Monday, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) sent letters to leaders in the U.S. Senate supporting motorcycle ownership provisions in the House passed H.R. 1, better known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” The letters were sent to Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota and Senate Finance Chairman Mike Crapo of Idaho.

The provisions make interest on loans used to purchase American-made personal vehicles, including motorcycles, tax-deductible. There is concern that this provision may be changed in the Senate, applying the tax deduction only to automobiles. This change would not allow those purchasing new, American-made motorcycles that same benefit.

The MRF believes that by making the interest on loans for American-made motorcycles deductible, more money will be put back in the pockets of U.S. middle-class riders while further strengthening U.S. manufacturing, U.S. dealers and after-market repair and mechanic shops, ensuring a solid, safe, and strong motorcycle industry.

Expanding opportunities for Americans to purchase motorcycles is a good thing! The MRF is proud to support the efforts of companies like the Harley-Davidson Motor Company as they seek to grow the community of riders.

CLICK HERE TO READ THUNE LETTER

Thursday, President Trump signed three (3) pieces of legislation, H.J. Res 87, H.J. Res 88 and H.J. Res 89, which revoke waivers granted to the State of California, allowing it to set its own emissions standards. These resolutions were passed by the U.S. Congress in recent months and are a strong sign of the commitment by some in Washington D.C., to push back against the attack on the internal combustion engine.

Support for actions like this has been a key part of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation’s (MRF) legislative agenda. During the recent Bikers Inside the Beltway event, MRF members spent time advocating for the passage of these bills in the U.S. Senate, where they had temporarily stalled after being passed by the U.S. House earlier in the year. Additionally, the MRF wishes to thank the thousands of you who answered recent online Calls to Action on this topic. 

A process known as the Congressional Review Act was the mechanism by which these bills were passed. Because of the unique way they moved through Congress, opponents are already signaling their intent to file legal challenges. While this battle will now likely continue in the courts, it is nevertheless important to celebrate this victory for the survival of the internal combustion engine. The fight will go on… and the MRF will be here for that fight.

Monday, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) joined several other members of the Washington, D.C. motorcycling community to celebrate the annual “Ride to Work Day.”  To kick off the evening, members of Congress rode to the U.S. Capitol to cast votes on several pieces of legislation before joining a larger ride to Mt. Vernon, home of our first president, George Washington. 

2025 is the second year the Congressional Motorcycle Caucus has hosted the event, which is growing in popularity! This year, eight members of Congress attended the event, six of whom led the ride. We are most grateful to the United States Park Police, with a Motor Unit established in 1917, for escorting the ride. The MRF thanks Representatives Tim Walberg (MI), Don Bacon (NE), Troy Balderson (OH), Mike Bost (IL), Mike Collins (GA), Warren Davidson (OH), Claudia Tenney (NY) and Derrick Van Orden (WI) for joining the festivities.

The MRF joined with representatives from the American Motorcyclist Association, BMW, Buell Motorcycles, Harley-Davidson Motor Company and Indian Motorcycle for this fantastic event. Working with like-minded motorcycle organizations is important for achieving our legislative goals.

In the words of Congressional Motorcycle Caucus Chair Tim Walberg, “Today was a great day!” We at the MRF couldn’t agree more. Any day you can get on a motorcycle and ride with others who truly want to make things better for all riders is indeed a great day.

In May, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) as part of the Trump Administration’s executive order regarding efficiency and deregulation. Within the framework of the request, the MRF submitted comments on rules instituted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and fuel economy standards.

As you may remember, the attack on the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) is occurring in three ways. First through emissions regulations issued by the Environmental Protection Agency, second through the power of the California Air Resources Board and finally through increased fuel economy standards issued by NHSTA. Our comments in this submission related only to NHTSA’s new fuel standards as that is where the DOT’s jurisdiction exists.

We highlighted four concerns the MRF has with the new fuel economy standards which would threaten the Internal Combustion Engine, in an attempt to promote more electric vehicles.

• Reduced availability of affordable support technologies and fuels for motorcycle riders
• Distorted market dynamics and limited consumer choice
• Decreased relevance and impact of the aftermarket parts industry
• Rural motorcyclists will be disproportionately impacted due to insufficient infrastructure

We also offered three actions the DOT could take.

• Repeal or rollback of the 53.5 mpg target
• Consideration of non-EV pathways to efficiency that respect consumer diversity
• Protections for ICE technology development that support the motorcycling community

These comments are another example of how the MRF is fighting to protect your rights and freedoms in a variety of different ways. No matter where the fight is, the MRF will be there. Stay vigilant.

CLICK HERE TO READ MRF LETTER TO DOT

As part of the Bikers Inside the Beltway event, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) presents Legislative Champion awards during the visit to Capitol Hill. While we present the awards at Bikers Inside the Beltway in May, the award honors legislators for their work in previous years. This year, the MRF honored Senator Todd Young of Indiana and Representative Jay Obernolte of California.

Senator Young is a longtime friend of the bikers in Indiana and was the keynote speaker at the 2020 Meeting of the Minds in Indianapolis. He serves on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee and played a key role in the appointment of MRF Vice President Jay Jackson as a member of the Motorcyclist Advisory Council.

Representative Obernolte is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee where he is a leading voice in defense of the internal combustion engine. Despite being a lawmaker from California, Rep. Obernolte is a vocal critic of the excessive power the California Air Resources Board (CARB) yields on emissions policy. He recently joined the Congressional Motorcycle Caucus and we are grateful for this demonstration of his ongoing support of motorcyclists nationwide.

These two lawmakers are now the 13th and 14th to be so honored. All MRF Legislative Champions are presented with a leather vest by MRF leadership and constituents during the annual May visit. Thank you to Senator Young and Congressman Obernolte for their continued support of biker rights and their friendship with so many in the motorcycling community!

Past Legislative Champions:

Senator Joni Ernst (IA)
Senator Ron Johnson (WI)
Senator Gary Peters (MI)
Senator John Thune (SD)
Representative Troy Balderson (OH)
Representative Mike Bost (IL)
Representative Mike Burgess (TX)
Representative Mike Gallagher (WI)
Representative Darin LaHood (IL)
Representative Susie Lee (NV)
Representative Collin Peterson (MN)
Representative Tim Walberg (MI)

Last week, Congressman Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin introduced a bill that directs the Secretary of Transportation to update the nearly 60-year-old federal definition of a motorcycle.  In recent years, a new type of vehicle has entered our roadways, commonly referred to as an autocycle. These autocycles are classified as motorcycles at the federal level but have little resemblance to a motorcycle and the operational characteristics are vastly different.

The Motorcycle Riders Foundation believes this ambiguity about autocycles has created an unnecessary patchwork of rules and regulations regarding licensing, insurance, safety statistics, registration and training courses from state-to-state.

Updating the definition of a motorcycle has been on the MRF’s legislative agenda for several years. We are grateful that Rep. Van Orden has taken the first step to address this concern. H.R. 3385 will bring the federal definition of a motorcycle into the 21st century.

BILL TEXT

CALL TO ACTION

This week, bikers from across the nation descended on Capitol Hill. The 2025 Motorcycle Riders Foundation’s (MRF) Bikers Inside the Beltway was the largest in the 16-year history of the event! Motorcyclists from 32 states made the trip to Washington, D.C., to advocate for issues that matter to the street rider.

The list of policy concerns was long!  Issues include: The Right to Repair, Preserving the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE), Profiling of Bikers, Autonomous Vehicles, Ethanol Mandates and the Definition of a Motorcycle.

All 435 members of the House of Representatives and 100 Senators received an informational packet from the MRF for the third consecutive year. The packet explains who we are, what we’ve done, and what we want. From Alabama to Wyoming and all the states in between, the MRF knocked on doors and shared our legislative priorities.

The 200+ bikers who came to Washington, D.C., represented a diverse set of groups. State Motorcyclist Rights Organizations (SMRO), National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM), Sustaining Clubs and the National Council of Clubs (NCOC) were all represented as part of the MRF event.

Showing up matters. While it is important that lawmakers hear from us, it is also important they see us. Every year, a buzz occurs on Capitol Hill when hundreds of bikers roam the halls of Congress. The visual of so many motorcyclists united for a common cause is a powerful part of the annual event.

While bikers were meeting with Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota, he shared news regarding a key legislative priority for the MRF, Preserving the Internal Combustion Engine. That day, Leader Thune would announce, on the floor of the U.S. Senate, his intention to hold a vote on the repeal of waivers granted to the State of California, which allow the state to set their own emissions standards and mandate that nearly 2/3 of all new vehicles sold in the state be electric by the next decade. 

The MRF is committed to being your voice in Washington, D.C. We have had a presence in town since 1986 and we are not going anywhere! We are and will remain, the voice of the street rider in our nation’s capital.

Thank you to all the motorcyclists who made the journey to D.C. It is never too early to start planning for the next installment of Bikers Inside the Beltway in May 2026.

Did you miss the event in D.C.? You can still help reach Congress by responding to our calls to action below!

CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT OUR CALLS TO ACTION!

Earlier this year, Senator Mike Crapo of Idaho introduced the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales Act (CARS Act). This bill is similar to legislation that Congressman Tim Walberg introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The focus of the bill is the protection of the internal combustion engine. It does this in two ways. First, the bill prohibits the use of authority under the Clean Air Act to issue regulations that mandate the use of any specific technology or regulations that limit the availability of new motor vehicles based on that vehicle’s engine type. Second, the legislation requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to update any regulations that result in the limited availability of new vehicles based on that vehicle’s engine.

 The legislation would overturn a 2024 EPA rule, which currently would result in about 56% of new vehicles sold between 2030 and 2032 having to be electric.

Currently, the bill has 23 Senate cosponsors, but we need to improve that number! If you want to save the internal combustion engine, ask your Senator to cosponsor S. 995.

CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT THIS CALL TO ACTION!

Recent actions in Washington D.C. have focused on rolling back regulations implemented by the State of California that would threaten the future of the internal combustion engine. The Clean Air Act, passed by Congress in 1970, created a process by which the State of California can seek a waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to enact its own emissions standards rather than follow federal standards. Additionally, other states are allowed to tie their emissions standards to those enacted by California.

Many in Congress think it is time for this special power California wields to end. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation agrees! In the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, bills were introduced that would eliminate the waiver process and prevent other states from adopting California standards.

Rep. Troy Nehls of Texas and Sen. Mike Lee of Utah are leading the charge to prevent bureaucrats in Sacramento, CA from killing the internal combustion engine.  If you agree it’s time for California to play by the same rules, tell your Representative and Senators to cosponsor “The Stop California from Advancing Regulatory Burden (Stop CARB) Acts” (H.R. 2218 & S. 1072).

CLICK HERE TO JOIN OUR CALL TO ACTION!