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Frequently Asked

Questions

 Printed on Recycled Paper

United States

Environmental Protection

Agency

Air and Radiation EPA420-F-02-010

July 2002

Office of Transportation and Air Quality

Proposed Emission Standards for

Highway Motorcycles

In July 2002, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to seek public

comment on the Agency’s plan to propose more stringent emission

standards for highway motorcycles. This fact sheet addresses

questions we have heard from concerned motorcycle owners.

Why is EPA proposing new emission standards for

highway motorcycles?

Motorcycles are regulated under section 202(a)(3)(E) of the Clean Air

Act. This provision calls for EPA to “consider the need to achieve

equivalency of emission reductions between motorcycles and other

vehicles to the maximum extent practicable.” EPA has not revised the

motorcycle emission standards for over 20 years. While there have been

many vehicle emission control technology advances over the past two

decades, motorcycles produce more harmful emissions per mile than a

car or even a large sport utility vehicle (SUV). The current federal

motorcycle standard for hydrocarbon emissions is about 90 times the

hydrocarbon standard for today’s passenger cars. And, although many of

today’s motorcycles actually meet the current California standards, the

California hydrocarbon standard is still about 20 times the current

federal passenger car limit.
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What kind of emission controls may be used by

manufacturers?

We are proposing standards that manufacturers would meet on an

average basis, which may encourage manufacturers to use a broader

array of technologies across their product line. The standards would

generally be effective in two “tiers:” a Tier 1 that would take effect in

the 2006 model year and a Tier 2 that would take effect in the 2010

model year. We don’t specify what emission controls manufacturers

must use to comply with the regulations, but we anticipate many manufacturers will choose to meet them by increasing their use of secondary

air injection, electronic fuel injection, and, in some cases, catalytic

converters. These technologies are used to varying degrees on current

highway motorcycles.

Will catalytic converters be required on all highway

motorcycles?

No. We understand that motorcycles are not cars, and the application of

some passenger car technologies may raise unique issues when applied

to motorcycles. These issues may be more critical with some makes and

models than with others. We will continue to discuss with manufacturers

and other stakeholders the potential role catalytic converters could play

in strategies to reduce emissions. More than twenty percent of the 2002

engine families certified by manufacturers already incorporate catalytic

converters. Our Regulatory Support Document contains a detailed

discussion of the technologies expected to be used to meet the proposed

standards.

Would new highway motorcycle emission standards

affect motorcycles on the road today?

No. New regulations would only affect new motorcycles produced after

a specified model year. Anything manufactured prior to that model year

would not be affected and would remain legal to own and operate. EPA

generally provides several years of lead time between publication of a

final rule and the effective date of new standards. Thus, new standards

for motorcycles will not have any effect on motorcycles purchased prior

to this year, or in fact purchased for the next several years.
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Does the term “useful life” mean that my motorcycle

must be scrapped or turned over to the government

after certain mileage limits are reached?

No. EPA uses the term “useful life” to describe the period (usually years

and/or miles) over which the manufacturer must demonstrate the effectiveness of the emission control system. For example, the “useful life” of

current passenger cars is 10 years or 100,000 miles, whichever occurs

first. It does not mean that a vehicle is no longer useful or that the vehicle must be scrapped once these limits are reached. The term has no

effect on the owners’ ability to ride or keep their motorcycles for as long

as they want. The current useful life for motorcycles with engines over

279cc is 5 years or 30,000 kilometers (about 18,640 miles), whichever

occurs first. In December 2000, we published an Advance Notice of

Proposed Rulemaking requesting comment on whether this is a representative number, or whether motorcycles are driven longer and last longer

relative to 20 years ago when these numbers were established. We are

not proposing to make any changes to the useful life definitions.

Are motorcycles a less-polluting alternative to cars

and SUVs?

No. In fact, motorcycles produce more harmful emissions per mile than a

car, or even a large SUV. The current federal motorcycle standard for

hydrocarbon emissions is about 90 times the hydrocarbon standard for

today’s passenger cars. Although many of today’s motorcycles will

actually meet the current California standards, the California hydrocarbon standard is still 18 to 24 times the current federal passenger car

limit, depending on the displacement of the motorcycle engine.

Beginning in 2004, all passenger cars, light trucks, and SUVs will be

required to meet even more stringent standards. When these standards

become effective, new SUVs will be meeting hydrocarbon standards

about 95 percent cleaner than today’s typical motorcycle.

Would new emission standards make it illegal to

customize my motorcycle?

No. Many motorcycle owners personalize their motorcycles. Indeed, this

is one of the joys of owning a motorcycle, and owners take their freedom

to customize motorcycles very seriously. We are not proposing to change
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existing provisions of section 203(a) of the Clean Air Act, as established

in 1977, in which the U. S. Congress stated that it is illegal:

for any person to remove or render inoperative any device or

element of design installed on or in a motor vehicle or motor

vehicle engine in compliance with regulations under this title

... after such sale and delivery to the ultimate purchaser...

In other words, owners of motor vehicles cannot legally make modifications that cause the emissions to exceed the applicable emissions standards, and they cannot remove or disable emission control devices

installed by the manufacturer.

We use the term “tampering” to refer specifically to actions that are

illegal under section 203 of the Clean Air Act; the term, and the prohibition, do not apply generally to the wide range of things that a motorcycle

enthusiast can do to legally personalize their vehicle, only to actions that

cause the emissions to exceed the standards. New emissions standards, if

adopted by EPA, would not change this “tampering” prohibition. In fact,

it is not within EPA’s ability or discretion to change this statutory prohibition, which Congress put in place more than 20 years ago. Owners

would still be free generally to customize their motorcycles in any way,

as long as they do not disable emission controls or cause the motorcycle

to exceed the emission standards.

How much will these controls cost?

The cost for emission controls depends on the control technologies used,

manufacturing processes, the size of the manufacturer, and other issues.

We estimate increased costs to manufacturers on average of about $26

per motorcycle for the 2006-2009 model year standards, then an incremental $35 for the 2010 model year standards.

How will these controls affect performance and

safety?

We don’t expect the controls to harm performance or safety. Advancements in engine technologies in recent years should allow the use of new

emission control technologies with little to no impact on performance.

Motorcycles meeting the new standards should perform as well or better

than current motorcycles. The use of some of these technologies, such as

fuel injection, may even improve reliability, fuel consumption, and

performance.
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Some people have expressed concern about the high temperatures from

catalytic converters posing a safety hazard. Protecting the rider from the

excessive heat is a concern for both riders and manufacturers. The current use of catalytic converters on a number of motorcycles (accounting

for tens of thousands of motorcycles in the current U.S. fleet and over 15

million worldwide) shows that there are engineering solutions to these

concerns on a variety of motorcycle styles and engine sizes. Countries

that have successfully implemented catalyst-based emission control

programs for motorcycles (some of which have many years of experience) do not report any safety issues associated with the use of catalytic

converters on motorcycles under real-world conditions. According to

sales projections from manufacturers, almost 90,000 2002 motorcycles

with catalytic converters will be sold in the U.S., about one fifth of total

projected sales.

How can I comment on the proposed rule?

We welcome your comments on the proposed rule. You may submit

comments by sending an E-mail to mcnprm@epa.gov, or, for more

detailed instructions on submitting written comments, please see the

Federal Register notice. It is available from the EPA Air Docket by

calling (202) 566-1742; please refer to Docket No. A-2000-02. In addition, you can access the Federal Register notice and related documents

electronically on our Web page for highway motorcycles at:

www.epa.gov/otaq/roadbike.htm.

Where can I get more information?

Keep an eye on the EPA highway motorcycle web page for more information and any developments. For further information, please contact the

Assessment and Standards Division at:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Transportation and Air Quality

2000 Traverwood Drive

Ann Arbor, MI 48105

Phone: (734) 214-4636

E-mail: ASDInfo@epa.gov