[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 222 (Tuesday, November 18, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65112-65113]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-28812]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA-2003-16510]


Notice of Receipt of Petition for Decision That Nonconforming 
1999-2003 Ducati 748 and 916 Motorcycles Are Eligible for Importation

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of receipt of petition for decision that nonconforming 
1999-2003 Ducati 748 and 916 motorcycles are eligible for importation.

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SUMMARY: This document announces receipt by the National Highway 
Traffic

[[Page 65113]]

Safety Administration (NHTSA) of a petition for a decision that 1999-
2003 Ducati 748 and 916 motorcycles that were not originally 
manufactured to comply with all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety 
standards are eligible for importation into the United States because 
(1) they are substantially similar to vehicles that were originally 
manufactured for importation into and sale in the United States and 
that were certified by their manufacturer as complying with the safety 
standards, and (2) they are capable of being readily altered to conform 
to the standards.

DATES: The closing date for comments on the petition is December 18, 
2003.

ADDRESSES: Comments should refer to the docket number and notice 
number, and be submitted to: Docket Management, Room PL-401, 400 
Seventh St., SW., Washington, DC 20590. [Docket hours are from 9 am to 
5 pm.] Anyone is able to search the electronic form of all comments 
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf 
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review DOT's 
complete Privacy Act Statement in the Federal Register published on 
April 11, 2000 (Volume 65, Number 70; Pages 19477-78) or you may visit 
http://dms.dot.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Coleman Sachs, Office of Vehicle 
Safety Compliance, NHTSA (202-366-3151).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Under 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(A), a motor vehicle that was not 
originally manufactured to conform to all applicable Federal motor 
vehicle safety standards shall be refused admission into the United 
States unless NHTSA has decided that the motor vehicle is substantially 
similar to a motor vehicle originally manufactured for importation into 
and sale in the United States, certified under 49 U.S.C. 30115, and of 
the same model year as the model of the motor vehicle to be compared, 
and is capable of being readily altered to conform to all applicable 
Federal motor vehicle safety standards.
    Petitions for eligibility decisions may be submitted by either 
manufacturers or importers who have registered with NHTSA pursuant to 
49 CFR part 592. As specified in 49 CFR 593.7, NHTSA publishes notice 
in the Federal Register of each petition that it receives, and affords 
interested persons an opportunity to comment on the petition. At the 
close of the comment period, NHTSA decides, on the basis of the 
petition and any comments that it has received, whether the vehicle is 
eligible for importation. The agency then publishes this decision in 
the Federal Register.
    Superbike Racing, Inc. of Atlanta, Georgia (``SRI'')(Registered 
Importer 1-286) has petitioned NHTSA to decide whether non-U.S. 
certified 1999-2003 Ducati 748 and 916 motorcycles are eligible for 
importation into the United States. The vehicles that SRI believes are 
substantially similar are 1999-2003 Ducati 748 and 916 motorcycles that 
were manufactured for importation into and sale in the United States 
and certified by their manufacturer, Ducati Motor S.p.A., as conforming 
to all applicable Federal motor vehicle safety standards.
    The petitioner claims that it carefully compared non-U.S. certified 
1999-2003 Ducati 748 and 916 motorcycles to their U.S. certified 
counterparts, and found the vehicles to be substantially similar with 
respect to compliance with most Federal motor vehicle safety standards.
    SRI submitted information with its petition intended to demonstrate 
that non-U.S. certified 1999-2003 Ducati 748 and 916 motorcycles, as 
originally manufactured, conform to many Federal motor vehicle safety 
standards in the same manner as their U.S. certified counterparts, or 
are capable of being readily altered to conform to those standards.
    Specifically, the petitioner claims that non-U.S. certified 1999-
2003 Ducati 748 and 916 motorcycles are identical to their U.S. 
certified counterparts with respect to compliance with Standard Nos. 
106 Brake Hoses, 111 Rearview Mirrors, 116 Brake Fluid, 119 New 
Pneumatic Tires for Vehicles other than Passenger Cars, 122 Motorcycle 
Brake Systems, and 205 Glazing Materials.
    The petitioner also contends that the vehicles are capable of being 
readily altered to meet the following standards, in the manner 
indicated below:
    Standard No. 108 Lamps, Reflective Devices and Associated 
Equipment: (a) Installation of U.S.-model headlamp assemblies, which 
incorporate DOT certified headlamps; (b) replacement of all stop lamp 
and directional bulbs with ones that are certified to DOT requirements; 
(c) replacement of all lenses with ones that are certified to DOT 
requirements.
    Standard No. 120 Tire Selection and Rims for Vehicles other than 
Passenger Cars: Installation of a tire information placard.
    Standard No. 123 Motorcycle Controls and Displays: Installation of 
a U.S.-model speedometer reading in miles per hour and a U.S.-model 
odometer reading in miles.
    Comments should refer to the docket number and be submitted to: 
Docket Management, Room PL-401, 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 closing 
date indicated above 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 petition 
will be published in the Federal Register pursuant to the authority 
indicated below.

    Authority: 49 U.S.C. 30141(a)(1)(A) and (b)(1); 49 CFR 593.8; 
delegations of authority at 49 CFR 1.50 and 501.8.

    Issued on: November 13, 2003.
Kenneth N. Weinstein,
Associate Administrator for Enforcement.
[FR Doc. 03-28812 Filed 11-17-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P