National and Regional News
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Monday, June 9, the American Motorcyclist Association organized and hosted Ride to Work Day on Capitol Hill. The AMA government relations staff brought together lawmakers, congressional staff, industry stakeholders, manufacturers and motorcycle rights advocates to highlight the importance of the motorcycling lifestyle and culture.
The event received strong support from the Congressional Motorcycle Caucus with attendance by Reps. Tim Walberg (R-MI-07), Troy Balderson (R-OH-12) and Derrick Van Orden (R-WI-03). Reps. Mike Bost (R-IL-12), Mike Collins (R-GA-10), Warren Davidson (R-OH-08), Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24) and Don Bacon (R-NE-02) also attended.
A welcome addition this year was the attendance of BMW, Buell Motorcycle and Indian Motorcycle. These manufacturers joined Harley-Davidson, and all four provided demo bikes for attendees. Following legislative work on Capitol Hill, members of the Congressional Motorcycle Caucus and event attendees gathered at the American Legion for an escorted ride through Washington, D.C., into Virginia, arriving at George Washington’s Mount Vernon. The ride was escorted by officers from the United States Park Service.
Also in attendance were individuals from the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) and the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC). A special thank you to American Legion Post 8 in Washington, D.C., for hosting multiple events for the AMA, their positive impact on the local community and support for our veterans.
State News
Mendocino, Calif. — Every year thousands of visitors travel to the Mendocino National Forest in Northern California looking to escape the grind and craving adventure. With its rugged off-road trails, scenic vistas and proximity to Sacramento and the Bay Area, the national forest has become a world-class destination in the off-road and overlanding communities. But in 2018, a devastating wildfire destroyed much of the trail system in the southern half of the forest. And subsequent years of severe winter storms and bark beetle infestation have also taken a toll on these trails and roads.
So on May 3, 64 volunteers mobilized for a trail revival project organized by the Mendocino 4×4 Club, Post Wildfire OHV Recovery Alliance, and onX Offroad. It takes hard work and dedication to maintain a trail system that rises from creeks to mountain ridgetops through chaparral, oak woodland, and conifer forests. Add to that the constant job of clearing brush from trails and removing downed trees that fall during frequent high winds.
After a solid day’s effort, volunteers cleared 21 miles of trails and put in a collective 170 hours of work. And that’s just one day’s worth of trail clearing. Through much of the fall and spring riding seasons, riders will continue to volunteer and help clear trails. Anyone interested in volunteering to help with trail maintenance can reach out to the forest and district offices to learn about upcoming opportunities.
Lansing, Mich. — On June 5, Sen. Jonathan Lindsey (R-MI-17) of the Michigan Legislature introduced Michigan’s first-ever motorcycle lane filtering bill. If enacted, this bill would permit operators of two-wheeled motorcycles to filter between traffic that is stopped or traveling at less than 15 mph. This legislation came together, in part, through a multitude of efforts at the state and national level, with support from Congressional Motorcycle Caucus Co-Chair Tim Walberg (R-MI) and State Sen. Lindsey.
The AMA urges its members in Michigan to contact their representatives and support this motorcycle safety initiative. Visit americanmotorcyclist.com/rights/rights-resources/action-center/ for more information and to send a letter of support.
Austin, Texas — House Bill 5624, which aims to create a more consistent and predictable liability environment for property owners and riders, recently passed the Texas House of Representatives and Senate. Now, the bill moves to the desk of Gov. Greg Abbott (R), with the possibility of becoming the second motorcycle-centric inherent risk law to be signed in 2025, joining Arkansas’ Act 312.
Olympia, Wash. — The Recreation and Conservation Funding Board will meet on June 24, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and June 25 from 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. The first day will be hosted in Room 172 of the Natural Resources Building at 1111 Washington St. SE, Olympia, WA, 98501.
If you choose to participate virtually you are encouraged to register in advance. Registration is available on Zoom. When registering it is not necessary to disclose your name unless you plan to testify. Instead, you can simply register as “anonymous.” Additionally, this meeting will be livestreamed by Television Washington.
Day 2 of this meeting will be a tour of projects throughout Thurston and Lewis Counties, beginning and ending at the DoubleTree Hotel, 415 Capitol Way, Olympia, WA, 98501. Please note this portion of the meeting will be in-person only and you must provide your own transportation. Testimony, correspondence, and other questions about the board materials should be directed to Julia McNamara, board liaison, at julia.mcnamara@rco.wa.gov ahead of the meeting day.
Industry News
Saint Paul, Minn. — Two major omnibus bills that passed during a special legislative session in Minnesota include key exemptions supported by the MIC, Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association, and industry partners after months of targeted advocacy. SF 3 contains language exempting youth-model off-highway vehicles and their components from the state’s PFAS restrictions on juvenile products — a clarification critical to ensuring continued access to youth powersports vehicles and parts. HF 4 includes a three-year postponement for ignition keys containing lead or cadmium, allowing current designs to be sold through July 2028.
The bills clarify that youth-sized off-highway vehicles — including ATVs and motorcycles — and their replacement parts, are not classified as “juvenile products” under Minnesota’s PFAS restrictions, ensuring they are included in the prohibition that took effect on Jan. 1. It also exempts juvenile products that contain PFAS in electronic or internal components, a key clarification addressing elements like wiring and sensors in modern powersports vehicles.
While both bills have cleared the legislature, SF 3 is awaiting signature while HF 4 has just been signed. As states continue to develop broad chemical and materials regulations, the MIC remains focused on ensuring the unique technical requirements of powersports companies are understood and addressed.
AMA News
Pickerington, Ohio — Vintage racing at Permco AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days presented by Turn 14 Distribution — to run July 25-27 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio — just got a whole lot bigger. New to the jam-packed schedule of motocross competition at AMA VMD in 2025 are the King’s Cup and Golden Cup events, which will bring air-cooled bikes from the glory days of AMA Hall of Famer Broc Glover’s racing career to the motocross track at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
The King’s Cup event will feature air-cooled, two-stroke open-classers from the 1970s and ’80s that celebrate the glory years of 500cc AMA National Championship and 500cc World Championship competition. The single-moto King’s Cup race will run on Sunday, July 27.
The Golden Cup event features air-cooled, non-linkage and non-disc-braked 125cc two-stroke machinery from the latter 1970s and recalls the mechanical simplicity of those early AMA 125cc National Championship years. The single-moto Golden Cup race will run on Saturday, July 26.
Riders for these one-moto Cup races should be Expert- or Intermediate-classified, and each Cup race will be divided into two divisions — under 40 years of age and over 40. For more information about the King’s and Golden Cup, visit VintageMotorcycleDays.com/racing/kings-cup-golden-cup/.
Permco AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days presented by Turn 14 Distribution will be full of exciting opportunities for vintage motorcycle enthusiasts, including vendor displays, stunt shows, North America’s largest motorcycle swap meet and much more!
Stay engaged with all of the latest VMD news by keeping track with the official VMD website at vintagemotorcycledays.com/, signing up for the VMD Newsletter and following the VMD social media channels on Facebook and Instagram.
Also — The AMA Speedway National Championship Series returns to the dirt track in 2025, with a pair of races in California that will decide the national champion. With the sport’s strong roots in California, the AMA Speedway National Championship Series has been a staple on the racing calendar in the state and will bring the nation’s top speedway competitors to the Golden State for two rounds of intense racing action.
- The opening round of the series will be run at Industry Hills Speedway in the City of Industry, Calif., on Aug. 9.
- The series will then shift to Fast Fridays Motorcycle Speedway in Auburn, Calif., on Sept. 20, where an AMA National Champion will be crowned.
During the two-round season, Broc Nicol will eye his second consecutive AMA Speedway National Championship after he claimed his first last season. Last year’s runner-up, Max Ruml, will likely be the greatest challenger to Nicol’s crown, as he fell just two points short of the title in 2024.
For more information on AMA Speedway racing, visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com/racing/track-racing/speedway/.