National and Regional News 

Duluth, Minn. — The 33rd Annual Motorcycle and Scooter Ride To Work Day is Tuesday, June 11. Worldwide, more than an estimated million riders become two-wheeled commuters to demonstrate riding as a fun and practical form of utility transportation. Over 100 American cities formally recognize Ride to Work Day by proclamation, and riding clubs around the world encourage their members to participate in this annual demonstration.

According to the Ride to Work nonprofit organization, for hundreds of thousands of U.S. workers, riding is a socially beneficial form of transportation that provides a broad range of other public benefits. According to the United States Census Bureau and the Department of Transportation, over 80 million cars and light trucks are used every day for commuting, and only about 200,000 motorcycles and scooters are a regular part of this mix. On June 11, the practical side of motorcycling and scootering becomes more visible as a higher percentage of America’s 8 million cycles and scooters replace automobiles.

The first Ride to Work Day was July 22, 1992. For several years, various motorcycle businesses informally promoted every third Wednesday in July as Ride To Work Day. These early advocates included Road Rider magazine, Dunlop Tires and Aerostich/Riderwearhouse. The event continued to grow as an informal grassroots demonstration every year until 2000. That year a nonprofit organization, Ride to Work, was formed to help organize and promote Ride to Work Day. The first Ride to Work Day led by this group was the third Wednesday in July of 2001.  

Starting in 2024, the day was changed to the second Tuesday in June to avoid conflicting with  Juneteenth, a United States federal holiday, going forward. This day was chosen because A) it breaks up the workweek better than a Monday day does (RTW Day is a demonstration day), and B) a midweek day is more likely to receive media coverage than a Monday or Friday. Ride to Work is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit, all-volunteer effort. Organizers include Andy Goldfine and Lynn Wisneski.

State News 

Great Falls, Mont. — The National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has been working for nearly three decades to create a positive future for off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation, is seeking to hire a full-time project manager. NOHVCC, a national body of OHV recreation enthusiasts, develops and provides a wide spectrum of programs, materials and information, or “tools,” to individuals, clubs, associations, and agencies to further their vision of making OHV recreation a nationally– accepted outdoor activity and to ensure quality opportunities are readily available to all who wish to participate responsibly.   

Visit nohvcc.org/national-off-highway-vehicle-conservation-council-is-hiring/ for more details and the full job description.

The project manager will work with the executive director to provide on-the-ground training to public land agency staff, OHV enthusiasts and other interested parties on a myriad of topics.  This training will primarily be provided in workshop settings, and topics covered will include OHV trail management, layout, design and construction. Other workshops may focus on starting, improving or organizing OHV clubs and associations. This position may also be responsible for managing on-the-ground projects including trail design, management plans, trail assessments, etc.  

St. Paul, Minn — With the signing of HF 5247 into law by Gov. Tim Walz (D) on Friday, May 24, Minnesota became the sixth state to legalize lane filtering and joined California, Utah, Montana, Arizona, and Colorado — which also signed lane filtering into law this year — as states that permit lane filtering.

As part of a supplemental budget bill — which impacted several departments, including the Minnesota Department of Transportation — motorcyclists in Minnesota will now be allowed to filter through traffic “at not more than 25 miles per hour and no more than 15 miles per hour over the speed of traffic in relevant traffic lanes.” Written by Sen. Scott Dibble (D-61) and Reps. Frank Hornstein (D-61A), Brad Tabke (D-54A) and Erin Koegel (D-39A), this section of the bill will take effect on July 1, 2025.

The legislation’s success came after AMA member and BMW MOA Treasurer Phil Stalboerger told his story of being rear-ended on a motorcycle while in traffic to several legislators who wanted to find a way to prevent further accidents from happening. In addition to the lane-filtering aspects, HF 5247 also added punishments for drivers that impede motorcyclists on the open road, stating that “an operator of a motor vehicle must not intentionally impede or attempt to prevent the operation of a motorcycle” when filtering.

The AMA remains supportive of efforts regarding the legalization of lane filtering, as its well-documented success in other states, in addition to support from several studies, indicate that it’s an effective way to keep motorcyclists safe on the road. The AMA’s position on lane filtering, as well as lane splitting, can be found at AmericanMotorcyclist.com/rights/ama-board-position-statements/lane-splitting/. 

San Luis Obispo, Calif. — Friends of Oceano Dunes has filed its brief in response to the California Coastal Commission (CCC) appeal of the July 19, 2023, landmark ruling by the San Luis Obispo County Superior Court that the Commission exceeded its authority in attempting to ban OHV at Oceano Dunes. The Superior Court’s ruling covered four lawsuits — three brought by Friends of Oceano Dunes.

The court ruled conclusively that if the Coastal Commission wants to attempt to ban OHV recreation at the park, it must convince San Luis Obispo County to amend its local coastal plan (LCP) or compel the state legislature to change the county’s LCP. As Friends wrote in its brief: “This case addresses the limits of the CCC’s authority when it cramdowns an amendment to a 42-year-old CDP to ban OHV recreation, contrary to the governing LCP that expressly authorizes OHV riding in barren sand ESHA.” The Coastal Commission’s effort to close the Oceano Dunes SVRA, if successful, would remove a significant recreational facility, not to mention destroy jobs and local businesses.

A recent study showed that Oceano Dunes visitors from outside San Luis Obispo County generate more than $500 million in economic impact annually. Closure would devastate the south county economy for years. Friends’ Board of Directors have made clear that they will continue to pursue all legal remedies to protect beach driving, camping and OHV recreation at Oceano Dunes SVRA the way it has been occurring for the last 100 years.

Friends of Oceano Dunes is a 501(c)(3) California not-for-profit corporation expressly created in 2001 to preserve camping and off-highway vehicle recreation at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicle Recreation Area (ODSVRA). Friends is a grassroots volunteer organization which represents approximately 28,000 members and users of the Oceano Dunes SVRA.

Industry News

Tokyo — Japan’s Honda Motor recently pledged to double its electrification and software investment to about $65 billion over the 10 years running through the 2030 business year. Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe said in a press conference that the automaker planned to spend a total of 10 trillion yen ($64.88 billion) on electrification and software over the period, doubling the amount it had pledged in April 2022.

Models of a battery-powered vehicle series Honda will start rolling out from 2026 will have a cruising range of 300 miles (482 km) or more, Mibe said, pledging to equip the cars with an ultra-thin battery pack and a newly developed compact e-axle. The automaker said it aimed to cut battery procurement costs in North America by more than 20 percent by 2030 and reduce production expenses by about 35 percent, partly by boosting parts integration.

Honda has not changed its belief that EVs are the most effective solution in the area of small mobility products such as motorcycles and automobiles, and Honda’s electrification target to make EVs and FCEVs represent 100 percent of its global vehicle sales by 2040 remains unchanged. Honda must look ahead to the period of EV popularization and build a strong EV brand and a strong EV business foundation from a medium- to long-term perspective.  

International News

Leicester, U.K. — The National Motorcyclists Council (NMC) has launched an important campaign to put motorcycling on the map in parliamentary constituencies in advance of the general election. A “Motorcycling Matters” manifesto and campaign website has been created by the NMC’s members, which aims to inform the post-election government about the greatest needs of motorcyclists in the country. It presents a manifesto for a positive vision for the future of transport and the role of motorcycling within this. There are seven key themes: 

• Transport Choice: Bringing motorcycling into the mainstream of transport policy 

• The introduction of improved and simplified licensing, training and testing 

• Safer roads for riding, tackling potholes and proper investment in motorcycle safety 

• Adoption of a “technology neutral” approach to decarbonization, preserving rider choice 

• Default access to all bus lanes, continued free parking and protecting motorcycle access to the full road network, including sealed and green roads 

• Ensuring greater recognition of and support for the UK motorcycle sports sector 

• Recognition of the cultural importance of the classic bike sector and protection for the UK’s motorcycling heritage 

Motorcycling is a key part of the future of transport. If supported by the government, it will foster social mobility, quality of life, economic growth and improved safety. The choices riders make about the bikes they want to ride, plus how and where they want to enjoy motorcycling, also need to be protected. 

 This is a campaign where every rider can make a difference. The NMC and its members are calling for all motorcyclists to be a part of shaping the views of the election candidates from the parties who are standing in their local constituency. Riders are urged to ask candidates to sign the NMC’s pledge to support motorcycling. 

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AMA News & Notes is a monthly publication compiled and edited by the American Motorcyclist Association. Designed to inform motorcyclists of rights-related issues and events in the United States and around the world, AMA News & Notes welcomes your input. Suggestions and editorial contributions can be sent to AMA Director of Communications Matthew Miles at mmiles@ama-cycle.org.

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