If riders are not allowed from take their motorcycle out for a ride during the current pandemic lockdown, then governments and manufacturers should extend registration, warranties and servicing periods.
Some people can still ride to work, to get grocers, visit the doctor or for a few other valid reasons.
For all other riders, their bike is just up on the stand in the garage on the trickle charger, burning registration money and running down the warranty period.
We notice that in India, KTM is extending warranties and free service offers for all its models until the end of June.
What a great move to ensure the loyalty of customer.
Be aware that just because your bike may be idle and not racking up the kilometres to the next scheduled service, it may still need a service. Check your bike’s manual for the maximum time interval between services.
If you don’t rack up the distance, it probably still advises an annual service.
With riders facing hefty fines for breaking the coronavirus Home Confinement Direction, some have suggested rona riders should reserve their rights to silence when pulled over by police.
While exercising your right to silence is usually a good idea, it might not be of much assistance here, says Brisbane lawyer Andrew Evans.
Under the law, police have the power to ask you basic questions and you’re breaking the law if you refuse to answer.
Those basic questions are:
Your name and address;
Date and place of your birth (in drug matters);
Other questions regarding broken traffic laws or whether you’ve seen an accident; and
Other questions police can ask under special laws.
“So if you refuse to say where you are going, the police cannot prove you have committed an offence,” suggests one reader.
Unfortunately where you are going is not an element of the offence; it’s leaving your place of residence and if they have found you out riding then they can make out that element regardless of what you do or don’t say.
Andrew says standard legal advice is to exercise your right to silence “because they will use anything you say against you”.
For instance, if you get pulled over speeding there is a standard series of questions police ask:
Do you have a reason for speeding?
Do you know why I pulled you up?
Did you know you were speeding”
“All of them are intended to illicit a response that indicates guilt so you are always better off saying nothing,” he says.
“This is because ordinarily when you go to court it is up to the police to prove your guilt not for you to prove you are innocent.
“If you get caught speeding and you stay silent, go to court and there is an issue with the evidence so you get the radar evidence thrown out they then have nothing.
“If you don’t to give any evidence, their case fails, but if you made an admission at the time of the offence that can come back to bite you.”
Rona riders
However, rona riders should be aware the current situation under the Home Confinement Direction is “a bit different”, Andrew says.
“It makes it unlawful to leave your residence unless you meet the criteria for leaving set out in the direction,” he says.
“So if a police officer asks why you are out and you refuse to answer you are almost guaranteed to get fined because he or she will assume you have no reasonably necessary reason to leave.
“That doesn’t mean you are compelled to answer. You can refuse. But it probably increases the risk of getting a fine rather than a caution.
“So if you have a justifiable reason, like going to the shops or going to work, you should tell them as it will most likely save you having to deal with it at court later.
“If you don’t have a reason then you might be better off exercising your right to not answer and then take legal advice about any fine they issue.”
At what time should police and authorities judiciously reconsider the hastily-drafted travel bans that have promoted a police state and are heightening the public’s anxiety and depression?
The current Draconian laws across each state have apparent sunset classes, but can be extended, as we have already seen overseas.
However, as “the infection curve” is now flattening in Australia, should people be allowed to exercise their liberty, use their commonsense and pursue harmless, non-contact hobbies and sports that can be practised in ones and twos?
They could include, but not be limited to, golfing, fishing, boating, hiking, surfing and, of course, motorcycling, so long as they are also practising good hygiene and personal distancing.
After all, why should the long-term mental fitness of all be jeopardised by criminal laws directed at the inconsiderate behaviour of a minority?
All laws and rules have updates, modifications and amendments, so why not these hastily drafted travel restrictions?
How about a gradual easing of restrictions, to stem this jackboot culture where police harass and fine citizens without warning for sitting on park benches, mums teaching their kids to drive or riders go for a solo ride through the hills?
How about giving us the benefit of having some commonsense like they do in Sweden? Rather than the government telling people what to do or fining them, they are asking Swedes to do the right thing, and giving them the liberty to prove they are responsible citizens.
Unfortunately, appealing to the Swedes’ sense of doing the right thing hasn’t worked and the government is now planning tighter measures.
Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark and Norway are opening up from lockdown as cases have greatly dropped. It will be interesting to see how their infection curve develops.
Sunset clause on travel bans
MBW asks a police officer about the travel restrictions
The various travel bans around the country seem to have “sunset clauses”.
In NSW, the Police Commissioner says the bans will be in place “at least until the end of June”. But he didn’t rule out a continuation of the bans at that time.
(By the way, how did the police suddenly get legislative powers to make and amend laws?)
Queensland’s home confinement direction is in place “until the end of the declared public health emergency, unless they are revoked or replaced”.
So there really is no guaranteed sunset clause written into the laws.
When do the laws end and what is the mechanism for winding them back?
Or could we end up with a long-term or permanent erosion of our civil liberties as we witnessed with the introduction of Draconian anti-terrorism laws after 9/11?
The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) Act of 2001 still exists and has been the source of much government abuse and overreaching.
The 300-page Act sailed through US Congress seven weeks after the attacks with scant dissent; just like our hastily drawn-up pandemic restrictions.
Already these rules have resulted in police harassing innocent Australians doing such “criminal” behaviour as sunbathing in a park a healthy distance from other people.
We can imagine the police will do their utmost to hold on to as many of their new-found powers for as long as possible.
When it comes time to revoke or revise these restrictions, police will no doubt cite the inevitablereduction in the crime rate and road toll as reasons to continue at least some of their new powers.
Travel restrictions that include a virtual ban on motorcycle ridingcould lead to a rapid increase in anxiety and depression that outlasts the pandemic, according to data and analytics company GlobalData.
The company says the enforced social isolation rules, along with the death threat from Covid-19 and financial disruption are a catalyst for the increased prevalence of mental disorders such as depression across a variety of age groups.
GlobalDatapharma analyst Magdalene Crabbe says sales of drugs for psychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder are expected to reach $US27.4bn (about $A45bn) this year, up $717m from the previous year.
The effects could continue long after the coronavirus pandemic, she says.
Pandemic of depression
“Sales are then expected to increase from $27.4bn in 2020 to $40.9bn in 2025, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 8.4%,” she says.
Allowing people to pursue a select group of solo and duo pastimes and therapies will go a long way to helping alleviate anxiety and depression.
“Personalised treatment strategies are important for treating psychiatric disorders, which may be exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis,” she says.
“It is important that people realise that depending on pharmaceutical drugs is not necessarily the solution to the negative impact that Covid-19 will have on people’s mental health.”
Happy riders
Sharon Ledger
Psychologist and reborn rider Sharon Ledger says riding makes people feel happy because of the release of certain chemicals in the brain.
“There are more than 10,000 chemical reactions going on in the brain every second,” she says.
“The chemicals that make you feel happy – oxytocin, dopamine, endorphin and serotonin – are produced by the endocrine system.
“Not all of these chemicals are released at the same time and each has a different outcome.
“However, more of these chemicals are produced when we look forward to doing something we enjoy; we get up early, we go outside in the sunshine and fresh air, we challenge ourselves, we meditate, we concentrate on an activity that requires skill and generally do things that motivate us.
“That pretty much sounds like motorcycling to me,” she says.
Let’s hope it’s not long before we can again experience that happy feeling.
With states fining people thousands of dollars for non-compliance with pandemic travel restrictions, riders are understandably concerned about copping a fine for going on even a short ride.
Queensland State Disaster Coordinator Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski explains how they will approach the issue:
Where police will take action is if there are blatant or wilful breaches happening in the community.
It will then be up to riders to challenge the fine in court.
In this new “police state” of ours, riders could be fined for a short ride around their neighbourhood to “clear the cobwebs”, get a bit of sunshine and some light exercise, even if they stay within all health guidelines and social distancing measures.
Non-compliance fines
At the moment there is a bunch of rules, suggestions and directives from health departments, politicians and police.
Police have reasserted that ignorance is never a defence, but surely it is in this case of hastily drafted rules that change so quickly and are contradictory.
“Your questions are understandable, but you’ve asked for answers to hundreds, if not thousands, of variables, many of which continue to change on a daily basis,” he says.
“Obviously, I can’t respond to that.
“As a broad overview, I think the position is this: if someone is obviously doing the wrong thing and is being deliberately disobedient, then they will be punished if they get caught.
“On the other hand, anyone who is conscientiously trying to do the right thing and is doing their best to act in compliance with the applicable directives will likely be treated with some flexibility (eg. a warning), even if they have technically contravened a specific rule.”
If the matter does go to court, it could be some time until it is heard as courts are effectively closed for all but serious matters during the pandemic.
They say travel is limited to: Shopping; medical care or compassionate needs; exercise; and for work and education.
Some states allow compassionate visits and some say exercise includes riding a motorcycle for leisure, although some stipulate it’s only in your neighbourhood.
So we contacted the PM’s office, each Premier’s office, state health departments, the national coronavirus hotline and police for clarification.
We were meet with obfuscation, silence, buck passing, delayed callbacks, deliberation and more confusion.
Plus, the rules seem to change every couple of days, meaning we have to start the whole process over again.
Pretty soon we believe riding may be totally banned unless the curve starts to flatten.
Many riders are expressing confusion and frustration about the rules.
It’s similarly confusing in some other countries, such as the USA where much of the nation has a shelter-in-place order but the National Park Service is waiving entrance fees to encourage people get fresh air while maintaining social distancing!
So we want to know what you think about riding in the pandemic. If you live outside Australia, just skip the irrelevant questions.
MV Agusta has bought a special coronavirus testing machine in the fight against the disease in one of the hardest hit regions in Italy.
The factory (pictured above), on the shores of beautiful Lake Varese near Milan, is in Lombardy which was one of the first regions to be hit by the virus.
MV Agusta Head of Communications Alessia Riboni says they bought a QuantStudio TM 5 Real-Time PCR System to donate to Varese community hospitals.
The sophisticated testing machinery, made by British company Thermo Fisher Scientific, is able to process up to 96 swabs in just 30 minutes and can b e operated remotely so it doesn’t have top be moved from hospital to hospital.
Italian motorcycle manufacturer Benelli has donated two ventilators and 4500 Tyvek suits to the Italian Red Cross;
Yamaha America has donated 380 respirators, 49,000 gloves, 325 Tyvek suits and 18,000 alcohol wipes to a hospital in Newnan, Georgia. (Respirators are used to protect medical staff.)
Tyre manufacturer Pirelli donated $800,000, 65 ventilators, 5000 protectives suits, and 20,000 protective masks Milan health workers; and
KTM Asia donated 10,000 N95 protective masks to Philippine public hospitals.
While it appears it is still legal to ride in Australia during the pandemic, Indian coronavirus cops police are donning special helmets in a “humorous” bid to dissuade people from riding.
India has reported 1251 infections and 32 deaths so far, but with a population of 1.4 billion, the potential for rapid spread of the virus is alarming.
So Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi suddenly announced on 25 March 2020 the abrupt start of a three-week national lockdown over the COVID-19 pandemic.
The surprising announcement left millions stranded in cities where they worked, having to walk up to hundreds of kilometres to get home with no money, food or water.
Coronavirus cops
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Indian police have responded with the above lighthearted video to encourage people to stay home and not ride.
The Siasat Daily photographed a staged presentation of Bangalore cops stopping a bike.
The coronavirus cops are wearing helmets with red and green versions of the coronavirus with spikes bearing rounded ends.
Apparently they are mainly stopping riders and other motorists not wearing a mask.
Their message is: “If you come out, I will come in.”
We can’t imagine Aussie cops doing the same thing.
Police across several states say they will use their judgement in handling people who appear to be breaching rules and recommendations.
Polaris, which owns and produces Indian motorcycles, has introduced a range of cost-cutting measures including the boss, Scott Wine (above), suspending his own salary for the rest of the year to cope with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Polaris continues to carefully calibrate its manufacturing operations with anticipated product demand,” a company statement says.
“Production will restart this week on select manufacturing lines for products with adequate demand and supply chain coverage.
“Polaris continues to ship finished vehicles to dealers, and to produce products that are consistent with governing federal, state and local directives.”
Meanwhile, boss Scott Wine will forgo his salary for the remainder of 2020.
Other cost-cutting includes delaying salary rises for staff, two weeks leave without pay for some staff and pay reductions of 20% for other staff including the executive leadership team.
“This is an unprecedented crisis with a sudden and stark impact on our business, but in difficult times Polaris has always responded with agility and proved our resilience,” Wine says.
“While the immediate future is uncertain, what is crystal clear is that Polaris must act judiciously but decisively to win both during this situation and after it is resolved. The measures we are taking today are necessary responses to a dynamic environment that compels us to bolster our liquidity and rapidly adapt to extraordinary circumstances.”
Polaris is also reviewing all operating expenses, postponing non-essential capital expenditures, and suspending share repurchases.
The company will draw down an incremental $US150 million under its current revolving credit facility. As of March 31, Polaris has more than $420 million in cash-on-hand “to help weather the current COVID-19 crisis”.
“The Company will continue to evaluate its operations and make adjustments based on the safety of its employees, demand signals, the health of its supply chain and distribution network, and government mandates and local orders,” the company statement says.
Restaurateur Joe Pagliaro on a Fonz Arthur Model 2 electric delivery scooter
Australia’s first electric motorcycle company, Fonzarelli, is getting creative during the pandemic and offering “zero emissions” delivery for a Bondi restaurant.
Unlike UberEats or Deliveroo where 35% of the bill goes to Silicon Valley, the Sydney company has teamed with local gnocchi bar, Peppe’s Bondi, to deliver Italian meals straight to your door.
For $60 a Peppe’s daily meal will get you a gnocchi, red beet panzanella salad and bottle of Sicilian wine.
Creative delivery
“With our first partnership, Peppe’s, we are exploring different areas to optimise this unusual time,” says Fonzarelli spokeswoman Cristina.
“This supports our local economy and keeps their hospitality workers in jobs.
“It’s guilt-free dinner when it’s delivered to your door with an electric vehicle.
“All the hygienic procedures and precautions are followed to guarantee a safe delivery for both the rider and the customer.
“We will keep you posted for further partnerships.”
Founder Michelle Nazzari says their NKD mini-bike has been available through Fonzarelli retailers and online since October 2019.
The Entry model costs $A9990 with 60km of range and a top speed of 80km/h, while the Special Edition costs $14,990 with 120km range and reaching 100km/h in five seconds.
The company designs and engineers the bike in Redfern, Sydney, and manufactures them in Adelaide.
Their Redfern store is still open and is following social distancing guidelines, offering hand sanitiser and wipes for test rides and keeping their service centre and production facility open by managing team shifts for less interaction.
Check out the amazing Aussie-made Dynamoto stands
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 (Source: 
MBW asks a police officer about the travel restrictions
Sharon Ledger
If you must go for a ride, go solo and take a thermos of coffee!
Ventilator machine
Levatich in Australia last year