The New Book Banning = Children’s books burn, courtesy of the federal government.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- It was a well intended plan: Get products with lead out of the hands of children.

But the unintended effects of the new Consumer Product Safety Commission ruling are far-reaching, which is why you won't find youth motorcycles or ATVs in local store rooms, and why you won't be able to repair the products you already have.

The Motorcycle Shop and shops across Alaska are feeling the fallout of the latest CPSC ruling dealing with lead contact in all children's products.

That's why you'll only see youth models on display. The manufacturers called for all their products for 12 years old and younger to be off limits.

"They've taken those models off the market," said Keith Hull, general manager of The Motorcycle Shop. "They're not allowing us to sell them. They're no longer shipping them."

It's because the makers of children's motorcycles and ATVs are still sorting out what the new ruling means, hoping for an exemption on internal parts -- wiring and soldering that might contain lead.

"We usually don't see people chewing on motorcycle parts, especially if they're wearing a helmet like they should," Hull said.

<snip>

There's more fallout in the repair and parts departments. Even if you already have a youth model -- 100 CCs or under -- you can't get them repaired since the purchase of parts is now off limits, even if they clearly don't contain lead.

"Say the handle bars, you also can't replace those and they are completely irrelevant to any lead content," said Zack Johnson, parts manager. "But because of the way it's set up you still can't provide replacement parts for them."

<snip>

While the CPSC did give manufacturers a year extension on the required third-party lead testing, the law still requires them not to sell any products that would violate the lead standard, even if the ingestion of lead is unlikely, like in an internal part.

There are a number of adults who prefer the smaller youth models, and they still can't buy them or repair them even if it's for an adult.