AMA Hall of Famer Passes
M
otorcyclists' rights leader
and AMA Motorcycle Hall
of Famer Mark Buckner passed
away on March 15, 2025.
Buckner was a longtime cham
-
pion for motorcyclists' rights,
serving in numerous leadership
roles for ABATE of Colorado and
the Motorcycle Riders Founda-
tion (MRF) while fighting to main-
tain the freedom to ride.
"Mark was a tireless advocate
for motorcyclists across the
country and paved the way for
riders to continue to enjoy the
freedom of two wheels," AMA
President and CEO Rob Dingman
said. "His leadership and con
-
tributions to motorcycling will
be remembered forever, and he
will be sorely missed within our
community."
Buckner played a pivotal role
in the expansion of ABATE of
Colorado after taking over as
state coordinator in the 1980s.
Under his leadership, member-
ship grew from 200 to 2000
members, and the organization
helped drive the state to estab-
lish a rider-education program.
In 1992, Buckner joined the
MRF board of directors—and
ultimately became the organiza-
tion's president and chairman in
1994.
With the MRF, Buckner worked
closely with the AMA and state
motorcyclist rights organiza-
tions 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 motorcy-
clists.
For his advocacy efforts,
Buckner was inducted into the
AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in
2019. He also was inducted into
the Motorcycle Riders Founda
-
tion Freedom Fighters Hall of
Fame and the Sturgis Motorcycle
Museum and Hall of Fame.
CN
WIND
IN THE
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Motorcyclists' rights
leader and AMA
Motorcycle Hall of
Famer Mark Buckner
recently passed.