1010 amcnamcn com au.com.au
the know
IT HAPPENED SINCE LAST ISSUE
This Honda V-four might
begonejust in time for
another rumouredHonda-
brandedV-fourtolobFOR THE LASTcoupleof
years, Euro 4 emissions rules
have been a hot topic around
the newbike market.
Officially introduced
throughout Europe ayear ago,
there’s one more deadline
whichwill have abig effect
on thebikes tobe replaced,
updated or ditched from
manufacturers’ ranges over
the nextfew months.
Officially, thedeadlinefor
manufacturerstoensurealltheirbikes comply withthe
rules was the start of thisyear.
European regulation 168/
includes the Euro 4 emissions
standards,but also makes
mandatory ABS on bikes over
12 5cc andastandardised
on-boarddiagnostics system.
There was plenty of
warning, but as the date
approached there were dozens
of bikes on sale that didn’t
comply. Fortunately, there’s
an end of series provision intherules whichaddedatwo-
year periodofgrace to some
models. Provided theydon’t
constitute a bigportion ofa
manufacturer’ssales,non-
compliant models can remain
on sale in Europe until the
end of thisyear. Thereafter it
will be impossible to register
anon-compliant newbike
anywhere in Europe.
Yet there are still plentyof
machines thatdon’tmake
the Euro 4 grade; within thenextfew monthsthesebikes
mustbe replaced, revisedor
discontinued. And remember,
Euro4 might be a European-
setlimit,but other countries
including Japan andAustralia
are largelyin line with the
same rules,so attitudes to
Euro 4 will have muchwider
ramifications.
These arethenon-
compliant models potentially
facingthechop.
BEN PURVISEvolve or die
Emission rules set for and by the European Union are having far-reachingconsequences
HONDA
THE VFR1200F(RIGHT)might not be thattold,but it’s already
disappearedfrom Honda showrooms insome countries and
doesn’tmeetthenewregulations.However,its sister model,
the VFR1200X, does have Euro4 certification.
With the introduction ofthe new GoldWWingand Gold Wing
Tour, the Valkyrie(below)is the odd mannout. With the old
Wing’s engine andelectronics, itdoesn’t meet Euro4 andmust
beahotfavouritetobediscontinuedorrevamped. But a F6C
replacementbasedon thenewGoldWingwouldmakemore
sensethanalteringtheexistingmodel.
VT1300CX: Alreadygone from the Europeanmarket,the
VT1300’s main target is America, andas suchit could live
on even after it’s beenforced out ofotherparts ofthe world.
However a revision to bring its emissionHowever,a revision to bring its emissionns into line withsintolinewith
Euro4wouldmakesenseif Hondawantsstomaximiseits
salespotential worldwide.Yamaha
YAMAAHA’S RANGE ISamongthe
mostmmodern and up to date, annd
allitsbbikes now on saleinEuroppe
meettEuro 4. However, modelss
like thheXJR1300(left)and SR4 000
(right),nowdeletedfromthe
Europpean range, could be undeer
threatof extinction.