Today I disabled and removed my motorcycle's PAIR-valve (Pulsed Air Induction Reed). The PAIR-valve is (supposedly) an emission-control system which allows the manufacturer to pass the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) vehicle emission standards. What is does is introduce fresh air into the exhaust system at the exhaust port just before being pumped out (and subsequently tested). In other words--and to the best of my knowledge*--it's just "watering down" the fuel vapor to pass the EPA test.

The main reason people remove their PAIR-valve is for aesthetic reasons--these things are gigantic chrome-covered eyesores covering up the cylinders on the right side of the bike. Also, it's technically illegal, which is always fun.

But, on a personal note, I also enjoy sticking it to the man. And in this case, that man is the EPA. Now, I'm not against the EPA per say (sorry, I hate that word too), but the whole PAIR-valve thing is ridiculous, and personifies very well the illegitimacy of the global warming debate. It's NOT reducing emissions, making the bike "greener", or preventing polar bears from falling through the ice. It's simply fooling the electronic sniffer.

So there you have it: Big government bureaucracy protecting you by using your money to enforce emission regulations that are only passed by means of falsified test results. But, those results sure sound swell on the evening news, don't they?


*which is very low.