On the rainy Wednesday night of February 20, a lone motorcycle sat parked outside Montclare Leyden VFW Post 1284, at 6940 W. Diversey. But inside, Rebel Knights, American Knights, Blitzkriegs, and Outlaws packed the smoky bar. The Chicago chapter of the national motorcyclists’ association ABATE meets here every month. On this particular evening, Illinois’ Republican and Democratic gubernatorial candidates had been invited to come by for a debate.
ABATE of Illinois–the acronym stands for “A Brotherhood Aimed Toward Education”–is a 14,000-member PAC whose rallying cry is “Freedom isn’t free.” In its spare time, says the group’s newsletter, it shoots down helmet laws “for sport.” The Chicago contingent–founded in 1987–is 937 riders strong and counts among its membership cops, lawyers, tradespeople, and “anyone concerned with motorcyclists’ rights,” says Laszlo Nagy, who’s a stockbroker and the chapter’s legislative director. Bikers ambling into the VFW hall wore black leather and denim, Toys for Tots T-shirts and Awareness Ride sweats, POW-MIA caps, and Special Forces windbreakers.
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“We definitely put a serious amount of our energy into the political process,” Cowboy said. “Because we feel that that is one of the best ways to ensure our right to ride.” Other hot-button issues include proposed federal regulations limiting what motorcyclists can wear on the road (to “bright orange Kevlar nylon jumpsuits,” in Nagy’s words) and President Clinton’s 1996 amendment to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which allows insurance companies to exclude boaters, skiers, and people who ride snowmobiles, ATVs, horses, and motorcycles from continued medical coverage when they change carriers. “I could ride with a variety of restrictions put on me,” says Nagy. “But there’s no way I can ride without major medical insurance.”
“I knew who I was voting for before I came,” said Cowboy–O’Malley. “Because he’s a conservative and so am I.”
