You may have heard about a new law that came into effect on February 10th. The law is a broad, sweeping law called the ‘Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act’ (CPSIA). The law was enacted as a knee jerk reaction by Congress to the importation of lead tainted toys from Mattel etc. The new laws give very strict guidelines that have had unintended consequences for many industries. Many metal alloys often contain lead. Engine casings on mini motorcycles, valve stems, spoke nipples etc all now fail the new standards. The fact that lead in metal alloys is ‘insoluble’ has escaped the Government and the CPSC. The lead content in alloys poses no health risks whatsoever. The law was entirely political, and will do little or nothing to protect our children. How many of us have seen kids sucking on motorcycles?

At this point in time, all motorcycle manufacturers have stopped selling youth motorcycles for kids age 12 or under. Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, KTM, Polini, Cobra, Polaris and OSET are all in the same boat. Any bicycle with 24″ wheels or less is now illegal to sell, although the bicycle industry appears to be ignoring the law. To be clear, none of the above companies are now selling youth motorcycles! You can NOT go to a Honda dealer and buy a CRF50, CRF70 or CRF80, or their youth ATV’s.

This is clearly a HUGE issue that needs to be fixed. With the economy in recession, what sense does it make to stop dealers selling inventory, and to effectively close thousands of American businesses, costing tens of thousands of jobs?

There is something we can do. Congressman Tom Self is a moto-Dad, and has taken up our cause. Tom has a standard letter that needs to be signed by every motorcyclist in the Country. If you go to http://www.tomself.com you will see the letter on the home page, and can sign & send in less than a minute. Here is a few links to the News…

http://www.tomself.com

http://chimotonews.blogspot.com/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29227011/

Oregon to prohibit sale of aftermarket auto parts (Write your congressman!)

Oregon Bill to Prohibit Sale of Aftermarket Parts to be Considered
by Committee on Tuesday, Feb. 10

The Oregon House Environment and Water Committee will consider legislation (H.B. 2186) to prohibit the sale and distribution of aftermarket motor vehicle parts if alternatives are available that “decrease greenhouse gas emissions from motor vehicles.” The bill is primarily focused on aftermarket tires and would authorize the Environmental Quality Commission to implement enforcement regulations, likely based on a rolling resistance calculation. The bill was introduced at the request of Governor Theodore Kulongoski.

We Urge You Contact All Members of the Environment and Water Committee (Contact Information Below) TODAY to Request Their Opposition to H.B. 2186

For those interested in attending the hearing to show your opposition, the committee will meet tomorrow, Tues., Feb.10, 2009 at 3:00 p.m.at the following address:

Oregon State Capitol
Hearing Room D, 900 Court St. NE
Salem, Oregon 97301

We Urge You to Contact the Members of the Environment and Water Committee (Contact Information Below) Immediately to Request Their Opposition to H.B. 2186

H.B. 2186 would regulate vehicle fuel economy, an authority reserved to the federal government.

H.B. 2186 could ban tires that may have improved performance, handling or appearance features, based solely on a rolling resistance rating. In addition, this program could easily distract consumers from focusing on more important safety issues such as tire inflation and overloading of vehicles.

H.B. 2186 would force consumers to purchase only original equipment manufacturer (OEM) tires because the program essentially exempts OEM-selected tires and unfairly implies that they are superior to aftermarket products.

H.B. 2186 could prohibit aftermarket parts designed to either personalize or optimize specific vehicle performance attributes including handling, towing, suspension, fuel economy, etc.

H.B. 2186 provides broad authority to government regulators and could limit a range of aftermarket parts currently available to consumers based on the subjective determination of government regulators.
DON’T DELAY! Please contact the House Environment and Water Committee immediately to urge their opposition to H.B. 2186.

Oregon House Environment and Water Committee

Representative Ben Cannon – Chair
Phone: 503/986-1446
Email: rep.bencannon@state.or.us

Representative Jules Bailey
Phone: 503/986-1442
Email: rep.juleskopelbailey@state.or.us

Representative Phil Barnhart
Phone: 503/986-1411
Email: rep.philbarnhart@state.or.us

Representative Cliff Bentz
Phone: 503/986-1460
Email: rep.cliffbentz@state.or.us

Representative Deborah Boone
Phone: 503/986-1432
Email: rep.deborahboone@state.or.us

Representative Vic Gilliam
Phone: 503/986-1418
Email: rep.vicgilliam@state.or.us

Representative Bob Jenson
Phone: 503/986-1458
Email: rep.bobjenson@state.or.us

Representative Jefferson Smith
Phone: 503/986-1447
Email: rep.jeffersonsmith@state.or.us

From the SEMA Action Network (SAN) comes this notice dated 2/10/2009. Due to the many thousands of SEMA members and SAN enthusiasts contacting their lawmakers, the “Cash for Clunkers” program has been removed from both the House and Senate versions of the economic stimulus bills pending in Congress. One proposal was an $8 billion program targeting SUVs and pickups of any year that made less than 18 mpg. You got a few grand to purchase a more fuel effecient baby truck/SUV…..your real workhorse would be crushed. The other proposal would have provided $16 billion worth of cash vouchers to individuals making less than $50,000 a year ($75K for families) who turned in their older vehicles for crushing. SEMA thanks all those who donated their time and effort to contact legislators. Keep vigilance on these legislators….. “crusher” programd do nothing to spur car sales, raise fuel economy or reduce emissions.