Malcolm Smith Protest To Support Kids Who Love To Ride

malcolmandalexandersmithAs you know by my former post, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 is banning the selling of off-road motorcycles and ATV’s to children younger than 12 because the bikes could contain high levels of lead. Consequently, about 13,000 dealers were required to remove dirt bikes from their show floors, an estimated 100 million valued stock (The federal consumer agency is reviewing an appeal made by manufacturers of motocross and dirt bikes).
In defiance to Washington and as a sign of protest, Malcolm Smith (a Riverside, CA Dealer who is a pioneer in off-road racing and who got fame by being a star in the influential 70s movie “On Any Sunday”), still continues to sell the banned motorcycles. At his dealership this coming Thursday March 19, he also organizes an event called “Kids Who Love 2 Ride”. As a sign of support, a group of small business people and high-profile motorcycle industry celebrities, including racers Jeff Ward and Jeremy McGrath, Glen Helen Raceway owner Bud Feldkamp, and motorsport design guru Troy Lee have all agreed to be on hand to purchase banned units for use by their own children and grandchildren. For media contact and interviews, contact Scott Cox
Tel 760-436-9937 Fax 760-753-6906. contact@resmart.com  (picture Malcolm Smith with son Alexander).

14 Responses to “Malcolm Smith Protest To Support Kids Who Love To Ride”


  1. 1 GGK Mar 16th, 2009 at 6:27 pm

    So no new 50cc’s (bike/atv) to be found anywhere?
    Just was going to get my nephew one this summer.
    WTF

  2. 2 Kirk Perry Mar 17th, 2009 at 4:50 am

    Enough of the Consumer Product Safety Council already. Let a kid eat some lead, so what? They don’t care about any stinkin’ lead. Me and my friends didn’t. I once saw my brother stick his tongue in a stream of gas he was draining from the tank of his Cushman Eagle in 1958. That was 50 yrs. ago and it didn’t kill him. Let a kid grow up learning something. We’re already removing tools from their hands.
    The CPSC are the group that removed the 3-Wheeler ATC. A fun trike and 90 cc workhorse that I ride around and have fun on.
    Motorcyclist need to be left alone. Quit trying to save us.
    I’m glad they let kids grow up with BB guns, metal tipped arrows, a unlicensed scooters and no helmets and live a real life. Jeeze. Next, the government will be taxing fun.
    Go on ya’ Malcome! Sell all the banned scoots you can. I think the ban is aimed at China and they’re using “kids and commerce” to force them to be compliant.

  3. 3 rodent Mar 17th, 2009 at 6:44 am

    Next they’ll be stoping under 12 yr olds from learning to shoot guns. and that s the start of the end of the 2nd amemdment. That’s obama for you!

  4. 4 JB Mar 17th, 2009 at 8:46 am

    So now maybe no future world moto-x champions for the USA.

  5. 5 Mike Tomas Kiwi Indian m/c Co Mar 17th, 2009 at 9:12 am

    Malcolm Smith is a pioneer, leader and a roll model and he has done a lot for the m/c industry, motorcycles in general and under privaledged children. Way to go Malcolm, I’m proud to know such a top notch gentleman and roll model in our community.

  6. 6 Dennis Johnson Mar 17th, 2009 at 12:00 pm

    Anybody who has ever had the pleasure of meeting Malcolm Smith would admit that he’s the most courteous, gentlemanly fella you could run across. That’s why it’s so shocking to read this quote from a conversation he had with one of our editors, Joe Delmont.

    For all of his achievements, Malcolm Smith is a very quiet, soft-spoken gentleman. So, it was a shock to hear him answer quietly, when I asked him why he would do this. “The government is f_ _ _ _ _ up,” he said, simply.

    We’re going to be out at his dealership Thursday morning to capture the moment live. Check out our coverage at http://www.dealernews.com/ and at http://www.dealernews.com/.

    This really is shaping up to be the most asinine piece of legislation that I’ve ever paid attention to.

  7. 7 Bobfather Mar 17th, 2009 at 1:16 pm

    Two thumbs up to Malcolm. We both agree, Shut Up And Ride!

  8. 8 Pepper Mar 17th, 2009 at 5:15 pm

    Malcolm is passionate about riding and has always walked the walk, as he continues to do. Right on, Mr. Smith!

  9. 9 Kirk Perry Mar 17th, 2009 at 9:04 pm

    If you’re organized, you can back the CPSC down to being reasonable.

    The “Kid’s Who Love to Ride” is important. The more celebrity – the better the ink. Wonder what J. Leno and his friends plans are. He “Love (to) Rides”.

    If you’re successful in your efforts @ Riverside, CA – then it becomes an in-road to re-examining the current EPA’s One-Kit-per-Lifetime (item G. of March 2006 proposals) 500 year registration of special construction motorcycles.
    Reason being, we’ve already seen the dramatic cut-back on California gasoline consumption. We can do it. Next, are variations of totally electric cars – like that light-weight 3-wheeler they’re manufacturing in San Diego County. San Francisco is installing electric-kiosk throughout the city.
    Gasoline is on the way to being not so popular for anything but lawnmowers and motorcycles. China is a big player in small bore and AM Harley parts. I predict China will will create the first successful “air scrubbers” and make a buck.
    With a predicted lessening of gasoline use, we as “seldom drivers” should be able to build one-emissions-exempt motorcycle in our lifetime (filling a void created by cleaner and less driven vehicles0, and pay a higher carbon tax, and still not impact the air quality since miles driven are few. Research that.
    (But don’t tax kit-builders any more than you do those “emissions exempt” big inch truck motors and diesels. 🙂

  10. 10 Kirk Perry Mar 18th, 2009 at 12:35 am

    Thanks for leaving this up. I meant to say that there are only 500 registrations allowed per year. Yea, I know so what? But for us in California, we had the “special construction” motorcycles “roughed off” by hysterical people.
    Now is the time when the entire deck is being re-shuffled. Everywhere. Those that speak up for their rights will be heard.

  11. 11 Kirk Perry Mar 18th, 2009 at 4:19 pm

    3/18/09 – From my trade magazine Plumbing & Mechanical and the back page editorial of Jim Olsztynski about 25 yrs. of P&M history:

    “For the last 25 yrs. I’ve served as P&M’s editorial director…in that spirit, this will be the last sentence about the silver anniversary and the rest of the article will be devoted to industry developments in the last 25 yrs., in no particular order of importance:
    • Low-Lead Mandates – I view this mostly as a negative impact on our industry, as mfgrs. had to spend millions of dollars to first get the lead out of solder, then attain ultra-low lead content in various plumbing products. This despite the fact that nobody has ever come up with a shred of evidence for harm done by lead leaching from plumbing products”. – J.O. wrdwzrd@aol.com Ask him.
    •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
    Not to mention that before the government forced the lead out in the 1980’s, there’s still a jillion homes in California (maybe 98%) that have water sitting in copper pipes with 50/50 (half lead, half whatever) convection-soldered into every single fitting. We’re not talking trace amounts of lead in pipes, but actually raw lead slag that can be stewed in all the potable drinking water throughout your home. 24/7, sometimes heated to 116-120 degrees.
    Where’s the chronic health problem? Does Chinese motorcycle paint have more lead than existing plumbing? Research that – Parts per million.

  12. 12 Mike Tomas Kiwi Indian m/c Co Mar 19th, 2009 at 12:29 am

    I intend to be at Malcolms. United we stand, divided we fall

  13. 13 Dennis Johnson Mar 20th, 2009 at 2:12 pm

    Malcolm has officially thrown down the lead gauntlet. As much hoopla as there was surrounding the sale of the machines to Troy Lee, Jeff Ward and Bud Feldkamp, Malcolm pointed out that this is a very, very serious issue that is having and will have dire effects on the industry until it is resolved.
    The coolest part? Malcolm says that anybody interested in buying the banned bikes can come in and lay down a fully refundable $100 deposit. Once the ban is lifted, those same folks will get the bikes at dealer cost.
    For more on the protest read here:
    http://www.dealernews.com/dealernews/CPSIA+Lead+Law+Updates/Malcolm-Smith-Leads-CPSIA-Protest/ArticleStandard/Article/detail/588168?contextCategoryId=47842

  14. 14 Kirk Perry Apr 14th, 2009 at 4:30 pm

    Dude!,
    Thanks for your “kite” expressing concern about the implementation of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (Public Law 110-314). I understand the challenges facing off-highway vehicle (OHV) manufacturers that must comply with the law’s requirements and welcome the opportunity to respond to your concerns.

    As you know, legislation enacted last year included requirements intended to limit the exposure of children to lead and “phthalates” in children’s products. Specifically, children’s products containing more than 600 parts per million of lead were banned from production and sale. An unexpected consequence of this legislation is that youth motorcycles and OHV’s are affected by these limits due to the high lead content of some metal components.
    •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
    Dude, further I understand your concern that there is little potential for harm to children due to lead exposure in these vehicles. However, the CPSC currently believes that it does “not have the legal authority” to provide an exemption to the law “at this time”. That said, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation argues that the CPSC may provide a “stay of enforcement” in this situation (because of that !#£@ Cyril Huze Blog..) and is hopeful that such action “may” be taken under “new leadership” at the Commission. Additionally, Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) has introduced legislation known as the “Common Sense in Consumer Product Safety Act” (S. 608), which would exempt vehicles intended for children between the ages of 7 and 12 from the law’s lead limits.

    In the meantime, the CPSC will “continue to review this issue” and provide appropriate guidance to manufacturers and retailers. Please know that I will keep your thoughts in mind should the Senate take further action regarding this matter (or regarding your presidential pardon that got tanked). You may wish to visit the CPSC website at http://www.cpsc.gov/about/cpsia/cpsia.html for more information.

    Again, thanks for writing. If you have any further questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-3841. Best regards.

    Sincerely yours, Dianne Feinstein
    United States Senator

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