| Author | Message | ||
     Trojan |
According to this week's Motor Cycle News new draconian laws are about to be introduced in the US that will make it illegal to even fit an aftermarket exhaust to a bike. Under the laws, modifying a bike's engine or exhaust is considered 'tampering' and it is illegal 'for any person to remove or render inoperative any device or element of design installed on or in a motor vehicle'. Anyone know anything more? | ||
| Tramp |
this panic bite shows up on these boards every few months. actually, such regs exist already, and have for a very, VERY long time. remember that there are no major federal hiway police, at all, in the states, and so state law, by default, virtually supercedes fed. in the majority of these legislative issues. relax, carry on, etc. the sky is, in fact, intact and well-suspended | ||
| Cheesebeast |
This is an old EPA law indeed. You could disguise your aftermarket exhaust by covering it with the tags ripped off mattresses. That way if you get caught the government will be deadlocked due to a jurisdiction battle between agencies. Sneaky, I know. | ||
| Jaimec |
I think they tried to pass a law like this in New Mexico and New Hampshire some years back. Actually in New Mexico I think it was on the Indian Reservation, not necessarily the entire state. Not sure what happened in either case but it was argued that if such a law were passed it had the potential of putting every Midas and Meineke muffler shop out of business. If you made it illegal to put anything but the ORIGINAL manufacturer's exhaust on a motorcycle, there is NOTHING preventing that law from being carried over to other legally owned and registered motor vehicles in the United States. You can't just single out a particular class of motor vehicle for this kind of ordinance, you have to affect them ALL. If you don't, a sharp lawyer will quickly get the law thrown out the first time it comes up in court. | ||
| Trojan |
Hmmm, judging by the article in this weeks paper it appears to be a new law and would apply to ALL vehicles. Especially hit would be custom builders, who it is said would only be able to build 24 machines per year under an exemption to the new law. Before long you'll be as wrapped in red tape as us Europeans......(actually we are technically not Europeans at all, seeing as we seperated by the English channel...If it weren't for us they'd all be wearing jackboots and kinky moustaches now, and what have the Romans ever done for us...blah, blah, blah.... | ||
| Pwnzor |
Yep. Old news. Welcome to the Democratik People's Republik of Amerika. | ||
| Jackbequick |
The numbers by themselves are kind of meaningless but a typical state law (CT in this case) would allow maximum readings on a meter, taken at 50 feet from stationary vehicles on a hard surface, as follows: motorcycle - 80 dBA passenger car - 74 dBA bus - 85 dBA truck (over 10,000 pounds) - 88 dBA Here is a link to various noise sources we are familiar with for comparison to the figures above. It would be interesting and helpful if typical noise levels were in the specs or advertising fine print for mufflers. And it would be nice to find a place with a drive by or stationary noise level meter so we could all get a better feel for the noise level we are actually generating. Jack | ||
| Jaimec |
AMA District 34 has a noise meter available to any chartered club in the District. I believe you can purchase these directly from the AMA National organization (I think that's where ours came from). A few years ago a local ABATE group ran free "noise trials" for any biker who wanted to participate. This was actually in cooperation with a local police department. No citations were handed out, but everyone whose motorcycle passed the test was given a certificate stating their bikes were legal. From what I understand (I wasn't there) the legal 82dB limit from 40 feet (taken perpendicular to the vehicle as it rode by the meter as it's SUPPOSED to be done) is louder than many people think. I hear a lot of people were surprised that they passed. The reading is also supposed to be done at 2/3 throttle (don't quote me on this, I THINK that's the figure) and a lot of bikes that are downright ear-shattering at WFO are actually compliant at 2/3 throttle. Anyway, this information is second hand and several years old so please forgive any inaccuracies. | ||
| Slaughter |
The latest AMA Motorcyclist had a good article on some "myths" - and one main point they made was that yes, the laws are NOT new and the lifetime limit of ONE and ONLY ONE custom motorcycle per person only applied to a NON-DOT and NON-EPA bike - like those choppers we keep seeing on those TV shows which shall remain nameless. | ||
| Bomber |
nothing new about this news, Trojan -- like many have written, it's been on the books for a long far -- happily, most LEO agencies are focused on other things, and, unless you set off alarms or break windows when you ride by, you'll prolly fine (unless you get stopped fpor something else, and the constable decides to pick on you for any and everything he/she can find) while things are wonky here, my long term concern is that the US eventually winds up being practically governed by some non-elected beauraucrat in Belgium time for the tin-foil hats yet? ;-} | ||
| Old_man |
The Latus muffler on my bike used to set off car alarms before I fabricated some baffles. It was TOO LOUD!! | ||
| Slaughter |
I have been told by La Sherriff's Motorsports (yes, the Sherriffs DO race motorcycles!) - that really the laws are selectively enforced. If you are deliberately noisy AND they receive complainta AND you are a jerk when pulled over... guess what, you're gonna get written up. (Message edited by slaughter on August 23, 2006) | ||
| Tramp |
kinda like hash sales in berlin and amsterdam, loud pipes are 'officially tolerated' on a state by state basis, as are non-dot brain buckets in states which require dot certs | ||
| Rkc00 |
Here on Long Island a lot of friends have gotten tickets for not having OEM mufflers on there bike in the last month. I am not talking about loud mufflers here I am talking about non-OEM mufflers. Mike Long Island, NY 06 XB12X Black of course Stock Muffler  | ||
| Josh_ |
You guys seem to be discussing several different laws - EPA related for emissions (Federal and Kalifornia) and sound-level which would be a local thing. Some info on the EPA regs Under the regulations, a person is allowed only one kit motorcycle in their lifetime that is exempt from meeting EPA emissions requirements. For custom motorcycles, a builder may create and sell up to 24 bikes a year that don't meet EPA emissions requirements, but those machines must be labeled as exempt and are show bikes that only rarely may be ridden. Before the EPA adopted these new rules in 2004, it was illegal for anyone to ride any street motorcycle built in 1980 or later that didn't meet EPA emissions requirements. Many motorcyclists saw the new regulations as more restrictive, when in fact they allow exemptions that did not exist under previous laws. The EPA rules adopted in 2004 also require new road motorcycles sold nationwide beginning with the 2006 model year to meet strict emissions standards adopted earlier by California. The first phase of the California standards went into effect in 2004, with a second tier scheduled to go into effect in 2008. You can look up local regulations on sound level here: http://www.amadirectlink.com/legisltn/laws.asp | ||
| Jlnance |
FWIW - I believe the EPA also has sound regulations. | ||
| Jaimec |
JInance, you're correct. Noise pollution also falls under the EPA. | ||
| Josh_ |
More info http://www.mrf.org/epa.php I found this regarding EPA and motorcycle noise requirements, but it only seems to address manufacturers. http://www.nonoise.org/lawlib/cfr/40/40cfr205.htm Of course, the muffler could alter the emissions and so be covered by other laws, but not for noise. | ||
| M2nc |
80-82db limits make sense, since long term exposure to noise levels above that cause permanent hearing loss. What you say? | ||
| Jlnance |
but it only seems to address manufacturers. Well, since it is illegal to modify the exhaust system, thats all it needs to address.  | ||
| Rocketman |
Are these new laws going to halt the 'mass' production currently seen from custom builders then? This is how it is being reported in MCN UK - which sounds very very scary. Rocket |
