Author: Frank Saxton

RPM Act Reintroduced in the U.S. Senate: Tell Congress to support your right to race!

AMA, News Feed, Uncategorized

The Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act (RPM Act, S. 203) was reintroduced in the House by Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.). The bi-partisan RPM Act would ensure that converting motor vehicles into competition-only vehicles remains legal. Street motorcycles are considered motor vehicles under the Clean Air Act.

The act states that it was the clear intent of Congress when passing and amending the Clean Air Act that motor vehicles, including motorcycles, used solely for competition would be exempt from the Clean Air Act\’s prohibitions against modifying emission control devices.

The American Motorcyclist Association supports the bill and its protections for amateur and professional racing enthusiasts.

Tell your senators you support S. 203. Send a prewritten email by using the convenient AMA Action Center.

Take Action

The RPM Act has 14 cosponsors in the Senate. If your senators are already sponsors, you can express your thanks, as well.

The AMA is coordinating efforts with the RPM Coalition to support this legislation.

(BikePac note:  the MRF also supports this bill here:)

WASHINGTON, DC –  It was a one-two punch for motorcycle and race car enthusiasts during the month of January. Following the January 6th introduction by the House of Representatives, the Senate released its version, (S.203) of the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2017 (RPM Act). Introduced by Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), the bill already has a number of supporters from both political parties. Similarly, the House version (HR.350) has 73 supporters though this number grows by the day.

Like the version pending in the House, the Senate bill ensures that transforming motor vehicles, including motorcycles, into race cars or racing bikes used exclusively in competition does not violate the Clean Air Act. The issue came to a head when EPA officials insisted that they have the authority to regulate the racing industry according to the Clean Air Act. The RPM Act would clarify that the Clean Air Act does indeed allow motor vehicles, including motorcycles, to be converted into dedicated race vehicles without fear of EPA penalties or enforcement action.

Similar bills surfaced last year but ultimately fell short of passage before the 114th Congress adjourned in December of 2016. Proponents of the amateur racing industry and others including the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, and the Specialty Equipment Market Association have included passage of the RPM Act as one of their key priorities in the 2017 legislative season. Both organizations among several others were listed as supporters on Senator Burr’s press release on S.203:

http://www.burr.senate.gov/press/releases/burr-introduces-bill-to-keep-epa-from-devastating-amateur-motorsports

“The Clean Air Act was never intended to allow the EPA to regulate race cars or motorcycles,” said Megan Ekstrom, Vice-President of Government Affairs for the Motorcycle Riders Foundation. “This is, unfortunately, yet another example of an agency’s overreach.”

Over 200,000 letters were sent last year to Congress in support of passage of the RPM Act last year. The bills will now go through the legislative process in which many are hopeful the proposals will cross the finish line.

Federal agency seeks comments on driver distraction guidelines. Voice your opinion today!

AMA

Jan 12, 2017

On Dec. 5, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration requested comments on its Visual-Manual NHTSA Driver Distraction Guidelines for Portable and Aftermarket Devices. The deadline to submit comments is Feb. 3.

Take Action

The American Motorcyclist Association applauds NHTSA for its effort, because these guidelines are part of the NHTSA\’s ongoing effort to combat the problem of distracted and inattentive driving. Motorcyclists know how dangerous distracted drivers can be and these guidelines are an effort to address the danger resulting from the ever-increasing number of smart phones and other portable devices making their way into drivers\’ hands.

The U.S. Department of Transportation certainly is aware of the dangers posed by driver distraction, based on its own 2005 landmark research report released by the NHTSA and the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. This report found that \”nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention within three seconds before the event. Primary causes of driver inattention are distracting activities, such as cell phone use…\” The AMA shares the NHTSA\’s position that these guidelines for portable and aftermarket devices are an important way to \”mitigate the real-world risk posed by driver distraction from portable devices.\”

With the safety of motorcyclists the utmost priority to the AMA, we urge you to voice your opinion before Feb. 3.

Take Action

Source:  The American Motorcyclist Association

Federal Highway Administration Moves Forward with Motorcyclist Advisory Council: Motorcyclists Severely Underrepresented

MRF

Jan 9, 2017

WASHINGTON, DC – Motorcyclists across the country were discouraged to find out that the Federal Highway Administration will only require one motorcyclist to serve on an Advisory Council supposedly dedicated to representing those who ride. The Motorcyclist Advisory Council, a newly reestablished group, is supposed to serve and advise the Federal Highway Administration on issues critical to motorcyclists across the nation. By design, the “MAC” would allow motorcyclists the opportunity to discuss how they are affected by roadway design, barriers, construction, and the emergence of intelligent transportation systems like driverless vehicles. However, according to a notice in the Federal Register, the Council is instead requiring participants with safety and engineering backgrounds and only indicating room for one representative from the motorcycling community.

The MAC of the Past
The original Motorcyclist Advisory Council was established in a 2005 highway bill. The 2005 law called for the Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration to have a dialogue with the motorcycle community on infrastructure issues of concern to motorcyclists. The Council had 10 members consisting of representatives from the motorcycling community as well as individuals with professional expertise in national motorcyclist safety. According to the 2005 law, four of the ten council members were to include members of the motorcycling community from various state and federal motorcycle associations. The other 6 members would serve to provide the necessary technical expertise related to roadway design, safety and other issues.

However, in 2009 the highway bill expired and along with it, so did the Council. Motorcyclists were disheartened – the MAC was the only official forum they had to express to authorities at the Department of Transportation the issues they faced on the road. That’s why when the Council was reestablished in 2016, it was viewed as a positive development to once again open a dialogue between government officials and motorcyclists across the nation.

A Short-Lived Celebration
Though motorcyclists applauded Congress for reestablishing the Council, this positivity was short-lived. This week, the Federal Highway Administration or FHWA, announced plans to officially open nominations for participants to serve on the newly reestablished Council. The Council would again consist of ten members, however unlike in 2005, only one representative from a motorcycle association will be required to serve. Many balked including Kirk ‘Hardtail’ Willard, President of the Board of Directors for the Motorcycle Riders Foundation:

“Despite our best efforts to ensure the motorcycle community had a seat at the table, the FHWA has dismissed our concerns and efforts instead emphasizing councilmembers with safety and engineering backgrounds without any experience actually riding a motorcycle. Including only one motorcyclist in this group is not only imbalanced, unfair and contrary to the mission of the MAC, but it defeats the entire purpose of the Council. The MAC was supposed to carry the voice of motorcyclists – having only one member as an actual motorcyclist will render this Council ineffective.”

Dozens of Members of Congress appeared to agree with Willard; over the summer a letter was sent to the FHWA encouraging them to adopt similar language as the 2005 MAC which included at least four motorcyclists in the panel of ten. It appears this letter was largely ignored by the Federal Highway Administration.

The FHWA remains supportive of the Council and its approach to its participants going forward indicating that technical expertise was necessary to ensure the MAC is able to fulfill its charter. The notice from the Agency also indicated that all meetings of the MAC would be public therefore allowing others to speak in support or against of the Council’s activities.

Nonetheless, the motorcycle community remains displeased. Lobbyist for the Motorcycle Riders Foundation Megan Ekstrom said, “It’s unfortunate that the Federal Highway Administration is choosing to move forward with a Motorcyclist Advisory Council that will not be representative of actual motorcyclists. There are over 10 million bikers on the road in the U.S. and those numbers are increasing. This community is desperate to have a dialogue with the Administration and yet, their requests have fallen on deaf ears. This is a perfect example of the government ‘knowing what’s best’ for a diverse community with a unique set of needs. It’s a travesty that none of this will be represented in this so-called ‘Motorcyclist’ Advisory Council.”

Nominations to serve on the Council are due at the end of February. The notice from the Federal Highway Administration can be viewed here:

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2017/01/09/2017-00125/motorcyclist-advisory-council-to-the-federal-highway-administration

Source:  Motorcycle Riders Foundation

AMA News and Notes: Jan 2017

AMA

January 2017  (source: American Motorcyclist Assn)

National and Regional News

CLOVIS, Calif. – Sierra National Forest officials are requesting public input for the 2018 State Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Grant funding and proposal submission cycle. As part of the application process, forest officials are requesting input on ideas from individuals and organizations on what they would like to have included in the proposal. Each year, the state makes funding available through the OHV program, which provides financial assistance to those who develop, maintain, operate, support or contribute to the overall management of OHV recreation areas, roads, and trails. Written comments may be submitted to: Sierra National Forest, Attn. Jody Nickerson, 1600 Tollhouse Road, Clovis, CA, 93611, or jnickerson@fs.fed.us. Comments must be submitted by the close of the business day Jan. 17, 2017.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Park Service Centennial Act was signed into law by President Obama on Dec. 16. The act provides the National Park Service with new resources that will help it address a $12 billion maintenance backlog. Among other provisions, the law allows the agency to use youth conservation corps and volunteers to aid national park operations.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The AMA is demanding that the U.S. Department of Transportation include motorcyclists in discussing and planning the nation\’s policies and regulations for vehicle-to-vehicle communications technology in new cars. \”We certainly recognize and appreciate the potential for improved safety as vehicles communicate while in operation,\” said Wayne Allard, AMA vice president of government relations. \”But we want to ensure that the detection and response sensors and software can detect motorcyclists and respond appropriately.\” The DOT issued a proposed rule in December that would advance the deployment of connected vehicle technologies throughout the nation\’s light-vehicle fleet. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking would mandate V2V communication technology on all new light-duty vehicles, enabling new crash-avoidance applications that, once fully deployed, could prevent hundreds of thousands of crashes every year by helping vehicles \”talk\” to each other.

State News

MADERA COUNTY, Calif. – Local officials are continuing with plans for a 956-acre off-highway-vehicle park in O\’Neals and have signed a lease with the landowner for $1 a month to keep potential buyers at bay, according to the Sierra Star newspaper. The county plans to review the project area for potential effects on Native American sites while staff members pursue grant funding. Four tribes, including Table Mountain and Chukchansi, have historic connections to the Blackhawk Ranch property where the site is located. The proposed park was nearing approval of state grants to begin required environmental studies until the Federal Highway Administration delayed it over concerns about the National Historic Preservation Act, which mandates a review.

RAPID CITY, S.D. – The U.S. Forest Service Black Hills National Forest Advisory Board is scheduled to meet Jan. 4 for an update on the Black Hills resilient landscape project, over-snow travel and the nonmotorized working group\’s activities. Volunteers on these boards can influence projects that may not seem OHV-related, yet can affect riding areas. This meeting at the Mystic Ranger District office, 8221 Mount Rushmore Road, is open to the public and time will be allocated at the middle and end for public comments. For more information, contact Scott Jacobsen, board coordinator, by phone at (605) 440-1409 or by email at sjjacobsen@fs.fed.us.

ST. GEORGE, Utah – The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is reviewing its Arizona OHV policies and has scheduled five meetings in January to listen to the community. The National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council and the BLM are working together to develop a National Motorized Recreation Action Plan that will help the BLM develop individual state strategies for providing high quality OHV opportunities. These meetings are intended to allow riders to share their thoughts on OHV activities on BLM land and how the BLM can improve the OHV experience. The meetings are scheduled for 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

  • Jan. 23: Red Lion, 850 S. Bluff St., St. George, Utah
  • Jan. 24: Ramada Kingman, 3100 E. Andy Divine Ave. Kingman, Ariz.
  • Jan. 25: Quartzite Community Center, 295 Chandler St., Quartzite, Ariz.
  • Jan. 26: Sheraton Tucson Hotel & Suites, 5151 E. Grant Road, Tucson, Ariz.
  • Jan. 27: Coffinger Park Rec Center, 175 E. Swilling Ave., Wickenburg, Ariz.

YAKIMA, Wash. – The Wagon Wheel OHV Club received a $19,398 Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative grant for its 2017 Patterson Park Trail Project in cooperation with the Blanco Ranger District of the White River National Forest. The grant also provides hand tools, chainsaws, safety equipment, and two small dump trailers to use for annual trail clearing and maintenance, and to implement special trail projects. A storage unit will also be purchased through the grant.

MADISON, Wis. – The state Department of Natural Resources approved a plan for a former ammunition plant that includes part-time off-highway-vehicle use. The Sauk Prairie State Recreation Area, once the site of the Badger Army Ammunition Plant, covers about 3,900 acres. The state plan calls for converting 50 percent of the area\’s trails for off-road motorcycles six days per year. AMA Wisconsin State Chapter Coordinator Bryan Much was instrumental in getting the single-track trails open to motorcyclists. Much, also president of the Wisconsin Off-Highway Motorcycle Association, said riders often have to travel to other states to ride off road and allowing riding six days a year in Sauk Prairie isn\’t too much to ask. \”We\’re talking about sharing and taking turns,\” he said.

Industry News

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Continental, known primary for its tires, is introducing swarm technology to motorcycling at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The company says its eHorizon technology for two-wheelers connects bikers, offers a shared platform to motorcyclist communities and allows motorcyclists to share route information. Swarm intelligence continuously supplies the digital map in the backend with accurate and up-to-date information. \”The stored data is collated in the cloud and made available to all motorcyclists,\” said Ralf Lenninger, head of Continental\’s Intelligent Transportation Systems. \”As a result, the eHorizon system informs bikers in advance of obstacles along their route, such as construction zones, accidents, slippery conditions, or traffic jams. Having this information can enhance safety, not only for motorcyclists, but also for other road users.\”

COLUMBUS, Ohio – DN 2.0 LLC has acquired Dealernews from UBM. The company intends to relaunch the 51-year-old powersports media brand with a new mission and new utilities to serve franchised and non-franchised powersports retailers and service shops in the United States and Canada. A new website is planned for Dealernews to provide business news and industry education for powersports retail dealers and service and performance businesses. DN 2.0 LLC\’s founder and President is Bob Althoff, principal owner of A.D. Farrow Co. Harley-Davidson in Columbus. Chairman and co-founder is Stan Simpson, past chairman of the AMA and former owner of JRJ Sports Center in Cibolo, Texas.

TOKYO – Asian ride-hailing service Grab has secured an investment from Honda Motor Co. as part of a deal to collaborate on its motorbike-hailing service, in the latest auto industry tie-up of its type. The two companies plan to form a partnership to develop the ride-sharing technology and related driver education programs. Grab\’s services include taxi and motorbike-hailing, carpooling, delivery and mobile payments.

TOKYO – Honda and Alphabet\’s Waymo are in discussions about integrating Waymo\’s self-driving technology into Honda cars. This technical collaboration between Honda researchers and Waymo\’s self-driving technology team will allow both companies to learn about the integration of fully self-driving sensors, software and computer into Honda vehicles. As part of the discussion on technical collaboration, Honda could initially provide Waymo with vehicles modified to accommodate Waymo\’s self-driving technology. These vehicles would join Waymo\’s fleet, which is being tested across four U.S. cities.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – ZEV has begun sales of its LRC-X Super Scooter, with more speed and range than its previous electric scooters. The LRC-X promised a range of 180 miles at 55 mph and 100 miles at 70 mph. To encourage customers to race their LRC-X at the local IHRA dragstrip, ZEV offers a performance controller package that allows customers to set their bikes for race mode. MSPR for the new scooter is $15,950.

International News

LONDON – Motorcyclists in the United Kingdom are partnering with Highways England and the National Police Chief\’s Council to make practical changes to the nation\’s road network for motorcyclist safety. A government white paper titled Realizing the Motorcycling Opportunity: A Motorcycle Safety and Transport Policy Framework identified key factors for making roads more biker-friendly, including road user awareness, safe infrastructure and education. Some of the proposed changes are using rider-friendly barriers and road surfaces, removing unnecessary road signs, promptly cleaning up of diesel spills, repositioning pillars and using non-slip manhole covers. The group also will promote safety messages and create awareness about motorcycles and scooters.

MELBOURNE, Australia – The Environment Protection Authority Victoria is cracking down on owners of motorcycles with modified exhausts after 12 percent of noisy-vehicle complaints since January 2014 concerned motorcycles, AutoEvolution.com reports. Harley-Davidson owners were found to be the top culprits. Yamaha, Honda and Kawasaki are the other brands to receive more than 20 notices. The authority issued notices to 465 owners, requiring them to have their bikes tested and to make any repairs or modifications to make them compliant with the Environment Protection Act of 1970 and the Environment Protection (Vehicle Emissions) Regulations of 2013. The law calls for a maximum of 94 decibels for motorcycles built before 2005 or since 2005 with a modified exhaust. \”A bike\’s specific stationary noise test information must be displayed on the vehicle for motorbikes manufactured from March 1, 1988,\” said Chris Webb, EPA regulatory practice and strategy executive director. Motorcycles built before March 1, 1988, must come in at 100 decibels or lower.

AMA News

PICKERINGTON, Ohio – The AMA has announced the nominees for the 2016 AMA Championship Banquet awards, which recognize individuals and organizations that excelled in AMA-sanctioned competition and recreational activity during the year. AMA members helped select the winners of the competition categories with their votes, including the prestigious AMA Athlete of the Year honor. Award winners will be announced at the 2016 AMA Championship Banquet on Saturday, Jan. 21, at the Hilton Downtown Columbus in Columbus, Ohio. Class champions from national and regional motorcycle and ATV championships also will be honored with No. 1 plates. Second- and third-place finishers will receive awards, as well. The AMA also will recognize AMA-chartered clubs and promoters that raised the bar for AMA-sanctioned activity in 2016.

PICKERINGTON, Ohio – The AMA welcomes the support of GasGas North America, which will provide an AMA membership along with every new 2017 GasGas enduro or trials motorcycle purchased in the United States, effective retroactively to Dec. 1, 2016. GasGas says the program is designed to help support the AMA\’s membership efforts and to get every GasGas owner started off on the right foot as a member of the largest motorcycle enthusiast membership association in the country. The membership program is available to those who have purchased a new 2017 GasGas model since Dec. 1. For GasGas customers who are existing AMA members, GasGas will cover an additional year of their membership dues. To activate their AMA membership, or to extend an existing membership by one year, new GasGas purchasers should call (800) 262-5646.

PICKERINGTON, Ohio – The AMA 2016 AMA Motorcyclists of the Year are U.S. World Trophy Team members Taylor Robert, Kailub Russell, Thad DuVall and Layne Michael. On Oct. 16, 2016, they won the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme\’s International Six Days Enduro, a feat no team of American motorcyclists had ever before accomplished. The AMA Motorcyclist-or Motorcyclists-of the Year is the individual or group of individuals who have had the largest positive impact on motorcycling in the calendar year. Since 1913, the ISDE has invited the countries of the world to send their best racers. It is a crown that has until now eluded American racers. The 2016 ISDE was held Oct. 11-16 in Navarra, Spain.

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The Road to Zero Initiative Advances in the U.S.; Motorcyclists Play an Important Role

MRF, Uncategorized

Dec 21, 2016

WASHINGTON, DC – In October, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) unveiled a new initiative dedicated to eliminating all traffic-related deaths in thirty years. “Road to Zero” is the concept that achieving zero traffic-related deaths is achievable through new policies and solutions. First initiated in Sweden in 1997 as “Vision Zero” the program has been adopted by many European. The U.S. version made progress last week with the holding of a symposium and invited speakers to discuss the challenges and choices with the concept. The event also offered participants the opportunity to partake in “breakout sessions” to discuss proposed actions on how to achieve the lofty goal.

The only entity representing the motorcycle community present at the symposium was the Motorcycle Riders Foundation’s Vice-President of Government Affairs, Megan Ekstrom. Ekstrom was invited to participate in one of the breakout sessions focused on how to create a safer environment for other roadway users with modes of transportation outside of traditional automobiles. Working directly with DoT officials, Ekstrom emphasized the need to prevent crashes rather than concepts focused on how to have “safer” crashes. Specifically, she addressed the need for additional training and awareness programs for other drivers teaching them strategies on how to be alert, identify, react and interact with motorcyclists on the road. She suggested that this could be achieved by targeting education towards new drivers on the road and even encompassed in driver education programs as well as included as part of the testing for drivers’ licensing requirements. These sorts of activities and strategies could help to make motorcyclists safer on the nation’s roadways and help contribute to achieving Road to Zero’s goals.

Other participants in the coalition emphasized alternative approaches; most centered around how to crash ‘safer’ rather than to avoid crashing. Dr. Grant Baldwin, Director of the Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention at the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) spoke to participants touting the requirement of universal helmet laws as one of the Agency’s key recommendations in achieving zero traffic deaths.

As the Road to Zero initiative moves forward over the next few months, there will undoubtedly be opportunities to shape the program in different ways. For the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, their emphasis will be focused on how to prevent crashes between motorcycles and automobiles and measures that can be taken suggesting that education and awareness to prevent crashes is the preferred strategy for the motorcycle community.

Source: Motorcycle Riders Foundation

MRF: 2016 End of Year Review – Advocacy Accomplishments & Next Steps

Uncategorized

Dec 16, 2016

As we edge closer to the end of 2016 and begin to look towards 2017 and all that we want to achieve on behalf of bikers’ rights, it’s important to reflect on the successes we’ve achieved this year. Below is a partial list of some of the victories realized in the realm of motorcycle rights nationally in 2016. In addition to these “wins” there is also commentary about next steps and what we can expect to see in the future regarding each of these issues.

The Enactment of the FAST ACT –  Major updates were included in the nation’s highway bill that took effect on January 1 of this year. Not only did the FAST Act address the nation’s surface transportation issues and specifically address challenges facing the U.S. transportation system, including improving safety, maintaining infrastructure condition, reducing traffic congestion, improving efficiency and reducing delays in project delivery, but the law allocated over $4 million dollars to go towards states programs addressing motorcyclist education, training and safety.

FUTURE ACTIVITY: The FAST Act will be in effect until 2020 and therefore conversations about the next highway bill won’t pick up speed until 2018. However, President-Elect Trump has committed to a multi-million-dollar infrastructure package calling for improvements to roads, bridges and airports. Undoubtedly, public safety advocates will try and use this package as a vehicle to insert language surrounding perceived safety issues potentially affecting bikers.

The Prohibition of Federal Funding for Motorcycle Checkpoints – Your MRF and its partners in Washington fought for years to attempt to end this often-used strategy by law enforcement that was employed to harass and conduct searches of motorcyclists. A section in the highway bill that went into effect in January helped to prohibit this practice by stating clearly that federal funds could not be used to conduct these checkpoints going forward.

FUTURE ACTIVITY: Your MRF will remain vigilant to ensure similar language is included in future iterations of highway bills. However, many states are now using non-federal funding to continue to conduct these checkpoints. If your organization is interested in passing a bill at the state level to end this practice, the MRF can help prepare you with talking points and suggested legislative language. In addition, if you think you have been the victim of a motorcycle checkpoint paid for by federal dollars, contact the MRF for help in pursuing a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to ensure your rights are not being violated.

The Reestablishment of The Motorcyclist Advisory Council – Since 2009, bikers have lacked a formal mechanism to engage with officials within the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to discuss motorcycle-related issues. In 2016, with the enactment of the FAST Act, there was a provision that reestablished the Motorcyclist Advisory Council, ensuring bikers a seat at the table and a ‘direct connect’ to our nation’s top highway safety officials when it comes to issues like driverless cars, road barriers and general highway safety issues and how they impact motorcyclists.

FUTURE ACTIVITY: Though the Council has been directed to be reestablished, the formalized process for doing so has not yet been initiated. The FHWA is likely in 2017 to call for volunteers to serve on the Council and conduct its first meeting. Your MRF will be closely monitoring this process and work with its SMRO partners to ensure motorcycle rights’ advocates are included as a part of the Council.

The EPA Rescinds Its Regulation Affecting Racing Bikes and Racecars – In 2015, the EPA published a rule that would disallow individuals to modify their motorcycles or cars for track racing due to concerns over air emissions. After pressure from industry and Congress, in April of this year the EPA withdrew the section on modified racecars and racing bikes within the proposed regulation. Though work remains, this was a major victory over this ‘regulation happy’ agency.

FUTURE ACTIVITY: Despite withdrawing the critical section of the rule affecting racing bikes and racecars, the EPA has continued to verbally maintain that it is illegal to make emissions modifications needed to convert a street-legal car or motorcycle into a racecar used solely on the track. Consequently, any business that makes or supplies these parts or services to modify the emissions systems is subject to enforcement. As a result, the RPM Act was introduced that would provide clarity to industry and the racing community that the Clean Air Act DOES allow cars and motorcycles to be converted into dedicated race vehicles and that doing so is not “tampering.” Despite 148 co-sponsors in the House and 33 co-sponsors in the Senate, the RPM Act was not taken up for a vote in 2016. Bikers and the MRF are hopeful that, with a more industry-friendly EPA under President-Elect Trump, this issue will be swiftly dealt with and passage of the RPM Act will be realized next year.

Introduction of a Federal Bill to Address Motorcycle Profiling – Increasingly, bikers have voiced complaints over incidents where they have felt profiled or singled out by law enforcement because of their appearance, apparel, or because they are simply riding a motorcycle. This unjust and unlawful practice has led to activity at the state level, but in 2016 federal authorities took notice and introduced a bill addressing the issue and promoting public awareness and urging state law enforcement officials to condemn the practice in written policies and training materials. This was a major step in making this issue a national discussion.

FUTURE ACTIVITY: The MRF will be working with the 19 co-sponsors of the bill to quickly get another bill introduced in the 115th Congress. As with all federal bills, on December 31, 2016 the congressional clock gets “reset” and all pending legislative proposals expire and therefore must be reintroduced. Your MRF is committed to getting the bill reintroduced in 2017 as well as introducing a companion bill in the Senate. However, we do anticipate obstacles as chatter from law enforcement in some states has already resulted in several Senators and Congressman withholding their support. The MRF will need help from you and our partners to ensure this bill goes ‘all the way’ in the 115th Congress.

Conclusion

Despite all we have accomplished together in 2016, next year is sure to bring its own set of challenges as well as opportunities to advance the cause of biker rights. In addition to all of the commentary above, together we must remain diligent and steadfast on many, many other issues including the increasing amount of ethanol-blended gasoline at the pump and the effects on our engines, ensuring that fatality statistics are separated between motorcycles and other classes of vehicles such as autocycles, advancements in self-driving cars and effects on motorcyclists and our seemingly never-ending uphill battle to force policymakers to focus on education and crash avoidance instead of “safer” crashing.

Whatever the future brings, your MRF looks forward to maintaining its status as the ONLY national motorcycle rights organization dedicated to on-street riders and its reputation as the leading expert when it comes to bikers and the freedom to ride.

Source: Motorcycle Riders Foundation