there ia yahoo group for kawasaki klr owners that i frequent. there are alot of guys that are very interested in doing the conversion to the military diesel engine in the klr. it got me thinking ........ how awesome would it be for cummins to produce a small single cylinder diesel with a small turbo on it 4 these bikes. i know the silencer ring would be the first thing to go.... scott

 

Hmmmmmm.. Would be difficult at best. EPA has finalized a new set of guidelines for all vehicles on the road. Basically, motorcycles are now going to be looked at as far as emissions are concerned. All bikes will have to meet EPA standards within a few short years. I have a funny feeling that the day of the straight pipes are rapidly coming to an end.

 

did you see the monster garage were they converted a freightliner, with an inline eight cummins turbo, into a trike? I love the idea of a klr or better yet the lighter klx I have owned both bikes models and the klx is a little more motorcross and lighter than the klr but still has the electric start

 

TOMW Bikes are not sold with straight pipes now. Mostly because of the noise thing I guess. I think that no matter what regs, there are gonna be guys straight piping bikes.
I can just see a bike pulling up to a light with a CTD and a fueling box and chocking the rider if the wind is wrong.

 

Yeah, I know they're not sold with straight pipes, but I have a sneaky hunch we're going to get hammered if we convert. Just got the latest issue of AMA Magazine yesterday and there's a lengthy article on what the new standards are going to be. This also includes the "small" bikes under 50cc.

For 2006, the combined total of hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides can not exceed 1.4 grams per kilometer. By 2010 the limit is going to be 0.8 grams. California requirements on motorcycles already meet the 2006 standards, and they'll meet the 2010 standards in 2008. In other words, we may see catalytic converters on new bikes now. Bleh!

Some exceptions --

Homemade or kit bikes for personal use can get a one-time exemption from the emissions requirements.

Custom bike builders can get special exemption to sell up to 24 showbikes a year. However, the bikes cannot be a "daily rider". They'll only be allowed to operate on public streets for display purposes only (like traveling to and from shows) and will be required to display labeling that they're allowed limited public road use.

The one nice thing that came out of the new requirements is the EPA is not going to "mandate" what equipment is on a bike. If the manufacturers can find a way to cut the emissions without a catalytic converter, they're more than welcome to do it. Let's just hope the companies put the bucks into researching this stuff instead of taking the easy way out by slapping emission control devices we see on 4 wheels onto a bike.

 

Actually it was a 400 Big Cam 855 C.I. Inline six Cummins out of a cabover Peterbuilt.

 

All Goldwings are catalyzed as of 2001 and Honda just spent big dollars to replace the brains on all the Wings they've built since then. Honda was having overheating problems and recalibrate all they built to richen and cure the problem. Hope I don't get to go to E-Check with it now.

 

Why in the world would Honda put a converter on the goldwing? is there some kind of benifit I don't think the Govt. required it doesn't make sense does it? what happens when you plug one up as they often do? Harley will have a heck of a time with the sound if it goes that way

 

At the Smithsonian American History Museum in Washington D.C. they have a coal powered motorcycle on display. It was quite interesting.