1903:
n
Spurred by the first major legislative problem -
a NY law to requiring registration of motorcycles as motor vehicles rather than
bicycles, the New York Motorcycle Club formed a committee to determine if a
national motorcyclist enthusiasts organization was needed. That same year, The Federation of American
Motorcyclists (FAM) was formed. The purpose was to defend and protect the
rights of motorcyclists.
1910:
n
By 1910 the FAM was working against the Chicago
City Council on a restrictive measure to eliminate the sharp “pop-pop of a
motorcycle.” First noise ordinance?
1916:
n
Motorcycle and Allied Trades Association
(M&ATA) was formed with a goal of re-vitalizing the Bikers Rights movement
started by FAM. Due to the drain on FAM by WWI, the M&ATA became the
primary national motorcycle association. The FAM fizzled completely by 1918.
1924:
n
The M&ATA at their
1949:
n AMA
lobbies against an Iowa
1961:
n AMA
leader Lin Kuchler states that “99% of motorcyclists are clean-cut
enthusiasts.” (Where the term 1%er came
from)
1966:
n AMA in
conjunction with the trade organization (now called Motorcycle Industry
Council) forms a Government Relations Committee to help combat the onslaught of
legislation that accompanied the boom in sales in the 1960s.
n
The Federal Highway Act included requirements
for states to pass motorcycle helmet use laws and motorcycle operator licensing
requirements.
n
States failing to comply faced the loss of ten
percent of their federal highway construction funds.
1967:
n
n This issue was the spark that started the state motorcyclists’ rights movement that we know today.
1971:
n
Easyriders Magazine, at the urging of
motorcycle clubs, created the Choppers Manufacturers Association and began
working on a nationwide effort to protect the rights of bikers. They then came
up with the acronym ABATE, which stood for “A Brotherhood Against Totalitarian
Enactments.” Choice of
ABATE as an acronym was no accident. Webster
defines the word abate as
“to beat down; to put an end to; to nullify; to reduce in degree or intensity.”
The job at hand was to nullify the intrusion of the government into our
lives.
n The prevailing mood was, “it’s us against them” with “them” being Big Brother in all his controlling forms.
n
Distrust existed between many State
Motorcyclists’ Rights organizations (SMROs)
1975:
n
Meeting held in
n
Some SMROs preferred to remain independent.
n
Rob Rasor of the AMA, Ron Roloffof the MMA of
California, and Ed Armstrong of ABATE of
n Congressman Bud Shuster complimented the bikers on their testimony saying that they did a much better job than the American Association of Railroads who preceded them.
n
Albert Benjamin Kelley, vice-president of the
Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) suggests eliminating motorcycle
injuries by eliminating motorcycles.
1976:
n
As a result of the work of a small group of very
active bikers, Congress repeals the blackmail provisions of federal law.
1985:
n The idea for MRF was created by Michael Farabugh, Debby Farabaugh and Wanda Hummel in the humble surroundings of a garage in Granger, Indiana.
n
ABATE USA Seminar held that September in
n
MOTM leads to the creation of the Motorcycle
Rights Fund (MRF), governed by a Steering Committee
1987:
n
Amid clear signs of renewed federal interest in
regulating motorcycling, the Steering Committee expands its agenda.
n
MRF is the first motorcyclists’ rights
organization to place a lobbyist in our nation’s capitol.
1989:
n
Proposed national helmet law is stopped in
Congressional committee.
n
The MRF undergoes a complete reorganization,
adopts bylaws, a new name, and a membership structure.
n Name changed to the Motorcycle Riders Foundation.
1992:
- MRF
defeats OSHA attempt to require motorcyclists to wear helmets at work
regardless of state laws.
1993:
n
The MRF begins publishing white papers on issues
important to motorcyclists.
1997:
n MRF sets a nine-point legislative agenda for the 105th Congress, coordinates federal lobbying efforts of SMRO’s.
1998:
n
The “Transportation Equity Act for the 21st
Century” (TEA-21) is passed.
n
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
priority areas include accident prevention and motorcycle safety.
n
No penalties on states without helmet laws.
n
Motorcycles to be included in the planning of
ITS (Intelligent Transportation system).
n
No motorcycle bans on federally funded roads.
n
Restrictions placed on NHTSA lobbying in the
states.
2003:
n The MRF announces the creation of the Young Activists Scholarship Fund.
n
MRF begins transmitting the MOTM on Internet
Radio (Through INBRadio’s website).
2004:
n
The 20th Annual Meeting of the Minds
is held in
n Crystal Maney from CBA of Buncombe County, NC wins first Young Activists Scholarship Award.
MRF’s
To continue
developing an aggressive, independent national advocate for the advancement of
motorcycling and its associated lifestyle which is financially stable and
exceeds the needs of motorcycling enthusiasts.
2004 MRF Legislative Agenda
1. Promote safety on American roads for ALL road users by rescuing
rider training budgets.
Since the September 11 attack,
rider training is in crisis with state budgets for the program being sharply
reduced or even eliminated. The MRF's plan for the reauthorization of the
Transportation Equity Act of the 21st Century (TEA-21) provides special grants
to enhance motorist awareness of motorcycles.
2. Balance the nation's transport system by increasing
motorcycling in
Every year, commuters in cars
squander a staggering $72 billion in lost time and wasted fuel gridlocked in 68
of our largest urban centers. Cash-strapped and traffic-clogged, states are
debating tax hikes to increase road capacity. Opponents say we cannot build our
way out of this crisis, but even newspapers, customarily critical of sprawl,
insist that more lanes belong in the mix. Something else belongs in the mix:
the motor vehicle that cuts congestion, slashes commuting time and skimps on
fuel. That vehicle is the motorcycle, and its advantages are as staggering as
the problems it helps solve. Carrying one person to and from work, compared to
the auto's 1.1 persons, motorcyclists complete urban commutes in a fraction of
the time of other motorists, while imposing 51 times less road wear. If just
10% of the 1.5 trillion annual car miles were traveled by motorcycle,
3. Break the choke hold on motorcyclists’ rights and safety
posed by the Environmental Protection Agency.
At present, the EPA has imposed
unacceptable emissions control standards on street motorcycles. These new
standards are extreme and unnecessary for the following reasons:
• Every new motorcycle is cleaner
than ever before. They are twice as clean as the old 1975 standard requires.
• Street bikes are not even a
relevant part of the vehicular pollution problem. If all street vehicle
pollution emissions were equal to the length of a football field, the
contribution by street bikes would amount to a quarter of an inch on that
field.
• Tougher standards will wipe out
custom shops, the aftermarket parts industry, and small-volume bike makers,
eliminating tens of thousands of jobs across
4. Rescue health care benefits for riders in case of accidents.
Due to a HIPAA provision,
insurers can now extend health care benefits to employees who have accidents
while driving cars, while denying accident benefits to employees who ride
motorcycles. It is unfair, it is discriminatory, and the MRF is fighting it
with innovations at the state and federal levels.
MRF’s Core
Values:
Brought to you by
Tim Nelson, Lee McCubbin and Vinny Neuman (