Want to be able to DS your bike in the future?

[Rodzilla]

This will kill the ability to buy an off-highway motorcycle and plate

it... and kill the highly effective OHV funding for trail

maintenance. It affects you guys more than the 4x4 community.

IF you sit on your ass and don't do something then don't bitch when it happens to you!

***** BRC ALERT ***** BRC ALERT ***** BRC ALERT ***** BRC ALERT *****

Dear BRC Action Alert Subscriber,

I wanted to pass along an alert I just received from Dennis Larratt,

Chairman of the Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition this morning.

First thing first: A super-mega-action thank you to the men and women

at

COHVCO http://www.cohvco.org/ who are doing an excellent job of

protecting

access and recreation in the Centennial State.

Dennis and everyone at COHVCO has been working to defeat a BAD piece

of state

legislation that would change Colorado's OHV registration law.

They've had

quite a lot of success, and were successful in defeating the original

bill in

committee, before it went to the State House Floor for a vote.

However, an amended version of the bill still remains a SERIOUS

THREAT to OHV

recreationists in Colorado and BRC is asking our members and

supporters to

help COHVCO defeat it.

Although an improvement over the original bill, the amended version

of HB

1081 provides ZERO benefit for Colorado's OHV community, and may

effectively

kill the highly successful OHV program that currently exists in

Colorado.

BRC is encouraging our members and supporters in Colorado to TAKE

ACTION to

defeat this lousy bill. Contact information for influential Colorado

legislators are below. Please take a minute to express your

opposition to HB

1081 today!

Problems with the Amended Bill: HB1081:

THERE IS STILL NO BENEFIT TO OHV & SNOWMOBILE USERS.

Having to title and register the vehicles will be confusing at best

for

users. Many users may not understand the need for registering, which

funds

our successful grants programs.

DMV could in the future undertake a coup, and try to take over the

State

Parks administration of the registration and grants programs.

Under severe economic times, the state shouldn't be seeking revenue

that it

can't spend (TABOR)

ALL OHV's would be required to have a title within 2 years, starting

in Jan.

2006

Creates a $9.50 fee for titling, but in order to sell a pre-2006 used

unit,

you would have to obtain a VIN verification for $20, and then a $9.50

title,

plus paying sales tax (there is a one time exemption on tax).

Will not significantly deter theft, and probably won't aid in stolen

vehicle

recovery, since these are off highway vehicles and there is no

license plate

or other identifying element for law enforcement

Off highway motorcycles (OHM) could no longer be titled and licensed

as a

"motor vehicle" (after adding proper safety equipment), since they

would

already have a title that is specifically "off highway vehicles"

rather than

"motor vehicles".

Please contact these representatives and (politely) express your

opposition

to the amended HB 1081

Representative Jack Pommer (D) (Chairman)

Cap: 303-866-2780

E-mail: jack.pommer.house@state.co.us

Representative Alice Borodkin (D)

Cap: 303-866-2910

E-mail: alice.borodkin.house@state.co.us

Representative Bill Cadman ®

Cap: 303-866-5525

E-mail: bill.cadman.house@state.co.us

Representative Gwyn Green (D)

Cap: 303-866-2951

E-mail: gwyn.green.house@state.co.us

Representative Lynn Hefley ®

Cap: 303-866-2924

Representative Matt Knoedler ®

Cap: 303-866-2927

E-mail: matt.knoedler.house@state.co.us

Representative Mark Larson ®

Cap: 303-866-2914

E-mail: marklarson@gobrainstorm.net

Representative Gary Lindstrom (D)

Cap: 303-866-2952

E-mail: gary@garylindstrom.net

Representative Liane McFadyen (D) (Vice Chairperson)

Cap: 303-866-2905

E-mail: McFadyen2002@hotmail.com

Representative Ann Ragsdale (D)

Cap: 303-866-2843

E-mail: ann.ragsdale.house@state.co.us

Representative Jim Welker ®

Cap: 303-866-2947

E-mail: jim.welker.house@state.co.us

***** END ALERT ***** END ALERT ***** END ALERT ***** END ALERT *****

[Hokie]

When I was at the DMV getting the forms to get a tag for my 300 the lady made some remark about some law that would prohibit dirt bikes from getting a title in the future.

I guess this is it. I also guess I should go get my title right away!

?

[jwriott]

I was thinking the same thing. I'm going to get it soon anyway but this speeds it up a little.

[Rodzilla]

Guys don't just run out and get your plate (if this passes I'm not sure we would be grandfathered in anyway)

But call or e-mail the state reps above and tell them

1. You are a voter

2. You are a taxpayer

3. You are an avid OHV user

4. YOU ABSOLOUTLY DO NOT SUPPORT HB 1081

Here is a sample letter, copy paste if you must:

Dear Representative,

Thank you for taking the time to note my concerns on House Bill 1081.

As a Colorado voter, taxpayer and avid OHV recreationalist, I strongly urge you to vote NO on this bill.

Not only does it not benifit the OHV community, it will in the long run damage if not destroy the very succesful OHV funding already available through the current sticker program.

Again, I strongly urge you to vote down HB 1081.

Thank you.

[Name]

[address]

[Hokie]

Oh don't worry, they will be getting a letter from me as well.

I am still getting my plate sooner than later though.

[BigIvyI]

I live in SC and I'm going to e-mail those senators. I have friends in Colorado and one day might want to live and ride there. Guys, you don't want for Colorado to become like SC, I can tell you that once they outlaw your sport, most people will just quit riding and it will never come back.

We used to have endless trails also, barely anything now. I could ride the entire states legal trails in one day. And that includes driving from trail head to trail head. Forget about legal dual sporting on your enduro bike.

[dpdave]

I wrote to Jack Pommer regarding my opposition to HB1081. Received a reply the next day from Mr. Pommer. ?

PLEASE WRITE ANY MEMBER ON THE LIST AND EXPRESS YOUR OPPOSITION TO HB 1081.

If you ride the OHV areas, this Bill would immediately impact you!!

Write Now! ?

[Hokie]

I got a reply from Mr. Pommer as well. Seems this Bill has minimal support.

Still, send in your objections!

[jwriott]

Rod,

I got on Cohvco's site and read the page. Where did you get this section, I didn't see it there.

Off highway motorcycles (OHM) could no longer be titled and licensed

as a

"motor vehicle" (after adding proper safety equipment), since they

would

already have a title that is specifically "off highway vehicles"

rather than

"motor vehicles".

I'll send comments and forward these links to others that aren't on this board.

[Rodzilla]

VMax

I got it from Blue Ribbon.

Check their "action alerts" at Sharetrails.org

Rod

[CO-DRZ]

FYI:

The following are some of the elements that COHVCO has identified as problematic elements in the amended version of HB 1081.

· It is unreasonable to expect the OHV public to be happy with having to deal with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and State Parks (Parks) to title and then register an OHV or Snowmobile (OHV). We fear that DMV will try to take over the registration program at some time in the future, which could seriously jeopordize the current registration/grant programs.

· Moreover, the costs will go up considerably for the users, with no direct benefit. The existing OHV registration/grant program will disburse about $1.4M and the snowmobile program another $0.8M, all to benefit Colorado recreationists, including non-motorized recreationists. After all, the state already collects gas tax revenues for fuel used off road, with none of it repatriated to the OHV and snowmobile programs. Perhaps this should be included in the bill, to make it more attractive to users.

· Under severe economic times, the State should not be seeking money that it can’t spend under the TABOR rules.

· The issue of reducing theft appears to be completely overblown. No clear mechanism for identifying stolen vehicles is established, and upon change of ownership is the only time a stolen vehicle is likely to be identified. OHVs and snowmobiles already have an established registration program, and State Parks regularly impounds stolen vehicles when people try to register them. Further, it is my understanding that State Parks is actively working to tie the registration databases for the OHV, Snowmobile, and Boat programs to the CCIC and NCIC databases for rapidly searching for stolen vehicles.

· Only about 12 of 50 states have titling bills for OHVs and snowmobiles. It would be more prudent to let more states have the teething pains of titling legislation, and then take the best model for Colorado’s needs.

· The bill indicates that any OHV or snowmobile sold after Jan. 1, 2006 will be required to have a title. In order to obtain a title on an existing machine, one will have to obtain a VIN verification for $20 from Colorado State Patrol or a few other locations, and then take that, along with a prior bill of sale or MSO to the County Clerk to get a title for $9.50. Upon transfer, sales tax would also have to be paid (there is a one time exception). The bill would call for the titling of approximately 200,000 units within 2 years. The bill’s fiscal note does not address this volume of activity.

· The bill does not specify a tie between the DMV titling system and the Parks registration. However, the DMV fiscal impact statement indicates that they have an expectation that Park’s staff will check for a title prior to selling a registration. In addition, if the purchase is financed, the owner won’t have the possession of the title when they attempt to register the machine and will have to submit some type of proof the finance company has title.

· OHV’s and snowmobiles are currently financed under the terms of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), similar to the way a home appliance or other consumer item would be financed. The titling bill would require a chattel mortgage type of lien, that would stay with the title until released. This is extremely problematic for existing loans, as the bill doesn’t make provisions for the transfer in methodology. The fact that tens of thousands of OHV’s are financed under the UCC suggests that this system isn’t broken. Finance companies build the loss ratios into their interest rate and fee structures.

· The bill is unclear how out of state vehicles are to be handled. We currently have non-resident permits for out of state machines. Would they be required to obtain a title before obtaining a permit?

· Many dirt bikes are currently able to have safety gear added to them, and with a VIN inspection, can be titled and licensed as street legal motor vehicles. This opportunity would go away, as the original titles would clearly identify the vehicles as “off highway”, and they wouldn’t be able to obtain the requisite “motor vehicle” title and license. This would hurt users and dealers throughout the state.

[Rodzilla]

UPDATE!

HB 1081 dies!

I just got this update, I've also heard that the overwhelming opposition by the OHV community helped a lot!

Here is the mail I just got:

Dear Friends,

Thank you for writing to express your concerns regarding the required

certificate title for all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles. As your

representative, I truly value your input as it allows me to better serve you

and the State of Colorado.

Representative Rose, the House sponsor, recognized similar concerns and

terminated HB-1081 in the House Transportation and Energy committee.

Therefore, HB-1081 failed in the House Transportation committee due to the

wishes of Representative Rose. I was opposed to HB-1081 in its original

form, so I’m pleased to inform you on the outcome. I appreciate your input

on this matter.

Sincerely,

Matt Knoedler

State Representative

[Hokie]

Dag nabit, you beat me to it Rod!

The people have spoken!

[jwriott]

????