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Emissions form a Bike Engine
phil_far - 13/1/09 at 07:12 AM

All,
Is there a reliable source with data on bike engine emissions? The reason I am asking is that its getting a bit more complex to register the car here in Malta! Its a long story to write but it simply does not make sense. I will probably be charged over £3000 for registering my fireblade locost!

bob tatt - 13/1/09 at 07:19 AM

ouch
try the data on the manufcturer sites

clutch_kick - 13/1/09 at 09:33 AM

Phil ... I've been through all that already. You're not going to find any CO2 figures in g/km for any bike engine.

Although to be honest, it has become extremely unfair for an amateur builder to register a car. Ideally it would have been left the old way, according to the engine capacity.

Let's meet up and talk about it. We could always find a loophole in the new botched-up laws.

idl1975 - 13/1/09 at 09:35 AM

I very much doubt you will get anything useful from their websites, although perhaps you will get lucky.

At the risk of being obvious, try talking to Honda UK or the Honda concessionaire in Malta. They might be willing to help out.

I have in my build file evidence from Honda UK relating to the year of manufacture of my 'blade engine, so someone there might be willing or able to assist (even if it's for a fee). It's not beyond their ken that someone might use their engines for a kit car, so they might have someone willing and able to find the info for you.


quote:
Originally posted by phil_far
All,
Is there a reliable source with data on bike engine emissions? The reason I am asking is that its getting a bit more complex to register the car here in Malta! Its a long story to write but it simply does not make sense. I will probably be charged over £3000 for registering my fireblade locost!

BenB - 13/1/09 at 01:08 PM

Even if you found the CO2 kg/km (or whatever the unit is) for the engine in the bike it will be completely different to that same engine in a car anyway.

Can't you measure mpg at a constant speed and convert mpg that into CO2. After all isn't MPG and CO2/km kind of linked (unless you're chucking out tons of CO)....

gingerprince - 13/1/09 at 01:12 PM

quote:
Originally posted by clutch_kick
You're not going to find any CO2 figures in g/km for any bike engine.


Impossible. Any quoted figures you did find would only be applicable to a fireblade engine in a fireblade. A fireblade engine in a locost chassis would have completely different figures due to weight, drag, gearing etc. Sounds like your beurocrats shafting you

BenB - 13/1/09 at 01:14 PM

Here we go:

A kilogram of petrol, diesel, kerosene and the like in a vehicle leads to approximately 3.15 kg of CO2 emissions

Therefore get your MPG figure and do the maths....

You'ld need a long straight road at constant speed to work out the MPG (unless they'll take a figure from a long rolling road session)....

clutch_kick - 13/1/09 at 02:16 PM

quote:
Sounds like your beurocrats shafting you


Thanks for emphasising the point!

Here's the deal, I am in the same situation as phil. They basically told me that they will use the donor vehicle's emissions figure to register the Kitcar on the road. Hence me having to change idea from a ZZR1400 engine to the F20C.

The Honda Lump makes 236g of co2/km. Still a lot but at least I am not in the top tier of registration and road taxation. having said that I will still have to pay something in the region of 65% of the total build cost ( your own labour included ) as registration tax, just to get a set of number plates!!

failing to provide any documented proof of the engines CO2 levels at the SVA, they will slap you with the max tax. Anything over 72% and over.

If it weren't for the relaxed lifestyle and the weather i'd hate this country to bits!

EDIT: P.S. After all that tax from motor vehicles, our roads still remain some of the shittiest in Europe. How's that for justice in a supposedly European Union Country?


[Edited on 13/1/09 by clutch_kick]

matt_claydon - 13/1/09 at 03:00 PM

quote:
Originally posted by BenB
Here we go:

A kilogram of petrol, diesel, kerosene and the like in a vehicle leads to approximately 3.15 kg of CO2 emissions

Therefore get your MPG figure and do the maths....

You'll need a long straight road at constant speed to work out the MPG (unless they'll take a figure from a long rolling road session)....


Not quite, official fuel con / CO2 figures are based on a drive cycle involving various acceleration, deceleration and cruise phases. There is no way you could effectively replicate it on the road.

It seems bizarre to base tax for a self build on the donor figures which bear absolutely no relation to the values that will be acheived in the kit.

MK9R - 13/1/09 at 04:35 PM

Maybe a bit extreme, but how about registering it in the UK and "importing" it to malta??

clutch_kick - 13/1/09 at 05:14 PM

All the same ... no emissions figure on the SVA (UK) certificate ... Top Tax Band.

lovely huh ?

phil_far - 13/1/09 at 05:47 PM

Guys,
Thanks for your interest as usual. Our governement is using the 'green' buzz word to hide his management inefficiencies and squeezing every pound from us! Nevertheless I have been building my car for the last 7 years (yes I know its about f...n time I got it ready) and I am determined more then ever to put in on the road this year..

Clutch Kick: I am sure we find a loop hole, after a brain storming session in my gargage!

lococost - 13/1/09 at 05:47 PM

If you know an official Honda suplier in Malta, buy him a beer and try making up an official paper for him to put on a nice stamp and a signature. For the burocrats it often doesnt matter if what's on your document is true to life, it just needs to look official so they can feel like they have done a professional job.

phil_far - 13/1/09 at 05:51 PM

Wonderful idea......

I am sure we will work out something. No tax or governement is going to spoil my fun!!!