proposed motorcycle legislation in NH

[RandyO]

http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legi...09/HB0095.html

HB 95 – AS INTRODUCED

2009 SESSION

09-0234

03/01

HOUSE BILL 95

AN ACT relative to motorcycle equipment and noise levels.

SPONSORS: Rep. J. Day, Rock 13; Rep. Henson, Rock 13; Rep. Kepner, Rock 15

COMMITTEE: Transportation

ANALYSIS

This bill:

I. Prohibits motorcycle exhaust modifications.

II. Reduces permissible motorcycle noise levels.

III. Increases maximum fines for motorcycle noise violations.

IV. Requires motorcycles to have functioning tachometers.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

09-0234

03/01

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Nine

AN ACT relative to motorcycle equipment and noise levels.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 New Paragraph; Motorcycle Muffler Modifications. Amend RSA 266:59 by inserting after paragraph IV the following new paragraph:

V.(a) No person shall modify the exhaust system of a motorcycle in any manner.

(b) No person shall drive on a way a motorcycle that has after market equipment installed to replace the muffler.

(c) Any person who violates the provisions of this paragraph shall be guilty of a violation and shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $500.

2 Motorcycle Noise Levels. Amend RSA 266:59-a to read as follows:

266:59-a Motorcycle Noise Levels.

I. No person shall operate a motorcycle which has a measured noise level of more than [106] 95 decibels on the decibel meter when measured 20 inches from the exhaust pipe at a 45 degree angle while the engine is operating at 2,800 revolutions per minute for one and 2 cylinder motorcycles and 3,500 revolutions per minute for any motorcycle with 3 or more cylinders.

II. No person shall pass for the purposes of the inspection required by RSA 266:1 any motorcycle which has a measured noise level of more than [106] 95 decibels on the decibel meter when measured 20 inches from the exhaust pipe at a 45 degree angle while the engine is operating at 2,800 revolutions per minute for one and 2 cylinder motorcycles and 3,500 revolutions per minute for any motorcycle with 3 or more cylinders.

II-a. No person shall operate in this state any motorcycle which produces a sound level in excess of [106] 95 decibels on the A scale, when measured in accordance with the provisions of the Society of Automotive Engineers Recommended Practice ANSI/SAE J-1287 annual report on “Measurement of Exhaust Sound Levels of Stationary Motorcycles.”

III. Any person who violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a violation and shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than [$300] $500.

3 New Section; Equipment of Vehicles; Motorcycles; Tachometer. Amend RSA 266 by inserting after section 77 the following new section:

266:77-a Tachometer. No person shall drive on a way a motorcycle without a functioning tachometer. Any person who violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a violation and shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $500.

4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2010.


2 big things

1. reduce noise levels from 106db to 95db
2 require working tach on all bikes

[ThisBitch]

This is a stupid question I'm sure... but why does a tach matter? Most economy cars don't have them, they don't effect the way the bike sounds...?

[RandyO]

This is a stupid question I'm sure... but why does a tach matter? Most economy cars don't have them, they don't effect the way the bike sounds...?

my thinking it that part of the bill is to insure that it dies as inexpedient to legislate

[schleppy]

I bet the tach is to make it easier for them to test the DB of an exhaust. It's tough for someone to do the official 95db @ x rpm @ x feet if the bike has no tach.

That's an absurd law, I doubt the tach part will pass.

[RandyO]

forgot
public hearing on this bill is 01/21/2009 at 11:30 AM in the Legislative Office Building, Room 203 before the HOUSE TRANSPORTATION commitee

I urge everyone to attend

[KillBill]

I bet the tach is to make it easier for them to test the DB of an exhaust. It's tough for someone to do the official 95db @ x rpm @ x feet if the bike has no tach.

That's an absurd law, I doubt the tach part will pass.

Exactly.....spot on

For a state that is proud of hosting the Laconia Bike Week it would not
bode well for its reputation.

Is this something that would allow a LEO to pull you over or would it
be more of a secondary violation? Only applicable to NH registered bikes?

[Sheppo]

Almost all cruisers come with out tachs... so tough to enforce.

[stoinkythepig]

While I'm all for quiet bikes, I gotta say, Rep. J. Day, Rock 13; Rep. Henson, Rock 13; Rep. Kepner, Rock 15 did a crappy job drafting this bill.

There's bikes out there that never came with tachometers and no federal requirement for them. The last HD I rode did not have one, and it was an 08 Road King, a really popular bike.

It might pass the house, they are supposed to vote based on public desires, dumb or not, but I seriously doubt it'll pass through the senate, as-is. The senators are supposed to vote based on the viability and need for laws, not the wishes of the people.

[noxin]

(b) No person shall drive on a way a motorcycle that has after market equipment installed to replace the muffler.

This is the bitch for me. That means they can ticket ANY bike in the State of NH if they have an aftermarket exhaust. That blows. Is there anyone that Out of Staters can call and bitch at about this?

[noudidnt]

another pointless piece of legislation. Especially seeing as they do not ticket for this at laconia bike week, so they will vote it in and ignore it by and large, and only a couple counties will use it.
How can they enforce the Tach requirement? If the bike was not designed to use a tach, how can they make me spend the money to install one?
This would be like requiring a tach on all cars, including automatics.

edit: Also I would like to see if they can ticket non-residents for this as well. I was told by the inspection station that any motorcycle operating within the confines of the state can be ticketed. Even if they are a non-resident.

[Woodsy]

HAHAHAHA "live free or die" HAHAHAHAHA. Make way for the helmet law suckas!!!

[richw]

I think what you have here is a tax on Laconia bike week and the track..

Ka CHingg!!!!

You should have started shooting the first Boston Masshol that cross the border.... Now the rule you

[stoinkythepig]

Here's a list of represantative email addresses: http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/hous...bersemail.aspx

Since it's a house bill, it only needs to fail in the house and it'll never make it to the senate.

Since NH has the third largest parlimentary body in the world, there's a shitload of them to email... One only needs to claim to be a contstiuent, it's not like there'll be a lot of fact checking. Would help if you are from, or at least say you are from the correct town for the correct rep though. For that, use: http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/members/wml.aspx

[ThisBitch]

That's the best thing... largest working legislature in the US and they can't write a coherant law to save their lives. My mom bitches about it all the time.

[RandyO]

That's the best thing... largest working legislature in the US and they can't write a coherant law to save their lives. My mom bitches about it all the time.

what's incoherant about he proposed bill? I understand completely, it's just impractical

no need for bikes to have a tach to test, inspection stations can connect a tach to the bike while conducting a test

[wingerdor]

In NY if you increase the decible output even 1 db above stock it's illegal.

I agree, it sound like the tach clause is going to derail it.

The tach law attached to this reminds me of the multi-law bills in congress that are for providing free food and medical care for starving children, tax cuts for the poor, and oh yeah, in small print, "allow people to run over pedestrians without criminal penalties on Thursdays and Saturdays". Then the politicians who actually read them and vote them down get mud thrown at them for hating children and poor people!

[RandyO]

As long as it's enforced with the Hardleys too, I couldn't care less. I always liked my bikes quieter.

a ducati clutch won't pass the 95db limit

[Ericthejet]

Exceptions for older machines?
My bike is 25 years old and original pipes are almost a thing of the past?

[RandyO]

Exceptions for older machines?
My bike is 25 years old and original pipes are almost a thing of the past?

I don't see any exceptions


I for one, am planning on attending the public hearing if I possibly can

for those of you who would like to attend, the legislative office building is at 33 N. State St. in Concord, arrive early, sometimes parking is hard to find and you end up 6 blocks away

if you plan on testifying, remember to fill out a blue card before the hearing, fill out a blue card anyway and let them know you oppose the legislation

Hearing date & time:
01/21/2009 at 11:30 AM in the Legislative Office Building, Room 203

if the weather is decent, I'll ride my bike

[SVRACER01]

most if not all cruisers dont have tachs. my dads shadow didnt, or his magna or his Vulcan. and i think a good majority of HDs dont either. the HD owners are to blame for this. they all have the horrible misconception that louder = more HP so they put straight pipes on. 95db seems awfully low. didnt someone on here say that their stock 1098 was 98db?
i understand that bikes can be loud but im willing to bet the complaint is centralized around HDs. 10 guys leaving the bar in downtown portsmouth at 11:45pm with straight pipes all revving their motors and then all taking off at once is the real complaint. crack down on straight pipes. people can say sportbikes are loud too but they have no idea how loud the ARENT. i know youve all run your bike with no muffler and know how loud it really is.
wish i could be there. maybe i can...who knows.

[ducvet]

I will try and be there as well. should we bring the firebombs?

Who wrote this crap?
No aftermarket? bye bye midas?

95Db ? I often test bikes that are not far off from this reading but a lot more will fail. I agree that they will kill off bike week, maybe thats the plan.

mandatory Tach? This is laughable it is so impossible, who ever wrote this fine piece of legislature knows nothing about motorcycles. would that mean bikes could not be sold in this state with out a tach? better call the dealers to tell them to send back a few.

[markbvt]

I'm afraid we're going to be seeing a lot more of this type of crap.

The mandatory tach part is absurd. Two out of my three bikes didn't come with tachs from the factory. I can fit one of them with a tach kit (for over $300), the other has no tach option available at all, aside from wiring in some mismatched aftermarket piece of crap. Not to mention that most motorcycle companies would probably just stop selling their non-tach-equipped bikes in NH because fitting them all with factory tachs for such a relatively small market would be prohibitively expensive.

Damn politicians.

--mark

[sully749]

I'll buy the first round at the Barleyhouse afterwards for all NESR members who attend the hearing (whether you're a NH resident or not, dammit!!).

[We'll show THEM how responsible we can be, drinking in the middle of the day.]

[stoinkythepig]

I'm afraid we're going to be seeing a lot more of this type of crap.



Damn politicians.

--mark

This is not driven by politicians, it's driven by voters; voters tired of having their peace disturbed by the staccato of absurdly loud cruiser pipes. They are far more irritating, and far more prevalent, than any other loud pipes out there, and most of the population hates them. The politicians are just writing/sponsoring bills that the voters ask for. If you are looking for someone to blame, look at the folks who think really loud pipes are an appropriate lifestyle statement. I doubt this will become law, maybe it will serve as a warning and get people to smarten up a bit though.

[mzdagrl]

This is not driven by politicians, it's driven by voters; voters tired of having their peace disturbed by the staccato of absurdly loud cruiser pipes. They are far more irritating, and far more prevalent, than any other loud pipes out there, and most of the population hates them. The politicians are just writing/sponsoring bills that the voters ask for. If you are looking for someone to blame, look at the folks who think really loud pipes are an appropriate lifestyle statement. I doubt this will become law, maybe it will serve as a warning and get people to smarten up a bit though.

I agree, and much as I like my aftermarket pipe (and can not replace it, as I had to cut the stock pipe to get the slipon on) I can totally agree with barring CERTAIN aftermarket parts. Straight pipes are unnecessary and intolerable, and the majority of cruiser riders in this state have them. They also don't get hassled about aftermarket accessories because they are not seen as the "problem." The general population that hates motorcycles due to noise does not hate sportbikes, they just don't know the difference. Police hate sportbikes because they are more often the ones riding recklessly, popping wheelies in traffic or riding at excessive speeds. Therefore, when the public complains about cruisers, police target sportbikes. This discrimination adds to the problem.

Oh and I think the tach thing will keep this from passing, in addition to some bikes being louder than 95 db stock.