Malcolm smith fights the cpsc lead law one bike sale at a time
WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM HIS FRIENDS
MALCOLM SMITH FIGHTS THE CPSC LEAD LAW ONE BIKE SALE AT A TIME
By: Zap
Malcolm Smith at speed aboard his eight-speed Husky in the 1971 Baja 1000.
If anyone ever doubted Malcolm Smith's leadership position in the industry, it was (once again) proven today when the On Any Sunday star took the bold step to publicly flout the recently enacted CPSC "lead law" that bans the sale of minibikes (along with certain parts and accessories) with a $100,000 fine.
The stated goal of the protest gathering was simple..."In defiance of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 which prohibits the sale of youth motorcycles and ATVs deemed unhealthy for children under 12 due to suspected high-levels of lead content, motorcycle dealer Malcolm Smith will sell these banned vehicles as a sign of protest. 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."
And with that, hundreds of motorcycle enthusiasts showed up at Malcolm's beautiful motorcycle dealership in Riverside, California, to witness Malcolm and a few industry cohorts break the law. Previously in the day the USA Today newspaper ran a feature on Malcolm's protest over the law that George Bush signed into law last August.
As it currently stands, only an act of Congress can overturn the draconian law that is currently costing the motorcycle industry approximately one billion dollars. Here's some of what went down.
As Malcolm Smith told the crowd, the idea of the protest came to him just two weeks ago when a woman walked into the dealership to buy a minibike for her daughter so the whole family could finally ride together in the desert. Malcolm said that when he had to tell her that he could not sell her a bike without breaking the law, "That was when I realized that I had to do something!"
Off-road racing legend Scot Harden was sporting the best shirt of the night. Although the police didn't show up to arrest Malcolm for breaking the law, the point was well made - sell a minibike, or even a kid's helmet or brake lever and you're breaking the law. If you love riding motorcycles, you should contact your Congressperson and Senator immediately and tell them that the damaging CPSC law MUST be overturned! Harden was intitially serious and emphatic about the cause at hand. "Malcolm is drawing a line in the sand today for the whole sport and industry." He then took a lighter approach, "Okay, the plan is to break Malcolm out of jail and get him down to Mexico to hide out - he loves riding down there anyways!"
The King of Supercross, Jeremy McGrath came over to Malcolm's dealership following an all-day test session in an off-road race truck. "My daughter is already riding and she loves riding my 50. It's unbelieveable that this law prevents me from being able to buy her a new dirt bike. We all owe Malcolm for taking a stand on this!"
If there was anyone in attendance who knew a thing or two about being able to ride dirt bikes as a kid, it was Jeff Ward. Just days away from his first Supermoto National race of the year, Wardy showed up with his brood of dirt bike grommets and reminded everyone, "I've been riding and racing since I was five years old. I brought all my kids with me today because even they know that this law is wrong and this is only the first step we need to take to get it overturned. More dealers need to follow Malcolm's lead with this. I'm proud to be down here helping Malcolm out." Before Jeff sat down to buy his son Aryton a new bike, he couldn't resist giving the audience a funny background story on his own appearance in the classic movie, "On Any Sunday" - but to find out what it was you'll have to check back on the next Mid-Week Report.
Before Troy Lee spoke, Malcolm told everyone how after he met Troy for the first time back in the early 80's (when Troy was trying to get Malcolm to carry the first TLD visors in his shop), he always knew that Troy was going to make something of himself in the industry. Troy thanked Malcolm for being such an inspiration to so many people and then said, "My little boy is nine years old and he wants to ride. I'm buying him a new KTM 65 today!" After which Malcolm chimed in, "And you're all going to visit me in jail right?"
Mitch Payton was also in attendance and first told the crowd how following his injury Malcolm was one of the key people who influenced him to open his own shop (Anaheim Husqvarna) 30 years ago. About the CPSC law, he was typically direct, "My wife is having twins next week and I want them to grow-up being able to ride just like I did."
The protest ended with the Malcolm joined outside by Troy Lee, Jeff Ward and Glen Helen track owner Bud Feldkamp (who bought his kid a new quad) congregating in front of Malcolm's shop. The most telling sign held aloft said "Let Our Kids Ride!" Please do your part to protest the "lead law" by alerting politicians with letters ad phone calls.
Read Full story and photos here:
http://www.motocrossactionmag.com/ME2....03C9A06
