PennDOT, via PAMSP, owns and operates a fleet of motorcycles used for motorcyclist skills training via Beginner Riding Clinics. The motorcycles are purchased by the Program Administration company and later reimbursed by PAMSP.
PA Motorcyclist has posted information on this ~1,200 vehicle fleet in a number of posts as well as an 8/23/2020 blog post titled “How will PAMSP operate without [Program] motorcycles” reviewing past practices and future considerations in the “3rd party model” era.
While nearly everyone seems perfectly fine with the actions of PennDOT since April 2020, accepting the contract cancellation, are ok with the “3rd party model” being implemented – having said nothing to prevent any of these actions from happening – now some people are starting to notice PAMSP bikes have shown up in a pending PA auction, typically citing it’s “our” money as PA citizens. Forest, meet trees.
In the Herald-Mail article titled “60 motorcycles, 600 total vehicles available at state auction” you can see a photo of what appears to be PAMSP motorcycles – with the aluminum BarkBusters handguards still mounted – at the top of the page. This is one of a number of news stories publishing the information about the pending auction.
You don’t have to go so far as to review news reports – PA Media announced on 9/10/2020:
The auction is being touted by PA as “one of the largest Commonwealth Vehicle Auctions ever”.
If you review the PA Department of General Services, Vehicle Management, Used Vehicle Auctions page you’ll see current and pending auctions. The auction they publish a current list vehicles for sale is the one taking place on 10/13/2020, a list nearly 700 long.
Included?
What appear to be 60 PAMSP Program motorcycles from 2002-2013.
It is interesting that people will ignore millions of dollars in expenditures that fund the Program, the PennDOT administration issues over the years that have never been publicly audited – or even disputed – but will bemoan ~$240,000 worth of 7-18-year-old motorcycles representing just over 5% of the current fleet.
There is another auction in December and we’ll see if more PAMSP units go but, unfortunately, these are already heading out the door. Where will the proceeds end up, unknown (back in the Motorcycle Safety Education Fund?). Will they be replaced, unknown – but if they do need to be replaced we know the 3rd party vendors are on the hook to purchase them and later seek reimbursement from PennDOT. What vendors? Unknown.
PAMSP has bigger issues facing it which many have largely ignored, or are looking to take advantage of, but yes, PAMSP bikes are being auctioned off. This is something that has happened in the past, so it is nothing new, but if this can serve as a catalyst for people to finally pay attention to PAMSP’s plight maybe it is for the better.
Not only have “the People” (PA Motorcyclists) paid for Program motorcycles but laptops, projectors and other classroom equipment that is no longer being provided to training vendors during the “Emergency” 2020 contract. The responding vendors will have to purchase these items out of pocket, a considerable cost. What is the disposition of this equipment for 2021? As the contacts are nearly identical perhaps these Program assets won’t be provided to vendors, ultimately to be auctioned off as well.
If the past has shown anything it is that while there is a lot of talk around PAMSP “issues” there is very little action – other than supporting the status quo – regardless of who is running the show. So complain about bikes being auctioned off – while accepting whatever direction PennDOT is taking the Program, and in some cases benefitting from it financially.
While these ~60 bikes head to auction remember – it could have very well been, and some day may be, all of them.
Complete list of [PAMSP] motorcycles to be auctioned off 10/13/2020:
| Year | Make/Model | Odometer | Color | VIN |
| 2002 | SUZUKI GZ250K M/C | 3,542 | BLACK / | VTTNJ48A722102472 |
| 2002 | SUZUKI GZ250K M/C | 1,238 | BLACK / | VTTNJ48A322102727 |
| 2002 | SUZUKI DR-Z200S M/C | 3,001 | YELLOW / | JS1SH42A922100159 |
| 2002 | SUZUKI GZ250K M/C | 3,623 | BLACK / | VTTNJ48A622102530 |
| 2002 | SUZUKI GZ250K M/C | 3,347 | BLACK / | VTTNJ48A122100703 |
| 2003 | SUZUKI GZ250K M/C | 4,544 | BLUE / | VTTNJ48A132101674 |
| 2003 | SUZUKI GZ250K M/C | 2,563 | BLUE / | VTTNJ48A132100668 |
| 2003 | SUZUKI GZ250K M/C | 3,393 | BLUE / | VTTNJ48A932101793 |
| 2003 | SUZUKI GZ250K M/C | 3,067 | BLUE / | VTTNJ48A632102092 |
| 2004 | KAWASAKI ELIMINATOR M/C | 4,657 | GRAY / | JKABNRA164DA09853 |
| 2004 | KAWASAKI ELIMINATOR M/C | 5,508 | GRAY / | JKABNRA134DA09678 |
| 2004 | SUZUKI DR200 M/C | 4,742 | BLUE / | JS1SH42A342100919 |
| 2004 | KAWASAKI ELIMINATOR M/C | 1,145 | GRAY / | JKABNRA104DA09850 |
| 2004 | SUSUKI 200 M/C | 2,788 | BLUE / | JS1SH42AX42100478 |
| 2005 | SUZUKI GZ250K M/C | 4,003 | BLACK / | VTTNJ48A952102395 |
| 2005 | SUZUKI GZ250K M/C | 2,606 | BLACK / | VTTNJ48A552102071 |
| 2005 | SUZUKI GZ250K M/C | 3,112 | BLACK / | VTTNJ48A252100679 |
| 2005 | KAWASAKI ELIMINATOR M/C | 3,622 | BLACK / | JKABNRA115DA12757 |
| 2005 | KAWASAKI ELIMINATOR M/C | 3,385 | BLACK / | JKABNRA105DA12751 |
| 2005 | KAWASAKI ELIMINATOR M/C | 3,071 | BLACK / | JKABNRA1X5DA12885 |
| 2005 | SUZUKI DR-Z200S M/C | 4,749 | BLUE / | JS1SH42A852100819 |
| 2005 | SUZUKI DR-Z200S M/C | 4,278 | BLUE / | JS1SH42A752100813 |
| 2005 | SUZUKI DR-Z200S M/C | 4,344 | BLUE / | JS1SH42A252100816 |
| 2006 | SUZUKI GZ250K M/C | 2,313 | BLUE / | VTTNJ48A662102582 |
| 2006 | KAWASAKI ELIMINATOR M/C | 2,606 | BLUE / | JKABNRA176DA16801 |
| 2006 | SUZUKI GZ250K M/C | 2,402 | BLUE / | VTTNJ48A162102957 |
| 2006 | KAWASAKI ELIMINATOR M/C | 3,645 | BLUE / | JKABNRA176DA15504 |
| 2006 | SUZUKI GZ250K M/C | 3,012 | BLACK / | VTTNJ48A462100314 |
| 2006 | SUZUKI GZ250K M/C | 3,346 | BLUE / | VTTNJ48A362101969 |
| 2006 | KAWASAKI ELIMINATOR M/C | 3,102 | BLUE / | JKABNRA136DA13794 |
| 2006 | SUZUKI GZ250K M/C | 2,940 | BLACK / | VTTNJ48A062102836 |
| 2006 | SUZUKI GZ250K M/C | 2,969 | BLUE / | VTTNJ48AX62102052 |
| 2006 | SUZUKI GZ250K M/C | 2,967 | BLACK / | VTTNJ48AX62100317 |
| 2006 | SUZUKI DR-Z200S M/C | 2,357 | BLUE / | JS1SH42A862101762 |
| 2006 | KAWASAKI ELIMINATOR M/C | 3,828 | BLUE / | JKABNRA196DA15732 |
| 2006 | KAWASAKI ELIMINATOR M/C | 4,057 | BLUE / | JKABNRA186DA15480 |
| 2006 | KAWASAKI ELIMINATOR M/C | 3,752 | BLUE / | JKABNRA186DA14037 |
| 2006 | KAWASAKI ELIMINATOR M/C | 3,179 | BLUE / | JKABNRA166DA15767 |
| 2006 | KAWASAKI ELIMINATOR M/C | 3,775 | BLUE / | JKABNRA156DA15727 |
| 2006 | SUZUKI DR-Z200S M/C | 3,217 | BLUE / | JS1SH42A062100170 |
| 2006 | SUZUKI DR-Z200S M/C | 1,949 | BLUE / | JS1SH42AX62101763 |
| 2006 | SUZUKI DR-Z200S M/C | 3,162 | BLUE / | JS1SH42AX62101052 |
| 2006 | SUZUKI GZ250K M/C | 4,091 | BLACK / | VTTNJ48A362101650 |
| 2006 | SUZUKI DR-Z200S M/C | 3,511 | YELLOW / | JS1SH42A462101841 |
| 2006 | SUZUKI DR-Z200S M/C | 5,328 | YELLOW / | JS1SH42A362100227 |
| 2006 | SUZUKI DR-Z200S M/C | 3,086 | BLUE / | JS1SH42A362100163 |
| 2006 | SUZUKI DR-Z200S M/C | 3,670 | BLUE / | JS1SH42A262100168 |
| 2007 | KAWASAKI M/C | 3,745 | SILVER / | JKABNRA197DA18843 |
| 2007 | SUZUKI GZ250K M/C | 3,239 | BLACK / | VTTNJ48A972101668 |
| 2008 | SUZUKI GZ250K M/C | 3,632 | BLACK / | VTTNJ48A282100010 |
| 2009 | YAMAHA TW200 M/C | 2,330 | WHITE / | JYA3AWE019A129261 |
| 2009 | SUZUKI GZ250 M/C | 4,049 | BLACK / | VTTNJ48A292102258 |
| 2012 | SUZUKI TU250X M/C | 1,692 | GRAY / | JS1NJ4CA0C2100567 |
| 2013 | SUZUKI TU250X M/C | 954 | GRAY / | JS1NJ4CA9D2101170 |
| 2013 | SUZUKI DR200 M/C | 247 | WHITE / | JS1SH42A1D2100045 |
| 2013 | YAMAHA TW200 M/C | 314 | WHITE / | JYA3AWE04DA141543 |
| 2013 | SUSUKI DR200 M/C | 299 | WHITE / | JS1SH42A8D2100477 |
| 2013 | SUSUKI DR200 M/C | 1,333 | WHITE / | JS1SH42A5D2100100 |
| 2013 | SUZUKI DR 200 M/C | 955 | WHITE / | JS1SH42A1D2100479 |
| 2013 | SUZUKI DR200 M/C | 406 | WHITE / | JS1SH42A1D2100143 |
