California Postpones Bike Catalytic Converters
California postpones bike catalytic converters
California has postponed for a year strict motorcycle exhaust emission standards that would have required most 1984-and-later large displacement bikes to be equipped with catalytic converters.
A bill enacted by the state Legislature and signed by Gov. George Deukmejian last June postponed the California Air Resources Board’s new motorcycle standards until July 1, 1984. The state's current hydrocarbon emissions standard for motorcycles over 280 cc is more than two times as strict as the national standard. The new standard is about five times as tough as the national limit.
State Sen. Alan Robbins, the bill's sponsor, said, “This will allow us to step back and take another look at motorcycle air pollution.
“The Legislature has established that catalytic converters are not the answer, because we are not convinced that (they) can be safely mounted,” Robbins said.
“(It) gives us a year’s worth of breathing room to work with CARB and motorcycle designers to develop lowpollution motorcycles.”
In opposing the new standard, the American Motorcyclist Association argued that the 1600°F converters could not be safel> mounted on bikes. The devices would pose burn dangers to riders and fire hazards when refueling.
The AMA also objected that the converters would: add $375-$650 to the cost of each bike, pose durability problems, endanger motorcycle sales, and result in only a minor improvement^ in air quality.
Despite the objections of the AMA, motorcycle manufacturers and trade groups, the CARB adopted the standards in late 1982 and ordered that they take effect with the 1984 model year. The board granted a three-year exemption to manufacturers who sell fewer than 5000 models per year in California: the standards initially, then, would have applied only to Japan’s Big Four manufacturers.
The original version of Robbins’ bill postponed the new standards for five years. Before it was adopted, the bill was amended to provide a one-year grace period.
Meanwhile, motorcycle trade groups indicated they would continue to push for a longer postponement.
