The Motorcycle Riders Foundation is chiefly concerned with issues at the national and international levels that impact the freedom and safety of American street motorcyclists. We are also committed to educating rights advocates to improve effectiveness at the state and local levels. The MRF works together with State Motorcyclists’ Rights Organizations (SMROs), assisting them with state and local agendas as well as working with them to influence Washington, DC – from the Congress to government departments and agencies to the Office of the President of the United States. We also work with allies in Europe and Asia to influence talks on vehicle globalization and harmonization that are proceeding under the United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO). We have an historic partnership with the American Motorcyclist Association and work with the AMA on a host of issues.
The MRF’s primary goals at this time are:
Sustain lobbying efforts that promotes awareness and prohibition of motorcyclists profiling, including language that:
- Promotes increased public awareness on the issue of profiling of motorcyclists
- Encourages collaboration and communication with the motorcycling community and law enforcement to engage in efforts to end profiling of motorcyclists
- Urges state law enforcement officials to include statements condemning profiling of motorcyclists in written policies and training materials
- Outlaws the practice of profiling of motorcyclists
Advocate for targeted changes to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) including the following actions:
- Support the universal availability of approved fuel blends, containing no more than 10 percent ethanol by volume.
- Promote additional research and independent studies concerning the effects of higher blends of renewable fuels on motorcycles.
- Ensure the availability of separate pumps (i.e., no multi-dispensing) to minimize the risk of damage to motorcycle engines where higher blend of renewable fuel blends is available.
- Sustain lobbying efforts for the passage of the Consumer Protection and Fuel Transparency Act of 2019 (H.R. 1024) or similar legislation which requires information to be provided to the public about the risks associated with the improper use of E15 fuel in certain vehicles, engines, and equipment. This legislation:
- Revises current EPA rule to include warning labeling requirements for fuel pumps that dispense E15.
- Requires the EPA to create a public education campaign about the risks of unauthorized use of E15 as well as the vehicles, engines and equipment prohibited from using E15.
- Defines multi-dispensing nozzle and requires an additional warning label on multi-dispensing nozzles to warn consumers of the residual fuel left in gasoline pump hoses from the previous individual dispensing.
Advocate and monitor any legislation or regulations related to motorcycles concerning connected and autonomous vehicles (AV):
- Endorse rulemaking to set new standards specific to seeing, detecting, and properly reacting to motorcycles.
- Ensure motorcycles are part of all testing and development procedures.
- Promote that any AV public user advisory committees should include a representative from the motorcycle community and a motorcycle manufacturer.
- Require a public, easily accessible, and searchable database where consumers can look up important safety information such as the limitations and capabilities of different products offered by AV manufacturers or service providers.
- Require that all AV manufacturers must submit safety evaluation reports to detail and make public how their vehicles identify motorcycles among other road users. Manufacturers must also include human error analysis in safety reports.
- Require that all AV manufacturers must publicly report crash data reporting incidents between AVs and motorcycles just as they would incidents between AVs and other road users.
- Protect the safety of motorcyclists with any rules or standards as it relates to electronic and cybersecurity systems including the clarification of rights of data ownership of any recorded data in the context of connected and autonomous vehicles.
- Inclusion of motorcyclists’ perspectives in discussions regarding the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS).
- Work to ensure motorcycles are a separate classification of vehicle and road user for purposes of regulation and testing of AVs.
- Protect the set aside radio spectrums necessary for DSRC vehicle to vehicle communications.