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INDUSTRY INFOBITES PRESIDENT BIDEN OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZES MAY AS MOTORCYCLE SAFETY AWARENESS MONTH - A FIRST FOR THE USA The White House and President Biden officially released a letter acknowledging May as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. This comes less than three months after the American Motorcyclist Association the Motorcycle Industry Council and the Motorcycle Safety Foundation met with U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Buttigieg requesting White House recognition of the month and addressing other motorcycle industry priorities. Last year, the AMA also worked with the MIC and MSF on a letter, joining their existing effort urging the White House to recognize Motorcycle Safety Awareness month, highlighting the organizations’ — and DOT’s — annual public-awareness campaigns. “For millions of Americans, riding a motorcycle is more than a mode of transportation — it’s a way of life,” President Biden said in the letter. “A motorcycle offers freedom, recreation, and the opportunity to explore our great Nation coast-to-coast. But unfortunately, riding is not without risk. Each year, thousands of motorcycles are killed on our Nation’s roads and highways … My administration remains committed to ensuring the safety of everyone who rides a motorcycle and all who travel
BACKROADS • JUNE 2022
News from the Inside across our Nation.” President Biden also addressed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and its plan to modernize highways, roads, and bridges used by motorcyclists across the country. That same law also reauthorized the Motorcycle Advisory Council (MAC) to advise the Department of Transportation on motorcycle safety issues.
SUZUKI CANNOT UNILATERALLY QUIT MOTOGP, SAYS DORNA MotoGP promoters Dorna Sports have contacted Suzuki following reports the Japanese manufacturer will quit the premier class at the end of the season, reminding them on Tuesday that their contract does not allow them to make a unilateral decision. Media reports on Monday claimed Suzuki was set to quit MotoGP at the end of the 2022 season. Suzuki did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. Suzuki Motor Corporation had last year renewed their involvement in the MotoGP championship in a deal until the 2026 season. “Following recent rumours of Suzuki departing MotoGP at the end of 2022, Dorna Sports has officially contacted the factory in order to remind
them that the conditions of their contract to race in MotoGP do not allow for them to take this decision unilaterally,” Dorna said in a statement. “However, should Suzuki depart following an agreement between both parties, Dorna will decide on the ideal number of riders and teams racing in the MotoGP class from 2023.” Dorna said there was interest from factory outfits and independent teams looking to join the MotoGP grid.
AMA OPPOSES PLANNED E15 WAIVER The American Motorcyclist Association strongly opposes the emergency waiver to allow summertime sales of E15 recently announced by the Biden administration, along with any attempt to weaken the already inadequate labeling standards at the pump that puts motorcyclists at risk of misfuelling. None of the estimated 22 million motorcycles and ATVs in use in this country is certified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to use fuel containing more than 10 percent ethanol by volume. E15, which contains 15 percent ethanol, is in fact illegal to use in motorcycles, boat engines, lawn mowers, chainsaws and other outdoor power equipment products. “E15 has been shown to damage carbureted and fuel-injected motorcycles, reduce gas mileage and decrease shelf life of the gasoline,” said AMA Director of Government Relations Michael Sayre. “The fact
