CPSC what really happened??

[nipper]

hi i'm new to all this trike legal stuff (although i have owned atv trikes for over 3 years!!). so what attually happened? yeah they were banned but why and how did they get away with doing it???
thx
nip

[Domingo]

I was going to post the same thing in a couple days. I would like to know what happened and how the ban movement all got started. I hope someone who knows can help us out.

[speedracer350X]

Basically if I can remember correctley, it was more or less people suing the crap out of all the big makers of 3 wheelers, mainly Honda. I think it more or less got to the point where alot of lawyers pushed the subject with the CPSC, mainly a fellow by the name of Stuart Statler? Back in around 85 or so. I started out in 85 on a brand new 110 (still have it). I was only 11 at the time, but I got a subscription to ATV News, and their always was articles about the manufactures vs. the CPSC. And in my opinion, alot of people saw it as a get rich quick scheme. I mean, no offense to the people who got hurt, but 99% of us realize it is usually the riders fault, not the machine. And I remember 20/20 shows, deliberatly rolling a 200S to prove how "dangerous" 3 wheelers supposedly are. Plus they showed clips of young and I mean small riders, on 250R's and such, flying around the dunes and wrecking, no helmet of course. But gee, where are the parents? I remember the first 6 months I had my 110, my dad always watched me in the yard. Helmet on, always. Then later, just like learning to ride a bike, checking in at the house every so often. ANyways, sorry to ramble on. Mostly that's my plain jane version of what happend. Same thing trying to go on again, with all ATV's. SO people, we all have to practice and preach safe, respectful riding!!!

[Billy Golightly]

I started to write soemthing a long time ago but lost interest, maybe I'll start it again. The politics that got it started were more or less several hearings conducted by the CPSC across the nation, and then they made a "Decision" After the hearings were conducted.

[nitekrawler]

In english, what happen :?:

[ChrisD]

Speedracer is correct. People were getting hurt on threewheelers by being irresponsible. 20/20 got ahold of the story and did a 1/2 hour special on threewheelers titled "Most Dangerous Vehicle"



That created a public outrage and the threewheeler was doomed to the same fate as "lawndarts".

Acutally, the CPSC was trying to ban all ATV sales at the time and the manufacturers settled on threewheelers and more warning labels on fourwheelers. The reality of it was that this whole event created a lot of liability for the manufacturers. Honda (the whole company) would have been forced into bankruptcy if all of the cases were won against them. I was talking to some guys at HRC a couple years ago and they noted that Honda wants to forget the whole thing ever happened. Too bad. They are a ton of fun!

People need to take responsibility for their own actions. This is the same reason that we lose places to ride every day.

[nitekrawler]

Told wife, thats why I want to buy more land! Half acre isnt enough. I would like two now or more for kids to ride around without problems from anyone :!:

[mymint87]

never realized that emphasis 20/20 had on the word "VEHICLE"....its noy the most dangerous vehicle. it may have been the most dangerous "CYCLE" but then that would put them in the catagory of motorized bike which probably in them selves are more dangerous than }AUTOS"


nevertheless the mass production of a sport trike is dead..

most "ol timers" (racers, mod fabricators, etc.) of 3 wheelers have moved on to quads ................................

never to return except for maybe a stroll down memory lane


so then were will the resurgence of the sport trike come from?

hmmmm ...i woonder....

maybe from forums like these?

[MN250R]

Well my ATC 250R is the first Trike i have ever owned. I have ridden my buddys 200x a Long time ago, but
I have ridden quads my whole life. And being it seems to take more skill to ride trike, makes it all the more fun! I remember seeing that 20/20 show when i was younger, but i was to young to even own an atv at that time. Sure was a dissapointment for them to stop making them.

[Trikeaholic]

thats right, mint, its up to the old school diehards to keep them going. Its not illegal or banned to manufacture or import a trike anymore, it just takes some BALLS and I guess noone has them. I think ATK should give the finger to the govt and build one. Rotax 250 liquid motor, oooooooooooooooo, WP suspension, ahhhhhhhhhh. sweet. I would like to buy an older 250 LQ and build one from a 250R frame I have laying around, use the ATK gas tank and shrouds, motor, forks, custom triples, WOW. Thats my dream project. Someday.

[Domingo]

ChrisD...Do you know where I could get ahold of and watch that 20/20 episode. It would probably be pretty intertesting...

[350XXX]

i just saw a review in a magazine Sunday, i think it was ATV Action, on the sand show and someone was selling threewheelers! the name was Hill(something). they were two strokes with a huge hand welded pipe out the left side. i dont know if they are refurbished or new ones though. they did look sweet though.

[Yamahammer490]

First, I don't think you'll want to watch that 20/20 episode. It will raise your blood pressure and cause you to use too much foul language! I remember watching it and it was total yellow journalism. Some 8 year old kid going like Hell on a Big Red and having it flip over on him.

A year or two ago a web site called "3 Wheel Revival" had a very in-depth article about the whole deal. The author, a guy called Jadebull or something similar, did one of those "follow the money" type articles. I can't vouch for its accuracy but it sure helped explain a lot. His web site just disappeared soon afterward so I suspect some lawyer found he was getting too close to the truth.

One of his main points, beside the liability lawsuits, was that the American snowmobile industry was trying to protect their market because Polaris and Arctic Cat were worried that ATVs would erode the snowmobile market. Again, I don't know if it was true or not but it sure made a compelling story.

I wonder where he and his web site went.

[Domingo]

I am justwant to learn a little bit about the history of my beloved trike. This video might be a good laugh too, on how silly people can be. I was one year old at the time and can't remember anything about it. I just thought it would be interesting to learn some history about my R, even if it is angering.

[mymint87]

i really wish everyone would stop beating this drum


IT"S DONE................IT"S OVER


I know what we all want...

as Holic said, RESPECT and "the 3 wheeler recognized as a legitimate ATC/ATV" (sorry for the mis-quote but i think this is your meaning)

we will never move forward if we keep beating that drum and by dragging out the darkest days of the 3 wheeler to relive OVER and OVER wishing there was something more we could have done...

there is something we can do......

what about the GOOD DAYS?

the GLORY DAYS?


LETS TALK ABOUT THAT!!!.....OK?


like i said ...

who knows where the resurgence will come from?

the way i see it is this,

three wheeler are an abundance out here in the west,
but where are the enthusiats?
where are the people that are actually going to push the issue?
where are the ones that will restore and preserve them?
not from here
out here many people still consider a 3 wheeler "a poor mans Quad"

we should not be asking," where did they go?"

we should be asking, "where will they come from?"

COME ON..... LETS BE HEARD!!!!!!