If you stick around long enough you will find...The Classic's come back.
We all remember the power limited FJs sold in the JDM, French and Swiss markets.
Now the EU wants to go a step further with their "Intelligent Speed Assistance".
https://www.visordown.com/news/industry/european-parliament-seek-introduce-speed-limiter-safety-motorcycles (https://www.visordown.com/news/industry/european-parliament-seek-introduce-speed-limiter-safety-motorcycles)
Not sure if this will be retroactive, if not, it's a good reason to hold on to an older bike.
The EU agreed with the FEM that motorcycles would be excluded from the IS regulations, over 2 years ago, after hearing evidence of the danger IS posed if fitted to motorcycles (sudden loss of control over the throttle mid corner for example).
Then, they promptly went ahead anyway and ignored all the evidence. Those beaurocrats are a danger to us all and this is the thin end of the wedge. Let's just hope the rest of the world sees sense and doesn't follow suit !!
Riders,
When I was living on Okinawa (i.e. Japan), I bought a nice little van. I discovered that all cars there had a warning alarm (it sounded like tiny bing-bong door bells) like you find on some USA cars. The speed alarm sounded constantly when you were driving faster than the national speed limit of 55 mph (88kph). Inspection laws imposed huge penalties for removal or any tampering with the speed alarm.
Brace yourself, folks. A GPS tracker (or similar) can be used by parents, insurance companies, or law enforcement for any vehicle. Some insurance companies offer discounts for the drivers they track. There is already a "black box" in most recent cars that you can't disconnect because it is part of the airbag system. After a wreck, the insurance people download the "black box" info, before accepting any claim.
I believe the FJs pre-date the "black boxes" anyway; I don't know if newer bikes will have the "black box" or not.
There are things like the car makers online rescue and tracking systems (especially in Tesla's) that already mean you can be traced any time you start your car and it won't be long before these are standard "benefits" in every car.
From what I read and believe, these aren't yet available on bikes except possibly of you opt for built in Nav systems on some of the latest big adventure bikes (but that might be wrong).
The in-car black boxes were/are a double edged sword, as has been said, but even worse of that very soon because the public have been conditioned to accept them (on the basis of discounts to have them), the insurance companies will turn it around and penalise anyone who doesn't have one -basically making insurance unaffordable unless you have one. Then the insurance companies will demand access to your driving data (some already do here) to determine if you are a "safe enough" driver for them to re-insure you. It's too late to stop this, it will come to us all, just some later than others.
Technology is bringing about the end of freedom as we know it. We will be the last generation of adults to have lived our lives without being fully tracked and penalised instantly and automatically when we stray from the norm - and it's all being done under the banner of public safety !
Ride your FJ's long and hard, before you no longer can - and resist buying anything with a built-in tracking system as long as you possibly can :good2:
Quote from: Pat Conlon on October 18, 2021, 06:55:13 PM
If you stick around long enough you will find...The Classic's come back.
We all remember the power limited FJs sold in the JDM, French and Swiss markets.
Now the EU wants to go a step further with their "Intelligent Speed Assistance".
https://www.visordown.com/news/industry/european-parliament-seek-introduce-speed-limiter-safety-motorcycles (https://www.visordown.com/news/industry/european-parliament-seek-introduce-speed-limiter-safety-motorcycles)
Not sure if this will be retroactive, if not, it's a good reason to hold on to an older bike.
With the number of speed cameras, both mobile and fixed, already installed around EU and that will (for sure) be installed in the years to come, speeding will be an expensive option.
It's not just speeding Balky, if they get there own way we won't even be able to use aftermarket brake pads, let alone exhaust, carb parts, shock absorbers, even Renthsl handlebars will be outlawed :Facepalm:
Quote from: Millietant on October 28, 2021, 09:03:28 AM
It's not just speeding Balky, if they get there own way we won't even be able to use aftermarket brake pads, let alone exhaust, carb parts, shock absorbers, even Renthsl handlebars will be outlawed :Facepalm:
They already practicaly outlawed all the modifications on the bikes through MOT requirements. In Croatia they are trying to copy Germany in that regard, but stricter. Now you think five times over before you buy an aftermarket exhaust. In Slovenia and Austria, for example, police will remove your vehicle from traffic if they find out you have an aftermarket exhaust which doesn't have an E number and has been entered in the Traffic licence.
So, the things you are talking about have been here for a long time.
And yes, of course you are not allowed to use aftermarket brake pads. Good thing is they are not checking it so we get by. Changing brake calipers is out of question. Same thing with suspension, mirrors, handlebars, foot rests, even licence plate holders.
I've asked myself for a long time how they now it. But any one can google the bike nowadays and see the factory looks. Anything out of the ordinary at first glance often results in thorough inspection.
Even things with E numbers will be outlawed Balky - only OE Manufacturer parts will be allowed.
As you say, our MOT test already picks up many things, but parts with E numbers are currently acceptable, under these new rules, they won't be.
Holy smokes, those restrictions sound extreme, I'm glad I live in Arizona.
If you modify your exhaust system, by all means, hold on to your oem exhaust cans.
Tuck them away, because you might end up needing them.
Thanks to those asshole open pipe Harley riders, we all suffer.
The new Anti Tampering Regs are draconian in the extreme and all being done under the guise of "protecting the environment" and "improving safety" - but with the underlying aim of eliminating freedom of choice to engage in what some call "anti-social" behaviour, such as riding a motorcycle, or being in control of a car.
The future is bleak !!!! Enjoy life now, while we still can.
The problem is you can't even move to where it's still OK to be free. Once the market place is mostly captured by the lords of "no fun", the manufacturers pretty much have to comply. Here in the States California is about 20+% of the market. Once they deem something unacceptable the rest of country pretty much is doomed. Look at any product you buy anymore and I'll almost guarantee there's a prop 65 warning on it that it might cause cancer. That warning is so ubiquitous it has no meaning. :dash2:
I'll go "full knuckle head"......I was just looking at a pocket knife with a SS blade. It had a prop 65 warning that nickle was known in the state of California to cause cancer. Who woulda thunk it? Now I have to throw out all my flatware not to mention the gooberment will have to recall all the nickles. Doomed I tell ya...we're all doomed!
Perhaps I should have put this in the jokes thread...... :Facepalm:
Quote from: Pat Conlon on November 02, 2021, 12:06:20 PM
Holy smokes, those restrictions sound extreme, I'm glad I live in Arizona.
If you modify your exhaust system, by all means, hold on to your oem exhaust cans.
Tuck them away, because you might end up needing them.
Thanks to those asshole open pipe Harley riders, we all suffer.
I seem to remember a really nice guy that rode an FJ from Idaho to Palm Desert California with a straight header and no can :lol:
Quote from: Carson City Paul on November 03, 2021, 12:02:58 PM
Quote from: Pat Conlon on November 02, 2021, 12:06:20 PM
Holy smokes, those restrictions sound extreme, I'm glad I live in Arizona.
If you modify your exhaust system, by all means, hold on to your oem exhaust cans.
Tuck them away, because you might end up needing them.
Thanks to those asshole open pipe Harley riders, we all suffer.
I seem to remember a really nice guy that rode an FJ from Idaho to Palm Desert California with a straight header and no can :lol:
Yes, but it was your FJ so it was exempt. :shout:
That was a cool reaction from that group of Harley riders in the parking lot, when you fired up your open pipe FJ.....You said "Hey Pat, watch this"....their reaction reminded me of a group of prairie dogs all poking their heads up at once. A wicked sound indeed from your open 4 into 1 Kerker......
Yep, Paul told Ron and myself the open pipe story over a glass of wine. Another piece of Fj lore, right there.
I would like to say something clever and cutting about the EU regs featured in this thread, but I've not read the article as yet.
Besides, it'll doubtless make me angry and bitter, so I'll wait till the end of the school week.
Needless to say, without reading it, I can kinda guess at the general angle; laws manufactured by bureaucrats who've never even sat on a bike. I half remember a safety directive aimed at banning smoked visors or some other piece of biking kit. To prove their point they conducted elaborate experiments using some yellow crosses painted on the road and simulated conditions that bore no relation to situations that a bike riding fellow would never ordinarily come up against. Based on this pseudo scientific approach a misguided piece of legislation was crafted, which ultimately got shredded by some British bikers rights org.
Anyway in summary, like what others have said; ride it while you can
Quote from: andyoutandabout on November 03, 2021, 06:55:55 PM
Yep, Paul told Ron and myself the open pipe story over a glass of wine. Another piece of Fj lore, right there.
I would like to say something clever and cutting about the EU regs featured in this thread, but I've not read the article as yet.
Besides, it'll doubtless make me angry and bitter, so I'll wait till the end of the school week.
Needless to say, without reading it, I can kinda guess at the general angle; laws manufactured by bureaucrats who've never even sat on a bike. I half remember a safety directive aimed at banning smoked visors or some other piece of biking kit. To prove their point they conducted elaborate experiments using some yellow crosses painted on the road and simulated conditions that bore no relation to situations that a bike riding fellow would never ordinarily come up against. Based on this pseudo scientific approach a misguided piece of legislation was crafted, which ultimately got shredded by some British bikers rights org.
Anyway in summary, like what others have said; ride it while you can
The dark visor ban didn't get defeated Andy, it was put in place.
The helmet makers got around it by having the pull down "sun-visors" (much like those that jet fighter pilots have), behind their normal clear visors which riders can push up as soon as conditions dictate without raising their exterior visor. The EU law makers accepted this as a compliant option for riders.
Ok another piece of the puzzle solved. I picked up a nice Nolan lid for my UK, TT adventure in 2018 and it came with one of those funky flip down shades. If worked real well and I then wondered why a top brand like Arai ( the lid I have for the US) didn't have such a useful feature. So well done manufacturers for circumnavigating that one.