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| Honda, since its foundation, has been developing motorcycles equipped with 4-stroke engines that are clean and excellent in fuel economy. In recent years, we have accelerated the application of 4-stroke engines to scooters, including the GIORNO Crea. In addition, we decided to expand the application of the programmed fuel injection (PGM-FI) system that had been limited to large motorcycles and, in 2004, applied the system to cheaper 50 cc vehicles. We are now implementing measures to improve the environmental performance of all classes by achieving the following new targets: to apply the PGM-FI system to all Honda scooters sold in Japan by the end of fiscal 2007 and to apply the system to most Honda models sold throughout the world by the end of 2010. |
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The world’s first exhaust emissions regulations for motorcycles
were adopted in the United States in 1978. Since then, other countries have followed
suit. Japan has introduced motorcycle exhaust emission regulations in stages since
1998. Even before such regulations were established, Honda has been developing
its very own technologies to achieve cleaner exhaust gases. These technologies
are used in a variety of its motor-cycles.
For example, with the PGM-FI, which is a light and
compact fuel injection system that provides optimal air-fuel ratio, we have achieved
cleaner combustion. Furthermore, we introduced a secondary air injection system
to inject fresh air into the exhaust gas immediately after it is discharged from
the combustion chamber to promote the combustion of unburned gas. In 1998, we
equipped the VFR800FI (made for the European market) with a 3-way catalytic converter
system called HECS3, which Honda developed independently. As a result, we have
complied with the exhaust emissions regulations in Europe, the U.S., and Japan,
achieving emissions far below the regulation standards. |
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To introduce exhaust gas cleaning technologies for automobiles
to compact motorcycles, we needed to solve a number of problems in terms of technologies
and cost. Despite these difficulties, Honda has been transferring its advanced
technologies, such as PGM-FI, to motorcycles, first targeting large motorcycles
and then gradually expanding the target to include smaller ones. For example,
the SILVER WING, released in 2001, is equipped with PGM-FI for the first time
as a 600 cc model, which has reduced the CO and HC contained in the exhaust gas
to approximately half of the regulation standards. Subsequently, we applied the PGM-FI system to the Pantheon (125 cc and 150 cc scooters released in Europe) in 2003 and, in 2004, to the Forza X and Forza Z (250 cc scooters) and to the Smart Dio Z4 (50 cc scooter). |
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Honda has also been making efforts to achieve cleaner exhaust
gases for scooters, which are popular as a simple means of transportation and
are sold in large quantities. For example, in 1998, we adopted the oxidation catalyzer
that we independently developed to the LEAD to reduce its CO and HC emissions
to half or one-third of those from the previous model. Starting with the GIORNO
Crea, equipped with a water-cooled 4-stroke 50 cc engine released in June 1999,
we have also been introducing our advanced exhaust gas cleaning technologies to
scooters, naming 4-stroke engines characterized with four advantages (clean, silent,
economical, and tough) “Clean 4.” We have applied water-cooled 50 cc engines
to scooters, although the adoption of such engines is said to be difficult for
scooters with small displacements. Combined with the adoption of very small air
injection systems, the CO and HC emissions from these scooters have been reduced
to approximately half of the regulation standards. To reduce exhaust emissions
and to improve fuel economy, we are also dynamically introducing the “idle
stop system,” which automatically stops the engine when the motorcycle comes
to a standstill (e.g. at traffic lights) and restarts the engine when the rider
opens the throttle. |
| *Clean4 : |
“Clean” (efficient gasoline combustion),
“Economy” (high fuel economy),
“Silent” (high quietness), and
“Tough” (high durability) |
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Although the PGM-FI system is indispensable for automobiles,
the application of this system is limited to large motorcycles because it is difficult
to apply it to cheaper motorcycles in terms of cost and technology. Despite the difficulty, we applied the world’s first PGM-FI system for 4-stroke 50 cc motorcycles to the Smart Dio Z4 in 2004. We will further expand the application of the system to set the standards for motorcycles in the 21st century. |
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