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Baja Legends Call on Riders to Help Stop the Ban with
New Motorcycle Industry Council Web Site Videos

Honda and Kawasaki Teams Plus Robby Gordon Add Their Voices
to More Than 200,000 Electronic Messages Sent to Congress

IRVINE, Calif., April 13, 2010 - History's two winningest Baja motorcycle racers Johnny Campbell and Larry Roeseler have added their powerful voices to the fight against the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act's ban on youth motorcycles and ATVs. So did NASCAR driver and SCORE Trophy Truck champion Robby Gordon and motorcycle speedway legend Bruce Penhall. All of them, along with Honda and Kawasaki team members, can be seen on new videos posted on the Motorcycle Industry Council YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/motoindustrycouncil.

"Since February, nearly 210,000 electronic messages have been sent to Congress because of the Stop the Ban campaign," said Paul Vitrano, MIC general counsel. "The new videos from these off-road superstars give our cause a real boost. Whether you're into racing or weekend family fun, remember that there's only a temporary stay of enforcement on the ban and the battle is still on. We must convince Congress to permanently end the ban by changing the law or it will be a lot harder to produce future legends like these guys, and harder for kids to get properly sized machines and safely enjoy rides with their parents."

The videos were shot last month in Baja during the pre-race festivities for the 24th MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250. Other racing stars featured in the videos include JCR Honda's Colton Udall and Jeff "Ox" Kargola, this year's overall motorcycle winners.

The Blue C / Wahoo's / Monster Energy Kawasaki team also participated, with seven-time Baja 1000 winner Steve Hengeveld, part of the second-place team in San Felipe, along with Brent Harden and Ryan Penhall, team members who finished third. Besides owning JCR Honda, Johnny Campbell has won the Baja 1000 11 times while the legendary Larry Roeseler won an even dozen on two wheels and four.

"You know, I wouldn't be where I am if I wasn't able to ride when I was a kid," Campbell said. "There [are] a lot of kids who have a passion for two wheels and that involves riding dirt bikes....I encourage you to go to stopthebannow.com."

A famed auto racer also spoke on camera for the cause.

"I was young, four, five, six, seven, riding motorcycles," said Robby Gordon, who placed second in San Felipe in his Trophy Truck. "Where [are] the next Robby Gordons coming from, or the Ricky Carmichaels? Keep these young kids riding."

SCORE International is one of the most widely recognized off-road motorcycle and ATV race sanctioning bodies in the world, known for the annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000. The San Felipe 250 is the first of the three-race SCORE Baja series that also includes the Baja 500.

A copy of a sample letter to Congress and background information about the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act can be found at www.stopthebannow.com www.stopthebannow.com

Background Information on the CPSIA:

Three key reasons why youth ATVs and motorcycles should be excluded from the CPSIA's lead content provisions:
       1.      The lead content poses no risk to kids. Experts estimate that the lead intake from kids' interaction with metal parts is less than the lead intake from drinking a glass of water.
       2.      The key to keeping youth safe is having them ride the right size vehicle. Kids are now at risk because the availability of youth ATVs and motorcycles is limited due to the lead ban.
       3.      The lead ban hurts the economy for no good reason when everyone is trying to grow the economy and create jobs. MIC estimates that a complete ban on youth model vehicles would result in about $1 billion in lost economic value in the retail marketplace every year.

The Motorcycle Industry Council exists to preserve, protect and promote motorcycling through government relations, communications and media relations, statistics and research, aftermarket programs, development of data communications standards, and activities surrounding technical and regulatory issues. It is a not-for-profit, national industry association representing manufacturers and distributors of motorcycles, scooters, motorcycle/ATV/ROV parts and accessories, and members of allied trades such as insurance, finance and investment companies, media companies and consultants.

The MIC is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., with a government relations office adjacent to Washington, D.C. First called the MIC in 1970, the organization has been in operation since 1914. Visit the MIC at www.mic.org