Ban on youth vehicles due to classification as "toys"?

http://www.amadirectlink.com/news/story.asp?id=629

I wondered why all those cheap chinese bikes were no longer for sale. I've seen a bazillion ads for rolling chassis with no motors.... Must be "lead" Bwaaa!!!

We now return you to your normally scheduled programming...

griz

Also, the dealers can no longer sell parts for these bikes. If anyone who looks at Craigslist notices, there are all kinds of the 50cc's for sale cheap. I have even heard that they are trying to pass legislation to ban private people from selling them as well. It wouldn't suprise me to see them try to do something to the people who let their kids ride them too. This will pretty much be the end of the family aspect of this sport if it continues on the path that it's headed down. On top of the economic situation in this country and now this, we'll be lucky to even have dealers left after all the dust clears!

http://mic.org/letters.cfm

It appears all the motorcycle manufacturer websites have pulled their youth OHV pages already. This is real...

Let's see,

My motorcycling started on a JR50 and a DS80 in 1976. My buddies kids ride PW50's. What will they ride now?

The only options are going to be to 1- Wait until the kids are older and bigger, 2- Start them on a bike that is far above the capabilities of a begining rider and risk serious injury or death or 3- Find a different hobbie for the family to enjoy. This is really a bad deal all the way around concerning the motorcycling people of this country. How is professional racing supposed to withstand this, especially if kids aren't allowed to begin riding until theyr'e teenagers.