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Loud Pipes ?

  1. #1
    Angry Gumball RandyO's Avatar
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    Loud Pipes ?

    Tuesday, February 22, 2005
    Motorcycle noise bill in for a fight
    By Colin Manning
    N.H. Statehouse Writer
    cmanning@fosters.com


    CONCORD — Police on the Seacoast are hoping to change the law in an effort to muffle noise from motorcycles, but are expected to run into strong opposition.

    Today, the House Transportation Committee was scheduled to hear testimony on House Bill 326 which seeks to simplify enforcement of motorcycle noise.

    “This isn’t really a law enforcement issue, it’s the result of a number of complaints in our area,” said Portsmouth Deputy Police Chief David Young. “The way the law is written now, it’s almost impossible to enforce. We’re looking to simplify the process to end the frustration we have in not being able to enforce the law, and at the same time address the concerns of the public.”

    The bill, sponsored by Rep. MaryAnn Blanchard, D-Portsmouth, would make it illegal for motorcycles to produce a noise level of over 110 decibels.

    What may be the most contentious part of the bill, the proposal also makes it illegal for motorcycles to operate with a modified exhaust system, also known as “straight pipes.”

    Young said the bill would allow police to issue tickets to operators who remove the “baffles,” which muffle noise, from exhaust systems.

    “This would allow police to test bikes without using a (decibel) meter. It would be a simple equipment violation,” Young said. “If there are no baffles, it’s illegal.”

    The bill is getting strong support from the New Hampshire Chiefs of Police Association.

    Motorcycle enthusiasts worry the bill would hurt the industry.

    Jennifer Anderson, director of the Laconia Motorcycle Week Association, said regulating noise makes sense. However, the association feels the bill’s language is too vague when addressing exhaust systems. Anderson said the changes in the law would be “too subjective” and could force some motorcycle riders to stay home during Bike Week.

    “It’s not the idea behind the legislation that bothers me,” Anderson said. “Unfortunately when you have a few bad apples, it puts a black cloud over the entire industry. But many people buy used bikes which have been modified over the years. Say I bought a new bike that was 94 decibels and I put a new exhaust on which would make it 96. My reading of the bill says that would be illegal.”

    Current law prohibits any person from operating a motorcycle that has a measured noise level of more than 106 decibels. What makes enforcing the law a challenge is the mandate for how the noise level is measured, Young explained.

    The existing law requires that a decibel meter be held 20 inches from the exhaust pipe at a 45 degree angle, while the engine is operating at 2,800 revolutions per minute for motorcycles with one or two cylinders and 3,500 rpms for motorcycles with three or more cylinders.

    In order to properly conduct the test, a police officer would need a decibel meter, which Young said many departments do not have. In addition, at least two officers are needed to conduct the test, one to operate the meter and the other to check the rpm’s.

    “Most departments can’t spare two or three officers to do the test with everything else going on. Plus, decibel meters are costly, and most departments don’t have them,” Young said. “This bill makes it a simple equipment violation. The bill actually raises the decibel level, but makes it easier to enforce.”

    Under the bill it would be illegal for a motorcycle to operate at a noise level of more than 110 decibels regardless of the rpm level. Police departments with decibel meters could enforce the new noise level from up to 10 feet away, instead of tying up two officers to conduct the test.

    While Anderson said many in the industry sympathize with the public, she said the proposed bill reaches too far.

    “I’d like to make it very well-known that my ears hurt too when someone opens it up full throttle to go five yards. I don’t understand why a small few do that,” Anderson said. “But I feel sometimes education is wiser than legislation. This bill did not stem from Motorcycle Week, it stems from the loud motorcycles on the Seacoast and I can understand that. But I do think there’s a small crowd that attends our rally that may respond negatively, and if a lot of people got ticketed they may not come back the next year.”

    Young acknowledged the bill has a tough fight ahead of it.

    “We’re expecting a lot of resistance to this, but this is a direct result of the frustration we’ve had and the public has had,” he said.



    N.H. Statehouse Writer Colin Manning can be reached at 226-3633 or statehouse@fosters.com

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    RandyO
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  2. #2
    I kick hippies...and Kham Nikon's Avatar
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    Loud Pipes ?

    That could pose some problems in the end of June huh?

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  3. #3
    Angry Gumball RandyO's Avatar
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    Loud Pipes ?

    to me it sounds like an authority grab by law enforcement, something to make it easier to selectivly enforce

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    RandyO
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  4. #4
    Lifer
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    Loud Pipes ?

    I will be writing a well thought out e-mail to express how rediculous that is. It gives them the right to issue a ticket with no requirement for proof or justification.

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    It's all water under the bridge, and we do enter the next round-robin. Am I wrong?

  5. #5
    Littering and........
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    Loud Pipes ?

    110 db is pretty loud. Kinda makes sense to me.

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  6. #6
    Everybody to the limit!
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    Loud Pipes ?

    Many lives will be lost

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  7. #7
    Angry Gumball RandyO's Avatar
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    Loud Pipes ?

    Originally posted by highsider
    110 db is pretty loud. Kinda makes sense to me.


    I dunno, sounds like they will be able to look at a pipe without even listening to it...... your exaust ain't stock..... pay up.."What may be the most contentious part of the bill, the proposal also makes it illegal for motorcycles to operate with a modified exhaust system, also known as “straight pipes.”

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    RandyO
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  8. #8
    '04' Ducati S4R Wayne-o's Avatar
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    Loud Pipes ?

    Originally posted by Honclfibr
    Many lives will be lost
    I know this has been thrashed around before......................but I don't think loud pipes save lives. I could go on with accident statistics but won't.

    My Termi's on the Duc are pretty loud but not as loud as Harley type bikes with straight pipes.

    Oh......and another thought, while they're at it.........They should test any and every fire truck, 18 wheeler etc. that happens ta be in their town.

    Wayne-o

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  9. #9
    Littering and........
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    Loud Pipes ?

    Originally posted by RandyO
    I dunno, sounds like they will be able to look at a pipe without even listening to it...... your exaust ain't stock..... pay up.."What may be the most contentious part of the bill, the proposal also makes it illegal for motorcycles to operate with a modified exhaust system, also known as “straight pipes.”
    Aren't "straight pipes" what the HD guys use? It sounds to me like this legislation is aimed at them (and those fuckin things ARE annoying), and not so much at a sportbiker with a pipe.

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  10. #10
    lost in space zombie's Avatar
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    Loud Pipes ?

    Originally posted by highsider
    110 db is pretty loud. Kinda makes sense to me.

    What about when your riding your horse and it farts should we be able to ticket you for pollution
    As randy says it's another grab by the man to keep the people down
    it's all a big plot by big brother to make the people into sheep
    KILL WHITEY

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    eat me

  11. #11
    Lifer LuvDog's Avatar
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    Loud Pipes ?

    Overall I would agree that this doesn't target sportbikers in general.

    But... if it is written to say "any modified exhuast" then the over zealous police can come down on almost all of us.

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  12. #12
    Lifer
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    Loud Pipes ?

    It really doesn't matter who it's aimed at or what the decibal level is set to. It's another catch all law that can be bent and applied in any mannor. I don't want to give another open ticket to be pulled over and legallly harrassed.

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    It's all water under the bridge, and we do enter the next round-robin. Am I wrong?

  13. #13
    Lifer richw's Avatar
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    Loud Pipes ?

    Would this be charged against a license or add up your insurance bill.

    If not

    It is always a great idea to give the LEO something to ticket that just costs money not points or insurance.

    The whole points to a Harley is to get noticed. Now they can get more noticed by the LEO's

    PS Decebel meters are a whopping $60 see the cops cant afford it cause they are buying tasers at $6000 etc etc

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  14. #14
    Lifer
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    Loud Pipes ?

    My interpretation of this is that it is up to the LEO to decide if the exhaust is legal or too loud. Way too much room for personal opinion. If the police can afford the little meters to measure the tint on my car window, they can afford a decibel meter. If they are going to write me a ticket I want a hard number about how far over a set limit I am.

    The test procedure can be altered to have one person do the test. Have the police never heard of a tripod and a meter with a peak hold reading?

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  15. #15
    Lifer
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    Loud Pipes ?

    There is no reason those stupid 55hp harleys need to be louder than a 200hp racebike.

    Isn't NHIS 98db or something? And the Harleys are going over 110db?

    I would assume all you need to show is that your exhaust has at least one baffle and you are all set. Almost all aftermarket performance cans do, since straight pipes are not actually performance enhancing.

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  16. #16
    calm like a bomb mikeb's Avatar
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    Loud Pipes ?

    if it cuts down on the number of assholes running wot making a whole lot of noise but still going nowhere fast i'm down. i run after market exhoust like most of us and its a little louder off idle but not much.

    harleys out number sportbikes atleast 3 to 1 the popo will have all they can handle with the outlaw wanabe's.

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  17. #17
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    Loud Pipes ?

    they arent interested in measuring db's. thats the whole point of this bill. measuring db's is a time consuming and exacting procedure that is subject to intense scrutiny. they dont want to do it anymore. they want a test that is KISS simple.

    the wording of the bill is focused on the removal of the baffles. all they are going to do is pull you over, and shine a flashlight down your exhaust, or stick their night stick up the exhaust pipe and if you do not have baffles in the muffler (no performance aftermarket exhaust do since they are only resonators, not true mufflers) they will hand you a defective equipment ticket even if you are below the 110db limit. they want to see the stock baffles present on the bike. its a simple test that is easy to check. thats what the cops like. and yes, they will ticket sportbikes just as much as the cruisers.

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  18. #18
    Angry Gumball RandyO's Avatar
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    Loud Pipes ?

    besides being blatently subjective to the discression of law enforcement, the bill is also discriminatory, why aren't they including ricers fart cans and boom boxes, there all just as obnoxious, noise is noise.

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  19. #19
    Lifer SEVENSGT's Avatar
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    Loud Pipes ?

    aren't non-stock exhuasts illeagal anyway???


    Honda Suzuki world in warwick will not give you an inspection sticker this year if the exhaust ain't stock

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  20. #20
    Angry Gumball RandyO's Avatar
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    Loud Pipes ?

    Originally posted by SEVENSGT
    aren't non-stock exhuasts illeagal anyway???


    Honda Suzuki world in warwick will not give you an inspection sticker this year if the exhaust ain't stock
    New Hampshire..... live free or die state

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    RandyO
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  21. #21
    Lifer
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    Loud Pipes ?

    I'll have to look but AFAIK it is federal law not to tamper with the stock exhaust, but since you don't register your vehicle with the federal government, it is up to the state. It is written on the stock exhaust.

    MA doesn't give you any trouble since they don't test emissions on bikes anyway.

    I would still expect a performance exhaust on a sportbike or cruiser to pass this test, I doubt there is a specific baffle design present on all stock exhausts and no aftermarket exhausts that the cop is going to be able to check for. Stock exhausts vary a lot in design anyway. The aftermarket "race only" cans are still well under 110db, are they not? To achieve that they have some sort of device to reduce the sound, so you'd hope they'd pass unless the cop was trying to overstep his abilities.

    It'd be nice if you could appeal and demand a metered test or something?

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  22. #22
    Super Moderator beet's Avatar
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    bens right

    ive seen this on mine stamped right in

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  23. #23
    Angry Gumball RandyO's Avatar
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    Loud Pipes ?

    right but like I said, that is the law that is being proposed in New hampshire, regardless of what is stamped on your muffler and what the Federal law is, it is not up to the states to enforce federal laws & regulations, and states pass their own laws & regulations

    the problem with this bill is not the freeking noise limit, the problem is the subjective authority given to law enforcement as if they don't have enuf already.... it's one step closer to being a gestapo state

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  24. #24
    Lifer SEVENSGT's Avatar
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    Loud Pipes ?

    in RI this season coming up if a cop can put his nightstick in your exhaust then it shouldn't have passed inspection, it's really fooking stupid cuse a nightstick will fit in an SV stock can almost half way, but waon't fit a VFR at all?????

    Fuck em

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  25. #25
    '04' Ducati S4R Wayne-o's Avatar
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    Loud Pipes ?

    Originally posted by SEVENSGT
    in RI this season coming up if a cop can put his nightstick in your exhaust then it shouldn't have passed inspection.

    Fuck em

    Isn't that sexual harassment, sodomy, rape or something?

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