Canadian police have released video showing a speeding motorcyclist crashing into a young black bear as it ran across the highway, AFP reports.

The video release, meant to warn others about the dangers of distracted driving, shows the first-person view of the motorcyclist on Highway 7 in Hope, British Columbia, accelerating to nearly 90 mph in less than 20 seconds.

AFP has more:

Police said in a statement that the driver was focused on his speedometer as part of a stunt and failed to see the bear until the last minute.

He ended up with non-life-threatening injuries while the bear walked away.

Now watch the video:

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One of the main criticisms of electric cars is that they often lack the sort of raw appeal that makes you want a product, transcending any notions of buying because you need it.

Oddly, the world of electric two-wheelers hasn't had this trouble, particularly as you delve into the realms of simple bicycles.

Perhaps their low-budget nature makes great design easier to attain, but many of the cheapest electric vehicles we've featured have also been the most appealing.

The Scrooser--pronounced Skroo-zer (via Inhabitat)--is possibly the best example yet of a heart-over-head electric vehicle at the lower end of the spectrum.

ALSO SEE: Fun For $40,000? Electric Plane Beats Electric Car Every Time...

Scrooser first tested the scooter in Barcelona, and it didn't take long for it to be termed "a Harley-Davidson for the sidewalk". The description fits pretty well, though its closest contemporary is probably the Honda Ruckus scooter, with a similarly minimalist feel. It's less uptight than an equivalent pedal-electric bike, a little more relaxed. A little more hipster, some might say, and it isn't hard to imagine the trendiest city districts crawling with skinny-jean and hat-clad urbanites sailing by on their Scroosers.

Its makers claim very little effort is required to get the Scrooser moving. Like those old children's' scooters, a mere push of the foot is required to start it moving, and from there electric assistance takes over the effort. Keep pushing and you'll keep going faster, up to a maximum of 15 mph. It uses a 1000W impulse hub motor and a lithium-ion battery mounted low in the chassis. On chunky tires, stability should be pretty good.

Range is said to be 22 miles, with up to 34 available if you're willing to help it out with another push now and then. Charging takes between 1-3.5 hours.

READ: Razor Launches New, All-Electric Performance … Ummmm … Vehicle

Overall weight is just 61 lbs, and it can handle individuals of up to 275 lbs. Uniquely, if you become tired or simply want to look even more nonchalant, there's a small seat above the rear wheel.

If there is one problem, it remains the price. Scrooser allows you to pre-order its product, but the outlay is a hefty $4,790. That's more than you'll pay to hop on the saddle of the equally-quick, equally low-effort Smart eBike, even if the Smart isn't quite as cool as the scooter-styled alternative.

Okay, it's not very practical either. But it still has that want-one factor, and we'd not mind seeing a little more of that in regular electric cars.

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SEE ALSO: The 21 Best-Selling Cars In America

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"The ladies really like Eddie," my stepsister tells me on the way to meet the 71-year-old biker for breakfast somewhere in the Rockies.

The man we're about to meet one bright September morning is one of the first members of the legendary outlaw biker outfit called the Iron Horsemen Motorcycle Club (IHMC).

The FBI calls the Horsemen a "one percent" Outlaw Motorcycle Gang (OMG), meaning the group has committed to enforce the club's laws with violence and maintain an ongoing criminal enterprise that brings them into "serious conflict with society and the law." The Feds also believe the group actively recruits former Army veterans into its ranks.

While Eddie (which is not his real name) says his days of active club involvement are behind him, he's a biker at heart and only put away his motorcycle chopper when it became impossible for him to ride on two wheels anymore. He rides a three-wheel Chopper "trike" now, and that's how we were first introduced.

I first met Eddie in August 2012 through my stepsister and her fiancé, whom we'll call Doug. Doug owns a mountainside motorcycle shop where Eddie had his trike designed. My stepsister was raised by a senior executive in Palo Alto and was a minor celebrity in the 1970s California drug scene. Somewhere between then and now Eddie "adopted" my stepsister as her "Biker dad," as she explains it.

In the years Doug and my stepsister have known Eddie, nothing he said raised any doubt that the man is who he claims. Doug tells me that week-long parties at Eddie's place with "old-school, patch-bearing motherf------ all hanging out" have only added to his credibility. (Doug noted that patches themselves are never worn at parties like this to avoid conflict among rival groups, but he knew members from previous meetings.)

Eddie is around six-feet tall, covered in tattoos from his neck down, with white hair all over his head and face that creates a striking Santa Clause impression if Santa were a heavy tobacco user and had a slightly nicotine-stained mustache and beard.

He fits the biker persona most would expect, wearing dirty and oil-stained slicks (pants) that repel more water the dirtier they are. "Slicks are also what a lazy-ass biker wears when he doesn't wanna do his laundry," Doug later explains.

And Eddie's armed.

Somewhere in the folds of his clothing and shoes are reputed to be an untold number of pistols. Maybe that's part of what kept locals from asking what he was doing in the mountains and why he was in seclusion. Later, when locals began to understand who he was and the reputation he had, nobody wanted to know who would have sent Eddie into hiding in the first place.

I asked him myself while visiting his home. "Cause I put my prick where it didn't belong." Not sure if he's being metaphorical, I ask him: "A woman?"

"Yeah, a woman." He says between mouthfuls of cigar smoke. "She was married to the wrong guy and here I am."

Eddie tells me his story, starting with his time as a Naval Seabee toward the start of the Vietnam Conflict. Halfway through his tour in Okinawa he cross-trained to drive a truck and his mechanically slanted future was set.

Following his discharge, Eddie was asked to prospect for the Horsemen, and in 1968 he received his patch when he became one of the first members voted in.

Sharon Smith of the Dallas Motorcycle Lifestyle Examiner, who has lived the biker culture for decades, describes initiation:

A Prospect must do anything a full patch-holder asks him to do. These tasks can range anywhere from chump duties, to more serious activities. It is not the Prospect’s duty to reason why or question anything that is asked. His task is only to prove that there is nothing the brotherhood can’t count on him for. The brotherhood must believe this man would throw himself in front of a bullet, to keep another patch-holder safe. It doesn’t matter whether he particularly likes the patch-holder. He’s not protecting the man; he’s protecting the patch and everything it represents. He must not let the patch fall to the ground. Actually, he doesn’t wear the patch ... the patch wears him.

But not even the patch could protect Eddie from the jilted husband on his trail for more than 20 years, and he only agreed to this story now because the man is no longer after him.

"He died," Eddie explains exposing a wood-grip pistol in a holster beneath his vest.

"How?" I ask.

"Shot," he says. "Not by me, of course, but life of a one percenter is death or prison," he continues. "I've outlived all my biker enemies and the citizens for that matter," he says referring to those not in a motorcycle club.

As he thinks about this, Eddie pulls out a Kel-Tec P3AT .380 pistol from the left front pocket of his slicks. The P3AT is perhaps the lightest and most concealable pistol in the world.

"That is a small pistol," I say, recognizing it. "Not the size of the gun, but where you put the bullet," Eddie replies.

Eddie says he didn't expect to live this long — he just went to his 53rd high school reunion. The years have become precious and he's changing his ways in hopes of sticking around as long as possible.

Eddie's not been well, my stepsister tells me. A lady friend took him to Florida for his birthday last year and after consuming a lot of "powders" he'd been hit by health issues.

He takes Crestor for his cholesterol and a bottle sits on the floor by his feet. "I think that has pot in it," he says bending to pick it up. "No," he says dropping it. "BBs." (For one of the less deadly guns sitting about.)

In response to doctor's orders, Eddie recently quit drinking and partying like he had, sticking to the medical marijuana that he gets from Colorado dispensaries.

He has plenty of understanding about selling drugs too. 

Eddie explains that one percent OMGs like the Horsemen will set up a drug house fronted by a business or residence. If the club can get one production cycle from the drug house and sell its drugs without arrest, it has recovered expenses and turned a minor profit. If the club can escape detection for a second cycle of drug manufacturing and selling, Eddie explains, "That's all profit."

"It was all about pot in the beginning," Eddie says. "But a 50-pound bale of marijuana is about yea big," he says, making a large rectangle with hand gestures. "And pot goes for about $10 a gram."

"Fifty pounds of crank (methamphetamine) is about this big," he says, making a much smaller rectangle with his hands than he made for the equivalent amount of pot. "Meth costs about 30 cents a gram to make," Eddie says.

He doesn't need to explain.

The reason guys on "Breaking Bad" make so much money is because meth sells for about $25 a quarter gram right now on the mountain where Eddie lives, or $100 a gram. PBS reports that it has seen meth sell for up to $330 a gram.

It's something to think about as I notice Eddie's hideout has as much weaponry as a drug house: pistols, bow and arrows, ammunition, knives, swords, a WWI trench knife, and a sawed-off shotgun are strategically strewn about the place.

Taking a photo of his shotgun, Eddie becomes concerned. "Do not show my face or my name," he says again, looking at my stepsister. "This," he says, picking up the sawed-off, "is a 20-year charge."

He debates what law might stick as he explains the age of the weapon and the type of round loaded inside. "At my age I can't afford to do even a nickel," he says, referring to the idea of spending five years in prison.

Eddie reaches down and packs up a homemade pipe designed to hold hash and pot separately but draw them in the same breath. My stepsister and I each have to hold a lighter as Eddie takes a deep drag.

Exhaling and holding the pipe toward me, he says, "This'll knock your dick in the dirt."

I decline and ask to take more pictures. Eddie nods and asks me if I like skulls, explaining there are a case of mammal skulls upstairs and a mannequin called GI Jane that he and visitors dress up in various outfits.

A quick tour upstairs finds another floor of well-organized chaos. Everything from a dozen Polaroid cameras to a 1950s soda machine are wedged between raw timber walls and massive plate glass windows.

GI Jane is there, and a string of photos from a competition where she was the subject are taped over her head to the ceiling.

It seems like a good place for the duo from the History Channel show "American Pickers" to stumble across.

"All of this stuff goes to the club when he dies," my stepsister tells me on the way out. There's a saying that to get a one-percent patch you have to turn your life over to the club. In Eddie's case he's turning over his death, as well.

Back outside swirling black clouds meet over the neighboring canyons as Eddie explains the trajectory for one of his firing ranges.

He shoots across the street into the neighboring hillside with rifles and points to a dangling piece of metal where he shoots his pistols.

An old Ford tractor sits to the side, its seat beneath a red square awning rigged to keep Eddie out of the sun.

"Those clouds," Eddie says in his gravely voice. "Winds come through these canyons and tear them apart. It was like that when I got the place 40 years ago. This is the Angry Acre, and that's why I bought it."

Opening the door to my stepsister's big blue Oldsmobile I ask Eddie if the woman was worth the running and if he would do it again.

"Was it worth it? Hell yeah it was worth it," Eddie says. "And would I do it again? You betcha."

Author's note: Despite the fragmentation between the current Ohio-based Horsemen and the California-based original horsemen whom Eddie said he joined, I inquired about Eddie through the club's current main chapter.

Prior to publishing I sent an email through the IHMC website asking if a club historian might be able to speak to the likelihood of Eddie's tale. An unnamed individual from the club left me a voicemail after this story was published, saying the club did not operate with patches at the time Eddie mentions. The voicemail went on to say, "Whoever is feeding you this is bullshitting you. So don't print it."

Unable to verify either version, it's impossible to know which is more truthful, but what is published above is a factual retelling of Eddie's story. Look for our upcoming piece on mountain survivalists for a greater understanding of life in the "high country" where Eddie lives now.

SEE ALSO: The 13 American gangs keeping the FBI up at night

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You've heard about how poorly the motorcycle manufacturers are doing these days.

Sales and profits are down, some plants are in danger of closing, and now dealers with multiple dealerships in one city are being asked to consolidate into one location.

They say it's because 'discretionary spending' is down. But I have a question: When did owning a motorcycle become discretionary?

I believe that owning a motorcycle is as American as entrepreneurship--and vital to a founder's long-term business success. I learned many years ago that the skills and techniques necessary to be a successful biker directly transfer to my daily business life.

Here's how:

1. Running a business is one long road trip.
The first thing bikers learn is how to get from here to there safely and successfully. Bikers know how to select the right destination, plot out the right course to get there, and prepare for the unexpected. Bikers know how to overcome adversity along the way, whether it's bad weather (the economy), poor road conditions (market fluctuations), or crazy cagers (competitors). Both biking and business are nothing more than vehicles designed to take you where you want to go: one physically, the other economically.

2. Both business and biking require you to assume reasonable risk.
And if not done properly, they can both cause severe damage to you. Staying upright requires awareness, timing, and a keen ability to sift through the background noise and B.S. that surrounds you. So the lesson from both is not about overcoming fear, but instead understanding and embracing it. Because riding scared is a fast ticket to the hospital--or business failure.

3. I like hanging out with real people.
Bikers and entrepreneurs are a similar and bold lot. Both groups are independent, adventurous, strong-willed, and utterly intolerant of fences. Go to any biker hangout and you'll see business leaders and professionals sitting next to mechanics, carpenters, and full-time bikers. They come together to celebrate the culture of riding, to exercise their passions. And they come together to have the type of real-life, frank conversations that can only happen between two people with nothing to gain but an honest point of view. When's the last time that's happened to you at a chamber of commerce meeting?

4. Passion is the fuel of desire.
When that desire is properly channeled, you achieve excellence. On a bike, it's about feeling the crisp air while navigating the winding road. In business, it's putting yourself out there on the winding roads of the marketplace. With both, happiness comes when you turn our passion into performance.

5. Biking is a total attitude adjustment.
Ask any entrepreneur who rides and he'll say the same thing: I ride to get away from it all for a while. I do some of my best thinking in the saddle because my synapses are popping right along with that V-twin. Riding an open road seems to charge my brain impulses with an even hotter spark as the sights, sounds, and smells combine to rev up all my senses.

I'd definitely rather be riding my motorcycle thinking about my business than sitting in an office thinking about my motorcycle.

But this is just my opinion. I could be wrong. So, if you disagree or simply want to comment, please do so in the section below. I look forward to your point of view.

In November, Dwain M. DeVille will co-host and co-lead the first-ever Inc. Riders Summit, a three-day motorcycle road trip through the Nevada desert for entrepreneurs. For more information about the ride, the entrepreneur-led business sessions, or the networking, click here. 

SEE ALSO: The 10 Luxury Cars Thieves Go After The Most

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MANHATTAN — A gang of two dozen motorcyclists bashed in the window of an SUV and pummeled its driver in front of his wife and 2-year-old daughter after a harrowing chase in upper Manhattan Sunday afternoon, cops said. 

The driver of a black Range Rover was going northbound on the Henry Hudson Parkway near 125th Street about 2 p.m. when he was swarmed by dozens of motorcyclists, according to cops and a dramatic 6-minute video taken by one of the motorcyclists with a helmet camera.

The 33-year-old SUV driver, whose identity was not released, rear-ended one of the motorcycle riders, sparking a round of anger from fellow riders who surrounded the SUV and slashed its tires, an NYPD spokeswoman said.

The driver hit the gas, plowing into three other motorcyclists in the process, police added. The video shows the SUV bucking as it plowed over the machines and kept driving.

The motorcyclists gave chase — tracking the driver on a winding route up the Henry Hudson and onto the exit to the George Washington Bridge, where one biker yanked open the driver's door to the SUV before the driver took off again, according to the video.

Sources said the SUV driver called 911 from inside his vehicle and told cops he was surrounded by motorcyclists who were driving erratically.

The bikers finally cornered the SUV after it got caught in traffic on 178th Street near St. Nicholas Avenue, according to cops and the FDNY.

A motorcyclist can be seen on the video pulling off his own helmet and repeatedly slamming it against the driver's side window while other bikers surround him and begin to do the same before the video cuts off abruptly.

Cops said the bikers smashed open the SUV window and pulled the driver out before slashing him in the face in front of his terrified family.

The SUV driver, who lives in Manhattan, was treated at Columbia Presbyterian for two black eyes and given several stitches, sources said.

An FDNY spokesman said they got two calls Sunday for a "non critical injury" at 125th Street and the Henry Hudson Parkway, and another for an incident at 178th Street and St. Nicholas Avenue.

Police said there have been no arrests so far in connection with the incident.

SEE ALSO: What Happens If You Try To Open A Plane Door In Midair

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Police are investigating after a gang of motorcyclists chased and badly beat a man driving a Range Rover in New York City this weekend. Exactly what happened is unclear, but police have made two arrests (though the second biker will not be charged).

According to the NY Daily News, New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said the ride, which involved hundreds of riders, was organized by a group called Hollywood Stuntz.

Last year, Kelly said, "well over a thousand motorcycles, dirt bikes, quads, four-wheel vehicles" rode through Times Square. They did little more than snarl traffic, but YouTube videos show that rides from previous years were just as wild, even if they did not end in violence.

A September 2008 video titled "HOLLYWOOD STUNTZ BLOCK PARTY 3," shows bikers doing wheelies and other tricks while riding through New York:

"Hollywood stuntz 9/4/11," uploaded on September 5, 2011, gives a sense of how many riders show up for events like these:

This video shows how the mass of riders can create a frightening presence, on Woodhaven Boulevard in Queens:

Last year, about 1,000 riders showed up in Times Square, disrupting traffic. Screenshots from the August 2012 video, "Hollywood Block Party Takeover of Times Square," show bikers taking over the crowded area:

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HARLEM — The beating of an SUV driver in front of his family by a group of motorcycle riders after a high-speed highway chase Sunday has residents of Upper Manhattan and The Bronx saying "I told you so."

Residents from Harlem, The Bronx and Washington Heights and Inwood have long called the packs of motorcycles and illegal dirt bikes a nuisance with the potential to turn violent.

"This is something that we feared and now that it has happened, the city has to step up and go after these bikers," said Rafael Salamanca, Jr., district manager of Community Board 2 in the Bronx.

"They are putting too many people's lives at risk for their entertainment and they don't care."

Kimberly Watkins, a Harlem resident and fitness instructor, said she has been trying for years to be heard on the issue, to no avail.

"So many people have tried to prevent this," she said.

"Instead, we've just been given the runaround and told to go to community board meetings."

In northern Manhattan and The Bronx, residents and motorists have long complained about packs of dirt bikes and motorcyclists who run red lights, perform stunts, ride on the sidewalk and bully motorists and pedestrians.

In Harlem, pedestrians have been hurt by the vehicles. In the Bronx last year, Eddie Fernandez was killed when the dirt bike he was riding was rear-ended by police during a chase.

"When I walk with my son in his stroller, and I hear them coming, I completely stop because I don't know if a biker is going to ride on the sidewalk, or simply lose control while pulling a stunt," said Harlem parent and author Stacy Parker Le Melle.

Police have said they don't chase dirt bike and motorcycle riders because it encourages reckless riding that endangers the public. Instead, they have taken to raiding the locations where the bikes are kept. Some riders say police have even begun using netting to ensnare riders.

Dirt bikes and ATV's are illegal on city streets because they lack required safety parts such as lights and turn signals. Drivers of the vehicles are subject to arrest. Illegally modified and unregistered motorcycles are also of concern.

Law enforcement officials monitoring social media heard about Sunday's ride, which was organized by HollywoodStuntz over social media such as Instagram and Twitter, and disrupted it by having checkpoints at the city's bridges and at staging areas.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said 55 motorcycles were confiscated and 68 summonses were issued.

That didn't prevent the incident where police say Alexian Lien, 33, who was riding with his wife and their 2-year-old daughter in a black Range Rover, rear-ended one of about two dozen motorcycles on the Henry Hudson Parkway at about 2 p.m. near 125th Street.

The motorcyclists became enraged and swarmed the car. Lien stopped before speeding off and rolling over three motorcycles in the process.

The motorcycle riders gave chase. After Lien exited the highway at 178th Street near St. Nicholas Avenue, motorcyclists began bashing the SUV's windows. Lien was pulled from the vehicle and slashed in the face and beaten while his family watched.

One biker, Edwin Mieses, has been hospitalized with two broken legs and family members fear he may be paralyzed.

Two of the bikers involved in the incident have been arrested. Allen Edwards, 42, of Jamaica, Queens was arrested Tuesday for reckless endangerment and criminal mischief but the Manhattan District Attorney's Office says he will not be immediately prosecuted while the investigation continues.

The Manhattan DA criticized the NYPD for charging Edwards before the investigation was complete.

Christopher Cruz, whose motorcycle was rear-ended by the SUV when Cruz tried to slow traffic, is facing charges of unlawful imprisonment in the second degree and reckless driving. He is free on $1,500 bail.

A Harlem motorcycle rider who asked that his street name of "Al Capone" be used, said he appealed to police brass in Harlem the week before Sunday's ride for a police escort for the riders to prevent the type of incident that occurred.

"If it had been a permitted ride it would have been organized, it would have been a procession, it would have been different," he said.

Capone and Benjamin "Benmore" Charles, also a co-founder of Bikelife, said the incident makes the need for some sort of bike park even more clear.

But that goal seems further off than ever.

On Wednesday, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. called for a new city law that would heavily fine gas stations that allow illegal dirt bikes and ATVs to fill up their tanks "to shut off the fuel that drives the recklessness that has taken control of our streets,” Diaz said in a statement.

Salamanca said a bike park could be a long-term solution but steps need to be taken now to protect public safety.

"The people of New York City and my district are looking for an immediate answer to this issue," he said. "What happened this weekend was totally unacceptable."

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An off-duty undercover narcotics officer from the New York Police Department was reportedly present during the beating of a man who was pulled from his car by a pack of motorcyclists, The New York Post reports.

The officer, a motorcycle enthusiast who was reportedly part of the pack, apparently came forward four days after the beating, which was caught on video.

One source told The Post that the officer didn't intervene in the beating because he "didn’t want to blow his cover."

Last week, Alexian Lien, a 33-year-old Internet executive, was driving his SUV with his wife and 2-year-old daughter in the car when he rear-ended one of the motorcycles on the Henry Hudson Parkway in Harlem.

The motorcyclists started chasing Lien's car and eventually smashed open one of the windows on the SUV and dragged Lien out of it, beating him.

One of the motorcyclists Lien hit has two broken legs.

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An off-duty, undercover New York Police Department cop may have been more involved than he originally admitted in an attack on an SUV driver, according to a report from the New York Daily News.

The unnamed cop came forward days after a pack of motorcyclists assaulted an SUV driver in Harlem to admit that he was present at the scene. The cop is a motorcycle enthusiast who reportedly rides with the bikers.

But the officer might not have been completely honest about his involvement in the attack, the Daily News reports.

He first told police that by the time he got to the SUV, witnesses were already helping the driver and calling police. He said he drove away without doing anything because he didn't want to blow his cover, according to The Daily News.

Video footage from the scene of the attack, however, appears to contradict that story, according to a police source who spoke with the Daily News. The video reportedly shows the cop joining in on the mob surrounding the SUV, "punching the back window," and then "throwing a kick at the side of the car."

Once the bikers start beating the man, the cop reportedly got back on his bike and drove off.

ABC 7 in New York got a similar story from an unnamed police source, and they point to a new video of the incident recently uploaded to YouTube:

Police have so far arrested four bikers and are still seeking other suspects.

Earlier this month, Alexian Lien, a 33-year-old Internet executive, was driving his SUV with his wife and 2-year-old daughter in the car when he rear-ended one of the motorcycles on the Henry Hudson Parkway in Harlem.

The motorcyclists started chasing Lien's car and eventually smashed open one of the windows on the SUV and dragged Lien out of it, beating him.

One of the motorcyclists Lien hit has two broken legs.

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An off-duty New York Police Department officer has been arrested in connection with an attack on an SUV driver, CBS New York reports.

Investigators believe that the undercover cop banged on 33-year-old Alexian Lien's SUV and broke the rear window. They reportedly have video evidence of the assault, according to CBS.

He is expected to be charged with criminal mischief, CBS reported.

Earlier on Tuesday, The New York Daily News reported that the cop, who came forward days after the assault to admit that he'd been at the scene, may have been more involved than he originally admitted.

The unnamed cop first told police that by the time he got to the SUV, witnesses were already helping the driver and calling police. He said he drove away without doing anything because he didn't want to blow his cover, according to The Daily News.

The cop is a motorcycle enthusiast who reportedly rides with the bikers who allegedly perpetrated the attack.

Lien was driving his SUV earlier this month with his wife and 2-year-old daughter in the car when he rear-ended one of the motorcycles on the Henry Hudson Parkway in Harlem.

The motorcyclists started chasing Lien's car and eventually smashed open one of the windows on the SUV and dragged Lien out of it, beating him.

Police have so far arrested four bikers and are still seeking other suspects.

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Everything can change in a matter of seconds.

The following helmet-cam footage captures that universal truth with raw intensity. In it, a motorcyclist is hijacked at gunpoint at a stop light. Mere moments later, an officer shoots the robber twice at a close range.

The whole episode lasts a mere 20 seconds.

The first-perspective makes it even more unnerving. It’s a jarring look at the random chaos of life, a fleeting glimpse of just how quickly our sense of security can be shattered.

(Warning: The video is graphic and NSFW.)

As with dash cams in Russia, helmet-mounted cameras are popular with motorcyclists as a means of insurance, capturing interactions on the road from the driver’s point of view. The rest of the videos by YouTube user Anderson Mangai, which commenters believe to be shot in Brazil—an assumption backed up by the Portuguese used in the title and description—are from his motorcycle as well.

It's worth noting that the officer acted in apparent self-defense. The following screengrab, as mentioned on Reddit but reproduced below, shows the robber drawing his weapon at the 59-second mark.

What I find even equally unsettling are the six minutes of video that follow. People are just standing around while traffic buzzes by in the background. It’s almost as if nothing even happened.

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Two Canadian motorcyclists were fined more than $10,000 each and face charges for dangerous driving after police pulled them over and found video showing them committing dozens of infractions. 

According to the police report, a motorist called to report dangerous passing by the Ottawa bikers, and gave "a very good description of the motorcycles and individuals."

After police officers pulled them over on Saturday afternoon ("almost in front of the police station"), they saw one motorcyclist trying to hide a video camera, which they seized.

They arrested the two men, one aged 29, the other 26.

The content on the camera revealed "several dozen infractions committed on the same day, and also on our territory," according to the report. It also noted that the motorcyclists asked for leniency, saying they needed their licenses for work.

No luck on that count. The 29-year-old was issued 21 infractions, for 113 demerit points. He was fined $10,968 CAD (USD $10,574).

The 26-year-old also got 21 infractions, for 116 demerit points. His fine came out to a whopping $11,268 CAD (USD $10,863).

Under Quebec province law, they will each have their license revoked for 12 months, after which they will need to get a new license.

The lesson: If you're going to break the law, don't film it.

The police released some of the video, showing the bikers speeding and passing. Via CBC News:

:

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New York City Republican mayoral candidate Joe Lhota has two weeks to make a huge impression on New Yorkers.

According to a WSJ-NBC 4 NY-Marist poll from Oct. 10, Lhota has a 23 percent rating compared to Democratic candidate Bill de Blasio's 67 percent.

Lhota has been steadily portraying de Blasio's populism in a negative light, but his latest political ad goes even further by using footage from a nationally publicized biker attack last month, in which a motorcycle gang pulled a man from his SUV and beat him in front of his family.

The ad promises that de Blasio voters can expect similar situations to happen all the time if de Blasio is elected mayor: 

The ad taps into Lhota's narrative that if de Blasio is elected, New York City will regress to the high levels of crime that preceded the administrations of current mayor Michael Bloomberg and his predecessor, Rudy Giuliani. Lhota served as deputy mayor under Giuliani.

Most of the spot's photos come from tense, graffiti-adorned moments from the administrations of Democratic mayors David Dinkins and Ed Koch. However, a shocking, black-and-white filtered photo of a corpse was taken last year, AM New York discovered in a thorough research piece.

The ad has some other misleading bits.

For one, what Lhota characterized as Blasio's vote for a reduction in the police force actually corresponded to a budget proposal presented by Bloomberg. And the portrayal of de Blasio as a softie who wants to work out problems with bikers over a beer is a spun reference to his statement that cops need to tell bikers there will be no tolerance of street violence. The ad references the New York Post's summary of an interview de Blasio gave WINS radio, though the Post's piece made no mention of the police-biker dialogue comment.

The ad ends with "Don't let de Blasio take New York backwards" superimposed over the shocking footage of a man bashing in an SUV's driver side window.

De Blasio told reporters last week that the ad is "desperate,""divisive," and "inappropriate." He compared it to the infamous Willie Horton ad, in which George H.W. Bush used an association between his opponent Michael Dukakis and lawless violence to great effect in 1986.

"Mr. de Blasio is lashing out because he knows New Yorkers don't agree with his reckless and dangerous position on crime," Lhota's spokeswoman Jessica Proud told Politicker.

Upcoming poll numbers will reveal how the unsettling ad registers with New Yorkers, but it shows that the Lhota campaign is fighting more aggressively than ever to have a chance on Nov. 5.

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A new video obtained by ABC 7 in New York sheds more light on the alleged assault of an SUV driver in Harlem.

Earlier this month, Alexian Lien, a 33-year-old Internet executive, was driving his SUV with his wife and 2-year-old daughter in the car when he rear-ended a motorcycle on the Henry Hudson Parkway.

Bikers allegedly surrounded Lien's SUV after he bumped the motorcycle. As he was trying to flee, he ran over a biker who was left paralyzed, according to ABC.

A pack of motorcyclists then allegedly chased Lien, pulled him from his vehicle, and started beating him.

Police have arrested four bikers so far.

The video below appears to show a group of bikers pulling Lien from the drivers' seat, then kicking and punching him while he's on the ground. It also appears that there were witnesses standing by as the apparent assault was going on.

WARNING: The video embedded below is graphic:

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Vespa has unveiled the 946, its first all-new model in six years, and it looks excellent. 

The name, which feels like an odd imitation of Porsche's numerical naming system, is actually a tribute to the year 1946, when Vespa was born. The scooter itself is inspired by the MP6, the original Vespa.

With a promised top speed of 58 mph, the 946 can technically be used on the highway, but it's really made for cruising around the city.

Fuel consumption is almost negligible — it gets 130 miles per gallon, a 30% improvement over the previous generation engine.

But Vespa's selling point isn't engineering. It's style.

On that count, the 946 is a success. It does a good job of retaining the classic Vespa look while offering something new. Overall, it just looks good.

I do have two concerns:

1. It's huge, especially in the back. A Vespa executive argued my "good perception" was in fact wrong, and that it's the sleekness of the design that makes the back seem large.

But I say if it looks big in person, it's big. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but could be a turnoff for people who want a small, slick ride for the city.

2. The upward sweep of the seat looks nice, but seems like it could be uncomfortable for a passenger.

The 946 comes in white and black (more colors will be available after the first year). Starting price is a fitting $9,946.

We'll have more to report once we get a chance to ride the 946.

YACHT OF THE WEEK: Cruise Around New Zealand On The 'Belle Aimee' For $250,000 A Week

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A few months ago, I decided I wanted to try riding a Vespa around New York City. Then I learned that to ride a scooter legally in this state, you need a motorcycle license.

And that's how I ended up making two trips to the DMV, taking three tests, dropping $350, and spending a weekend split between a college classroom and a college parking lot.

All in all, it was a lot of fun, especially the two-day course I took with the Motorcycle Safety School, which is where I learned everything I know know about motoring on two wheels.

Here's how it went down.

Step 1: Getting a learner’s permit

You need to do this, whether you want to take a course or learn to ride on your own. It's the least fun part of the process, as it involves a trip to the DMV.

Before going, I took a few hours to study the Motorcycle Manual, a helpful booklet that goes over the basics like controls, proper riding gear, and rules of the road. It also covers the things least familiar to car drivers, like which part of the lane you should be in at any given point.

Once I got through the DMV rigmarole and sat down for the written test, I was relieved even before I handed it in. There are 20 multiple choice questions. You can get six wrong and still pass. Several were about the risks of drinking and driving. A few more were about what road signs mean. One was about how to parallel park a car.

So I got my permit.

Step 2: Sign up for a two-day rider course

If you don’t know how to ride, the best way to learn and get licensed in New York is through the two-day course with the Motorcycle Safety School. There are locations around the city and a few upstate. I went with a course at Lehman College, in the Bronx. Price: $350.

Before my course, I took a two-hour introductory lesson, where we did some very basic riding. It's not necessary for the two-day, and is really meant to help people decide if they really want to learn to ride. 

At the two-day course, I immediately learned people who are into motorcycles are really friendly, and each had their own motivations for getting their license.

One woman was tired of riding on the back of her husband’s bike, or seeing him disappear for hours on long rides. One man hated his nearly 90-minute commute to work that involved multiple trains and buses, but didn’t want to buy a car. Most people just thought it would be fun to learn.

Step 3: Learning by the book

The course goes from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the afternoon, both Saturday and Sunday. It’s roughly half classroom time and half riding time.

The classroom portion is taught strictly to the test you take on day two. We went over things like:

• The four steps in turning (slow, look, press, roll).
• When you should lean left to go left - when you should lean right to go left.
• Why you always use both the front and rear brakes (and that there’s no real risk of flipping over the handlebars if you forget to hit the back one)

This was helpful and mostly interesting, but not nearly as helpful or interesting as actually learning while on the bike. And the written test, it turned out, was about as easy as the learner’s permit.

Step 4: Riding

By early Saturday afternoon, I was standing in a parking lot, ready to ride. Students provide full-fingered gloves, over the ankle boots, and a long sleeve shirt. The school provides helmets and bikes. Most of us rode very well broken in Suzuki GZ 250s. These aren't powerful bikes.

Unlike cars and scooters (in the U.S., at least), most motorcycles use manual transmissions. There’s no need to know how to drive a stick before taking the course (the only requirements are the permit and the ability to ride a bike), but a basic understanding of what a clutch and gears do will make learning how to use them much easier.

With my instructors Danny and Brett, I learned how to ride in logical baby steps. I began with the controls and how to start the bike. In first gear, I learned about the most important tool available to beginners: the friction zone.

If the bike is in gear, letting the clutch out a bit (into the friction zone) will move it forward, just like taking your foot of the brake in an automatic car. Even without hitting the throttle, there’s enough power here to get the bike up to a few miles per hour.

Once I was comfortable riding the bike using just the friction zone, the instructors pushed me to use the throttle. Throughout the course, they encouraged everyone to go faster and shift into higher gears. The idea is that you won’t be riding at 10 mph once you’re in traffic, so you had better learn how to ride faster in a safe environment.

It’s also more fun to go fast. That goes to the heart of why we all gave up a weekend to learn to ride: It’s supposed to be fun. Even circling cones in a parking lot at 20 mph generates a rush. If you don't get a rise out of it then riding probably isn't for you.

Each exercise built on what we had learned so far in the course, and followed a simple pattern. One instructor explained what we would do. The other demonstrated. Then we mounted up and tried it ourselves.

We covered shifting gears while accelerating, then engine braking by downshifting. We did quick stops, how to swerve around an obstacle, and what to do if there’s a two-by-four in the road (approach at a 90 degree angle, rev the throttle just before hitting it, and rise off the seat).

Step 5: The Test

The road test was not as easy as the written exam, but it wasn’t tough, either. There are four components: a tight U-turn, a swerve, a quick stop, and a regular turn. Each mistake adds points to your score. If you rack up more than 20, you fail. If you fall off your bike, you fail immediately.

It’s hard to flunk. I ran totally outside the lines on the tight U-turn — twice — and didn’t go into the regular turn with enough speed. That left me with eight points, so I passed easily.

Everyone in my course passed. I got a waiver, which I took to the DMV and exchanged for a license.

Am I Ready To Ride?

Sort of. I feel like I did after my first few lessons driving a stick shift car — ready for the road, but not brimming with confidence. I can operate a motorcycle; I won’t fall off or crash if a car cuts me off. But I have zero experience riding on a real road. Everything I know about riding in traffic comes from classroom instruction.

If I do buy a motorcycle, I would feel ready to ride in very light traffic and optimal conditions (daytime, dry weather). I would also consider going back to the Motorcycle Safety School for extra lessons.

Do I Want To Ride?

Absolutely. I learned about the risks — the course covers them thoroughly. I learned the limits of my ability — the simple road test drove that home. And I learned that it doesn't take anything more than a good teacher and plenty of practice to get better.

Full Disclosure: Vespa covered our $350 course fee, and the Motorcycle Safety School provided the $90 introductory lesson at no charge.

SEE ALSO: 17 Simple And Cheap Ways To Make NYC's Subways A Lot Better

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I recently got my motorcycle license, and while I'm pumped, my mother is not quite as thrilled.

That's understandable: Riding a motorcycle is undoubtedly more dangerous than driving a car.

If you find yourself itching to get on two wheels, and need some good reasons to convince your loved ones it's a good idea, here are seven solid arguments that might just convince them.

1. Motorcycles are much less expensive than cars.

If you need a vehicle for work and are afraid of going into debt, buying a motorcycle can be a fiscally responsible way to commute.

2. Bikes dominate cars when it comes to fuel efficiency.

It's easy to find a motorcycle that gets more than 60 miles per gallon. If your mom buys the fiscal argument, make sure to mention this. If not, make it an environmental point.

3. Parking is easy.

This one is big for the urban motorcyclist. Circling the block looking for a spot big enough for a car wastes time and gas. Finding a spot for your hog is a lot simpler.

4. Maneuverability makes a big difference in an emergency.

While you shouldn't be swerving between cars in normal circumstances, lots of action movies prove that when you need to cut through traffic in an emergency situation, a motorcycle is the way to go.

5. You can't text and drive.

Well, technically, you can. But the stupidity of doing so is much more apparent than in a car — so you're unlikely to try it.

6. You'll be easier to shop for.

Come your birthday, your mom won't have to worry about finding something you'll like or need. There's so much cool motorcycle gear out there (helmets, gloves, jackets, and accessories are just a start), she'll always be able to come up with something good.

7. You need a motorcycle license to ride a scooter.

That's the case here in New York. If you want your mom's blessing to get a license, you can always say you just want to try out a Vespa. Later on, you can quietly move onto a big bike.

Have any other brilliant arguments to convince your mom that it's a good idea to get a motorcycle license? Let us know in the comments.

SEE ALSO: If You've Got $350 And 2 Days, It's Really Easy To Learn How To Ride A Motorcycle

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Ever been stuck at a traffic light that takes an excruciating amount of time — what feels like hours — to turn green? 

Imagine that as a daily occurrence. 

That is what it’s like for some motorcyclists due to sensors at some intersections that don’t recognize when lightweight vehicles arrive.

To alleviate this aggravation, some states have passed “safe on red” laws that allow motorcyclists to legally drive through red lights.  

While I’m not a biker, I see the sense in having this type of law on the books until technology updates are made so that all traffic lights are able to recognize lightweight vehicles that don’t contain enough metal to set off the sensor.  

Without safe-on-red laws, drivers of motorcycles, mopeds, bicycles and other methods of transportation unable to trip sensors have dangerous options to choose from.  They may motion cars to squeeze by to trip the light, leave their vehicle in the middle of the road to push the pedestrian crosswalk button to trip the light, or illegally run the light.

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And, while it may sound dangerous for a driver to run a red light, if the rules put in place by state statues are properly followed it shouldn’t be. 

Safe-on-red laws vary by state on how they address the issue, but they all include basic instructions on how one can legally run a red light.  In general, the guidelines say motorcyclists must wait at the light for a predetermined amount of time and then only proceeding through the intersection if it’s free of cross traffic or pedestrians.

States with safe-on-red laws

• Arkansas - In effect since 2005, state law allows a motorcyclist to proceed with caution, after coming to a full and complete stop, through a red light that fails to detect the bike. (Arkansas Code section 27-52-206)
• Idaho – (2006) If a signal fails to operate after one cycle of the traffic light that a motorcyclist may proceed, using due caution and care, after coming to a full and complete stop at the intersection.  (Statute 49-802)
• Illinois - (2012) Permits a driver of a motorcycles or bicycle facing a red light that fails to change within a reasonable period of time of not less than 120 seconds to proceed after yielding the right-of-way to any oncoming traffic. However, this law doesn’t apply to municipalities of over 2,000,000 people – such as Chicago. (625 ILCS 5/11-306)
• Minnesota - (2002) A person operating a bicycle or motorcycle who runs a red light has an affirmative defense if the driver first came to a complete stop, the traffic light stayed red for an unreasonable amount of time and appeared not to detect the vehicle and no motor vehicles or people were approaching the street. (Statute 169.06)
• Missouri – (2009) State law tells both motorcyclists and bicyclists that run red lights that they have an affirmative defense if they brought their vehicle to a complete stop, the light was red for an unreasonable time period, and there were no motor vehicle or person approaching.  (Statute 304.285)
• Nevada - (2013) Those using motorcycles, bicycles, mopeds, and tri-mobiles are allowed to proceed through an intersection with a red light after waiting for two traffic light cycles, and they yield to other vehicle traffic or pedestrians. (Statute 484B.307)
• North Carolina - (2007) Motorcyclists are permitted to move cautiously through a steady red light after coming to a complete stop and waiting a minimum of three minutes and if no other vehicle or pedestrians are approaching the intersection. (NCGS 20-158)
• Oklahoma - (2010) Motorcycles can proceed cautiously through a steady red light intersection after a making a complete stop and if no other motor vehicle or person is approaching the roadway. (Statute 47-11-202)
• South Carolina - (2008) After making a complete stop and waiting for a minimum of 120 seconds, the driver of a motorcycle, moped, or bicycle may treat a steady red light that doesn’t change as a stop sign and proceed with caution. (S.C. Code 56-5-970)
• Tennessee - (2003) After coming to a complete stop, motorcyclists and bicyclists may proceed through a steady red light when it is safe to do so. (Tennessee Traffic Control Signals 55-8-110)
• Virginia – (2011) Drivers of motorcycles, mopeds, and bicycles may move with caution through non-responsive red lights as long as they yield the right-of-way to others approaching the intersection, and have come to a complete stop for two complete light cycles or 120 seconds, whichever is shorter.(Statute 46-2-833)
• Wisconsin - (2006) A motorcycle, moped or bicycle is permitted to run a steady red light after making a complete stop and waiting at least 45 seconds and then yields the right–of-way to any vehicular traffic or pedestrians using the intersection.  (Statute 346.37)

In early 2013, Nebraska introduced Bill LB 85 proposing a safe-on-red law, but the bill currently has a status of “indefinitely postponed.”

Hit by a red-light runner

What happens if a motorcyclist runs a red light and hits someone? Well, obviously the intersection wasn’t clear and the biker should not have proceeded. The safe-on-red law wouldn’t be a valid excuse for the biker since in all states motorcyclists and cyclists are required to proceed with caution and yield to other vehicles or pedestrians using the intersection.

Oklahoma even addresses this in its law by stating that if an accident results from a motorcyclist proceeding through a red light that the driver would be charged with failure to yield right-of-way.

When you don’t have the right-of-way you’re normally found negligent and thus responsible for the accident. This would make the motorcyclist liable for the damage he caused to others and damages to his own bike.  Liability insurance would cover damage to others, and collision would be needed for the at-fault party's motorcycle.

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HGTV host Bill Beckwith died Monday night in a motorcycle accident in San Francisco, reports Variety.

Beckwith, 38, was a contractor and carpenter who co-hosted the network's "Curb Appeal," a half-hour home improvement show that began running in 2002. 

"The collision was reported at about 8:30 p.m. Monday near Oak and Steiner streets," reports NBC Bay Area. "Beckwith, a San Francisco resident, was taken to San Francisco General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said."

A Facebook page has been created in Beckwith's memory.

On the page, his girlfriend Yulia Korneeva wrote, "My love: so kind, so bright, adventurous and strong. You are loved by so many good people! I wish you could stay with us for way longer."

SEE ALSO: Paul Walker Dead At 40 After Car Crash

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Polaris Industries (PII) has a bit of a dilemma. It’s not their stock price, that’s running well ahead of the S & P 500 over the past 12-months. It’s not sales of their off road vehicles, those are expected to climb 10-12% this year.

Their dilemma is how to differentiate and avoid inter-company competition between their recently purchased Indian brand and their homegrown Victory Motorcycles brand, while going after their prime competitor Harley Davidson.

One way might be by exploiting consumer niches with products like the Victory High-Ball cruiser.

We spent a few days riding the High-Ball around Southern California and also visited the Spirit Lake, Iowa factory where Victory Motorcycles are manufactured.

The High-Ball’s styling is all bobber, more like a custom than any motorcycle in mass production. It combines low (25” seat height and 16” whitewall Metzeler’s front and back) with high (adjustable shoulder height handlebars). .

But the High-Ball is not all show; its powerful 106 ci v-twin engine coupled with its six-speed transmission insures it has plenty of go!

In the full upright position the High-Ball’s “ape-hanger” handlebars are a reach, and at freeway speeds the lack of a windshield turns the rider into a bit of a sail.

But with a little seat time, after shoulder soreness subsides, the riding position becomes almost natural. Maybe that’s why after market ape-hanger bars are selling so well.

Victory’s 1731 cc engine is overhead cam, and a 50 degree V-twin with air/oil cooling. It’s more modern design puts out more torque and horsepower than the standard Harley engine and is also easier to service (one fluid drain vs. three). It likes to rev and has a nice sound, but different than a Harley.

Fully fueled (requires premium) weight of the High-Ball is just shy of 700 lbs. There is 5.1” of suspension travel in front with 3” in the rear. Not bad, and the standard solo seat is plenty comfortable for the type of riding the owner of this machine is liable to do.

The biggest surprise was how this high-handlebar bobber handled both the city streets and mountain curves around Los Angeles. The slightly raked front end and the 3.5” wide 16” tires worked well together and produced no scary moments, even at some speed.

With the High-Ball, Victory deserves thumbs up for innovation and for execution!

The 2014 Victory High-Ball sticker’s for $13,499 in standard two tone paint. A red flame on black option is also available.

The trip to the Victory factory was an interesting experience. While there is precise automation involved, production of Victory motorcycles involves a great deal of individual craftsmanship, maybe enough to keep Victory unique. Check out some photos from the factory visit:

Check out the full specs of Victory’s entire 2014 Lineup here.

SEE ALSO: Here's The Ride Suzuki Made To Change How Americans See Scooters

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