EPA ATTACK

Not long ago I volunteered to do a write up on the Motorcycle Riders Foundation. The Boss told me to get on it right away due to the looming EPA restrictions. Well with the holidays and my crashed computer slowed me down. My bust, I first went to their web address and was blown away.

Next I contacted Jeff Hennie. Jeff is the Vice President of Government Relations for the Foundation. After a brief conversation via phone from my place of real employment, on company time, I learned several interesting things. Jeff is a long time rider and worked on the Hill for various other interest groups. When the opportunity presented itself for Jeff to come to work for the foundation he gladly took the position. There is one thing about the majority of Bikers; they are passionate about what they do. As the conversation progressed I also learned several other very interesting facts. I figured that the foundation was supported by big business.

To my surprise, I learned that the M.R.F is solely supported by individual folks who ride and is centered on protecting the rights of that group.

I also found out that the MRF had posted a letter in various motorcycle rags for shop owners and riders alike to forward to them so they could get an idea of what the riding public thought of the recent EPA regulations. The response was under-whelming.

The MRF has limited funds to represent national biker interests and used the letter as a research sounding board. They needed to investigate, quickly, rider interest in EPA restriction and determine whether to invest their time and money in trying to alter or repeal the upcoming legislation. (I myself ride a bike that depends on the small shops to maintain and repair, so I am definitely interested in keeping these shops alive and healthy.)

The M.R.F has repeatedly ask the EPA to consider a reasonable non-catalyst forcing emissions standard for highway motorcycles that even the smallest manufacture can meet, while allowing riders to refine their machines to improve ridability and safety.

These new laws will cost thousands of jobs and businesses in America.

For three years the MRF has taken on this struggle with the help of State Motorcyclist Rights Organizations and individual cyclist through out the country The MRF is still fighting to save rider options and small business. They are in need of individual cyclists and key members, in the small business community, involvement to save motorcycling in America. There is an urgent need to create a network of small business owners and advocates throughout the country. They are working daily to establish a flexible grassroots fighting force to take on new legislation and regulations, and to build an alliance with friends in Congress, who in fact, were elected by you.

The Motorcycle Riders Foundation in conjunction with America Iron Magazine and Bikernet.com is requesting the help of the entire industry to protecting your right to legally build and ride custom motorcycles. The MRF is asking the EPA to allow individuals to build more than one EPA exempt motorcycle per lifetime, and to allow small volume manufacturers and shops to be able to build more than twenty-four EPA exempt motorcycles a year.

Our proposal to the EPA will include a non-conformance payment. In addition our efforts will include legally modifying existing motorcycles under the same type of program. In the article published by American Rider (and on Bikernet shortly), also highlighted the effects on the aftermarket industry of a Motorcycle Industry Council request asking the EPA to issue a letter of guidance which would allow M.I.C member companyies to sell EPA certified engines for use in kit bikes. This is another partial solution. Nothing perfect has surfaced yet, so we need to support any effort to afford rider and builder flexibility. The perfect reconciliation would be for the EPA to drop any costly effort to regulate this minuscule environmental hazard. It actually make little sense to interfere with our industry, and we know of many people who are trying to make that point. We need your help.

Read the full story in the January 2006 and February 2006 issues of American Iron Magazine (These articles will also be published on Bikernet.com in the near future.).

The EPA recently informed the MRF of a new interpretation of the “Control Of Emissions from a Highway Motorcycle” document. We have been notified that the right to build one EPA exempt motorcycle and a shop to build twenty-four exempt motorcycles was March 15, 2004, not January 1, 2006 as originally verified by the EPA. As of 2006 the new tail pipe emissions standards will come into effect for all models 2006 and later for all motorcycles operated on American roads.

These new standards have the potential to reshape the entire landscape of American motorcycling, as we now know it.

With the implementation of tougher standards, the average owner will no longer be able to service and maintain his or her motorcycle, similar to what we have seen in the automobile sector. Tougher standards will reduce motorcycling in America. The result will be sales declines and unemployment. And, as riders turn to passenger cars, the result will be more gas consumption and gridlock resulting in increased pollution.

The EPA wants to harmonize with the California Air Resource Board by 2010. These tougher standards will wipe out custom shops, the aftermarket industry, and small volume bike builders, eliminating tens of thousands of jobs across America.

The MRF has been extremely effective in the past in protecting Motorcyclist and the related lifestyle from any adverse legislation. In the past Congress has tried to single out motorcyclist as a problematic portion of the community.

The MRF will continue to fight any and all legislation that will directly affect the motorcyclist of America. Well if you think reading this was tough, try writing it and experiencing the full effect of every word as you bang it out. Tough, to say the least. After talking to Jeff I was left at a loss.

I guess that people will continue to putt along until the Feds tell them they can no longer ride the bikes they own because they have been legislated out of existence. All that I can ask any of you all is to get involved. I guess that means time or money. I’m bummed out after writing this, so I guess the Shovel and me will go for a long late night ride through the city.

Oh ya I almost forgot, to find the Motorcycle Riders Foundation on line just type that in to your search engine and look for their home page (http://www.mrf.org/). There is a lot of very informative reading and you will be able to locate your state chapter while you are at it (http://www.mrf.org/epa.php).

LTR

Open Letter To The EPA–Send It Or Else

Please fill out this letter or write your own and forward it to the MRF at the following address. Or drop them an e-mail. They will see to it that your letter is read and considered.–Bandit

Motorcycle Riders Foundation
236 Massachusetts Ave. NE,Suite510
Washington DC 20002-4980
phone: 202-546-0983
fax: 202-546-0986

Jeff Hennie
Vice President of Government Relations
jeff@mrf.org

Sarah Muckenhoupt
Office Manager
mrfoffice@mrf.org

To Whom It May Concern:

I own and manage _______________ (enter company name here), a ________________ (motorcycle dealership, motorcycle service center, motorcycle parts provider) and a member of the local business community. I want to make you aware of what is happening to one of the fastest growing industries in our region and directly impacting our business success. Motorcycle sales and registrations are reaching all time highs and the custom parts and other related businesses are growing along with this increase in sales. While revenues are up and this mode of transportation continues to provide possibly the single largest fuel conservation effort in the country and much of the world, the United States government is approaching severely deflating this source of jobs, economic revenue and fuel conservation by changing the standards under which my small business can modify or produce motorcycles.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has chosen to ignore the best interests of the motorcycle small business community in their decision making process. The EPA specifically targeted the motorcycle aftermarket business sector by limiting the number and type of motorcycles we can produce. These new standards are impossible to comply with and successfully run the type of business that I do. We hope, in our support of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, to correct this injustice before the implementation of emission standards enacted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which are so unreasonably strict that our small business will not be able to maintain current personnel and operate at a profitable level.

The rule they are enacting to control emissions is far too broad in its expansive restrictions, far beyond actually controlling emissions. Their proposal would:

* Restrict the manufacturing of motorcycles in volumes less than 3000/yr virtually eliminating the currently booming and very popular custom chopper industry

* Cease the modification or customization of motorcycles by their owners or local service center

*Apply these unreasonable restrictions without giving the industry the opportunity to implement it's own emission controlling policies

* Deplete a multi-billion dollar industry and the jobs it creates and supports.

Motorcycle consumers depend on my small business to fix what they cannot on their motorcycles and/or supply parts they can install themselves. My business is an important link between keeping motorcyclist's wheels rolling and also to provide these consumers with a choice as to what changes they want to make to personalize their motorcycles, no matter what brand they decide they feel comfortable riding. We independent shops and consumers need each other to survive the future with the freedoms we deserve. Many consumers do not wish to maintain a relationship with a franchised dealer for their repair and modification work, and undoubtedly deserve the right to other choices.

The EPA operates under its own authority, with little or no Congressional oversight which is why the motorcycle small business community desperately needs your help. Through congressional pressure we are hoping to keep the new rules from eliminating our exploding cottage industry and associated jobs. With your support and the help of other elected officials and community leaders we can stop the rash deterioration of arguably one of today’s most uniquely American industries.

The new regulations will eventually put us out of business. Only the manufacturer’s dealers, namely the industry's largest few, will be able to work on these bikes because of the anti-tampering provisions of the Emissions Standards rule. Eventually, no one other than the dealer, not even the owner, will be able to work on these bikes. The only modification of motorcycles with the new EPA rules will be, in the EPA’s own words color and chrome. Without your help, I may be forced to close my business entirely. Please do not hesitate to contact the Motorcycle Riders Foundation in Washington D.C. should you have questions or need any additional information.

As true aficionados of clean air and the great outdoors, we riders and business persons in the motorcycle industry fully recognize and support the need to control noise and emissions and as such are willing and anxious to form a nationwide effort to develop and install self-monitoring policies and guidelines for industry improvements to protect the precious environment that we and our children live and ride in.

Thank you for your attention and prompt action toward this very important matter.

Regards,