"Join A Club" Video From The General - Jimmy Lewis Weighs in Too

This video message below from The General is not geared to those of you who are already members of BRC or some other land use organization. It is geared to the 98 percent of the approx. 43 million off-roaders in this country who are not members of ANY organization or club.

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YouTube Video "Join A Club" Video from Don Amador

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy8cyutGdL8

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Dirt Rider Mag's, Jimmy Lewis, also has been banging the drums for a number of years regarding getting off-roaders to wake-up out of their dream-like state and get involved by joining a club --- see his post at:

http://blogs.dirtrider.com:80/6534753/editorial/save-a-trail/index.html

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I believe now more than ever that the future of our sport depends on getting the non-involved off-roader engaged in the battle.

Who are those non-involved riders? They are folks who think that “somebody else” will fight (and pay for) their battles for them or worse yet… they are the clueless riders who think that land-closures “won’t affect them.”

KTM and FMF have stepped up to the plate to help push up those membership numbers by declaring May as Protect Your Right To Ride Month. Also, BRC has a free 3 month trial membership promo going on right now.

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KTM/FMF's May is Protect Your Right to Ride Month

http://www.soundoffmc.com/

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BRC's 3 Month Free Ride Membership

http://www.sharetrails.org/three-ride-intro/

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It is my hope that the non-involved riders will wake-up and smell the campfire coffee. Who knows… the trail they save might just be the one they ride on.

Continue Fight Against CPSC Ban on Youth OHVs

OHV families and dealers got hit hard on Feb. 10 with a "ban" on the sale of youth OHVs. Many riders and shop owners could not believe that their government would want to put them out of business.

However, don't think your letters and visits to congressional district offices did not matter - they did. A number of congressional members issued strong letters of opposition to the CPSC or introduced legislation such as Sen. Jim DeMint's S.374. Be assured the national OHV groups have this high on their radar screen and will continue efforts as well. They continue to need the grassroots support and effort.

We may have lost round one with the Feb. 10 ban, but we have several more rounds to go. Please continue to make those personal visits to congressional district offices. Also SEND letters to Congress using the BlueRibbon Coalition's

BRC Rapid Response Center (just type in ZIP code and cut and paste letter)

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

Send letters to the CPSC

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

SAMPLE LETTER BELOW:

As a member of the OHV community, I want to voice my continued support for petitions filed by the Motorcycle Industry Council and Specialty Vehicle Institute of America to seek emergency relief from provisions that went 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,

You can also go to Missouri State Representative Tom Self's website and send a letter as well.

http://www.tomself.com/

The General sent letters today using both services and he asks you to do the same. Also, fwd to other OHV users and dealers.

The General Thanks You for for Your Service!!!

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.)

Congress is Hearing Your Voice on Youth OHV Ban

Congress is hearing your collective voice regarding the Feb. 10 nationwide ban of youth OHVs. Senator Jim DeMint has introduced legislation S374 to address the issue
http://demint.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=47f5e571-e91a-1938-714d-890052de9195&Month=2&Year=2009

NAM placed an ad on THE HILL that talks about the many businesses that will be impacted by CPSC’s ban. See article:
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/business-community-urgently-calls-on,704940.shtml

Here is the ad.
http://www.bracewellgiuliani.info/nam/

AMA has written a letter:
http://www.amadirectlink.com/news/story.asp?id=595


This crisis for the OHV community is not over!!! Please continue to make personal visits to your Member of Congress and thanks to all of you who have made those visits or written a letter.

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,

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.

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,