In 2009 is it possible to ride your Harley-Davidson Bagger with enough rumbling noise to feel like you are still riding a Harley, but quiet enough to satisfy all EPA & CARB certifications in any US states you live or ride in?  From BUB, the home of the world’s fastest motorcycle at 367.382 mph, these BUB 7 Stealth Mufflers for all law abiding riders looking for the perfect balance between performance, sound quality and minimum emissions. These mufflers have a 4 inch body and will fit 1.75″ or 2″ header systems of Harley FLH 2009-2010 (FL models from 1995 to 2008 are also 50 state legal). Available in Chrome or Black Ceramic finish with Chrome or Black Teflon coated slash cut end caps.  Mufflers have the option of two mounting positions –slash up or slash down. And I know that you want to hear how they sound. So, just make the jump HERE, then visit BUB Performance Exhausts.

Dealers can now purchase products directly from Rinehart Racing or through Custom Chrome. Clearline offers an 18-month warranty against exhaust manufacturing defects. Rinehart is associated with Championship NASCAR Teams, Sprint Cup and IndyCar championships. That success has carried over in the motorcycle world through involvement in AHDRA with numerous records and championships and providing some of the best V-Twin Performance exhaust systems to the V-Twin industry.

Yesterday, Denis “BUB” Manning, the man always in the fast(er) lane (Bub 7 Streamliner holds again the new Land Speed Record), and the founder and President since 1976 of  BUB Enterprises, was explaining to me over the phone how he is already making his wide range of exhausts production much more cost efficient. Will not explain to you in details, but in the case of BUB Enterprises, it goes through getting rid of its 26,000 sq-foot plant on 5 acres in Janesville, Wisconsin and regrouping all his activities of R&D and exhaust manufacturing at the 40,000 sq-foot headquarters of Grass Valley, CA. The Wisconsin building located next to I90, including production and offices, is for sale with all high-end bending machinery and a fully trained staff able to produce any exhaust system for any vehicle… For sure an opportunity for somebody in the automotive industry. Info at BUB Enterprises, Denis 530-477-7490

Now dealers and consumers can source one of the industries leading race proven quality exhaust systems through Custom Chrome’s Worldwide Dealer Network as well as Rinehart Racing directly for special racing needs. Of course, all the exhausts will be featured in the 2010 Custom Chrome 40th Anniversary Catalog scheduled for release early next year. “We are extremely excited to partner with a premium performance exhaust manufacturer the likes of Gerald Rinehart, said Holger Mohr, CEO of Custom Chrome. We believe we have the team and systems in place to jointly meet the performance standards of dealers and consumers on a worldwide level”.Orders can already be placed via one of the Custom Chrome Inc. Dealers.

Frank Serrano will tell you that “this exhaust system roars like the devil himself is coming to you…” So, I let you decide if you want to rip the streets with these high decibels pipes. For Evo or Twin Cam engines, it’s a 4-step design starting of course at 1.75″ at the cylinder heads, then going to 2″, then again to 2.25″ to end up at 2.50″ for a true hot rod look.

They are offered in 4 different finishes: silver ceramic (coated inside and outside), chrome, satin or glossy black. Limited time offer from $575 to $625.00. Call Frankie on my behalf at 786-975-6085 or visit FSD Exhausts to see more models.

First, these “Tuck & Under” nostalgic looking upswept motorcycle exhaust pipes looking and sounding very good available in either a chrome-plated or black ceramic coated finish. Each system comes complete with ‘blue-proof’ heat shields, removable baffles and stainless hardware From $749.99 to $789.99. Or if you have a bagger, you know that bigger is better. So, Freedom Performance developed these new 4” performance slip-on mufflers.  Also available in either a chrome-plated or black ceramic finish. In incase you like the look but don’t want them too loud there is a (removable) performance baffle. From $639.99 to $689.99. Hardware kits also available. Made in the USA. Available through your local Custom Chrome Dealer or to find a dealer nearest you go to Custom Chrome eDealer Store.

The standard test is touted as simple, consistent, and economical. But sound meters are required to perform the test and that’s the sticking point. Most cities refuse to hand sound meters to police officers because considered too expensive. Cities like Denver, Boston, Fairfax County VA already took a short cut by considering that exhaust not stamped with the EPA letters are illegal, hence too loud. New-York is contemplating using the same strategy.

Nevertheless, enforcement of the ordinance has been restrained because EPA stamps are generally found in out-of-the-way places such as on the underside of the exhaust system. Police officers are reluctant to get down on hands and knees with a flashlight at night to try to find the stamp…To make the noise issue more complex, the EPA exhaust standard certification is only valid for one year or 3,750 miles! How EPA did decide this?

The J2825 “Measurement of Exhaust Sound Pressure Levels of Stationary On-Highway Motorcycles,” issued by the SAE in May, establishes instrumentation, test site, test conditions, procedures, measurements and sound level limits. The J2825 standard is based on a comprehensive study of a wide variety of on-highway motorcycles. The question is will government use it? And if yes will the municipalities check the excessive noise from some cars, trucks, generators, leaf blowers, music boom boxes, etc…

 Motorcycles account for 3.6% of registered vehicles in the state and make up just 0.8% of vehicle-miles traveled, yet account for 10% of passenger vehicles’ smog-forming emissions, according to the California Air Resources Board, which backs the measure. Although fuel-efficient bikes emit significantly less carbon dioxide per mile, the ARB says they are, on average, 14 times more polluting per mile when it comes to emissions of oxides of nitrogen and hydrocarbons — smog-forming pollutants that have been shown to trigger asthma attacks and worsen respiratory and cardiac illnesses. The ARB estimates that 5.2 tons of pollutants would be prevented from entering the atmosphere daily if motorcycle smog checks become law.

“Five tons of smog out of 5,691 tons emitted daily from all statewide sources is so minuscule,” said John Paliwoda, executive director of the California Motorcycle Dealers Assn. in Lake Elsinore.  Already, the industry is aching from the freezing of consumer credit and plummeting personal wealth, which have led to a 30.5% decline in new sales for the first quarter of 2009 over the same period last year, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council. But the ARB says every emission source is fair game in its effort to corral pollutants linked to health problems and climate change.. If motorcycle smog checks become law, the vehicles would join light-duty diesel trucks, which will be subject to smog checks beginning next year, and, potentially, older vehicles.

A tougher measure, AB 859, is also working its way through the Legislature. It would require smog checks every year, rather than every other year. In pursuing bikes of 280 cc and above made in the 2000 model year and beyond, SB 435 attempts to home in on the size of motorcycle more likely to have a modified exhaust system, and an era of bikes equipped with catalytic converters. Motorcycles that employ catalytic converters are more reliant on them to reduce emissions and are at greater risk of becoming gross polluters when those systems are removed.. Whether for improved performance, a different sound or a custom look, 38% of on-road motorcycle owners replace or modify their exhaust systems, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council’s 2008 Owner Survey. Not all modified exhausts are illegal; some comply with the emissions requirements that govern what makes and models can be sold in the state. But many modified exhausts remove the bikes’ catalytic converters, causing them to emit twice the legal limit of hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen…

Tim Buche, president of the Motorcycle Industry Council in Irvine, said the aims of the test could be circumvented more easily by motorcyclists than by other motorists. Aftermarket exhaust systems, can be removed and reinstalled after the test…”

Called “Over-Under” Series these new designs fit 86 to 09 Softail and Dyna Harley-Davidson models and Customs. For the “non-yellowing pipes’ conscious bikers, they all feature large full length shields. For the “noise level and anti-pollution” abiding citizens they are equipped with (removable) baffles and 02 sensor bungs. Available in chrome or black. They also got a BagDaddy model for bagger applications. Call 972-709-2552 or visit Martin Bros Bikes.