I've been reading the threads about db level and local/state laws and wondered how many forum members have ever gotten a ticket for noisy pipes. I also wondered what the ride was that drew the ticket.

Select from the following and then post specifics below (location, month & year, other circumstances such as whether the police were using db-level measuring equipment, and the outcome of the ticket if you contested it).

I am particularly interested in those of you who have gotten warnings.

I teach statistics and research design and so realize that this is just a general poll and there may be other options I missed (highly modified) or other variables (length of driver experience, conditions, appearance of bike). I hope the comments will cover those things. Bear with me, choose the best selection and let's see what kind of responses we get.

Thanks for responding

(Mods, if there is a better area to post this in, please feel free to move this.)

BTW, this is a GREAT forum. Thanks to all who have helped me and others to know and enjoy our bikes.

Never got pulled over for noisy pipes ... but about a month ago I was pulled over for not wearing a helmet when riding my girlfriends scooter. In fact, the cop was standing next to the road and waved me down .... I refused to stop ... The police then got on his motorcycle a chased me down.

He was going to write me a ticket for both failure to stop for an officer and failure to wear a helmet.

Well, I gave him my license and 300 pesos ($6 dollars). He then let me go without any tickets ..... I love living in a country where the police are corrupt and can be bribed! :)

BTW ... They don't give a shit how loud your pipes are over here ... They don't even care if you turn your lights on at night!

Nope, in Indiana we have no laws and I like it that way :). Seriously, I'm sure there is some level that would be deemed unacceptable, but I've never heard of anyone getting bothered by the fuzz; probably because if they started citing bikes they'd have to cite every third high school kid in his pick-up too. Loud pipes are the norm around here.

I do think however your poll might be a little more interesting if instead of asking about "stages" you ask about specific pipes. I'm running V&H Straightshots with baffles. They're a little loud, but no obnoxious (IMHO).

CRAP, I voted too quickly.

I voted no, with a stage I 1200 - but should have said NO but I got a warning.

The reason I voted 1200 is because on my first Harley, a 1993 XL1200 Stage 1, I was pulled over and hassled repeatedly, mostly by state troopers.

The excuse to pull me over was the SE II mufflers everytime.

But never ticketed.

Here in Sweden cops don't seem to give a crap about Harleys. I guess they expect them to make some noise. The db limit is 103 db. The cops are too busy chasing or harassing the sportsbike crowd.

never ticketed, nor stopped, but I did pass an unmarked prowler going down the interstate once. At the time, I happened to be running just the exhaust pipes straight without the muffs. The cop had his window down, and rolled it up as I passed him. I was convinced he would pull me over, but he never did

Once, a long time ago.
It was on a bike I used to drag race and I was running it without the street pipe on at the time.
I was pulled over for excessive speed(oops) and he decided to write me on everything.

Cops don't care about something like that! I love Az.

I've been followed by State Troopers (happenstance...they were going to the cop-shop near my house) and Sheriffs...I live within 1/4 mile of each of three cop-shops (State, County and Local)....never once been pulled over...

In fact, no one I KNOW has been pulled over for pipes in my area...non-DOT helmets? Yes, but not for pipes...

I've passed so many cops in Az while running my SEIIs I don't even think about it anymore. It's not an issue.

SE IIs and no problem. Unless you're really obnoxious about it and rap your pipes repeatedly, no one pays any attention.

I didn't vote but I have been pinched for loud pipes on my old FXR when I had drag pipes.
I think your poll should include what pipes more so than what model and stage of build.
Just my 2cts.

Got warning I have SEII's. I live in KY in a county that has only one traffic light. I was in the country on a county road that is too narrow for a center line. I was not hot dogging or speeding .

I ran out of options:D If we get a good representation, the next poll should focus on the type of pipes, though, I agree. I figured if there was a low response chances are that it was location related, not they type (or even loudness of the pipes.

Comments from people who live in staes like PA that have laws indicating relatively low db levels??

I ran out of options:D If we get a good representation, the next poll should focus on the type of pipes, though, I agree. I figured if there was a low response chances are that it was location related, not they type (or even loudness of the pipes.

Comments from people who live in staes like PA that have laws indicating relatively low db levels??


I already commented, warned but not cited.

I have an Ironhead with straight pipes. My neighbor has an 04 sewing machine (LOL). I give him alot of crap for having the honda-davidson, so one morning about 3am I pulled a knarly burnout in front of the house to let him know it was time to play. Unfortunatly our other neighbor a couple of houses down is a High-Po. She graciously came out in her robe to let me know she was going to kick my a$$. I guess thats a warning. I took it as a threat. Either way I think she could get the job done.

Haven't been touched for them yet. I've been tailed numerous times, but never pulled over for the pipes. As of yet, I've only got SE's, but would like to go to a set of Samson Slash-cuts or a Thunderheader, so I'm sure my answer will change soon enough!

Can't wait to hear from Moker.

I live in Mass. and have never been pulled over for loud pipes and my Rinehart's are loud. Drive with a little common sense you can control the noise level. Drive like a jackass at 4k thru town with drag pipes you will get a ticket for loud pipe but actually its a ticket for being an ass.

No way. Here in Dallas the cops wouldn't pull you over unless they saw you commit a murder. 30 years ago they would pull us over in front of the high school if they caught us riding with the snuffers open in our stright pipes. Now they wouldn't. The department of public safety officers are a different story though. They like to pull you over and jam a stick up your exhaust and if there's no baffle you get a ticket.

Add ironheads to that list and watch it grow.

I voted No 883/1200, stright drag pipes (2 inchers), Can be very loud and obnoxious if I want it to be. Never been ticketed for them. I rode by a motorcycle cop one day. He was standing by his bike getting ready to direct traffic. I just let her idle and got on it gently when he waved me through, then he gave me another wave of recongnition as I went by. I thought it was pretty cool. I don't think they really care here in WV, as long as your not doing absolutely stupid stuff.

A judge in California ruled that if the officer cites a MC rider that he has to be able to measure the db with a certified instrument that has regular scheduled PM and that the officer must be trained and certfied to test the MC. Also the test must be performed at a certain RPM and that must be measured as well.

How do you think that a officer on the street will be able to do that?

Never pulled over in Maryland and never heard of anyone pulled over for pipes

Drive like a jackass at 4k thru town with drag pipes you will get a ticket for loud pipe but actually its a ticket for being an ass.

I love it!

Never on the Sporty.
But years ago I got pulled over for,..um...ENTHUSIASTIC :D riding on a XR 650L Dual sport bike.
The cop was dumb as a stump, he thought it was a dirt bike(not street legal)
OK, I had it tricked out a bit, and my plate was covered in mud, but still....:frownthre
He was giving my bike a very close inspection, and came to the Supertrapp pipe....."Hmmm this thing don`t look street legal to me"
He proceeded to write me a ticket for non compliant exhaust, which was dismissed about two minutes into my hearing.
The Judge was a biker!!:laugh

rent-a-cop stopped me for pullin into a no parking area and said my pipes were toooooooooo loud (3" drags on an ironhead hee hee hee) I asked "how loud is too loud ?" and he said there was no legal set point but asured me that 3" drags were over what anyone would ever exept

still runnin them still no ticket

No problems as of yet here in cali, doesnt look like the chances of getting a ticket for pipes is very high.

have been pulled over and warned. Never on the sporty but a couple days after I got the softail, they pulled me over. Even with the baffles in the shortshots its loud

I have had Vance and Hines Straightshots and a Thunderheader on the bike at differnet times. The only time I was ever pulled over was when I had the Vance and Hines Straightshots on and no baffles (I only did it for one day to HEAR what everyone thought was so great about drag pipes). And to be honest, it was my right wrist that got me stopped. I was coming up through a park and was FEELING (LOL) the throttle response of the open pipes when I looked up and Johnny Law was sitting there looking right back at me. He gave me that "you have to be kidding me look" and then pulled out behind me with the disco lights in full glow. I respectfully pulled over and shut it down. He walked up, checked my license and simply said, "put the baffles back in the pipes or the next time you will get a ticket". I knodded ok and we went our separate ways. And yes I put the baffles back in.

The Thunderheader is a deeper tone and I have been looked at sternly a couple of time (again the right wrist was the driving force), but never pulled over.

I honestly think that if you ride with respect to others, your chances of getting a ticket for loud exhaust (at least in most areas) is very slim.

06 883/1200 Cycle Shack DRAG pipes no baffles. The "A" hole state trooper, that was writing my speeding ticket, said that my "fancy pipes" wern't correct! I'd like to put a "fancy pipe" up his "where the sun don't shine" Just a jerk with a badge. Claimed to be a bike rider too! Probably a Vespa.

Once on my Honda with drag pipe, but never on my Sportster.

I've lived in both Wisconsin and now Florida and it seems like if your not being a butthole with your bike the five-0 will leave you be. I'm running 2 1/4 drags on my 03 and 1 3/4 on my 72 and no one has ever given me a second look.

I feel like one of the "Mythbusters". IMHO we are crushing the urban legend about "tickets for decibels". :clap :clap :clap

Depends on what time of day/night it is.....I've been stopped a few times...open drag pipes...really loud...love it...but as soon as the cop sees the POW/MIA stuff on the bike...they let me go...respect I guess....hmmm I think it's attitude and knowing how to controll it....

Sometimes for fun, I ride up and down the streets setting off car alarms....love doing that....I know....kid stuff...but it's kinda like ring the doorbell...when I was a kid....just more fun on my bike....

loud pipes save lives...remember that....

After 25 years of riding, never a ticket, but lots of probable cause stops cause of pipes. But I always had my license and insurance so warings and "slow it downs" were the norm.

Vance and Hines Straightshots with their baffles removed and replaced by BigCity Thundermonster "baffles". No problems from the police, though they set off car alarms when I want them to. It's easy to be loud and obnoxious if I want. I don't be an ass around cops or anyplace I dont want to have to hear it from others myself. If I was the guy riding down my street laying on the throttle I'd expect my neighbors to be pissed and I would be too... gives HD riders a bad rap.. I open my throttle,.. wide open and rock the walls of highways and canyons, not neighborhoods.

I feel like one of the "Mythbusters". IMHO we are crushing the urban legend about "tickets for decibels". :clap :clap :clap


I thought you said you were a statistician?

You're taking a sample of Harley owners that

1. Ride Sportsters
2. Are at least intelligent enough to use a computer.
3. And are motivated enough to post here and answer this question.

Sounds like a highly unrepresentative sample to me.

And listening to the people on this board, most seem to pay some attention around others (and probably cops too). I used to roll off the throttle whenever I saw one. I imagine that changes responses too.

:geek

Kev


PS - nevermind, you were comparing yourself to Mythbusters. And their methods are often quite unscientific and often times lead to false or questionable results. So maybe you ARE Mythbusters? :p Carry on ;) :banadanc

I have never been pulled over and people tell me my pipes (CS Turnout Slip-ons) are loud. Then again, this is New Hampshire and we don't really get hassled that much for riding a motorcycle. The only place around here I have heard they write tickets for loud pipes is Newport, RI. I guess the rich people like their peace and quiet.

I thought you said you were a statistician?

You're taking a sample of Harley owners that

1. Ride Sportsters
2. Are at least intelligent enough to use a computer.
3. And are motivated enough to post here and answer this question.

Sounds like a highly unrepresentative sample to me.

And listening to the people on this board, most seem to pay some attention around others (and probably cops too). I used to roll off the throttle whenever I saw one. I imagine that changes responses too.

:geek

Kev


PS - nevermind, you were comparing yourself to Mythbusters. And their methods are often quite unscientific and often times lead to false or questionable results. So maybe you ARE Mythbusters? :p Carry on ;) :banadanc

Well, you're absolutely correct on all counts (particularly the Mythbusters one) and I am humbled enough to modify my comment:

IMHO, this goes a long way to bust the myth of "tickets for decibels" for Sportsters riders who are at least intelligent enough to use a computer, and are motivated enough to post here and answer this question. :D

BTW, your comments hold true for just about every poll on this forum...

Vote on!!

IMHO, this goes a long way to bust the myth of "tickets for decibels" for Sportsters riders who are at least intelligent enough to use a computer, and are motivated enough to post here and answer this question. :D


:clap :clap :laugh :laugh You're alright mang!!!!!

Kev

Ya but Adam & Jamie are uber don't forget. Uber is a status that most can only dream of...

Sometimes for fun, I ride up and down the streets setting off car alarms....love doing that....I know....kid stuff...but it's kinda like ring the doorbell...when I was a kid....just more fun on my bike....


:o I've been known to do that too :o
I hate car alarms, so when I am having a bad day, it'll make me smile to set off about 20 of them in the WalMart parking lot:shhhh

Vance and Hines Straightshots with their baffles removed and replaced by BigCity Thundermonster "baffles".

That my friends is the loudest combination I have even riden on. Even louder than no baffles.

:o I've been known to do that too :o
I hate car alarms, so when I am having a bad day, it'll make me smile to set off about 20 of them in the WalMart parking lot:shhhh

That's some pretty good cheap therapy, I'll have to try it!

He he.. not on my Sporty.. But..
Years ago I had a Cagiva Mito EV 125.. Very sexy little 125 single 2 stroke, was nothing more than a GP bike with headlights though!

Now, the Australian design regs approved the bike at about 5000rpm.. Let me describe the bike for a moment, Idle was about 2500rpm, the powervalve didn't OPEN until 8000rpm, the powerband STARTED at 9500rpm!! Redline was at 11,000rpm.

So you can imagine at 5000rpm it was very quiet.. the exhaust on these from the factory was straight through, no baffles with a very minimal 'muffler' on the end.

As you can imagine to take off required revving the bejeezus out of it and dumping the clutch.. which is what I did.. Past a police car with an open window.. The pipe was about ear level for that guy:doh as I redlined it... VERY VERY earsplittingly loud.

I did hear a 'MOTHERF***ER!!!!!' as I went by.. he he..

And yes they booked me.. for an 'illegal' exhaust.. Then there was a big battle with the EPA.. It was the factory fitted exhaust.. seems just because it is Australian approved does not make it local EPA approved, they tried to get me to buy another exhaust.. went on for weeks...

They gave up in the end.

Yeah in the early 70's I got ticketed for running my 350 Yamaha without baffles.
Not only was it noisy but it was that 'fingernails on the blackboard' quality noise.

It was worth it.

[quote=Turbota]..... I love living in a country where the police are corrupt and can be bribed! :)

Wow Bro, I'm moving there!!:banadanc

So far, pipes don't seem to be much of an issue here.

In South Africa??? No way that you are going to get pulled over for pipes!! A few years ago I was however pulled over on an Electraglide as I had the sound system on at full blast and my helmet on the pillion seat(we do have helmet laws in South Africa...) As the Electraglide is not commonly seen on the roads here I think the cops were more interested in the bike than me not wearing my helmet. After showing off the sound system, cb radio and all the other features of the bike I was let go with a warning.
Speed fines are a different story, while I was still riding my Kawasaki ZX6R superbike I received not one fine. Was caught speeding on all my supposedly "slow cruiser" type bikes though.

About the only place I feel even remotely concerned about LOUD pipes is going by the cop station/shack at Pawleys Island, South Carolina. The island "Barney" has followed me numerous times but no ticket.The only time I got any sort of real hassle has been at the parking garage at the airport.........and that was just a security rent a cop........!!!!!! them.

Got pulled over many moons ago when I was a young pup riding my 650 Triumph with strait pipes.

I had to install a set of Volkswagen muffler tips into the pipes to quiet them down so I could get the ticket signed off. I couldn't wait to get home to remove those damm mufflers as they made that tweeting sound the old Volkswagens use to.

So far, knock on wood, no more pipe tickets.

:wtf Prebs got a ticket?!? :dunno

Never ticketed for noise,

Yep, for 55 in a 35 in my cage, but it was actually 57. He let me off a bit and saved me $22 extra bucks. I had gone to the wrong jobsite and was hotfooting it out of town.

I didn't read everything, like the whole thread title before posting. I edited this. How embarrassing!

Not on the bike............but several times in my younger days in my Hot Rods................and I NEVER deserved it:D :D :D :D :D

POST 55.....not that I'm Into "5's!

Not on my sportster, but California HW Patrol did stop me once on my BSA-did some talkin and pleadin and he was nice enough to let me off. Nowadays
I just ease up:shhhh goin by the dunkin donuts shop!:D .

04 1200 Stage 1 Factory exhaust with the baffles removed has a nice low tone rumble with that said I live less then 2 blocks from the Lone Jack Mo. Police Dept . i have no choice but to ride by there anytime I leave my house BTW Lone jack is like the 3rd Speed Trap capital in the nation LOL anyway never any hassle's with em I guess cause I live here I even had a conversation with one cop here about bikes he may be getting a good deal on a shadow i told him to check out the local dealership for a Sporty!!

I have CS slip-ons that can be pretty loud if you want them to be and have never had a problem in Kansas City. I've talked to a few other people about this in the area and they all say that the police don't pay much attention to bikes.

The county sheriffs here are allowed to modify their sheriff-issue Electraglides and I've talked with one that modified the exhaust shortly after he got it.

I have a few friends of mine here in Texas who have pipes so loud I cannot stand to ride behind them because it hurts my ears even with full face helmet on. None of them have ever been stopped which amazes me.

I've got the SEII's with most of the baffle cut down and have never been looked at. And like most have said a little self control with the throttle helps.

Now I did get a warning on my rice burner.only a 600cc but at 2am, going through a tunnel, 13000rpm with a race can...ah sweet music. He said he wished he had got me on his radar. Let me off with a slow down and if I see you out here again BS. Had a modified baffle in and I had all my paperwork so I think I got lucky. Out here they are really looking for the squids doing the stunts/wheelies down the freeway.

Can't wait to hear from Moker.

http://www.moker.us/pic/mecry.gif

I'm a ticket magnet.

i've gotten tickets for exhaust too loud, and no muffler on bike.

the last ticket i got, they decided to put a special little sticker on it, that said a cop couldn't sign it off, and that it had to be inspected by a certified state inspector.
now the only bad part with that, is california doesn't have any motorcycle emissions standards, so the agency they sent me to wouldn't sign it off. He said they couldn't even make me an appointment because my license plates weren't valid. I ended up getting it signed off by a cop in the end.

Moker, that's just too much bull crap for me, I'd move!

Not for my Sporty, but I did get one for my '74 Gremlin! :laugh

I was stationed in Sacramento, Ca and had just returned from a cross country trip. It was in January and I'd driven I-20 through Dallas from Shreveport. It was snowing/sleeting/raining, a really heavy wet snow, especially in the Dallas area. Apparently the snow on the road knocked the muffler off the exhaust pipe, so I stopped at a service station and they let me use their lift to remove what was left. It was un-usuable, so I decided to trash the muffler and tail pipe. I ran a straight pipe from there to Sacramento and around town for a couple of weeks. Finally, one of CHP's finest pulled me and I got a fix-it ticket.

That was the second best sound I ever got from that car. But, dayumn, it was loud. The remains of the exhaust pipe ended right under the drivers seat. I think that was the start of my current tinitis.

No, but I've only had the Stage I 1200 setup for about 4 months.

Not since I blew the pipes off the headers of my '72 Charger. Cops have no sense of cool! :censor
~Webb~ :tour

I got ticketed in front of the city council building in Green Bay, WI. DUMB!
(vance & hines straight shots).
As I was getting ticketed, about 10 Harleys went by, TWICE as loud. I just looked at the cop.... said "nice".

Not on my bike, but on a little 914 I had once. Small town, cops had my number, looked for every opportunity to ticket.

I went to the local EPA office, found a couple of long hair guys, coulda swore they just finished a doobie. I told them I needed to find out if my muffler was within noise standards.

They made comments like "ef'n pigs", "screw the man",etc. I was a little blown away. They said they would have no way of knowing if I left, put steel wool pads up the tailpipe, and came back.....wink-wink.

So, I went to the store, got some steel wool. Stuffed it up the pipes, and got the car signed off by the EPA:smoke

Went to court......DISMISSED:clap

Nope!!!!:D

Only time I've been Stopped on my Scoot I got a warning from a San Antonio Scooter Cop for going 60 in a 45!!!!!! :yikes

:dpepper :dpepper :dpepper :dpepper :dpepper

It was on my Yamaha RD-350. Thats a two stroke twin. It has barely muffled expansion chambers,dual 36mm Mikuni carbs, ported cylinder, the works. It sounds like a hundred chain saws on steroids. The orifacer "gave me a break" on the pipes, because he was writing me up for speeding, wheelieing,running a stop sign, and improper lane usage. He said he knew I was racing somebody, but couldn't figure out who.(It was that guy on the Ninja, way back there.) I don't think he ever would have caught me, except you could hear that bike a mile away!:smoke

http://www.moker.us/pic/mecry.gif

I'm a ticket magnet.

i've gotten tickets for exhaust too loud, and no muffler on bike.

the last ticket i got, they decided to put a special little sticker on it, that said a cop couldn't sign it off, and that it had to be inspected by a certified state inspector.
now the only bad part with that, is california doesn't have any motorcycle emissions standards, so the agency they sent me to wouldn't sign it off. He said they couldn't even make me an appointment because my license plates weren't valid. I ended up getting it signed off by a cop in the end.
That's why we left 17 years ago, to many cops and lifeguards that carry guns. You can't do this you can't do that, the hell with all of them. No fires on the beech, no dogs, no horses, no open bottles, no free parking just lots of people that just moved there. Sorry, I just remembered why we left when I read you situation.

I got stopped and ticketed at the midtown tunnel for expired reg...yet not for no signals, speedo or fenders...just lucky

Back in the day (late 70s early 80s) I was a student at CSULB. I was contantly getting noise fix it tickets on my triumph chopper (LA County Sheriff stormtroopers). I always took the fix it tickets to the CHP barracks in Santa Fe Springs. Those old time CHP motor cops were way cool and would always sign off on it!
DC

I have never been stopped for exhaust noise.

Man there are so many LEO’s in my area that ride it crazy. A Deputy friend of mine rides an 883/1200 with Cycle Shack Drag pipes no baffles. While I was at work there was another Deputy that brought his RK in to the garage down stairs from where I work, and we along with the guy that owns the shop took the baffles out of his Vance and Hines. Sounded grate, don’t think I need to worry about putting my 2” drags on.
Just on a side note I live and work in and around our Capital City.


Jeff.

Yes in 1967 on my very first bike a 100cc Bultaco Street legal bike. The Copper said it was too loud and was modified. It was stock,and I told him so. his reply "Uh I got one a deez and dis aint stock,you getten a ticket" So I packed it with steel wool and found another cop who wrote it off.

1200C Stock engine running drags, no problems as long as you're not being an a$$...

I have Screamin' Eagle II's, and have never been pulled over in Alabama where I used to live, and now here in Florida it doesn't seem to be a problem. I heard people saying that down at Daytona during bike week last year they were going to be looking for loud pipes to ticket. I went and low and behold there were so many choppers with loud azz pipes and other bikes just running straight drags, and there were cops everywhere, and I didn't see anyone being hassled by the cops. Heck, I even was amongst a group of choppers, and whenever we stopped some of the cops would even comment on how sweet they sounded! I thought hmmmm....maybe they were being nice just because of bike week, and when it's over that's when they will bust ya, but I have been riding with folks since then with drag pipes, and have been around cops numerous times with no problems. I don't think it's going to be a problem here either. :)

Back in 1977 on my BSA chopper I was drag racing a Corvette at 2 in the morning and got pulled over and givin a ticket for unneccessary noise. The cop had told me he could hear us coming from a long way off. The corvette had turned off and I had slowed down to the speed limit buy the time he pulled me over. I got stopped at every major intersection the rest of the way home. Ended up with tickets for no front fender, no front brake, and the last cop gave me a summons to take the bike to the safety lanes. The bike would not have passed there, as it had a 10" over springer and could not pass the 25' turning circle that a bike had to do then. Two days later the bike was impounded for 2 weeks to do tests to see if it had been stolen. It wasn't. Just bullshit back in the day.

Bob

I am pretty safe here in my home town. I am the Police dispatcher so I know all the cops and their bikes as well. Besides a seargent on the department has one of the loudest bikes in town.

Hey all, long time since I've posted here. I've asked questions about pipes on these forums and I'm one of the few unfortunate members that, yes, has been ticketed for loud pipes...not once but twice, the second one occuring the other day. This is in Paris, France, lots of buildings to vibrate the sound off of and small roads.

The first time I got pulled over they were doing a special noise-pollution traffic control, I pulled right into it the same day that I had changed from my stock pipes to CS-slip-ons. They did a dB check and it was 106dB @ 5000rpm or something...they had a special machine that they held against the cylinders to read the rpm (since I don't have a tach). This was about 6-8 dB over. I got super-lucky and the cop that I called to make the appointment for the re-test was cool enough to understand an American with a Harley in a foreign country needs to have some leeway. That was at the beginning of this past summer. Last week was the 2nd time. I was just coming home from a semi-long ride from outside of Paris, so the pipes were hot and I was used to highway riding, so instead of taking it easy, I suppose I opened her up a bit in my haste to get home. A motorcycle cop heard me and walked into the middle of the road to stop me...this guy was pissed at the world and of course I didn't have any of my papers...so he gave me about 5 tickets (loud pipes, no insurance papers, no insurance tag stuck to the bike, no registration papers (on me) and some other BS). Luckily my cop friend helped me again but because I chewed the cop who gave the tickets out thoroughly before I left, my buddy can't get the ticket waived. So...I'll have to pop on the stock pipes for the test and then replace them afterwards...not a huge deal but definitely a hassle.

In summary: this is no urban myth in Paris. Keep it light on the throttle and you really have to remind yourself of this after a nice long ride on country roads. I'm looking for a baffle that might drop her down at least 2-3dB so if anyone has any info regarding cycle-shack SS baloney-cut baffles I'd highly appreciate it.

My setup = Stage 1 (CS slip-ons, Big Sucker2, re-jet, etc).

The message about setting off car alarms made me smile. Before I got my sporty, I gained some exp. on a vulcan 800 riding with a group with loud pipes. They let me tail along on their evening rides and always blasted through a sleepy town south of here setting off car alarms on the way. Since we rode the same night each week, one night the local cops were waiting and when they turned on their flashers, the Harley BT's took off and they nabbed me. Since they had no way to test my decibels, they impounded my scoot for a day "to test it". My wife picked me up and when I picked it up the next day I had to pay towing and impound fees, but no ticket. I think they were just trying to bust my chops. That was the last time I rode with them. I heard that the the town cops contacted ours and hastled the BT's.. They still have that sh-t-eating grin on their faces when I see them around.

went through inspection with drag pipes/ no baffles. after crankin on the throttle, officer told me i had a nice sounding bike.

No, but I have been scowled at by old ladies.:rolleyes:

never for noise, but I have gotten a speeding ticket and a warning - ticket on my bro's '01 883 for 78 in a 65 and warning on my '03 1200S for 60 in a 45 (though I was doing about 90).

A few years ago in Daytona, a cop jumped in behind me after I left a red light kinda fast. Never broke the speed limit. Had the wife on the back. First thing the cop ask, "Son, you know how fast you were going back there?" Yep, and my wife cofirmed I never got over the speed limit. He didn't radar me, so no proof. Since he couldn't get me for speeding, he wrote me a loud pipe ticket. Jerk!

A judge in California ruled that if the officer cites a MC rider that he has to be able to measure the db with a certified instrument that has regular scheduled PM and that the officer must be trained and certfied to test the MC. Also the test must be performed at a certain RPM and that must be measured as well.

How do you think that a officer on the street will be able to do that?

The officer doesn't have to and he doesn't have to measure the dbA either because the modified exhaust is enough to get you as represented by them folks in Hollywood. You should have pointed out that if the officer cited the rider for loud modified pipes it would work and avoid the judges ruling. Knowing this they just moved it over to "loud modified exhaust" which leaves the burden of proof with the owner of the machine. Either the exhaust is modified from factory or it isn't. If it is you're busted and this is the case here in Kentucky too although it is not enforced as a rule...

Nope. However, when I'm going through a small town or something I keep'em as quiet as possible. ;)

Never got a ticket on a bike, but back in 1970 I put a couple of hollowed out Sportster mufflers on my sports car (MGB). Within a couple of days I was pulled over by the Pennsylvania State Police.
The cop got down on his hands and knees to look under the car. When he stood up, he had a grin on his face and asked me if the car came from the factory with chrome mufflers. I pleaded ignorance and said I really didn't know anything about cars at all. He wrote me up for an illegal exhaust system and said he also wanted to give me a ticket for being an idiot, but that wasn't illegal.

Here in Houston, I have yet to see a Harley Police bike that didn't have Thunderheaders. Hell, they're louder than my bike. About half of them get hired by one of the local HOG groups to escort rides, as well, so they're pretty friendly to Harley owners. :smoke

I did think I was gonna get nailed one day by a cop that walked out in the road in front of me with his hand up. He waved me by and pulled the two sportbike riders over that were zooming up behind me.:laugh

i dont even get any looks from the cop. dave

I teach statistics and research design and so realize that this is just a general poll and there may be other options I missed (highly modified) or other variables (length of driver experience, conditions, appearance of bike). I hope the comments will cover those things. Bear with me, choose the best selection and let's see what kind of responses we get.

.

Former CQE here. I taught statistics and Research design myself. Sometimes it's a little hard to keep them awake isn't it? Real world data such as this helps.

Looking at the bar chart it looks like you are getting pretty good Gaussian distribution in the no category.

Good Luck with your class.

Ozark

No tickets for me, but if I'm going to a rally or large event, I make sure the baffles are in. I never see cops mess with Harleys around here, except when they don't want us around (like at Hollister last year), then they use any excuse to pull you over.

Your poll discriminates. Where's the Ironheads?:frownthre Got one on a friends bike way back in '89 or '90ish. Cop(VA Trooper Baggett) pulled the tag and my friend had to put the stock exhaust back on it and show the cop. The ticket was dismissed at that point.

I've been arrested once and I had to pay 135 euros wich is about 150 $.
Only 95 db at 4800 rpm are allowed in France for a 1997 or 1998 sportster !!!
After having paying the ticket, you have to go to the police "technical center" with your "legal exausts" for a control.

No tickets as of yet, but had a local police officer follow me today until I went out of the city limits. Was in the 20's every day for last week, today got up to about 40 degrees F and not windy, rode 72 miles, it was great to ride the sporty again.

In my country the cops are always after loud pipes.
There are special training courses for them,which enable them to find any illegal parts on a Harley.And almost any aftermarket part is illegal in Germany.
Mirrors(you got to have two of them),exhausts,air cleaners,controls,wheels,shocks and so on and so on...
In Germany you got to have an operating license for any part and from production year 1994 on,it has to be TÜV and EU certified.
Without that any exhaust is illegal and the cops are allowed to confiscate the bike(what they often do in Bavaria) or at least the mufflers.
The allowed loudness of a bike depents on the production year.
That's one reason why I installed my 2000 XL engine in an 1986 frame.For that production year the legal loudness is 86dB,for 2000 up its, only 79dB.
The situation is getting worse every year.
Do you wnant to know what happened to me in 2001 with my former 2000 frame, because of my Khrome Werks mufflers?
I was pulled over while I was riding down the autobahn.
The cops forced me to stay more than 5 hours at the police station, until my girlfriend brought me my OEM mufflers.
I was fined a 160 Marks and got three points at the Flensburger index for traffic offenders.After two years of idemnification I got my mufflers back.
But life is to short to ride a (German)legal bike :)
On my Cyclone,I'm riding my totally illegal pro series race muffler and my Forcewinder and my too little bar end mirrors and........................... for 3 years now, but there will come the day......
Ralph
P:S. I would really love to live and ride in the USA.

i am suprised i haven't yet with 2 inch drags, but they haven't bothered me about it yet, loud pipes save lives, so i say !!!!!! em!

I have never gotten a ticket nor do I give it much thought as the cops in my area pay little attention to bikes with loud pipes. The closest I ever got was with my SEII's with the baffles out, I pulled up to a cop at a red light and the cop looked at me and said wow that thing is loud. I look at him and said it was to keep the little old lady's from running me over, he laughed and the light turned green and we went along. (I pulled out as nice as possible)

In Reading PA

I voted no but it may be coming. This is a Bill proposed for British Columbia, Canada ...

2007 Legislative Session: 3rd Session, 38th Parliament
FIRST READING


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following electronic version is for informational purposes only.
The printed version remains the official version.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MR. MAYENCOURT

BILL M 203 -- 2007
MOTORCYCLE NOISE CONTROL ACT
HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia, enacts as follows:

Definitions
1 In this Act:

"motorcycle" has the same meaning as defined in the Motor Vehicle Act;

"excessive noise" means a noise of a level greater than the maximum allowable Sound Pressure Level of 85 DBA when operated in an area where the posted or un-posted speed limit is 60 km per hour or less.

Muffler
2 Notwithstanding any regulations enacted pursuant to the Motor Vehicle Act:

(1) A motorcycle, propelled by an internal combustion engine shall be equipped with an exhaust muffler consisting of a series of pipes or chambers which ensures that the exhaust gases from the engine are cooled and expelled without excessive noise.

(2) A person that causes or permits to be operated a motorcycle so as to create excessive noise when operated in an area where the posted or un-posted speed limit is 60 km per hour or less commits an offence.

Commencement
3 This Act comes into force by regulation of the Lieutenant Governor in Council.

Nope I've never gotten a ticket for noise (or anything else while on my bike) but that's not the whole reason I'm posting here. I just noticed that this thread is about Sportster exhaust noise, but it's in the Buell Exhaust section of the forum. Maybe one of the moderators who like to move threads around could put this in the correct forum.

Nope, here in Las Vegas.....But when I am near a cop I keep the throttle to a minimum because of the sweepers.

evidently no one here is from Colorado or never reads the local biker rags here.Last year the "peace" officers in the "fair" city of Colo springs were pulling over riders whose bikes "sounded loud". If you were ridng a Harley and your pipes weren't stamped Harley,you got a ticket! There's a reason I avoid that town!! It's called drag pipes!

I get warnings every decade it seems. In the 80's on a 64 with drags, in the 90s on a 79 w/drags and 2 weeks ago on an 06 w/shortshots. They all used their ears to measure. I think its an excuse to pull you over to see if they can get better tickets.

Stage 1 1200R with V&H short shots staggered. Not yet but I do ease back on the throttle, no hammering take offs if I see the man, and very seldom rack the throttle going under a overpass State boys for some reason like hiding on one side or the other. Do however enjoy setting the alarms off on cages in Wal Mart, especially around the ones who park their cages way out in the lot to "protect" them from dings, bumps, and scratches. Its kind of funny to watch them scurry all the way out there to see what's going on. I'll even admit to setting there alarm off again after they go back in. There's a little devil in me:banadevi

Never been ticketed, don't plan on letting it happen if I can avoid it, either. Spent too much time talking to the law when I was younger :-(

i went through some construction last summer, traffic cops everywhere,passed within feet of them. i thought shit i'm gonna get stopped! to my surprise they just checked out the bike on my way by,one even nodded.i figured he was a rider also.python 3 slipons with baffles pretty loud.

07 883-C, Stage 1, living in downtown Portland. Have not been pulled over yet but fully expect to be sometime this Summer. I try my best to "Idle" it out of the downtown area but this is hard to do!

It rattles the glass in the High Rises!

Pulled over yes, ticketed not yet,the last time they had me stopped for 10 minutes and I told the cop either give me my ticket or let me go my supper is on the table getting cold, guess what he let me go.

Never been pulled over because of load pipe.

Couldn't answer the poll because my none of my bikes fit these narrow categories.
Would have been better as a yes or no poll.

Cop tried once... Same one that wanted to read my T-shirt.

He said: I pulled you over cuz Yer Pipes are illegal.

I said: Really, how did you determined that going in the OPPOSITE direction?

He said; well... I know Bikes, cuz I ride.

I said: You dont know THIS bike.

He said; Well theyre still illegal.

I said: Well officer, if they are illegal then I suggest that you need to conduct an investigation on the HD Dealership for selling contraband/Illegal motorcycle parts. Theyre the ones that sold 'em to me, They're the ones who installed and I got all the reciepts for all the work They've ever done to it.

He said: Well since you do have the reciepts I wont write you for the Pipes... Lemme take a look at yer helmut then............. fuggin Dick:censor

No but I got a ticket for a Toyota Corolla exhaust, rust modified.

My loud pipes woke up the cop, who got me for speeding...:doh

Congrats on being a quick thinker, you sound like your a lawyer!! Cops suck.
Cop tried once... Same one that wanted to read my T-shirt.

He said: I pulled you over cuz Yer Pipes are illegal.

I said: Really, how did you determined that going in the OPPOSITE direction?

He said; well... I know Bikes, cuz I ride.

I said: You dont know THIS bike.

He said; Well theyre still illegal.

I said: Well officer, if they are illegal then I suggest that you need to conduct an investigation on the HD Dealership for selling contraband/Illegal motorcycle parts. Theyre the ones that sold 'em to me, They're the ones who installed and I got all the reciepts for all the work They've ever done to it.

He said: Well since you do have the reciepts I wont write you for the Pipes... Lemme take a look at yer helmut then............. fuggin Dick:censor

Congrats on being a quick thinker, you sound like your a lawyer!! Cops suck.
....well THIS cop did. He was a new transfer into the area. Come to find out, he was pretty well known. There are like 3 counties between Seattle and the Canadian Border and apparently, when he moved into a new district read the I-5 corridor one of his things was to profile all the bikers in the area. His *little man* crusade against certain *stereotypes*....After my run-in with him I asked around, and heard similiar stories.

Personally, I think a patchholder was !!!! his old lady on the side and he found out about it, but dont quote me on it:smoke

NOOOOOO.... definitely NOT a lawyer. Just a well inform Biker that VOTES.

I said: Well officer, if they are illegal then I suggest that you need to conduct an investigation on the HD Dealership for selling contraband/Illegal motorcycle parts. Theyre the ones that sold 'em to me, They're the ones who installed and I got all the reciepts for all the work They've ever done to it.

I'm surprised he didn't tell you that it's not illegal for them to sell them to you, OR install them for you. Only for you to operate your motorcycle on the highway with them installed. And that most of them say, "For racing applications only" and/or "For off-road use only".

But if, like you said, his goal was to gather intell on the local biker-types, then he accomplished his mission, and you didn't get a ticket.

I'm surprised he didn't tell you that it's not illegal for them to sell them to you, OR install them for you. Only for you to operate your motorcycle on the highway with them installed. And that most of them say, "For racing applications only" and/or "For off-road use only".

But if, like you said, his goal was to gather intell on the local biker-types, then he accomplished his missed, and you didn't get a ticket.
He never specified WHY the pipes were illegal, and I wasnt about about to enlighten him, his determination was base on his self stated fact of: *I know bikes cuz I ride*... At which point in time I told them of all the evidence I could bring before the judge. *hey yer Honor, How the hell am I suppose to know, I figureed the MC shop wouldve told me*.
He did write for a helmut ticket that got thrown out.
He was an arrogant prick. His goal had nothing to do with Motor vehicule/Public safety... One of the first things he asked me was *Who do you ride with?*

i run straight pipes with no bafs and i columbus ohio this is not a problem unless your next door neighbor happens to a cop with an attitude at 3 in the morning when you come home for the local watering hole. was never ticketed but was told that if i came in late at night rattling his windows again he would come back in his cruiser the next day and ticket. what a dick.

Not yet but my V&H straight shots only arrived today!!!, will let you know how they go down locally when they're fitted!

He never specified WHY the pipes were illegal, and I wasnt about about to enlighten him, his determination was base on his self stated fact of: *I know bikes cuz I ride*... At which point in time I told them of all the evidence I could bring before the judge. *hey yer Honor, How the hell am I suppose to know, I figureed the MC shop wouldve told me*.
He did write for a helmut ticket that got thrown out.

To which the appropriate response is, "Most dealerships do post that information, however they are not required to, and even if they didn't, ignorance of the law is not a legal defense. It is the owner's ultimate responsibility to make sure any changes he makes to his vehicle comply with state laws."

Then under cross examination, he should try to get you to admit you knew they were illegal, or at least get the judge to beleive you should have known they werwe illegal.


His goal had nothing to do with Motor vehicule/Public safety... One of the first things he asked me was *Who do you ride with?*

I'd say if he asked you who you ride with, and he was interested in learning about the local outlaw clubs that he WAS interested in "public safety"... Remember, you don't have to answer a lot of questions a police officer asks.

To which the appropriate response is, "Most dealerships do post that information, however they are not required to, and even if they didn't, ignorance of the law is not a legal defense. It is the owner's ultimate responsibility to make sure any changes he makes to his vehicle comply with state laws."

Then under cross examination, he should try to get you to admit you knew they were illegal, or at least get the judge to beleive you should have known they werwe illegal.
He didnt AND he acknowledged that it wouldve been a waste of his time. Based on the fact that I told him I had the service/purchase records.


I'd say if he asked you who you ride with, and he was interested in learning about the local outlaw clubs that he WAS interested in "public safety"...
Yea, only by the Longest stretch of the imagination. Harrassment pure and simple. Bottom line he was Fishing... no more no less.
Remember, you don't have to answer a lot of questions a police officer asks.

Yea... I know.

I have been pulled over after getting noticed from far away. I also stay away from the beach in the summer.

To which the appropriate response is, "Most dealerships do post that information, however they are not required to, and even if they didn't, ignorance of the law is not a legal defense. It is the owner's ultimate responsibility to make sure any changes he makes to his vehicle comply with state laws."

Then under cross examination, he should try to get you to admit you knew they were illegal, or at least get the judge to beleive you should have known they werwe illegal.



I'd say if he asked you who you ride with, and he was interested in learning about the local outlaw clubs that he WAS interested in "public safety"... Remember, you don't have to answer a lot of questions a police officer asks.

It boggles my mind to read posts like this on forums all the time. I can't believe how many people that sympathize with the cops, the ones we pay to protect our freedom (and in this instance are obviously taking it).

i got short shots standerd baffles, havnt had em on to long , but have been passed by cops and never pulled over yet( knock on wood)

I have some louder than normal 2 into 1 pipes on my 1200s, never been pulled over, but I play it cool in quiet areas where I would cause undue attention.

Buddy of mine on a Dyna likes to "show-off" a bit, - he gets tickets even though I am louder and often faster.

A friend of mine just got a ticket for loud pipes in New Hope, PA. $74 for first offense, was told 2nd will be a trip to the judge.

Law is 65db, he was measured around 89. No idea what they used to measure, how calibrated, trained, etc.

Anyone living in the area should not be too surprised.

Chris

Number two...

06 883/1200 Cycle Shack DRAG pipes no baffles. The "A" hole state trooper, that was writing my speeding ticket, said that my "fancy pipes" wern't correct! I'd like to put a "fancy pipe" up his "where the sun don't shine" Just a jerk with a badge. Claimed to be a bike rider too! Probably a Vespa.

Hey, be careful. Don't mess with those Vespa riders. Their fanatics!

the cops threaten us with impounding our bikes all the time claiming the loud pipes makes them unfit for the street.. they can never seem to quote the law they are citing us on nor the max acceptable db level.. they never have a meter with them either.

Once it's abundantly clear that we've done our homework and we're prepared to tie them up for a day in court and a ton of paper work they usually back down.

the best part is our pipes are legal. my bike is stock apart from an SE ignition and a k&n air filter.

Here is my story I just copied it from my post in a different thread.

I ordered the SE Street Perfomance for 2 reasons. 1) Because of all the good reviews from the EFI owners here and 2) I am concerned about our rights as riders being squashed due to overly loud pipes. The SE's give the low end torque and extra power that I like and sound reasonably good without being overly loud to me or (hopefully) anyone else.

I know that is a pretty conservative attitude which is something I don't usually have. But there are a lot of towns enacting and enforcing noise ordinances specifically aimed at motorcycles. I don't think it is in our best interest as riders to add fuel to the fire. The tax payers in those communities will have the last word and I personally don't want the last word to be a total ban.

Our governmental/legal system is changing from "the greatest good for the greatest number" to a "squeaky wheel gets the most grease" system.
He who has the most money wins these days and unless there is an organized and well funded group willing to fight these ordinaces 1 town at a time eventually we are gonna get bit.

That is just how I feel. Some of the rebel in me is disappearing and I no longer feel the need to have fun at someone elses expense. I have found ways (like quieter pipes) to have just as much fun without stirring the pot.

Sorry for the rant...I got pulled over today with my stock pipes and 1/2 inch holes in the baffles. No ticket the LEO was cool, a fellow sportster owner just trying to feed his family, under direct orders to enforce a local ordinance.

:tour

Hey, be careful. Don't mess with those Vespa riders. Their fanatics!

There's a Vespa club in Philly, cool bunch of guys to hang out with and some are BIG.

I've been stopped several times for running XLR pipes on my old XLCH...never ticketed.

The Supertrapp on my old S2T was a serious LE attractant and neighbor irritant...no tickets.

MOST of the towns along The Great River Road have 'Excessive Noise' ordinances that are enforced as needed...

Ease off the throttle going through town and you'll probably be alright.

Where I live ,Flanders , cops are paranoid when it comes to noise and pipes.
A ticket is 50 Euro's minimum.
So we keep the noise down and have a beer instead of ticket

don't care really just want to see how many loud pipe things there are cause i have been drinking

Not on a bike. Got pulled over by MP's at Fort Hood, Tx. in old Ramber Classic. Kind of comp. car every body drove. MP toll me to get, didn't feel like wasting whole day writing tickets on it. Our winshild wiper was a umbrla handle though dash, on muffer, no reverch or 2ld gear, gas pedad was rope though vent window, finger painted with DayGlo paint.
Injoyed the 3 years in Army !!

I don't like loud pipes but it is funny I do love the low throbing sound og 96 inch V-twin with stock pipes. It just sounds better then my sporty with loud pipes.

Around here loud pipes not only save lives, they also attract the fuzz. You guys are lucky.

yeah i got a ticket on my stock 80 xlch with open drag pipes:frownthre the cop who ticketed me was shakin like a dog shitten razor blades tryin to tell me he didn't believe me that it was a 1980 with 750 miles on it (like i stole it or somethin)went to court cause he also wrote me up for no operaters i told the judge i wouldn't have bought it if it sounded like a honda he said "well then you better keep a $100 bill in your wallet for tickets" and dropped the no operators cause i did have a permit at the time by the way that was back in 1998 or 99 got my endorsement that year and have not been pulled over again till last year for speedin got a warning:clap got pulled over again this year for speedin:frownthre this time in my own driveway another warning WHY CAN'T THEY JUST LEAVE ME ALONE?????????afterall i haven't done anything wrong it's the bike i tells ya it has a mind of it's own

Folks that are noticed are more likely to get pulled over - If you crank up the revs, and ride as if you're on a track, expect tickets.

in '74 i was in rehobeth beach DE. started the bike rent-a-cop.told me it was too loud (sound bouncing off big plate glass window). had to follow a cop to the judge. paid $25 fine .left that sh*thole and havent been back.

Nope, not sure they can it Texas but I really have no idea.

nopp, gotten a few warnings with my bars but never the pipes

Running bassani radial sweepers on a modified 1200 without baffles pointed straight at the ground and never got a warning. It makes my ears ring while cruising at 75 mph.

Vance and Hines Straightshots with their baffles removed and replaced by BigCity Thundermonster "baffles".

This is what I am running as well, and although I've gotten plenty of looks from our local LEOs, never been stopped.

Once though while riding with two buddies, one on a Nightrod special and the other on a sportbike, while riding hard through some backstreets I was approached by "a fellow motorcycle enthusiast".
We had just stopped to get a drink on a terrace on the road we were riding on, one I know very well. I admit I was riding hard and high in the rpms when I passed this guy on his bicycle...he pulls over next to me while I am taking off my helmet and proceeds to tell me that I am a disgrace and ruining the public's perception of all motorcycle riders! ASked me if I felt cool making all that racket....answered "hell yes" with a big 'ol smile on my face!:p

Thank goodness I live in Texas. There aren't many problems with noisey exhausts as far as I know. In the Houston area, I see and hear tons of super loud custom choppers and baggers. Mine's loud but not like some of these custom jobs here.

i got pulled over without even leaving the bar last night! i started my bike in front of a bar in downtown fredericksburg, va last night, and immediately was flagged down by a beat cop. apparently setting off a car alarm is too loud, haha... but fredericksburg's noise ordinance is OFFICER DISCRETION, so he checked to see if i had baffles and a M class license and told me to stay off the gas. i kinda laughed and said thanks and they let me go on my way. very glad he didn't look at my 2 month expired inspection....funny i see this thread....

Back in the 80's when riding a Harley was MUCH different than it is now, there was a VA state trooper named Mike Freeman who pulled me over once, but no ticket, and then warned me again when I went through a road check. Still no ticket, but he always said, you need to put some mufflers on that bike, those are offroad pipes." Now Harley's are so mainstream no matter what you run you go unnoticed. Back then I guess we were still looked at as miscreants. Not to say I wasn't!!:smoke

Yup..I was pulling into the gas station at around 1pm in a commercial area (..i could understand if it was midnight in a residential area) and the cop pulled up right behind me. He wrote me for loud pipes..and then went into the whole speech "sound is behind you not infront of you so no one will hear you anyway....loud pipes don't save lives....etc." Which is when i told him "you heard me"...that didn't seem to sway his opinion.

I have a 1200 custom with short shots with the baffles taken out. It sounds just right to me. :tour

Nope, in Indiana we have no laws and I like it that way :). Seriously, I'm sure there is some level that would be deemed unacceptable, but I've never heard of anyone getting bothered by the fuzz; probably because if they started citing bikes they'd have to cite every third high school kid in his pick-up too. Loud pipes are the norm around here.

I do think however your poll might be a little more interesting if instead of asking about "stages" you ask about specific pipes. I'm running V&H Straightshots with baffles. They're a little loud, but no obnoxious (IMHO).

These are the FEDERAL laws for noise pollution, it doesn't matter if your local town or city has specific laws, these always apply. Now whether or not they uphold them is another story.


i) Street motorcycles other than those that meet the definition of §205.151(a)(2)(ii):

Model year A-weighted noise level (dB)
(A) 1983 83
(B) 1986 80
(ii) Street motorcycles that meet the definition of §205.151(a)(2)(ii)(moped-type street motorcycles):

Model year A-weighted noise level (dB)
(A) 1983 70
(2) Off-road motorcycles of the following and subsequent model years must not produce noise emissions in excess of the levels indicated:

(i) Off-road motorcycles with engine displacements of 170 cc and lower:

Model year A-weighted noise level (dB)
(A) 1983 83
(B) 1986 80
(ii) Off-road motorcycles with engine displacements greater than 170 cc:

Model year A-weighted noise level (dB)
(A) 1983 86
(B) 1986 82


I just removed a set of "Big Guns 3" because they are just too damn loud. For now I found a set of OEM Nightster exahust to use (which are just too damn quiet).

Noise levels are measured at 15 meters (about 50 ft). my Big Guns 3 pipes could be heard from 500 yards and drown out surrounding noises.