This came up on one of the groups I read. Apparently the U.S. Congress passed a law banning lead in products targeted to kids. It's nice that they're trying to protect us from unscrupulous merchants e.g. selling kids toys covered in lead based paint. But it seems this is also going to affect small motorcycles or other vehicles targeted at kids.
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Actually, it's affecting adult-sized motorcycles too. In many bikes, parts are shared across models. So a throttle used in a kids bike may be the same for an adult bike, but now the part can't be sold to an adult riding an adult bike.
I approve of the idea of keeping lead away from kids, but as always, there are unexpected complications that take a little time to work out.
My electric vehicle: CuMoCo C130 scooter.
All the lead acid batteries I bashed apart as a kid, I never ate a single one. Sheesh! Now the kids will just ride 500 cc adult bikes. But don't let em have a toy car that goes 2 mph.
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36 volt sla schwinn beach cruiser
36 volt lifepo4 mongoose mtb
24 volt sla + nicad EV Global
"Law of Unintended Consequences"
I taught a lead class, to certify lead remediation workers.
Lead got a bad name when small children who were hungry ate peeling paint chips (which are actually slightly sweet) Lead in paint makes the paint last longer, the new white paint uses Titanium oxide instead of Lead oxide, so it much more expensive.
The Romans used lead (which melts at camp-fire temps) to seal the cracks in the stone aqueducts that brought water to their major cities. Also, pouring acidic wine into a goblet that is made from cast decorative lead made the wine sweeter.
"Whiteface" makeup from the classic Geisha era used lead oxide, and caused Geishas to experience lead-poisoning with well-documented symptoms.
If melting lead to make your own bullets (Daniel Boone Days flintlocks) do not breathe in the fumes.
The problem with stripping old lead-based paint, you MUST use a respirator to prevent breathing in the dust. It is common to paint over lead-based paint. On a similar point, seal off any asbestos insulation, it will only hurt you if you breathe in the fibers.
I also worked at a lead-mine clean-up in Eureka, Utah.
I don't have a problem with "low-lead" solder, but I believe its a solution to a non-existant problem. I dont think anyone eats that or it percolates into the groundwater from a landfill. Lead actually comes from the ground.
I support adding stickers to childrens EV's that say: "do not, under any circumstances, allow anyone to open up the battery and chew on the lead plates or consume the sufuric acid"
The site I linked above is about gas powered dirt bikes, gas powered ATV's, gas powered dune buggies, etc. They're not concerned about the lead in the batteries. The site had pictures of rear wheels and fairings and whatnot saying there was lead in those parts.
- David Herron, The Long Tail Pipe, davidherron.com, 7gen.com, What is Reiki
I assumed that the lead would be in the babbit metal of the engine crank and rod bearings - not exposed to the child's reach at all, but still counts in the bureaucratic interpretation of this regulation.
It is fine by me. Parents should not be buying their kids these mini trail-bikes anyway. They should not be indoctrinated them into this attitude that one cannot enjoy the outdoors unless one is using an IC engine and emitting greenhouse gases. They should be taking their kids out hiking, bicycling, identifying the birds and trees and natural history of their region.
If they need an outdoor thrill sport they can take up rock climbing, hanggliding or paragliding, windsurfing, whitewater kayaking/canoeing or other non-motorized sport.
As a kid, I never ate any fenders either. Don't kids get over the eat everything stage by about age 3?
Be the pack leader.
36 volt sla schwinn beach cruiser
36 volt lifepo4 mongoose mtb
24 volt sla + nicad EV Global
Maybe it's not about lead but this other chemical: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09121.html
- David Herron, The Long Tail Pipe, davidherron.com, 7gen.com, What is Reiki