Don’t lick that muffler.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) would like your children to stop eating lead. Particularly the lead in you youth power sports products such as motorcycles, go-karts, and ATVs.
The CPSC approved Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 effective August 14, 2008, was a broad measure to improve the quality of products geared toward children. More specifically, to declare lead a banned hazardous material and limit quantities in products geared toward children under the age of 12. This reduction to 300-600 parts per million by weight is to begin on or around February 10, 2009.
What does it all mean?
While the intent is good, because lead in toys is still bad. Lead in off-highway vehicles however is very important. While the CPSC can exclude products from this law it has yet to grant that exclusion to the power sports industry thereby rendering any unsold inventory basically illegal and prohibiting the sale of future products.
Even if you hurry out the door right now to grab one up you will not be able to purchase replacement parts. This is not just a blow to Chinese toy manufacturers. Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and KTM have developed great line-ups for their youth riders, but Yamaha has already asked its dealers to stop selling the TT and TW 50 models.
Industry leaders have been making the rounds to Congress and the CPSC, but they are asking their customers to voice their concerns as well. This policy overreaches and hurts dealers at a time when economic pressures are mounting. Hopefully the Commission will make the correct adjustments before too many manufacturers and dealers close their doors.
[...] is an update to an earilier post regarding the Consumer Products Safety Commission’s ban on youth ATVs containing [...]