Emissions testing fun and games

Took my Guzzi for its annual emissions test a few weeks back and was surprised when it failed the CO2 portion of the test after passing with lots of room to spare in the past. Figured it might have been because it's been sitting a bit as I've been having fun with the new member of the family (VFR). Plugs were clean, air filter was clean, so took it to the shop to see whether there was some other problem. $108 later the mechanic told me he tweaked a few things and the bike was coming in well under the 5.5% CO2 requirement. He really could not identify anything specific that could have caused it to fail.

Took it back to the emissions testing facility yesterday and it failed again. Readings were showing 6% CO2 at idle and actually going UP when engine speed was increased. Final test was 6.5%, which was 1 percentage point over the max allowed. Somewhat pissed at the shop I called them up and was even more irritated when they blamed the emissions facility equipment. Took the bike back to them and they put the bike on their equipment and it came up well within limits without them doing anything -- they even took me back to show me the results while the bike was running. They advised me to go to the test facility they used, and to avoid Lane 3. This time the bike passed with a CO2 reading more than 50% under the original.

Bottom line, if you fail an emissions test it might not be the bike, it might be the state's equipment, and the real solution is to try a different facility (or even a different set of testing equipment at the same facility). Apparently many of the state's testers are aware of this problem and nothing is being done about it, and it was only my shop's relationship with this particular facility (i.e. were told to avoid Lane 3, for instance) that stopped me from spending God knows how many dollars trying to fix a problem that did not exist.

 

You have to smog test your bike????

 

phx has to smog everything..... what facility? we used to avoid the middle lane at the black canyon / dunlap(?) facility..

 

Wow I had no idea you had to smog a bike. Heck in MI they don't even require emissions testing on cars.

 

20 N. Beck Ave., Chandler, AZ 85226 = bad
2360 S. Airport Blvd., Chandler, AZ 85286 (right next to Chandler airport) lanes 1 and 2 = good lane 3 = bad

 

All of the migration from the West Coast is quickly turning this state into a smaller version of California, including all of their environmental priorities.

 

don't blame us, we don't have to test our bikes in California, you guys got that all on your own

 

You're right! Forgot about that even though only moved here from S Ca 3 years ago. Also a LOT more speed traps here than in Ca. They have them in cop cars, permanent radar on freeways, and now vans parked on the side of the freeway.