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Bikers Inside the Beltway: Holding Common Ground

By General Posts

Bikers inside the Beltway – with the encouragement and direction of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, since the first Bikers inside the Beltway in 2009, thousands of bikers have met with their elected representatives and educated them about issues of importance to all street riding motorcyclists.

Specifically… the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has less than 30 days of their 120-day requirement to report to the Senate and House Committee(s) on Appropriations and answer how the agency may be “conducting activities that encourage states to adopt legislation, regulation, or other policies that unjustly profile motorcycle riders.”

The words of former U.S. Representative David Price from North Carolina may well apply to the recent efforts of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation “… Understand that not every battle can be won on the first try and that politics is a matter of striking a balance between … compromising and finding common ground where you can, and fighting where you must.”

The MRF found and is holding common ground among the nation’s state motorcyclist rights organization, motorcycle club members, and all freedom loving motorcyclists who, as the Motorcycle Profiling Project demonstrates, are susceptible to being profiled while riding a motorcycle.

The MRF’s victories, realized in the waning hours of the 117th Congress in December, should drive home Congressman Price’s words, and demonstrate the positive results when common ground is identified and held. Those victories came from the year-after-year vigilance of MRF members writing, calling, and meeting with members of Congress during the Motorcycle Riders Foundation’s annual Bikers inside the Beltway.

Now is the time for you to register to attend Bikers inside the Beltway – May 15 & 16, 2023.

As in years past, Bikers inside the Beltway will be dual-faceted to accommodate in-person visits to Congress plus visits to local district offices.

To ensure that the mission of getting our message to Congress continues to be successful, please consider the following:

  • Make your appointments locally or in Washington.
  • Familiarize yourself with the briefing points.
  • Confirm your appointment locally or in Washington.
  • Virtual or in person, make notes on your meeting.
  • Share your meeting notes with the MRF.

In conjunction with Bikers inside the Beltway, a meeting of the MRF Board of Directors takes place on May 15 at the event hotel — Embassy Suites, 1900 Diagonal Road, Alexandria, Virginia. Rooms are available and limited by calling hotel direct line 703-684-5900 and use reference code MRF.

Attending Bikers inside the Beltway is an essential element of the MRF’s grassroots activism. Act now to attend the pre-event briefing and Q&A for visits to Congress, scheduled for 6:00 p.m., Monday, May 15. Briefing packets and “leave behinds” will be available during the briefing.

The Motorcycle Riders Foundation’s Bikers inside the Beltway — May 15 & 16, 2023.

Thank you for your commitment.

Yours in Freedom,
Fredric Harrell
RF Director of Conferences & Events

P.S. Registration for Bikers inside the Beltway is free. However, we request that you register early to help us plan the event. Use the link or the QR code below for Bikers inside the Beltway registration. Thank you.

P.P.S. This year, more than any time before, one of the MRF’s top agenda items is to specifically thank supporters in Congress for helping foster our success in 2023.

https://motorcycleridersfoundation.wildapricot.org/widget/event-5008758/Registration

About Motorcycle Riders Foundation: The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) provides leadership at the federal level for states’ motorcyclists’ rights organizations as well as motorcycle clubs and individual riders. Visit http://mrf.org

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Motorcycle Riders Foundation: Coalitions Rejuvenated

By General Posts

The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) 2023 legislative agenda includes a diverse set of issues that strike at the core of who we are as bikers.

Historically, the MRF has fought many battles to defend individuals and the aftermarket motorcycle businesses’ rights to customize and repair motorcycles. Our successful defense against the EPA’s “Color and Chrome” only initiative and the regulations/enforcement related to it helped define the MRF and what we stand for to this day.

The MRF has long supported the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act (RPM Act), which would ensure that modifying motor vehicles into racing vehicles used for competition would not violate the Clean Air Act. We anticipate an updated version of the RPM Act will be introduced this Spring. The MRF and our partners will work diligently for passage of this commonsense piece of legislation. Importantly, some of these parts and technology we are looking to protect are used in the EPA allowances for one-per-lifetime custom bikes and Tier 1 eligible motorcycles we fought for two decades ago.

The MRF agenda also strongly supports the desire to protect a consumer’s right to repair, and ownership of data related to their vehicles. A recently introduced bill, H.R. 906 The Repair Act, helps protect consumers’ ability to utilize independent repair shops and aftermarket parts to work on vehicles, including motorcycles.

These issues are becoming increasingly important and drawing the attention of the aftermarket industry and bike customizers. The EPA has restarted a campaign of increased enforcement and it is threatening shops and individuals with legal action.

MRF President Kirk “Hardtail” Willard recently appeared on Cycle Source Magazines “Shop Talk” radio show to discuss these issues and this week traveled to Daytona Bike Week to join independent motorcycle shop owners and others in the aftermarket industry to discuss the many issues facing this industry. The meeting was hosted by Chris Callen of Cycle Source Magazine and moderated by industry icon Bob Kay. Hardtail had this to say about the meeting, “It was encouraging to see both the level of concern and willingness in this group to engage in our efforts and educate other players in the aftermarket industry.”

The MRF won’t tackle these challenges alone, we are aggressively looking to put back together our coalition that was so effective in past battles. In the past the coalition included, the aftermarket industry, media and print publications, other custom vehicle organizations, and other motorcyclists’ rights groups. Lastly, our Master Mechanic and technical expert Dave “Dad” Dwyer is looking to schedule a meeting with the EPA in Detroit to discuss our growing concerns.

These are challenging issues, but with your continued support and the help of other like-minded advocates we will fight to defend the rights and freedoms we cherish.

Dawn Riba
Motorcycle Riders Foundation Communications Director

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Riding Free since 1996

Vance & Hines Issues Statement on Federal Trade Commission Action

By General Posts

Vance & Hines Issues Statement on Federal Trade Commission Action Against Harley-Davidson

Background: The Federal Trade Commission announced a complaint on June 23, 2022, against Harley-Davidson, ordering the company to “fix warranties by removing illegal terms and recognizing the right to repair, come clean with customers, and ensure that dealers compete fairly with independent third-parties.”

Link to Federal Trade Commission Press Release: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2022/06/ftc-takes-action-against-harley-davidson-westinghouse-illegally-restricting-customers-right-repair-0

Statement from Mike Kennedy, President & CEO of Vance & Hines:

“This action taken by the FTC is a huge win for motorcycle riders. While we still need to see how this plays out, we anticipate that riders will have more choices in how they repair and update their motorcycles during the warranty period, which is clearly a big deal for companies in the motorcycle aftermarket, too. I hope that the “it will void your warranty” threat for someone who just wants a better sounding or smoother running Harley is a thing of the past.”

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