[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 147 (Thursday, July 31, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41127-41128]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-20092]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. 97-43; Notice 1]


American Honda Motor Company, Inc.; Receipt of Application for 
Temporary Exemption From Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 122

    American Honda Motor Co., Inc., of Torrance, California 
(``Honda''), has 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 is that 
an exemption would make easier 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.
    This notice of receipt of an application is published in accordance 
with the requirements of 49 U.S.C. 30113(b)(2) and does not represent 
any judgment of the agency on the merits of 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, 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 
front brake lever or the rear brake pedal is used. The LBS differs from 
other

[[Page 41128]]

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 asks 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 has 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 believes that granting Honda's 
petition 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) per 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 argues 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.''
    Interested persons are invited to submit comments on the 
application described above. Comments should refer to the docket number 
and the notice number, and be submitted to: Docket Section, National 
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, room 5109, 400 Seventh Street, 
SW, Washington, DC 20590. It is requested but not required that 10 
copies be submitted.
    All comments received before the close of business on the comment 
closing date indicated below will be considered, and will be available 
for examination in the docket at the above address both before and 
after that date. To the extent possible, comments filed after the 
closing date will also be considered. Notice of final action on the 
application will be published in the Federal Register pursuant to the 
authority indicated below.
    Comment closing date: September 2, 1997.

    (49 U.S.C. 30113; delegations of authority at 49 CFR 1.50. and 
501.8.)

    Issued on July 24, 1997.
L. Robert Shelton,
Associate Administrator for Safety Performance Standards.
[FR Doc. 97-20092 Filed 7-30-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 49l0-59-P