You ride this, I’ll ride that.
I’ll pick up again on this list of “10 Biggest Threats To Motorcycling” that the AMA printed in its latest issue of American Motorcyclist.
Right To Repair
The third on the list is right to repair. The problem is that as vehicles of all kinds get more complex, the manufacturers are not excited about sharing their proprietary tech that is needed for someone else to fix them. They’d rather you had no option but to take your bike or car to the dealer.
As they put it, “Right to Repair is the idea that a consumer has the right to choose their preferred service and repair provider (including themselves and independent shops); this also means that manufacturers are required to make the parts and needed information available to the public for a fair and reasonable price.”
For example, what if the nearest dealer is 150 miles away, while you’ve got a good independent shop right down the street?
The AMA and other groups are promoting–with growing momentum–federal legislation to require that this be an option. Meanwhile, 20 plus states have passed their won Right to Repair legislation.
Land Access
This next item is perhaps the most contentious of the bunch, with some riders on one side of the argument and others on the other side. Motorized access to public lands is not something everyone wants to see. A lot of hikers strongly resent sharing a trail with someone on a motorcycle.
But motorcyclists are citizens and pay taxes, too, so you can’t rightfully close off all public land to all motorized traffic. It’s all about striking an equitable balance. It also helps to have separate hiking and biking trails.
The fix for the problem, the article says, is this:
“A wider recognition and understanding of the benefits that off-highway motorcycles have on the local economy, coupled with volunteer trail maintenance efforts spearheaded by these users, goes a long way in preventing potential closures from being proposed. Responsible trail use and partnerships with other users are important.
“When land-access issues do arise, it is important to be organized and engaged with the land managing agency. The AMA encourages alternative sites to be identified and made available if a recreational area is closed for an extended period of time.”
Keep this in mind because the next item on the list refers directly back to this.
Biker Quote for Today
100 reasons not to date a biker: 47. Spring fever starts in November.
