The Summer of 2008 will bring the launching of a new hotel concept marketed to motorcycle riders- a luxury boutique hotel designed for the discriminating motorcycle enthusiast. The Iron Horse Hotel will open in July across the river from the new Harley Davidson Museum in downtown Milwaukee. 

The hotel boast amenities for the rider and the bike.  For the bike: covered motorcycle parking, rag bins and check-in carts – perfect for transporting saddle bag contents to your room. There’s an on-site bike wash, an on-premise retailer with travel essentials and rider accessories, and maintenance kits with standard tools available on demand. For the rider: atile entrance to each of the 100 over-sized loft-style rooms features custom hooks for hanging heavy leathers, heavy shelves for helmets and benches made from reclaimed wood from the building for removing and storing boots. All rooms include a comfy pillow-top bed, luxury linens, an all tile walk-in shower, wall-mounted flat-screen TVs, wireless internet and iPod docking stations. Guests are greeted at check-in with a special bag complete with an Iron Horse Hotel skull cap, sun screen and lip balm. They will even pack a lunch for your saddle bag, provide ride routes and suggest bike-friendly spots throughout the area.

Room rates start around $250 per night and special promotional packages are available from their website. If you have a side car or other seating for your four legged friends, bring them along too.  The Iron Horse is dog friendly.

For more information visit, www.theironhorsehotel.com.

By: Mary Ann Morgan, Esquire; Managing Partner of Billings, Morgan and Boatwright

The debate goes on. " Should I go bare?  Why buy insurance if I don't have to?  I have a mortgage or rent to pay and the last thing I want to do is give an insurance company my hard earned money! Besides, I'm a careful rider. And even if I do get insurance, it will be the minimum to keep me legal. I'm not wasting money on that UM coverage (Uninsured/Underinsured coverage). By the way, what the heck is UM?"

Sound familiar?  As we all look for ways to tighten our belts in an ever increasing downward turn in the economy, the last thing on our minds is spending a bunch on insurance. In a tight economy, often insurance coverage is one of the first things to go.  WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!

We all know the statistics. 70% of accidents involving motorcycles are the fault of the other person. You've seen them on the road.  Crazy drivers who don't care a flip about motorcycles or the safety of those riding them.  And face it.  If we really thought we would be in an accident, we may be driving only cars.  But they happen.  And if you are involved in an accident while on a bike, chances are it will not be pretty.  You WILL be on the losing end of that battle.

So what's the best use of your insurance dollars?  First you have to look at the risk.  If chances are greater that you may not be at fault for an accident, let's look at statistics regarding other motorists in Florida who share the roads with you.  Florida law does not require vehicle drivers to carry bodily injury liability insurance, only property damage insurance. (Some may say our legislators care more about cars being damaged than people, however that is a topic for another article)