EU to limit bike emissions

Bikes will be subject to stricter emissions controls from 2003 after the European Commission ratified proposals for lower limits on carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons.

For 4-stroke engines, the 2003 stage represents a reduction of some 60% in the emission limits for carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons over the present emission limits. For 2-stroke engines, the 2003 stage represents a reduction of some 30% in the emission limit for carbon monoxide (CO) and 70% in the emission limit for hydrocarbons (HC), over the present emission limits.

Fortunately firms are all well ahead with meeting those limits, which is why fuel injection has been so widely introduced in recent years to cut down on the amount of fuel a bike wastes. If fuel remains unburnt a bike will spew out more pollution.

A further round of emissions cuts will also strike in 2006, when bikes will have to be tested from cold as that is when the majority of emissions occur, and an approximate halving of the 2003 emission limits.

The bike industry has been aware of proposed new limits since 1999 and has been working towards meeting them. But it has been knocked sideways by the news that testing procedures will be tougher than they first thought.

The new limits are certain to mean catalytic converters on virtually every big bike and changes to their fuel injection management systems.

You can see the press release on the European Commission website at http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=IP/02/469|0|RAPID&lg=EN

Meanwhile, we are consulting the UK’s Motorcycle Industry Association (MCI) to see what this means in the real world and will bring you the verdict as soon as we get it.