When most people think about consumer rights, they picture warranties, return policies, or product recalls. But there is a quieter legislative battle underway that could affect every motorcycle rider, vehicle owner, farmer, small business owner, and everyday consumer in the country.
It is called Right to Repair, and it deserves your attention.
What Is Right to Repair?
Right to Repair is a consumer movement built around a simple but increasingly complicated question: when you buy something, do you truly own it?
Specifically, the movement advocates for the consumer’s right to access:
- Replacement parts
- Repair manuals and diagnostic information
- Software tools needed for maintenance
- Independent repair professionals of their choosing
Without these protections in place, manufacturers can legally restrict repairs to their own authorized dealerships and corporate service networks. That means less competition, higher costs, and fewer choices for the people who already paid for the product.
Why This Matters Especially for Motorcycle Riders
On a recent episode of Let’s Get Personal, Attorney Chris DiBella sat down with Traci Beaurivage, President of the New Hampshire Motorcyclists’ Rights Organization (NHMRO), to talk about what Right to Repair means for the riding community.
The conversation revealed something that many riders may not have considered: motorcycle culture itself is at stake.
Riders have long relied on local independent shops for custom work, specialized tuning, vintage bike restoration, and the kind of personalized service that a corporate dealership simply cannot replicate. Many riders also modify their bikes soon after purchase, making access to parts, tools, and independent expertise essential, not optional.
If manufacturers successfully lock down repair access, those neighborhood shops face an existential threat. And riders face a future where their choices are limited, their costs go up, and the independence that defines motorcycle ownership shrinks.
Listen to the full episode of Let’s Get Personal for the complete conversation with Traci Beaurivage.
Beyond Motorcycles: The Global Fight for Right to Repair
This issue extends well beyond motorcycles.
Consumers and advocacy groups across the country have raised concerns about repair restrictions affecting farm equipment, smartphones, medical devices, home appliances, and standard passenger vehicles.
The Federal Trade Commission took notice. In its report titled “Nixing the Fix,” the FTC found little credible evidence to support manufacturers’ justifications for restricting independent repair. The agency also concluded that repair limitations tend to raise costs for consumers while reducing competition in the marketplace.
The U.S. PIRG has similarly documented how limited repair access contributes to millions of tons of unnecessary electronic waste each year, as consumers are forced to discard products they cannot affordably fix.
What Advocacy Groups Are Doing About It
Organizations like NHMRO are fighting this issue at the national level, and they are doing it through grassroots education and legislative advocacy. Their argument is straightforward: consumers already paid for their products. Restricting how, where, and by whom those products can be repaired is an overreach that benefits manufacturers at the direct expense of the people they serve.
As Beaurivage noted during the podcast, most people do not realize these changes are happening until they are already affected by them. By the time the impact becomes visible, the legislation has often already passed.
That is why awareness matters now.
Consumer Protection: Holding Corporations Accountable
At DiBella Law, we represent people who have been harmed when systems fail them, whether that is on the road, in the workplace, or in the marketplace. Right to Repair intersects directly with questions of consumer protection, corporate accountability, and access to justice.
When corporations use legal and legislative tools to limit your choices, the people who feel it most are individuals and small business owners who do not have the resources to fight back alone.
While staying informed is the first step toward justice, taking action is what protects your future. If you believe your rights as a consumer or motorcyclist have been compromised, you don’t have to navigate the legal landscape alone. Contact DiBella Law online or call us today at 855-342-3552 to discuss your case.
Additional Resources
For those who want to learn more, the following organizations are actively tracking Right to Repair legislation: