PA Bikers Push Lawmakers For More Rights, Protections

HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania motorcyclists flooded the state Capitol this week to lobby lawmakers to pass legislation that would heighten consumer protections for bikers and improve their rights on the road.

Members of the Alliance of Bikers Aimed Toward Education of Pennsylvania — or A.B.A.T.E. of PA — attended the group's annual rights rally at the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex on Monday.

As several proposals aimed at improving rights for motorcycle owners move through the Pennsylvania Senate and House of Representatives, some group members used it as an opportunity to appeal to legislators.

"This is a very exciting time in the legislature because the budget’s due in just a month," Ken Edwards, the group's legislative coordinator, said at the rally livestreamed by PCNTV. "There's a lot of talking going on in here and this is where a lot of things go into play. We want to be treateed on par. We want equal treatment with automobiles on a couple things."

One bill up for consideration in the Senate would add motorcycles to the state's Automobile Lemon Law, which would provide the same consumer protections for motorcycle buyers as car buyers.

"Protections are not offered to those who purchase new motorcycles, leaving the owner to either pay out of pocket to repair potentially dangerous manufacturing defects or fix the problem themselves," said Republican Sen. Michele Brooks, who sponsored the law.

The state's current Automobile Lemon Law protects car buyers by requiring manufacturers to repair any defect that significantly affects the use, value, or safety of the vehicle if the defect occurs within the first 12,000 miles or the first year of ownership.

If passed, the legislation would also offer protections for motorcycle owners if defects occur within a year of delivery to the purchaser or during the term of the warranty, whichever happens first.

Another proposal — dubbed the "right to repair bill" — would give consumers the ability to repair their own electronics or have them repaired by independent repair technicians.

"Currently, many manufacturers make this impossible to do, whether inadvertently or intentionally," Republican Sen. Mike Regan said in a memo introducing the bill. "This leaves consumers with few other options than to buy new, pay outrageous fees or to travel hours away."

A separate bill has also been introduced that, if passed, would allow motorcyclists to wear headphones while driving.

Finally, identical bills moving through the House and Senate would also allow motorcycles to undergo year-round safety inspections. Under current state laws, registered motorcycles can only be inspected between March and October.

During his speech, Edwards called the bills "simple" and "non-controversial."

"That’s pretty much everything we bring forward, that nobody could disagree with what we’ve got on our mind," Edwards said.