AMA Applauds Efforts to Extend Emissions Comment Deadline

AMA Applauds Efforts to Extend Emissions Comment Deadline

PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) praised three
Illinois congressmen for asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to
extend the comment deadline on the agency's proposed emissions standards for
road-going motorcycles.

In a letter to the EPA, Republican Congressmen Timothy Johnson, Donald Manzullo
and John Shimkus asked that the comment deadline of Nov. 8 be extended to Jan.
8, 2003.

"The cost-effectiveness and safety issues regarding this proposed rule are the
primary, though certainly not the sole, areas of concern raised by small
business owners, motorcycle riders, and other stakeholders in our districts,"
the congressmen wrote. "The seriousness of these concerns warrants additional
time to review and comment on the proposed regulations.

"Three months is simply insufficient time for affected parties to thoroughly
examine -- and EPA to properly address -- the impact it will have on our
constituents," the letter said.

Edward Moreland, AMA vice president for government relations, noted that the AMA
has been involved in the rule-making process from the beginning, including
testifying before EPA officials on Sept. 17.

"EPA officials have been receptive to the suggestions of riders during this long
rule-making process, which began nearly two years ago," Moreland said, "and we
sincerely hope that the EPA will continue its course of considering the needs of
riders by granting this comment deadline extension."

The EPA is about to implement revised national emissions standards for new road
motorcycles that would require those bikes to meet strict emissions standards
beginning with 2006 models. The federal standards would be the same as those
adopted by the state of California, but would go into effect two years after
California's standards.

The first tier of the new national standards would go into effect in 2006 and
the second tier would be in place for 2010.

The new national emissions standards are expected to result in an increased use
of fuel injection and catalytic converters on new motorcycles. Some motorcycles
sold in the United States already meet California's strict 2008 standards, which
is the same as the planned federal EPA 2010 standard.

The new California standard that begins with the 2004 model year, and the
planned federal standard that would take effect for the 2006 model year, require
new motorcycles to emit no more than 1.4 grams per kilometer traveled of
hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides and 12 grams per kilometer of carbon monoxide.

The current federal emissions standards for street motorcycles are 5.0 grams of
hydrocarbons and 12 grams of carbon monoxide per kilometer traveled.

The EPA is accepting written comments on its proposed street motorcycle
emissions rules until Nov. 8. You can e-mail comments to mcnprm@epa.gov, or go
to the Rapid Response Center at the AMA website at www.AMADirectlink.com to send
comments. You can see the proposed rules in the "Protecting Your Right to Ride"
part of the website.

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The American Motorcyclist Association is a nonprofit organization with more than
250,000 members.  Established in 1924, the Association's purpose is to pursue,
protect and promote the interests of motorcyclists, while serving the needs of
its members. For more information, visit the AMA website at
www.AMADirectlink.com.