Ban on youth dirt bikes in place !

[Bill in OKC]

No lead at all means anything that uses any kind of battery or electronics.   Soldered circuit boards...  That leaves stuffed teddy bears until you are old enough to become a parent.

[He Man]

All atoms heavier then lead contain enough electrons/protons/neutrons to make a lead atom. there for it should not be sold to anyone under the age of 12.

[DLSGAP]

well wouldn't regular alkaline batteries fall into this as well then? as stated... seems like it was a well meant thought that just wasn't entirely thought out before it was thrown up the chain.

[bluemoco]

The bill wasn't targeted at motos...it was just for any toy marketed to children 12 and younger. Motos just got caught in the crossfire, along with a ton of other toys.

It's just a very poorly thought out bill, which was a knee jerk reaction to the chinese toy lead issues a year ago. Letter sent...stupid politicians.

Yep - this is spot-on.  The law was intended to protect kids from lead in small toys.  It was a response to the recent spate of toys (mostly from China) that used lead paint or had very high lead content.

The law that was passed was VERY broad.  Not only does it affect motorcycle manufacturers (and, by default, dealers too), it has big implications for kids' electronic devices.  In addition to motorcycle OEMs, the CPSC has now received petitions from book manufacturers, the Craft Yarn Council of America, the Greeting Card Association, and both the Consumer Electronics Association and the Consumer Electronics Retailers' Coalition, and the list goes on...

Even if the law gets 'corrected' and motorcycle dealers are again allowed to sell kids' bikes + ATVs, the dealers will have missed out on at least 1 month's worth of sales.  As the MIC notes, the needlessly lost sales could total to a value $1 Billion. 

The issue becomes even more critical as the spring selling season approaches...

[KTMCHEESE]

Many people voluntarily voted for MORE government. This is nothing compared to the crap they'll be shoving down our throats...

[Jarvicious]

snip......  Whats next?  Booze?  Adult Motorcycles??



Come to think of it, I am pretty well stocked up on Cromos...

Booze, all motorcycles, candy, carpet (due to infant asphyxiation, of course), pillows (same reason), socks, most metal tools, leather car interiors (when Peta gets in on the fun), non organic foods, books that have the word "mean" in them (at any point, not just the title), ammo, cigarettes, puppies, kittens, flashlights for children under the age of 36, sea fairing vessels of various sorts (except for the ones that transport oil), god, cleavage, god's cleavage (saw it in a movie), movies, any music containing more than one pitch, lyrics to such music, hatefullness, cheerios, and happieness. 

[ROBsS4R]

Sent message via website.

So why is not every toy that takes a battery not outlawed under this poorly thought out bill 

[oldjackbob]

i figured this would be more targeted towards the cheaper, Chinese made bikes and atvs you only pay a few hundred bucks for new... didn't think that the bigger manufactures would have lead in them. its too soft of a metal to really make anything sturdy out of...

There aren't any "parts made of lead", so to speak, in a child's motorbike.

What the new law prohibits is any material which contains over 600 parts-per-million of lead as an ingredient.  Many parts on a motorcycle are made from what is called free-machining steel, which contains lead in concentrations ranging between 1500 and 3500 parts per million. The lead serves no purpose except to make the steel easier to cut, and thereby cheaper (faster) to manufacture the part.  The strength of the finished part is unaffected by the lead content.

I prolly shouldn't say anything about just how clueless this whole fiasco reveals our lawmakers to actually be.   

Btw, there's been once or twice I've eaten my mountain bike handlebar.   

[RB]

snip...

Btw, there's been once or twice I've eaten my mountain bike handlebar.  

but those are aluminum or carbon fiber or possibly titanium....so you are safe!

i didn't realize this whole law was just about lead, i actually thought it was about keeping kids safe when irresponsible parents don't.

[oldjackbob]

i didn't realize this whole law was just about lead, i actually thought it was about keeping kids safe when irresponsible parents don't.

Nope, it's all about lead, and it's basically a knee-jerk reaction to the lead-tainted paint found on children's toys imported over the last year or two from China.

The new law, called the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, went into effect February 10.  It provides fines starting at $100,000 per violation, plus possible jail time, for anyone convicted of selling lead-containing items intended for use by children aged 12 or under.

The new law is horribly worded and has had devastating effects on many innocent industries, but so far Congress continues to ignore those industries' cries for relief.   

[Bill in OKC]

Most solder used in electronics is 40% lead.  That should make any toys - ipod, wii, xbox, computers in classrooms, tickle-me-elmo, cell phones, shoes with flashing leds, anything with any electronics would have a component -solder- that would make it illegal to sell to kids...  where is the ban on video games that are marketed to kids?  Can I sue walmart for selling electronic learning toys?  lol

[oldjackbob]

Most solder used in electronics is 40% lead.  That should make any toys - ipod, wii, xbox, computers in classrooms, tickle-me-elmo, cell phones, shoes with flashing leds, anything with any electronics would have a component -solder- that would make it illegal to sell to kids...  where is the ban on video games that are marketed to kids?  Can I sue walmart for selling electronic learning toys?  lol

Yep, correct on all of the above.   

Now do you see what I mean?  Entire industries that should never have been touched by the law are being savagely, potentially fatally, affected.  In today's economy, the unintended impact of the new law on an already financially weakened company can have repurcussions that are potentially unsurvivable.  In the motorcycle industry alone, the estimated impact of the new law is $1 Billion in losses.

[bluemoco]

WooHoo!  Now we're recalling ice skates.   

http://www.startribune.com/business/41092637.html

If you haven't done it yet, go to www.mic.org and sign on to the petition.  The damaging effects of this children's toy law are spiraling out of control. 

[myfirstduc]

Message sent via website.

[Dave R]

Got word from DNA yesterday, all items marketed for kids, shirts, hats, jackets, stuffed animals, toys (incl Maisto models) will no longer be available from Ducati until further notice.  This ban is so far reaching we are just scratching the surface..  Most of the non motorcycle community is oblivious to it..  Just wait until kids items start disappearing at the malls etc..  roller blades, kids bicycles, toys and much more.

WooHoo!  Now we're recalling ice skates.   

http://www.startribune.com/business/41092637.html

If you haven't done it yet, go to www.mic.org and sign on to the petition.  The damaging effects of this children's toy law are spiraling out of control.