Youth Motorcycles Endangered

Future Sale of Youth Cycles Uncertain

Most parents are thrilled when they can interest their children away from the television or video games long enough to participate in an outdoor sport. Youth sports like dirt biking can teach independence, safety awareness, sportsmanship, mechanical know-how, and can build self confidence, not to mention the benefits of getting outdoors for fresh air and exercise. Aside from these things, time spent at the dirt tracks is usually excellent family bonding time and an opportunity to meet and develop lifelong friendships with some really nice people. So why would a sport that offers so much to our youth be in jeopardy?  

Flawed Attempt by Congress to Get the Lead Out

In August of 2008, Congress enacted what is called the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 that will ban all products for children under the age of 12 that may contain lead beyond a specified amount. This Act was drawn up in reaction to the toys and other products made in China that contained known harmful levels of lead. With the wording of the Act as it currently stands, motorcycles and ATVs geared toward use by children will also be affected, and a motorcycle industry already suffering under the hard-hit economy will take an even more damaging blow.  The Specialty Vehicle Institute of America and the Motorcycle Industry Council, including independently-owned shops, are pleading for a common sense revision to the Act, so that halt to the sale of youth motorcycles or ATVs, which began on February 10, 2009, will be reversed. Imagine motorcycle showrooms without Honda CRF50s, 70s, 80s, 100s, Kawasaki KX 65 or the KLX110 that your children are so anxious to check out? Visit a Honda showroom after the 10th, and you won’t have to imagine. They’re gone. And if your child already rides and owns one of these bikes, forget about getting replacement parts, either.

Don’t Chew That

While it’s true that oversight may be needed for the production of children’s toys to ensure a lowered risk of lead exposure, it seems that once again poorly and hastily written legislation may unnecessarily harm an already suffering industry. The Act (CPSIA) states that consumer products are not allowed to have greater than 600 parts per million of lead in any accessible part for a product intended for sale to children under the age of 12.  The Specialty Vehicle Institute of America and the Motorcycle Industry Council are requesting emergency relief from the provisions of this Act which went into effect on February 10, 2009. They are seeking an exemption for ATV and motorcycle parts, which is where the largest concern lies.  It’s not so much the bike, but the parts that may contain lead in higher amounts than allowed by the Act. To most reasonable-minded people, it would be safe to assume that except for the rarest of rare circumstances, none of these motorcycle parts would ever get anywhere near the mouth of a child much less be ingested.

Show Support to the Sport and the Industry

We urge you to contact your Senators and Congressman ASAP and tell them to fix this broken law, so that motorcycle stores might return their inventory to their salesfloors and our children may continue to enjoy the sport of dirt biking. You can also visit the website of Missouri State Representative Tom Self, at www.tomself.com, who is actively working to resolve this matter. Let him know you support and appreciate his grassroots efforts.