Exhaust in California - Harley Forum

BlueBob · #1 10-16-2007, 05:17 PM

Does anyone out there know what you can and can't get away with in CA when it comes to pipes, air cleaners, electronics, etc?

Would hate to make a bunch of mods when I know I'm movin' to CA shortly just to find I gotta put everything back the way I found it once I get there.

BlueBob · #2 10-19-2007, 11:45 AM

Bueller? Bueller?

Seriously, any info would be helpful. Gonna return my slip-ons in favor of http://www.vanceandhines.com/a113_sh..._dynblack.html if I can get away with running them in California.

#3 11-23-2007, 04:29 AM

Blue Bob

Just about anything you do to your HD (or any bike for that matter) that affects your noise or emissions is illegal in good old Kalifornia. None the less, there are very few stock Harleys on the road around my neck of the woods (the San Francisco Bay Area). As I'm writing this I can clearly hear what's probably a big inch hog running a Thunderheader out on I-80 which is about a half mile away from my house. And my windows are closed!

Even if your new pipes aren't really noisy they are illegal here if they aren't OEM. Screamin' Eagle pipes are a possible bust too. It all depends on whether or not your local PO wants to hassle you. They can and, from time to time, do just that. It can be CHP or local deputies that can be told to put some heat on by their over lords. Still, like I said, non-stock pipes are illegal and you have to ask yourself, "Well....Do you feel lucky, punk?" Most do, I guess! I do, although I'm looking around for a used set of stock pipes that I might have to temporarily put on if I have to clear an equipment violation. If you do go for the new pipes, keep your stockers just in case...

BHBCO · #4 02-21-2008, 05:57 PM

Get away with, and what is legal. I see a smog check for bike coming, but for now it`s don`t be stupid and tick off the neighborhood. Some areas of the state are hard on the sound thing, so ask around and keep your stock stuff. Loud pipes saves lives, yep if the man said you can`t ride it like that you can`t get, you know, on it!

frisco-rigid · #5 02-22-2008, 02:06 AM

I left that pinko-commie kaliforgnia 10 years ago so I'm not up on new restrictions.. However, far back as I remember, even in the good ole days, a smart guy kept his "take-offs" for that inevitable fix-it ticket..

Wait until after you re-register there then do what you want--- with your "take-offs" handy you'll be able to "fix-it" for the court then go back to your performance mods..

BlueBob · #6 02-22-2008, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frisco-rigid

I left that pinko-commie kaliforgnia 10 years ago so I'm not up on new restrictions.. However, far back as I remember, even in the good ole days, a smart guy kept his "take-offs" for that inevitable fix-it ticket..

Wait until after you re-register there then do what you want--- with your "take-offs" handy you'll be able to "fix-it" for the court then go back to your performance mods..

Sounds like, for convenience sake, I done good with slip-ons...

texan321 · #7 02-29-2008, 05:28 PM

I guess I have a problem with the ticket for not running OEM's? How do they know? Some have emblems - some don't. So is there a maual of something that tells them? Emissions - that is another story... but pipes? Is there a decibel level? Do the have meters with them that tells the decibel level? Sometimes our rights get trampled because we are law biding citizens but sometimes we can't be lemmings......I am just curious.
If you looked at my bike - you wouldn't be able to tell it was not stock. Yes - I replaced the purple tips - with chrome.....

frisco-rigid · #8 02-29-2008, 06:45 PM

Good question Tex

What has happened to me and of course many others is this..
You get stopped by a trooper that thinks you're a little loud,, well, I bet you are a little loud,,, ah, but what I mean is he thinks your pipes/muffs are a tad loud sooo he writes you a fix-it.. He doesn't need a decible-meter cuz in HIS opinion your pipes/muffs are too loud..
Well it usually works out that the exhaust are after-market and toooo loud..
Sooo, you go back home slip on the stock pipes/muffs cuz you anticipated this, get the fix-it validated and re-install your tooo loud pipes so you can give them a reason to stop you again..
Now, if the stock pipes/muffs have been destroyed by punching out-drilling-cut-etc. or sold or whatever, then the fix-it ticket is going to get alot more interesting..!!
Other mods prob won't even get their attention, hey, this is bad enough..

JCourneyaP · #9 03-03-2008, 09:49 PM

Do like Frisco says unless you have the time.

Take it to court. Good chance the officer may not show to dispute. If so you can get em all in the parking lot "Judge" included and fire it up. He may tell you to fix it or he may not. But at least you take up their time and get em off there butts.

This is my plan if I get ticketed in my state lets say within a few 100 miles or so.

unfknblvbl · #10 05-01-2008, 04:28 PM

Just an FYI....Samson's Legend Series is C.A.R.B. (California Air Resource Board) approved, but from what I understand you can pretty much throw that out the window if you add an air cleaner (except for maybe the scremin' eagle stage I cleaner (which I can't recall at the moment, but I do believe it is 50 state legal also)), fuel management control, etc. I don't think there is stock Harley in my neck of the woods (except for mine...LOL which is going to change soon) and everyone I know that has a bike that isn't stock has no problems with the law or emission testing.

When I was going through the BRC on base they were telling us that alot of the beach cities PD's are ticketing the crap out motorcyclist on anything but stock bikes. Granted I've rode Pacific Coast Highway from San Diego to Camp Pendleton and bike on different occasions and going through the beach cities I didn't see a cop one, anywhere.

There is a nasty rumor out that sometime here in the near future CA is going to start requiring sled testing of bikes when they have a smog check.

Bluebob- If I recall correctly you're in the military right? All the bases out here require a smog check before you can register the bike on base. Just something to keep in the back of your mind.