The Independent Motorcycle Aftermarket

First, voting is a right of U.S. citizenship. There is never a good time not to vote. The worst un-American act you commit when you do not agree with either candidate or either side of the issues they support is to abstain from your right to vote. A citizen’s responsibility is to vote and to be effective in the leadership and policies of our great country.

As a member of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) or Independent Motorcycle Aftermarket (IMA) you understand the importance of taking a stand on issues that affect your motorcycle, your income, and your lifestyle. You also grasp the unimaginable number of people who are clueless to the consequences of not voting. Plus, you are aware of the amount of work needed to pass legislation.

Polices rule our lives more than politicians. The importance of staying informed of
pending legislation cannot be over emphasized. Seldom do the proposed laws
personally affect those who are making the laws.

The MRF and IMA are fortunate to have friends in Congress who have worked with us as sponsors of legislation. The process to turn proposals into laws is often long and convoluted. If you attended the recent Meeting of the Minds; you saw firsthand how determining a legislative agenda works. Legislative directors from Sustaining SMROs spent an entire workshop selecting and prioritizing the MRF’s 2025 legislative agenda.

Staff members of friendly legislators often draft proposed legislation. The draft is
reviewed by the MRF and IMA for errors and omissions. Once the proposal is assigned a bill number, for example HR 906 – the right to repair, the MRF and motorcyclist constituents of members of Congress seek additional sponsors. Bikers Inside the Beltway is where the MRF exercises grassroots political action. The two-day event involves spending hours on Capitol Hill in meetings with members of Congress to encourage sponsorship of our legislation.

The legislation travels a winding route of committee hearings and near-death episodes of inaction. With determination and hard work, the initial bill gets attached to legislation with a greater chance of passing; profiling legislation in 2022 is a good example of this process.

Obviously, the more support from the MRF, the IMA, independent shop owners, custom bike builders, parts and accessory manufacturers, and aftermarket distributors, the greater the possibilities of passage. The possibilities increase when the legislation is sponsored and championed by members of Congress on key committees.

The more people (MRF, IMA, SMROs, club members and informed motorcyclists)
contacting members of Congress, the better our voice is heard. Members of Congress know that the more voices heard on specific issues translates to more voters in their districts.

Sharing the knowledge and impact current legislation (HR 906 – the right to repair) is going to have on motorcycle businesses and the entire aftermarket industry is critical to the survival of motorcycling.

It surprises me when I visit shop owners who do not understand the threats their
business faces. Everything from their daily sales to crippling fines and even forced to close their businesses are on the horizon if they do nothing. The MRF and IMA are in the forefront of pushing information to riders and businesses. It is the responsibility of all of us to share this information, especially with the aftermarket businesses.

The MRF’s “calls to action” keep us all informed; share those action calls with your
favorite shop owner or technician. Do not accept “no” for an answer when you ask the shop owner to join the IMA and individuals to join the MRF.

To vote or not vote is not an option. Motorcycling is under attack.

VOTE: IT IS YOUR RIGHT!

Bob Kay, Chairman – Independent Aftermarket Council