Mona Ehnes is a long-time champion of off-highway motorcyclists' rights.
Born in Missoula, Mont., in 1939, she began riding a Honda 50 in the early 1960s and helped her husband, Vic, run a motorcycle shop that sold Hodakas and other brands.
Ehnes entered the fight for motorcyclists' rights in 1967, when controversial legislation was introduced that would have restricted off-highway vehicle (OHV) riding opportunities in her home state of Montana. Ehnes has been at the front lines of the OHV rights battle ever since.
In 1984 Ehnes was one of the founding members of the Great Falls Trail Bike Riders Association, the largest and most active OHV club in Montana with over 600 members. She is also a founding member of the Montana Trail Vehicle Riders Association (MTVRA). She has served as legislative liaison for MTVRA and as editor of Montana Trail Rider News.
Ehnes was instrumental in the development of the Montana "On the Right Trail" ethics education program, which she continues to administer. She has served for 10 years as the OHV representative on the Governor's Noxious Weed Task Force. She also holds the position of executive assistant to the National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council and received its Hall of Fame Award in 2009.
"I've been a member of the AMA for some time, and I've always supported the AMA Museum, so this is such an honor," Ehnes said. "I've been involved with motorcycles and motorcycling since the '60s. Dirt biking is my life. If somebody is willing to give me this kind of recognition, then I hope that it inspires other riders who love dirt biking as much as I do to get out and get involved."
Regarding Ehnes induction into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame, Kathy Van Kleeck, senior vice president of government relations for the Motorcycle Industry Council and chairwoman of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Leadership/Motorcycle Rights Advocates Committee, said: "Mona is truly a legend in the off-highway vehicle community -- a shining example of a quiet leader who has set the gold standard through her thousands of hours of volunteer work and dedication to protecting off-highway vehicle recreation. What Mona's biography can't convey is her relentless passion for the cause and her can-do spirit. She tackles difficult issues head-on to find solutions and re-energizes all with whom she works. No one could be more deserving of this highest honor."
Ehnes continues to be an active advocate and off-highway motorcyclist. At the time of her induction into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame she resided in Great Falls, Montana.
Ehnes was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum in 2009.