Ok, now this is unbelievable:
A new federal law aimed at protecting children
from lead in toys has also forced a nationwide halt in sales of
off-road motorcycles and recreational vehicles built for young riders,
killing off a multimillion-dollar industry that was thriving despite
the recession.
Thousands of powersports dealers were told to
halt sales of vehicles designed for children 12 and younger because of
new lead restrictions in an act of Congress that took effect Feb. 10.
Read more here. I can only hope this is an unintended consequence of a poorly written law that will be rectified quickly. I got my first dirt-bike when I was 10. Many pro-racers today started riding as early as four, and managed to survive without putting any motorcycle parts in their mouth. This isn't going to help the economy much either:
The ban hits California especially hard.
Off-roading is hugely popular among families in the state and several
state parks are devoted to dirt riding.
Kevin Matty, finance director at Temecula
Motorsports in Temecula, Calif., (where the desert is a big draw for
dirt bikers) estimates the ban will wipe out half of his business sales.
"I thought it was a joke," Matty said, until the
manufacturers told him he had to take the youth vehicles off the
showroom floor.
It appears the AMA is all over this, but I have to wonder why they didn't catch it when it was moving through congress.