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The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

Motorcycle air pollution

By Paul Crowe

A group over in Switzerland has just concluded a study and they’re pointing their finger at motorcycles as being nasty little air polluters. The study by the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research says motorcycles emit “16 times more hydrocarbons, three times more carbon monoxide and a ‘disproportionately high’ amount of other air pollutants compared to a car.” The study will be published in the Jan. 1 issue of the American Chemical Society’s journal Environmental Science & Technology. Since the study isn’t out for everyone to read, it’s hard to make much of it though I’m sure it will make the rounds on many news sites.

They said of particular worry were the high levels of hydrocarbons emitted by Japanese, German and Italian two-wheelers, since some hydrocarbons have been linked to global warming or are suspected of being carcinogenic.

Hmm … “since some hydrocarbons have been linked to global warming.” Well, that does it, global warming has been invoked, you might as well sell your bike and take up gardening, maybe you could plant a few trees. Oh, wait a minute!

Forget planting trees to negate your SUV’s contribution to global warming — according to Stanford University atmospheric scientist Ken Caldeira, forests in the wrong location can actually make the Earth hotter.

Darn! OK, back to the caves.

Update: Read part 2 on this topic.
Update 2: Read part 3 on this topic.

Reuters
Newstrack

Posted on December 23, 2005 Filed Under: Economics and Politics, Motorcycle Business, Science frontiers

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Comments

  1. Jim Fisher says

    December 23, 2005 at 10:53 am

    Perhaps they have street legal two-stoke motorcycles over there. They really are the biggest poluters, I’m sure.

  2. Kevin White says

    December 23, 2005 at 5:47 pm

    That’s always bugged me a little. The US — is it the only country which has outlawed two-strokes bigger than 50ccs?

  3. jennifer says

    December 25, 2005 at 1:14 am

    here’s a list from the article of the bikes they used in the study
    http://img379.imageshack.us/my.php?image=motorcycles0jp.png
    also for those with access to acs articles here is the doi
    dx.doi.org./10.1021/es0481023
    i’ll read up and post more later…if i remember where to find this place =)

  4. kneeslider says

    December 25, 2005 at 8:34 am

    Thanks, Jennifer!

    Motorcycle pollution studies are certain to take place more often and have greater impact over time. We might find simple techniques to reduce emissions which would be a win for everyone. I just hope all studies take into account the true impact of motorcycles, realizing how few there are compared to other sources of air pollution, vehicle and otherwise, so we don’t have huge additional costs imposed for small or practically nonexistent improvements.

  5. jennifer says

    December 25, 2005 at 11:39 am

    the study was done quite well, in my opinion. though another of my motorcycle friends argues that it is completely irrelevant to the united states because we have far fewer 2-wheeled vehicles.
    the researchers measured the emissions and then averaged it out for how many miles a cycle goes vs. a car (so they said the cycle does less miles and therefore less emissions) and the cycles still were a signifcant polutant. for instance the NOx emissions of cycles accounted for 1/5 of the overall emissions of all NOx despite the fact that they did not account for 1/5 of the overall mileage of vehicles. the study was well done and it doesn’t say that motorcycles are the evil pollutors it just says that manufacturers should pay more attention when they install emission control systems (the same type of system used in a car is implemented in the honda and bmw motorcycles used in the study but the motorcycles’ systems did not work as well) and motorcycles should be maintenced better instead of ignoring emissions when they are maintainenced.

  6. kneeslider says

    December 25, 2005 at 5:33 pm

    I added a whole new entry commenting on the motorcycles used in the study. Read part 2 on this topic.

  7. Brenda says

    July 13, 2007 at 7:33 pm

    Hey there fellow and gal riders,
    I am doing an essay on this very topic. The information is wonderful. I have only started my research and was wandering if you may have any other sites, faxs or info for me.
    I own a HD 04’Fat boy, love it. much better on gas than my F150.
    Thank you so much,
    Brenda

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