Why is motorcycle exhaust so excessive?

[Muse]

Edit: OK, I don't hate them, it's just that from my point of view (as they race ahead of me) I have to smell what seems to me their excessive exhaust.

I bicycle and skate a lot but even when driving my car I can smell the exhaust from motorcycles. Very irritating, obviously noxious. I saw something a year or two ago about proposed legislation to get motor driven two wheelers pollution standards compliant, don't know if anything has come of that.

Is it so hard to eliminate the pollution from those vehicles?

 

[z1ggy]

....Diesel trucks all over and you complaining about motorcycles?

 

[monkeydelmagico]

Is it so hard to eliminate the pollution from those vehicles?

Yes

 

[rstrohkirch]

I can tell you'd just love dirt bikes.

 

[jdoggg12]

n/m

 

[Ns1]

n/m

 

[Phanuel]

OP, why do you hate fun?

 

[Muse]

....Diesel trucks all over and you complaining about motorcycles?

I don't much encounter diesel trucks where I skate or bicycle.

 

[Muse]

OP, why do you hate fun?

Snarky mularky.

 

[Muse]

Your post sounds like you have a bias against bikes in general and this topic is simply a hot button topic for you.

No way, I dig motorcycles, I realize they are big fun to ride, they are fast (in traffic!!!), the only thing I don't like about them is the damned smell. Seems like every time I catch a whiff of their exhaust I'm irritated. D:

It's always struck me as weird that they've managed to engineer cars which are so many times bigger than motorcycles to smell many times better.

 

[tortoise]

motor driven two wheelers pollution standards

EPA . . CARB

 

[Muse]

As a pedestrian, motorcyclist, and driver... we all hate cyclists. Is it so hard to just stay to the right of the lane? /s

To answer your OT question (it's cool), I stay to the right when it's safe to do so. Sometimes we bicyclists have to "take the lane" due to conditions. Google that and you'll see. Myself, I ride where it's safest, I try to stay off of busy streets, I'm very very safe on my bike. But I refuse to ride so close to parked (or stopped) cars that if someone on the left side of the car suddenly opens the door all the way it would hit me. A friend of mine was "doored" and had to have his jaw wired back together. I got doored one time (in an unfamiliar area) and it messed up my right hand. I pulled a bandaid out of my wallet, slapped it on my hand and rode the 7 miles home. As you probably know (if you're in CA) a law was enacted not long ago making it a crime to drive too close to bicyclists, I think you need to give them 3 feet IIRC.

 

[Ns1]

As you probably know (if you're in CA) a law was enacted not long ago making it a crime to drive too close to bicyclists, I think you need to give them 3 feet IIRC.

It was actually vetoed by Brown. Again.

Brown must really hate cyclists because he also vetoed a bill that would throw the book at people who hit and run.

 

[Phanuel]

Snarky mularky.

The real answer is because there is no post purchase emissions testing on motorcycles in CA. While racing exhausts are not street legal, there's no process in place to enforce it regularly besides a 1 off stop and a LEO investigating the bike on the side of the road.

My bike smells fine because it still has the cats in place. But many bikes don't, and a lot of what you see where you live could be stolen as well and who knows what's been done to them.

 

[C1]

I think the "smell complaint" is bogus in attempt to raise dissension or cause conversation.

My cycle riding days are over (retired), but man-o-man have I driven lots even since I was too young for a license.

I always have said (and I'll say it again), on any major freeway (and while on my cycle), Ive never been behind a diesel that didnt smell/stink (particularly certain Mercedes'), but I've never been behind a motorcycle that did smell (or even smoke).

The issue exclusively, if there is one, is noise and the complaints about this appear in newspaper editorials regularly. And as Phanual states, this, now days, is aided & abetted by no post purchase emission inspections. However, that would not stop owners from modding their machines as it is not too much of a deal to just unbolt/un-mount the modified exhaust system and remount the OEM unit to pass emission inspection and testing. (At least that was the case on my machines as they were integrated units; ie, muffler, pipes, resonator were all one unit that would lift off in one piece after unbolting.)

A possible solution would be for police vehicles to have built-in sound (db measuring) sensors to monitor loud vehicles and for recording the level as proof in court for issuance of citations (kind of akin to alcohol testing).

 

[Charlie98]

My bike smells fine because it still has the cats in place.

Actually, that's the wrong answer.

The reason exhaust smells so bad is the emission controls... Toyota cars are the worst, but there are others. Another factor is the ethanol in the fuel... ethanol makes the fuel burn less efficiently and can aggravate the catalytic systems in most cars (and some newer motorcycles, including the '13 Ducati I just got.)

You folks in CA remember MTBE? Talk about some stinky shit...

Phanuel is correct, however... there is little post-purchase emission control checks on motorcycles, any mods done to a motorcycle are not stymied by emission checks. But here's the thing... the only way to remove the cats on most motorcycles is to replace the exhaust cans... and have the ECU remapped (in the case of computer controlled bikes.) Typically, those remaps allow the bike to run far more efficiently (and with, typically, more power) than the stock setup. YMMV.

 

[Brian Stirling]

Actually, that's the wrong answer.

The reason exhaust smells so bad is the emission controls... Toyota cars are the worst, but there are others. Another factor is the ethanol in the fuel... ethanol makes the fuel burn less efficiently and can aggravate the catalytic systems in most cars (and some newer motorcycles, including the '13 Ducati I just got.)

You folks in CA remember MTBE? Talk about some stinky shit...

Phanuel is correct, however... there is little post-purchase emission control checks on motorcycles, any mods done to a motorcycle are not stymied by emission checks. But here's the thing... the only way to remove the cats on most motorcycles is to replace the exhaust cans... and have the ECU remapped (in the case of computer controlled bikes.) Typically, those remaps allow the bike to run far more efficiently (and with, typically, more power) than the stock setup. YMMV.

OK, I'll bite ... in what way does ethanol make the fuel burn less efficiently? Ethanol has a third less energy by volume than gasoline and E10 will results in a reduction in fuel mileage of about 3.4% -- right in line with it's lower energy content.

On the upside ... ethanol in the gas pretty much ensures that there's no water in the tank as ethanol is a water getter. Also, cars running ethanol have more power without doing any modifications owing to the oxygenated nature of ethanol. Finally, ethanol is much cleaner than gasoline and helps the pollution numbers for gasoline with ethanol.

But, I'm not surprised that an oil state resident would be bad mouthing ethanol just as residents from the corn belt tend to be a overly happy about ethanol.


Brian

 

[OutHouse]

the only thing I don't like about them is the damned smell. Seems like every time I catch a whiff of their exhaust I'm irritated

seek therapy for your anger issues.

 

[Slappy00]

I notice that older carb bikes then to run rich and have a petrol type smell to them, but like others have said, most un-modded FI bikes smell like cars.

One thing I can think of is that some bikes (like my triumph ST3) the muffler tends to "shoot" the exhaust out the pipe, meaning that it comes out with a little bit of pressure. If you are close to the rear of the bike and to the right, the exhaust might be more obvious since in that area you are getting "hosed" with it.

 

[Leyawiin]

....Diesel trucks all over and you complaining about motorcycles?

Motorcycles put out almost ten times as much pollutants as a typical car. All you have to do is get behind a Harley and then get behind a diesel Bro-dozer to know which one smells worse (and that is a pretty good indication of which is polluting more).

 

[Subyman]

Uhm, I don't think I've ever "smelled" a motorcycle's exhaust especially from inside a car. I've been able to smell OHV exhaust from ATVs and SxSs, but not motorcycles. Seems like a BS complaint.

 

[Muse]

seek therapy for your anger issues.

Hell no, "my irritability keeps me alive and kicking." (famous song = A Song From Under The Floorboards Lyrics - Magazine)

 

[Muse]

I think the "smell complaint" is bogus in attempt to raise dissension or cause conversation.

Hey, don't take my word for it:

Motorcycles put out almost ten times as much pollutants as a typical car. All you have to do is get behind a Harley and then get behind a diesel Bro-dozer to know which one smells worse (and that is a pretty good indication of which is polluting more).

I have better things to do than cause "bogus" conversation. I've been thinking about this for years (every time I get a face full of motorcycle exhaust), yesterday I just bothered to post about it because I was in the Garage Forum and it crossed my mind. I didn't figure it would make me popular, so? Anyway I spoke my mind and if you don't speak your mind you're a woos.

Uhm, I don't think I've ever "smelled" a motorcycle's exhaust especially from inside a car. I've been able to smell OHV exhaust from ATVs and SxSs, but not motorcycles. Seems like a BS complaint.

OK, I am not a 2 wheeled motorized vehicle guy, I don't know one from the other except in rudimentary terms (scooter, motorcycle). Seems to me that the great majority are putting out a whole lot of pollutants compared to the great majority of cars, at least where I live (Berkeley, CA).

I'm not a kill-joy, if you guys enjoy your bikes, love your bikes, more power to you. If there's anything you can do to lessen the pollution, well, I think (suppose) you should.

 

[pauldun170]

Motorcycles put out almost ten times as much pollutants as a typical car. All you have to do is get behind a Harley and then get behind a diesel Bro-dozer to know which one smells worse (and that is a pretty good indication of which is polluting more).

Wasn't that a BS argument from a couple of years ahgo.
They release a paper that lumped in off-road (non street legal) dirt bikes with motorcycles.

Its like including Nascars and indy cars in a your sample of 100 vehicles to argue that motor vehicles emit too much noise pollution based on average DB

 

[jdoggg12]

meh