If you’re like me, you don’t spend much time reading government documents, but once in awhile, one comes along you should at least be familiar with. Last week, the EPA wrote a Letter of Guidance clarifying their rules that apply to kit motorcycles and custom motorcycles. The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) had met with the EPA earlier this year to get more information about new EPA regulations and how they applied to kit and custom bikes since there seemed to be a lot of talk and confusion on that issue and no one really understood what the rules said. Since many of The Kneeslider’s readers are interested in building motorcycles, these regulations affect you.
When the EPA wrote their new air quality rules for motorcycles, they placed restrictions on kit bikes and custom motorcycles and had a specific idea in mind of what each class of motorcycle was:
Kit bikes are motorcycles typically built by individuals using off-the-shelf components, while custom bikes are generally show bikes built by a business and sold to a customer.
Under the regulations, a person is allowed only one kit motorcycle in their lifetime that is exempt from meeting EPA emissions requirements. For custom motorcycles, a builder may create and sell up to 24 bikes a year that don’t meet EPA emissions requirements, but those machines must be labeled as exempt and are show bikes that only rarely may be ridden.
There is a way to build a bike without triggering the “one per lifetime” rule for a kit motorcycle and that is to use an EPA certified engine in the motorcycle, provided it is installed in the configuration in which it was approved by the EPA, which means with the same exhaust system, same carburetors or fuel injection, however the package was originally set up. In that case, you can build as many bikes as you want. This would apply to custom motorcycles as well.
The engine must also be installed to operate in the same or lower engine rpm in relation to vehicle speed, and no greater vehicle weight than specified in the original test.
The installation must follow instructions included with the engine which contain:
a description of the fuel tank, fuel lines, vapor lines, fuel cap, gaskets, fittings, O-rings and other permeable components that must be installed on the vehicle, which may be the components previously certified for that vehicle by a highway motorcycle manufacturer, or a fuel tank and fuel line that meet EPA evaporative requirements through exemption (e.g. steel tanks) or through EPA design-based certification. For engines to be installed as part of a kit, the kit must include a fuel tank and fuel line that meet EPA evaporative requirements through exemption (e.g. steel tanks) or through EPA design-based certification.
If a catalytic converter was specified, that must be installed, too.
So what does it all mean?
Building your own motorcycle just became a whole lot more complex, if you want to do everything your own way you can, … once. If you want to build more than one, prepare to follow the rules.
Engine builders will need to pass increasingly stringent EPA emission testing before they can sell their engines and will need to carefully detail the installation parameters to keep the engine EPA legal in any given motorcycle. Smaller engine builders may have it very tough since the added costs of meeting these rules cannot be spread over a large number of engines.
There will probably be some room for interpretation of the “show bikes that only rarely may be ridden” portion of the description defining custom motorcycles.
If I read the rules correctly, (if someone knows otherwise, please let me know) motorcycles built prior to 1980 are not affected by these new or any EPA regulations. If engine work is important to you and you get a lot of your enjoyment from that aspect of the build, start rebuilding and restoring pre-1980 vintage bikes.
Link: AMA
Link: EPA clarification letter (pdf)
C. J. Luke, III says
The easier way is to buy a titled junker and ‘rebuild’ it. “Re-build” as in make a completely new bike using that title.
todd says
the problem with building up a junker is that you need to retain at least a major portion of the original frame (with the VIN) and the original engine cases. This is usually how people do it any way.
If you wanted to go all out custom why use “kit” frames or aftermarket engines in the first place? There are so many extremely capable stock bikes around these days, even used, that would be prime candidates fo a custom. Hmmm, pick up a used TLR or Super Hawk for cheap and you already have an excellent EPA legal motor with ample power (and more power available with performance parts) and a well handling frame with top rate suspension. If you’re into cruser/choppers donors are a dime a dozen and there are plenty of configurations to chose from (as opposed to one).
-todd
hoyt says
Darwin theory will prevail again. There will still be plenty of legit engines to be had….at what price, though? The aftermarket big twins already carry a steep price when you consider they cost more than some crate car engines.
Isn’t the V-Rod motor (Revolution Engine) available as a crate motor?
hoyt says
Triumph should sell the 675 triple as a crate motor
mark says
Triumph should also sell the 1050 triple and the 865 parallel twin as crate motors. But bear in mind that most crate motors are motors only, whereas all Triumph engines and most of the rest of the industry’s engines are unit construction with integrated transmissions. Not necessarily a barrier to selling the engine/tranny as a crate unit, but a lot of the custom builders seem to like to pick the transmission of their choice.
At any rate, there are so many beat up old ’60s and ’70s UJMs out there that people should have plenty of donor bikes for a long time to come. How many people can really afford to build a custom out of all-new components anyway?
The bigger issue I see is that the EPA and DOT could begin cracking down on aftermarket products for newer bikes. I for one don’t want to be stuck with the stock pipes that come on bikes nowadays.
I can see a cottage industry developing of rebuilding EPA-exempt bikes with fully rehabbed engines, modern suspension, strengthened frame, etc. A ’70s CB750 could be turned into a pretty awesome bike with a little effort…
eddie says
Does anyone know what the cost is to get an EPA and DOT certification to approve a new line of custom motorcycles to sell in the U.S.?
How long does it take? what are the procedures?
Are there any other certifications that are needed for us to build custom
bikes, and to sell them?
According to the article, if you get an approved EPA engine configuration,
exhaust, carburetor etc. we can modify the appearance to call it a different
model, without having to get another EPA approval?
My email is tekkjunky@yahoo.com
thanks for any help.
tim abbey says
So you can build your own bike thats cool so why cant we build our own cars
todd says
What’s to stop you from building your own car? People have been building Kit cars for years. I believe they have many of the same construction and environmental restraints and regulations as bikes. The problem with a kit car is that it needs to be legit and pass regular smog checks whereas the EPA accepts your word that your bike is clean.
-todd
FatherBear says
Re: Does anyone know what the cost is to get an EPA and DOT certification to approve a new line of custom motorcycles to sell in the U.S.?
Seems like it’s ~$30,000 to have the EPA check out a model; that’s pass or fail. If I were paying, I’d want to err on the side of caution. Check out the EPS website; it’s a real jungle.
360Scott360 says
I have heard that you can purchase a Kawasaki ZX14 motor package, completely emission passed, for around 5-6 grand, exhaust, electronics and all. 196 HP. Who needs more than that? It seems to me to be an easy decision. Unless of course you ‘need’ that v-twin vibration…….
Jerel says
FYI.for anyone who wishes to purchase a built kit bike in the state of Georgia. The law has changed that you can NOT title a custom bike, shop built or kit form. I had a kit bike built last spring and still I cant get a title. I have contact my local State REP. and he with a few others are creating a new bill to be presented to both houses next year.
So, in the mean time, my bike sits..There is more to this story..
lostone says
so i need to know can you still build a bike in ga or are you better off to do a rebuild on a salvage bike can anyone tell me