Adult attitude

Lonerider59

Lonerider59

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I'm going to stir up quite a bit of controversy over this issue but I believe someone needs to stand up and speak up for those who can't or won't because they feel they'll be ostracized for their opinion. A lot of riders, of all makes and models feel they can't live with a motorcycle that has a stock exhaust system because it's too quiet (feminine perhaps?). Or maybe they'll use the power excuse. I can get another few horse power out of her if I gut the cat or make it a bit louder. I've heard this on at least four other forums that I'm a member of. Well, here's the facts Jack. The moment you modify the exhaust/intake in a manner that increases emissions, you are the proud owner of an illegal vehicle.....Period? More than likely you'll get away with it unless you are from an area that does scheduled emission tests, but nontheless you are putting yourself in jeopardy. You may get called on the carpet by local law enforcement or, the feds. Maybe not. You throw the dice. And, when you say, "I don't give a sh-t, then try your best to be adult about it and think of the many many people like my father who died from emphysema because his lungs gave out. I don't have a breathing problem but I wont crap all over those who do by ignoring the need for everyone to help keep our air as clean as we can. Let the controversy begin! I'm also guilty, but never again.
 
Reality check all.......................pollution is killing us...! Getting 45 mpg is a step in the right dirrection, as is emissions on vehicles, I remember the air in Southern California in the sixty's, it stopped you from taking a deep breath litterly.
 
"Increases Emissions" is the key here....

if you properly jet / remap you bike after putting on new exhaust, the emissions difference is negligible. ... My bike passes emissions no problem... with custom exhaust and jetting, which between the two netted a nice performance increase.

I'd be more worried about the people who don't maintain their vehicles, so they burn oil and leak fluids... or people who drive down the road talking on their cell phones...
 
I think the main reason for the lack of legality would be, noise emissions (also a worthy enough cause, don't get me wrong) unless you're gutting the cat. I'm looking at getting a new can for my Animal too, but mine is primarily for ground clearance issues and more than likely only going to be put on for the track days. At our little track in the desert noise is not an issue:) and I certainly won't be gutting the cat. If anything a longer cat with better flow would be the go. Do the same job without the power loss. Extra weight?...OK, but I'll lose more than that with the muffler change.:bowdown:

I understand I may not be in the majority either but I believe catalytic converters are a good thing. Carbon monoxide is bad. Changing the mufflers.....well, if it doesn't keep me awake when I'm trying to sleep, I don't have too much trouble with it. Some are just ridiculously loud though.
 
I think people mod just for the sake of modding. I'm new to the sportbike world so I don't know how these mods affect a sportbike, but my OPINION is that most of these mods that we do claiming HP increase doesn't really translate to anything on the street/track plus it sacrifices something top-end or bottom end. I have a cruiser that I have modded just for the sake of modding Vance & Hines Jet kit etc, but in the end it's a crusier. I don't plan on doing any performance mods to my FZ1 since I only weigh 115Lbs and this bike has plenty power to move my light butt from point A to B

I haven't really thought of it from a poluttion stand point, but I guess you're right everyone has a role to play however small.
 
Riding a bike over most vehicles is a step in the right direction. (See what I did there with the period?)

My grandfather died of emphysema. I guarantee it was because of his own bad decisions in life. It was not because of what anyone did to their vehicles.

To imply that somehow that I am "crapping over" my grandfather because I have an after market exhaust is absolutely insane. Your arguments are much better when you do not make them emotional.
 
As has been mentioned a proper map is actually leaner in many cases than stock by 10 to 15 percent. That holds true for most makes and models of bikes. A proper tune on a 1098 will bump the power and mileage significantly.

Where I have an issue is gutting cats, AIS blocking, FCE, etc. Removal/addition of those system will increase emissions.

The emissions controll stuff really works and the air in the US is a zillion times better today than it was in the 60's and 70's. The LA basin is a perfect example; in the 70's the smog was stunningly thick. Now it is just thick, and the population and miles driven are up about 2X.

Exhausts and PC I don't have issue with at all as long as they are set up correctly.
 
I will be guilty of this as soon as I get my new to me exhaust. I plan to jet my Baby, but I do not wish to remove any of the smog stuff Yamaha put on the bike. I'm doing it solely to get a different sounding note than the stock can offers and a different look. I could care less if I get more hp, might care if the bike feels noticeably lighter.

But, even though motorcycles get better mpgs than cars, they do not emit less but MORE emissions than cars. I repeat, they emit MORE emissions rolling down the road than the same year car. If your argument against aftermarket exhausts is that they contribute more to bad air quality, I say take a look at the facts again.

It is true that the manufacturing a motorcycle uses less materials and ultimately less air damage is done during the process. I guess in a way that could reduce the net effects of damage to our environment. No CFGs (?) from an air conditioner, less oil used because of smaller capacities should all weigh in the emissions argument for a motorcycle but they don't when the guy sticks that probe in the pipe to measure emissions output (in the states where bikes must pass emissions testing).

That means if a person like your father, were standing next to a running motorcycle or a running car (stock, of course), he'd have more difficulty breathing next to the motorcycle. If it works that way, I'm not certain it does because I've never had any type of breathing issues, my knowledge is purely antedoctal.

It is my understanding the reason aftermarket exhausts are illegal was not due to toxic emissions but sound emissions. It will be easier for those exhausts to meet standards in the U.S.A. with the introduction of the new standard at the end of last year or the beginning of this one.

What the owner of said machine does to increase horsepower, like mentioned above, is more of an issue than adding the aftermarket exhaust.
 
Lonerider59 said:
I'm going to stir up quite a bit of controversy over this issue but I believe someone needs to stand up and speak up for those who can't or won't because they feel they'll be ostracized for their opinion. A lot of riders, of all makes and models feel they can't live with a motorcycle that has a stock exhaust system because it's too quiet (feminine perhaps?). Or maybe they'll use the power excuse. I can get another few horse power out of her if I gut the cat or make it a bit louder. I've heard this on at least four other forums that I'm a member of. Well, here's the facts Jack. The moment you modify the exhaust/intake in a manner that increases emissions, you are the proud owner of an illegal vehicle.....Period? More than likely you'll get away with it unless you are from an area that does scheduled emission tests, but nontheless you are putting yourself in jeopardy. You may get called on the carpet by local law enforcement or, the feds. Maybe not. You throw the dice. And, when you say, "I don't give a sh-t, then try your best to be adult about it and think of the many many people like my father who died from emphysema because his lungs gave out. I don't have a breathing problem but I wont crap all over those who do by ignoring the need for everyone to help keep our air as clean as we can. Let the controversy begin! I'm also guilty, but never again.
Click to expand...

Please- what a load of crap. Our air in the US today is cleaner than it has ever been in your, mine or anyone alive today in the US. This is a stat I heard over ten years ago.
My bike has been opened up and I love it! Unfortunately I believe you are right that big brother is stopping us from having fun in the name of clean air or other save the planet stuff. Look, nobody wants to gross pollute but our clean burning unleaded fuel engines are way better than what was around just 20 years ago.
I am sorry about your Dad but people die everyday from all sorts of reasons but I don't care for your guilt trip on me.
Just wanted you to know what side of the political correct fence I sit on. Peace.
 
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not to take away anything from you guys and your loved ones that have passed on, but it could be worse, at least you don't live in Beijing or some other place where the air quality is just as bad. as for aftermarket exhaust, i think they look good and sound neat and they aren't much of an issue. it's the 1987 toyota camrys and the big dump trucks with nasty smog crap billowing out of them that you should be more concerned about.
 
American as apple pie!!

I have been hot rodding for over 40 years counting just hanging out with the drag racing team across the street when I was a kid. Hot rodders like to hang out and shoot shyeet. Non hot rodding types wouldn't hang around.

But in this forum age the great american passtime of greasy fingernails the smell of fuel and Duane Allman comming out the pipes is stupid behaviour. "News flash" it was always stupid and about as fun as it gets.

Some will go too far, some will complain, some will have serious fun. Nothing has changed.:blahblah:
 
Why the change of heart?

Lonerider59 said:
I'm going to stir up quite a bit of controversy over this issue but I believe someone needs to stand up and speak up for those who can't or won't because they feel they'll be ostracized for their opinion. A lot of riders, of all makes and models feel they can't live with a motorcycle that has a stock exhaust system because it's too quiet (feminine perhaps?). Or maybe they'll use the power excuse. I can get another few horse power out of her if I gut the cat or make it a bit louder. I've heard this on at least four other forums that I'm a member of. Well, here's the facts Jack. The moment you modify the exhaust/intake in a manner that increases emissions, you are the proud owner of an illegal vehicle.....Period? More than likely you'll get away with it unless you are from an area that does scheduled emission tests, but nontheless you are putting yourself in jeopardy. You may get called on the carpet by local law enforcement or, the feds. Maybe not. You throw the dice. And, when you say, "I don't give a sh-t, then try your best to be adult about it and think of the many many people like my father who died from emphysema because his lungs gave out. I don't have a breathing problem but I wont crap all over those who do by ignoring the need for everyone to help keep our air as clean as we can. Let the controversy begin! I'm also guilty, but never again.
Click to expand...

For the most part you are 100% correct about butchering their exhaust for very little improvement in performance except maybe at the very top end. I just have a slip-on which automatically removes the cat in the mufler portion of the exhaust and I have a MIVV Suono which is also right on the edge of being obnoxious. It has been a fad in some areas to gut the cat , trim the secondaries etc,etc but the vast majority of riders never get a dyno run to see if they've actually improved the performance or decreased it, which can happen quite easily when the hunt for top-end h.p. is the case. In actuality, the midrange is where almost all of us run about 95% of the time so when you get a couple more H.P. at the top end, is it ever worth the price? __________________


You posted this on another thread....You sound angry my friend. If I could I would go riding with you. Always fixes me up. By the way I agree with the quote in red. There is a lot of real poor $$$ to performance ratio going on. But hey thats hot rodding!!

:cheers::cheers:__________________
 
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