JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Larry Neill has $118,000 worth of small motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles sitting on his lot in Missouri's capital city. He'll be fined if he sells any of them.
Neill, who owns Larry's Motor Sports in Jefferson City, cannot sell or repair the bikes because of a new federal law that bans lead from all toys intended for children younger than 12, including small motorcycles and ATVs.
"These little products are the gateway to our business," Neill said. "When some bureaucrat in Washington decides we can't even sell these products, it's just pretty unfair."
Neill isn't alone. A national motorcycle trade group says dealers across the country cannot sell roughly $100 million worth of the child-sized bikes. Including parts, service, accessories and personnel, the market could lose nearly $1 billion annually, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council.
The federal law, which took effect Feb. 10, bans lead above a minuscule level in children's toys. The trade group wants federal regulators to exempt motorcycles from the law because they don't pose a threat to kids.
"Kids don't eat or lick ATV or motorcycle parts," said Paul Vitrano, a lawyer for the trade group.
Vitrano said he's skeptical that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission will grant that exemption.
