United States Air and Radiation EPA420-F-01-025
Environmental Protection September 2001
Agency
Office of Transportation and Air Quality
for
In September 2001, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to public
comment on our plan to propose more stringent emission for
engines on equipment including forklifts and generators, and vehicles
including snowmobiles, off-highway motorcycles and ATVs, and
recreational marine boats. This information sheet addresses common
questions we have heard from concerned off-highway motorcycle
owners.
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Our analysis shows that off-highway motorcycles emit more than
134,000 tons of hydrocarbons (HC), 181,000 tons of carbon monoxide
(CO), and 1,000 tons of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) each year across the
United States. These emissions help form smog and contain toxic
compounds such as benzene, so reducing them would benefit our health
and environment. The Clean Air Act requires us to set emission stan-
dards that address these problems. These impacts are described in more
detail in "FAQ: Environmental Impacts of Recreational Vehicles and
Other Nonroad Engines" [EPA420-F-01-030].
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regulations?
No. Off-highway motorcycle manufacturers must ensure each new off-
highway motorcycle sold meets our regulations. The proposed regula-
tions would apply only to new off-highway motorcycles produced after a
specified model year. Anything manufactured before that model year
would not be affected and would remain legal to own and operate. We
usually allow several years of lead time between publication of a final
rule and the effective date of new standards. Thus, new standards for
off-highway motorcycles won't affect the off-highway motorcycle you
bought before this year or any off-highway motorcycle you buy for the
next several years.
As an I
do?
You may not disable any emission controls installed on your off-high-
way motorcycle to meet our regulations. Manufacturers will explain in
their owner's manual what type of emission controls exist for each
model. Manufacturers may also specify some minor maintenance you
must have done to keep emission controls working properly over the life
of the off-highway motorcycle.
of is
We are proposing standards that manufacturers would meet on an aver-
age basis, which may encourage manufacturers to use a broader array of
technologies across their product line. 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 using four-
stroke engines instead of two-stroke engines. Some manufacturers may
also slightly change the air-fuel mixture. Others may decide to use a
technology such as advanced fuel injection or catalytic converters on
some models to meet regulations.
will
Your cost for emission controls depends on the control used, manufactur-
ing processes, the size of the manufacturer, and other issues. Many off-
highway motorcycle models are already equipped with four-stroke
engines, and we estimate the cost for these models to be less than $30.
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We estimate the cost to replace a two-stroke engine with a four-stroke
engine is about $220 to $360 depending on engine size. But, with a
four-stroke engine, you are likely to recoup a large portion of this cost
over the life of your motorcycle because a four-stroke engine consumes
approximately 25% less fuel and much less oil than a two-stroke engine.
Four-stroke engines are also more durable, so major repairs are less
frequent.
will
safety?
We don't expect the controls to harm performance or safety. Manufac-
turers have advanced off-highway motorcycle designs over the last few-
years, so four-stroke engines now perform as well as - possibly better
than - two-stroke engines. Also, manufacturers will have several years
of lead-time to perfect designs. None of the emission controls we are
considering affect safety.
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No. The proposed regulations don't restrict your use. They cover only
the exhaust emissions from your new off-highway motorcycle.
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No. The Clean Air Act excludes from emissions control programs
vehicles used solely for competition. We recognize that organized
amateur off-highway motorcycle competition is popular around the
country. We are proposing provisions that will allow manufacturers to
make and sell competition motorcycles that do not meet emissions
requirements. Also, riders may modify off-highway motorcycles that
are used solely for competition.
We are not proposing any new noise regulations. Most off-highway
motorcycle manufacturers design products that already meet noise
standards, but we do ask for comment on whether we should revise these
noise standards.
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can I get
Keep an eye on our web page for recreational vehicles (http://
www.epa.gov/otaq/recveh.htm) for more information and any develop-
ments. You may comment on the issues in this fact sheet or in the Notice
of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) by sending an email to
nranprm@epa.gov.
For further information, please contact Line Wehrly at:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Transportation and Air Quality
2000 Traverwood Drive
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
(734)214-4380
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