There is also a 250 Kawa that is affected and a 125 from one of the other importers - Honda, I think.
The compulsory standards for Category L vehicles (bikes, trikes, quads and SVS) is the culmination of a process that started just after the turn of the Century. Cars are subject to a set of compulsory standards, but the motorcycle industry and the SABS (before the advent of the NRCS) had an understanding of sticking to certain standards - a voluntary set of standards.
The industry was dragged into the compilation of a set of compulsory standards, kicking and screaming. But it was a 10-year process. It was gazetted in 2011 and the implementation date was 1 December 2011, with a phasing-in period that ends on 30 November 2013.
That means that existing homolations were valid for another 24 months (up to 30 Nov 2013), but any new homologations (in other words, new models from 1 Dec 2011 onward) had to be rehomologated.
Practical example: The (2010) Kawasaki ZX10 could still be imported until 30 Nov this year on its exisiting (pre-compulsory standard) homologation. But the Triumph Explorer, launched in 2012, had to be homologated under the compulsory standards. The ZX10 will have to be rehomolagted for continued importation from 1 Dec 2013 onward.
The compluslory standards are basically current European standards. The standards do include emissions, but that would not be the only issue hampering bikes like the KLR. The standards address every single aspect of a bike: light emission through the headlight lense, same for indicators, safety of wiring looms, efficiency of brakes, brake lights, etc etc. And many of the older bikes will not pass those tests.
Interestingly, the Chinese scooters (Big Boy, Jonway, etc) will. Because the factories can supply you with a scooter that complies with the new European standards, American standards, Australian standards, or lack of standards for "Third World" countries.
Believe me if you want, but the implementation of these standards have much more to do with safety than making money - although the homologation process is now more expensive. There are issues such as recall programmes that are also governed by the Consumer Protection Act.
From what I could gather, no one is particularly happy with the new standards, but the only choice the industry had in the matter was to participate or not.
Hmologation rules will apply, rules which have been agreed upon as international standards for motor vehicles some as long as four decades ago - such as amber flickers 
and plenty of them were applied in SA already - also for decades. The loopholes for importing non homologated vehicles are being closed.
There is an agreement with the European Economic Community (signed on behalf of SA by the Minister of Trade and Industry) that makes it easier for procucts manufactured in Europe to be sold here. The compulsory standards conform to the European standards, so that honours that agreement to an extent.
Ok, do I understand this correctly..........as of 2014, no new imports allowed?? How does this affect the re-licensing of current models, as in annual licence, and how will this affect the re-sale of these bikes, will the new owner be able to register the bike in his name? I really enjoy my KLR and don't want to "upgrade" to the modern shit expensive bikes, but I also don't want to be stuck with a bike that I can't take on the road ( like the plastics ).
New imports will be allowed. The new bikes just have to be homologated in terms of the new compulsory standards. The effect on secondhand values will be the same as with any product that has been discontinued. I think the KLR woild have been superceded by something more modern within the next two years or so in any case.
A bike that is currently registered in South Africa, can always be reregistered. There will never be an issue with that.
The issue is with bikes with Natis model numbers that were not on the eNatis system by 1 Dec 2011.
My guess is that KMSA would import as many KLRs as it can and introduce the VIN numbers of the whole batch on eNatis before 30 Nov, to get the maximum sales out of the bike.
The issue of grey imports is an interesting one. As far as I could gather, these bikes were bought new in either North or South America and then imported here in contaners. They were "introduced" on eNatis as "used" bikes, using existing homologations. From my understanding, this will not be possible anymore from 1 Dec, because one of the compulsory standards that the importer must be able to provide the NRCS with, is a "certificate of conformity of manufacture". For every bike that is imported - not just a model.
That means that KMSA must be able to prove to the NRCS that every ZX10 that lands here, was manufactured to conform to the compulsory standards. And the only institution that supply that certificate, is the factory.
And if you're importing a bike from the US market that was manufactured for the US market (in other words built to the US standards), you cannot provide that. In my opinion, that will be the deathknell of grey importers.
The official importers are happy with that, but it was an unintended consequence of the whole process.
Topic: NO MORE KLR, DR & XR in SOUTH AFRICA (Read 13422 times)
