Posts Tagged ‘Right to Repair’

MRF Priorities For The Year

Thursday, October 15th, 2026


No connection; just a fun photo as an illustration.

OK, I’m going to take the easy way out today and just do a copy/paste. Call me lazy if you wish.

The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) is the national organization working to protect motorcyclists’ rights. Just as the various ABATEs are the state-level groups doing the same work. Every year the MRF has a national conference and, among other things, decides which issues to focus on in the coming year.

Here are the areas they intend to focus on.

HIGH PRIORITY OBJECTIVES:

Autonomous Vehicles: Advocate and monitor any legislation or regulations related to motorcycles concerning connected and autonomous vehicles.

Crash Avoidance: Continue to promote the theme of crash avoidance versus safer crashing urging the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to focus on crash prevention and support rider education by providing funding and other resources.

Data Recording: Pursue legislative language that any collected or available vehicle data is the property of the consumer and in which the consumer has the choice of whether to opt-in to having their personal data communicated to interested parties.

Definition of a Motorcycle: Educate policymakers and advocate for change to the current definition that better reflects the current two and three-wheel motorcycle landscape.

Emission Regulations: Engage the Environmental protection Agency (EPA) & Congress on any activity related to motorcycle emission regulations

Helmet Laws/Equipment Mandates: Oppose any mandatory federal helmet or personal protective equipment/apparel mandates.

Internal Combustion Engines: Work to ensure the survival of internal combustion engines.

Profiling: Sustain lobbying efforts for the passage of resolutions or legislation that promotes awareness and prohibition of motorcyclist profiling.

Renewable Fuels: Advocate for targeted changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS)

Right to Repair/Modify: Protect and advocate for “Right to Repair” provisions that allow consumers the ability to repair and modify their motorcycles.

Surface Transportation Reauthorization (Highway Bill): Advocate and pursue legislative efforts related to the next highway bill reauthorization (the current act is set to expire in 2026).

Vulnerable Roadway User Terminology: Monitor and ensure that motorcycles and motorcyclists are a specific and unique category or classification.

If any of these issues are near and dear to your heart you may want to see how you can work with the MRF in accomplishing them. Otherwise, be aware that others are doing that work on your behalf.

Tags:, ,
Posted in Biker Issues, Helmet Laws, motorcycle clubs, Motorcycle legislation, Motorcycle Riders Foundation | No Comments »

More Threats To Motorcycling

Thursday, May 28th, 2026


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.

Tags:
Posted in American Motorcyclist Association, Biker Issues, motorcycle clubs, Motorcycle Riders Foundation | 1 Comment »

Support The ‘Right To Repair’ Bill

Thursday, December 28th, 2023

This is where your bike ends up if there’s no one to fix it and keep it running.

How’s this for a scenario: Your dealer where you bought your motorcycle 12 years ago just told you that it’s too old, they don’t want to work on it any more. You’ve just been fired as a customer. Fine, you’ll go find some independent shop where they work on old bikes.

But each shop you go to tells you they can’t work on your bike because it requires specialized equipment and knowledge that the manufacturer deems proprietary information. You now have a very heavy, very expensive paper weight.

Does that sound a bit extreme? Maybe it is but that part about proprietary information and equipment is very real, as is the whole business of being fired as a customer. What can be done about this?

Both the AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) and MRF (Motorcycle Riders Foundation) have sent me emails recently urging me to contact my Congressional representative to push them to support H.R. 906, the “Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair Act or the REPAIR Act.” I’m passing this on to you.

I thought for sure one of the emails had more specific information, something about it coming up for some vote or something, but for the life of me I cannot find any such email. Dang.

Well, nevertheless, here’s the scoop. Quoting the MRF:

The REPAIR Act ensures that vehicle owners or repair shops are not denied access to the information, software or tools needed to work on vehicles. The proposed law also establishes rules regarding vehicle data access. This commonsense law will help preserve consumer choice and a fair marketplace.

Then there is this from the AMA:

Do you believe in the Right to Repair your own motorcycle? Politicians in Washington want to limit your ability to repair, maintain, and modify your motorcycle.

The AMA is working closely with members of Congress to fight for your Right to Repair, the simple idea that when you purchase something — like your motorcycle — you should have the right to repair it or seek an independent repair shop to do the work, and manufacturers must make the parts and information needed for repairs available to the public for a fair and reasonable price.

In the House of Representatives, the AMA is advocating for passage of H.R. 906, the REPAIR Act (Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair). This legislation will ensure that motorcyclists and independent repair shops have access to the tools, parts and information needed to repair motorcycles.

Right now there are three Colorado representatives who have cosponsored this bill: Rep. Pettersen, Brittany [D-CO-7]; Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2]; and Rep. Caraveo, Yadira [D-CO-8]. If your rep is someone else maybe you could drop them a line and push them to add their name to the list. I need to do that with Diana Degette.

Go ahead and give your rep a nudge. They’re there to work for you. Make them earn their pay.

Biker Quote for Today

“Try to remember the reason you started riding a motorcycle in the first place. For me, it was a couple of things but mostly rebellion.” ? Sonny Barger

Tags:
Posted in Biker Issues, motorcycle mechanics, Motorcycles | No Comments »