motorcycles now banned

[Not Sir Phobos]

90cc and under motorcycles are now banned for sale in the United States.

The sale or gifting of a 90cc motorcycle or ATV to a 12 year old is now illegal.

This will be all, thank you.

[blueheaven]

The law is not yet permanent, won't be enforced for a year, and manufacturers were given over a year of warning to either reduce the amount of lead in their products or file a petition with congress to amend the law. They didn't do squat. Too bad. So sad. Don't care.

[Startyde]

I'm sure the government knows better than anyone, even though they universally suck at everything.

[cutiebunny]

But back on point, I'm sure the government knows better than anyone, even though they universally suck at everything.

The problem is that a medium ground never seems to exist in the US. We go to one extreme or the other. We give criminals more rights than their victims. "Caught with some child pron tapes you made while on vacation in Vietnam? Let's fight against the government so that no one can ever look at your pc again!"

I disagree that the government universally sucks at everything. But what I see is that good laws that are designed to protect people are hampered by people who, due to previous applicable convictions, money/fame or a false sense of goodwilll, are constantly thwarted. Honestly, I wish we had more judges who had some common sense who would through out petty lawsuits in this country and castrate the plaintiff for being so stupid.

On topic:

I'm not a big fan of motorcycles, not solely because of the lack of safety that they provide the rider(s), but because certain noisy models tend to ride by my car while I'm in traffic, and diminsh what tranquility I have on the road. So, the less of them on the road, the better.

As for giving an ATV to a 12 year old, that seems to be common sense - if many states bar older children from driving a vehicle with other teens until they're 21, why give a younger child a vehicle? Ultimately, it depends on the maturity of the child, but realistically, as many parents are biased when it comes to their children, the government should create a rule to protect them.

[Startyde]

Cutiebunny, Child Porn is an interesting segment from Motorcycles if we're on the subject of Off Topic, but I take your meaning.

The trade off between security and rights is always at the forefront of law. For example, I believe cameras should be in place at every public place, and that everyone who is ever convicted of a crime be DNA encoded into a system, but other's see that as invasive and totalitarian. One the other hand, there are those who think suspects linked to known terrorists should not be profiled or investigated in any way, shape or form which I think is equally ludicrous.

About your CP example, no one can search your PC without probable cause or a warrant, so there are checks and balances.

When I say Government sucks, I mean at efficiency and common sense. All this 'for your protection" gets thrown around, but it's never clearly defined outside of "we'll just tax you over it." Look at two States with huge Government, CA and MA. Huge amount of waste, debt, crime and confiscatory taxes and a wretched public school system, despite having some of the biggest spending for education. They serve as a model for one party Big Government gone nuts. Can't buy cookies made a certain way, cigar parlors shut down, and soon MA will chip your cars and tax you based on how much you drive. Freedom is an odd thing these days.

So while I don't smoke, don't need transfats and even hate motorcycles, I can still appreciate how taking them away is just one of many steps that makes choices that more fewer in the days ahead. How long until the attorney general in 25 years says that Videogames poison minds, and you should be taxed based on what you watch on TV? I'm not paranoid, but rather, just observing how the US is unfolding these last few decades.

[transmet]

The trade off between security and rights is always at the forefront of law. For example, I believe cameras should be in place at every public place, and that everyone who is ever convicted of a crime be DNA encoded into a system, but other's see that as invasive and totalitarian... So while I don't smoke, don't need transfats and even hate motorcycles, I can still appreciate how taking them away is just one of many steps that makes choices that more fewer in the days ahead. How long until the attorney general in 25 years says that Videogames poison minds, and you should be taxed based on what you watch on TV? I'm not paranoid, but rather, just observing how the US is unfolding these last few decades.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drOdRwD1JF0

[Not Sir Phobos]

As for giving an ATV to a 12 year old, that seems to be common sense - if many states bar older children from driving a vehicle with other teens until they're 21, why give a younger child a vehicle? Ultimately, it depends on the maturity of the child, but realistically, as many parents are biased when it comes to their children, the government should create a rule to protect them.

I hope you know that motorcycles for children are just that, motorcycles for children. They have reduced speed and reduced acceleration. You could apply your "ZOMG kids driving vehicles" argument to go carts at amusement parks, or bumper boats. Is horse riding an okay activity for children? That's riding something that has a mind of it's own, every person I've talked to who has ridden horses for years has at least one "the horse tossed me then drug me through a field/into a barbed wire fence/down a road" story.

How about this then, Bicycles, I see 12 year olds riding bicycles on roads all the time, sharing a road with cars. BTW this law is affecting bicycle sales also. Kids bikes will be illegal if they can't get the lead content down. Because we have a huge problem with kids eating their bikes.

And to address your motorcycles in traffic/tranquility I fail to see how taking away a type of amusement for children would reduce that, since 12 year olds cannot obtain a driver's license.

[Not Sir Phobos]

The law is not yet permanent, won't be enforced for a year, and manufacturers were given over a year of warning to either reduce the amount of lead in their products or file a petition with congress to amend the law. They didn't do squat. Too bad. So sad. Don't care.

Signed into law on Feb 10th. Dealers have already pulled their stock. They cannot even sell the stock they have on hand. Or parts, it is now illegal to sell parts for those bikes.

Bummer for any consumer who recently bought one as the warranty will be null and void.

Here is the catch to your "too bad soo sad don't care" mentality. The banning of motorcycles and atv's was an unintended consequence of this law that nobody saw comming. Nobody had any idea that this health safety bill would ban motorcycles, ATVs, and bicycles. So if they had no idea the government was going to do that then how could they file a petition?

[Killua]

The law is not yet permanent, won't be enforced for a year, and manufacturers were given over a year of warning to either reduce the amount of lead in their products or file a petition with congress to amend the law. They didn't do squat. Too bad. So sad. Don't care.

This new lead law is preposterous "save the children" posturing and will damage the economy, which isn't really looking too good right now. But at least the kids won't be eating lead-filled motorcycles anymore.

[iwakuralain16]

Because we have a huge problem with kids eating their bikes.

Totally used to be my favorite snack as a kid, How did you know?!?! @_@ lol

[blueheaven]

Here is the catch to your "too bad soo sad don't care" mentality. The banning of motorcycles and atv's was an unintended consequence of this law that nobody saw comming. Nobody had any idea that this health safety bill would ban motorcycles, ATVs, and bicycles. So if they had no idea the government was going to do that then how could they file a petition?

The manufacturers and sales people knew about this FOR OVER A YEAR! They were given a chance to petition congress for an amendment to the law, and they DID NOT DO IT. They were informed! And the sales people do not have to pull stock because the law will not be enforced for at least a year. I'm not saying the government is great at everything, but try not to let them screw you over by doing nothing.

[Not Sir Phobos]

Here is the catch to your "too bad soo sad don't care" mentality. The banning of motorcycles and atv's was an unintended consequence of this law that nobody saw comming. Nobody had any idea that this health safety bill would ban motorcycles, ATVs, and bicycles. So if they had no idea the government was going to do that then how could they file a petition?

The manufacturers and sales people knew about this FOR OVER A YEAR! They were given a chance to petition congress for an amendment to the law, and they DID NOT DO IT. They were informed! And the sales people do not have to pull stock because the law will not be enforced for at least a year. I'm not saying the government is great at everything, but try not to let them screw you over by doing nothing.

Honda and suzuki have both taken down their sections on their websites that deal with these bikes. Kawasaki has left theirs there but with an explanation that they cannot sell these bikes anymore (http://www.kawasaki.com/Products/subCategory.aspx?id=11). Also the Honda dealer in Reno has pulled their entire kids line. You'd think that if they could keep selling these for a year that they would be having a fire sale and dumping as much as possible.


Here is word directly from Honda:
"Retailers of motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles are being advised to withdraw from sale almost all vehicles intended for children 12 and under after the implementation on Tuesday of new standards for lead content.

The requirement is due to the enactment of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, which was signed into law last fall and took effect on Feb. 10. As Wheels noted last week:
The new regulations, which are set to take effect on Feb. 10, require products intended for children to meet strict limits on lead content, such as in toys. Industry advocates said that certain internal components in motorcycles, including battery terminals and brake parts, contain enough lead to be effectively banned from sale.
“We have asked all our dealers to remove the CRF50, CRF70, CRF80 and TRX90 from the showroom floors,â€

[ReiTheJelly]

What does the law say about exporting the leftover inventory to another country? This would be one way for dealerships to reduce their losses.


As someone who grew up in a rural area where ATVs were pretty common, I do think it is a terrible idea to give one to a child, as they are quite dangerous, even to adults. But that's my personal opinion.

[blueheaven]

So, NSP, what you are telling me is that they knew about this ahead of time, and the manufacturers still did nothing? Hmm, where have I heard that before?

I still could give less than a damn about this. With the state of the economy the way it is, I doubt folks were going to sell many $1500 kiddie scooters. Besides, lawmakers are looking into this so they can amend the bill. Oh well, looks like we'll have fewer kids in the emergency room until then. That's good, because they probably don't have health care as it is. Seriously, all the problems going on in the economy, and we're talking about scooters?

[Not Sir Phobos]

If you could give less than a damn then why are you discussing it with me?

With the state of the economy the way it is one could argue that taking away an entire demographic from an already failing industry is a disastrous situation for that industry.

So the economy is bad, does that mean we can not discuss anything but the economy?

Fewer kids in the emergency room? Not exactly a plague that has captured my attention till now. If the argument is now about fewer kids in hospitals then outlaw bicycle riding, trampolines, bicycles, etc, etc etc.