Going Fast and Staying Safe

"If something has a motor, it´s going to break down and need repair," —Jeff Bach of Extreme Toy

The wise retailer will stay on top of the latest warnings from the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission. A spate of problems with powered scooters, coupled with new reports based on recent data, has generated recalls and warnings.

Razor USA recalled all Razor Electric Scooters on June 14 due to a weld problem in the handlebars. The warning is cut and dried: “Consumers should stop using the scooters immediately and contact Razor to arrange a free repair,” advises the CPSC.

According to the CPSC, a majority of the injuries suffered from other power scooters can be chalked up to inadequate or absent safety gear. Retailers who keep motorized scooters and other vehicles in stock should lay in a good supply of helmets and knee and elbow pads, and encourage customers to buy them.

Meanwhile, W.A.T.C.H. (World Against Toys Causing Harm) has little good to say about pocket bikes, ranking them #2 on its list of worst toys of 2004. In 2003, the CPSC attributed 2,345 hospital emergency visits to injuries resulting from motorized mini-bikes. Jeff Bach of Extreme Toy Store in St. Louis, Mo., won’t carry them anymore. He has one or two more in stock, but when they’re gone, he will not be reordering.

Bach expresses concern about cheaply made motorized bikes from China that cost around $350 and are purchased for use in the neighborhood cul-de-sac. The manufacturers don’t have the motors down yet, he says. To help compensate, he services what he sells.

“If something has a motor, it’s going to break down and need repair,” stresses Bach, who points out that this kind of personal service isn’t matched by the big box stores.

He claims that kids on the racing circuit are safer than those riding near home. First, kids on the racetrack ride bikes of far better quality than most consumers can afford. Second, riding in a controlled racetrack environment means that help isn’t far if the vehicle topples.

“The streets are the problem,” says Bach of the typical non-controlled neighborhood environment.

Racing small bikes is more of a phenomenon in Europe than it is here. The Italians love racing minis. “It’s like baseball in America,” says Ricky Lomonaco of Mid-South MiniMoto, a retailer in Olive Branch, Miss. “They live it and breathe it.”

Lomonaco sponsors drivers and races with Mid-South MinoMoto Racing Assocation. Races are in Alabama and Mississippi. “It’s a family sport,” he says, good for father and son or father and daughter, especially when it comes to keeping the equipment tuned up: “It’s bonding time.”

Lomonaco has seen kids as young as six riding pocket bikes. He recommends one of the cheaper base models for young riders starting out, something around $350. Then, if the interest is there, he suggests advancing to a more sophisticated model (such as CRC Motor, Blata or Polini; all Italian-made) as the child’s ability to judge speed and distance improves.

According to Grace O’Toole Armstrong of the online store Mobileation, some of the John Deere ride-ons are in the best seller category. Slightly more dangerous are Go-Karts, such as the Manco line, which come with a roll cage and seat belts. Plus, the retailer sells the gloves and the helmets to keep riders safe.

The following are a few products mentioned in this article: