2021 Annual Report
American Motorcyclist Association
Recovery. Growth. Building for the Future.
2021: A Leaner, Smarter AMA
At the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, we had no way of knowing what the impact to our organization would be. At that time, many thought the situation would be resolved quickly. We planned otherwise, expecting the worst-case scenario.In keeping with state and local directives during the pandemic, the AMA offices were closed for a significant period, with only key operational staff reporting. Government-mandated shutdowns forced the cancellation of several AMA-sanctioned events. Membership dropped because many members join at these events. The duration of this shutdown, and how long it would impact our primary revenue stream, membership dues, was uncertain.By early summer 2020, thanks to the ingenuity and innovation of AMA-chartered organizers, the AMA Racing Dept. and other stakeholders, AMA-sanctioned events resumed. Membership returned to pre-pandemic levels. Indeed, thanks to our automatic membership renewal program, the drop in membership was not as severe as it might have been.The pandemic allowed us to reevaluate everything. In 2021, the AMA saw the fruits of that reevaluation. The drop in events negated the need for much of our staff travel. Additional restrictions and crowd size limitations forced continued curtailment of travel expenses. Virtual meetings helped more staff collaborate remotely. We saved the AMA a significant amount of money.
The pandemic allowed us to reevaluate everything. In 2021, the AMA saw the fruits of that work.
Our cost savings were not limited to staff travel. We curtailed spending everywhere possible without diminishing member service. Processes were reexamined, vendor contracts were rebid, and inefficiencies were eliminated. We invested in areas to better serve members. We restructured and right-sized most departments, including our communications staff, the Racing Dept. and Organizer Services. Additional improvement was behind the scenes in support roles, in Information Technology, Accounting and Operations.As a result of these adjustments and a surge in motorcycling activity, in 2021 the AMA rebounded beyond our pre-pandemic performance, in terms of both membership count and financials. As previously reported, we finished Fiscal Year 2020 with an increase in net assets of over $1.7 million. While impressive when compared to past years, we did even better in Fiscal Year 2021, finishing with an increase of more than $2.7 million in net assets. For context, consider our most recent pre-pandemic increase of $43,473 in Fiscal Year 2019.While this recovery can be considered a success, we stop short of declaring victory. Economic headwinds continue to increase. While the motorcycle industry has thrived during the pandemic, product availability has been scarce and we likely will see a cooling off of the economy as inflation rises along with interest rates in the wake of the federal government's unprecedented fiscal stimulus efforts.While operational efficiency is important and responsible, the key to our success is you. With your membership and support, our leaner and smarter AMA is better prepared to promote the motorcycle lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling.
AMA Snapshot
Since 1924, the AMA has protected the future of motorcycling and promoted the motorcycle lifestyle. From the street to the track to the trail, AMA members come from all walks of life, and they navigate many different routes in their pursuit of freedom on two wheels.
Members: 214,601
Every day, millions of Americans enjoy motorcycling. Many riders journey to places near and far, whether on-road, off-road or both. Some commute to work. Others ride for pleasure on weekends. Still more seek the thrill of competition. Through its relationships with members, clubs, promoters and partners, the AMA sanctions more motorcycle competition and recreational events than any other organization in the world.
Sanctions: 2,199
As the world’s largest motorcycling organization, the AMA advocates for motorcyclists’ interests in the halls of local, state and federal government, the committees of international governing organizations and the court of public opinion
Action Alerts: 263
Through the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame, the AMA preserves the heritage of motorcycling for future generations. Supporters donate to the 501(c)(3) American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation, which helps fund that work.
Hall of Fame Donations: $500,726
To join the AMA, learn about volunteer opportunities or donate to the association’s mission, call (800) AMA-JOIN or visit us online at www.americanmotorcyclist.com. Connect on social media at facebook.com/AmericanMotorcyclist or on Instagram at @ama_racing and @ama_racing.
Financials
Consolidated financial information for the American Motorcyclist Association and subsidiaries for fiscal year 2021.
Consolidated Statement of Activities (Year Ended Sept. 30, 2021)
| REVENUE | |
| Contributions and revenues | $12,572,708 |
| EXPENSES | |
| Functional expenses | $9,775,877 |
| Administrative and support expenses | $1,929,029 |
| Increase in net assets from operations | $867,802 |
| OTHER INCOME | |
| Net interest and dividend income | $433,312 |
| Net realized and unrealized gains on investments | $1,207,767 |
| Grant revenue | $199,416 |
| Total other income | $1,840,495 |
| NET ASSETS | |
| Beginning of year | $8,995,427 |
| End of year | $11,778,618 |
| Change | $2,783,191 |
Consolidated Balance Sheet (Year Ended Sept. 30, 2021)
| CURRENT ASSETS | |
| Cash and cash equivalents | $3,205,882 |
| Accounts receivable | $542,351 |
| Prepaid expenses and inventory | $371,047 |
| Total | $4,119,280 |
| Investments | $12,767,654 |
Rights
One of the critical services the AMA provides its members and all motorcyclists in the country is its advocacy in support of motorcycling. This is led by the AMA’s Government Relations Department that monitors international, federal, state and local issues that can impact motorcyclists in positive and negative ways.SOFTWARE UPGRADES
In 2021 the AMA’s Government Relations Department migrated advocacy outreach efforts to a new software platform, VoterVoice. The new platform is more streamlined and easier to use for members on both mobile devices and computers. It is easier to navigate for the user on both the public and backend side, allowing staff to create AMA Action Alerts faster, getting the most important information to members’ inboxes earlier.Another key tool in the Government Relations Department toolbox is legislative tracking software, and 2021 saw a large improvement on this front as well. The AMA is now using FiscalNote to discover, review, and track relevant legislation. The new “Bill Tracking” page on the AMA website allows members to review all the legislation the AMA is tracking and categorize this information by state, issue and whether it is an off-road or on-road issue. Using this new software, AMA members sent 4,123 messages to officials over the course of 236 action alerts.Another valuable resource the AMA has maintained for members is the state law database. This database was rebuilt and updated in 2021 and all 1,800 entries for the dozens of laws that impact on- and off-road motorcycling in all 50 states. This information is available by request from the Government Relations Department.COVID & RACING
The COVID-19 pandemic created a wide variety of entirely new issues for the AMA to address. One issue was navigating the COVID travel ban that prohibited travelers from many countries from entering the United States. The AMA was able to secure recognition that motorcycle racing was an athletic event in the national interest from Customs and Border Protection and was able to submit individual athletes and specific race series to be approved for a waiver from the travel ban. Dozens of AMA Supercross, Motocross, MotoAmerica and other racers and team staff were able to enter the United States and race thanks to the AMA’s efforts. This effort culminated in the October MotoGP round in Austin, Texas.FEDERAL ISSUES
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed in late 2021 contained many provisions that the AMA supported, including badly needed funds to repair, maintain and improve the nation’s roadways. The National Scenic Byways Program that promotes and protects some of the best motorcycling roads in the country was reauthorized and motorcyclist safety funds were reauthorized at higher levels than previous highway bills.The bill reauthorized the Motorcyclist Advisory Council which provides recommendations to the U.S. Department of Transportation on infrastructure issues of concern to motorcyclists. The most recent iteration of the MAC was chaired by the AMA and submitted a set of recommendations in February of 2020.The bill also reauthorized the Recreational Trails Program, the largest source of federal funds to support motorized trails. The program is funded through proportion of the federal gas tax paid by off-highway vehicles and despite concentrated efforts by a coalition of trail users, the program still only pays out about one third of what off-highway vehicle users pay in. The AMA will continue its efforts alongside a broad coalition of trail users to ensure more equitable funding on this vital program. Additionally, several provisions address the concerns expressed by the AMA about the interaction of automated vehicles and similar advanced automotive technologies and motorcyclists on the road.To protect off-highway motorized access to federal lands, Government Relations staff worked closely with Senate Energy and Natural Resource Staff to help craft the Outdoor Recreation Act, which would broadly expand non-motorized and motorized access to federal lands. In particular, the AMA collaborated on addressing minimization criteria that dictates efforts must be made to minimize environmental impact from recreation.In the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act and the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protect Act, Wilderness designations were included that would have drastically reduced riding opportunities for motorized enthusiasts. The AMA, in coordination with various motorized advocacy groups, submitted comment and worked with congressional staff to successfully oppose these efforts.In 2020, the AMA joined a lawsuit to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from authorizing year-round sales of E15 fuel. In 2021, a federal court sided against the EPA and halted this action from taking effect. This legal victory will help prevent the expansion of E15 in the marketplace.STATE ISSUES
In 2021, the third state in the country legalized some form of lane splitting when Montana passed Senate Bill 9. The bill sponsors, state Sen. Russ Tempel (R-SD14) and state Rep. Barry Usher (R-HD40), worked directly with Government Relations staff to craft the text of the bill and provide critical support for its passage. The bill was signed by Gov. Gianforte on March 2 at a public signing ceremony in Helena attended by AMA Board of Directors Chairman Russ Ehnes.Unfortunately, the fight for legal lane splitting is an uphill battle. Few motorcycling advocates know this better than those who worked on Oregon Senate Bill 574, which was passed by an overwhelming and bipartisan group of legislators and sent on to the governor with little fear that she wouldn’t sign it. Despite no known outstanding objections from the administration, sadly, Governor Brown did indeed veto the bill.LOCAL ISSUES
Staff followed local motorcycle community initiatives to identify key members utilizing AMA programs to promote the motorcycling lifestyle. These are some of the issues faced in 2021.
Backroads of Appalachia (BOA) stood out for their ingenuity and passion, so staff reached out to see how GRD could better support their efforts. In collaboration with the AMA Communications department, GRD toured and wrote a piece for American Motorcyclist on BOA that demonstrated the value of motorcycle tourism.
As OHV use in Grand County/Moab, Utah, has continued to grow, local elected officials have been introducing strict noise ordinances that drastically reduce riding and local rental companies. AMA members sent in more than 380 letters to Moab City Council. While these ordinances were ultimately enacted, the AMA continues to monitor the situation and work with our partners on the ground.
In April 2021 members in Dublin, Va., received a notice of violation from their county planning and zoning office concerning their small dirt bike track which was used by their children and neighborhood kids. Government Relations staff worked with member Brandon Hughett and submitted a letter of opposition to the board of zoning appeals. Ultimately, the board sided with the Hughett family, effectively rescuing the family riding track.
In 2021 staff tracked and alerted members of 25 Forest Plan updates, Resource or Recreation Advisory Committee meetings. During these meetings, trails are identified for critical maintenance and the potential for additional motorized routes, or losing access is examined. When public comment periods are open, it is important for local riders and clubs to speak up for their trails.
Riding & Membership
A key way the AMA engages its members is through promoting and sanctioning organized motorcycling events, both on-road and off-highway, as races and as recreational-only activities. In 2021, AMA-sanctioned events recovered from the global pandemic, with AMA members riding in road, off-road and dual-sport events across the country. In all, the AMA sanctioned 2,199 competition and recreational events in 2021.Indeed, the year presented a slate of possibilities for the AMA to be present at motorcycling events around the country. In 2021, AMA staff attended Daytona Bike Week, Americade and the Nevada 200. Of course, the AMA also hosted motorcycling’s most exciting vintage event: AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days in Lexington, Ohio.With many opportunities arising last minute as pandemic restrictions were lifted, innovation and adaptation led to new and improved approaches for some events. This was nowhere more evident than at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, held locally in Pickerington, Ohio. Also of local significance were two Bike Nights, which each included a Hall of Fame Museum open house, along with local AMA-chartered clubs, local motorcycling safety organizations, food trucks, an adventure riding challenge and free giveaways for AMA members.With events returning, AMA membership rebounded to exceed pre-pandemic levels. In August 2021, the AMA logged its highest membership census for the year at 214,601. This total was an increase of 6 percent compared to August 2020 and an increase of 5 percent compared to August 2019. Participation in the AMA’s Family and Youth membership categories increased significantly, reflecting a 16 percent increase in members under 15 years of age. In 2021, 32 percent of all memberships processed were new or returning members and 67 percent were renewing members.In 2021, the Member Services team handled an average of 1,630 inbound and outbound calls every week. About half of the calls handled were outbound calls to AMA members and just over half of those calls were for to help members keep their accounts up to date.AMA members answered the call for volunteers. Between Americade in Lake George, N.Y., to AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days in Lexington, Ohio, more than 100 AMA member volunteers showed up for AMA-hosted events and even more to support AMA-chartered organizations where they helped set up, tear down and, most important, talk to other motorcyclists about the importance of being a member of the AMA.At AMAGear.com, fans of the AMA can find AMA logo t-shirts, hats, pins, patches and even items from the AMA archives. This apparel program, which is operated entirely in-house, generated just over $60,000 worth of revenue in 2021. The most popular items sold for the year were tee-shirts, but the item fulfilled in the greatest quantity were AMA Member Year Pins, most sent at no cost to renewing AMA members. Discount codes were offered to all new and renewing members and at special times throughout the year. Forty-eight percent of all orders in 2021 involved a discount offered exclusively to AMA members.
Racing
MOTOCROSS
In 2021, AMA-sanctioned motocross events saw 32,644 individual members make up 145,402 individual entries. This was an increase over a pandemic-depressed 2020 that saw 26,392 individual members over 96,723 total entries. Much of this growth came from youth classes.The following national amateur motocross championships were recognized in 2021:
The AMA Amateur National Motocross Championship at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch. With more than 50 Area Qualifiers and the return the of the Youth/Amateur/Vet Regional split format, the program was well-attended and crowned AMA National Champions in 36 classes. MX Sports was the program organizer and promoter, a position it has held since 1982.
Kicker AMA Arenacross National Championship Series. The series included 12 rounds, 11 rounds for qualifying and one round for the amateurs to earn titles in 17 classes. The Pro Sport class earned its championship over the 12-round period. Tod Hammock with Cycle City Promotions promoted the series for the third year in a row.
AMA ATV Motocross National Championship Series. There were nine rounds, eight amateur and one pro, at various tracks across the country, awarding AMA National Championships in 41 classes.
AMA Vintage Motocross Grand Championship. Motocross at AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days at Mid-Ohio returned after taking the 2020 season off. Entry counts were excellent (656), and 44 National Champion classes were ran, along with two support classes.
AMA Supercross Futures. The program took a break for the 2021 season, but qualifying returned toward the end of the year, applicable to the 2022 AMA National Championship.
There were four Major Events in 2021:
Ricky Carmichael Daytona Amateur Supercross: held in March by MX Sports.
James Stewart Spring Championship: held in March by Freestone County Raceway.
Mammoth Motocross: held in June by 2X Promotions.
Thor Mini O’s: held in November by Unlimited Sports MX.
There were a total of 16 Featured Events or Series. The Pro-Am Motocross program continued with approximately 50 events for riders to earn Pro-Am points across the country. There were State Championship programs (either stand-alone events or series) for 20 states, with the goal is to continue to grow the number of participating states.We awarded East Fork MX (Ohio) the AMA Motocross Organizer of the Year Award. The group is led by Scott Plessinger, and it has started and grown the popular Buckeye Series over the last few years. Hi-Winders (Minnesota) won the AMA Club of the Year. It operates the Spring Creek MX Park and successfully promoted the Super Series in AMA District 23.
OFF-ROAD
After a 31 percent drop in sanctioned off-road events in 2020, the discipline recovered completely in 2021 with a 32 percent increase.There are currently seven AMA National Championships in off-road competition, two of which are among the largest series in the country: the AMA Grand National Cross Country series in the East and the AMA National Grand Prix Championship in the West. The AMA EnduroCross Championship, with Cycle City Productions at the helm, crossed the United States, with rounds in Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada. Our oldest national off-road championship, the AMA National Enduro Championship has been extremely strong, often hitting rider limits, which range from 500 to 900 depending on the location.Regional championships included the AMA East Hare Scrambles, AMA West Hare Scrambles, AMA International Six Day Enduro Qualifiers, the AMA Youth Trials, the AMA East Extreme Championship and the AMA West Extreme Championships. While a featured series in 2021, the AMA U.S. Sprint Enduro will become another regional championship for the 2022 season.Standout organizers included Mid East Racing and Florida Trail Riders in 2021. Mid East Racing was the 2021 AMA ATV Organizer of the Year and Florida Trail Riders was the AMA Off-Road Organizer of the Year.In 2021, off-road had 32,212 individual members racing approximately 185,110 times. This translates to five to six races per person on average. It all bodes well for a bright future of AMA-sanctioned off-road racing in America.
TRACK RACING
Flat track featured two high profile amateur events promoted by professional flat track racers, Cory Texter and Johnny Lewis. Both were successful with strong entry numbers and significant social media attention. Grassroots flat track sanctions were strong as racers returned to the track after a down 2020 season. AMA Grand Championships in flat track, ice racing, hillclimb and road racing delivered strong numbers throughout the 2021 season.Supermoto held a double-double weekend in October to crown six class champions. The AMA Land Speed Grand Championship at the Bonneville Salt Flats returned after being cancelled in 2020. In late November, two-time World Superbike championship Max Biaggi set several land speed world records on an electric motorcycle at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla.Amateur road racing organizations continue to sanction with the AMA for opportunities to advance to the MotoAmerica-promoted professional series. The Ohvale Mini-Cup consisted of three classes, 110cc/160cc/190cc, using identical Ohvale motorcycles. The 160cc class served as part of the FIM Mini GP World Series qualifier system, sending three U.S. racers to the world championship event at the final MotoGP race of 2021. Other highlights were the Royal Enfield Build.Train.Race program for female competitors, along with a crowd favorite, King of the Baggers. For its continued support of AMA amateur racing activities, MotoAmerica was named the 2021 Track Racing Organizer of the Year.
PROFESSIONAL RACING
The 2021 season of MotoAmerica, home of the AMA Superbike Championship, was a successful one. Commercially, the series attracted new sponsors, headlined by new title sponsor Medalia; increased its media exposure; and showcased competitive racing across all six classes. Jake Gagne dominated the Superbike class with a record-tying 16 wins out of 19 races. Gagne clinched his first title in the premier class with three rounds to spare, matching the single-season win records of Josh Hayes and Cameron Beaubier, and the career win mark of AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Legend Wayne Rainey, in the process. The Supersport champion was Richie Escalante. The Stock 1000 Champion was Jake Lewis. The Twins Cup Champion was Kaleb De Keyrel. Tyler Scott won the Junior Cup title, and Kensei Matsudaira captured the AMA No. 1 plate in the Mini Cup class.The AMA Supercross Championship featured 17 rounds of thrilling action across seven venues. Promoted by Feld Entertainment Inc., the series experienced a strong post-pandemic recovery with large fan attendance, expanded broadcast coverage, with live and on-demand streaming, and international distribution to more than 100 countries. For the first time, three AMA Supercross races took place within single-week spans. Racing mid-week brought a new excitement level to the sport for the riders, teams and fans worldwide. In the premier 450SX class, Cooper Webb emerged as the champion for the second time in his career, winning eight races. In the 250SX East class, Colt Nichols claimed his first title with four wins and seven podiums. In the 250SX West class, Justin Cooper also secured his first title with three wins and six podiums. Rookies of the year were Dylan Ferrandis in the 450SX class and Seth Hammaker in the 250SX class.
Communications
Early 2021 brought significant change to the AMA’s Communications department with the hire of new staff members brought in to run American Motorcyclist — the journal of the American Motorcyclist Association — and organization-wide communications. With a new communications team, 2021 resulted in a redesigned American Motorcyclist magazine and growth in the AMA’s social media channels.Within the pages of American Motorcyclist, the new Communications team focused on bringing back the classic motorcycle magazine experience, with an emphasis on captivating and personal storytelling, while continuing to include all the essential news coverage that AMA members wanted to see in their monthly magazine.After revitalizing the magazine content, later in 2021 the magazine was redesigned graphically to provide a visual experience that matched the new direction of the publication. During the last half of 2021, AMA members sent in hundreds of letters heralding American Motorcyclist as a must-read and thanking the organization for the magazine’s transformation.Beyond the magazine, the communications team during 2021 also worked diligently to improve the AMA’s social media presence across all channels. That work resulted in a growth in followers, improved engagement and an increase in the reach of the AMA’s channels.
Operations
In 2021, the AMA made several improvements across support operations, including information technology and facility upgrades, contributing to both short- and long-term efficiency enhancements and cost savings.Highlights included a new online data collection service that streamlined member data entry and staff processing, automating entry across more than 60 campaigns. Data connector applications also were developed for four previously disconnected user interfaces, aggregating more than 14,000 records and enhancing data integrity across 1.3 million records in the core system. In addition, new website updates supporting AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days, including self-service online registration for the swap meeting, which reduced the time invested in managing reservations and calls by more than 50 percent with enhanced member service.In support of infrastructure and security, network operations were streamlined through the consolidation of servers and domain management. Across six primary hosts, 13 virtual servers were decommissioned or merged, approximately 30 domains were eliminated, and renewal and security protections were established across 86 domains and three service providers.Several facility repair, upgrade and process improvement projects were completed in 2021. While lingering pandemic-related supply disruptions and contractor absences elongated many of the projects, all projects were completed within budget and deadlines. Capital expenditure projects were conducted with an eye toward responsible cost savings, employing Requests for Proposals and multiple bids for each project and handling most reactive maintenance tasks in-house. Major projects in the primary office building included a new cooling tower, 15 in-ceiling heat pump units, construction of two additional office units and back-flow preventer compliance. Museum building projects included roofing and gutter repairs, interior lighting upgrades and a new chiller unit. Exterior lights were upgraded to LED units, saving on energy usage and lowering maintenance requirements.