California Air Resources Board

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) administers a program for reducing emissions from On-Road Motorcycles (ONMC).  Current emissions limits for ONMCs are given in California Code of Regulations (CCR), title 13, sections 1958 (exhaust) and 1976 (evaporative).  The California exhaust emission test procedures are adopted from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (U.S. EPA's) exhaust test procedures, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), title 40, part 86, subparts E and F.

Requirements for ONMC certification include provisions for demonstrating compliance with the applicable emission standards using specific test procedures, as well as emission labeling and warranty obligations.

Looking to the future, CARB’s Mobile Source Strategy calls for an 80% reduction in smog forming emissions in the South Coast and a 45% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions statewide.  In order to reach these goals, it is important that CARB seek the most cost effective emissions reductions across all mobile source categories, including ONMC. 

CARB staff are currently in the preliminary stages of developing new regulations for ONMC.  An ONMC workshop was held in April 2018 to discuss potential harmonization with the recently adopted European Union (EU) standards for motorcycles.  Technical Working Groups with CARB staff and a broad representation of industry stakeholders began meeting in June 2018 to work through challenges related to harmonization, with the goal of developing new emissions standards for ONMC starting with the 2024 model year.