You’re a biker, you’re an SMRO member, you’re an SMRO leader, and you’re a MRF member, but are you doing everything you can to maintain our rights? Are you actively reaching out to your elected officials in Washington D.C. requesting that they take action on our issues? Are you actively soliciting your SMRO membership to reach out to their legislators? Maybe you’re simply ready to give up and let the government and manufacturers do what they want? It’s time to take action, NOW!
Do you have and ride a completely stock motorcycle? I mean 100% stock, no changes since it left the OEM’s facility. Original tires, exhaust, windshield, handgrips, floorboards, oil, and filter. If not, did you pay the dealership for all that work and the OEM parts? Guess what, the manufacturers think you, and your local aftermarket shop, are too stupid to work on your own motorcycle, and they are working to take that ability from you.
We have Right-to-Repair bill (H.R.1566) filed and assigned to the House Energy and Commerce Committee right now that can affect our ability work on or modify our motorcycles. We need this bill to pass to ensure we can get access to the manuals, diagnostic tools, and parts needed to repair, maintain, and modify our motorcycles without going through the OEM’s dealership. If not, we are looking at a world where you will be required to have a dealer do ALL your maintenance and repair work (tires, oil changes, etc.…) or risk that the electronic systems will work and render your motorcycle inoperable. As for that local shop you use for oil changes or parts, you know, the one you hang out at with other riders, will be driven out of business.
Do you know there are vehicles on the road today with a steering wheel, bucket seats, and seatbelts that are classified as a motorcycle? The Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) thinks this is a good thing, because they created these products to skirt safety requirements and regulations in order to sell more vehicles. We have a bill to redefine a motorcycle (H.R. 3385) filed and assigned to the House Energy and Commerce Committee to narrow the motorcycle definition to things like straddling or riding astride and having handlebars. The MIC is fighting us on this issue and acts as though we shouldn’t be concerned with this issue. Why does it matter?
- Accident and fatality statistics, which are used to create new laws and regulations, from these vehicles roll up to the motorcycle category in the national Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). When analyzing this data to create crash avoidance strategies, the different vehicle types involved in these crashes will drive toward different solutions. Meaning, the mixed data will probably lead to incorrect root causes and ultimately incorrect solutions.
- An “M” Class license is required to operate a motorcycle and training exists to instruct and test individuals on proper riding techniques to obtain such a license. There is no training course or practical riding course for these “other” types of vehicles.
- Different states have different laws for these types of vehicles. Some states continue to classify them as motorcycles, others have created the autocycle category for them, and some have not dealt with them at all. If you cross state lines while driving one of these, how do you know you’re legal? Do you need to wear a helmet, are you required to have an “M” classification?
Urgent action is needed, NOW! We must get more people to contact their legislators and push them to move these bills through the system. Click the links below to fill out the calls to action NOW!
You, and as many members as possible from your SMRO, are needed at Bikers Inside the Beltway. While there, you will personally meet with your legislators and / or their staff members on these important issues. You can find all the information you need to attend by following this link. Bikers Inside the Beltway
Action is required to maintain our rights, so if not now, when can you be counted on?
Pass this message along to as many people as possible. It is imperative we get everyone to act on these issues now.
Ride with the leaders,
J. Ryan Hubbard
MRF Executive Director
(309) 267-0606
