Smog Testing Motorcycles?

[twowheelnut]

Last I heard, and it has been a few years since I heard this, catalytic converters wear out after about 50k miles. I used to live in NJ, where they have been sniffing tail pipes on cages at the annual inspection for a many years. I never had one fail that was in a proper state of tune.

I'm pretty sure that emission systems must have a 100k warranty as mandated by federal law - cats should be designed to handle this requirement. As for CARB requiring MC smog checks - I think I found a bright side: Just think how nice it will be to ride without all those tweaked Harley's in your way! :good: :lol:

 

[Toecutter]

Just think how nice it will be to ride without all those tweaked Harley's in your way! :good: :lol:

Well, they're never in my way long enough to make it much of a problem.

 

[Geezer]

Last I heard, and it has been a few years since I heard this, catalytic converters wear out after about 50k miles. I used to live in NJ, where they have been sniffing tail pipes on cages at the annual inspection for a many years. I never had one fail that was in a proper state of tune.

I'm pretty sure that emission systems must have a 100k warranty as mandated by federal law - cats should be designed to handle this requirement. As for CARB requiring MC smog checks - I think I found a bright side: Just think how nice it will be to ride without all those tweaked Harley's in your way! :good: :lol:

Yes, I thought of that. The point that I failed to make was that most vehicles, if running well and tuned properly, would pass the emission tests even after the cats were used up. I don't know how they do things in California, but in NJ and the counties of NY where they sniff exhaust, they set a standard of so many ppm of pollutant for a given model year regardless of make and model.

Back in the '70's most vehicles were used up after around 100k miles. Today, all of my four wheel vehicles have well over 100k and still run strong, so even if the cats are good for 100k they will not last the life of the vehicle. I expect to get at least 200k miles from a car or truck these days.

OTOH, a cat for a car is a lot less expensive to replace these days, and much less than what I expect a new one for the FJR would cost.

 

[NoSlowGuy]

Last I heard, and it has been a few years since I heard this, catalytic converters wear out after about 50k miles. I used to live in NJ, where they have been sniffing tail pipes on cages at the annual inspection for a many years. I never had one fail that was in a proper state of tune.

I'm pretty sure that emission systems must have a 100k warranty as mandated by federal law - cats should be designed to handle this requirement. As for CARB requiring MC smog checks - I think I found a bright side: Just think how nice it will be to ride without all those tweaked Harley's in your way! :good: :lol:

Yes, I thought of that. The point that I failed to make was that most vehicles, if running well and tuned properly, would pass the emission tests even after the cats were used up. I don't know how they do things in California, but in NJ and the counties of NY where they sniff exhaust, they set a standard of so many ppm of pollutant for a given model year regardless of make and model.

Back in the '70's most vehicles were used up after around 100k miles. Today, all of my four wheel vehicles have well over 100k and still run strong, so even if the cats are good for 100k they will not last the life of the vehicle. I expect to get at least 200k miles from a car or truck these days.

OTOH, a cat for a car is a lot less expensive to replace these days, and much less than what I expect a new one for the FJR would cost.

Not true, Emissions warranty, the emissions components are warranted for 7 years or 70k miles. That and a new cat on almost any new vehicle must be OEM no after market cats for 05 and on, they usually start at $600 for cars. Heck there have been a rash of thefts around here, people climbing under SUVs and stealing the cats. The crazy crap here in CA.

Not sure about the "smog checks" around the USA but here in CA there are three parts to the test 1 visual inspection-everything is there and connected. 2 emission testing on a dynamometer -what comes out of the tail pipe 3 functional test-timming, EGR test, gas cap test, and on OBD 1 & 2 equipped vehicles plugging into the ECM and checking for codes and that at least 5 of the 7 self tests have been done and passed.

Having been a smog tech for 15 years (not any more) I bet there will be only no load testing and visual inspections, the thought of putting bikes on dynos to do a smog test incurs toooo much liability and no shop will want to sign on to that, well II guess if the $$$$$ is right they will.

 

[jestal]

Catalytic converters should last virtually forever. They don't fail after just 50K. Car manufacturers are required to meet emision field compliance audits well past 100K miles. Lots of work goes into protecting the cat and making sure it is alive and healthy for many moons. It CAN be neutered by poisoning from contaminants in the fuel (rare but it happens) but the cat itself really has nothing to wear out or use up. Unless some failure occurs that causes the cat to get too hot and melt (even partially) it should keep working. I mentioned this in an earlier post regarding the hitch in the throttle response with the 06/07 bikes and how it relates to decel fuel cutoff and the PCIII installation. There is a chance that the fueling changes with the PCIII that effectively eliminate decel fuel cutoff could have a negative effect on cat life due to high temps on extended decels.

Lawn equipment has long been scrutinized in California. Your lawn mower is not just next....it has already been scrutinized. Notice you folks in CA do not see any two stroke weed eaters or leaf blowers anymore....???? At the time of the last data on the subject that I saw about 5 or 6 years ago CARB had declared that lawnmowers/leaf blowers/weedeaters/etc. were collectively contributing almost as much pollutants (HC,CO and Nox) as all the cars in California did. Most people have no idea of how clean car exhaust is these days and how dirty a lawn mower or weed eater is. Things like weed eaters emit huge levels of HC and CO, particularily, compared to cars and such.

Whatever has happened to automobiles regarding emission control and compliance checks will happen to bikes.....just count on it.

What raises the issue is that car exhaust is so clean these days that most any given car on the freeway is putting out "cleaner air" than it is taking in....in the sense that the levels of HC, CO and NOx coming out the tailpipe likely have a lower concentration than what is in the air they are taking into the aircleaner. Seriously. Cars these days have seriously clean exhaust. To put it in perspective, if you stop at a gas station with a car and fill the tank you will loose more unburned HC into the atmosphere during refueling (even with the onboard vapor recovey systems) than will come out the tailpipe while you drive hundreds of miles to use up that fuel. Soooo......you start looking for the next dirtiest internal combustion engines around and regulate them. Bikes are a likeyl candidate for control and already enjoy onboard vapor canisters, fuel injection, cats, closed loop control, O2 sensors, etc. Cat-back exhausts will be OK as on cars but since the cat is in the mufler of many bikes that fixes that. The FJR has the cat down below before the mufflers. Lots of heat to contend with in that location as has been noticed but a change in cans should be OK emission wise. Likely you will not pass without the cat , though, if the standards employ brand/model specific compliance levels.....which it will.

 

[twowheelnut]

Notice you folks in CA do not see any two stroke weed eaters or leaf blowers anymore....????

You've failed to remember the inventive maintenance/rejuvenative prowess of the Mexican gardener/landscaper. There be much blue smoke puffed out from the luxurious yards of California.