Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, the home of our spectacular AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days event each summer, has been around since 1962, but it’s not the only “Mid-Ohio” in motorsport lore.

Just a few miles southeast of the road course on Mill Run Road is a handful of acres of farmland upon which used to exist a racetrack called Mid-Ohio Moto Park, which hosted some of the most memorable and legendary professional races in motocross history during the 1970s and ’80s — 125cc USGP and Trans-AMA events featuring all the moto-stars, from DeCoster and Wolsink to Semics and Lackey to Hannah and Glover to O’Mara and Smith…and many others.

I attended a few of those races and was the proverbial 13-year-old hanging on the snow fences and climbing the scaffolding to watch the guys I’d read about all year long in Motocross Action and Popular Cycling. I even raced there a few times during ’75, ’76 and ’77, and to ride the same dirt as my heroes was like nothing else in the world…and it all left a very serious mark.

A decade or more ago, during some AHRMA vintage roadracing at VMD, I drove my rental car along Old Mill Road and to the scene of all those epic races I remembered as a kid. The entrance gate was open, and to my surprise, the road leading to the overgrown hillside where all the action happened — along with ex-owner Pete Weidner’s (1940–’18) house — was just as I remembered. I even snapped some photos of the starting gate with Weidner’s home in the background.

I returned a few times after that first visit to find the starting gate gone and the place a horse farm, but nothing could diminish the memories I — and many thousands of race fans, I’m sure — have of that very special place called Mid-Ohio.

The post Flashback: The “Other” Mid-Ohio appeared first on American Motorcyclist Association.

April 30, 2024 (This story appeared in the May 2024 edition of American Motorcyclist)

By Keaton Maisano

The post HOLY TOLEDO! appeared first on American Motorcyclist Association.

April 4, 2024 (This story appeared in the April 2024 edition of American Motorcyclist)

By Keaton Maisano

While it may have taken Tom Umphress nearly 30 years to get into motorcycling, he wasted no time leaving his mark on what has become a decades-long passion.

Before becoming a member of the AMA Board of Directors and a prominent figure in Minnesota’s recreational riding and government relations efforts, Umphress was a newcomer to motorcycling, buying his first bike — a Honda CR250R — in 1998.

The following year Umphress helped formalize and incorporate the Twin Cities Riders, a club that addressed the lack of non-competition-based riding clubs in Minnesota, and provided fight for trail availability in the future. During the process of chartering the club with the AMA, Umphress became an AMA member, beginning his journey with the association.

“You can cause change when you have numbers,” Umphress said. “It just makes sense to be part of the AMA to help grow those numbers…Being part of the AMA helps me do my part to allow us to have a national presence and a national voice.”

In the years that followed Umphress’ arrival to the world of motorcycling, he served on the boards of several trail groups, including being Vice Chairman of the Coalition of Recreational Trail Users. He also served as a state partner, secretary and treasurer for the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council (NOHVCC). For his contributions to bettering the future of OHV recreation, Umphress is a member of the NOHVCC Hall of Fame.

Since 1999, Umphress and his wife Karen have served as government relations officers for the Amateur Riders Motorcycle Association in Minnesota. The pair also introduce motorcycling to newcomers as coaches for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation DirtBike School.

“They are among the unsung heroes of advocacy that don’t get much recognition by the motorcycling community, because what activists do isn’t terribly flashy and there’s not a lot of publicity,” AMA Board of Directors Chair Russ Ehnes said. “But without the activism and work that people like Tom and Karen have done, motorcycling would not be where it is today. They are at the top of the heap of people who’ve had the most impact over the long haul.”

Umphress’ common sense and technical knowledge helped him earn a spot on the AMA Board of Directors in 2021. “It’s the deep end of the pool when it comes to advocacy,” Ehnes said. “It’s an intense, demanding position to be an AMA Board member. You just don’t show up to four meetings a year and think that’s going to be it, because there’s a lot of work that goes on in and in-between meetings.”

Umphress has taken the added responsibility in stride, and along with the several committees he participates in, he currently sits as chair of both the Rights and Advocacy Committee, and the newly formed Recreational Riding Committee.

“I’ve tried to operate on the model of not standing on the sideline and throwing rocks,” Umphress said. “If you want something to change, it’s one thing to talk, but another to get involved and cause change. You can do a lot more if you get involved.”

Umphress stressed that all motorcyclists can help make a difference by getting involved and being positive influences out in the community. “I would ask people to get involved,” he said. “My wife often says… ‘We all are willing to wrench on our bikes, but we all need to wrench on our rights a little bit, too.’ That can be as simple as we need to define ourselves. Don’t let the other side define us.”

The post Unceasing Umphress appeared first on American Motorcyclist Association.

By Keaton Maisano

When Connie Fleming arrived at Angel Stadium for Round 1 of AMA Supercross on Jan. 5, she knew hardware would be handed out…she just didn’t know she would be on the receiving end!

Unbeknownst to Fleming — an AMA employee for more than 40 years and current AMA Supercross/FIM Coordinator — she was the 2024 recipient of the Mickey Thompson Award of Excellence, an annual award given to an individual who has contributed one’s career to developing and improving the motorcycle industry.

“I was in shock,” Fleming said when she was brought on stage to accept the award. “I don’t know what I said except ‘I’m speechless.’ And then I paused, and I said something. I don’t know what I said.”

Fleming becomes the first woman to earn the honor, which has been handed out each year since 2001. Prior recipients include AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famers Bruce Brown (2002), Jeremy McGrath (2003), Ricky Carmichael (2007), Roger DeCoster (2020) and Ryan Dungey (2023).

For Fleming, the true magnitude of the moment did not hit her when she held the plaque for the first time or when she received many congratulatory messages from colleagues and legends around the sport. But rather, the rush of emotion came in a conversation with her son, Nick, who assured her that she belonged on the list of recipients.

“As a parent, you look at your kids and tell them how proud you are of them,” Fleming said. “But to have your son turn around and say that to you, that’s what did it. When my son said he’s proud of what I’ve accomplished.”

The post Four Decades In The Making appeared first on American Motorcyclist Association.

By Joy Burgess

Last month we looked back at some of the AMA’s historic legislative wins over the past century, including the creation of the AMA Legislative Department, and one of the most intense political-action campaigns in motorcycling’s history — fighting attempts to eliminate ORV use on public lands in 1977.

It’s important to note that in 1978, the Legislative Department name was officially changed by the AMA to the Government Relations Department (GRD) — the name it still has today — to better reflect the broad scope of activities and regulatory issues taken on by the team.

EPA APOLOGIZES TO MOTORCYCLISTS

In 1977, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) put out a publication called Noise on Wheels with the intent to raise awareness of noise issues that could potentially lead to hearing damage. The pamphlet included a section on motorcycles, along with a chart based on competition noise level testing it had done six years previously, and implied that the figures represented noise levels emitted by modern street motorcycles.

The AMA has maintained a position against excessive sound from its inception, saying in its Excessive Motorcycle Sound Board Position Statement that “few other factors contribute more to misunderstanding and prejudice against the motorcycling community than excessively loud motorcycles. Attempts to regulate sound often miss the mark by singling out motorcycles with ordinances and laws that are unfair, impractical and unenforceable. Motorcyclists have a responsibility to be part of the solution by being sensitive to community standards and respectful of their fellow citizens.”

This obvious misuse of scientific data in the publication resulted in protests in late 1977 and ’78 from the AMA and additional organizations in the motorcycling community, primarily because it did indeed contribute to “misunderstanding and prejudice.” The AMA called out the EPA, calling Noise on Wheels “vague, misleading and overzealous,” as well as inflammatory and unqualified.

Both the AMA and the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) requested that the EPA cease circulation of the document, and the AMA took its protests even farther, asking that steps be taken to correct the false impressions against motorcyclists generated by the publication.

The EPA quickly responded, saying in a letter to the AMA, “We have been aware that there were problems with some of the material in the pamphlet. Consequently, the Agency has discounted distribution of the pamphlet and has destroyed all remaining copies. We sincerely regret any problems or inconvenience the pamphlet has caused you or your membership. Let [us] extend an official apology on behalf of the Agency for allowing a publication to be distributed that did not portray motorcycles and their riders in the proper perspective…”

AMA “Storms” Washington to Protest EPA

Obviously not learning from its previous errors, the EPA in 1978 considered the adoption of stricter noise standards for motorcycles to be implemented in 1980…and once again the AMA’s GRD team led the fight to make sure new standards wouldn’t adversely impact the cost of new bikes.

The EPA’s proposed regulations called for a five-year reduction in new motorcycle noise levels. To make that happen, the EPA planned to “certify” each new bike’s noise level at a cost passed along to buyers, which would be $200-400 per motorcycle.

In a public hearing on the issue, EPA spokesperson Jill Lucas cited “EPA studies” that supposedly showed motorcycle noise to be among potential causes of ruined hearing, high blood pressure, birth defects and viral infection.

AMA members and staff put the heat on, resulting in Lucas being fired a week later, and shortly after the AMA testified to the EPA in opposition to the regulations, reminding them of the AMA’s 30-plus-year history encouraging quiet motorcycling.

The AMA exposed the EPA’s plan to its members, and AMA members flooded the EPA with mail in what the August 1979 edition of American Motorcyclist called “the largest outpouring of citizen response in the entire history of the [EPA].”

With nearly 60 percent general opposition and nearly 90 percent opposition from motorcyclists, the EPA buried the proposed regulations; no one at the EPA wanted to talk about motorcycles.

Not surprisingly, in 1979 the EPA released a report on how its regulatory activity was going to affect then-President Carter’s anti-inflation program. Within that report the AMA found buried the agency’s plan to continue with its motorcycle noise regulations…except now they were going to cost a whopping $224 million, a significant 12 percent increase over the estimates released in 1978.

Despite the public outcry, the EPA planned to charge ahead with its costly regulations, so the AMA felt it was time to go over the head of the non-elective bureaucracy, announcing in American Motorcyclist that it “stormed” Washington D.C. to protest the EPA and its overreach.

GRD staff presented a cost-benefit analysis in testimony to Congress, saying, “We have been trying to deal with the EPA on this issue since March 15, 1978. We now feel it is time to bring these facts to members of the United States Congress…Throughout public comment on these proposed regulations, one commentor said, ‘These regulations are the classic example of swatting a fly with a sledgehammer.’ I would add that it may well be a gold-plated sledgehammer, originally estimated by the EPA at $200 million per year, recently revised by the EPA upwards to $224 million per year. This money will come right out of the pocket of the American motorcycle owner…For these reasons we appeal to you today to help us convince EPA of its disastrous course. We feel the agency has not listened to us. Surely it will listen to you.”

Unsurprisingly, the battle between the AMA and the EPA — surrounding sound and additional issues like, later, E15 sales — was far from over. But more on that coming soon!

While the AMA fights tirelessly for your rights, don’t forget that we need your help, too! Sign up for action alerts from the AMA at https://americanmotorcyclist.com/action-center/.

The post 100 Years of Historic AMA Rights Wins (Part Two) appeared first on American Motorcyclist Association.

February 7, 2024 (Story from the February 2024 edition of American Motorcyclist)

By Keaton Maisano

Over the years, certain names have become synonymous with motorcycling: Carmichael, Coombs, DeCoster and Davidson to name a few.

For a pocket of riders in New Jersey, another name has become a staple of the riding lifestyle many there enjoy: Rocky.

Rocco “Rocky” Spano, although not an AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer, has certainly left an indelible mark on those in and around the AMA-chartered Ocean County Competition Riders (OCCR) — a New Jersey enduro club belonging to the East Coast Enduro Association (ECEA). The 77-year-old has been a member of the club for four decades, and despite increased age and health problems, he remains a selfless, knowledgeable presence.

“I’m in the ECEA Hall of Fame,” he says with a smile, “which had nothing to do with my riding ability; it’s just that everybody knows who I am! I try to engage people, and am really more of a diplomat, because I try to bring people into the sport and show them how to do things the right way.”

Given Spano’s many years of experience and countless interactions with others, OCCR club member Mike Kuriawa believes Spano’s impact is hard to measure.

“How many people has this guy impacted? How many people has this guy spoken with about small things and just helped in some way?” Kuriawa wondered. “He’s not a well-known racer. He’s not a well-known anything, but the reality is that he’s somebody that’s entrenched in something that’s kinda a niche sport and he’s the type of guy that shines when it comes to welcoming people and being accommodating. One of the biggest things is, he basically wants everybody to have a good time.”

Spano started riding off-road motorcycles around 20 years of age, and his racing career began years later in his mid-30s. Racing in approximately 400 enduros over the years, and helping put on many others, Spano has had a life filled with off-road riding.

“If you ask me about a particular enduro, I can’t remember except that I had fun,” Spano said. “The main reason I go out ­— I’ve ridden all the trails — is to take the guys out. And they have so much fun and it makes you feel good at the end of the day.”

Spano has become the unofficial patriarch of the OCCR, and one way he showcases his welcoming nature is at the club’s weekly Sunday rides.

“I’ve taken out as many as 25 guys for a ride because I’ve laid out 17 enduros in our forest,” Spano said. “I know where to go and everybody knows who I am.”

It was at one of these weekly Sunday rides that current club member David Bye first met Spano, who welcomed Bye with open arms.

“Being that I had such a nice experience, I continued to go when I could every Sunday,” Bye said. “He was always there no matter what, barring weather or health issues, of course.”

Even with serious health issues, Spano has remained focused on others. After a heart problem prevented Spano from leading a Sunday ride, he unexpectedly showed up in his truck and helped guide the group of riders to the entrances of different trailheads so they could still have a good time.

“That’s the type of thing that he would do, because nobody else would do it,” Kuriawa said. “Not only is it incredible that he would do it for the guys, but that he could be in his car and lead people around so they could still enjoy a day of riding without him because he was down and out and couldn’t be on a bike himself.”

Spano’s relentless efforts to make sure OCCR members and nonmembers feel included and have a good time is simply explained by his love for motorcycling.

“This is my passion. Everybody has a passion, and I enjoy riding so much,” Spano said. “It’s all about having fun. I tell everybody, ‘You don’t go out there to see how fast you can go. It’s about just going out there to enjoy yourself.’ I like including people. It’s the way I am.”

Spano’s passion bled into legislative work around 2009, when the state of New Jersey allowed riders to only use plow lines — patches of forest plowed out for controlled burns — in the state forest.

New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection approached Spano and others with the task of mapping trails, with the end goal of getting an updated menu of the trails.

“I did 115 miles of the 160 that we did,” Spano said. “Just last year, they gave us a menu of trails in my state forest, so I’m responsible for that.”

While Spano is still focused on riding when he can and being a positive influence on other riders and motorcycling, the idea of him one day not being a part of the group is hard to imagine.

“Rocky is a little bit of the glue,” Kuriawa said. “It’s hard to comprehend him not being around because he’s been around for so long. But I’m sure that when he’s gone, or if he stops doing it at some point, he’s going to be sorely missed.”

The post Rock Solid appeared first on American Motorcyclist Association.

By Joy Burgess

Throughout the past 100 years, even long before a Legislative or Government Relations department was created, the AMA fought for the rights of motorcyclists.

In 1929, for instance, E.C. Smith — who served as the Executive Secretary of the AMA from 1928 to 1958 — said the AMA would “combat every form of adverse legislation that we can, consistent with our membership.”

As we look back at the AMA’s history in American Motorcyclist, we also want to remind you — our members — of some of the historic legislative wins through the past century that have been critical to preserving your right to enjoy the freedom of riding.

CREATION OF THE AMA LEGISLATIVE DEPT

While the AMA was already fighting the good fight for its members, taking actions like beating possible motorcycle registration fee doubling in Iowa in 1949, a Legislative Department was officially established in 1971.

Chet Winter was hired to lead that department as Legislative Director, stating in the April 1971 issue of AMA News, “We can protect the individual motorcyclist from legislative error or outright harassment only by repealing existing laws or blocking laws adverse to motorcycling. This can be done effectively only through a national effort, and with our 130,000 members we already have the best lobby available for the sport.”

Within the first couple years after forming the department, the AMA created a public service announcement campaign to increase motorist awareness of motorcyclists on the road, resulting in approximately 100 million views. The department also initiated a highway use study to use the results to combat public road closures in the future; took on its first major land management project, which led to the established of the Turkey Bay Off Road Vehicle (ORV) Recreation Area on the Kentucky-Tennessee border; and fought to exclude motorcycles from federal no-fault legislation, to list just a few successes.

AMA FIGHTS ATTEMPTS TO ELIMINATE ORV USE ON PUBLIC LANDS

In 1977, a Council on Environmental Quality draft of a possible Executive Order from then-President Jimmy Carter that was leaked to the AMA, resulted in what AMA News called “one of the most intense political action campaigns in the history of organized motorcycling.”

According to Rob Rasor, the associate director of the AMA Legislative Department at the time, “the CEQ version [of the Executive Order] would have forced land use agency heads to close any land area if ORV-related environmental questions were raised, regardless of whether those questions had any basis in fact.”

When the AMA got wind of the draft, they reacted quickly, sending an alert mailing out to every AMA member warning them of potential land closures. Within a few days, 80,000 letters and telegrams flooded the offices of officials in D.C., resulting in that language being dropped shortly after the AMA learned of the plan.

Ultimately, the Executive Order later issued by Carter did seem to reflect the protests of the AMA and its members. The new wording required that action taken must allow for public comment, and according to Rasor, “The AMA’s Washington attorneys advise that this [new language] should preclude land closure in reaction to false charges or frivolous lawsuits.”

Despite this significant win, the AMA Legislative Department continued to review legal implications of the new order and vowed to investigate any closures that occurred in the future. And AMA Executive Director Barrie Best, after thanking members for their overwhelming support, reminded them, “You can bet we’re going to keep a close eye on the CEQ.”

Stay tuned in the coming months as we continue to highlight some of the AMA’s best historic rights wins over the past 100 years. And don’t forget that you can make a difference! Sign up for action alerts from the AMA at AmericanMotorcyclist.com/action-center/.

The post 100 Years of Historic AMA Rights Wins (Part One) appeared first on American Motorcyclist Association.

By Mitch Boehm

Like a lot of Boomers, I don’t spend a lot of time on social media, for a whole bunch of reasons. But once in a while I’m forced to log on for work-related stuff, and the other day stumbled onto a conversation about AMA benefits I found interesting.

A gentleman on an event forum had asked about specific benefits the AMA offered, and the answers he got were pretty spot-on. One guy mentioned discounts on accessories, event tickets, bike shipping, rentals, performance parts and the like, and based simply on the substantial cost-savings potential there, that by itself is a hugely compelling reason to spend $49 on an AMA membership. It’s not hard to miss the fact that one could pay for his or her entire AMA membership each year with a single large purchase, or at least a few smaller ones. You’re gonna buy that gear or part or those event tickets anyway, right? You might as well pay for your AMA membership while you’re at it…and then keep on saving money. Total no brainer.

The company partners listed in the magazine or online and the products and services they offer are pretty impressive. You’ve got discounts at companies such as Motel 6 and Red Roof Inns, Supercross, MotoAmerica and Quail Gathering tickets, Edelweiss Bike Travel tours, Bohn Body Armor, Anthony’s Leatherworks hide and boot repair, Nelson Rigg gear, Federal Bike Shipping, and bunch of others.

Another gent posted that American Motorcyclist magazine — another primary AMA benefit — has gotten “really good” of late, and I couldn’t agree more, though I might be a bit biased. Our goal for the last three years has been to offer a thoroughly informative and entertaining read each month, one melding current events, historical features, touring stories, AMA-centric elements, thoughtful columns, important government relations information and much more…and from what I’m hearing from members and the industry, we are doing just that.

We can’t please everyone, and you can bet we hear about it when we don’t, but we’re trying to give folks what I call the traditional moto-magazine experience that’s gone mostly missing in internet-based storytelling. Many members tell me they’ve gone from leafing through the magazine and tossing it to waiting impatiently for it to drop into the mailbox. That’s a seismic shift.

AMA membership also gives enthusiasts access to AMA-sanctioned amateur racing all over the country, on dirt, asphalt and ice, and there’s similar access for all sorts of recreational rides and events. And then there are our government relations efforts, which are substantial and have proven monumentally important over the years, but which don’t always get the exposure and gratitude they deserve.

Over and above all this, however, is the intangible and altruistic value that come from being part of the world’s largest motorcycle-oriented member organization. With membership you are supporting the entire industry, from advertisers in our pages and at our events, to our aforementioned government-relations efforts, to local and regional event, recreation and competition promoters and clubs, all of whom organize things for us to do and enjoy on our motorcycles.

In September of 1923, less than a year before the AMA was created by the M&ATA (Motorcycle and Allied Trades Association), Bicycle and Motorcycle Illustrated magazine editors wrote the following about folks asking about what benefits they could expect for their yearly dues of 50 cents.

Some riders seem to be under the impression that the M&ATA should confer all sorts of benefits on its members without any cooperation on their part. They [think] the 50-cent registration fee, which hardly pays the postage on the mail they receive from the Chairman, should pay for everything from legal assistance when arrested for speeding to theft, accident and life insurance, and everything in between. The M&ATA really is a benefit association, but it is a mutual benefit, and this means the obligation is mutual. Every member benefits in proportion to the service he or she renders. Among the things every rider may do to help are to observe the rules of the road, consider the rights of others, dress neatly, act like a gentleman and always respond when asked in combating adverse legislation. Do your share and you won’t have to ask, ‘what do I get for my fifty cents?’

Quaint and old-fashioned, for sure, but true nonetheless, and it’s something I think every one of you understand — and the AMA thanks you for your support! If you’ll spread the word among friends and fellow riders, all the better. Because as Joy Burgess wrote last month, we are definitely stronger together.

The post Benefits ‘R’ Us appeared first on American Motorcyclist Association.

Jan. 24, 2024 (Story from the January 2024 issue of American Motorcyclist)

By Keaton Maisano

The past 12 months brought about a bolstering of the AMA’s Government Relations Department, and new faces and a refreshed approach emphasized the main mission: protecting motorcyclists’ rights.

In 2023, the AMA set out to reimagine how it approached regional representation, allowing the team to more efficiently and effectively operate. This change led to the creation and staffing of Washington D.C., Eastern states and Central states representatives. Nick Haris, who remained in his role as the Western states representative, took over as director of the department.

The duo of Zach Farmer (Washington D.C. representative) and Nick Sands (Central states representative) joined the team in 2023 to help champion motorcyclists’ rights throughout the country.

The new-look GRD team hit the ground running as it monitored and engaged several issues throughout 2023, and the staff is looking ahead to another year of serving AMA members and motorcycling in 2024.

2023 REVIEW

RIGHT TO REPAIR

In the fall of 2023, the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing and markup of H.R. 906, the REPAIR ACT, which provides flexibility for consumers to diagnose, maintain, repair and modify their vehicles.

Legislation protecting the right to repair is gaining momentum at the federal and state levels, with more than 20 states introducing or signing into law proposals that support one’s right to repair. The Biden-Harris Administration issued an Executive Order directing federal agencies to take steps to “make it easier and cheaper to repair items you own by limiting manufacturers from barring self-repairs or third-party repairs of their products.”

Congress is considering proposals, which include the right to repair, to enhance product safety and transparency.

The AMA supports motorcyclists’ right to repair their own motorcycles or seek out the services of an independent shop.

E15 FUEL

A growing number of bipartisan lawmakers and organizations continue to push for the year-round sale of E15 — which has been shown to damage carbureted and fuel-injected motorcycles, decrease gas mileage and reduce the shelf life of gasoline. The fuel is illegal for use in motorcycles, but clear labeling is not a requirement at the pump, leaving motorcyclists susceptible to confusion.

The Consumer and Fuel Retainer Choice Act of 2023 would enable the year-round nationwide sale of ethanol blends higher than 10 percent. Furthermore, the Biden-Harris Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael S. Regan continue to issue temporary summertime emergency fuel waivers that allow the sale of E15.

None of these efforts have a labeling requirement that highlights the potential dangers of E15 for motorcycles. The AMA continues to oppose efforts that overlook necessary and essential labeling at the pump.

AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES

Autonomous vehicles (AV) were once again a hot-button issue for federal lawmakers in 2023.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Department of Transportation are increasing their efforts to monitor semi-autonomous vehicle developments. Along with releasing crash data and developing a comprehensive AV plan, NHTSA is engaged in the federal rulemaking process to ensure advancements in AV technology do not impact the safety of all road users.

Back in March 2022, NHTSA proposed a rule that vehicles with Automated Driving Systems (ADS) technology must continue to provide the same high levels of safety.

The AMA continues to voice its concern regarding AV, as shortcomings in development and regulation can lead to dangerous and deadly outcomes for motorcyclists, who are often left out of necessary testing of AV technology.

Cruise, the autonomous vehicle startup owned by General Motors, paused all driverless operations in 2023 after collisions led to investigations and a suspension of its licenses in California. Federal regulators have also opened an investigation into the company as it looks into pedestrian safety concerns.

DISTRACTED DRIVING

The AMA recognizes the dangers of distracted driving, especially as it pertains to the motorcycling community. In 2023, 19 states introduced legislation to address driving, and as of publication, 34 states prohibit drivers from using handheld cellphones while driving.

LANE FILTERING/SPLITTING

At publication, four states — California, Utah, Montana and Arizona — have lane filtering laws, which allow varying flexibility for motorcyclists to filter between lanes. In 2023, seven states introduced lane filtering related legislation.

The AMA continues to support such legislation as part of a comprehensive effort to reduce a motorcyclist’s risk exposure in heavy stop-and-go traffic conditions. In the past year, the AMA supported bills such as H.B. 1755 in Arkansas, Missouri’s H.B. 1046 and H.B. 1454 in Tennessee.

MOTORCYCLIST PROFILING

The House (2018) and Senate (2022) passed resolutions promoting awareness of motorcyclist profiling and encouraging collaboration between the motorcycle community and law enforcement officials to prevent instances of profiling. Furthermore, eight states introduced profiling related legislation in 2023.

The AMA opposes motorcyclist profiling, defined as discriminatory enforcement action that targets motorcycle riders, by law enforcement. The AMA does support law enforcement that focuses on stops implemented through reasonable suspicion in a nondiscriminatory manner.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

In 2022, the Two-Wheeled Plug-In Electric Drive Motor Vehicle Tax Credit expired, and it has yet to be renewed by Congress.

Senators Bob Casey (D-PA) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced the Parity Act of 2023 in May. This act would make vehicles with fewer than four wheels eligible for the clean vehicle tax credit that is part of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. This tax credit awards upward of $7,500 to customers if both the vehicle and the taxpayer meet certain requirements.

California, Arizona, Maryland and Pennsylvania currently have certain tax credits, rebates and incentives for motorcycles.

OUTDOOR RECREATION

The Recreational Trails Program (RTP) has funded more than 25,000 projects across the country since 1993. Funding for the program has remained just north of $80 million a year for the past decade, but there have been recent efforts to increase this number, which is pulled from an estimated pool of more than $270 million from the eligible gas tax revenue. The RTP has been re-authorized multiple times, and there is a push to re-authorize the funding again soon.

2024: WHAT TO WATCH

• Senator Nick Hinrichsen (D-Pueblo) will introduce lane-splitting legislation in Colorado in the 2024 legislative session. The legislation will be modeled after Montana’s statute.
• Right to repair will continue to be an important topic in 2024, and the GRD team will remain steadfast in defending and informing motorcyclists on the matter.
• The Motorcyclist Advisory Council (MAC) — which advises and works with the Secretary of Transportation, the NHTSA Administrator and the Federal Highway Administration Administrator on motorcycle-related issues — was formed for a two-year period at the end of 2023. The 13 members that make up the MAC must provide a report to the Secretary no later than Oct. 31, 2024, regarding the following topics: motorcycle and motorcyclist safety, barrier and road design, construction and maintenance practices, and the architecture and implementation of intelligent transportation system technologies.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

The members of the AMA Government Relations team will relentlessly work for your rights in 2024 and into the future, but there are also ways you can help defend motorcycling. Remain vigilant and updated on issues in your area, and don’t be afraid to reach out to the appropriate government officials. Furthermore, you can sign up for action alerts at AmericanMotorcyclist.com/action-center/.

The post Rights Refresh appeared first on American Motorcyclist Association.

Jan. 23, 2024 (Story from January issue of American Motorcyclist)

By Keaton Maisano

At first glance, the American Motorcyclist Association’s collection of history appears to be concentrated within the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, which showcases many significant motorcycles, relics and memorabilia.

However, those two floors of history pale in comparison to the 100 years of documents, magazines, photos, film, CDs, VHS tapes and more on the lower floor of the AMA headquarters office in Pickerington, Ohio, which is literally connected to that impressive museum via a walkway.

Archiving and organizing this vast collection of history has become the task of AMA Mailroom Manager John Bricker, who became an AMA employee in 1990 and who, with the advancement of technology over the years (and the subsequent decrease in physical mail), became the defacto historical caretaker of AMA history.

“I’ve always been a historian,” Bricker said. “I do a lot of my genealogy with my family, and I’m the co-founder of the Galena Historic Foundation in Galena, Ohio.”

Bricker has scanned decades of magazines, racing records, documents, photos and more to preserve the information stored within the walls of the AMA headquarters. In addition to digitizing the archives, he has spent his time organizing the physical copies of magazines, pins and other memorabilia.

“The AMA is the American Motorcyclist Association,” Bricker added. “It’s about people, and you find the people in the paperwork. I’m trying to preserve that.”

With a collection of different magazines such as Motorcycle Bicycle that dates to around 1910, the physical records of motorcyclists and the AMA can be traced back to before the AMA’s creation in 1924.

“I have come across paperwork with [AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer] Arthur Davidson mentioning the creation of the AMA,” Bricker said. “In one of them, I found what I believe to be the first mention of an AMA organization.”

Even after years of effort, Bricker estimated he is only 20 percent through the material. Despite the daunting task ahead of him, Bricker keeps chipping away. “People think there’s no way I’ll be able to scan it all,” he said, “but you just get started…one box, then a second box, and after a while, you’re like, ‘Hey, I’m halfway through this pile.’”

“There is so much rich history at the AMA, and so much potential if you just bring it out of the shadows,” Bricker continued.

Some of that rich history will end up on the pages of American Motorcyclist during the coming year as our 100^th Anniversary celebration plays out. And Bricker will have had a serious hand in all of it. Thanks, J.B!

Preserving and promoting motorcycling’s rich history is the mission of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame is funded by the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, and it is through the generosity of donors that this effort is possible. Donations can be made by going to AmericanMotorcyclist.com/hall-of-fame.

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