Message from the H-D MOCO....
08-30-2002, 08:04 PM
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Message from the H-D MOCO....
Here's a message from the Harley-Davidson headquarters about future emission mandates from the government, and how they will comply with them....bottom line...as the previous post suggests....only EFI scooters on the horizon.....
Rest Assured, We're Doing Our Part
By Jim McCaslin
President, Harley-Davidson Motor Company
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed new emissions standards for highway motorcycles for the first time in more than 24 years. Is this news? Yes. Is this news that should keep you awake at night? The short answer is, no. But let me explain why, and at the same time assure you that the future of the Harley-Davidson air-cooled V-twin is secure.
First, some background. Because today's motorcycle emissions standards were adopted back in the 1970s, we weren't surprised at all when the EPA announced in November 2000 that it wanted to revisit its highway motorcycle emissions standards. We considered this a logical step in light of industry advances over the last several decades and the public's ongoing concern for cleaner air, a concern shared by us at Harley-Davidson.
As the EPA's review process unfolded, the agency sought input from members of the motorcycle industry, including Harley-Davidson, and other interested parties. EPA representatives visited our ultra-modern Product Development Center in Milwaukee to learn more about how we design and manufacture our V-Twin engines. During the EPA's inspection, we had a chance to show off our engineering facilities, talk about our concerns and explain to the EPA the importance - to us, our dealers, and most importantly, to our customers - of maintaining the look, sound and feel of Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
Having now had a chance to study the EPA's proposed emissions standards for highway motorcycles, we believe the EPA listened. Although we certainly don't agree that motorcycles are significant contributors to air pollution, the EPA's proposal promotes better air quality while balancing the interests of riders, the industry and society at large. We are prepared to meet the new standards through technologies that don't sacrifice the things you love most about your motorcycle.
In many ways, the new standards are similar to the California motorcycle emissions standards previously adopted by the California Air Resources Board. California's standards become effective in two stages, in 2004 and 2008, and Harley-Davidson has already committed to meeting them. The EPA's proposed standards are similar to California's, but they allow manufacturers two additional years to comply with each stage. They also don't include California's additional requirement that highway motorcycles be equipped with extra hardware to control evaporative emissions.
The bottom line is that Harley-Davidson plans to meet the requirements of the proposed EPA standards and still make the motorcycles true to the look, sound and feel that you know and love. So you can sleep well, knowing that we will continue doing our fair share to protect our environment, and that the air-cooled V-twin will continue to be the core of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle lineup for many years to come.
Rest Assured, We're Doing Our Part
By Jim McCaslin
President, Harley-Davidson Motor Company
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed new emissions standards for highway motorcycles for the first time in more than 24 years. Is this news? Yes. Is this news that should keep you awake at night? The short answer is, no. But let me explain why, and at the same time assure you that the future of the Harley-Davidson air-cooled V-twin is secure.
First, some background. Because today's motorcycle emissions standards were adopted back in the 1970s, we weren't surprised at all when the EPA announced in November 2000 that it wanted to revisit its highway motorcycle emissions standards. We considered this a logical step in light of industry advances over the last several decades and the public's ongoing concern for cleaner air, a concern shared by us at Harley-Davidson.
As the EPA's review process unfolded, the agency sought input from members of the motorcycle industry, including Harley-Davidson, and other interested parties. EPA representatives visited our ultra-modern Product Development Center in Milwaukee to learn more about how we design and manufacture our V-Twin engines. During the EPA's inspection, we had a chance to show off our engineering facilities, talk about our concerns and explain to the EPA the importance - to us, our dealers, and most importantly, to our customers - of maintaining the look, sound and feel of Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
Having now had a chance to study the EPA's proposed emissions standards for highway motorcycles, we believe the EPA listened. Although we certainly don't agree that motorcycles are significant contributors to air pollution, the EPA's proposal promotes better air quality while balancing the interests of riders, the industry and society at large. We are prepared to meet the new standards through technologies that don't sacrifice the things you love most about your motorcycle.
In many ways, the new standards are similar to the California motorcycle emissions standards previously adopted by the California Air Resources Board. California's standards become effective in two stages, in 2004 and 2008, and Harley-Davidson has already committed to meeting them. The EPA's proposed standards are similar to California's, but they allow manufacturers two additional years to comply with each stage. They also don't include California's additional requirement that highway motorcycles be equipped with extra hardware to control evaporative emissions.
The bottom line is that Harley-Davidson plans to meet the requirements of the proposed EPA standards and still make the motorcycles true to the look, sound and feel that you know and love. So you can sleep well, knowing that we will continue doing our fair share to protect our environment, and that the air-cooled V-twin will continue to be the core of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle lineup for many years to come.
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