The big question...

[Ukuvox]

Well, maybe I should say A big question
I've been lurking here for several years & this unasked question is what prompted me to finally register...Will the UCE bikes be available in California?
Belated thanks for all the entertainment & information provided by all who frequent this forum!

[Ukuvox]

...Kevin??? Anyone???

[prof_stack]

I don't think CA will allow the sale of the new RE's just yet.  Although with Euro3 passed, it seems like it should be allowed.

[Cabo Cruz]

Ukuvox, I tend to agree with Prof: "Although with Euro3 passed, it seems like it should be allowed."

[Ukuvox]

Yeah, I kinda figured that it would make sense seeing as Euro 3 meets or exceeds CARB's requirements, although state government here is not renowned for always making sense...

[UncleErnie]

I'm no lawyer, but isn't it against the law to have the words "government" and "Make sense" in the same sentence?

[Ukuvox]

I humbly stand corrected!

[rural earl]

As bad as the California state budget is these days, I wouldn't expect a quick resolution.  Which amazes me...if you're short of funds, just approve Euro 3 certification as meeting CARB standards, and let 'em in.  That's cheap.  What will probably happen is the CARB bureaucrats will say "we don't have any money, so we can't do anything", and the Royal Enfields will wait at the border.  That's expensive, because they have to spend the money eventually to say yes or no, and they forego the sales tax revenue when I buy one.  Sigh...

[Royal.Oilfield]

Sorry, this for sure isn't really an answer to your question but on the factory website you can find an article in which it is stated that the the new UCE motor even has to meet EURO IV norms in 2010.

link to article: http://www.royalenfield.com/company/news/rebulletclassic.aspx

[Kevin Mahoney]

What is interesting (at least to me) is that US standards and Euro standards cannot be laid side by side and compared. They are just plain different. There has been a move afoot to have common worldwide standards. but I don't see the US accepting that for some time if ever. As far as California is concerned other than fairly stringnet emmision standards, they require regulation of Hydro Carbon fumes from the fuel tank and carburetor. The new engine will meet CA standards with no problem except for the evaporate standards. That requires a different type of fuel tank that is sealed and not vented. It is a fairly simple thing and it takes the fumes and stores them in a canister full of activated charcola until the engine starts at which point they are recirculated into the intake system. Cars have used the system for years.
  For reasons that are beyond my comprehension REM has not wanted to engineer this system. I think mostly it is because they were unfamiliar with it.
The introduction of the EFI seems to have kicked off a sea change however. I think because so many outside world class companies were used in the design of the EFI and the C-5 that there is now a greater level of comfort on the part of the R and D department. They are sending some folks over here in February to work with some vendors to develop an evaporative control system. It is actually the easiest emission control issue of them all. The tail pipe emisssion are low already so that is not an issue.   
  We will see what happens, I am not holding my breath. i have been all over them for 10 years about this. What may have pushed them over the edge were some unsolicted comments made by the Mark Hoyer of the Cycle World staff while they were in India in October.

[Cabo Cruz]

Kevin, this is all-around good news!!!

[Kevin Mahoney]

Juan,
I have been pursuing this for over 10 years. I even cut up a CA Kawasaki W650 tanks and made a prototype as well as adding a cat and we actually still hold a  CARB certificate for the cast iron Bullet. The factory was never willing to put it into production, It isn't good news until the first bike hits the sunny shores of CA and I am not holding my breath until then. It looks like progress, it smells like progress, but is it progress?

[Cabo Cruz]

"It looks like progress, it smells like progress, but is it progress?"  KM

Well, Kevin, it works for ducks... so, I hopefully say: "One little miracle at a time."  Mother Theresa of Calcutta

A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HEALTHY, HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR TO YOU AND YOURS!!!

[cfishy]

I just saw cycle world article and went screaming at the web page when it loaded the pictures for UCE C-5. Love at the first sight knowing that i don't need to fix it every day

But I live in California. I am sorry that it's not offered here. As soon as it's offered in California, I will trade it mine and buy a red C-5. Promise.

[ace.cafe]

Since the State of California has recently gone bankrupt, maybe they won't be able to afford to sustain the past levels of bureaucratic idiocy which defines California.

This is how stupid and useless gov't regulations are.
They regulate and tax and grow bureaucracy until they can't even sustain themselves anymore, and then wonder how they got into that fix.

I say, let them go belly-up and stay belly-up, so they can't afford to implement any of their crap anymore.
The best gov't is the one that is incapable of implementing its follies.