MASSACHUSETTS - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - IMMEDIATE ACTION REQUESTED

OFF THE WIRE
The Massachusetts Motorcycle Association (MMA) has just learned that Senate Bill 2204 will be heard on the Senate floor on Thursday April 26, 2012. Senate Bill 2204 is an act relative to right to repair motor vehicles here in the Commonwealth. The MMA is asking all riders, their friends, and family to take immediate action on this bill because it now could contain specific and potentially significant language that affects motorcycles adversely.

The MMA has learned that State Senator Thomas P Kennedy (D) Brockton has filed an amendment to exempt motorcycles completely from this bill. What this would mean to all of us is, in the future we could actually lose our right to repair our own motorcycles or have our favorite local small motorcycle shop be able to repair them for us. If motorcycles are exempt from this and the trend to place computers in them for diagnostic purposes continues the only place you would be able to have your motorcycle repaired is a factory authorized repair facility or at the dealership from where you purchased your motorcycle. Many modern motorcycles (those manufactured in the past few years and beyond) are now heavily computerized and many riders are already reporting that their independent service providers do not have the required access to manufacturer's authorized dealers in order to diagnose and reset computer codes.

The manufacturers are the ones that approached Senator Kennedy and told him they want motorcycles exempted from this bill. Of course they do, they do not want after market manufacturers in business, local repair shops or even you yourself being able to repair your own vehicle. The MMA feels this would be a very unfair advantage to the dealerships and the companies and could result in monopolies by the manufacturers and increased pricing to us the consumer.

Because we only have Wednesday April 25, 2012 to act on this the MMA requests that you contact your State Senator, via a phone call or a fax, immediately and let them know you do not want to be exempt from this law under Senator Kennedy's amendment.Tell them you support Senate Bill 2204 as currently written and amended by State Senator Richard T. Moore (D) Uxbridge. Senator Moore has filed an amendment to NOT have motorcycles exempted to the entire bill, rather only the specific section dealing with emissions testing during motor vehicle inspections which does not currently apply to motorcycles anyway.

To find your State Senator please go to this link http://www.malegislature.gov/People/Search and type in your address.

For more information concerning this matter please contact MMA Chairman Dave Condon at chairman@massmotorcycle.org or by calling 1-800-432-1MMA.