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MRF “Road Show” is on the road all year long

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Last week was a busy week for the MRF “Road Show”… Beginning in Ohio, President Kirk “Hardtail” Willard and Vice-President Jay Jackson attended the Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the American Motorcyclist Association Museum. MRF State Rep Sherry Hill and folks from ABATE of Ohio set up a membership table at the AMA’s Bike Night on Saturday. AMA hosted a Road Captain training that was attended by ABATE of Arizona, ABATE of Indiana, ABATE of Michigan and ABATE of Ohio on Sunday. This series of events also allowed facilitation of a meeting between the MRF President and representatives from the Federation Internationale De Motorcylisme (FIM) out of Switzerland and a member of the Board of Directors from the Federation of European Motorcyclists Associations (FEMA) out of Belgium. The topics of concern were End of Life Directives related to motorcycles, European and United Nations activities surrounding internal combustion engines and electric vehicle mandates. We also discussed the issues surrounding motorcycle parts certification and availability of parts. The timing was ideal as it allows this information to be disseminated in real time at the Meeting of the Minds this week in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The State Motorcycle Safety Association (SMSA) held their annual Summit in Columbus, Ohio September 13th through 16th. State motorcycle rights organizations from Alaska, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, and others were in attendance to learn the latest statistics, trends and issues related to motorcycle safety. MRF Vice President Jay Jackson presented “Promising Practices in Rider Training” as part of an alliance with six other states. The 2024 Summit will be held in Denver, Colorado. The week ended with the MRF President and Russell Radke, the MRF Motorcycle Club Representative to the MRF Board, attending the National Council of Clubs meeting in Dayton, Ohio. The highlights were participating in […]

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BANNED : Chainsaws, Golf Carts, Lawn Mowers & More

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from https://mrf.org/ Chainsaws, Golf Carts, Lawn Mowers… What’s Next? Over the weekend, California Governor Gavin Newson signed a bill into law banning the sale of all off-road, gas-powered engines, including generators, lawn equipment, pressure washers, chainsaws, weed trimmers, and even golf carts. Under the new law, these machines must be zero-emissions, meaning they will have to be either battery-powered or plug-in. This law is particularly concerning because of the status California holds within the national economy. The population and market size that California commands often forces manufacturers to react by changing products nationwide, to conform to California standards. Additionally, states with like-minded legislatures often follow with similar laws and regulations of their own. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) is concerned that this action by California, will begin a cascading effect that will eventually result in the demise of the internal combustion engine and the fuel supply tied to it. During the legislative agenda setting meeting, held at the 2021 Meeting of the Minds, in Atlanta, Georgia this very issue was debated. Working with our state partners, the MRF is currently evaluating how best to address these concerns. The final 2022 MRF Legislative Agenda will be made public in an upcoming American Biker Journal. To read more on the bill click here. 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 the Website https://mrf.org/

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Women In Powersports Industry Meeting & Breakfast

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The Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) is sponsoring a Women in Powersports professional meeting during the in-person Women’s Motorcycle Festival and Conference. The Women’s Industry Meeting & Breakfast Powered by MIC will be at the Crystal City Sports Pub on Thursday, August 19, from 9 am to noon, in Arlington, Virginia, not far from the nation’s capital. Admission is $59 per person. CLICK HERE TO Visit the Women’s Motorcycle Festival and Conference for more information and to purchase tickets. Enter promo code WIP to unlock all the ticket options, including the breakfast. 2021 Women’s Motorcycle Festival and Conference ( August 19-22, 2021 ) SEE https://centennialride.com/motoconference/ This is the first LIVE Women’s Motorcycle Festival and Conference hosted by Alisa Clickenger and Women’s Motorcycle Tours. Thursday begins it all: the Women in Powersports Professional Development in the morning, and the arrival of the cross-country Centennial riders in the afternoon. Friday is the General Session (education) and evening connection session. Saturday begins the weekend Outdoor Motorcycle and Festival, starting with the historical Parade through Washington, D.C. Saturday and Sunday Indian Motorcycle, Polaris Slingshot, and Harley-Davidson will be offering demo rides, which are also open to the public, and there will be games, activities, MOTUL’s oil change pod for on-the-spot oil changes, as well as food trucks and fun! CONFERENCE ATTENDANCE REQUIRES A SEPARATE TICKET Space is limited to 300 due to Covid-19 restrictions so register today! There are multiple registration options. There is an “everything” ticket which includes many meals, all entertainment, four days at the 2021 Women’s Motorcycle Festival and Conference (both indoor and outdoor events), the group parade through Washington, D.C., the group photo, plus the closing ceremony dinner. There are also a-la-carte tickets in which you pay for just what you want to participate in. Ticket prices go up August 1,

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Laconia Motorcycle Week gets approval for parking and traffic

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from https://www.wmur.com Laconia City Council approves 100% parking, traffic capacity for Motorcycle Week Council considers lifting all COVID-19 restrictions on vendors, beer tents. Pre-pandemic parking approved for Laconia Motorcycle Week. The Laconia City Council voted Monday night to return to pre-pandemic parking and traffic flow for this summer’s Motorcycle Week. LACONIA, N.H. — The Laconia City Council voted Monday night to return to pre-pandemic parking and traffic flow for this summer’s Motorcycle Week. Last year, the event was scaled down and pushed to August. There were no vendor tents or big scheduled events as organizers and state officials hoped to cut down on the potential spread of COVID-19. With Monday night’s vote, the council opened the door to having full capacity at this year’s event, which is scheduled for June 12-20. Some council members also want to do away with COVID-19 restrictions when it comes to vendors and beer tents. “Everything is going 100% — restaurants, bars — everything,” said Councilor Tony Felch. “There’s no reason why we shouldn’t open things up for this event.” Others argued there should be some restrictions to limit risk as the pandemic continues. “We’re really asking people here who have health concerns to be totally not considered, and I do think we have some responsibility,” said Councilor Henry Lipman. “Above all else is safety.” Motorcycle Week organizers plan to revisit the issue at a special meeting in the next week or two.

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Bikers inside the Beltway Meeting for May 2021

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BIKERS INSIDE THE BELTWAY 2021 FLEXIBLE & MOVING FORWARD The pandemic and the events of January 6 brought changes to meetings with members of Congress and large gatherings. The MRF has restructured Bikers inside the Beltway to comply with pandemic mandates and directives for assemblies. The 2021 Bikers inside the Beltway will take place in Washington, D.C., May 18. “It is our right to address Congress” said MRF President Kirk Willard. “While attendees will need to take a flexible approach to scheduling meetings with their members of Congress, Bikers Inside the Beltway will take place as scheduled.” New security restrictions necessitate that visitors to Congress establish appointments before arriving in D.C. The MRF will provide members with contact information to begin the process of setting your D.C. agenda. Flexibility with appointments and expectations is a must. Some congressional offices will welcome in person meetings within the Capitol Complex. Other offices may seek meetings outside the official government buildings. Still others may only do a meeting over the phone or via zoom. Bikers inside the Beltway will be dual-faceted to accommodate in-person visits to Congress plus visits to local offices. To ensure that the mission of getting our message to Congress does not fail, here are a few items to consider: Once infrastructure funding legislation is assigned a Senate and House number, that information will be shared. 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. Although bill numbers have not been assigned to the infrastructure funding legislation, Congress has classified it as a high priority. Language that the MRF amended into the 2020 highway funding legislation has not changed. The MRF’s 2021 High

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Automated Driving Systems and SMRO Visits

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RIDING FREE FROM DC: Your Weekly Biker Bulletin from Inside the Beltway ­Automated Driving Systems (AKA Autonomous Vehicles) Late last year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced a rulemaking process for developing a “Framework for Automated Driving System (ADS) Safety.” As part of the process public comments were solicited by NHTSA. This week the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) submitted a 6-page formal letter outlining our thoughts on the development, testing and deployment of ADS. Building on past submissions to both Congress and the U.S. Department of Transportation, the MRF laid out important priorities that NHTSA should consider. Some of the main topics the MRF highlights include the need to account for the unique attributes and characteristics of motorcycles, cyber security concerns, liability provisions, the role of individual states, the need for public transparency, threats to the protected communication spectrum and the challenges of regulations keeping pace with this technology. While ADS has promising potential, the devil will be in the details. How this technology is developed, tested and deployed will impact all Americans. We at the MRF will continue to fight to ensure motorcyclists are included in these discussions. To read the full letter from the MRF to NHTSA click here. SMRO Meetings Around the Country January and February are traditionally the busy season for state motorcyclist rights organizations (SMRO) annual meetings. This year many of those meetings have been rescheduled, held virtually or have unfortunately been cancelled all together. While we know these are difficult times, the MRF remains committed to working with our state partners and participating in these events when possible. In January, MRF Vice President Jay Jackson travelled to Bowling Green, Kentucky to attend the Kentucky Motorcycle Association/Kentucky Bikers Association Freedom Fighters Forum. Also, that month MRF lobbyist Rocky Fox traveled to Austin, Texas

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Motorcycle Riders Foundation Announces Historic First

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Atlanta, Georgia – The Motorcycle Riders Foundation, based in Washington, D.C., along with ABATE of Georgia, announced a historic first with the announcement that the organization’s annual Meeting of the Minds Conference will take place in Atlanta in September this year. “The MRF has met several times in the Southeast. However, we have never had the opportunity to meet in Atlanta, and we’re looking forward to the occasion.” MRF Conferences and Events Director, Fredric Harrell announced at the organization’s 2020 annual conference in Indianapolis in September. “ABATE of Georgia worked to meet the MRF’s conference guidelines and we’re reaching out to our neighboring state motorcyclists’ rights organizations for participation.” Donna Nunez, ABATE of Georgia Activities Director, said when the 2021 conference was announced. This “historic first” will bring the 2021 Annual Meeting of the Minds Conference to the JW Marriott Atlanta Buckhead Hotel, September 23-26 and will be the kick-off point for the Motorcycle Riders Foundation’s 2022 legislative agenda. Attendees are encouraged to make reservations as early as possible for this much-demanded conference. Past keynote speakers at the annual event include, Keith “Bandit” Ball, former editor of Easyriders Magazine, Dave Zein, former Wisconsin State Senator, Paul Landers, Texas Freedom Fighter, Chopper & Slider Gilmore, Freedom Fighters & Motorcycling Safety Advocates, Mark Buckner, Former MRF President & current MRF Executive Director, among other notables who have added insight, levity and strong messages on freedom and individual rights to the MRFs annual conference. Conference agenda includes, but never limited to general sessions, 15 break-out sessions, safe riding demonstrations and awards banquet. The first Meeting of the Minds Conference, held in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1985 witnessed barely 100 motorcyclists’ rights advocates and a very limited agenda. The Meeting of the Minds Conference has grown to over 500 participants from state motorcyclists’ rights

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Register for MOTM

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It’s taken 36 years for the Motorcycle Riders Foundation to get to a point that an event agenda can be pulled together in a few months, plus or minus a few days. If you’ve been following these E-blasts, then you may have recognized an undercurrent of the “five W’s” – WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN and WHY, and a constant reminder that the 36th Annual Meeting of the Minds Conference is getting close. You’ve been given samples of WHO helped start the Meeting of the Minds and the MRF, along with WHAT it was all about, WHERE and WHEN it came from and WHERE it’s heading, along with WHY it’s so important to attend. Here’s the tentative (subject to change) agenda for the 36th Annual Meeting of the Minds Conference. Time’s running out to use this link and register at Meeting of the Minds 2020. Room Reservations:  317-767-4769. For those of you getting in on Thursday, September 24, join the MRF Board of Directors in a “Meet & Greet” at 7:00 p.m. in the Main Ballroom.   With a presentation of the Colors, the General Session opens at 9:00 a.m. Friday, then it’s non-stop with… Opening Remarks – Kirk “Hardtail” Willard MRF Financial Report – Kirk “Hardtail” Willard Legislative Update – Rocky Fox Election Year & Effective Use of CQ – Rocky Fox A series of MRF award presentations by Dave Dwyer & Ryan Hubbard, Michelle Holcomb & Duane Justus. Then it’s on to more presentations, a few awards and recognition of the future of motorcyclists’ rights… MRFA&E – Deb Butitta MRFA&E Young Activist Awards – Deb Butitta Young Activist Scholarship Winners Panel – Deb Butitta MRF Rep/Reps of the Year Awards – Doc D’Errico Presidents Cup – Kirk “Hardtail” Willard A Primer: How Strategic Planning can help your SMRO –

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Harley-Davidson to hold virtual annual meeting, acting CEO says More Roads plan is working

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by Margaret Naczek from https://www.bizjournals.com Amid the instability of the COVID-19 pandemic, Harley-Davidson Inc.’s acting president and CEO Jochen Zeitz reflected back on the advancements made in the More Roads to Harley-Davidson strategy in 2019. 2020 already was a pivotal year in the company’s strategic plan to grow more riders and expand dealership reach, but the year became a lot more crucial as the Harley-Davidson (NYSE: HOG) looks to also overcome the difficulties during a pandemic. With concerns over public health and travel restrictions, Harley-Davidson organized its 2020 annual shareholders meeting to be conducted virtually via a live audio webcast on May 21, 2020. The annual meeting will elect nine directors to the board, approve the compensation of the company’s executive officers, approve amendments to the company’s restated articles of incorporation, approve the company’s 2020 incentive stock plan and ratify the selection of Ernst & Young LLP as Harley-Davidson’s independent registered public accounting firm. “As we embark on our next chapter and seek new leadership, we are steadfast in our belief that we have both much to be proud of and much to look forward to,” Zeitz said in his letter to shareholders. On Feb. 28, Harley-Davidson announced former CEO Matt Levatich had stepped down and Zeitz would assume the role of acting president and CEO. The company is currently engaged in a search for new CEO. In his letter to shareholders, Zeitz shared some of the company’s accomplishments in 2019. While U.S. motorcycle sales continue to decline over consecutive quarters, Zeitz noted that in 2019 the rate of decline significantly tempered. “After four years of accelerating declines, such improvement was supported by our More Roads actions, notably in how we’re Amplifying our Brand and delivering on our New Products catalysts for growth,” Zeitz said in the letter. Recommended Some

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