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Plans are afoot in the European Commission and Parliament to introduce a raft of legislative changes that, if implemented, will have far reaching consequences for the motorcycle industry generally and the custom sector in particular. The proposed European regulations will not only cover the motorcycle market in Europe, but also trikes and quads, and will see changes to type approval, emissions, safety regulations and the option to modify equipment.
Salient points include: measures to prevent selling and registration of certain vehicles, systems, components or separate technical units imported into the EU market which do not comply with the current type-approval requirements; more stringent emission levels and additional evaporative emission controls; and mandatory advanced braking systems (meaning ABS and linked braking systems as standard on all new motorcycles). Unlike the CARB emissions controls currently in operation in the US marketplace, the European proposals will have much further-reaching consequences, as the proposals require measures to prevent any tampering with a vehicle’s power-train with the aim of preventing modifications that may prejudice safety or cause damage to the environment. In theory this could mean the bike’s drivetrain being sealed and only authorised dealers being allowed to carry out any work on it, or at a simpler level it might prevent the use of aftermarket air filters and exhaust systems. Details of these measures are not included in the proposal and will be laid down later in a delegated act. What is known about the emissions controls are the reductions in the levels, which will be brought in over three stages, and which would be mandatory for all new machines on 1st January 2015, 1st January 2018 and 1st January 2021 respectively. Percentage reductions over existing standards vary depending on pollutant and vehicle category, however they are generally around 25 percent, 50 percent and 75 percent reductions at first, second and third stages.
There are also suggestions that on-board diagnostic systems be included on new builds too, to further help with emissions controls. However, motorcyclist’s activist groups fear that the diagnostics will be used by law enforcement authorities to police motoring offences such as speeding, rather than for the proposed purpose of simply monitoring emissions. Changes to the single vehicle approval program already in place in the UK are planned too. Currently the approval schemes provide a route to national registration for people building their own vehicles or who import a single vehicle from outside the EU. New proposals could see an increase in the stringency of the requirements on such vehicles, placing a disproportionate burden on individuals and small companies, and significantly increasing vehicle costs. This has already happened in NSW!
Remember that our bureaucrats closely follow what happens overseas and use their legislation as an example for our legislation. Don’t be naïve and think it will never happen here!
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Originally Posted by andymac 
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