 H-D Road King,
16,000 original miles, fuel injected, always serviced at Blue Collar
Bikes, new tires and battery, excellent condition, extras are stock wind-
shield, tourpak trunk, passenger wrap-around backrest, 2 rain suits, full
face H-D helmet, $6,000 Call Jim (815) 303-3380. (6/21)
FOR SALE: 2- early 70's Harley golf carts.
Have not ran for 10 years, motors are
free. Both are complete. $300 each or $500 for
both. Anthony Miller. 409 S. Buchanan St.
Heyworth IL. (309) 261-7909 (7/21)
FOR SALE: 1981 Harley sportster converted
to a leaf spring suspension. All new wiring
with a thunderheart wiring harness. Lots of
upgrades, runs great and a really nice ride.
$3500. 815-482-9439 (7/21)
FOR SALE: 1978 Harley SX250, only 469 of them made, color red,
runs good, clean, has IL title, $2,500.OBO call 270-816-5127 for info
and pics (8/21)
Advertise your event or business in the
A.B.A.T.E. of Illinois paper.
August 2021 A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS, INC. NEWS 25
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
August 1
Big River Peo-Taz
S alt Creek
Shoal Creek
Starved Rock
Thunder Rock
2
Heartland
3
Freedom Riders
4 5
Heart of Illinois
Kaskaskia Valley
6
7
So Illinois 27
8 Blackhawk Central
Eastern Freebird
Freedom by Choice
Freedom Valley
Kishwaukee Valley
Liberty
Ten Mile Creek
Windy City
9
10
Mid State
11 12
St. Clair
13
14
Old River
Piasa-Gateway
Stateline Riders
Lamoine Valley
Newsletter Deadline
15
Black Diamond
Freeport
Prairieland
Twin Rivers
16
17 18
Great River
Will County
19 20 21
Northern
22
23
Southern DuPage
Jasper
24
25
26
27 28
29
30
Southern DuPage
Jasper
31
SEPT 1
2
Heart of Illinois
Kaskaskia Valley
3 4
So Illinois 27
5
Big River Peo-Taz
S alt Creek
Shoal Creek
Starved Rock
Thunder Rock
6
Heartland
7
Freedom Riders
8 9
St. Clair
10
11
Old River
Piasa-Gateway
Stateline Riders
Lamoine Valley
Newsletter Deadline
12 Blackhawk Central
Eastern Freebird
Freedom by Choice
Freedom Valley
Kishwaukee Valley
Liberty
Ten Mile Creek
Windy City
13
14
Mid State
15 16
17
18
2021 STATE EVENT
DATES
Aug 14 EB/BOD meeting at
Route 66, nominations *new
date*
Sep 18 EB meeting*
Oct 16 EB/BOD meeting at
Route 66, nominations
Oct 24 Swap Meet
Nov 20 EB meeting*
Dec 11 EB/BOD meeting at
Route 66, elections, Christmas
Party
EB Meeting time 10:30 AM
BOD Meeting time 1:00 PM
* Northfield Inn & Suites
All dates, times, locations are
subject to change.
2022 EVENTS –save the date
STEEL January— 21-22
Heartland STEAM—April 1-2
Please check your local chapter website and/or Facebook page for meeting times and locations.
Deadline for the September 2021 newsletter is August 14.
August 2021 A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS, INC. NEWS 26
CHAPTER ADDRESS CITY ZIPCODE INCEPTION CONTACT PHONE REG PAGE
BACKROADS 301 E MOUND ST SPARTA 62286 03/ 1990 DAVE 618-317-7049 SW 20
BIG RIVER 1126 12TH AVE FULTON 61252 06/ 2007 STEVE 815-441-1625 NW
BLACK DIAMOND PO BOX 46 CARLINVILLE 62626-0046 09/ 1994 DANNY 217-710-9338 SW
BLACKHAWK PO BOX 332 EAST MOLINE 61244-0332 07/ 1987 GARY 309-781-3582 NW
CENTRAL IL PO BOX 1084 GALESBURG 61402-1084 06/ 1985 BOB 309-368-4622 WC 18
CHICAGO PO BOX 410594 CHICAGO 60641-0307 01/ 1986 PAT 708-280-6053 NE
CRAWFORD CNTY 4437 N 1500TH ST FLAT ROCK 62427 01/ 1987 ROY 618-804-9168 SE
DUKANE PO BOX 188 W CHICAGO 60186-0188 01/ 1987 CHRIS 630-618-7551 NE 17
EASTERN ILLINOIS PO BOX 6132 CHAMPAIGN 61826-6132 12/ 1986 CHUCK 217-898-7414 EC 18
EMBARRAS VALLEY PO BOX 412 TUSCOLA 61953 02/ 2000 SHARILYN 217-480-5212 EC
FREEBIRD CHAPTER PO BOX 278 MANITO 61546-0278 11/ 1993 JIM 309-840-1616 WC
FREEDOM RIDERS 1241 S COLLEGE SALEM 62881 01/ 1987 CLIFFORD 618-548-5695 SE
FREEDOM VALLEY PO BOX 6563 PEORIA 61601 10/ 2001 BRUCE 309-678-0554 WC
FREEPORT PO BOX 205 FREEPORT 61032-0205 03/ 1986 ROGER 815-990-7315 NW 15
HEART OF ILLINOIS 1511 W LOCUST ST BLOOMINGTON 61701 06/ 1986 CHRIS 309-824-1577 EC
HEARTLAND PO BOX 202 PONTIAC 61764-0202 02/ 1987 MARK 815-822-3157 EC 19
ILLINI 194 S RILEST BUSHNELL 61422 04/ 2019 BOB 309-252-1888 WC
KASKASKIA VALLEY 215 E NOLEMAN CENTRAILIA 62801 04/ 2006 TROY 618-292-3005 SW
KISHWAUKEE VALLEY PO BOX 2783 LOVES PARK 61132 08/ 1989 LIZ 815-721-7728 NW
LAMOINE VALLEY PO BOX 512 DALLAS CITY 62330-0507 06/ 1988 JOE 319-759-2459 WC
LIBERTY PO BOX 1502 MATTOON 61938 02/ 1987 DENNIS 217-259-7544 EC 18
LINCOLN LAND PO BOX 5774 SPRINGFIELD 62705-5774 10/ 1986 RUDEDOG 217-662-9275 WC
MID-STATE PO BOX 531 TAYLORVILLE 62568-0531 03/ 1993 TONY 217-891-1779 EC
NORTHERN ILLINOIS PO BOX 496 LAKE VILLA 60046-0496 10/ 1986 RICH 847-533-8349 NE 17
OLD RIVER PO BOX 182 SHELBYVILLE 62565-0182 02/ 1987 LARRY 217-774-5883 EC
OPEN ROADS PO BOX 428 SANDWICH 60548-0428 01/ 1992 CLIFF 630-552-3828 NW 13
PATHFINDERS PO BOX 92 MT STERLING 62353 02/ 2008 BILL 217-257-6818 WC
PEO-TAZ PO BOX 5936 PEORIA 61601-5936 10/ 1986 MARK 309-357-1255 WC
PIASA-GATEWAY PO BOX 363 E ALTON 62024-0363 10/ 1986 PAULETTE 618-980-5622 SW
PRAIRIELAND 1901 N Railroad Ave DECATUR 62521 04/ 1987 JOHN 217-413-0359 EC
RICHLAND COUNTY PO BOX 121 OLNEY 62450-0121 04/ 2012 TIM 618-354-8360 SE
SALT CREEK 309 21st ST LINCOLN 62656 01/ 1993 JERRY 217-605-0153 EC
SHAWNEE HILLS 339 Bassett RD ELIZABETHTOWN 62931 04/ 1993 STEVE 573-587-2375 SE
SHOAL CREEK 976 N 400 ST VANDALIA 62471 04/ 1987 CHRISTY 618-292-5505 SW
SOUTH SUBURBAN PO BOX 246 TINLEY PARK 60477-0142 10/ 1986 DAISY 708-516-6591 NE 16
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 13458 Lawrence RD W FRANKFORT 62263 11/ 1987 BOB 618-663-7011 SE
ST CLAIR COUNTY PO BOX 235 FREEBURG 62243-0235 05/ 1991 ED 618-570-8432 SW
STARVED ROCK 2386 500 N RD TONICA 61369 10/ 1997 DON 815-488-1538 NW 14
STATE LINE RIDERS 205 N Aarel AVE MILFORD 60953 12/ 2002 JOSH 815-471-3070 EC
TEN MILE CREEK 403 W Benjamin KENNEY 61749 04/ 2017 TRACY 217-871-8494 EC
THUNDER ROCK 6131 N Knoll RD MONROE CENTER 61052 02/ 2000 BOB 815-978-9210 NW
TRI-COUNTY PO BOX 1513 JACKSONVILLE 62651-1513 08/ 2004 BOB 217-370-9766 WC
TWIN RIVERS 516 3RD AVE DIXON 61021 04/ 1987 GARY 815-440-7385 NW
UNION JACK 163 Kathleen RD DuQUOIN 62832 11/ 1994 BRUCE 618-528-5513 SE
WILL COUNTY PO BOX 2488 JOLIET 60434 04/ 2003 TIM 480-628-6160 NE
WINDY CITY 8720 S Essex CHICAGO 60617 04/ 2011 MARSHA 778-877-5751 NE
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August 2021 A.B.A.T.E. OF ILLINOIS, INC. NEWS 27
PO Box 526
Avon IL 61415-0526