Recent Entries

• Ride in Peace Wayne

  by RevBigJohn March 18, 2023
  The Motorcycle Riders Foundation mourns the passing of motorcyclist rights activist Wayne Lettau.Wayne was heavily involved in the MRF’S federal legislative agenda, and his efforts with ABATE of South Dakota are legendary. His passion and skills delivered countles...

• Additional Clarity...

  by RevBigJohn March 17, 2023
  Editor’s Note: The MRF wishes to clarify the distinction between an automated driving system (ADS) and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) refers to “self-driving” technologies that do not require a d...

• NHTSA Responds to Questions from Congress

  by RevBigJohn March 16, 2023
  Just before the end of 2022, Rep. Tim Walberg of Michigan and 26 of his colleagues in Congress sent a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regarding recent crashes that involve motorcycles and cars believed to be in self-driving mode. The response from gove...

• HOLDING COMMON GROUND

  by RevBigJohn March 16, 2023
  Bikers inside the Beltway – with the encouragement and direction of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, since the first Bikers inside the Beltway in 2009, thousands of bikers have met with their elected representatives and educated them about issues of importan...

• Coalitions Rejuvenated

  by RevBigJohn March 10, 2023
  The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) 2023 legislative agenda includes a diverse set of issues that strike at the core of who we are as bikers. Historically, the MRF has fought many battles to defend individuals and the aftermarket motorcycle businesses’ rights ...

• MRF and the Road to Zero Coalition

  by RevBigJohn March 7, 2023
  The Road to Zero Coalition, managed by the National Safety Council, held their Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. on February 28th. Their goal is to achieve zero deaths related to motor vehicle crashes.The Motorcycle Riders Foundation attended this activity to keep track of how motorcyclists may be ...
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• Continuing to Bridge the Gap

  by RevBigJohn February 24, 2023
  Almost a decade ago, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) began outreach to motorcycle clubs to find common ground on key legislative items. An MRF board seat, titled Director of Sustaining Member Motorcycle Clubs, was created and that seat is held by Russell Radke. P...

• Pressure Mounts on Federal Government to Act on Self-Driving Ca

  by RevBigJohn February 20, 2023
  Late last week it was announced that Tesla will recall 362,000 vehicles equipped with its Full Self-Driving (FSD) Beta software. This comes after U.S. regulators said on Thursday the driver assistance system did not adequately adhere to traffic safety laws and could cause crashes. The reca...

• MRF Road Show Marches On

  by RevBigJohn February 15, 2023
  The leadership of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) continues our visits to annual state meetings with recent visits to Wisconsin and Ohio.MRF President Kirk “Hardtail” Willard and Wa...

• U.S. Capitol Is Open for Business

  by RevBigJohn February 10, 2023
  After nearly 3 years of limited access, the U.S. Capitol and its related office buildings are now fully open to the public. One of the first acts by Kevin McCarthy after his election to Speaker of the House was to reopen all office buildings under his control, the U.S...

• Nominees Wanted - Class of 2023 Motorcycle Riders Foundation Ha

  by RevBigJohn February 4, 2023
  The Motorcycle Riders Foundation Hall of Fame (MRFHOF) was introduced at the Meeting of the Minds in Denver, Colorado. This institution was created to recognize individuals that have worked through the MRF to positively impact motorcycling. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation is proud to announce that ...

• MRF 2023 Road Show Continues...

  by RevBigJohn February 3, 2023
  On January 27th, MRF President Kirk "Hardtail" Willard, Executive Director Mark Buckner, and Assistant Executive Director Ryan Hubbard traveled to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to join MRF Rep's Representative Andy Kelly and Past Treasurer Frank Carbone in representing...

• MRF Road Show 2023

  by RevBigJohn January 19, 2023
  The start of a new year means many state motorcyclist rights organizations are holding their annual meetings. The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) is always honored to be invited to attend and present at these events across the country. This weekend representatives fr...

• BIKERS INSIDE THE BELTWAY FINDING COMMON GROUND

  by RevBigJohn January 6, 2023
  Bikers inside the Beltway – with the encouragement and direction of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, since the first Bikers inside the Beltway in 2009, thousands of bikers have met with their elected representatives and educated them about issues of importance to all street rid...

• 2022 Ends With Multiple D.C. Victories for Bikers

  by RevBigJohn December 30, 2022
  In case you missed it, the last two weeks of 2022 saw multiple victories for the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) and all motorcyclists in this country. With the clock ticking down before the 117th Congress adjourned, three major parts of the MRF legislative agenda were addressed by...

• NHTSA Put on Notice Regarding the Profiling of Motorcyclist

  by RevBigJohn December 23, 2022
  This week, the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives agreed to a $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package that funds the federal government through September 2023 and avoids a government shutdown. Attached to that 4,155-page bill is a request by Congress to learn more about the profiling of motorcy...

• House Passes Motorcyclist Profiling Resolution!

  by RevBigJohn December 23, 2022
  In one of the final actions before the 117th Congress dissolved the House of Representatives passed, H. Res 366, the motorcyclist profiling resolution. The resolution, which was first introduced in 2016, failed to receive a vote on the House floor until today. In the six years since ...

• Motorcycle Riders Foundation news

  by RevBigJohn December 16, 2022
  This week, thousands of American bikers contacted their elected officials to express concern about recent crashes involving motorcycles and cars believed to be in self-driving mode. Specifically, three crashes this summer, which occurred in California, Florida and Utah have been a major topi...

• You Have Until Thursday to Help Protect Bikers

  by RevBigJohn December 13, 2022
  The Co-Chairman of the House Motorcycle Caucus, Rep. Tim Walberg of Michigan, is sending a letter to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regarding self-driving cars and motorcycles. Crashes involving self-driving cars and motorcycles have made news over the last few months a...

• “The Motorcycle Industry’s Vision for Decarbonization”

  by RevBigJohn December 9, 2022
  Tuesday morning, the Motorcycle Riders Foundation attended a panel by the European Association of Motorcycle Manufacturers. The discussion centered on “The Motorcycle Industry’s Vision for Decarbonization.” As in the United States, there is a growing movement to shift away from car...

• There’s more than one way to have your voice heard!

  by RevBigJohn November 16, 2022
  Last Tuesday was election day, but our voices should be heard every day. In less than 50 days the 2022 Motorcycle Profiling Project annual survey closes. Have you filled out the survey? The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) relies on surveys like this to help back up our arguments in Washington D....

• The MRF Salutes Our Veterans

  by RevBigJohn November 11, 2022
  We at the Motorcycle Riders Foundation wish all veterans a Happy Veterans Day. Thank you for your service in defense of our freedoms and liberties.  We as motorcyclists are fortunate that so many of our fellow riders are veterans. You make not only our country, but our motorcycling communi...

• The Winds of Change...

  by RevBigJohn November 11, 2022
  While ballots are still being counted in many races, the results on the 2022 midterm elections will have major ramifications in Washington, D.C. As of Wednesday afternoon, control of both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives remains undecided. What is clear is that there will be many n...

• 2023 Federal Legislative Agenda

  by RevBigJohn November 1, 2022
  At the 2022 Motorcycle Riders Foundation’s (MRF) 38th annual Meeting of the Minds Conference held in Des Moines, Iowa a legislative strategy session was hosted by the MRF’s Legislative Committee. The purpose of the session was to establish and prioritize the MRF’s 2023 Fede...

• Individuals Can Make a Difference!

  by RevBigJohn October 11, 2022
  Don’t fall into the trap of believing only high-powered lobbyists or big money donors can make a difference in D.C. The average biker can and has impacted policy in our nation’s capital. A perfect example is the work of two motorcyclists in Nevada, Fred Harrell a...

• Motorcycle Fuel Debate in Europe

  by RevBigJohn September 29, 2022
  Wednesday morning, members of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) leadership team attended a virtual seminar titled “Bridging the Gap to Climate Neutrality - The Case of eFuels for Motorcycles.” The event was hosted by the European Association of Motorcyc...

• Meeting of the Minds 2022 – Demand reaches room capacity!

  by RevBigJohn September 16, 2022
  Meeting of the Minds 2022 – Demand reaches room capacity! – Hotel booked up! Just as the MRF brought Bikers Inside the Beltway to capacity for hotel room requests, demand by attendees has brought the 2022 Meeti...

• Are you afraid of the dark?

  by RevBigJohn August 30, 2022
  With road fatalities increasing by 10.5% from 2020 to 2021, safety advocates are looking for causes. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has begun a nighttime test of vehicles that use automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems to address the high percentage of pedestrian crashes that o...

• We Told You So…

  by RevBigJohn August 27, 2022
  At last year’s MRF Meeting of the Minds in Atlanta, Georgia the fate of the internal combustion engine was discussed. In fact, at the urging of ABATE of Illinois, the following language was added to the MRF’s 2022 Legislative Priorities: “Work to ensure the survival of co...

• Two Stories that Caught Our Eye

  by RevBigJohn August 24, 2022
    Two Stories that Caught Our Eye August in Washington, D.C. is normally a quiet time of year as lawmakers have left town and will not return until after Labor Day. Despite this, a few issues c...