Ban On Kids Motorcycles And Their Parts.

[njchopper87]

Originally Posted by Cutty72

Same reason she has a fork in her hand i'd imagine.


I got my letter from the senator today.
"he" said he will keep a close eye on the happenings of this matter and will do what he can for our sport.

I got a letter about a week ago, and it basically said the same thing. As did the two emails from the others.

[squidward]

Originally Posted by squidward

http://www.cyclenews.com/articles/in...ke-ban-protest

Malcolm Smith, Troy Lee, Jeff Ward, Jeremy McGrath, and Bud Feldkamp(owner of Glen Helen Raceway) are taking a big standing and throwing a double bird at this ridiculous legislation....some might call it a protest, but it seems just a step further in the direction of out and out rebellion. I love it.

Just a reminder that this is happening today. I know I'll be watching to see how it all turns out.

[squidward]

http://www.racerxonline.com/article/...-lead-law.aspx

He could be facing a $100k fine for each bike sold. That's absolutely ludicrous.

Yesterday afternoon Malcolm Smith, one of the most influential men in the history of motorcycling, took up the fight yesterday against the Consumer Saftey Protection Committee, using his Riverside, California, dealership to have a protest sale against the CPSIA, now known infamously as "the lead law." With help from fellow moto legends like Jeremy McGrath, Jeff Ward, Scot Harden, Troy Lee, Mitch Payton and more -- and hosted by the incomparable Larry "Supermouth" Huffman -- Smith raised awareness on the ban by opening his showroom floor to all of the banned children's products, including motorcycles, parts and safety gear for children under the age of 12.

Our colleague over at VitalMX.com, Steve "Guy B." Giberson, interview Malcolm and friends and put together this cool slideshow.

To find out what you can do to help "Let the Kids Ride," here is an AMA link to your representatives in the U.S. government, as well as the CPSC:

some pics from the event.....make sure your sound is on so you can hear from the legends themselves about their ideas on this whole BS deal. I particularly like what Malcolm says about lead fishing weights(sinkers).
http://www.vitalmx.com/photos/featur...,17458/GuyB,64

[Apoc]

Its nice to see guys like Troy Lee and Jeremy McGrath out supporting things like this!

[squidward]

From the protest.

[Apoc]

I guess the logic is theyll learn ffaster if you wait till their fourteen and throw em on a CRF450

[squidward]

Missouri State Rep Tom Self is doing his part too.

http://www.racerxonline.com/article/...youth-ban.aspx

ST. LOUIS -- Missouri State Representative Tom Self (R-Cole Camp) today escalated his call to end the ban on youth all-terrain vehicles and off-highway motorcycles at a Monster Energy® Supercross pre-race press conference saying, "Congress didn't intend ATVs and motorcycles to be a part of the new anti-lead legislation because kids are not going to eat or lick these vehicles."

The ban is an unintended result of Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, which includes new lead standards, and went into effect February 10.

"The consequences of this ban are serious and have brought a wonderful family outdoor experience for hundreds of thousands of Americans to a near halt," said Self, an avid powersports enthusiast who enjoys riding ATVs and off-highway motorcycles with his family. "Or, alarmingly, young ATV and motorcycle riders may choose to operate inappropriately sized vehicles since youth-sized vehicles and spare parts are not available. Everyone knows this will lead to unnecessary crashes and injuries."

Numerous senators and congressmen have contacted the Consumer Product Safety Commission to point out that the legislation gave CPSC the power to grant merited, common-sense exclusions, for products such as ATVs and off-highway motorcycles. But CPSC says a product can be excluded only if regulators determine that use of the product will not result in the absorption of "any" lead in the human body.

The Motorcycle Industry Council and The Specialty Vehicle Institute of America have submitted scientific evidence, using the analytical method required by the legislation, that proves the lead-containing components, parts and accessories of these vehicles - essential for safety or functionality issues - pose no risk to children. A toxicology expert estimated that any potential lead intake resulting from kids' exposure to motorcycles and ATVs would be substantially less than the typical daily intakes of lead from food and water.

"If CPSC believes its hands are tied because of the way the legislation was written, we ask Congress to amend the law to restore common sense and make exclusions available," Self said. "Congress and CPSC must make it a priority to stop this ban now."

Self's comments at the press conference came at the end of a one-week tour throughout the state of Missouri and neighboring states to rally support against the ban through letter writing and phone calls. More than 100,000 concerned individuals have filed protests via Self's website www.tomself.com.

MIC's Web site (www.mic.org and www.StopTheBanNow.com) contain background and updated information about this serious issue facing the powersports industry and has links to tools, email templates and pre-addressed letters to simplify sending messages to members of Congress with oversight of the CPSC.

The Motorcycle Industry Council exists to preserve, protect and promote motorcycling through government relations, communications and media relations, statistics and research, aftermarket programs, development of data communications standards, and activities surrounding technical and regulatory issues. It is a not-for-profit, national trade association representing manufacturers and distributors of motorcycles, scooters, motorcycle/ATV/ROV parts and accessories, and members of allied trades such as publishing companies, advertising agencies, insurance firms and consultants. The MIC is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., with a government relations office adjacent to Washington, D.C. First called the MIC in 1970, the organization has been in operation since 1914.

[squidward]

They just showed footage from the Malcolm Smith protest on Speed during the AMA SX Lites race coverage and then they interviewed Missouri State Rep Tom Self trackside. This issue seems to be getting a lot of exposure which is a good sign.

They also had these up on Racer X online today:
http://www.racerxonline.com/article/...-airwaves.aspx

Taking the Youth Ban to the Airwaves

Mar 22 2009 10:01AM

Check out this story about the youth motorcycle and ATV ban, from a local television station in West Virginia. It details MX Sports' Tim Cotter's efforts to help get some relief or the motorcycle industry from the Consumer Protection Safety Improvement Act, also know as the lead law:
http://www.wboy.com/story.cfm?func=v...&storyid=54952

West Virginia has become a battleground state on this issue, as Senator Jay Rockefeller is the Senate Chairman of the CPSC. West Virginia also has a thriving motorcycle/ATV industry.

From the link in the previous article (there is a video at the actual link):
http://www.wboy.com/story.cfm?func=v...&storyid=54952

MX Sports Working to Modify Lead Law
Posted Saturday, March 21, 2009 ; 06:20 PM
Updated Saturday, March 21, 2009 ; 08:14 PM
Racer Productions and MX Sports in Morgantown is working to change the Consumers Product Safety Improvement Act that bans children's toys that contain lead including youth motorcycles and ATVs.
Story by Macall Allen
Email | Bio | Other Stories by Macall Allen

MORGANTOWN -- Tim Cotter and MX Sports is representing the power sports industry to meet with lawmakers and try and change the Consumer Product Safety Imporvement Act of 2008.

The regulations ban all children's products that contain more than 600 parts per million of lead.

"You can't build a motorcycle without some parts having lead on it, it's a safety issue," explains Cotter.

All ATVs and motorcycles for children under 12 have been taken off the market because of the amount of lead but Cotter says the law is too broad.

"If the Consumer Product Safety Commission children can get lead poising from motorcycles, they can also get it from the family van," says Cotter. The manufactures say the lead is located in the wheel hub, valve stem, and in the internal engine parts.

No lead is located on the seat or the handle bars.

Mark Gricewich General Manager at R.G. Honda says they, too, have lost some business due to the new regulations.

And they're worried about children riding larger bikes that are heavier and more powerful since the smaller bikes are no longer available.

"We're a little concerned because what happens is for years we've said put the children on the appropriate sizes. Now consumers, because that motorcycle or ATV is not available, consumers are forced to maybe put children on the wrong size because the correct size has been taken off the market," says Gricewich.

Cotter is scheduled to meet with Senator Rockefeller and key members of the U.S. Congress and Senate in Washington D.C. on Tuesday.

MX Sports has created a link online to easily contact your senator about the lead law.

http://www.racerxonline.com/article/...ess-maybe.aspx

Are We Making Lead Law Progress? Maybe.

Mar 22 2009 10:03AM

For the last six weeks many in dirt bike enthusiasts, along with every other industry affected by the CPSIA, has been writing, calling and emailing their congressmen and U.S. Senators asking them to reconsider the "lead law" and the ensuing ban on all products for children under 12 that contain trace amounts of lead. Are the letters having any effect? Check out this report from yesterday's Congress Daily on what this whole mess has meant to the members of the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives... The implementation of the new law and the requests for guidance or relief seem to be having an impact, so keep the letters coming!

CPSC Says New Law Overwhelms Its Enforcement Efforts
Friday, March 20, 2009
by Kasie Hunt?

Product safety legislation that banned lead and phthalates from children's toys has overwhelmed the regulatory agency responsible for implementing the law, Consumer Product Safety Commission officials wrote to Congress today. "Because requested funding for implementation of the new law was not forthcoming ... implementation of the [legislation] has impacted our ongoing safety mission by delaying and deferring work in many other areas," the letter said. "The deadlines mandated in the [legislation] have jeopardized our ability to meet Commission priorities and proven to be too much for a relatively small agency to handle all at once." The letter is a response to a series of questions posed by Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., the former chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and a chief architect of the original bill. That legislation banned lead and chemical phthalates in children's toys while reauthorizing and increasing funding for the CPSC.

While the legislation's ban on phthalates was more controversial at the time, the provision banning lead in all parts of children's toys has turned out to be the most problematic. Many retailers -- including thrift stores, bookstores, and even yard sales and church bazaars -- have been affected and the agency said it has been inundated with requests for guidance. "The scope of products covered by the new regulation and the amount of inventory implicated went well beyond what many may have contemplated," the letter said. The agency placed the cost of lost business at well over $1 billion and said "millions" of products were likely sitting in warehouses to be destroyed. The agency is asking Congress to allow risk-based assessments to prioritize the testing requirements in the law. Lead in a bicycle might be less dangerous than lead in children's jewelry that could be easily handled and ingested by a toddler, the agency points out.

House and Senate Democrats blamed the agency for the delays in a February letter and called on President Obama to quickly appoint a new CPSC commissioner. "Unfortunately, the implementation process of the [legislation] has been grossly mishandled by acting Chairman Nancy Nord," the Feb. 3 letter said. Senate Commerce Chairman John (Jay) Rockefeller, Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., House Energy and Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman and Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., signed the letter. Nord still heads the agency. House Energy and Commerce ranking member Joe Barton has called for Congress to delay implementing the legislation and wants to hold hearings on the issue. Calls to Dingell's office were not immediately returned.