Post by derek on Dec 2, 2012 22:38:51 GMT
MCN Lifts The Lid On A2 Bikes
2nd December 2012
As some of you are undoubtedly aware, the weekly motorcycle newspaper Motorcycle News (MCN) has had a reputation for sensationalism and for embellishing facts to grab headlines.
But something happened a few months ago, the presentation and format changed along with the editor. It was a good day for motorcycle journalism. A new focus on information, great articles and loads of technical goodies about bikes is now the substance of Motorcycle News.
Even the intrepid reporter Steve Farrell, known for his antagonistic tabloid style of writing has turned his hand to churning out pretty decent articles. Though we couldn’t help but notice a small article on page 4 “Big Bikes escape EU ban on mods”, (Old habits die hard?) just under another rather interesting and informative short article about Electronic Aids and the launch of cornering ABS by Bosch in 2013.
Moving swiftly on! In the latest copy of MCN, senior reporter Steve Farrell, writes about the new Category A2 bikes which will be on offer for the 19 year old riders restricted to 35kW or 47 bhp as of January 2013. Farrell gives the example of the Kawasaki Z800E a big bike with the official restricter kits.
According to Farrell “The firm is the first to exploit fully the rule that says A2 bikes can be restricted to 47 bhp provided they don’t make more than twice that to begin with”. He comments that the “manufacturer has cleverly made two versions of its new Z800, one that makes 120 bhp and a second – the Z800E which makes 94 bhp”. It is this second version, originally thought to be a cheaper version of the Z800, which can be restricted and therefore A2 licence compatible.
What it also means – which got lost in the “anti-tampering” campaigning that gripped the motorcycle community in the UK over the last year or so – is that after the rider moves on to a full A licence, the bike can be de-restricted from 35kW to 70kW or from 47 bhp to 94 bhp – and more importantly, the rider won’t have to go out and buy a new more powerful version.
As a Kawasaki salesman told us – it’s just a simple dealership job.
Brew Ha Ha of the “Type Approval Proposal”
For those of you who have followed the Brew Ha Ha of the “Type Approval Proposal” and the progress over the last 3 years to its entry into the statutes as a Regulation, you will have heard the claims that these bikes will have anti-tampering measures which amongst other things mean that the rider will not be able to change handlebars or air filters and so forth.
That’s a great way to put the fear into people, but the truth is that any “anti-tampering” measure will have to take into consideration the fact that these bikes can be de-restricted, which simply means that the only part of the bike that would need to be restricted would be in the engine management system (to keep the kilowatts at 35).
There are options that the Commission will need to consider: we suggested a simple indestructible label on the bike with information to read the owner’s manual and within that manual, a clear statement: “Do not tamper”.
Whatever choice the Commission makes, it will have to be cost effective for the manufacturers so that when the rider moves up to a full licence, the “simple dealership job” will be just that.
It is worth noting that these measures are expected to come into force in 2016, even though manufacturers are introducing the A2 category now in time for the change in licencing in January.
Back in October, we wrote about the decision by the European Parliament Committee (IMCO) to vote through the proposal with amendments which included the scope of the regulation - Click Here
Modified Illegally
We commented “However, the difference between the L3e-A2 (medium performance motorcycle) and the L3e-A3 (high performance motorcycle) appears to be in the management system relating to the kilowatts, so for example, Kawasaki has already announced the introduction in 2013 of their brand new Z800E. The bike is “Available either as a 70kw machine (94 bhp) or fully compliant with A2 licence regulation in its 35kw form (47 bhp)”.
Just to make a point regarding the capability of manufacturers to prevent bikes from being modified illegally or in such a way as to change the power or system of the bike, the Kawasaki Communications Manager Martin Lambert, told MCN’s Steve Farrell that although the Z800E (94 bhp) has the same overall image as the Z800 (120 bhp) “The way the exhausts connect to the headers, and the pins on the ECU are different on the two bikes, so you cannot turn a Z800E into a Z800”.
In the meantime, the MCN article reports that other manufacturers including Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and KTM, were all showcasing the new A2 version bikes at the 2012 NEC Motorcycle show.
The comments suggest that because of the lower cost of these bikes, there has been far more attention and the manufacturers predict higher sales of this category of bike.
Full article links and information on Right To Ride EU www.righttoride.eu and Right To Ride www.righttoride.co.uk
Issued by
Trevor Baird
2nd December 2012
As some of you are undoubtedly aware, the weekly motorcycle newspaper Motorcycle News (MCN) has had a reputation for sensationalism and for embellishing facts to grab headlines.
But something happened a few months ago, the presentation and format changed along with the editor. It was a good day for motorcycle journalism. A new focus on information, great articles and loads of technical goodies about bikes is now the substance of Motorcycle News.
Even the intrepid reporter Steve Farrell, known for his antagonistic tabloid style of writing has turned his hand to churning out pretty decent articles. Though we couldn’t help but notice a small article on page 4 “Big Bikes escape EU ban on mods”, (Old habits die hard?) just under another rather interesting and informative short article about Electronic Aids and the launch of cornering ABS by Bosch in 2013.
Moving swiftly on! In the latest copy of MCN, senior reporter Steve Farrell, writes about the new Category A2 bikes which will be on offer for the 19 year old riders restricted to 35kW or 47 bhp as of January 2013. Farrell gives the example of the Kawasaki Z800E a big bike with the official restricter kits.
According to Farrell “The firm is the first to exploit fully the rule that says A2 bikes can be restricted to 47 bhp provided they don’t make more than twice that to begin with”. He comments that the “manufacturer has cleverly made two versions of its new Z800, one that makes 120 bhp and a second – the Z800E which makes 94 bhp”. It is this second version, originally thought to be a cheaper version of the Z800, which can be restricted and therefore A2 licence compatible.
What it also means – which got lost in the “anti-tampering” campaigning that gripped the motorcycle community in the UK over the last year or so – is that after the rider moves on to a full A licence, the bike can be de-restricted from 35kW to 70kW or from 47 bhp to 94 bhp – and more importantly, the rider won’t have to go out and buy a new more powerful version.
As a Kawasaki salesman told us – it’s just a simple dealership job.
Brew Ha Ha of the “Type Approval Proposal”
For those of you who have followed the Brew Ha Ha of the “Type Approval Proposal” and the progress over the last 3 years to its entry into the statutes as a Regulation, you will have heard the claims that these bikes will have anti-tampering measures which amongst other things mean that the rider will not be able to change handlebars or air filters and so forth.
That’s a great way to put the fear into people, but the truth is that any “anti-tampering” measure will have to take into consideration the fact that these bikes can be de-restricted, which simply means that the only part of the bike that would need to be restricted would be in the engine management system (to keep the kilowatts at 35).
There are options that the Commission will need to consider: we suggested a simple indestructible label on the bike with information to read the owner’s manual and within that manual, a clear statement: “Do not tamper”.
Whatever choice the Commission makes, it will have to be cost effective for the manufacturers so that when the rider moves up to a full licence, the “simple dealership job” will be just that.
It is worth noting that these measures are expected to come into force in 2016, even though manufacturers are introducing the A2 category now in time for the change in licencing in January.
Back in October, we wrote about the decision by the European Parliament Committee (IMCO) to vote through the proposal with amendments which included the scope of the regulation - Click Here
Modified Illegally
We commented “However, the difference between the L3e-A2 (medium performance motorcycle) and the L3e-A3 (high performance motorcycle) appears to be in the management system relating to the kilowatts, so for example, Kawasaki has already announced the introduction in 2013 of their brand new Z800E. The bike is “Available either as a 70kw machine (94 bhp) or fully compliant with A2 licence regulation in its 35kw form (47 bhp)”.
Just to make a point regarding the capability of manufacturers to prevent bikes from being modified illegally or in such a way as to change the power or system of the bike, the Kawasaki Communications Manager Martin Lambert, told MCN’s Steve Farrell that although the Z800E (94 bhp) has the same overall image as the Z800 (120 bhp) “The way the exhausts connect to the headers, and the pins on the ECU are different on the two bikes, so you cannot turn a Z800E into a Z800”.
In the meantime, the MCN article reports that other manufacturers including Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and KTM, were all showcasing the new A2 version bikes at the 2012 NEC Motorcycle show.
The comments suggest that because of the lower cost of these bikes, there has been far more attention and the manufacturers predict higher sales of this category of bike.
Full article links and information on Right To Ride EU www.righttoride.eu and Right To Ride www.righttoride.co.uk
Issued by
Trevor Baird