[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 194 (Tuesday, October 7, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52372-52373]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-26491]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
[Docket No. 97-43; Notice 2]
American Honda Motor Company, Inc., Grant of Application for
Temporary Exemption From Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 122
American Honda Motor Co., Inc., of Torrance, California
(``Honda''), applied for a temporary exemption from the fade and water
recovery requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 122
Motorcycle Brake Systems. The basis of the application was that an
exemption would facilitate the development or field evaluation of a new
motor vehicle safety feature providing a safety level at least equal to
the safety level of the standard.
Notice of receipt of the application was published on July 31,
1997, and an opportunity afforded for comment (62 FR 41127). This
notice grants the application.
Honda seeks an exemption of one year for its 1998 CBR1100XX
motorcycle ``from the requirement of the minimum hand-lever force of
five pounds in the base line check for the fade and water recovery
tests.'' It wishes to evaluate the marketability of an ``improved''
motorcycle brake system setting which is currently applied to the model
sold in Europe. The difference in setting is limited to a softer master
cylinder return spring in the European version. Using the softer spring
results in a ``more predictable (linear) feeling during initial brake
lever application.'' Although ``the change allows a more predictable
rise in brake gain, the on-set of braking occurs at lever forces
slightly below the five pound minimum'' specified in Standard No. 122.
Honda considers that motorcycle brake systems have continued to evolve
and improve since Standard No. 122 was adopted in 1972, and that one
area of improvement is brake lever force which has gradually been
reduced. However, according to Honda, the five-pound minimum
specification ``is preventing further development and improvement'' of
brake system characteristics. This limit, when applied to the
CBR1100XX, ``results in an imprecise feeling when the rider applies
low-level front brake lever inputs.''
The machine is equipped with Honda's Linked Brake System (LBS)
which is designed to engage both front and rear brakes when either the
brake lever or the brake pedal is used. The LBS differs from other
integrated systems in that it allows the rider to choose which wheel
gets the majority of braking force, depending on which brake control
the rider uses.
According to Honda, the overall braking performance remains
unchanged from a conforming motorcycle. If the CBR1100XX is exempted,
it will meet ``the stopping distance requirement but at lever forces
slightly below the minimum.''
Specifically, Honda asked for relief from the first sentence of
S6.10 Brake application forces, which reads:
Except for the requirements of the fifth recovery stop in S5.4.3
and S5.7.2 (S7.6.3 and S7.10.2) the hand lever force is not less
than five and not more than 55 pounds and the foot pedal force is
not less than 10 and not more than 90 pounds.
Upon review of this paragraph, NHTSA determined that granting
Honda's petition would require relief from different provisions of
Standard No. 122, although S6.10 relates to them. Paragraph S6 only
sets forth the test conditions under which a motorcycle must meet the
performance requirements of S5. A motorcycle manufacturer certifies
compliance with the performance requirements of S5 on the basis of
tests conducted according to the conditions of S6 and in the manner
specified by S7. In short, NHTSA believed that granting Honda's
application would require relief from the performance requirements of
S5 that are based upon the lever actuation force test conditions of
S6.10 as used in the test procedures of S7.
These relate to the baseline checks under which performance is
judged for the service brake system fade and fade recovery tests
(S5.4), and for the water recovery tests (S5.7). According to the test
procedures of S7, the baseline check stops for fade (S7.6.1) and water
recovery (S7.10.1) are to be made at 10 to 11 feet per second per
second (fpsps) for each stop. The fade recovery test (S7.6.3) also
specifies stops at 10 to 11 fpsps. Test data submitted by Honda with
its application show that, using a hand lever force of 2.3 kg (5.1
pounds), the deceleration for these stops is 3.05 to 3.35 meters per
second per second, or 10.0 to 11.0 fpsps. This does not mean that Honda
cannot comply under the strict parameters of the standard, but the
system is designed for responsive performance when a hand lever force
of less than five pounds is used. For these reasons, NHTSA interprets
Honda's application as requesting relief from S5.4.2, S5.4.3, and
S5.7.2.
Honda argued that granting an exemption would be in the public
interest and consistent with objectives of traffic safety because it:
* * * Should improve a rider's ability to precisely modulate the
brake force at low-level brake lever input forces. Improving the
predictability, even at very low-level brake lever input, increases
the rider's confidence in the motorcycle's brake system.
No comments were received on the notice regarding the petition.
The distinctive motorcycle brake system setting which Honda seeks
to evaluate in the United States is a ``new motor vehicle safety
feature'' that can be evaluated in the field, as contemplated under the
temporary exemption authority. Further, the level of safety provided
should be at least equal to the level provided by Standard No. 122.
NHTSA notes that Honda does not seek an exemption from the stopping
distances specified in Column I of Table I (S7.3.1). Instead, Honda
wishes approval to allow modulating the hand brake lever at a force of
less than the five pound minimum specified in Standard No. 122. It
asserts that the lower force to modulate the brake lever would improve
the rider's control over the brake force. This improved control, and
thus predictability over the brake's function, would also improve the
rider's confidence in the brakes and motorcycle.
NHTSA concurs with Honda that new technology that may lead to
greater rider control over the brake force thus resulting in reduced
stopping distances and better crash avoidance is in the public
interest, and consistent with efforts to improve traffic safety.
In consideration of the foregoing, it is hereby found that an
exemption would facilitate the field evaluation of a new motor vehicle
safety feature providing a safety level at least equal to the safety
level of Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 122, and that an exemption
will be in the public interest and consistent with the objectives of 49
U.S.C. Chapter 301 Motor Vehicle Safety. Accordingly, American Honda
Motor Company, Inc.
[[Page 52373]]
is hereby granted NHTSA Temporary Exemption 97-1, expiring September 1,
1998, from the following requirements incorporated in 49 CFR 571.122
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 122 Motorcycle Brake Systems: S5.4.1
Baseline check--minimum and maximum pedal forces, S5.4.2 Fade, S5.4.3
Fade recovery, S5.7.2 Water recovery test, and S6.10 Brake actuation
forces. As provided in 49 CFR Sec. 555.6, under this grant of temporary
exemption no more than 2,500 motorcycles exempted from Standard No. 122
may be sold in the United States in the period for which the exemption
is granted.
(Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30113; delegations of authority at 49 CFR
1.50. and 501.8)
Issued on: October 1, 1997.
Ricardo Martinez,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 97-26491 Filed 10-2-97; 9:33 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P
