New Law Hurts Motorcycle Businesses

A mini-bike, sold to kids, is in storage at Matt’s Honda in Coxsackie because a new law prevents them from being sold. (Zak Radick)

It’s a new law that has local bike shops revved up.

Rachel Weidman of Matt’s Honda said, “It’s frustrating, it’s ridiculous to me as a citizen that I can’t sell a 50 cc dirt bike to somebody.”

That’s because motorcycle dealers, like Matt’s Honda in Coxsackie, were forced by law to put their mini-bikes and four-wheelers designed for kids in storage. Under a new federal law that went into effect February 10, children’s products that contain more than 600 parts per million of lead can’t be sold. And mini-bikes fall under that category because like most vehicles, they contain lead. Paint on the handle bars and frames contain lead. Weidman believes the law is too broad.

She said, “It was really geared towards toys and things kids can chew on.”

These bikes can run from $1,300 up to $3,000. Now their inventory, like the 200 plus other dealers statewide, is collecting dust.

Weidman said, “We can’t sell product, we’re talking thousands of units.”

Even parts for the mini bikes aren’t available and if you’re buying a part for a bigger bike that’s say interchangeable with a little bike, you have to sign a waver.

Matt Weidman said, “Never once have I ever seen a kid do anything remotely close to a motorcycle to get any bad lead from it or anything.”

Some say this is a way to get mini-bike’s out of the hands of kids for their own safety. Rachel’s son, Matt, a professional bike racer, says it’s a safe sport but a poorly written law could ruin it all.

M. Weidman said, “I think it’s gonna hurt the industry a lot, I think it’s gonna hurt racing in general a lot as well.”

FOX23 News contacted the Consumer Products Safety Commission on Thursday, but the calls were not returned.

Several organizations and two mid-western congressman are petitioning to change the law.