California may soon require smog checks for motorcycles
Back on February 26th, California State Senator Fran Pavley introduced legislation that would "amend Section 44011 of, and to add Section 44012.5 to, the Health and Safety Code, relating to air pollution." All right, what's that mean? Basically, this legislation would require motorcycle owners in California to get smog checks for their motorcycles once every two years. The law would cover all motorcycles model year 2000 or newer and, if passed, would go into effect on January 1st, 2012.
As of today, motorcycles are exempt from smog checks in California. As with other motorcycles in that state, all motorcycles with current registration as road vehicles would need to be checked by the Department of Consumer Affairs and any transfer of ownership would also require an updated certificate of compliance.
A majority vote will be required to pass this new legislation into law, which could take place any time after March 28th. See the complete bill at this link.
[Source: California Legislature via The Kneeslider | Photo: steven.buss]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
chris 5:45PM (3/05/2009)
California fails again...
Please leave motorcycles alone.
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paulwesterberg 11:40AM (3/06/2009)
I think most motorcycles run fine - get great mileage and cause very little pollution, but older 2-stroke mopeds are some of the foulest smoke belching vehicles on the road.
Jharlan 6:17PM (3/05/2009)
I'm against this. It's just another way to tax young people and build another state bureaucracy. They don't really care about the small amount of pollution from motorcycles. If we don't stick together on this type of money grab, they will eventually require it on lawn mowers, BBQs, Chainsaws, tractors, model airplanes etc. These jackasses have never seen a tax they didn't like. All taxes and fees hurt our struggling economy.
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Snowdog 6:42PM (3/05/2009)
"they will eventually require it on lawn mowers, BBQs, Chainsaws, tractors,.."
That would be Fan-Freaking-Tastic!
Modern cars have nice clean emission. I am a runner and a cyclist. I have no issues with the emissions from cars. Thanks to legislation, they now have super clean emissions.
But motorcycle and lawn mowers are hideous. If we don't legislate clean air, we don't get clean air. I hate going for a run and finding someone covering a 2 block radius with pollution from the totally uncontrolled spewers.
Carney 1:58PM (3/09/2009)
All those devices, with the possible exception of motorcycles, should be required to drop foul gasoline and petro-diesel, and switch to alcohol fuel only. It's safer, burns cooler, and emits NO smog causing soot/smoke/particulate matter.
Motorcycles should either be alcohol only or perhaps flex fueled, able to run as easily on alcohol as on gasoline.
Nothing should be gasoline only anymore.
John 7:20PM (3/05/2009)
its about time, just because you have a small engine does not mean it does not pollute at all, and millions of motorcycles still can cause a whole lot of air pollution problems, there is no reason they should be exempt. and lawnmowers and other yard equipment will be (i believe) have to have smog regulations from the feds coming up very soon, if i remember this was passed a couple years back and as lawn equipment is a very heavy polluter compared to their % of the market on engines this will be a very good thing!
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Brian P 9:00PM (3/05/2009)
For Snowdog and John, most late model motorcycles have fuel injection and catalytic converters. Problem #1 is that a lot of owners change the exhaust systems and bye-bye catalytic converter. Problem #2 is that even Calfornia's standards for motorcycles are quite lax compared to Euro 3, which current new motorcycles in Europe must meet. A lot of the time the bikes are built the same worldwide to the most stringent standard (i.e. euro 3) but not always. A Euro-spec 2009 Kawasaki Ninja 250 is fuel injected. A California-spec 2009 Kawasaki Ninja 250 is still carbureted ...
I have two motorcycles that are EFI / catalyst (and haven't been disabled), and just like with cars, after the engine has been running for a minute or so for the catalyst to light-up, the exhaust smells like nothing.
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jpm 8:39PM (3/05/2009)
Bullshit. Just a reason to get more "revenue" for the state. Look at how many cars vs. motorcycles are on the road. Heck, look at how many WAY more oversized vehicles on the road compared to MCs. Those big vehicles, which consume 3x as much gas as I do, should be charged the extra money for "revenue".
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why not the LS2LS7? 1:22AM (3/06/2009)
Those vehicles already pay a ton of road taxes and testing fees. There's no reason motorcycles shouldn't also be tested.
jpm 1:24AM (3/06/2009)
Ton of road taxes and testing fees comparable to who? Sedans? They should pay more. They spew out way more C02 and damage the road way more.
jharlan 9:02PM (3/05/2009)
You pompous, self righteous jackasses. They're coming after the motorcyclists now and next it will be you. When you run or cycle, your CO2 emmissions go sky high. I think they should tax running and cycling Get the point?
By the way, climate change is determined by variations in solar radiation, and nothing you can do will have much effect. Man made global warming is a hoax.
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greg 10:49PM (3/05/2009)
Jharlan: This isn't about CO2 emissions which have no effect on air quality. This is about those emissions that contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone, stuff like CO, SOx, and NOx.
Also from Wiki:
"A 2001 study showed that such a mower emits the same amount of pollution (emissions other than carbon dioxide) in one hour as driving a 1992 model car for 650 miles (1,050 km).[4] Another estimate puts the amount of pollution from a lawn mower at four times the amount from a car, per hour.[5] This is largely due to the lack of any emissions equipment on most lawn mowers; cars have had catalytic converters, fuel injection, and other emissions-control devices for decades, while most mowers have little more than a simple muffler and carburetor. Their single-cylinder engines also need to run with a richer fuel-air mixture because of the irregular flow through the carburetor, leading to incomplete combustion."
harlanx6 11:58PM (3/05/2009)
Yea? well they are not talking lawn mowers here. They are attacking motorcyclists (and it is an attack!). All these devices are making incremental improvements in emissions just like autos, but there are so few of the antiques around does it justify a fee from everyone who uses any type of ICE? Apparently you guys also have never seen a tax you don't like!! I reiterate I'm against it, not because of the possibility it could reduce emissions, which I would support, but because it will cost far more than it is worth and will result in more accumulation of power and waste in the government.
why not the LS2LS7? 1:24AM (3/06/2009)
CO2 from people does not count because it is generated from renewable sources. The carbon exhaled was pulled from the atmosphere by a plant in the spring, so returning it to the atmosphere doesn't cause a carbon buildup over time.
You have stronger opinions than knowledge.
Snowdog 7:32AM (3/06/2009)
My definition of a self righteous jack ass is someone who thinks they should be free to pollute the environment for everyone else, just to save a few bucks. I'll summarize the attitude in simple terms: "People with respiratory problems? Screw em, saving me a few bucks is more important than someone else breathing easy".
C02 is a contributor to global warming, but it isn't a pollutant that is harmful to human health. I don't like to see HARMFUL air pollution get a short shrift in the rush to limit C02.
Most people can realize the importance of limiting both C02 and harmful air pollution.
Of course the completely opposed to regulation folks (go live in Calcutta and enjoy the smell of regulation free air) will use the motorcycles don't emit much C02 in one argument as a reason not to regulate them (ignoring the pollutants) in another they will say there should be no limits on V10 automobiles because they don't emit much harmful pollution.
We need to control both.
harlanx6 9:27AM (3/06/2009)
LS2LS7 you ought to look in the mirror.
Domenick Yoney 10:13AM (4/13/2009)
"...climate change is determined by variations in solar radiation"
Maybe not.
http://www.grist.org/article/its-the-sun-stupid
harlanx6 11:21AM (4/13/2009)
It's an undeniable fact agreed to by virtually all scientists. It's only the extent that human activity contributes that is under dispute.
Stoaty 10:52PM (3/05/2009)
Sounds like great news. We still have too much pollution in California, although there has been significant improvement. I hope they regulate boats and jet skis as well, since these can be significant sources of pollution.
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Randy S 12:59AM (3/06/2009)
I have just the answer, this sounds like a job for HYDROGEN! Yes this makes perfect sense because the only exhaust is water vapour! UREKA!!
Hydrogen motorcycles, only $250k each
Hydrogen lawnmowers, only $75k each
Hyrdrogen whipper snippers, only $50k each
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