Quebec company appeals for help in persuading Transport Canada

Seeks recognition of 4-wheel motorcycle in motorcycle and motor tricycle class

MONTREAL, May 13 /CNW Telbec/ - Quebec-based entrepreneur CMI-CECTEK plans to market a 4-wheel motorcycle designed specifically for on-road use. Its purchase cost, safety and fuel economy will bring innovation to Canadian motorsports. However, its launch is blocked by a major difference of opinion turning on a Transport Canada interpretation.

"We are asking that the definition of motorcycle in Section 2 of the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulation be amended to include 4-wheel motorcycles," said Hélène Binet, Vice-President of CMI-CECTEK. "We made this formal request to the government in July 2009."

A motorcycle, not an ATV (all-terrain vehicle)

It is important to mention the CMI-CECTEK vehicle is a four-wheel vehicle. It has a low centre of gravity, a powerful 500-cc liquid-cooled electronic-injection engine and automatic transmission. Its maximum speed is 130 kilometres an hour.

This 4-wheel motorcycle, or quadricycle, also meets all Canadian safety standards for motorcycles and motor tricycles such as Bombardier's Spyder, with the difference that it has four wheels instead of three. CMI-CECTEK's 4-wheel motorcycle also differs from conventional passenger cars.

CMI-CECTEK is seeking recognition to allow on-road use of the 4-wheel motorcycle. In a notice in the Canada Gazette of May 8, the federal department of transport launched a public consultation lasting until June 11, 2010. Transport Canada authorities seem to be refusing to classify CMI-CECTEK's 4-wheel motorcycle as a motorcycle for regulatory purposes. They instead distort CMI-CECTEK's request by proposing to consider two options:

    
    - Creation of a new class of on-road motor vehicles for quadricycles,
      which would result in imposition of standards different from those
      applying to any motorcycle or any on-road vehicle;

    - OR classification of the 4-wheel motorcycle as an all-terrain vehicle
      (forbidden on the road).
    

"Our 4-wheel motorcycle is not an ATV, or a golf cart, or a low-speed vehicle. It's a motorcycle! It travels on public roads in Europe and is perfectly safe. Do Europeans care less about safety than Canadians? Let Canadians choose," Ms. Binet said.

Strength in numbers: Let your voice be heard!

We have only 30 days to persuade Transport Canada of our case. We will accordingly be very grateful if you make your comments known to Transport Canada as soon as possible in its period of consultations on this regulatory question.

We invite you to visit our website to register your support, or simply paste the following link in your internet browser: http://cectekcanada.com/en/gazette.html

About CMI-CECTEK

CMI-CECTEK, in business since 2004, is the exclusive distributor of world-class motorsport products from CECTEK, PEUGEOT, SYM and CFMOTO. The company also has distribution centres in Ontario and Alberta. CMI-CECTEK distributes its products through a network of Peugeot and Sym dealers across Canada. Its head office is in Quebec's Beauce region. http://www.cectek.ca/en/

The attached photo shows the 500 EFI Quadrift model 4-wheel motorcycle.

/NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited members of the media/

For further information: Stéphane Vidal, MaisonBrison, [phone], extension 228