Emmissions,too
Hi!
It seems the "emissions question" thread was hijacked and turned into a "I hate California thread", so I took the liberty of continuing the topic here.
As far as I understand it, it has been illegal to modify anything that would change the emissions behavior of your bike since the Clean Air Act was instated. That would include pretty much anything we like doing including changing the pipes, air cleaner, jetting etc, etc. Even mods without rejetting that wouldn´t really change the gaseous emissions are illegal because of the change in noise emissions. This has not changed with the new regulations.
What has changed, as has been stated before, are the emissions limits.
What will most likely change, and it´s anyones guess how this will come about, is that enforcement will be taken seriously in the future. The noise issue hasn´t helped in keeping the topic on the backburner either.
The shops will do anything they think is commercially viable. If they are in an area where enforcement is lax and chances of being caught and fined are low, they will continue to modify. Once they are hit with $10 000 fines a couple of times for $300 mods, they will surely reconsider.
Here in Germany, only TÜV (government agency in charge of biannual vehicle inspections) approved modifications are legal. That means anything you add to your bike has to have a certificate of compliance and the modification must then be inspected by a TÜV-inspector. It is then noted in your vehicle´s registration so that LEOs can verify the legality of your bike´s components should they stop you for whatever reason. It goes without saying, that compliant add-ons mean emissions and noise compliant- how does 80dB sound? (Like $hit, of course).
Now, a lot of modifications such as cams and rejetting etc, are not obvious and can´t be verified at a roadside inpection, but they will show when emissions are tested. Germany will start testing motorcycle emissions biannually with the regular TÜV-inspection as of 2006. ^rolleyez^
Nobody knows how things will play out, but people are tense. I know that this has no immediate relevance for riders in the US, but I think it may be interesting to see how things work out elsewhere. I will post as soon as the first reports come in. In any case, I think it would be wise to keep the stock exhaust around, much like folks here in Deutschland do...
I have one question for the legal pros here on the forum:
I read that the new EPA regs apply to motorcycles built for the model year 2006 and later. Now the regs pertaining to custom / exempt / homebuilt bikes apply to bikes built in 2006 or later. My 2006 Street Bob was built and registered in 2005. Do the new regs apply to my bike? Would it not be unfair (illegal, nay unconstitutional!) to treat a custom built and registered on December 31st as a 2005 in repect to EPA regs and a Harley built and registered in 2005 as a 2006 just because of the model year nomenclature?? :huh:
Just wondering, cause I bought the Street Bob to be ridden in the US so I could ride a bike with decent sound and performance at least now and then.
:brows:
Ride safe or sweet dreams of spring
Sponk