Motorcycle! Virginia! For many of us, these words sum up our great passions. The joy of riding is understood by every motorcyclist, whether they ride a cruiser, sport bike, trail bike, standard or chopper. And the beauty of Virginia, from mountains to ocean, is cherished by those who live here and admired by those whose visit.

In the belief that Virginia is good for motorcycling and motorcycling is good for Virginia, the Motorcycle Virginia! project began in 2004. With the support of Governor Mark Warner, his Administration's Secretaries of Commerce and Trade, Public Safety, and Transportation initiated this effort to encourage motorcycle related tourism, safety, and business development in Virginia. The outcome of their efforts was codified by Executive Order 45 as the Governor's Motorcycle Advisory Council.

The council's planning meetings have joined together state agency personnel and motorcycle advocacy representatives to determine shared interests and develop ideas on how those can be pursued to benefit motorcycling and Virginia. Central to this discussion has been the recognition that many clubs, organizations, and individuals have already done a great deal to promote motorcycling and protect the interests of motorcyclists in the Commonwealth. Similarly, there are already many efforts by businesses and communities to attract motorcyclists.

Motorcycle Virginia! does not seek to replace these, but to build on their efforts and provide all of them with a new forum for wider distribution of their message; increased opportunities for advancing their goals by the networking a central, state encouraged, resource on motorcycling in Virginia might provide; and building new relationships between the motorcycling community and state agencies that impact motorcycling. Although without state funding, it is our hope that the initiative can achieve much through volunteer participation, donations, and grant funding.

Already, over 100,000 yellow "Watch for Motorcycles" bumper stickers, obtained with the assistance of the Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Board, have been distributed since 2004 as the group’s first project. In addition to distribution at events, dealerships, and club meetings, the awareness bumper sticker is now given to each rider safety course student.

The next step in the Motorcycle Virginia! effort is this website, launched in September 2005. Funding for the website has been provided by a grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration administered through Motorcycle Safety League of Virginia and contributions from individual riders as well as motorcycle-related businesses and associations.

We hope you find it useful and that it will become an expanding tool for motorcyclists from Virginia and visiting Virginia, and for vendors, the travel industry, and businesses who recognize the economic contribution of motorcyclists to our communities. We invite your interest, participation, and suggestions as this effort moves on down the road.