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Giles wrote: "...hasn't Calif banned 2 stroke sales there or is planning on doing so?"

I don't think so, Giles. There was a bill - CA Bill #2439 - called the Bowen bill in 1998 that banned two-strokes over 10bhp from use on lakes and waterways. The goal was to prevent the direct discharge of fuel and oil into the water, as well as decrease airborne emissions. There has been talk of banning two-stroke snowmobiles in some states. And there is always talk of banning two-stroke lawncare equipment. AMA District 36 was fighting CARB restrictions on two-strokes in the late 1990's and lost. But I'm not sure of the exact details on this. I don't know if it pertained to closed-course competition or just the public lands where you needed a Green Sticker.

But there are a few things to keep in mind about this. First, all regulations at the State and Federal level are largely written by lobbyists. And lobbyists come from business. It's far more likely that Honda (or whatever other companies stood to gain from the move) informed CARB than vice versa. But CA's target was outboards. Motorcycles were collateral damage. So it's also likely that Honda merely capitalized on this and worked to influence the motorcycle ruling bodies to their own benefit.

Second, the issue is emissions, both direct and indirect. CARB used EPA data from the early 1990's to prove that two-stroke engines produced 8x the emissions of a four-stroke. That data is now over 15 years old. And the real problem was two-fold: the dumping of fuel-oil residue into the waterways and air quality.

Third, government entities have a provable, inarguable, and astounding track record of being technical nitwits. It almost never works out when they ban specific technologies.

Here are the current Two-stroke Facts from the California Department of Boating and Waterways:

Facts About Two-Stroke Vessel Engines

• Two-stroke engines are not "banned" for use on all waterways in California, nor is there any plan to do so.
• Carbureted and electronic-injection two-stroke engines are considered high-emission engines. Generally, these engines were manufactured prior to 1999.
• A carbureted two-stroke engine can emit up to 25-30 percent of its fuel unburned into the water or atmosphere, which is why high-emission engines are prohibited on some lakes.
• There are no salt-water or river restrictions in California on high-emission two-stroke engines, excluding personal watercraft (vessels such as Jet Skis) bans in some areas. For example, San Francisco has prohibited personal watercraft within 1200 feet of its shoreline. See "Local Restrictions" on our Web page for a list of lakes.
• Direct injection two-stroke engines, made since 1999, are considered clean emission engines and can be used on every water body in California, with some exceptions not related to emission limits.
• A new direct injection two-stroke engine will normally have a label sticker (with 1 to 3 stars) on its engine cover indicating that it meets California Air Resources Board emission regulations for 2001, 2004, and 2008 for vessel engine manufacturers.

The entire two-stroke fiasco in CA was driven by outboard motors, but bled over (literally and figuratively) into motorcycles and ATVs. But even CA appears to have understood that banning specific technologies doesn't meet their goals of cleaner air and environment. If anything, it reduces competition in developing the most environment-friendly options.

As I've said here before, there are already two-stroke engines on the market which pass Euro-3 standards which are, I've been told, more stringent than CARB.

I am not too worried about the world following CA's lead, as there doesn't appear to be a lead to follow - at least not in banning two-strokes. Enviro-Nazi's are far more prone to following Europe's lead, and there the modern two-stroke is making a comeback.

You might want to read the post I wrote yesterday about the FIM's rule change - it has more on this topic. There is nothing wrong with cleaning up our waterways and breathing cleaner air. Modern two-stroke technology is showing signs of being every bit as enviro-friendly as four-stroke, and with the advantages of being cheaper to manufacture and maintain.

That doesn't mean the Big 4 are going to start making two-strokes. They aren't. But that's ok. Burroughs, UNIVAC, NCR et al didn't want to make minicomputers. DEC and HP didn't want to make PCs. But in the end the market decided that PCs were the thing and companies either adapted or went out of business (most went out of business.) That's what will happen here - the market will decide.

The great thing about having two-strokes back in the racing fold is that now the smaller companies who want to make them have a place to prove their mettle. That is all we can ask for, and it's exactly the type of disruption that Honda et al hoped to avoid.

These are exciting times...