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Motorbikes release "disproportionately high" amounts of airborne pollutants, according to new research.

The report, published in the Environmental Science and Technology journal, said that motorcycles produce 16 times the amount of hydrocarbons and three times the carbon monoxide emitted by a conventional passenger car.

Motorcycles produced in Germany, Japan and Italy drew particular concern from the researchers, based at Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research, which were found to produce large amounts of hydrocarbons.

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As motorbikes are not major forms of transport within most developed nations, they have escaped environmental regulation. Manufacturers have had "little motivation to improve after-treatment systems", the researchers said.

US regulations on motorcycle emissions have only recently been updated, and for a quarter of a century remained overlooked despite the vehicles producing more pollutants per mile than cars and SUVs.

However, The American Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is to introduce cuts on motorcycle emissions for new motorcycles, beginning this month. Manufacturers will be required to reduce hydrocarbon and nitrogen oxide emissions by 60 per cent.

It is thought that the new rules will help save 12 million gallons of fuel a year and reduce emissions by 54,000 tons come 2010, when the regulations will come into full effect.