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Ca. ban on motorcycle performance parts

softailgarage

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Well, it seem that CARB (Ca. Air Resouces Board) has decided to go to war with Ca. bikers. They passed a law 2 months ago banning ALL motorcyle performance parts from being sold in and to California, meaning no pipes, no chips, no intake systems, no cams, nothing that will increase speed or performance. This is taking a huge bite out of our economy as a lot of these companies are located here, not to mention out of state companies that are no longer able to ship to California. You can however still get Screaming Eagle stuff from HD, but only from a HD Dealership. For example, I can get a stage 2 kit (bigger cams, etc.) for $1100.00, from Harley (which is a hell of a lot more than say JP Cycle.) So, my question is for the Harley guys out there, what do you plan on doing for parts? BTW, this is also opening the door to smog checks for bikes.
 
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GN4WHLN

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CARB has far too much power and wants nothing more than to build its kingdom and consolidate more authority unto itself. Their rule-making ability is ridiculous. Decisions like that should be for the legislature. We really need to be free of these tyrants.

I'm with you, this is the first step to an inspection process for bikes which is, of course, all about the revenue... bastards.
 

jchetty

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Well, it seem that CARB (Ca. Air Resouces Board) has decided to go to war with Ca. bikers. They passed a law 2 months ago banning ALL motorcyle performance parts from being sold in and to California, meaning no pipes, no chips, no intake systems, no cams, nothing that will increase speed or performance. This is taking a huge bite out of our economy as a lot of these companies are located here, not to mention out of state companies that are no longer able to ship to California. You can however still get Screaming Eagle stuff from HD, but only from a HD Dealership. For example, I can get a stage 2 kit (bigger cams, etc.) for $1100.00, from Harley (which is a hell of a lot more than say JP Cycle.) So, my question is for the Harley guys out there, what do you plan on doing for parts? BTW, this is also opening the door to smog checks for bikes.



I call b.s. If it just about revenue, why ban- don't you pay sales tax on bikes among other fees. Any links or articles?
 

LS6 Tommy

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I haven't heard a thing and can't find a single word about it. Sounds like BS. A state can't dictate emissions standards on off-highway or race vehicles, so they can't ban or control the sale of "race" parts, only the usage. The EPA and CARB laws state you cannot modify, remove or replace any on-highway motorcycle (or any other vehicle) emissions equipment including pipes and mufflers. Been that way for decades.

The EPA, however, is overreaching again. They want to ban production vehicles from being turned into race only cars, and are looking at a similar (illegal) law for California motorcycles:

http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/news/epa-production-production-racing/

Tommy
 
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ZRX61

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The EPA, however, is overreaching again. They want to ban production vehicles from being turned into race only cars, and are looking at a similar (illegal) law for California motorcycles:

http://www.asphaltandrubber.com/news/epa-production-production-racing/

Tommy
They gave up on this idea a couple of weeks back.

As for the original post, it comes across like something ABATE would publish & they are well known for coming up with all sorts of ******** scare stories that have no basis in reality.
 

chris142

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I haven't heard a thing and can't find a single word about it. Sounds like BS. A state can't dictate emissions standards on off-highway or race vehicles,
CA has a red sticker and a green sticker registration depending on the emissions your bike,quad whatever puts out. Green can be ridden year round but red only in winter.
 

Zeeman

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If this happens, it's because of years of democrat BS. I can't imagine not being able to get performance parts. Crazy, but not surprising with everything else being regulated to death.
 
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softailgarage

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OK, so you don't believe me. Try to order something and have it shopped to CALIFORNIA, good luck. This ain't FB BS. I'm friends with and spend a lot of time at local bike shops, NOBODY can get parts....NOBODY.
 

paranoid56

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Move to Texas. Problem solved.
but then you end up living in texas, who would want that?
OK, so you don't believe me. Try to order something and have it shopped to CALIFORNIA, good luck. This ain't FB BS. I'm friends with and spend a lot of time at local bike shops, NOBODY can get parts....NOBODY.

i just got in a new pipe, jet kit and other pipes for my moto this week. nobody i have talked to even knows anything about what you are talking about.
 

Lassen Forge

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Some parts people (usually those with the ARB or some other bureaucratic nightmare of a California nannystate department crawling down their necks) are sticklers, others don't care. I prefer the latter, tho up here those are few and far between. But yeah, I have had "issues" with ARB rules... replacing broken parts on motorcycles that are exempt from their rules (modified prior to the law). Can't believe all the "for off road only" parts I've, um, been forced to use...


What's the law that was passed?

Addition of title 13, California Code of Regulations (CCR), section 2222(j).

The Executive Officer shall exempt aftermarket critical emission control parts
on highway motorcycles from the prohibitions of California Vehicle Code
sections 27156 and 38391 based on an evaluation conducted in accordance
with the "California Evaluation Procedures for Aftermarket Critical Emission
Control Parts on Highway Motorcycles,"

NOTE: Authority cited: Sections 39600, 39601, 43000, 43000.5, and 43011, and
43107, Health and Safety Code; and Sections 27156, 38391 and 38395, Vehicle
Code. Reference: Sections 39002, 39003, 39500, 43000, 43000.5, 43009.5,
43011, 43107, 43204, 43205, 43205.5, and 43644, Health and Safety Code; and
Sections 27156, 38391 and 38395, Vehicle Code


BTW - THIS is part of the reason Jefferson wants to Secede from California.

My solution - works pretty well -

Take a road trip to Nevada or Oregon or Arizona... or have an out of state friend buy it and ship it to you. Or ship it to an out of state friend and have them forward it.

Or have a pre-79 Motorcycle...

Well, heck, wait a minute...

This IS the Garage Journal... Fabricate your own parts!
:D
 
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LS6 Tommy

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OK, so you don't believe me. Try to order something and have it shopped to CALIFORNIA, good luck. This ain't FB BS. I'm friends with and spend a lot of time at local bike shops, NOBODY can get parts....NOBODY.

Maybe it's because of the brand of bike you're trying to get parts for. I don't know of anybody that takes a Harley and turns it into a full race bike. MODIFICATION of a street legal bike's emissions equipment is and always has been ILLEGAL. California has it's own exhaust noise limit laws, maybe all the the stuff for Harleys doesn't meet the max spec of 80 dB? I can't see the point of that law, you can't change the exhaust system on a street bike anyway...

http://www.dealernews.com/dealernews/article/california-enacts-un-sound-exhaust-law

:dunno:

Tommy
 
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George in Rancho Cordova

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Section 27156 (anti-tampering statute) has been in the California Vehicle Code since the sixties. That includes motorcycles from the seventies forward.

The only "news" is that ARB is addressing the issue more intensely with motorcycles recently. The removal of catalytic converters from bikes was a major concern.

A couple of years ago, there was an attempt in the Legislature to address excessive noise from motorcycles. Thank the HD riders with straight pipes and the Japanese bike owners with tin cans for mufflers.

It COULD HAVE been simply addressed by applying in-use decibel limits, using a recently established SAE test procedure. This has been fairly successful with autos.

That devolved into using the emissions certifications hook to require labeling of motorcycle exhaust systems in California from a designated model year forward. That would require a police officer to only look for a label on the exhaust system, instead of using a subjective opinion to call for an objective decibel test.

The "won't ship to California" is the reaction of marketers who don't have, or don't want to produce, products that comply. However, some don't explore the matter and just won't ship anything.
If they would work with SEMA, they could understand the realities, which are different from the rumors.
For years, the JC Whitney catalog had a bizarre set of footnotes indicating the items not legal in California. There was a lot of confusion because they went overboard and marked items that were clearly not emissions related.

Don't assume that I am a tree hugger. I appreciate intelligently modified vehicles, had a drag car, and have read Hot Rod for over fifty years. Oh, and I was in the smog biz in California for parts of five decades.

RANT MODE OFF.
 

HoosierBuddy

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I've done some soul searching myself on this lately.

I justify all the race parts on my '65 mustang easily, knowing that it is far cleaner burning today than it was from the factory, and I believe is exempted from smog rules anyway as its only OEM smog equipment was a PCV valve.

But on my newer cars, I just wouldn't feel comfortable (even though we do not have emissions testing in my area) taking off or defeating any of the emissions systems. Air pollution isn't as bad now as it was when I was a kid. But that only happened because everyone has done their part. Some people think that these rules shouldn't apply to them but I would challenge any of them to say they want pollution controls removed from ALL vehicles. If you don't want the other 99% of the cars on the road to have these devices...then how is it OK for you to remove them?

An improperly tuned vehicle without working emissions equipment can produce 100 times as much pollutants as one that is working properly. We aren't talking about some minor gains here. These modern vehicles are really clean burning.

None of this has anything to do with "race vehicles". I'm just questioning what percent of those parts that are not emissions compliant end up on street driven cars. Based on what I'm seeing out there...I'd say most of them....but I do not have any data to back that opinion up. Hopefully I'm overstating the problem.

Phil
 
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softailgarage

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From Drag Specialties:


Important Emissions Notice

Disclaimer: Emission-related parts, devices, or systems for non-OEM emission control system equipped motorcycles, as well as slip-on mufflers that mount downstream of and which do not inhibit the original design, function, or performance of the original emission control system, are considered Replacement Parts by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and are therefore exempt from prohibitions of the California Code of Regulations Section 27156 by reason of Section 2222(j). CARB does not, however, permit the use of aftermarket emission-related parts, devices, or systems that alter the performance of OEM emission-related devices unless CARB has issued an Executive Order, other than on racing vehicles on closed courses. More emission-related information is available at www.arb.ca.gov and also on this MIC PDF

Products shown may be designed, manufactured, intended, and sold for use on competition vehicles that are operated only on closed course racing circuits unless otherwise noted, and use of the same on public roads or lands may be a violation of local, state, and/or federal laws. By offering products for sale, Drag Specialties makes no representation or warranty as to whether the items offered for sale are legal for the use for which they are purchased.

Check your applicable laws and manufacturer’s publication(s) and/or website(s) for manufacturer’s warranty, maintenance, safety, mounting, and any regulatory compliance/non-compliance information.

Certain emissions regulatory compliance/non-compliance information provided by the manufacturer can be found by clicking on the brand below.

From Vance & Hines:



Emissions Notice to Customers in California

California regulates motorcycle aftermarket parts that have the potential to impact emissions. In most cases, the sale and use of emissions related aftermarket parts on motorcycles is prohibited unless it is either a "replacement part" as defined by California, or is a specifically authorized use of that part as reflected in an Executive Order ("EO Part.")

The California Air Resources Board (ARB) regulates aftermarket parts and has promulgated regulations that essentially place all emissions related aftermarket parts into three categories:

(1) Replacement Parts

Replacement Parts are aftermarket parts that ARB considers to be functionally equivalent to the stock part they are intended to replace, and therefore would not impact the emissions from these vehicles. These parts are appropriate for sale and use on motorcycles used on or off the public highways. For aftermarket exhaust systems and parts, there are two applicable scenarios:

(a) If the motorcycle’s stock exhaust system does not contain a catalytic converter, then an aftermarket exhaust part is a replacement part as long as the part does not remove or replace any emission control equipment originally attached to the stock exhaust system, such as oxygen sensors.

(b) If the motorcycle’s stock exhaust system contains a catalytic converter in the manifold section of the stock exhaust system, then an aftermarket muffler positioned downstream from the catalytic converter (i.e. cat-back) is a replacement part as long as the part does not remove or replace any emission control equipment originally attached to the stock exhaust system.

(2) Executive Order Parts

Executive Order Parts are aftermarket parts that ARB has evaluated and determined do not adversely impact emissions, and thereby are granted an Executive Order (EO), which allows the part to be sold and used on specified motorcycles. Any aftermarket exhaust system that replaces or otherwise impacts emission control equipment, including catalytic converters, requires an EO to be sold and used on a motorcycle used on or off a public highway.

(3) Competition Use Only Parts

Competition Use Only Parts may not be sold or used on a motorcycle that is used on or off the public highways other than those motorcycles used exclusively for competition. Competition Use Only Parts are aftermarket parts that replace or otherwise interfere with the operation of an emission control device, such as a catalytic converter or oxygen sensor, and may be sold and used on a motorcycle that is used only for closed course competition.
 

ZRX61

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FFS, it's been illegal to mess with emissions equipment on bikes since at least 1973. This is hardly news. All they did recently was change the wording a bit, the law remained the same.
 

ZRX61

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OK, so you don't believe me. Try to order something and have it shopped to CALIFORNIA, good luck. This ain't FB BS. I'm friends with and spend a lot of time at local bike shops, NOBODY can get parts....NOBODY.
Horseshit, I can walk into any number of bike shops in LA County & buy aftermarket parts any damn day of the week. Some of the parts are made right here, others are from out of State.
 

DekeT

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If this happens, it's because of years of democrat BS. I can't imagine not being able to get performance parts. Crazy, but not surprising with everything else being regulated to death.

You need a big cup of STFU while you read the forum rules.
 
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softailgarage

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Horseshit, I can walk into any number of bike shops in LA County & buy aftermarket parts any damn day of the week. Some of the parts are made right here, others are from out of State.

I'm not talking aftermarket parts, I'm talking PERFORMANCE PARTS. Yeah, I can get an aftermarket headlamp, no problem. Try to get a larger cam for a 2008 softail deluxe or a K&N induction system or a power commander, then talk to me, but change your tone first.
 

ZRX61

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I'm not talking aftermarket parts, I'm talking PERFORMANCE PARTS. Yeah, I can get an aftermarket headlamp, no problem. Try to get a larger cam for a 2008 softail deluxe or a K&N induction system or a power commander, then talk to me, but change your tone first.
You mean like the parts that I bought in California that raised my bikes HP from 98rwhp to 142rwhp (160 at the crank).. those parts? Yeah, I can still buy them.
 

fsae0607

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This is kind of true. I bought a set of pipes for my '97 Harley online, and they shipped to California. Out of curiosity, I checked the same website again and now they won't ship the same pipes to California. Good thing I got them when I did.

It's stupid, because my bike did not come with catalytic converters. The pipes I bought were a complete system, so technically I'm not "tampering" with any emission controls.
 

kv501

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FFS, it's been illegal to mess with emissions equipment on bikes since at least 1973. This is hardly news. All they did recently was change the wording a bit, the law remained the same.

Can confirm. Our west coast sales rep is here this afternoon on a quarterly visit and he said he had no trouble getting any parts he wants in and around Escondido unless that's not part of the so called "ban" area.

He said from time to time it gets brought up if wording is changed/added but availability has never been a problem. He said he just received 2 separate orders from V&H (mentioned in your blurb above) Tuesday.

Gotta do a little research before throwing stuff out on the interwebs.
 
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Zeeman

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You need a big cup of STFU while you read the forum rules.

What is STFU? I'm guessing it's something not so nice. Are you being not nice? That's not nice. I'm not sure what you are referring to, but I was just stating my opinion about over regulation.
 

ZRX61

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This is kind of true. I bought a set of pipes for my '97 Harley online, and they shipped to California. Out of curiosity, I checked the same website again and now they won't ship the same pipes to California. Good thing I got them when I did.

It's stupid, because my bike did not come with catalytic converters. The pipes I bought were a complete system, so technically I'm not "tampering" with any emission controls.


Stock pipes have been stamped for decades stating that it is illegal to remove or modify them.
 

LXCam

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No different then what we deal with the car stuff. If there's any truth to "banned parts" that's an easy work around with most second party retailers.

And Zeeman please leave your political comments out. It'll get the thread shut down in short order.
 

Zeeman

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What part of no politics don't you understand?

I have searched for the rules on "no politics", but did not find any. Feel free to continue to try to insult me. I have really thick skin. I'll look more for the no politics thing, and apologize ahead of time if I have broken any rules. A simple: "Please don't post about politics as per rules", would have worked.

Sorry Softail. I'll get out of the way now.

I'm going to look into the performance parts more, because if a ban can happen in CA, it could happen in GA.
 

Zeeman

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No different then what we deal with the car stuff. If there's any truth to "banned parts" that's an easy work around with most second party retailers.

And Zeeman please leave your political comments out. It'll get the thread shut down in short order.

Sorry. Thanks for stating it nicely. I did not know there was a ban on politics too. I searched for the rules and read what I found.
 

pmiranda

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I've been reading the board for years and don't remember a no-politics rule. I just figured most people were more interested in garage stuff than politics :)
 

Basskiller

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The no politics has been around since I joined, written or unwritten. I can remember this particular sub forum shut down and threatened to be shut down again. :dunno:
Just go with it, people get passionate over politics. We can discuss tools and garage stuff :thumbup:
 
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