Yamaha Volunteers Refurbish Southern California OHV Staging Area
As part of the Yamaha OHV Access Initiative and with support of the Southern California Mountains Foundation’s (SCMF) OHV program, volunteers gathered recently for a final round of planting, cleaning and maintaining the Cactus Flats staging area and surrounding trails. This was the final project in a three-year commitment by Yamaha to help restore Cactus Flats and save the staging area from misuse and erosion.
MIC Acts to Reduce Industry Impact from California Air Resources Board’s ROV Evaporative Emission Regulations
For the past seven years while these regulations were being developed, the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) worked closely with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to ensure the regulations would not severely limit product availability or performance or significantly increase the cost to buyers. These efforts resulted in significantly less stringent standards and test procedures, a multi-year extension of the implementation and phase-in period, the removal of refueling emission controls for most vehicles, improvements to the emissions inventory model, and other important revisions to CARB’s initial proposal.
Representative Burgess Promotes Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in Weekly Address
Congressional Motorcycle Caucus Co-Chair, Representative Michael Burgess used his weekly video address to highlight the importance of motorcycle safety and Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month.
Motorcycle Safety Foundation Continues Investment in Rider Awareness Programs
The MSF has invested $2.4 million since 2010 in research initiatives that support ongoing curriculum development and quality assurance programs for its world-renowned Rider Education & Training System and Basic RiderCourse motorcyclist training program. Latest enhancements include updates to the Basic RiderCourse and two new motorcycle safety iBooks.
American Motorcyclist Association’s 2013 Awards Acknowledge Outstanding Motorcyclists
Six recipients have been selected to receive prestigious recognition. Awards include the AMA Dud Perkins Lifetime Achievement Award, the AMA Bessie Stringfield Award, the AMA Hazel Kolb Brighter Image Award, the AMA Outstanding Road Rider Award, the AMA Outstanding Off-Road Rider Award and the Friend of the AMA Award.
Motorcycle Industry Council Expands Membership to Dealers
Powersports dealers and retailers can now take advantage of proprietary market research and technical data, local, federal and state regulatory support, and other benefits of membership in the MIC to grow and protect their businesses and enhance the customer experience.
Vega Issues Safety Recall on XTS Half Helmets
The helmet manufacturer has initiated a voluntary recall of helmets in sizes large through XXL made between May 2011 and October 2012. The company has been working closely with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration after four of these helmets in the XL size were found not to comply with one of the performance requirements set forth in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218.
Controversial ‘Wild Lands’ Policy Is Resurrected by U.S. Interior Department
Under the policy, lands designated as “wild lands” by the federal Bureau of Land Management would be managed as if they had received the restrictive wilderness land-use designation from Congress. When Congress designates an area as “wilderness,” nearly all forms of non-pedestrian recreation become illegal.
Zero Motorcycles Releases ‘Going Electric’ Educational Pamphlet
As interest in electric motorcycles continues to grow, “Going Electric” delivers to the general public, media, motorcycle dealers and business partners the most accurate information available on electric battery range, industry terminology, cost of ownership and the overall electric motorcycle experience.
MIC Offers Ongoing Support for Electric Vehicle Market
The Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) continues to extend its support to the growing electric vehicle market by adding “Highway” range test procedures to the previously adopted MIC recommended practice for determining the “City” riding range for electric highway motorcycles.
Bipartisan Letter Seeks To End Motorcycle-Only Checkpoints
U.S. Reps. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) and Tom Petri ((R-Wis.), together with 29 additional members of Congress, have sent a letter to the leadership of the House-Senate Surface Transportation Reauthorization Conference Committee requesting the inclusion of language in the conference report that would prohibit the Secretary of Transportation from providing grants or any funds to states or local governments to be used for any program to create motorcycle-only checkpoints, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports.
MSF Applauds States With Decreased Motorcycle-Related Fatalities
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) commends the 23 states that experienced a decrease in motorcyclist fatalities during the first nine months of 2011, as compared to the first nine months of 2010, as reported by the Governors Highway Safety Association earlier this week.
Warning Signs Installed in more than 30 Cities for Motorcycle Safety
In an effort to help standardize warning signs for motorcycle safety and help reduce the number of motorcycle crashes at intersections involving other vehicles, Allstate Insurance Company has announced plans to permanently install motorcycle warning signs in more than 30 U.S. cities this year. Currently, there is no standard sign for motorcycle awareness.
U.S. Senate Votes to Preserve Recreational Trails Program
The U.S. Senate has approved a bill that extends the Recreational Trails Program (RTP), and the federal motorcyclist safety grant program, for nearly two more years, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) reports.
Georgia May Use Fed Grant For Motorcycle Checkpoints During Bike Week
For the second consecutive year, the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is cautioning riders traveling through the state of Georgia that the Georgia State Patrol (GSP) may mobilize several motorcycle-only checkpoints (MOCs) before, during and after Daytona Bike Week.
Recreational Trails Program Enters Critical Time
The Senate transportation bill, entitled “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century,” or MAP-21, contains a revision of current law that would essentially end the Recreational Trails Program (RTP). However, a bipartisan list of seven senators, led by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Richard Burr (R-N.C.), have introduced an amendment to modify the revision and preserve the RTP.