PICKERINGTON, Ohio — The sport of off-highway recreation is seriously threatened by recent legislation that imposes strict lead content guidelines on children’s everyday toys. The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) has effectively banned the sale of youth off-highway vehicles (OHVs). The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is calling for action now to help reverse the potentially devestating effect this could have on the sport of OHV recreation. “The unavailability of youth OHVs will devastate family OHV recreation and cripple amateur competition, creating a domino effect across all aspects of motorized recreation,” said AMA Vice President for Government Relations Ed Moreland. “All motorcyclists, whether they recreate off-road or not, need to come to the defense of our youngest riders and help ensure the future availability of youth OHVs.” A quick and effective way to help is to write or call your representative and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and let them know petitions exist to exclude certain vehicles from the final rule governing the law. You can send your representative a letter by using the Take Action button in the Issues and Legislation section of www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com. To contact the CPSC directly, use the contact form here. According to section 101(a) of the enacted legislation, all youth products containing lead must have less than 600 parts per million (ppm) by weight. The CPSC has interpreted the law to apply to various components of youth OHVs including the engine, brakes, suspension, battery and other mechanical parts. Even though the lead levels in these parts are small, they are still above the minimum threshold. In order to assure continued availability and access to youth OHVs, the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) and Specialty Vehicle Industry Association (SVIA) submitted petitions to the CPSC asking that certain vehicles be excluded from the final rule governing the law. “It is critical that Congress and the CPSC know that these petitions exist and that by acting on them they will maintain a vital form of recreation for American families, preserve youth racing and protect the thousands of jobs associated with this industry,” Moreland added. “We are asking all motorcyclists to write or call their representatives and the CPSC today and ask them to approve the petition to exclude youth OHVs from the CPSIA lead content requirements.” About the American Motorcyclist Association Since 1924, the AMA has promoted and protected the motorcycling lifestyle. AMA members come from all walks of life and they navigate many different roads on their journey to the same destination: freedom on two wheels. As the world’s largest motorcycle organization with nearly 300,000 members, the AMA advocates for motorcyclists’ interests in the halls of local, state and federal government, the committees of international governing organizations and the court of public opinion. Through member clubs, promoters and partners, the AMA sanctions more motorsports competition events than any other organization in the world. Through its Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum, the AMA preserves the heritage of motorcycling for future generations. For more information, visit www.AmericanMotorcyclist.com.