The Independent Motorcycle Aftermarket

By Bob Kay

The right to repair or modify your motorcycle isn’t a perk — it’s the core of what being a biker means. Whether you’re swapping grips or building a ground-up chopper, you’re not just maintaining a machine — you’re expressing who you are. That’s the difference between motorcycles and cars.

In America — where freedom and individual choice are supposed to matter — motorcycles are a choice, not a necessity. And ownership should mean exactly that: ownership. When you lease something, you follow their rules. When you buy it, it should be your call how it’s repaired, maintained, or modified — and who does the work.

Take away that choice, and you don’t just inconvenience riders — you kill competition and hand the market to a monopoly that sets the price, controls access and dictates terms.

I’ve worked directly with the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) to try to bridge the gap between manufacturers and the aftermarket. At their request, I assembled a group of respected designers, builders, and parts manufacturers to give them real-time insight into trends and consumer demand. The goal was simple: connect the people who build the bikes with the people who live the culture — and grow the entire market.

After a major presentation, the project was shelved. Just like that.

What doesn’t make sense is this: the auto industry figured this out decades ago. Companies like GM supply crate engines. Parts, tools, and software are widely available through independent shops, retail chains, and franchise dealers alike. Nobody’s asking motorcycle manufacturers to give anything away — they deserve to profit from what they build. But refusing to supply independent shops with parts, tools, and software isn’t protection — it’s restriction. And in the long run, it will be detrimental to motorcycling.

And it gets worse.

Manufacturers are now using technology as a gatekeeper — tying basic service functions to proprietary systems and threatening to void warranties unless their dealers do the work. Meanwhile, those same dealers aren’t open when riders need them, won’t touch older bikes, take weeks during peak season, and too often treat customers like they’re doing them a favor.

They even restrict where dealers can sell — cutting off riders from better options outside their region.

At the same time, new bike prices are pushing first-time buyers out of the market, while many franchise dealers dump used bikes at auctions instead of selling them. Independent shops should be stepping in to fill that gap — but how can they, if they’re locked out of the parts and systems needed to do the work?

So, here’s the real question:

Why would the MIC send a lobbyist to Washington to carve motorcycles out of a Right to Repair bill?

The only answer that makes sense is control — short-sighted, profit-driven control of the marketplace.

Let’s be clear — this isn’t anti-manufacturer. Without them, there is no market. But without the aftermarket, without independent shops, without rider choice — the market shrinks. Innovation slows. Costs go up. And the culture suffers.

Are manufacturers trying to eliminate the aftermarket altogether? Because that’s exactly where this road leads.

Manufacturers have the power to grow this industry — to train, supply, and support a full ecosystem that benefits everyone. Instead, they’re tightening their grip.

The Independent Motorcycle Aftermarket, along with the MRF, is fighting back — for your right to ride what you want, fix what you own, and choose who works on your bike.

Now it’s your move. Answer the calls to action, on H.R. 1566 – The REPAIR Act. Attend Bikers Inside the Beltway and the Meeting of the Minds. Stand up for your rights. Join the fight.

Join the IMA at imamember.org.

We are not second-class citizens. We all deserve the same rights as every car owner in this country.

We are riders. We are Americans. And we’re not asking for permission. And that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!