Rossi teamed up with Italian company Cicli Adriatica to develop a line of children’s bicycles – the VR46 bike collection. With this line of children’s two-wheelers, you can now blame your child’s skinned knee of the famed Fiat Yamaha rider!

The announcement of the VR46 bike collection came complete with a press release and a couple of photos of the bikes, complete with training wheels.

An excerpt from the press release after the jump.

“Valentino still remembers when, as a kid, took his first steps in the backyard of Dad Graziano, just riding an Adriatica bike. Since then, Rossi has continued to appreciate the two-wheeled world, though, of course, his interests have moved on the motorbike.”

Not satisfied with churning out children’s bikes, the VR46 line will apparently also include a racing bike and a mountain bike “from the highest level” to extend Rossi’s “winning image.”

The new bicycle line will be presented in Milan during EICMA. The show will start on Sept. 18 and run until Sept. 21.

Khan’s father had to customize the bike so that the young boy could reach the controls and prove that he could handle the motorcycle on his own.

I used to sit him on my bike and he would always grab at the controls. One day he will be a professional racer for sure.  Claims the boys father, Shantanu.

Apparently the boy has his heart set on a Harley-Davidson for his next ride.

Source, Via

The world is getting more and more paranoid about safety for children.  Sure, this can be a good thing in some aspects but in others it’s just ridiculous.

In America, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act became a law which allowed congress to ban products that could be harmful due to traces of lead found in them.  Sounds like a good idea on paper but it seems that this could be doing more harm than good.

Youth motorcycles and ATVs may contain a small amount of lead in some parts of these vehicles such as the alloy used to connect AZ batteries terminals.  Because of this, the CPSIA can ban all of these recreational vehicles from children. The Motorcycle Industry Council claims that this amount of lead and the way it might ever interact with a child (ie: not swallowing it) would never cause any harm.

Banning toys with lead in them was to make sure that if a child happens to put a toy car (for example) in their mouth, they wouldn’t get lead poisoning from such an innocent act (we’ve all put toy cars in our mouths at some point as kids!).

Motorsport can be and is a family sport.  I remember going to a motocross show as a kid with my friends and family, marveling at the high-flying dirt bikes.  Most, if not all of the professionals out there on bikes probably got their inspiration under the same scenario.  They saw those amazing feats and exciting races and had to get on a bike.

And they did, and at a very young age.

With the ban of these recreational vehicles catered to kids, where will the new batch of racers come from?  Can the sport even survive without giving young enthusiasts a chance to try it out?  Will youth riders start riding adult sized vehicles and be in even more danger?

My real question is: Does the tiny amount of lead found in the alloy in some small bits of metal (that will never get ingested) even matter when kids are now using cell phones, staying indoors to play video games, sitting at computers all day, eating junk food and doing tons of other things that can do more harm than good?  Would denying them the fun, excitement, experience and even the education of riding be better when the alternative might be picking up a video game controller instead?

Could the industry avoid this whole ordeal by improving and developing parts to not include that lead?

What do you think about the ban of youth motorcycles and ATVs?

The Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC) is out to stop the ban and by golly they are giving it their best shot!

See the rest of the post for a few videos about the ban.  Head over to MIC to sign a petition and read up on their cause.  Follow them on twitter to stay up to date (we have!)

The handmade rocking motorcycles range from $350-$450 and can be purchased though his etsy.com page. Premo also makes dump trucks, cement trucks, lumber trucks, airplanes, cars and dinosaurs that are all made of pine. Check out the video.

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I can’t see this being legal in your state but its obviously legal in Italy where they are sold, I know for sure the helmet that kid is wearing would not pass any inspection in the U.S., those Europeans sure know how to live on the edge!

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The small scale model of the Monster has a 12-volt rechargeable battery making speeds of 7.5 mph and the ascension of 10 percent slopes attainable. In addition to the realistic accelerator handle and pedal brakes, this junior Ducati features a front working light, rumbling motor and horn sounds. Measuring 44.25-inches long, 26.5-inches wide and 15.60-inches high, this mini Monster is also equipped with training wheels that can be removed the little tykes learn how to balance the bike on their own. My recommendation would be to treat your kids well and indulge their interests; after all, they are the ones who will be choosing your retirement home.

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One of the many highlights is the giant XR1200 Harley-Davidson Sportster that has been hand-carved from ice and snow by the USA Snow Sculpting Team, on the corner of 5th and Canal Streets. Learn about the XR1200 Sportster at a special display featuring its inspiration, the famous XR750 dirt track racer, straight from the Museum’s collection.

Kids can experience the fun of a Sportster scavenger hunt inside the Museum, with a special prize for everyone. Guests can also enter to win a Sportster Nightster motorcycle by entering the motorcycle sweepstakes give-away. Entertain kids with the Road Pack, a back pack full of activities for parents and kids to complete while exploring the Museum exhibits – available at no extra charge.

Nothing will warm your belly faster than a heaping bowl of Roadhouse Chili, available at Motor and Cafe Racer, which won the People’s Choice Award for Best Chili at the 3rd annual Milwaukee Chili Bowl. Touted as Milwaukee’s Largest Chili Cookoff, Motor and Cafe Racer beat out more than 25 restaurants and 60 types of chili. If you haven’t been to the Harley-Davidson Museum yet, what better time to go check it out?

Here are 5 awesome motorcycle gift ideas for pesky teenagers:

Capcom’s MotoGP 08 Video Game

Recommended Ages: Rated E for Everyone
Who Has It: Anyone who sells video games should have it ( BestBuy for example )
How Much: $59.99

They’re not old enough yet to be speeding around a track at ridiculous speeds but at least they can pretend to be and MotoGP will put them in the riders seat. Capcom just released this video game this fall so it should be on any gamer/rider’s radar.

Features include:

• Intuitive Arcade controls complement Intermediate and Simulation handling modes, making this a highly accessible racing experience for all audiences
• Ride as yourself and compete against riders from the world’s premier motorcycling championship
• Challenge three engine classes, including 125cc, 250cc and MotoGP™ classes
• Selectable CPU AI allows custom matching to skill levels
• Pit your riding skills against players from across the globe in intense online multiplayer modes
• New 2008 season adds both night racing in Qatar and the Indianapolis circuit

As long as you have an Xbox 360, or Playstation 2/3, or even a capable PC, you can immerse yourself in this riding simulator and flip out on a rain soaked track safely and soundly. Motorcycle.com will have a review up for it soon, so keep an eye out on their video game section.

Check out 4 more gift ideas after the “jump”

Motorcycle Movie Bundle: Torque, Easy Rider, The Wild One

Recommended Ages: PG-13 for at least one of the movies.
Who Has It: Amazon has everything
How Much: Probably 40-50 bucks for all 3 movies (if even that)

This is a bit of a trick. You’ve got Torque, a 2004 movie from the guy who brought us “The Fast and the Furious” and “XXX”, and then you have 2 movies that came out before the 70’s. This is your chance to provide some movie culture to a teenager who thought that the Transformer movie was actually good (it was not, folks).

Torque is fast, it’s loud, it’s got Ice Cube in it. You can then educate this teen about N.W.A (or not). It’s a movie you can throw in and not have to think about complex plot lines or satire or anything. Kick off your shoes and take in some mindless action.

After they watch Torque, the fast action popcorn flick, take them back to 1969 and the movie Easy Rider. Hopefully they’ll catch the intended glimpse of society back then and all the hippies roaming about. They’ll also get their fill of hard-tail choppers, drugs, and hijinx of the main characters as they make their road trip across America. OK, so maybe the drug use in the movie isn’t great for teens to see…

Introduce The Wild One right after and maybe they’ll forget about that drug use.

Ah, the 1950’s. Marlon Brando stars as the badass on a Triumph Motorcycle who shows the world that yes, be afraid of biker gangs out there. Marlon beat James Dean to the real “Rebel Without a Cause” title (because Dean’s movie came out two years after The Wild One).

Style: Motorcycle Jacket

Recommended Ages: Teens with style
Who Has It: I have no idea, ask a teenager where they buy their ridiculous clothing
How Much: Varying

Apparently wearing a motorcycle jacket while not riding a motorcycle jacket is cool. Look at Pharrel in the pic above. He’s looking pretty cool.

Teens are all about blowing their allowances on dumb stuff like fashion (pfff, fashion!) and if it’s hot, they’ll buy it. It also seems to be about causing the biggest ripple in the water with their outfits that make them cool.

Ah well, this is a teenagers time to shine. When they are in their late 20’s and look back at what they wore, they’ll think “oh God, what was I thinking?”. Too me, today’s fashion trends seem like a rehash of the 80’s, and that is scary.

MOMO Helmets

Recommended Ages: Anyone
Who Has It: Found them online at Atlantic Moto
How Much: Looks to be around $400

Teens are out there and they want to show they are out there. In a world full of teens, they need to stick out. If your teen is already riding a motorcycle then why not get them a helmet that stands out?

MOMO helmets are insane. Insanely different and insanely cool. I’d want one. Maybe I’ll get one from Santa. MOMO is an Italian design company who have a website I don’t understand. (but I found their english site)

Here’s a few more of their helmets:

I think I’ll put that last one on my list to Santa… Or MOMO… *cough*

Sure, what the hell! How bout an actual motorcycle? Tis the season!

Recommended Ages: Younger Teens
Who Has It: A lot of the big manufacturers have youth versions
How Much: Between $1,000 – $4,000 for a new one

They gotta start some time, right? They aren’t quite big enough for a full big nor do they even have a license for one but they want to start. There’s youth bikes out there from Kawasaki, Suzuki, Yamaha, and Honda
.

I don’t know if I can picture a 19 year old on one but I could see a 13 year old riding around a dirt track with one of these things. This is probably the best way to get your kid(s) headed toward that motorcycling path and will probably be a great educational tool for safety and machinery. It’s a bit costly, but hey, it’s the holidays!

So there’s 5 gift ideas for teenagers. If you still have a little one who doesn’t know what a Playstation 3 is yet, check out our 5 Awesome Motorcycle Gift Ideas for Kids. Hopefully you can use at least one of those if you have no idea yourself. Stay tuned for 5 more awesome gifts but finally, FINALLY for us adults.

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Time to drink eggnog and be merry until I get my credit card bill and then I’ll be drinking eggnog and trying to forget how broke I am.

As we all know the most difficult part of the holiday season is the stress of shopping for gifts. I thought I’d try to help out, you the reader, by providing some motorcycle themed gift ideas for children, teens and adults. Yes we know you love motorcycles, so why not try to spread that love to your loved ones.

Think of it as brain washing!

So here are 5 awesome motorcycle gift Ideas for kids this holiday season:

The Dark Knight Batman Stealth Launch Batmobile Vehicle

Recommended Age: 4 – 8 years
Who Has It: Toys R Us
How Much: $27.99

I think I want one. I had a plethora of batman toys as a kid but none of them shot the bat cycle out of them. With the amazing success of The Dark Knight movie that came out this summer, kids are still going bananas over Batman. And why wouldn’t they? He’s got all the cool toys and now the kids can have them too.

If having the Batmobile shoot out plastic missiles at the touch of a button wasn’t enough, how about launching Batman himself (or a reasonably plasticized facsimile) out of it too! I remember in toy commercials they always had the toy missiles shooting down walls of toy blocks, now it seems the heroes just drive through them as demonstrated by Batman on his Batpod in the commercial:

The Dark Knight Batman Stealth Launch Batmobile Vehicle Commercial

Read more great gift ideas:

Power Wheels Classic Chrome Harley-Davidson Motorcycle

Recommended Age: 3 – 6 years
Who Has It: Walmart
How Much: $154.88

I always wanted a Power Wheels Jeep when I was a kid. Heck, even when I was a teenager I wanted one just so I wouldn’t have to walk (pff, walking) to the 7-11 to get a Slurpee. It seems the Power Wheels brand has expanded into all forms of transportation and now they have electric motorcycles for kids. It actually is a tricycle underneath that Harley-Davidson body but don’t tell the kid that.

The cruiser sports a sound box for making that Harley-grunting sound and can fly down your neighborhood sidewalk at 5mph.

Tyco Turbo Wheelie R/C Cycle

Recommended Age: 8 – 12 years
Who Has It: Toys R Us
How Much: $89.99

Radio controlled toys should be a staple in every kids’ development. I loved RC cars and had a pretty good collection of them. They taught me how expensive batteries were and that my dinky RC Cars couldn’t outrun a normal car or survive a jump off my back porch.

I never had an RC motorcycle though and I think this would be one I’d want to own. The controller is shaped like the handle bars of a motorcycle and work pretty similarly. Tilt the handlebars to the left and your RC bike goes left. Tilt right to go right. Hit a button for a boost of speed to make your jumps even higher. And let’s not forget the stunt button for crazy wheelie action! Yes, I’m pretty excited about this little thing. It is a bit pricey though (well, cheaper then the Power Wheels Harley), but damn it looks fun.

Here’s an infomercial:

LEGO Indiana Jones Motorcycle Chase

Recommended Age: 6+ years
Who Has It: Amazon (but you can find it pretty much anywhere)
How Much: $9.49

Alright, I’ve listed some expensive gift ideas so I thought I’d end with something reasonably priced and still awesome.

Motorcycles + Lego + Indiana Jones = Win

It’s a small play set from Lego but it’s enough for kids who sometimes find the box more entertaining than the actual toy. Sooner or later they’ll make up their own imaginary motorcycle chase scenarios and they’ll be entertained for hours upon hours. Trust me. That was my youth and I’d be proud to be a spokesperson for Lego. It’s a great toy… and there’s a sidecar in it!

For my own amusement, here’s the real Indiana Jones chase scene with that Yakety Sax music that makes it seem like a comedy act from The Benny Hill Show.

So there you have it. 5 awesome motorcycle gift ideas for children. Start them off on motorcycles when they’re young and maybe they’ll let you ride on the back of their sweet bike when you can barely remember your name.

Stay tuned for more motorcycle gift ideas for a more older crowd!