The Independent Motorcycle Aftermarket

American Bikers Journal Volume 29 #3 By: Bob Kay

The Right to Repair affects all of us whether we work on our own bikes or have a shop work on them.

The information and tools necessary to make repairs has to be available to independent dealers as well as individuals. Not everyone who owns a newer motorcycle under ten years old wants to go back to a franchise dealer (regardless of the brand) to get their bike serviced or repaired. We should not be penalized with a threat of losing our warranty for taking our bikes to our favorite independent dealer we have trusted and supported for years. Furthermore, if you own a bike over ten years old most franchise dealers won’t even work on your bike.

Most bikers I know enjoy working on their bikes as much as riding them. It is part of our culture to hang out with your buddies and help each other out. Most franchise dealers would prefer to eliminate independent dealers so they can charge us outrageous prices for parts and labor. Franchise dealers and manufacturers work hard to restrict parts and updated information from the Independent Motorcycle
Aftermarket. Even worse than the high prices are the ridiculous amount of time they want to tie your bike up for service in the middle of riding season. The existence of independent dealers is essential for the survival of our culture, riding lifestyle and the future of motorcycling.

Harley stopped the production of carbureted bikes in 2007 and will not work on your carbureted bike because it is over ten years old. Few have the technicians on staff with experience to work on older bikes. If you own a 2007 – 2013 Harley, where do you go for an electronic fuel injection tune? Harley no longer supplies programable ECUs for these bikes; the EPA has restricted the Aftermarket from selling the current generation of modules to street bike owners and there is a campaign to penalize any dealer willing to tune your fuel injected bike. All this is supposedly to help create a clean climate but they won’t even publish emission standards/limits that are acceptable for the Independent Motorcycle Aftermarket to
manufacture the components that will be environmentally compliant. It seems like motorcycle manufacturers would like to sell you a new bike, service it twice a year and sell you another new bike in five years but End of Life Directives for motorcycles is another issue for discussion at another time.

The MRF has been fighting for our Right to Repair and has pledged full support of the Independent Motorcycle Aftermarket to continue this battle. We can’t do it alone; we need your support by joining the IMA today so we can continue to fight this attack on our rights and lifestyle. In the next issue of the American Bikers Journal, I will be addressing our Right to Modify and build custom bikes.