The Gold Wing® is a wonderful example. The fuel-injected 1832cc opposed six-cylinder engine produces an incredible 118 horsepower and 125 lb./ft. of torque while easily meeting the 2008 California Air Resources Board (CARB) motorcycle emissions standards, the toughest in America, years ahead of schedule. With just one model for all 50 states, Gold Wing riders have the satisfaction of knowing they have the largest, most powerful and cleanest touring engine ever put in a motorcycle.
For 2004 and beyond, more Hondas, including the impressive ST™1300, will meet the 2008 CARB emissions standards. How does Honda do it?
As the world's acknowledged four-stroke technology leader, Honda has applied its vast knowledge, acquired in the development of low-emissions automobile engines and outboard motors, to high-performance motorcycle engine design. The same outside-the-box thinking that brought forth the lean-burn CVCC Civic engine in 1973 has been applied to Honda's motorcycles, scooters and ATVs. And, with Honda's advanced low-emissions technology, these engines maintain Honda's renowned power and rideability.
Adapting clean running technology to motorcycles poses unique design challenges. Motorcycle engines must preserve the open, attractive mechanical design valued so highly by customers. For Honda street bikes, the answer lies with very compact, computer-controlled electronic fuel injection and digital ignition systems. Three-way, closed-loop exhaust catalysts are also employed with no unsightly sacrifice to the essential beauty of the motorcycle's design.
In the off-road arena, Honda is also committed to building clean-running engines. CARB has set the toughest standards in the United States and Honda has responded. Honda's CARB-compliant ATV models are sold in all 50 states. Honda's line of off-road motorcycles is also available in CARB-compliant versions.
Not surprisingly, Honda's line of personal watercraft--the AquaTrax™--introduces low-emissions four-stroke engine technology into a market dominated by dirtier and less efficient two-stroke engines. Four-stroke technology is now recognized as the best way to reduce marine exhaust emissions and Honda's AquaTrax will meet the standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the year 2006.
Engineering. Performance. Leadership. The Honda Way for the 21st century provides industry-leading engineering that not only satisfies our passion for riding, it satisfies our need to maintain the environmental quality so important to the experience of motorcycling.