2009 Suzuki TU250X Review

[seruzawa]

Originally Posted by theDuke

I do have to laugh a bit at those charcoal canisters on bikes. Their purpose is to capture evaporative emissions while the tank is being filled with gas, yet I've yet to find a motorcycle gas tank that can accomodate the filler neck from a gas pump. It's usually necessary to hold the California emissions "bellows" device up with one hand to switch the pump on... thus leaving a gap between the pump and the tank and negating the benefit of the evaporative controls system. Am I missing something here?

You are missing that fact that the govt is made up of idiots. That's the usual explanation for things of this nature.

Even if the bellows device matches the cap hole the nozzle has to be pushed so far into the tank for gas to pump that you can't fill the tank even half full. So you got to hold the bellows with your hand thus rendering the charcoal canister useless.

But I wouldn't tell CARB any of this. They would mandate foot long fuel inlet extensions on the fuel tanks.

[mscuddy]

Back about 15 years ago, I contacted the Indian Enfeild folks about being the California distributor for their Bullet 350 & 500. Since I was a unlimited SMOG man for a few years, I knew the inner workings of CARB the ARB, EPA, etc. in California. Here's what you have to do to a motorcycle to get it emissions certified for use in Kalifornia:

#1: Run the bike on a dyno for 24 hours to see if anything breaks, leaks or explodes.

#2: After the dyno run, you lock it in an air-tight tin shed for 24 hours, with hydrocarbon sensors checking for gasoline leaks.

#3: You put it back on the dyno at FULL THROTTLE for six hours, and repeat the HC test in the shed.

#4: Repeat that sequence three more times and you MIGHT get a California Air Resources Board approval, but you still have the Air Resources Board and the EPA to deal with, who have their own test procedures for (now) NOX and HCL.

The entire cost for this, paid to the state is about $50,000.00. That's not counting the feds EPA & ARB fees.

And I doubt if an Indian Enfeild could be on a dyno for 20 minutes WFO without blowing up big time.

The big companies can afford it, the smaller ones, like the Indian Enfield folks, ATK, etc. just can the whole idea.

That's why I bought a '67 B44 around that time. I needed my fix of whitworth pain.

[Kenneth_Moore]

Are you serious about 6 hours at WFO? DAMN! That is astounding!

[hayser]

I told you that this bike should have been considered for the best beginner bike. It does not have the power of the Lil' Ninja but it does have the looks and the overall enjoyment factor.

[Kevin_Duke]

Originally Posted by hayser

I told you that this bike should have been considered for the best beginner bike. It does not have the power of the Lil' Ninja but it does have the looks and the overall enjoyment factor.

There was no award for best beginner bike...

The TU is the better beginner bike.

[sarnali2]

Originally Posted by theDuke

It's usually necessary to hold the California emissions "bellows" device up with one hand to switch the pump on... thus leaving a gap between the pump and the tank and negating the benefit of the evaporative controls system. Am I missing something here?

As it happens '08 and newer HD's have a recessed filler neck in the gas tank that allows the bellows device to work, at least the bellows they use in Washington state do. I don't suppose they're any different than the Kalifornia ones. The difference between just letting the bellows latch up and using your hand to hold it averages about 2/10ths of a gallon, hardly worth worrying about.

[Kenneth_Moore]

Originally Posted by sarnali2

As it happens '08 and newer HD's have a recessed filler neck in the gas tank that allows the bellows device to work, at least the bellows they use in Washington state do. I don't suppose they're any different than the Kalifornia ones. The difference between just letting the bellows latch up and using your hand to hold it averages about 2/10ths of a gallon, hardly worth worrying about.

South Florida had the bellows and a couple of other vapor recovery systems in place for years. However, a couple of gas stations I visit recently had to pull their tanks up and reconstruct the pump facilities. Both of them have gone back to the old nozzles. I can tell there is no recovery on them because the hoses are too small for the return line.

[sarnali2]

Not every gas station has them here either, I think there's a grandfather clause that requires the bellows if they upgrade the pumps. As long as the older pumps are in use they can use the older nozzels...

[John N.]

I haven't ridden a cycle for 15 years (medical crap uknow). Back when I rode every day, it was on English Iron! This bike is small & slow, but so am I now. It looks awesome, I would ride one anywhere. I mean really, who else is doing this? Royal Enfield, and a few other Japanese bikes come close, but for looks and features per dollar it's the best I'vem seen. Now they need to get busy and maKe a 450 version...

[John N.]

Quite right. The charcol cannister has little to do with filling up, it does it's job after that. Evaporation of gasoline is pollution, just as much as what comes out the tailpipe. Sad but true~~ (Metallica)

Boycott BP! ☮