GEBE 2 stroke. Could not find answer

[sabrewalt]

Hello, I searched for this answer but could not find....I see talk of banned importation of 2 strokes. I also see that GEBE is selling Tanaka 2 strokes. Anybody know the story..

Apologize in advance if this is already covered.

Walt

 

[azbill]

good question !!!
maybe the tanaka passed epa ?

 

[gone_fishin]

the ban is related to emissions compliance, to simplify.

the tanakas are state-of-the-art (utility) 2-strokes that are compliant, utilizing catalytic conversion as required.

the 2-stroke happy-time doesn't come close.

 

[BTB Wild]

The GEBE Tanakas were not available until most recently. I just ordered mine and am patiently awaiting the arrival. GEBE said they were waiting for them to get through docking and customs. Didn't hear anything about design changes.

 

[Jim H]

Augi's right, tanaka passes californias tough regulations for cleaner emissions by catalytic conversion.

 

[gone_fishin]

BTB: no changes from what you bought and expect to get...changes were made before the engine was offered up: http://www.tanaka-usa.com/index.php?section=38

i looked, and looked...but i couln't find any chinese-happy-time emissions info

 

[beast775]

spooky tooth

there was a c.h.t bike put through certification from spooky tooth ,i saw it on there site last year it passed and i think it showed the results...

 

[bamabikeguy]

Hello, I searched for this answer but could not find....I see talk of banned importation of 2 strokes. I also see that GEBE is selling Tanaka 2 strokes. Anybody know the story..

Apologize in advance if this is already covered.

Walt

I "heard" the dirty little secret was that the Japanese consortsium, having to clean up their emissions in their homeland (the Kyoto protocol), were the primary lobbying force to get the strict California requirements enforced.

Remember back in the eighties and nineties, Tokyo residents wearing facemasks? That has been cleaned up, but the pollution blows into Japan from the Chinese coasts nowadays.

Honda, for instance, to cut costs, is outsourcing some of it's manufacturing to Thailand. But they still can't compete with Chinese labor, so the EPA emissions standards are the easiest way to either force the Chinese to upgrade OR get out of the "small engine" industry.

The 2008 Olympics in China are going to be an "awakening" to how much smog is in Peking nowadays. As fuel prices keep rising, Japanese motorcycle companies do NOT want the Chinese to even think about entering the 250cc and larger engine markets with cheap knockoffs.

It is pretty much "head 'em off at the pass" type strategy.

 

[DougC]

... As fuel prices keep rising, Japanese motorcycle companies do NOT want the Chinese to even think about entering the 250cc and larger engine markets with cheap knockoffs.

It is pretty much "head 'em off at the pass" type strategy.

As I have heard it, due to much stricter licensing exam requirements, there's very few motorcycles over 250cc in Japan anyways--the price of the motorcycles themselves hasn't got much to do with it. The motorcycles might be expensive but most people don't want to bother with passing the license exam when a 250 is so much easier.

Also we note--the Lifan engines sold by RnR Fabrication are (I believe) all 4-stroke engines already. Lifan probably makes 2-strokes but with higher fuel prices they're not nearly as attractive as they were in the past. [-Now that I think of it, the biggest Lifan engine that RnR has is a 250cc... strange coincidence, isn't it?...-]
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I think the 2-cycles time was just numbered anyway, and California tends to lead the US in new laws of all types--and LA is consistently one of the smoggiest US cities there is.

Also we note--at one time ALL outboard boat engines were two-strokes--but now, the US marine industry doesn't make any more oil-burning two strokes either. The EPA tightened emissions regulations until the 2-strokes couldn't pass. The few 2-stroke marines left that are currently being maufactured are closed-crankcase (non-oil-burning!) with fuel-injection.
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