A few weeks ago, I wrote an article on the CPSC’s ban on youth motocross. This article was hugely popular both here at 2 Wheel Tuesday and on my website. Some of my favorite responses to the articles were the comments. Many of you loyal readers left awesome comments documenting how motocross has made a difference in your life.
As a way to sort of give back to the community, and to further help spread the word of this ban, I decided to write up a little post with all of your responses in it. Hopefully stories like yours and articles like these can help get this act reversed.
This is the biggest crock of crap i ever heard.. If a child learns to ride on a 125 they will get hurt just saying the laws are made to make it where the kids have to learn on something that is far too big for them.
-Left by Jessica Derr.
This is ridiculous, I started riding at age 5, and if I had to delay when I learned I never would have achieved the level of success that I had in MX. Idiots.
-Left by Eric.
When I was younger and lived downstate my brothers and I could not wait for the weekends when we would pack all of the toys in the trailer and head north. These trips were the highlight of our summers. We grew up on mini bikes and dirt bikes. yes we would fall down and get bumps and bruises but we survived. We had imaginations we didn’t have video games and computers. [which have solder made of lead] we also didn’t break in to peoples cabins we had respect for other peoples property. We hunted, fished, snowmobiled, and rode dirtbikes so we didn’t have time to be destructive to personal property.[other than our own who didn't tear apart broken toy's and radio's{oop's solder}] Anyway if we keep letting other people make decisions about the products we can and can’t purchase and use then we will all be robots. I really don’t remember eating any parts or licking my bikes. most kids old enough to learn to ride are old to know not to chew batteries, lick kill switches, or drink gasoline for that matter. I hope this thought was helpful or at least memory jarring for some of you.
-Left by Dennis.
I’m forty two years old.my dad bought me my first minibike when i was four.I still ride today with my kids who are 9,7 &22 yrs old and WILL continue to legally or illegally!!!I cant believe we actually pay the wages for these useless morons in congress.You’ll take my kids minibikes away when you take my guns”from my cold dead hands”
-Left by Alec Crowell.
Mike, this is nuts. I am finding it tough to take in. So are they banning kids from entering parks and tracks? My 8 yr old is very concerned as am I. This is what we do every weekend
-Left by Mark Dowds (Visit Mark’s Website).
Hey Mike,
Thanks for the post I submitted my letter. My oldest son is 3 and I have been dreaming of the day he will ride.
-Left by Al (Visit Al’s Website).
Thank you Mike for posting this we all need to act now. I have a 6 year old son that has been riding for 3 years. He is so happy to ride and has been waiting for the 2009 racing season. How do I tell him there might NOT be a racing season for him, and if there is he can’t brake any parts on his bike or might not be able to fix it. This is going to be a huge hit on the best sport on the planet. Everyone must spread the word and do our part, the future of the sport is on the line…….Thanks again Mike
-Left by Jeremy Conklin.
Mike:
MX has certainly had positive affect on you and my son and most of the folks we know at WSP and NEMX and the other clubs. It is basically a whole lot of fun and offers families a special way to play and work together. It will be too bad if this broad brush effot by seemingly well intentioned folks blots out a fine detail in the fabric of our lives. Prior to its passing (HR 4040) I had hoped to get some of Vinnie’s younger relations into the sport to provide a platform that will increase our family’s involvement and enjoyment of the MX culture. It is an idiotic outcome for inaccessible parts of motorcycles to fall under this law and so we should not accept this law without scruitiny. I hope it is fried to a fairthee well in the media and legal system – certainly, our sport should not be forced to suffer. I talked with Cobra Thursday and they said they will not be closed down since they are made in the USA. I assume they also have elected to pass the necessessary testing to clear their products.
I have to say the lead in fuels is a concern to me and I actually hope the sport smartens up before someone does a whole lot of soil sampling. Little kids do play at the tracks in the dirt.
It would really be a shame to suffer an air bubble in our schedules while this little time bomb is diffused.
Keep up the good work!
see you at the track!
-Left by Frank and Vinnie Desimone (Check out Vinnie’s Sponsorhouse).
this is not right, im 14 years old and i love riding.
it’s my passion.
it’s my escape, it helps me think, and relax.
i can’t imagaine a world without kids riding.
i want my nephew to be able to share the same love i do for dirtbikes.
it’s not just a sport. it’s a PASSION. it’s LIFE.
-Left by Lacey.
How You Can Help
Please, unless you want to see youth motocross outlawed and thousands of children’s dreams crushed, you need to help us work together to stop this ban. Here’s how:
- Spread the Word: Do you have a podcast or blog? Are you active on social networks? Leverage this communities to your advantage. Spread the word of this atrociety and make sure that all of your friends are aware of the ban and are helping in the fight.
- Submit a Letter: The following letter has been prepared by the MIC to be sent to the CPSC in support of the petition and ultimately in support of the removal of this ban. Download CPSC Letter here
- Sign the Petition: visit http://www.tomself.com/, submit your info and sign the petition.
- Write to your Congressmen and Senators: Let them know the far reaching affects of this law and the many benefits provided to families by the small powers ports industry.**Thanks to Commenter Joe Roth, I have been made aware of an automatic system to submit a letter to your congressmen and senators which has been set up by the AMA. Check out the AMA’s Rapid Response System right away.**
- Watch and Spread the Video: Matt Wozney of MXPTV has produced an awesome video regarding the ban. Watch it, spread the link, and embed it on your site. The more people aware of this issue the better.
With your help, we can, and will stop this ban!
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Excellent job. I’ve been covering this mainly from the book angle- pre-1985 books are also now contraband items- can’t be sold without expensive (hundreds of dollars) tests. Could I suggest that if people are limited for time, they focus on calling the Representatives who sit on the Committees which are currently holding the reform efforts hostage? There is a list of those reps and their numbers here.
Thanks.
SUPER POST.
I second the motion of DeputyHeadmistress and offer another suggestion, as well.
I’ve been covering this with respect to how CPSIA is actually an issue of even greater consequence than all of these physical losses to our daily lives / economy COMBINED. I believe CPSIA cuts deeply at our authority as citizens / parents in America. How any law that can take an entire nation by surprise can be one born of OUR will is beyond me. I sy, if this law surprised YOU, it’s time to get be a GOOD AMERICAN and ask questions of your government. It’s time to learn the facts about CPSIA. It’s time to get involved.
Yes – call on YOUR public SERVANTS. But also CALL on all friends, family, associates, etc. to get involved – never underestimate the “I told two friends and so on” method!
This is still OUR country (not the property of special interests) and I believe we the citizens / parents are both capable and rightful to demand that WE be the ones to dictate laws that serve OUR will (laws that don’t create more problems that they solve!).
For a fast education on the truth of the negative impact of CPSIA, my blog has a link at top right to Whimsical Walney’s and Polkadot Patch’s 1-stop-shopping resource for your information needs (these are GREAT) – http://www.tristansepinion.blogspot.com. FYI, I also got out of my comfort zones to post 2 videos (#2 better than #1) on YouTube under Power2Parents. This issue is that important to me, as a parent! I say, there is no voice too small – get involved! Because, as long as CPSIA rules with an iron fist, it’s official – “Big Brother Approved” has replaced “Mother Approved!”
Thanks again for this – every effort helps!
Warmest Regards,
Tristan Benz
Maiden America
Hey Tristan and Deputy, Thanks for the awesome comments, they are definitely appreciated. It is incredible to see the far reaching effects of the CPSC act, and you guys have opened up my mind to the community already fighting their over zealous policies. The motocross community may be too small to fight this independently, but if all of our communities band together, we may have a fighting chance!
Hi, my son is 7 yrs old he has been riding for the last 2 yrs, we have been racing for over a year. It has been the best thing we have done together. This sport has allowed us to spend alot of quality time together. Since being able to start at a younger age it allowed me to be able to get out on the track with him and work with him. Also, it opened the communication up (parent child bonding).
There is alot that congress doesn’t understand about this sport. There are many businesses small and large that are thriving business because of motorcross. Since there is alot of money spent week to week on this sport, If motorcross is taken away it will affect our economy. So not only will the economy be affected it will affect our kids as well.
I think if they want to change the law maybe give motocross racers license to race. By training hrs on the bike, still be able to regulate by experience. When athletes train for the olympics what age do they start? How would motorcross be if they start to race at the age of 14 years old, were would the sport be?
This is STUPID i do not ride but would love to. My neighbor first introduced me to the sport about a year ago and the first time i hoped on a bike (yamaha ttr 125L) i was hooked> This is stupid B/c my neighbor is 6 and loves to ride i have never seen him chew on his kick stand or drink gas or any stuff like that.Also because if they are old enough to ride then they should be smart enough to figure out that you don’t eat or drink stuff like that!!!
I can not believe this! I have 2 boys that have been into the motor cross and I can not believe they would take this sport away from the kids. It is just like any other sport, volleyball, soccer,basketball,band etc. Every child likes and enjoys different thing. With any sport there are the risk! We the parents are spending the extra time with our children and we both are enjoying this sport together. How can I explain this to my boys when they have been looking forward to this sport? My kids have been ridding since they were four years old,its not like I am going to turn my boys loose and let them take off with there bikes. The times my kids ride of course they are being supervised! This is something that should be thought about more then what it has been. How this will affect our kids with a sport they love. I would much rather my kids be in the motor cross when I am spending the time with them. Instead of on the streets,drugs, fighting them against all of the trouble.