Can anyone confirm that? Could I really be the last person to legally ride my BWS?
marboulette
That would suck because I am looking for one. :s
I just heard it from the guy at the local shop, and it was the impetus for me to do what I should have done a while ago: sell my RZR while I still could, especially as I hardly ever rode it any more.
[/quote]
This can’t be true, I will try and find out tomorrow. Think of all the shops that still have 2-strokes in stock.
This is false. I just talked to my club about it. Not true.
Another non-confirmed rumor, told to me by the shop that does my 'scooter maintenance, is that as of 01 Jan 2009, only fuel-injected 'scooter will be sold. To meet air quality standards is the line.
No more carburetor scooters. Sell whats on the inventory as of 01 Jan 2009 and thats all.
Any news on this one?
[quote=“TainanCowboy”]Another non-confirmed rumor, told to me by the shop that does my 'scooter maintenance, is that as of 01 Jan 2009, only fuel-injected 'scooter will be sold. To meet air quality standards is the line.
No more carburetor scooters. Sell whats on the inventory as of 01 Jan 2009 and thats all.
Any news on this one?[/quote]
Last I’ve heard, that was true to 2 strokes. A while back, a ban was put on manufacturing 2 strokes, but Kymco came up with a fuel injected 2 strokes scooter that has an array of anti pollution gadgets to meet environmental criterias. To my knowledge, that is the only two strokes you can buy new in Taiwan. I could be wrong. I got to try one of them little fuel injected scooters. They’re quite incredibly zippy for 50cc.
marboulette
I think there is some confusion and misinformation being spread by mechanics and bike groups.
01/01/09 is the date when Taiwan’s 5th stage emissions regulations come into force (we were previously in a grace period). They apply to all NEWLY MANUFACTURED or IMPORTED bikes from 01/01/09. Nothing is mentioned in the law about 2-strokes or fuel injection, but realistically a carburetted 2-stroke bike is just not going to pass the very strict 5th stage regulations.
Once again the local Taiwan manufacturers are going to score with these regs and fans of real bikes are going to lose out because foreign manufacturers are not going to see the value of modifying their designs for such a small market. It it not going to make much difference to air quality because people will carry on riding their smokey 2-strokes and diesel vans.
The fifth stage requirements are:
[quote]Over the past several years the EPA has gradually tightened emission standards to reduce pollution from motorbike exhaust. The fifth stage emission standards became effective from 1 July 2007. According to the EPA’s test data on motorbikes, the following five engines have already obtained fifth stage emission standard certification: KYMCO’s G200SN20-07, G125SR25-08 and G125SJ25-07; Sanyang’s G150HEA-07; and MPI’s G150F3E-07. These models will soon be on the market and in mass production. Currently undergoing the certification process also includes two other models by KYMCO and one model byYamaha. Other manufacturers are currently making preparations to follow suit.
The EPA indicates the main differences between the fourth and fifth stage emission standards for motorbikes are stricter emission standards for CO, HC and NOX. For example, the threshold for CO has been tightened by a factor of 3.5 from the original 7.0 g/km to the current 2.0 g/km. For HC and NOX, the original standard was set at 2.0 g/km for the two combined (HC+ NOX), while the new standards treat each pollutant separately with a limit of 0.8 g/km for HC and 0.15 g/km for NOX. Stipulations have also tightened the guarantee period for emission control systems on new model motorbikes from 2.5 years to 3 years. [/quote]
[quote=“llary”]
I think there is some confusion and misinformation being spread by mechanics and bike groups.[/quote]
I think you might be right. Thanks, llary, that’s an excellent bit of info. It clarifies things for me. In simple words, it might be a bit harder to pass the emissions test, and you need that to transfer ownership, I believe. I’m guessing that some mechanics will manage to mess with the carb, air intake, etc, to make most old two strokes pass the test, anyways. It’s been the case with my BWS for years now. We have to totally mess up the carb settings to pass the test. You put the sticker on the plate and re-adjust the carb. Done.
So in that sense it’s not doing any good in the immediate, but these bikes will not run forever, and the pressure is on the manufacturers, I suppose, to meet the standards. And to my knowledge, only Kymco has bothered to manufacture a 2 strokes that meets the standards. By now it may have flopped since the market is thriving on the various 100cc. 4 strokes that floods the streets more and more in the last few years.
marboulette
Most of the mechanics I know here in Taichung don’t even bother messing with carbs - they take the bike to ‘a guy’ with a few hundred NT$ and it comes back an hour later certified clean. 
Here in Hsinchu too. Don’t even need to take out the custom parts. whistle
Well, I am going for my pollution check tomorrow (Wednesday) for my NSR. See how it goes. Usually the shop I go to needs to fiddle with the carbie to make the grade. Hope I can make it tomorrow then with the new limits…
But this year I have the bigger carbie and the acing exhaust on. This time last year it was stock…
[quote=“TaipeiSean”]Well, I am going for my pollution check tomorrow (Wednesday) for my NSR. See how it goes. Usually the shop I go to needs to fiddle with the carbie to make the grade. Hope I can make it tomorrow then with the new limits…
But this year I have the bigger carbie and the acing exhaust on. This time last year it was stock…[/quote]
Wow you still do those pollution checks on your NSR TpeS? I have been throwing those away every since I got my NSR. I still pay for registration and insurance every year though. There is no way my NSR would pass a smog test. Oh God what a nightmare. Man you don’t need to do that.
[quote=“TaipeiSean”]Well, I am going for my pollution check tomorrow (Wednesday) for my NSR. See how it goes. Usually the shop I go to needs to fiddle with the carbie to make the grade. Hope I can make it tomorrow then with the new limits…
But this year I have the bigger carbie and the acing exhaust on. This time last year it was stock…[/quote]
are you sure you want/need to do that? they’ll mess up your carb settings and you’ll have to go get it tuned again.