Question about Street Tuner for the M8
#41
06-13-2017, 09:32 PM
Seasoned HDF Member
Unless a person buys a tuner from a manufacturer that specifically says on the package that it is intended "FOR OFF ROAD USE ONLY" I would think that all the new tuners on the market are going to have to comply with the same EPA regulation in force at time of manufacturer. There is only so much fuel and spark that can be added or subtracted to stay legal. So, won't all tuners that claim to be street legal for 2017 and beyond be pretty much the same? I am sure the aftermarket guys don't want that fact to be common knowledge but I don't see how anyone brand can be much different when it comes to tuning a 2017 street legal motorcycle/Harley. I have read in paperwork from the Justice Department that they even went so far as to make the MOCO buy back all the unsold Pro Super Tuners that dealers had on their shelf last August, 2016. This was after the Justice Department levied the 15 million dollar fine on the MOCO for manufacturing and selling device which would circumvent the EPA compliant tunes that manufacturers were installing on new bikes.
I searched for a CARB compliant supercharger for my '04 Z06 Corvette. That was an education in the power and tight fisted grip that EPA/CARB has on the automotive industry....
At the time, Kenne Bell, a well known FORD supercharger shop, was experimenting with a blower for the Corvette. I followed their certification process through a Kenne Bell employee, and outside vendor really pushing for the Vette certification, who posted the adventure on a forum.... quite an eye opener. Anyone who experienced the smog cloud over LA in the 60's knows regulation was needed, but it seems that EPA/CARB is more about money and power than clean air these days... but I digress...
Anyway, EPA/CARB approved performance parts can be quite a bit different from the OEM performance..... the shop needs to know how to blend the parts, with a tune that will make power, but burn clean.... it can be done.... look at the Chrysler "hellcat" vehicles, the new Corvette Z06, and others...
I put the Kenne Bell supercharger on my Z06 and went from OEM 405HP at the flywheel, 360ish HP at the rear wheels... to 530 HP at the rear wheels. I took it for one of the mandated, bi-annual SMOG tests here in CA.... after verifying the CARB EO numbers on my mods, the guy commented that mine was one of the cleanest running vettes he ever tested...
Bottom line.... if FuelMoto puts together a parts/tune package... pays for all the testing to be done... and it shows no significant increase in emissions over the OEM engine (I'm sure there is a range it must fall between)... the "package" with "tune" will be approved for use, will pass any smog tests, and won't get a shop in trouble for adding it to a bike. It very well could be much more performance than other packages/tunes. That's where the shop knowledge comes in to play...
This is a very time consuming and expensive process.. kudos to FuelMoto for going through the headache known as EPA/CARB approval....!!!!
Now as far as warranty goes, Harley still has the ability, as stated in their written warranty, to make the decision on what "performance enhancing parts" are allowed and keep the warranty intact... that's a Harley decision, Not an EPA decision (other than the narrow scope in the consent decree requirements).....
Last edited by hattitude; 06-13-2017 at 09:38 PM.
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Thingfish
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10-26-2017 10:24 AM