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!

This week, the House of Representatives passed two bills crafted to overturn regulations approved by the Biden Administration, allowing California to mandate more electric trucks and cars be sold in the state. The bills, H.J. Res 87 and H.J. Res 88, will help to protect the internal combustion engine, a top legislative priority for the Motorcycle Riders Foundation. They received bipartisan support in the House of Representatives.

Now that the House has started the ball rolling, it is time for the U.S. Senate to act. This process is called the Congressional Review Act, which only requires a simple majority to pass the bill. The usual 60-vote filibuster threshold does not apply to these bills in the Senate.

Contact your U.S. Senator, tell them to protect the internal combustion engine.

CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT CALL TO ACTION

This week, the leadership of the House Motorcycle Caucus introduced H. Res 367, expressing support for the designation of May 2025 as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. Rep. Tim Walberg (MI), the longtime chairman of the House Motorcycle Caucus was the lead sponsor for this bill.

Across the nation, cities and states are also introducing motorcycle awareness resolutions and decrees. H. Res 367 lists several reasons why May is important for motorcycling awareness.  Perhaps the best section of the resolution is the line, “Motorcyclists have a right to the road and that all motorists should safely share the roadways.”

Those in the motorcyclists’ rights movement understand that the future of motorcycling is threatened. We thank the lawmakers who took the time to clearly point out that bikers have a right to use our nation's roadways!

Happy May, Ride Safe and Ride Free

Thursday, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that it is updating rules to allow domestically produced autonomous vehicles to qualify for exemptions from U.S. auto safety standards previously offered only to imports. NHTSA will continue to require car makers and other companies to report crashes involving self-driving systems while loosening some reporting requirements.

NHTSA Chief Counsel Peter Simshauser said of the move that NHTSA is “Actively engaged in developing a multi-faceted regulatory framework for vehicles with automated driving systems.”

It is still too early to know how these changes will impact motorcyclists. However, the move does signal a push by the Trump Administration to remove previous restrictions on self-driving vehicles. For the last decade, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) has been raising concerns that this new technology may be unable to recognize and react to motorcyclists.  Now more than ever, the MRF will remain vigilant, work with our partners on Capitol Hill and fight to protect the safety of everyone on our national roadways.

Earlier this month, two (2) members of the U.S. Senate introduced a new Right-to-Repair bill. This bill is similar to the House version, H.R. 1566 and has the same name, the "Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair Act’’ or simply the ‘‘REPAIR Act.’’ The Senate version of the REPAIR Act, S. 1379, was introduced by Senator Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico and Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri.

Senate bill S. 1379 represents the first time a Right-to-Repair bill of this nature is being introduced in the U.S. Senate. Previous versions of the REPAIR Act have passed the House of Representatives, but this action in the Senate clearly demonstrates the growing interest in Right-to-Repair legislation.

According to Senator Lujan, lead sponsor of the bill, “Giving vehicle owners, independent repair shops and aftermarket manufacturers access to vehicle repair and maintenance data is critical to improving repair options.” The Motorcycle Riders Foundation agrees and we hope other Senators support this effort.

To tell your U.S. Senators to support the REPAIR Act, CLICK HERE.