National and Regional News

Washington, D.C. — On Feb. 27, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) introduced S. 811, the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) Full Funding Act. This legislation aims to correct inadequate annual funding for this program, increasing it from $84 million to $281 million. The AMA helped create the Recreation Trails Program in the early 1990s. This program uses federal gasoline tax revenue attributed to motorized off-highway recreational vehicles to fund, develop and maintain trail infrastructure across the United States. As of 2023, the program has awarded over $1.6 billion to over 25,000 trail projects across the United States during the three decades of the program, even though off-highway vehicle enthusiasts have paid nearly $9 billion in gas tax during the same period.

AMA members will remember this legislation was introduced in December of last year. That “marker bill” provided an opportunity for members of Congress and stakeholders to review the bill language, gather support and create a strategy for passage under the new administration. The AMA and trail enthusiasts in Washington, D.C., are working to ensure this program continues at the appropriate funding level.

Funding for the Recreation Trails Program follows the “user-pay, user-benefit” principle upon which the Highway Trust Fund was originally based. RTP has only been funded at $84 million annually since Fiscal Year 2009 despite a much greater amount of tax revenue being attributable to off-highway vehicles.

In 2020, Congress required the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to provide a report, which found taxes on off-highway use of recreational vehicles are on average $281 million per year. The RTP Full Funding Act seeks to ensure federal taxes collected from off-highway recreation are appropriately returned to the states for the Recreational Trails Program.

State News

Little Rock, Ark. — Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) signed Act 312 into law on March 18, establishing inherent risk for off-road motorcyclists and enhancing protections for event organizers throughout the state. The AMA applauds the passage of Act 312, which offers greater protections for private landowners who provide access to their land for off-road recreation and competition.

Inherent risk refers to the capacity for risk naturally associated with a process or activity without any risk-reduction efforts. The inherent risk of an activity cannot be effectively eliminated or controlled and becomes important when assessing the liability of voluntary participants.

With this law, the rider takes individual responsibility for their own safety and facility owners take responsibility for their own liability, so when an accident does occur, fault can be clearly identified. This law helps riders by requiring safe riding areas while also benefiting landowners and organizers because they have assurances that the rider enters their facility knowing they have a responsibility to ride within their skill and ability.

This law increases the likelihood that landowners and organizers will receive the necessary insurance protections needed to hold off-road motorcycle events, which is a win for all AMA members. The new law will also ensure safer facilities and events, as landowners must provide adequate safety measures, or they may be held liable for accidents that occur on their property.

Inherent risk is not a new concept — although Act 312 is the first of its kind regarding dirt bikes — as similar legislation has been prevalent in skiing and equestrian forms of recreation.

The AMA remains engaged with efforts regarding inherent risk and civil liability in multiple states, most notably in Texas, Iowa and Missouri, where bills have been introduced but are still working their way through committee.

Sacramento, Calif. — The California Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) Virtual Workshops return this spring!  The SHSP Team will host a series of six workshops virtually via Zoom, covering rural and urban regions of Northern, Central and Southern California. Transportation safety partners are invited to participate in whichever areas are of interest to them.

Riders are highly encouraged to register for the region(s) that best align with their interests as the content will be specific to each region and its transportation safety challenges. The workshops will take place on the following dates:

Rural Workshops:

• Northern California: Tuesday, April 22, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. PDT
• Central California: Wednesday, April 23, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. PDT
• Southern California: Thursday, April 24, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. PDT

Urban Workshops:

• Northern California: Tuesday, April 29, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. PDT
• Central California: Wednesday, April 30, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. PDT
• Southern California: Thursday, May 1, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. PDT

Additional details, including how to register, have been added to the workshop website. Visit localassistanceblog.com/2025/03/28/caltrans-strategic-highway-safety-plan-workshops/ for more information. You can contact the SHSP at SHSP@dot.ca.gov if you have any questions.

Salem, Ore. — Oregon House Bill 3542 would allow the operator of a motorcycle to overtake and pass another vehicle in the same lane if traffic is stopped or has slowed to a speed of 10 miles per hour or less and the operator of the motorcycle is traveling no more than 10 miles per hour over the speed of traffic. It requires the operator of a motorcycle to merge with the regular traffic flow when traffic begins traveling at a speed of more than 10 miles per hour and would only be allowed when operating the motorcycle on a highway for which the speed limit is 50 miles per hour or higher.

The AMA is asking you to submit a comment in support of the bill today!

San Luis Obispo, Calif. — Friends of Oceano Dunes have won another legal battle against the California Coastal Commission recently, opening the path for continued use of off-road vehicles at the popular recreation area. A panel of three California Court of Appeal judges ruled that the California Coastal Commission overstepped its authority banning off-road vehicles from driving through Oceano Dunes. The court found that the commission’s attempt to ban off-road vehicles at the Dunes contradicts the language of the Local Coastal Plan put in place by San Luis Obispo County.

As a result, it said the decision to open or close the Dunes to vehicles fell under the jurisdiction of the county, not the Coastal Commission. That means, if the Coastal Commission wants the Dunes closed to vehicular use, it must take the issue up with the county or state legislature to amend the Local Coastal Plan, the opinion read.

International News

São Paulo, Brazil — As the home to more than 211 million people, Brazil is the largest ride-hailing market in the region, and motorcycles are an important factor. But while users summon motorcycles via apps in hundreds of cities throughout the country, service has been suspended in São Paulo since 2023. Earlier this year, Uber and rival 99 briefly defied the ban, and were promptly sued by local officials, underscoring the contentious relationship between ride-hailing apps and local governments.

Regulators across the region have scrambled to address issues including competition, safety and data privacy. In Brazil, a 2018 federal law for private transportation services decreed that municipalities were responsible for regulating and overseeing such services. But the following year, the country’s Supreme Court ruled that cities could not ban ride-hailing services, and that such prohibitions violated the constitutional principles of free enterprise and fair competition. This seeming paradox has left room for opposing views.

Meanwhile, the legal fight continues. In late February, another court in São Paulo ruled the city’s decree unconstitutional, saying ride-hailing motorcycle rides are governed by federal legislation, and that cities can regulate these services but not ban them. Despite that, neither 99Moto nor Uber Moto have reinstated their services; the January court decision granting the city’s request to ban the service hasn’t been overruled yet.

AMA News

Pickerington, Ohio — The AMA mourns the passing of motorcyclists’ rights leader and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Mark Buckner, who passed away on March 15, 2025. Buckner was a long-time champion for motorcyclists’ rights, serving in numerous leadership roles for ABATE of Colorado and the Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF) while fighting to maintain the freedom to ride.

Buckner played a pivotal role in the expansion of ABATE of Colorado after taking over as state coordinator in the 1980s. Under his leadership, membership grew from 200 to 2,000 members and the organization helped drive the state to establish a rider education program. In 1992, Buckner joined the MRF board of directors — and ultimately became the organization’s president and chairman in 1994.

With the MRF, Buckner worked closely with the AMA and state motorcyclist rights organizations on a variety of important legislation benefiting riders at local, state and federal levels. After his tenure as MRF president, Buckner continued to advocate on behalf of motorcyclists.

For his advocacy efforts, Buckner was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2019. He was also inducted into the Motorcycle Riders Foundation Freedom Fighters Hall of Fame and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum and Hall of Fame.

Also — The AMA is pleased to announce the addition of three new racing series to its schedule, with J Day Off Road, Grassroots Off Road Series, and the American Woods Racing Championship Series joining the AMA’s exciting slate of racing this year.

• J Day Off Road, based in New York and the New England region, will serve as the brand-new AMA East Regional Grand Prix Championship.
• As a new AMA Featured Grand Prix Series, the Grassroots Off Road Series is one of the largest off-road series in Nevada, Idaho and Utah.
• The American Woods Racing Championship Series services racers in Pennsylvania and Ohio, with 10 rounds between the two states — as well as a grand prix event on Oct. 18.

Visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com/racing/off-road/ for more information on the AMA’s off-road racing schedule.

Also — Motocross legend, world champion and AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Brad Lackey will be honored as Grand Marshal of the 2025 Permco AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days presented by Turn 14 Distribution. As one of the defining motocross racers of the 1970s and 80s, Lackey won the 1972 AMA National Motocross Championship and became the first American to win the 500cc World MX Championship, in 1982.

And this summer, Lackey will be the honored guest at the AMA’s premier event — which runs July 25-27 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. A native of Berkeley, Calif., Lackey’s riding — and eventually, racing — career began at a young age. By the time he was 13, Lackey was racing hare scrambles in Northern California, which kick-started his love for competing on two wheels. Four years later, Lackey was competing against the best motocross racers in the world in the Inter-Am and Trans-AMA series.

In 1972, Lackey became the AMA 500cc National Motocross Champion in its first season as an independent series. That season, Lackey won five of the eight races in the series. Following that championship-winning effort, Lackey sought to make his mark on the international racing scene — making the jump to European GP competition. In 1977, he won his first GP, taking the British round of the 500cc series. From that point forward, he was a constant threat in the international title chase.

In 1978, Lackey finished second in the world championships, falling just short of MX legend Heikki Mikkola in the overall standings. Just four years later, and now with Suzuki, he completed his decade-long goal of claiming the 500cc World Championship.

Lackey retired on top, ending his racing career following his world title. He walked away from the sport as one of the greatest competitors of all time.

At VMD, Lackey will be on hand to speak with enthusiasts, sign autographs, participate in the Lap for History on the road race circuit at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, do some laps on the motocross track, and much more.

Purchase tickets today at VintageMotorcycleDays.com/tickets/. Stay up to date on the latest VMD news by signing up for the VMD Newsletter and following the official VMD social media pages on Facebook and Instagram.