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CorriganJ |
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CorriganJ Scooby Slapper
Joined: 04 Apr 2019 Karma :
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Posted: 06:02 - 30 Jul 2023 Post subject: Still Worth Buying and Older Bike? Emissions? |
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Hi all, I have been living abroad for 5 years, just come back to the UK, and notice there are starting to be more clean air zones and low emissions zones.
I was wondering what the general feeling was about if it's worth buying an older bike still, or if it will become impossible to drive them soon? I don't live in a major city, so I guess it's not an immediate concern, but it is on my mind - will older, more polluting bikes get banned or made impossible to drive in the next few years?
Specifically thinking of buying an old Transalp 600. Not a super expensive bike, so I guess if I get a few years out of it then I've "got my money's worth" so to speak, but still, seems silly to buy something if I know that it's going to be phased out soon.
So, is there still fun to be had in old bikes? Cheers! ____________________ 1991 RD04 |
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MCN |
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MCN Super Spammer
Joined: 22 Jul 2015 Karma :
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Easy-X |
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Easy-X Super Spammer
Joined: 08 Mar 2019 Karma :
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Mario_Kempes |
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Mario_Kempes Trackday Trickster
Joined: 13 Jun 2013 Karma :
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Bhud |
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Bhud World Chat Champion
Joined: 11 Oct 2018 Karma :
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Posted: 14:23 - 30 Jul 2023 Post subject: |
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It's an immediate concern. I live close by the border of where the expanded ULEZ will be, and it was a few years ago when cameras went up everywhere along many streets, without explanation and without anyone even seeming to notice. They are not ULEZ cameras but as I don't know what they are, I assume they will be an anticipated part of a future infrastructure which will involve all sorts of restrictions, road pricing, etc. Every city in the country is getting the infrastructure installed to make it easy to go from "I'm alright Jack" to "what happened to my exemption" to "what do you mean I can't ride it any more under any circumstances". I like to think I can see these things coming a few years in advance. If the technology can do it, then the battle is getting it up there and installed, which they've done. The easiest bit is a sudden pulling of the rug under your feet by a political move, so I expect that's probably a done deal and is being saved for last.
Here is the current UK government policy on CAZs:
https://www.gov.uk/clean-air-zones
It's just a website. It is what it is until they change it. It's an unstable situation. Like Twitter changing to "X" overnight - one day, just like that, BOOM. All different.
It may still be worth getting it, just to enjoy for the next couple of years. But in the meantime I should expect it will affect you because an unfavourable policy shift is a few keystrokes away, and it's a small country and the outskirts of cities are important means of getting anywhere on a bike, even just for leisure. |
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stinkwheel |
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stinkwheel Bovine Proctologist
Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :
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Posted: 19:20 - 30 Jul 2023 Post subject: |
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Most of them pass the emissions test if you have them tested privately anyway. They are testing for nitrous oxides, not hydrocarbons. There's a guy on the Practical Sportsbikes FB group whos 1980's yamaha 2-stroke passed the London ULEZ test.
Nitrous is particularly bad from engines running a lean burn for reducing unburned hydrocarbon emissions and fuel efficiency. Older carbed bikes tend to run on the rich side anyway and didn't give a shit about efficiency, it was all about stuffing as much fuel in as you could burn so you got the power output. Anyone whos followed a group of 90's sportsbikes having the tatties thrashed off them will have noticed a pervasive smell of unburned fuel.
I'm also reasonably sure you could tweak the carb and timing settings before putting one through the test in the style of VW defeat devices. ____________________ “Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles. |
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