Just an FYI - I've got an '06 Dyna. V & H will have pipes available in January for the new FI Dyna line that will be legal. The new pipes will have the bracket for the O2 sensor. My dealer says they will be installing these pipes and it should be hassle free, knock on wood (or chrome) : )

Wally

 

All I know is that the dealers here are still putting Rineharts on the touring bikes. I hope they still are when I buy my new bike!

 

Well here in the Seattle area the dealer will put on just about anything you want but it will void your warranty.

 

I was just reading the new issue of Hot Bike and in it, they review the new S&S closed-loop EFI engine. The engine comes with 02 sensors and and EPA friendly emissions. The fear of custom builders being driven out of business by the new EPA regs is unfounded. They will just use legal engines. You can build as many custom bikes as you want, as long as they are legal. The one time exemption is for a non-conforming bike. I'm not in favor of the new EPA regs, just trying to take a realistic peek into the future. I think aftermarket items will still be available, they'll just be marketed for "off road use only". The bad part will come when the EPA starts requiring yearly sniff tests on all bikes in all states.

 

EPA - yeah there real useful - buncha tree huggers

 

I think it's kind of encouraging that the MOCO has no problem with the new regs. I'm in the Milwaukee area and we not only have Harley here but the headquarters for Briggs and Stratton as well. Last year the local papers did a few articles about the EPA negotiating with small engine builders to put a "thumbnail" size catalytic converter in their engines. Briggs immediately threatened to move all production out of America...said it "would be too expensive", "require too many changes", etc. etc. and basically acted like they were being asked to reinvent the wheel. IMHO these threats from Briggs made them look low tech and backwards, especially when you consider that Japanese small engine builders and even other American manufacturers seem to have no problem meeting any new emission standards that come down the pike.

This makes Harley look like they have put some thought into this and are well prepared to keep building the kind of products we want. Just my .02.[&:]

 

Here's what hurts those of us who build up older bikes: You buy/have an old Knuck, Pan, Shovel, or Ironhead Sporty engine and want to build a bike. The old frame is long gone and you want to build a replica of the original, or just build a custom bike. Since it's a non-complying engine, the bike you build is the only one you get to build in your life. Or maybe you have an old bike that belonged to your grandfather, but the frame is wasted. You buy a replica frame, restore it in honor of ol' grandpap, and several years later the bike gets walloped at the local watering hole. The frame is trashed, but the motor is OK. Too bad, 'cause you already built your one non-compliant bike. Ol' pap's bike is history.

Hopefully there will be ways around these scenarios. Maybe there already is, but ya gotta be a lawdog to decipher the rules.

And would somebody show me in the Constitution where it says unelected appointed turds are permitted to make rules with the force of law, and I can be fined or go to jail because of them?

 

I think the only thing the moco has put any thought into is making money. They are behind this epa BS because they want to get rid of the aftermarket accessory companies. I hope it backfires and they lose their shirts. I hope their sales drop right off the map.
They were the only company in the US who could have fought this on behalf of bikers, but what do they do instead? They screw bikers and the whole motorcycle industry. They secretly and silently support it and come out with a bunch of new models to deflect the attention from the epa issues. Who the hell is going to buy a HD that sounds like a honda. Good luck HD, I hope you put your cash into savings because i think you're gonna need it.
I've bought my last new HD. (a carb model) I'll drive this one into the ground. Fortunately RUBS bought a ton of bikes in the early nineties so I can always buy a good low mileage used carb model in the future.

 

The most frightening and complicated language in the new rules deals with customs and kit bikes. As people have pointed out, as long as it's EPA-compliant there aren't any issues. However, in yet another case of lawmakers feeling brilliant there's some pretty restrictive language that lays waste to a lot of facets of the aftermarket industry. Rebuilding a bike around an older engine has been mentioned. Various mods to new bikes is also on the list. Even with the old Clean Air Act, much of the customizing that occurs is considered tampering. If the net result of your modifications was higher MPG and lower emissions, you'd still be in violation because you've changed the original equipment!! This sort of short-sighted draconian regulation is the result of individuals within government agencies believing they have all the answers, and therefore allowing no outs. For most of the folks that want to make aftermarket mods to their MoCo machines, I don't think you're going to see a big change. There'll be some monetary fluctuations, but the big providers are going to come up with products that fall in line with the regs. This is gonna hit the small builder, and the garage guys the most. In the end, Congress has the power to repeal the silly krap the non-elected chair warmers are dreaming up, and Congress runs on money. Motorcyclists as a group need to make their voice heard, through organizations like the AMA, through your favorite manufacturer - encourage them to add their weight to the fight in order to keep your business, and through individual correspondence. What makes the American V-Twin such a commodity is our ability to individualize everything to our riding styles and our life styles. The chair warmers are attacking this because we're perceived as an easy target! Motivate the industry, 'cause the industry needs us to survive, and if they don't keep us happy, we'll let 'em drown...

Shoot, Move, and Communicate! I'm a HARD target.