The Importance of Right to Repair Legislation
Written in partnership with The Bonneville Shop
By Mike Grage, Customer and Technical Support at Modern British Iron
On February 2, 2022, H.R. 6570 was introduced to Congress and was referred to the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce. It has not moved since. If passed it will become the Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair Act. This bill may have automotive industry in the title; however, it addresses the same restrictive practices in the motorcycle industry. This bill will prohibit manufacturers from withholding diagnostic data and technical service information (ex.-service manuals), and other things that prevent you or a qualified and capable motorcycle technicians from working on your motorcycle outside of the dealership – the Right to Repair Legislation.
“This bill will prohibit manufacturers from withholding diagnostic data and technical service information (ex.-service manuals), and other things that prevent you or a qualified and capable motorcycle technicians from working on your motorcycle outside of the dealership.”
A lot of people think about Apple and John Deere when they hear the phrase “right to repair” due to recent publicity, however that problem started in the motorcycle and automotive industries more than 30 years ago. There are several manufacturers and government organizations (DOT and EPA) that do not want owners, or qualified independent technicians to be able to work on their motorcycles or cars. Some state governments like Nevada will not provide vehicle owners with the data from passing emissions tests if requested, technicians like me have a problem with that practice because we can tell a lot about the running condition of a motor from that data. As a veteran motorcycle technician with emissions training and past emissions certifications, I will explain how these practices have been harmful to your wallet and the environment.
Costs of Losing the Right to Repair
Many of the customers at The Bonneville Shop know the difficulty in finding someone to work on their vintage motorcycle because most shops refuse to work on motorcycles more than 10 years old due to parts availability issues. People who own Hinckley made Triumph motorcycles are affected by it more than most. Many independent repair shops and dealers for other brands do not like to work on modern Triumph motorcycles because of the difficulty in finding the necessary service information due to Triumph’s restrictions on that information. Motorcycle mechanics for Japanese brands have the tools, equipment, and training needed to service any Hinckley made Triumph motorcycle. A lot of the parts are interchangeable with parts for the Japanese brands too. They turn down the work because professional motorcycle mechanics get paid on a commission basis, so they will lose money if they have to take the time to hunt down the information that should be readily available to them and the owner of the motorcycle. That makes it an unnecessary burden on Triumph owners in the USA since Triumph dealers are few and far between the transportation cost drives the cost of getting their motorcycle serviced through the roof.
Carburetors
“As far as motorcycles are concerned, you started losing your right to repair with physical restrictions on two mechanical systems based on acts of congress and EPA rules.”
As far as motorcycles are concerned, you started losing your right to repair with physical restrictions on two mechanical systems based on acts of congress and EPA rules. When I attended Motorcycle Mechanic’s Institute in 1990-91, we were required to learn how to perform emissions tests, repair emissions related systems, and learn about the legal restrictions concerning emissions equipment. Carburetors, EFI, ignition, and exhaust systems are all considered emission equipment. Since me and most of the students in my class had some previous experience and/or training, we all wondered about certain industry wide changes in the late 70s and early 80s that did not make any sense.
You lost your right to repair or adjust the idle mixture settings in your carburetors in 1981. Motorcycle carburetor manufacturers and the EPA do not want you to be able to repair or adjust your carburetors. Their preventative measures have ranged from the way the carb body is cast to the tamper proof Torx screws Yamaha uses.
When the Clean Air Act of 1978 went into effect motorcycle manufacturers were legally required to restrict the owner’s ability to adjustment the primary/idle mixture circuit in carburetors intended for highway vehicles. At first limiter caps were used to limit how far the mixture screws could be turned, these were easily removed. Since limiter caps were easily removed the EPA made a rule in 1980 that idle mixture screws had to be sealed off. This decision was made based on the findings of the 1977 report EPA-420-S-77-101, and the 1980 evaluation EPA-AA-TEB-81-8 which used 1977 Buick’s. Then in 1981 motorcycle carburetor manufacturers (Keihin, Mikuni, and Bing) had to start casting their carburetor bodies in a manner that put the primary mixture screw inside of a boss and blocked off with a solder plug. This is one reason why Triumph started using Bing carburetors on US export models in 1981. Every professional motorcycle mechanic who worked in a shop from 1981 to 2010 or later has drilled out a countless number of those solder plugs, and most aftermarket jet kits come with drill bits to remove those plugs. Triumph motorcycles delivered to US dealerships from 1996-2002 had to have those solder plugs removed so the carbs could be cleaned during the make ready process because the factory did not drain the carburetors before crating them up for shipping. We were supposed to install new solder plugs, but we never did because they will need to be drilled out again for the next carb cleaning.
Blocking access to the idle mixture screws to cut down on emissions did not make any sense. The results of blocking off the mixture screws figuratively (and sometimes literally) backfired. Partially clogged air passages with an open fuel passage in the pilot circuit can cause a motor to run rich, producing high CO emissions, and sometimes the motor will load up and backfire. A partially clogged fuel passage with open air passages will cause the motor to run lean, producing high HC emissions. Another problem was what happened if the tip broke off the mixture screw, replacement mixture screws were not easily obtained in the 1990s and 2000s because of EPA legal restrictions on those items. Two automotive carburetor companies were contacted by C.E. Burke when they were writing the EPA-420-S-77-101 report, and that report states that “it can be projected that the sale of replacement carburetors would increase since ready means to correct idle mixture related drivability problems and non-complying emissions would not be available.” Ever check the prices for new OEM Keihin or Mikuni constant velocity carburetors? The cost for a set of carburetors for 96-01 Triumph Adventurer was $2,144.66 at the time of this writing. That is close to what they cost when the motorcycles were new.
Losing the right to repair the idle mixture circuit in carburetors made for a large increase in carburetor sales, piles of unusable carburetors in dealerships, created a lot of hydrocarbon air pollution, and the price of the carburetors is the reason for many of today’s barn finds.
Ignition Timing Adjustments
The second mechanical system that manufactures were to block owner access to was ignition timing adjustments. The development of transistorized and other electronic ignitions made this possible. You can check ignition timing, but it if it’s off, all you can do is replace your crank position sensor (or pick-up coil). For most motorcycles manufactured after approximately 1982, if the replacement pick-up coil’s resistance is too far off the timing will be too far off and you will have to buy another pick-up coil. Significant changes to the resistance in the pick-up coil circuit (loose connection/corroded wires) will result in significant changes to the ignition timing, which will cause excessive CO and HC emissions if you’re lucky. The unlucky results are pre-ignition or detonation blowing holes in your pistons and/or removing chunks of metal from the head and cylinders. Harley-Davidson had the best approach to comply (and get around this requirement to block adjustments) in the 80s-90s, they used rivets to attach an outer timing cover to an inner timing cover to block owner adjustments. Other manufacturers made their pick-up coils with non-adjustable mounting holes.
The idea to limit ignition timing adjustments was first proposed in EPA-420-R-76-102 in 1976. The report states that the Emission Control Technology Division contacted a spark plug company that stated that 48% of cars on the road have their ignition timing maladjusted by +/- 1 degree, which is not enough to make a notable difference in emissions. Then in 1977 the EPA published 7 books on motor vehicle emissions controls, all of which I had to study to get EPA certification in 1992. Motor Vehicle Emissions Control Book 6 Spark Control Systems says ignitions were advanced to get the best performance and fuel economy. The same paragraph states ignition timing should be set at or after TDC to reduce HC and NOx emissions. HC is unburnt fuel and NOx is a natural byproduct of combustion. This made for inefficient combustion (fuel economy), and that results in unnecessary HC emissions.
Losing the right to adjust ignition timing sent a lot of engines to the junkyard and it is yet another reason for a lot of today’s barn finds.
Please click on the links below for more information on this topic. Please contact the Member of US House of Representatives for your district and encourage them to vote for this bill. Hopefully this bill won’t die in committee like so many others.
-Mike
Links:
- H.R. 6570
- EPA-AA-TEB-81-8
- EPA-420-S-77-101
- The cost for a set of carburetors for 96-01 Triumph Adventurer
- EPA-420-R-76-102
- Motor Vehicle Emissions Control Book 6 Spark Control Systems
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the REPAIR Act?
The REPAIR Act, short for the Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair Act, is a federal bill. It would bar manufacturers from withholding diagnostic data, technical service information such as service manuals, and other things that keep owners and qualified independent technicians from working on their vehicles outside the dealership. It was first introduced on February 2, 2022, as H.R. 6570, but that bill never left subcommittee. The current version is H.R. 1566, introduced in February 2025.
Does the REPAIR Act apply to motorcycles?
Yes. “Auto industry” is in the bill’s name, but it targets the same restrictive practices in the motorcycle industry. When the bill was reintroduced as H.R. 1566 in 2025, the American Motorcyclist Association said it had kept language protecting the right to repair motorcycles, despite attempts to exclude them (Cycle News).
Has the REPAIR Act passed?
Not as of October 2026. H.R. 1566 cleared a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee by voice vote on February 10, 2026 (Congress.gov). In May 2026, the full committee set the bill’s text aside and instead approved a narrower repair section inside H.R. 7389, the Motor Vehicle Modernization Act of 2026, by a 48–1 vote (Autobody News). To support the full bill, find your U.S. Representative and ask them to vote for it.
Why is it hard to find a shop that will work on a Hinckley Triumph?
Many independent shops and dealers for other brands avoid modern Triumphs because the service information is hard to get, due to Triumph’s restrictions on it. Mechanics who work on Japanese brands have the tools, equipment and training to service any Hinckley Triumph, and many parts are interchangeable. But professional mechanics are paid on commission, so they lose money hunting for information that should be readily available. Triumph dealers are few and far between in the USA, so transport costs push service costs even higher. Guides like Resurrecting a Barn Find Hinckley help owners do more of the work themselves.
Why won’t most shops work on older motorcycles?
Most shops refuse to work on motorcycles more than 10 years old because parts are hard to find. Many customers of The Bonneville Shop know how hard it can be to find someone to work on a vintage motorcycle. Owners of Hinckley-made Triumphs are hit harder than most, because service information is restricted too.
Why are motorcycle carburetor idle mixture screws sealed?
Federal emissions rules required it. After the Clean Air Act of 1978 took effect, motorcycle makers had to limit how far owners could adjust the idle mixture circuit on carburetors for highway vehicles. At first they used limiter caps, but those were easy to remove. Based on the EPA’s 1977 report EPA-420-S-77-101 and its 1980 evaluation EPA-AA-TEB-81-8, the EPA then ruled in 1980 that idle mixture screws had to be sealed off. Starting in 1981, Keihin, Mikuni and Bing cast their carb bodies so the mixture screw sat inside a boss blocked with a solder plug.
Is it legal to drill out carburetor solder plugs?
Professional motorcycle mechanics working from 1981 to 2010 or later drilled out countless solder plugs, and most aftermarket jet kits, like those from Dynojet, include drill bits for removing them. On Triumphs delivered to US dealers from 1996 to 2002, the plugs had to be removed during make-ready so the carbs could be cleaned, because the factory didn’t drain the carbs before crating the bikes. Carburetors count as emission equipment, so check your local emissions rules before modifying them. For how to adjust the mixture screws properly, see the CV carb cleaning and tuning guide.
Did sealing carburetor mixture screws reduce emissions?
According to Mike, it often backfired, sometimes literally. A pilot circuit with partly clogged air passages and an open fuel passage runs rich, producing high CO emissions, and the motor can load up and backfire. A partly clogged fuel passage with open air passages runs lean, producing high HC emissions. Owners couldn’t adjust the mixture to compensate, and replacement mixture screws were hard to get in the 1990s and 2000s. Today you can buy parts like K&L mixture screws for 1990–2003 Triumphs with Mikuni carbs.
Why are replacement motorcycle carburetors so expensive?
The EPA’s own 1977 report predicted that sales of replacement carburetors would rise, since owners would have no ready way to fix idle mixture problems. New OEM Keihin and Mikuni CV carbs are still expensive: when Mike wrote the article, a set for a 1996–2001 Triumph Adventurer cost $2,144.66, close to what they cost when the bikes were new. Losing the right to repair the idle circuit led to piles of unusable carbs, more hydrocarbon pollution, and many of today’s barn finds. Rebuild parts are in Carburetor and Fuel Delivery.
Why can’t I adjust the ignition timing on my motorcycle?
Electronic ignitions made it possible to block owners from adjusting the timing. You can check the timing on most motorcycles built after about 1982, but if it’s off, all you can do is replace the crank position sensor (pick-up coil). If the new pick-up coil’s resistance is too far off, the timing will be too, and you’ll need another coil. Harley-Davidson riveted an outer timing cover to the inner cover in the 1980s–90s, and other makers used pick-up coils with non-adjustable mounting holes. Ignition parts are in Electrical and Ignition.
Can a loose or corroded wire change my motorcycle’s ignition timing?
Yes. Big changes in resistance in the pick-up coil circuit, from a loose connection or corroded wires, cause big changes in ignition timing. If you’re lucky, that just means excess CO and HC emissions. If you’re not, pre-ignition or detonation can blow holes in pistons or take chunks out of the head and cylinders. Electronic Fuel Injection Diagnostics explains how to track down this kind of wiring fault.
Where did the EPA’s idea to limit ignition timing adjustments come from?
The idea was first proposed in the EPA’s 1976 report EPA-420-R-76-102. It cited a spark plug company’s finding that 48% of cars had timing off by ±1 degree, which isn’t enough to make a notable difference in emissions. The EPA’s 1977 Motor Vehicle Emissions Control Book 6: Spark Control Systems said timing should be set at or after TDC to reduce HC and NOx. That made combustion less efficient, which created unnecessary HC emissions. Restrictions on diagnostic data are a related issue, covered in Explanation of EFI Diagnostic Trouble Codes for OBD-II.
