AMA

DISTRACTED DRIVING IS DEADLY DRIVING

  Be aware of nearby motorcyclists   PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The perils of distracted driving take a front seat during May, which is designated as national Motorcycle Awareness Month. The initiative, supported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, encourages drivers to watch for motorcycles and understand that motorcycle riders enjoy the same rights and privileges as operators of other vehicles. The slogans are everywhere, on billboards and bumper stickers, badges and T-shirts: "Watch out for motorcycles." "Look twice, save a life." "Share the road." But not all motorists heed the warnings. And, with the warmer temperatures spilling across most…
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EARTH DAY A CELEBRATION OF MOTORCYCLISTS’ VALUES

 As Earth Day is celebrated worldwide today, the American Motorcyclist Association is highlighting three core values that its membership shares in protecting the environment and ensuring future riding opportunities for our children and grandchildren. "Motorcyclists are proud of their contributions to the health of the planet, whether through physical labor in maintaining trails or planting trees or simply commuting to work and leaving the gas-guzzler at home," said Rob Dingman, AMA president and CEO.   Conservation The AMA supports responsible recreational access to public lands for use by off-highway vehicles, with the emphasis on "responsible." Motorcyclists and all-terrain-vehicle riders join…
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AMA GO RIDE SAFELY! WEEK FOCUSES ON RIDER RESPONSIBILITY AND DRIVER AWARENESS

  PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- AMA Go Ride! Month, sponsored by the American Motorcyclist Association, rounds out its month-long motorcycling celebration with AMA Go Ride Safely! Week. Motorcyclists nationwide are encouraged to take rider training and use appropriate riding gear while motorists are urged to watch for motorcycles as millions of riders take to the roads. "The AMA strongly encourages its members and all motorcyclists to learn everything they can to manage riding risks so that every outing is safe and enjoyable," said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. "When it comes to riding responsibly, that means taking training and wearing…
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EPA ACKNOWLEDGES THAT ETHANOL DAMAGES ENGINES

  PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has publicly acknowledged that ethanol in gasoline can damage internal combustion engines by increasing exhaust temperatures and indirectly causing component failures, the American Motorcyclist Association reports. The EPA statements are found in a rule proposal issued by the Federal Trade Commission regarding a new label for pumps that supply fuel blends high in ethanol. According to the EPA, "[e]thanol impacts motor vehicles in two primary ways. First ... ethanol enleans the [air/fuel] ratio (increases the proportion of oxygen relative to hydrocarbons) which can lead to increased exhaust gas temperatures and potentially…
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WHEELS ARE TURNING IN AMA GO RIDE! MONTH

AMA Go Ride For A Cause! Week highlights riders' generosity PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The good-hearted generosity of motorcyclists will be celebrated during AMA Go Ride For A Cause! Week, April 14-21. The seven-day campaign, sponsored by the American Motorcyclist Association, represents the third week of AMA Go Ride! Month. "Motorcyclists are well known for their support of children and families in need, as well as causes that celebrate the freedom of motorcycling," said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. "During AMA Go Ride For A Cause! Week, we salute those who work in their communities to make life better for…
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DRIVER PRIVACY ACT AMENDED TO SECURE MOTORCYCLISTS’ INFO

Proposal now covers all motor vehicle data PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- A proposed change in the language of the Driver Privacy Act in the U.S. Senate would expand the bill's scope to protect all information recorded by event data recorders installed on all "motor vehicles," including motorcycles, the American Motorcyclist Association reports. The substitute amendment was offered in committee by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) to S. 1925, which deals with information collected by event data recorders, sometimes referred to as "black boxes." While the government does not require the installation of event data recorders on motorcycles, some current models are equipped…
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RIDE WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY DURING AMA GO RIDE! MONTH

Week 2 theme: Go Ride Together! PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- AMA Go Ride! Month enters its second week today with AMA Go Ride Together! Week, when AMA members and clubs celebrate riding with family, friends and co-workers. There are plenty of opportunities on tap to observe the theme of AMA Go Ride Together! Week. The AMA Yamaha Super Ténéré Adventure Riding Series includes incredible "High Adventure, No Hassle" rides in some of the country's most scenic riding areas, and the AMA Husqvarna National Dual-Sport Series features the America's best-organized dual-sport rides. Check them out at www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Riding/Dirt/EventsAndSeries/NationalAdventureRide.aspx and www.americanmotorcyclist.com/Riding/Dirt/EventsAndSeries/NationalDualSport/NationalDualSportSchedule.aspx. For the best…
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AMA GO RIDE! MONTH BEGINS NOW

Week 1 Theme is "Go Ride Your Way!" PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- AMA Go Ride! Month, sponsored by the American Motorcyclist Association, begins today. Throughout the next four weeks, motorcyclists nationwide will welcome the 2014 riding season in style with information, entertainment, prize drawings and more via the AMA Facebook page. During the first week of April, "AMA Go Ride Your Way!" week salutes those who tap into the freedom and individualism of motorcycling on America's favorite trails and twisty roads. Riders are invited to post pictures of their favorite bikes and rides on the AMA Facebook page at www.facebook.com/americanmotorcyclist and…
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WYMAN WINS THIRD AMA PRO VANCE & HINES HARLEY-DAVIDSON RACE AT DAYTONA

  Top 10 Riders Finish Within Half Second in Huge Drafting Battle MILWAUKEE (March 15, 2014) – Kyle Wyman (KWR/Millennium Technologies) cemented his mastery of the Daytona draft by winning his third AMA Pro Vance & Hines Harley Davidson series race in four career tries at Daytona International Speedway Friday, expertly setting up a final lap move that brought him to the front of an 11-rider pack battling for the victory on the last of seven laps around the famed 3.5-mile road course.   Wyman’s 0.068-second margin of victory turned the tables on runner-up Tyler O’Hara (Josh Chisum Racing/Bartels’ H-D),…
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FROM MARCH 7-16, AMA RIDING, RACING CONVERGES ON DAYTONA BEACH BIKE WEEK

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- One of the biggest bashes in motorcycling kicks off this weekend as Daytona Beach Bike Week revs into high gear, and the American Motorcyclist Association will be front and center at a number of events, from the woods to beachside.  The annual migration of hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists to Daytona Beach, Fla., began with the Daytona 200, a race that got its start in 1937 when AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Ed Kretz Sr. won the inaugural event. Today, Bike Week features nearly all forms of national-caliber motorcycle competition as well as a long list of…
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BIPARTISAN SENATE BILL WOULD BAN FEDERAL FUNDING FOR MOTORCYCLE-ONLY CHECKPOINTS

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- A bipartisan bill introduced today by U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) would prohibit the use of federal funds in establishing motorcycle-only checkpoints. This is a similar bill to H.R. 1861, introduced in in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.). Specifically, the "Stop Motorcycle Checkpoint Funding Act" would restrict the Secretary of Transportation from granting funds to any government entity for a program to check helmet use or to create checkpoints for an operator of a motorcycle or a passenger on a motorcycle.…
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EPA DECISIONS FAVOR E10, HAMPER EFFORTS TO EXTEND E15 AVAILABILITY

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- New regulations unveiled March 3 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency include two key provisions that help protect motorcyclists and all-terrain vehicle owners from damaging their engines and possibly voiding manufacturers' warranties, the American Motorcyclist Association reports. The EPA adopted E10 -- a fuel containing up to 10 percent ethanol by volume -- as its standard test fuel, beginning in 2017. The pro-ethanol industry had pressed for adoption of E15 as the standard test fuel. The AMA submitted comments to the EPA to oppose the E15 standard in June 2013. Also, the agency refused to grant a…
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THE AMA PRESENTS THE BIKE WEEK PREMIER OF “WHY WE RIDE,” MARCH 13 IN DAYTONA BEACH, FL — FREE FOR AMA MEMBERS

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The American Motorcyclist Association is pleased to present the Daytona Bike Week premiere of the acclaimed motorcycling documentary film "Why We Ride" on March 13 in Daytona Beach, Fla. Best of all, it's free for AMA members! The movie will be shown at 7 p.m. at the Paragon Ocean Walk theater just across from the parking deck on the beachside in Daytona Beach (250 N Atlantic Ave). Tickets can be reserved in advance at the following link: http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=vw9ldxbab&oeidk=a07e8zzbsky17598cf2 Non-members are also welcome, and tickets can be purchased from the above link for just $5 each. Seating is…
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AMA TO CONGRESS: IRS PLAN WOULD ‘STIFLE NONPARTISAN SPEECH’

  PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- A new rule proposed by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service would stifle nonpartisan speech and create a de-facto blackout period around elections, barring some citizens from communicating with elected officials, Wayne Allard, vice president of government relations for the American Motorcyclist Association, told a congressional subcommittee on Thursday, Feb. 27. Allard, a former U.S. senator from Colorado, offered comments about the IRS' proposed guidance to tax-exempt corporations organized under Section 501(c)(4) of Title 26. "The proposed rule the IRS seeks to implement will stifle nonpartisan speech in a manner that leads to a less informed electorate,"…
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AMA TO CONGRESS: IRS PLAN WOULD ‘STIFLE NONPARTISAN SPEECH’

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- A new rule proposed by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service would stifle nonpartisan speech and create a de-facto blackout period around elections, barring some citizens from communicating with elected officials, Wayne Allard, vice president of government relations for the American Motorcyclist Association, told a congressional subcommittee on Thursday, Feb. 27. Allard, a former U.S. senator from Colorado, offered comments about the IRS' proposed guidance to tax-exempt corporations organized under Section 501(c)(4) of Title 26. "The proposed rule the IRS seeks to implement will stifle nonpartisan speech in a manner that leads to a less informed electorate," Allard…
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AMA AREA QUALIFIERS GET ROLLING FOR 2014 ROCKY MOUNTAIN ATV/MC AMA AMATEUR NATIONAL MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- For many American Motorcyclist Association members, the greatest competitive journey of their lives begins this weekend when the first AMA Area Qualifiers for the 2014 Rocky Mountain ATV/MC AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship, presented by AMSOIL, kick off. The AMA Area Qualifiers, the first step to earning a spot at the gate for a shot at a national title, will qualify riders for 12 AMA Regional Championships. Riders who excel on the regional level will be invited to compete at the July 27 to Aug. 2 national event in Hurricane Mills, Tenn. "All amateur motocross racers aspire…
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