Pa. bikers rally for consumer protections, year-round inspections [Video]

It was a tale of two Capitols on Monday.

One housed hundreds of suited bureaucrats and legislators (and a tap dance troupe) within its walls. The other saw hundreds of leather-clad bikers, many with long beards, outside who came to Harrisburg to urge the passage of legislation that they say would improve their rights on the road.

“This is a very exciting time in the legislature because the budget’s due in just a month,” said Ken Edwards, the legislative coordinator of Alliance of Bikers Aimed Toward Education of Pennsylvania, or A.B.A.T.E. of PA, to the assembled crowd who turned out for the 5,000-member advocacy group’s annual rights rally.

He encouraged the bikers to go inside and meet with their representatives, whom he called “really nice to us.”

“We want equal treatment with automobiles on a couple of things,” Edwards said before running through the group’s legislative wish list.

He noted a bill up for consideration in the Senatethat would remove motorcycles’ exemption from Pennsylvania’s Lemon Law, a consumer …