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Richard became an attorney at the ripe age of 45. While in law school he realized that
motorcycle riders were an unrepresented group who didn’t have a voice. His
love for the sport prompted him to focus on the need of a voice in the
motorcycling community. In 1982 after
passing the bar, his work for motorcycling began. It took him a couple of years to organize a
team of attorneys who rode motorcycles, and who also had an understanding
of what was needed in the motorcycle
community and how to go about finding the voice that was needed.
Aid to Injured Motorcyclists (AIM) was founded in 1984. This is a legal protection program that is
free for all motorcycle riders. This
program notifies medical and emergency personnel of all pertinent information
for the rider. And, it also notifies
their next of kin in case of an emergency.
To date, over 2 million cards have been distributed nationwide.
The following year, 1985 Richard founded the National
Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM). After
he started the AIM program he determined that in order for the motorcycling
community to have that much needed voice, they were also going to have to deal
with a lot of legislation that had a direct effect on the lifestyle of
motorcycle riding that he so loved.
Today NCOM is a national organization with over 2,400 motorcycle groups
and organization that joined together as a whole to tackle the legal aspect of
motorcyclists. Whether it’s a helmet
problem, harassment, or discrimination issue, he has been there, and continues
to assist the motorcyclists. He sponsors
an Annual NCOM Convention that is open to all motorcyclists to keep them
abreast as to what’s going on in Washington that directly effects motorcyclist,
and educates them on what they can do to help the cause.
Today, more than 30 years later, Richard is still working hard for the
motorcycling community. He has attorneys
in every state, and has also founded three (3) additional organizations so that
every motorcycle rider has a voice. One program is the Confederation of Clubs,
which is comprised of motorcycle groups and organizations that prior to forming
this organization could not become united.
Richard also noticed that there was still many another groups especially
within the Christian ministry sector that were unaware of NCOM and were missing
out on an important part of networking with both secular and Christian bike
groups, so in 2005 he formed Christian Unity.
This was not just about showing up at bike events; this was truly a
coming together with other bike groups with a common goal.
We are working
together to protect our lifestyle and right to ride. And his newest addition is
the National Sports Bike Association. The NSBA is the sport bike division of
NCOM. The development of NSBA was necessary as to have a clear and
unadulterated voice directly from the Sport Bike Community on issues that
directly affect them. NSBA galvanizing sport bike riders to a common cause the
result can only be a stronger dynamic force to fight for our freedom of the
road rights and to fight ALL discriminatory motorcycle practices.
In addition to these programs Richard continues to encourage all of
the AIM Attorneys to do pro-bono work for the motorcycle community. Recently our AIM Attorneys were successful in
getting items that were confiscated from the FBI returned, and Florida recently
discriminated against motorcycle riders and denied them entry to the State
Fair. AIM and NCOM got the biker discrimination overturned and they were even
awarded monetary compensation, just to name a few things that he has
accomplished.
Richard, AIM and NCOM also sponsors a monthly newsletter publication
that is sent free to those who sign up which advises them of anything that is
going on nationally involving motorcyclists.
Richard sponsors many burger feeds to unite the motorcyclists; he also
covers the cost to print any group or club flyer that is having a motorcycle
event. He’s even been known to sponsor motorcycle
safety courses for the youth that have expressed an interest in riding.
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