update on senate smog bill for motorcycles ...

[johnc]

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_12497597?nclick_check=1&forced=true

[desmoquattro]

The latest version of Pavley's bill drops the smog-test provision. It now merely authorizes law enforcement officers to fine motorcyclists who remove the converters.

It still represents carte blance for LEOs to write tickets.

[Popeye the Sailor]

The latest version of Pavley's bill drops the smog-test provision. It now merely authorizes law enforcement officers to fine motorcyclists who remove the converters.

It still represents carte blance for LEOs to write tickets.

Yeah. Assuming you take the catalytic converter off.


It's illegal to remove it. We know this, and you probably knew it before you took it off, and you did it anyway.



I'm not sure what the issue is if we actually have to be responsible for our own actions.

[desmoquattro]

Yeah. Assuming you take the catalytic converter off.


It's illegal to remove it. We know this, and you probably knew it before you took it off, and you did it anyway.



I'm not sure what the issue is if we actually have to be responsible for our own actions.

Because you're such a saint...

The issue is that my catalytic converter was unceremoniously copped out of my storage space by the facility manager and sold off (along with my extra Supersport fairings) as abandoned goods due to a clerical error. And there are lots of people in the same boat. Maybe you bought a bike that came with aftermarket exhaust and didn't get original parts in the deal. Who knows. The law is supposed to be an approximation of justice, not a means for cops to improve state revenues...or to meet some elusive, mythical emission targets set by an organization with an agenda and specious data.

[Popeye the Sailor]

Because you're such a saint...

The issue is that my catalytic converter was unceremoniously copped out of my storage space by the facility manager and sold off (along with my extra Supersport fairings) as abandoned goods due to a clerical error. And there are lots of people in the same boat. Maybe you bought a bike that came with aftermarket exhaust and didn't get original parts in the deal. Who knows. The law is supposed to be an approximation of justice, not a means for cops to improve state revenues...or to meet some elusive, mythical emission targets set by an organization with an agenda and specious data.

I pick my loopholes.

The ole Ford is noisy as can be 

[desmoquattro]

I pick my loopholes.

The ole Ford is noisy as can be 

I figured as much...

Maybe we need a tax on bacon. Because making it, transporting it, and cooking it uses far more energy than my bike. That's much lower-hanging fruit than bikes.

[mostrobelle]

The latest version of Pavley's bill drops the smog-test provision. It now merely authorizes law enforcement officers to fine motorcyclists who remove the converters.

It still represents carte blance for LEOs to write tickets.

Has removing the catalytic converter not been illegal in the past?  For some reason I thought it was because of something Desmoto said one time about them not legally being able to change FI, Carb's, etc.  Those types of things might be completely unrelated, I dunno...

[desmoquattro]

Has removing the catalytic converter not been illegal in the past?  For some reason I thought it was because of something Desmoto said one time about them not legally being able to change FI, Carb's, etc.  Those types of things might be completely unrelated, I dunno...

It may well be illegal, but seldom enforced. But the point is that there are a lot of people who would be very hard-pressed to bring that cat back...whether or not they did the original mod or the bike came that way.

[Popeye the Sailor]

I figured as much...

Maybe we need a tax on bacon. Because making it, transporting it, and cooking it uses far more energy than my bike. That's much lower-hanging fruit than bikes.

As far as I know, it's been illegal for sometime, so essentially, they'll be writing tickets for a law already on the books.



Hard pressed? This board is *full* of people in other states with no such laws. I'd be amazed if you couldn't get a stock exhaust off of one of 'em.



That and there is some sort of vague loophole that if a OEM exhaust costs above a certain percentage of the value of the vehicle, you're allowed to use an alternative one. Belle's bike, being worth all of $50, would have a pass. Duc-stu had been telling me about said law. Mebbe he knows more.

[johnc]

The latest version of Pavley's bill drops the smog-test provision. It now merely authorizes law enforcement officers to fine motorcyclists who remove the converters.

It still represents carte blance for LEOs to write tickets.

if it passes, i would rather see the bill pass in its original form ... with smog checks.  at least then, you can schedule to re-install all the smog shite (granted, if you still have it, but if not, arrange to borrow it) then take the smog test, then de-install all the smog shite.

having the po po enforce it will be nothing but trouble ... as you can get popped anytime.

[desmoquattro]

if it passes, i would rather see the bill pass in its original form ... with smog checks.  at least then, you can schedule to re-install all the smog shite (granted, if you still have it, but if not, arrange to borrow it) then take the smog test, then de-install all the smog shite.

having the po po enforce it will be nothing but trouble ... as you can get popped anytime.

The original bill, IIRC, included both.

[Spidey]

This is decent news.   

if it passes, i would rather see the bill pass in its original form ... with smog checks.  at least then, you can schedule to re-install all the smog shite (granted, if you still have it, but if not, arrange to borrow it) then take the smog test, then de-install all the smog shite.

NO!!!  If you've gotten rid of the stock airbox, had any engine work done, or modded your stock headers (all of which I've done), you're screwed.  And you'd have to get your bike remapped for superlean smog-check.  I'd much rather fight with the cops about it.  Look, they're already have a billion reasons to target motorcycles and give a fix-it ticket.  They can pull you over for pretty much anything.  What's one more reason?

I'm off to pour motor oil onto a seal pup in the Bay.  See y'all later. 

[desmoquattro]

I'm off to pour motor oil onto a seal pup in the Bay.  See y'all later. 

We don't need to hear about your kinky personal life

[mostrobelle]

As far as I know, it's been illegal for sometime, so essentially, they'll be writing tickets for a law already on the books.

Yeah, that's kinda where I was headed.  The bill sounds like it's being watered down to something that's a redundancy of existing policy.  So that's not soooo bad.  Not great--but not as horrible as the first version of this bill.

Hard pressed? This board is *full* of people in other states with no such laws. I'd be amazed if you couldn't get a stock exhaust off of one of 'em.

That sounds like a huuuuuuge pain in the arse. 

That and there is some sort of vague loophole that if a OEM exhaust costs above a certain percentage of the value of the vehicle, you're allowed to use an alternative one. Belle's bike, being worth all of $50, would have a pass. Duc-stu had been telling me about said law. Mebbe he knows more.

It's worth 50 whole dollars?!  Woot!   [moto]

[johnc]

I'm off to pour motor oil onto a seal pup in the Bay.  See y'all later. 

don't forget to drink some NOS ... the fuel additive, not the energy drink.