Posts
716
Joined
10/19/2008
Location
San Antonio, TX, USA
Edited Date/Time
1/24/2012 7:01pm
With this new lead law, what is going to happen to Cobra? Are all the employee's just hanging out since they don't make any bikes bigger than the limit?
They don't use leaded paint. They don't have batteries.
So their bikes are actually lead-free. (Don't know how they are getting around the valve stem lead).
They have not had the mandatory testing of parts done, and the gist of what their president said to Rush Limbaugh on the radio was that if the law isn't changed, or some exemption given to OHV's, they will nonetheless be forced to close the doors in a year because they cannot afford to do the required testing in the manner the law states. It would make the price of the bike prohibitive if they passed the cost on.
The Shop
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Like I said, I don't know how Cobra is getting around the valve stem.
As mentioned, Sean Hilbert was on the Rush Limbaugh show and continues to work diligently with politicians and industry leaders to ensure the well being of the moto industry. Remember....Cobra is entirely dependant on that.
Because Cobra is a US based company and sources its materials in the US it has not had some of the compliance issues faced by Asian mfg's.
At this time Cobra is able to sell all of it's line of bikes aside from the oil injected model.
Cobra uses sand cast cases which contain no lead.
US steel (frames) use zinc not lead.
Cobra feels like it can't just stand by and hope that the damage being done by this legislation to the industry won't affect Cobra.
If the industry is not succesful in making their case........well.....the outcome is not likely to be good. I would prefer to make the decisions about what my kids and business are allowed to do.
This past week has given MX some awesome news. MX Sports signs Lucas, the TV deal,rumors about star riders participating in the outdoor nats etc........i hope we can take the momentum and use it to make sure our kids get to ride.
I am a Cobra dealer, not an engineer or "expert". I hope this helps a little.
Tom Z
Good to see ya Saturday.
I NEVER changed the clutch shoes or washers. It pulled as hard when it left as it did when I got it. Change the oil every ride. Every month or two , pull the clutch and wash it down with carb cleaner. Make the kid quit riding on the edge of engagement. The gas is either on or off. No blipping either.
He was no world beater but was a fair 50 rider.
Good luck, hang in there and keep on fighting!!!!
I just bought a Cobra CX 50 Jr.(07) and am hoping for better results. I know they look put together very well but we have not had a chance to ride it yet due to the weather.
I know of a very clean 06 model down here in N.C. if you are interested, I think he is asking 1200 for it.
We will work hard to make it an awesome season.
Tom Z
Pit Row
AMA Supercross Interview
Thanks to Rupert X...As posted on the AMA Supercross Week VIII Blog (http://www.amasupercross.com/ViewPost.aspx?postId=128)
2/19/2009
A regularly updated blog by Rupert X Pellett...
Feb. 19.5
Whether it's the dealer show at Indy, in the pits at a Monster Energy AMA Supercross race or in the warehouse of a motorcycle manufacturer in Michigan, everybody busy with the business of motorcycles is talking about the CPSIA.
No, it doesn't stand for "Cat Peoples' Spaghetti Insurance Alliance." It's the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act and, what it has done, effective Feb. 10 of this year, is effectively prohibit the sale of small dirtbikes. It's wacked. Insanity in 10 cities.
Here, I'll let Sean Hilbert of Cobra Motorcycles (www.cobramotorcycle.com) talk about things. He builds American-made kids dirt bikes in Michigan. He chatted to Rush Limbaugh on nationally syndicated radio this week. Right here, right now, he talks to us.
InTERRAgation 9 with Rupert X: Cobra Motorcycle’s Sean Hilbert
Q: Sean, what involved you at 9:59 this morn?
A: A visit to Michigan Representative Mark Schauer's office. I was happy to see his lobby covered with Michigan International Speedway pictures and racing memorabilia. I can only hope that he will be on our side. Some further meetings will tell.
Q: What the heck were you doing on the nationally syndicated Rush Limbaugh show this week?
A: Well, as a smaller OEM in this industry, I can be a little more aggressive in public forums than the other guys can, and I felt it was important that someone got the word out. There are a lot of folks from other OEMs, the AMA, and other places like the Missouri State Legislature who are working very hard behind the scenes, but for many reasons they can't be as vocal. No matter what your politics are, an audience of 20 million people is an important one to hit.
Q: Were you satisfied with the way the dialogue went?
A: For the most part... There are always things you look back on and wish you would have said. There are the technical mistakes like saying that "each and every part" of the bike needed to be tested (only the accessible parts do). I also wish I would have used a few more statistics, such as 13,000 family-owned dealers being affected. Other than that, I'm pleased.
Q: Cobra Motorcycles are kids motorcycles, minibikes. How do the recently mandated governmental policies affect you?
A: Like I told Rush, the biggest affect on Cobra will be testing requirements and the costs associated with them. If the testing mandate holds, I sure hope that companies like Cobra can use information from suppliers, such as native material certifications. If we can't, then the cost of doing third-party testing on all accessible components will be a burden I'm not sure we will be able to take on. Hopefully, powersports products will be exempted from the CPSIA, and we will never have to get to that point.
Q: Do you still have that REV motorcycle you developed a few years back?
A: It sits in the Cobra Museum right next to the original King 50 that was on display at the Motocross in America Exhibit. We're saving a place next to it for your sidecar scooter...
Q: Why don’t you guys produce a 125 or 250 two-stroke? Seems like there’s a market there…
A: Someday. Right now we're still hyper focused on the youth market.
Q: What motorcycle inspired you, as a kid?
A: Several, actually. When I was a kid, my next door neighbor had an early '70s Maico 125, and that bike really started my metal lust. I raced a 1978 YZ80 that had a DG Swingarm and a Curnitt shock that I really liked as well, but it was my 1986 Honda CR250 that really inspired me. That was the Decoster era at Honda, and those bikes were so well done it was scary. The other bike that really stands out in my mind was Eddie Hicks' aluminum framed YZ80 that Dave Miller did. That bike was a work of art.
Q: What countries have you shipped Cobras (the bike, not the serpent) to?
A: More all the time. The most recent container that we shipped had bikes and ATVs destined for England, Sweden, Denmark, Scotland, Ireland and Estonia. We ship regularly to Australia, Canada, Mexico, Columbia, Ecuador and South Africa. The most unique order was a shipment of bikes to the United Arab Emirates.
Q: Where do you go on vacation?
A: For some reason, I'm in a rut. For Spring Break, I always go to Las Vegas, and each summer I spend a week at this little ranch in Tennessee...
Thanks Rup
They should have named it clutch venom though.
But the question i have is ...Do any of yall actually think this is a good law?
I mean if there is a chance that the lead content in one of these bikes could POSSIBLY harm one child. Isnt it wort it?
i take it you have no kids...
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