Indian Motorcycle Company is recalling certain model year 2014-2016 Chief Classic, Dark Horse, Chieftain, Roadmaster, Vintage and Chieftain Dark Horse motorcycles manufactured April 15, 2013, to June 16, 2015. In the event of an engine misfire, unburned fuel may pass through parts of the exhaust system, raising the exhaust temperatures.

Indian will notify owners, and dealers will update the engine control module (ECM) software, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in July 2016. Owners may contact Indian customer service at 1-877-204-3697. Indian's number for this recall is I-16-02.

On a round trip to Kerrville, TX, I gotta say the Texas Hill Country is a beautiful place to ride. Riding through the shade of a pecan bottom I see a large flock of wild turkey hens with this spring's hatchlings. Further down the road, I stop for a turkey hen and her young ‘uns crossing the road.

But I digress from the main reason I write today: hearing protection on motorcycles.

The subject of hearing protection is dear to me. After a lifetime of hunting, handgun shooting, airplanes, motorcycles, and loud engines, my ears treat me daily to a cacophony of ringing, buzzes, and static. I'm OK with my current condition – I've made peace with it. Still, I now strive to avoid aggravating it, and I notice when I fail to use appropriate ear protection somebody turns up the volume on the ringing in my ears.

I'm on the FBI's motorcycle “gang member” list. If you own a motorcycle, you are too.

Just kidding.

There's an article on this subject floating around the internet that looks and reads very much like a news story. It claims a government official has confirmed that anyone who bought a motorcycle or obtained a motorcycle license since 1994 is on an FBI list and classified as a “gang member.”