Stay on Offense Regarding CPSC Ban of Youth OHVs

The General asks you to keep the pressure up on the CPSC
to grant the petitions of the Motorcycle Industry Council
And Specialty Vehicle Institute of America for emergency
relief. Family OHV recreation, dealers, and youth OHV events are
being negatively impacted.

Even though the official public comment period has ended for
the CPSC’s Rulemaking process that will consider permanent
exclusions for youth OHVs, riders and dealers must keep the pressure on the CPSC to grant the MIC’s request for temporary exclusions.

Also, you must continue to make appointments and/or personal
phone calls to your Member of Congress regardless of party affiliation.
I salute those who made those visits such as Pacific Motorsports – a Honda
and Yamaha dealer – in Eureka, California. They visited the local office of
Congressman Mike Thompson (D-Napa) and requested his assistance.

Such efforts resulted in a February 6, 2009 letter from 6 Members of
the Western Caucus to the CPSC asking them to grant the Industry’s petition
for emergency relief.

This is truly one time when YOU are making a difference. Stay on
offense.

See several news links below – your collective voice is being heard.
Also, you can send a letter via a number of ongoing efforts.

BRC Feb. 19 Alert (also see Feb. 19 BRC letter and Western Caucus letter)
http://www.sharetrails.org/

Senator Tom Self’s Website
http://www.tomself.com/
*Send this guy a big thank you!

ARRA Letter

http://www.arra-access.com/arra/home.html

AMA Letter and Alert
http://www.amadirectlink.com/news/story.asp?id=629

Editorial by John Stewart - 4x4 Wire

http://www.4x4wire.com:80/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=483:get-the-lead-out&catid=56:4x4-access-view&Itemid=86

Feb 18 News Article with Video on this issue
http://www.newschannel10.com/Global/story.asp?S=9868087

MSNBC Story
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29236051/

FOX News
http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2009Feb15/0,4670,MotorcyclesLeadBan,00.html

Other groups and websites have ongoing email and/or letter
writing efforts as well.

Thanks for your service!

The General

So Long Dirt-Bike Kids - Not If We Can Help It!!!

*Photo is of a "Dirt-Bike Kid" who came over to

an OHV sound check station to get tested... cool thing was he did this on his own.

An article “So Long, Dirt-Bike Kids” was published recently http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/05/dirt-bikes/

I believe it shows the bias of the so-called “mainstream” media to
target activities that it/they deem unworthy. When I was young,
I was one of those dirt-bike kids. Also, so were my two sons.

My nieces and nephews were dirt-bike kids. My wife’s cousin has

dirt-bike and ATV kids. My nephew’s two sons are dirt-bike kids

too. A lot of this nation’s youth are dirt-bike kids.

I draw your attention to a Wall Street Journal editorial that notes how

dirt-bikes were “highlighted” by the NYT while it failed to mention

how the lead ban impacts everything from ball-point pens to comic books.

WSJ Article
http://overlawyered.com/2009/02/cpsia-chronicles-february-6/comment-page-1/

Also, ck out article on impacts to dealers

http://www.wctv.tv/news/headlines/39229887.html

DR Mag on the Issue

http://blogs.dirtrider.com/6424265/editorial/dirt-bikes-for-kids-soon-to-be-illegal/index.html

The General continues to ask the troops to keep sending letters in, make phone calls, and
never give up! Too much is at stake. (see blogs below for sample letter, etc.)

Motorcycle Shop Owners Worried About Lead Ban

It appears that more users and shop owners are becoming aware of the Feb. 10 BAN on youth

OHVs. The General continues to urge riders and dealers to visit the office of their Member of Congress - TODAY. I think a lot of folks are slowly coming to the realization of just how great an impact this BAN will have on business owners and family OHVers.

Here is a news article on this issue:

http://www.stjoenews.net/news/2009/feb/04/some-frustrated-lead-mandates/?print

For info on how to send letters... see info below in yesterday's blog.

Update on CPSC Youth OHV Ban - Two Issues

This “Youth Ban” on OHVs is a complicated issue and actually has (at least) two parts.

The ATV specific provision mandates manufacturing to the ANSI/SVIA standard by 4/13/09. That does not appear to be a concern, since many OHVs already meet that standard.

What does appear to be the issue is the lead content provisions that apply to ALL products primarily intended for youth age 12 or younger. I believe those concerns have been articulated in the MIC’s petition for a stay.

Unfortunately, CPSC's action on Friday to stay enforcement of some provisions of the ban is not nearly as good news as it seemed to some of us.
The CPSC actually provided no relief to the Industry or to families who want to purchase those products.

Effective February 10, powersports companies and dealers will be prohibited from selling products intended primarily for youth age 12 and under with lead content in excess of the limits – period end of subject!. The CPSC action only stays the testing and certification requirements. I don’t think the CPSC intended to target some motorcycle/ATV parts that contain lead in excess of the limits, such as brake levers, engines and suspensions, since they do not present a risk to children in the real world. Lead in these components is necessary, either for safety or in the case of facilitating the machining of tire valves, critical to assuring tire air retention, or for functionality, such as the lead in battery terminals, which is needed to conduct electricity.

Please continue to urge CPSC and Congress to grant pending petitions by MIC, SVIA and member companies or to extend the effective date of the lead content limits.

Motorcycle-USA had a great article on this issue:
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/5/2382/Motorcycle-Article/Lead-Ban-Stops-Youth-ATV-and-Motorcycle-Sales.aspx

CPSC Comment Pagehttp://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/info.aspx


BRC Rapid Response Center to contact the White House and your Congressional Memberhttp://www.sharetrails.org/rapid_response/

MIC News Release on Issue:http://www.mic.org/news012609.cfm
Honda Letter to Dealers:
http://www.cyclenews.com/ShowStory.asp?HeadlineID=13413

NAM Letter

http://www.sharetrails.org/files/CPSC-NAM-Request-for-Emergency-Stay.pdf

Sample "Cut and Paste" Letter:


As a member of the OHV community, I want to voice my strong support for petitions filed recently by the Motorcycle Industry Council and Specialty Vehicle Institute of America to seek emergency relief from provisions which go into effect on February 10, 2009.


While I do support efforts by Consumer Product Safety Commission to protect children from lead content in products that truly present a risk to children, I do not believe the Commission intended that metal parts on ATVs and motorcycles be included in that regulation because they do not present a lead risk to children.


As the spring OHV recreation season rapidly approaches, I ask you to support efforts to exclude youth-oriented OHVs – and the businesses that sell and service them – from being unnecessarily impacted by this ban especially during this economic crisis.


Sincerely,

Keep Fighting Ban on Youth OHVs

As the Feb. 10 “BAN” on the sale of youth OHVs rapidly approaches, The General asks his readers to continue making personal phone calls or visits to their respective Member of Congress. I have already heard back from a number
of you who have made those visits or intend to make them today.

Please make those visits and “Take a Dealer” with you. Both the family OHV user and local shops will suffer if Congress does not act or if the CPSC does not grant the MIC’s petition for a temporary exclusion.

Also, JC at Motorcycle-USA wrote a great article on this issue:
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/5/2382/Motorcycle-Article/Lead-Ban-Stops-Youth-ATV-and-Motorcycle-Sales.aspx

Please continue to send letters to the CPSC, Pres. Obama, and Congress and ask others to do the same.


CPSC Comment Pagehttp://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/info.aspx


BRC Rapid Response Center to contact the White House and your Congressional Memberhttp://www.sharetrails.org/rapid_response/

MIC News Release on Issue:http://www.mic.org/news012609.cfm
Honda Letter to Dealers:
http://www.cyclenews.com/ShowStory.asp?HeadlineID=13413

PL 110-314 (HR 4040)

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpsia.Pdf

Sample "Cut and Paste" Letter:


As a member of the OHV community, I want to voice my strong support for petitions filed recently by the Motorcycle Industry Council and Specialty Vehicle Institute of America to seek emergency relief from provisions which go into effect on February 10, 2009.


While I do support efforts by Consumer Product Safety Commission to protect children from lead content in products that truly present a risk to children, I do not believe the Commission intended that metal parts on ATVs and motorcycles be included in that regulation because they do not present a lead risk to children.


As the spring OHV recreation season rapidly approaches, I ask you to support efforts to exclude youth-oriented OHVs – and the businesses that sell and service them – from being unnecessarily impacted by this ban especially during this economic crisis.


Sincerely,

VICTORY - One Year Reprieve on CPSC Youth OHV Ban

VICTORY - CPSC Votes One Year Reprieve on Youth OHV Ban

The General congratulates all the troops for making thousands of phone calls to the Consumer Product Safety Commission and to their elected representatives asking them for emergency relief from the proposed Feb 10 ban on all youth-OHVs.

OHV Victory in the following article from the LA Times today

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-consumer-lead31-2009jan31,0,1405257,print.story

It talks about the thousands of emails and letters that the CPSC and elected officials received from people like you who took the time to get involved. Thanks to BRC, NOHVCC and other groups and media/web outlets for doing alerts, blogs, and fwd info to the public.

The General Salutes You!

STOP FEB. 10 BAN OF ALL YOUTH OHVS

This is an “All Hands on Deck” Order from The General

Send a letter and stop the Feb. 10 BAN on all youth OHVs!!!

*Included below is a sample letter regarding the potential ban of all youth-oriented OHVs starting Feb. 10, 2009. I am asking OHV users to contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission and their elected officials today!

I have already sent my letters to the CPSC, Pres. Obama, and Congress - you need to do the same - That's an Order!!!

CPSC Comment Page

http://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/info.aspx

BRC Rapid Response Center to contact the White House and your Congressional Member

http://www.sharetrails.org/rapid_response/

MIC News Release on Issue:

http://www.mic.org/news012609.cfm

Sample "Cut and Paste" Letter:

As a member of the OHV community, I want to voice my strong support for petitions filed recently by the Motorcycle Industry Council and Specialty Vehicle Institute of America to seek emergency relief from provisions which go into effect on February 10, 2009.

While I do support efforts by Consumer Product Safety Commission to protect children from lead content in products that truly present a risk to children, I do not believe the Commission intended that metal parts on ATVs and motorcycles be included in that regulation because they do not present a lead risk to children.

As the spring OHV recreation season rapidly approaches, I ask you to support efforts to exclude youth-oriented OHVs – and the businesses that sell and service them – from being unnecessarily impacted by this ban especially during this economic crisis.

Sincerely,