nobody said **** about a polar bear or spotted owl. go buy a knucklehead and stop bitching about how your new bike doesn't sound like an antique.

 

Oberstar is from Northern Mn. Northern Mn happens to contain Lake Superior. Lake Superior happens to have a rather large harbor and shipping industry. Think - Edmond Fitzgerald, here.
As such, he is voting his "office" and his "retirement", which he owes to THEM, not US. American Gov't. at it's finest hour.


The prob really isn't the cat. The prob is the internal combustion engine.
No doubt, one of the most inefficient methods for transforming stored energy (gasoline in this case) into kinetic energy (moving).
The vast majority of the 'energy' is mainfested as HEAT. Think, incandescent light bulb, here. Ever touch one ????
In order to get the internal comb. to run 'efficient' enough, the heat required, will destroy the metals we commonly use. That was one of the driving forces to synthetic oils, HEAT.

It is impossible to 'extract' the pollutants CAUSED by combustion, until AFTER the combustion, has occurred.

Hydrogen ??? The only biproduct, is H2O.

They are dabbling with 'ceramic' engines, but limited success.

This was the very demise of the VW Beetle in this country. As the EPA regs closed in, the poor li'l air cooled, could no longer function in the heat build up, due to EGR, timing changes, etc. The reliability was down to 30 and 40,000 miles.

To me, here is the 'irony' of continuously focusing on one's self(Me first), rather than the BIG picture.
When the EPA was pushing for tighter controls on emissions and noise, it was the MoCo, only worried about the MoCo, who sided with the EPA to basically shut down, the after market build its. Thus the "one person, one scoot in a lifetime" law. Rather ironic, that in this short of a time span, it is now the MoCo, falling prey to their strange bedfellows, of just a few years ago.
They should have taken a STAND with ALL motorcycle builders, BIG and small. Many or few. To roll it back, NOT FORWARD !!!!! But they not only let the camel get it's nose under the tent, they invited it in thru the front door.

The law to prevent us from changing exhaust, has been on the books, FOR YEARS AND YEARS. That is a Fed. statute. As such, been lightly, if ever enforced. That will change, with the need for states to recoup $$ from Wash, for highway funds. It will be a 'leverage' thing, like NO Child Left Behind, billboards (of the 70's), drinking age, and seat belt laws. Either you do it OUR way, or you get none of YOUR $$$, back.

 

I can't believe the complaints I am reading here.

We all like to beef them up with cams and such, whether we started with an EPA motor, or not. The end result is always the same. A faster cooler running V twinn.

Quit yer cryin' and thank the EPA, for giving you an excuse to modify your motor.
You KNOW you wanted to!

Stock is boring. Now it's hot and boring.

Thank yer local EPA and get on with your build! WTF
Is your glass half empty or sumfin'?

Just do it!

 

After market engine builders are meeting EPA standards,R&R Cycles being one of them, up to and including their 155" motors.

 

Well if it were just the sound, I would but If everybody goes and buys the pre 2010, that don't bode well for Harley!

I'd like to be able to see an American Built Motorcycle company stay in business for the American workers that get to build them.

Do you think China and India EPA will hang cats on their Motorcycles!

Oh I forgot! India and China don't have no EPA!

 

I did, I decatted when I got it, how much longer do you think we will be able to do that when they all got cats....


The cats ain't my problem, it's the people who will have to sell the bikes post 2010 and when EPA goes after your after market people.

 

I agree, but I also hope for lots of time to go past before this nightmare takes place. Until that day comes, I have way too many other things to worry about. For now I will continue to enjoy what we currently have.

Certainly nothing I can do to change anything.

 

I don't get where you get the idea that the feds will go after the aftermarket. Cats have been on all autos for a long time now. The aftermarket for cars wasn't harmed. They simply market parts that do not meet epa standards as off road parts.

 

None of the big displacement push rod Yamaha Road Star line are water cooled. How are they meeting the EPA exhaust regs? Not trying to start an argument....does anybody know how they do it? Do they have some sort of exemption?

 

That's my point. I was able to buy a "test Pipe" for years on an automobile and it did not set a code when I dropped the cat.

How long do you think before the ECM will set a code on a Harley and you will not be able to buy that header without the CAT!.....