this could potentially become a huge P.I.T.A. for performance car owners

Grumpy

The Grumpy Grease Monkey mechanical engineer.
Staff member
http://www.dragracingscene.com/news/epa-ecm-tuners/

Harley-Davidson has settled with the EPA with a $15 million dollar agreement after federal environmental officials filed a complaint. This expensive complaint is over the Harley-Davidson Screamin’ Eagle tuners sold by the company. The contention from the EPA is that these tuners equate to higher emissions levels.

Since 2008, around 340,000 of these tuners have been sold. They allow the user to modify systems and increase power and improve performance. According to prosecutors, they also allow users to illegally increase emissions of harmful pollutants like nitrogen oxide.



This is extremely bothersome at its core. These tuners are used by consumers who own a Harley. I’m not sure why this falls under the responsibility of Harley-Davidson, and not the user to begin with. Then as far as the user goes, if they pass whatever state mandated emissions testing is required, great, leave them alone. If they’re not required to get emissions testing, great, leave them alone! I hardly see how this is Harley’s fault, but it points right to this overreach, overregulation mess we keep fighting in this industry.

As far as an explanation from the other side goes, Clarence Ditlow, president of the Center of Auto Safety Inc. explains “What the government is doing is they’re catching up to what the industry is doing and they’re saying that ‘We’re not going to tolerate it anymore. We’re going to hit you with big penalties.’ These tuners where you can increase the performance of a motorcycle are very commonplace.”

This seems like an ominous sign of things to come. We all know how one outcome can dictate future cases, as well as the ‘enthusiasm’ by the EPA to pursue ‘offenders’ who have decided not to walk on their arbitrary eggshells.

Do you think this is a sign of more to come?
 
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