Motorcycle Test Procedure adopted............

[Skyryder]

Motorcycle Emissions Test Procedure Adopted by World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations.

Protocols for modernizing and harmonizing the emission testing procedures for road motorcycles were adopted in Geneva, Switzerland, by the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations. This is a major step forward in improving motorcycle testing worldwide.



http://www.epa.gov/otaq/roadbike.htm#harmonization


Skyryder

[Bob]

Over here in Europe we are already subject to very stringent emissions restrictions - when the last phase (Phase II) was brought in, it killed off quite a range of bikes - the original Fazer and Virago amongst them.

And Phase III comes in very soon - 2007 I think. If I remember correctly, Phase III makes Phase II look like being told off by the soft kid in the playground. Virtually none of the current models will pass. Exceptions that I can think of offhand being the Spint ST and ER-6 range - but they're new/recently revamped bikes.

If the US have agreed to adopt the same limits, then a lot of bikes are going to disappear from showrooms.

[Motu]

Unusual for the US to adopt emmission regs from other countries - for the last 30 yrs it's been the rest of the world bowing and scraping to California,they are the reason we got emmission regs in the first place.