September 5, 2013: Lauge Jensen of Denmark has become the first motorcycle manufacturer in the world to pass the new Euro 4 emissions regulations. The Euro 4 emissions norms, to be enforced from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2020, are being introduced to drastically reduce the amount of harmful exhaust gases produced by motorcycles. These forthcoming mandatory rules for all manufacturers are almost 50 percent more difficult to pass than the current Euro 3 standard.
The Danish two-wheeler manufacturer specialises in creating personalised, premium cruiser motorcycles to its customers’ specific requirements. Despite building exceptionally beautiful ‘works of art’, this forward-thinking company demonstrates an extraordinary level of technical detail in its bikes – exceeding even that of the outward design.
The company says the passing of Euro 4 norms came after two years of hard work, and for Lauge Jensen to achieve this ahead of the rest of the world’s motorcycle manufacturers is a significant achievement. It was aiming to improve the American S&S motors (Wisconsin, USA) it uses at the heart of its bikes.
The Danish company, established in 2008, designed its own piston, camshafts, exhaust and catalytic converter for the internals of the 1800cc V-twin engine, along with the software to programme the fuel injection system.
Lauge Jensen’s R&D team saw the potential to fine-tune its new engine specification – dubbed ‘1-Eleven Squarehead’ – on its in-house dynometer, to meet the stringent tests. At first, meeting the restrictions of the Euro 4 regulations impacted drastically on the power and noise characteristics of the bike, but the Lauge Jensen team worked tirelessly to restore the ‘feel’ and enjoyment of the engine. The result is a powerful experience and improved fuel consumption.
On achieving the Euro 4 approval for its engine, Director of Development, Uffe Lauge Jensen commented: “At Lauge Jensen, we think of the engine as the ‘heart’ of a motorcycle and, it is certainly important to have a strong, healthy heart! Being first with Euro 4 may not be a primary concern for some of our customers, but it will give them the reassurance that they own a fantastic and personal motorcycle, which is future-proofed, and ahead of the rest in its low emission output.”
“A Lauge Jensen is not about living up to today’s standards, but to those of future, and showing the world that this little Danish company creates bikes for the world that are mean, lean and green!” he added.
The ‘1-Eleven Squarehead’ will be fitted to 2014 Lauge Jensen motorcycles. Pricing starts at €52,800 (Rs 43.57 lakh), for a hand-built, personalised luxury motorcycle.
About Euro 4
The Euro 4 tests take place at TÜV Automotive in Pfungstadt, Germany. The motorcycle used in the test must have been running for at least 1,000km to give a fair reading, as the efficiency of catalytic converters declines with use. Bikes are placed on a rolling road to simulate various riding situations and engine behaviour. The Euro 4 test lasts for 1,800 seconds and is completed six times, compared to Euro 3, which tests the vehicle for 1,200 seconds three times.