Baja Legends Call on Riders
to Help Stop the Youth ATV Lead Ban
New Motorcycle Industry Council
Web Site Videos
Irvine, CA (4/14/2010) - Honda
and Kawasaki Teams Plus Robby Gordon add their
voices to more than 200,000 electronic messages
sent to Congress.
History's two winningest Baja motorcycle racers
Johnny Campbell and Larry Roeseler have added
their powerful voices to the fight against the
Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act's ban
on youth motorcycles and ATVs. So did NASCAR driver
and SCORE Trophy Truck champion Robby Gordon and
motorcycle speedway legend Bruce Penhall. All
of them, along with Honda and Kawasaki team members,
can be seen on new videos posted on the Motorcycle
Industry Council YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/motoindustrycouncil.
"Since February, nearly 210,000 electronic
messages have been sent to Congress because of
the Stop the Ban campaign," said Paul Vitrano,
MIC general counsel. "The new videos from
these off-road superstars give our cause a real
boost. Whether you're into racing or weekend family
fun, remember that there's only a temporary stay
of enforcement on the ban and the battle is still
on. We must convince Congress to permanently end
the ban by changing the law or it will be a lot
harder to produce future legends like these guys,
and harder for kids to get properly sized machines
and safely enjoy rides with their parents."
The videos were shot last month in Baja during
the pre-race festivities for the 24th MasterCraft
Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250. Other racing
stars featured in the videos include JCR Honda's
Colton Udall and Jeff "Ox" Kargola,
this year's overall motorcycle winners.
The Blue C / Wahoo's / Monster Energy Kawasaki
team also participated, with
seven-time Baja 1000 winner Steve Hengeveld, part
of the second-place team
in San Felipe, along with Brent Harden and Ryan
Penhall, team members who
finished third. Besides owning JCR Honda, Johnny
Campbell has won the Baja
1000 11 times while the legendary Larry Roeseler
won an even dozen on two
wheels and four.
"You know, I wouldn't be where I am if I
wasn't able to ride when I was a kid," Campbell
said. "There are a lot of kids who have a
passion for two wheels and that involves riding
dirt bikes....I encourage you to go to www.stopthebannow.com."
A famed auto racer also spoke on camera for the
cause.
"I was young, four, five, six, seven, riding
motorcycles," said Robby Gordon, who placed
second in San Felipe in his Trophy Truck. "Where
are the next Robby Gordons coming from, or the
Ricky Carmichaels? Keep these young kids riding."
SCORE International is one of the most widely
recognized off-road motorcycle and ATV race sanctioning
bodies in the world, known for the annual Tecate
SCORE Baja 1000. The San Felipe 250 is the first
of the three-race SCORE Baja series that also
includes the Baja 500.
A copy of a sample letter to Congress and background
information about the
Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act can be
found at www.stopthebannow.com.
The Motorcycle Industry Council exists to preserve,
protect and promote
motorcycling through government relations, communications
and media relations, statistics and research,
aftermarket programs, development of data communications
standards, and activities surrounding technical
and regulatory issues. It is a not-for-profit,
national industry association representing manufacturers
and distributors of motorcycles, scooters, motorcycle/ATV/ROV
parts and accessories, and members of allied trades
such as insurance, finance and investment companies,
media companies and consultants.
The MIC is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., with
a government relations office adjacent to Washington,
D.C. First called the MIC in 1970, the organization
has been in operation since 1914. Visit the MIC
at www.mic.org
Three key reasons why youth ATVs and motorcycles
should be excluded from the CPSIA's lead content
provisions:
- 1. The lead content poses no risk to kids.
Experts estimate that the lead intake from kids'
interaction with metal parts is less than the
lead intake from drinking a glass of water.
- 2. The key to keeping youth safe is having
them ride the right size vehicle. Kids are now
at risk because the availability of youth ATVs
and motorcycles is limited due to the lead ban.
- 3. The lead ban hurts the economy for no good
reason when everyone is trying to grow the economy
and create jobs. MIC estimates that a complete
ban on youth model vehicles would result in
about $1 billion in lost economic value in the
retail marketplace every year.
Visit www.stopthebannow.com
for background information, FAQs, and public outreach
tools for the Stop The Ban campaign.
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