http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_5571266,00.html

U.S. cycle group: Noise law biased
But ordinance won't go into effect until July 1
By Alan Gathright and Daniel J. Chacon, Rocky Mountain News
June 5, 2007

The nation’s largest motorcyclist group complained today that Denver’s new noise law is biased against bikers, and said it hopes to persuade city officials to modify the ordinance.

"We do understand the motivation behind legislation like this," said Bill Wood, spokesman for the 280,000-member American Motorcyclist Association. But by working with the city, "we can come up with something better," he said.

The law approved by City Council on Monday allows police to issue tickets for motorcycles made after 1982 if they lack factory-issued Environmental Protection Agency sound-test stamps.

But noisy cars and trucks are subject only to a sound-meter test, which motorcyclists say is more fair because it’s more objective, Wood said.

"They have created a double standard there," he said. "The (EPA-approved) equipment standard only applies to motorcycles, and everybody else gets a (sound-metered) performance standard, which is just exactly what we’ve asked for."

But Denver police say metering is labor-intensive and costly.

Meters cost at least $1,000 each, said Capt. Eric Rubin, head of the Traffic Operations Bureau. "We could not afford to outfit every officer with one or to keep them maintained or to provide that kind of training," he said.

Motorcyclists also complain that the new law punishes all bikers for the few who rev up their hogs outside bars at closing time and rumble home through neighborhoods at full throttle.

In 2002, the AMA and other motorcycle groups convinced Albuquerque to drop a law similar to Denver’s new ordinance.

The city switched to the sound-meter testing.

As motorcycles soar in popularity, the Ohio-based AMA finds itself battling noise bans in cities across the country.

"Noise has been an issue for decades," Wood said, noting that the 83-year-old association launched a pre-World War II biker sound-awareness campaign with a character dubbed "Muffler Mike."

"We’ve seen it across the country on an increasing basis in recent years," he said, as cities seek to combat an increasingly noisy world.

Copyright 2007, Rocky Mountain News. All Rights Reserved.


A good reason to join the AMA (http://www.amadirectlink.com/). And further proof that loud pipes cost us rights (http://www.xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/showthread.php?t=63537).

--Chris

http://www.thecherrycreeknews.com/content/view/1382/2/


Dangerous Motorcyle noise legislation proposed
Written by Staff
Tuesday, 05 June 2007

from Denver Councilwoman Jeanne Robb

Motorcycle Noise

One of the things I heard when I first ran for office four years ago was “What can you do about motorcycle noise?” When spring and summer come and we open our windows to the great Denver outdoors, suddenly the thunder of a motorcycle roars in. With so many busy streets in District 10, the problem is pretty universal here. What I have learned is that while motorcycles are required by federal law to meet certain minimal noise requirements, owners do remove mufflers, including the EPA symbol that says the motorcycle is in compliance with approved noise levels. Up until now, all we could do to enforce violations of noise levels was place a traffic officer with a noise monitor on a busy street. Noise monitors are expensive and take special training to operate – to say nothing of taking a police officer’s time in sitting and monitoring the noise.

So after several years of study, Denver Department of Environmental Health is proposing to amend the vehicle noise section of the municipal code to:

1. Require a mandatory EPA certification stamp on its muffler or muffler system.

2. Make motorcycle muffler modification illegal.

3. Maximum allowable sound pressure levels for motor vehicles weighing less than 10,000 pounds (most frequently affecting motorcycles) is 81 dB(A) with a 25 foot measuring distance from the vehicle (bringing in to compliance with federal standards).

4. Maximum allowable sound pressure levels for motor vehicles weighing more than 10,000 is 90 dB(A) and measured with a 50 foot distance.

What this means is that when a motorcycle sounds too loud --“reasonable suspicion” -- an officer can stop the driver and look for the EPA symbol and whether the muffler has been modified. This enforcement method will save time and money and stop many more overly loud motorcycles. Council has been invited to a demonstration of sound differences before our meeting next Monday and I plan to be there.


--Chris

On SE's it's on the bottom. lol good luck reading that.


btw, what's to say you can't make your own "sticker" for your drag pipes? "80db? Yep, says right here."

How about a reckless volume law so anyone reving up or squealling tires on any vehicle can get a ticket. You are very right that loud pipes lose rights. Bad apples and all that.

A couple years ago the Health Department in Green Bay was walking outside of bars downtown with a db meter. Aparently someone complained about noise even though there weren't any apartments or houses near the east side downtown. It lasted a couple weeks and then it was all forgotten.

Meters cost at least $1,000 each, said Capt. Eric Rubin, head of the Traffic Operations Bureau. "We could not afford to outfit every officer with one or to keep them maintained or to provide that kind of training," he said.
My ass they do, it's a simple DB Meter.... here (http://www.radioshack.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=decibel%20meter&origkw=decibel%20meter&sr=1) is a basic one you can get at Radio Shack. Granted they do make better ones... but c'mon..... that's a shitty excuse... If they can't afford to outfit every officer w/ one, how the hell are they going to enforce the law using the 25' rule?
There should be noise ordinances but it should be enforced equally for everyone. Theres nothing I hate more than being woke up in the middle of the night because some street racer burns down the street behind my house, same goes for a loud bike. If you're in a neighborhood have some respect and keep it down.

They tried to hang that one on riders in NSW, Australia. The law was repealed in March 2006. It was called the "sticker tax". The Motorcycle Riders Association (similar to your AMA) was instrumental in having it thrown out.

NSW motorcyclists have finally been relieved of a stupid NSW Regulation.

In July 2000, the Environmental Protection Authority (now part of the Dept of Environment and Conservation) introduced a retrospective law demanding that aftermarket replacement motorcycle exhausts be specially labelled and then authorised the Police to issue fines of $200 to riders who didn't have this label. In it's justification, the then EPA claimed this labelling requirement allowed the Police and EPA officers to readily identify less effective mufflers that may exceed the prescribed noise limits

EPA made no provision by which riders could obtain such a label. Riders referred to this law as "the sticker tax".

However, after 6 years of protest by the Motorcycle Council of NSW, Clause 19 from the Protection of the Environment Operations Regulation has now been repealed.

Exhaust labels required under Clause 19 will remain on many motorcycles as a reminder to riders to remain vigilant and how, by uniting through their Motorcycle Council in NSW, they can address serious issues.

Mr. Chris Turner, Chair of the Noise Committee of the Motorcycle Council of NSW said today "Yes, the misused sticker law allowed enforcement agencies to easily identify mufflers which may or may not be illegal and give you a $200 fine in either case!"

The repeal of this law is great news for motorcycle riders from any State travelling in NSW, as all motorcycles had been subjected to this NSW law despite the uniqueness of the regulation.

Another bunch of BS crap because we're easy targets. The trash truck next to me at the light the other day was obnoxiously loud but who is going to say anything? Everyone wants their trash picked up - including the lameass politicians. :frownthre

Yes, one more time I am glad to be in Iowa we don't get stuff like this till at least ten years after the rest of the world.

all these damn noise laws really get up my skin. i have always been thankful that NC and FLA never had em. well, last time i went home, my parents told me that Ft. Lauderdale, FLA (best party city and place bikers frequent often) was under a noise law now. i dont know how it is enforced, but my brother got a ticket on his honda cruiser for "sounding loud". loud he may be, but they didnt use any testing devices. i didnt even think to have him fight it in court. i really need to just suck it up and finally join AMA to see if we can get this new law rectified and fast. the city used to boom with bikes good and bad. i really do understand to a point with all the crotch rockets that used to hi-rev all over town, but now we cant do poker runs around there and cant do a north to south trip down A1A (the street that runs along the beach.....very nice ride on a bike).

WTF??? I live in Denver and knew nothing about this... No more loud pipes?? !!!! this state blows, next thing you kno they'll have a helmet law....I'm moving back to Iowa!! Living in the city sucks ass anyways!!

So after several years of study, Denver Department of Environmental Health is proposing to amend the vehicle noise section of the municipal code to:

1. Require a mandatory EPA certification stamp on its muffler or muffler system.

2. Make motorcycle muffler modification illegal.

3. Maximum allowable sound pressure levels for motor vehicles weighing less than 10,000 pounds (most frequently affecting motorcycles) is 81 dB(A) with a 25 foot measuring distance from the vehicle (bringing in to compliance with federal standards).

4. Maximum allowable sound pressure levels for motor vehicles weighing more than 10,000 is 90 dB(A) and measured with a 50 foot distance.

arent the stock pips around the 81db range, I've hear that they are higher than that but who knows...I know that between all the different makes harley, metirc cruiser, or some of the rockets...some of those are louder than that stock!!

It's not just the big cities that are passing laws or ordinances about this. I live in a small town in the middle of the cornfields of Illinois and they just passed an ordinance about booming car stereos. Barney Fife is writing them up.

There's alot of bikes here for as small as the town is, and most have "modified" exhausts. Out of consideration, most everyone takes it easy in town. But there's one idiot with drag pipes on a Dyna that is screwing it up for the rest of us. I can see another ordinance coming soon, thanks to him.

Another bunch of BS crap because we're easy targets. The trash truck next to me at the light the other day was obnoxiously loud but who is going to say anything? Everyone wants their trash picked up - including the lameass politicians. :frownthre
One of those articles mentioned that the threshold was different for vehicles over 10000 lbs. I imagine that exempts a lot of trucks. That's one of the reasons the AMA says it's a double standard.

--Chris

I live south of Denver, so I guess I'll stay out of Denver until I get a fake EPA sticker made!

It's unrealistic, I know, but maybe bikers could fight back in a small way by staying away from businesses within the city limits. Governments typically don't like it when their tax-base gets affected.

On second thought, that would just hurt biker-friendly businesses. Ah crap. Let's just hope it gets turned over.

Garrett

Sounds like a way to get away with racial profiling (or how ever you spell it) to me. Loud Harley must have drugs and conciled wepons on them.
How are they going to take readings on crotch rockets with the mufflers pointed to the sky carry a ladder?
I live off of Wadsworth in Wheatridge and here the d**n thumping steros more than i do loud pipes. Dont get me wrong I hear the harleys and think to my self hmmmm wonder what exhust they are running sonds d**n good .
Will have to thank the neighbors they kept me from getting drag pipes because they mainly retired and good people and im getting soft in my old age. Guess i will have to get a stock set and do the gronk mod now.

I live south of Denver, so I guess I'll stay out of Denver until I get a fake EPA sticker made!

It's unrealistic, I know, but maybe bikers could fight back in a small way by staying away from businesses within the city limits. Governments typically don't like it when their tax-base gets affected.

On second thought, that would just hurt biker-friendly businesses. Ah crap. Let's just hope it gets turned over.

Garrett

I was just thinking about swingin by the ol h-d dealer..and trying to yank off some EPA stickers off anew bike...because i know i my stock pipes they had no such epa stickers or stamps???? but I was just in the process of lookin for the bassani pro streets and saw that you have them...do you like em... and how loud are they...I love the looks..and want something a little louder than my slipons...you said you live south of denver...how far south??? maybe we could get a ride of loud pipes together, or just an xl forum ride, and i could hear your bassani's

Sounds like a way to get away with racial profiling (or how ever you spell it) to me. Loud Harley must have drugs and conciled wepons on them.
How are they going to take readings on crotch rockets with the mufflers pointed to the sky carry a ladder?
I live off of Wadsworth in Wheatridge and here the d**n thumping steros more than i do loud pipes. Dont get me wrong I hear the harleys and think to my self hmmmm wonder what exhust they are running sonds d**n good .
Will have to thank the neighbors they kept me from getting drag pipes because they mainly retired and good people and im getting soft in my old age. Guess i will have to get a stock set and do the gronk mod now.

if you live off wadsworth and in wheatridge you prolly hear my bike all the time!!! I live off wadsworth and alameda(belmar area) just a little south of ya and I'm up in that area all the time...like i said in the last post an XL forum ride in Denver is sounding pretty good...

The pipes are stamped in the metal on the bottom (stock ones and HD replacements), not stickers. I've never seen an aftermarket set of pipes stamped with EPA approval. I think the approval process is too expensive.

--Chris

I was just thinking about swingin by the ol h-d dealer..and trying to yank off some EPA stickers off anew bike...because i know i my stock pipes they had no such epa stickers or stamps???? but I was just in the process of lookin for the bassani pro streets and saw that you have them...do you like em... and how loud are they...I love the looks..and want something a little louder than my slipons...you said you live south of denver...how far south??? maybe we could get a ride of loud pipes together, or just an xl forum ride, and i could hear your bassani's

Love the Pro Streets so far. I'm running them with the baffles in, so the neighbors won't get fussy. They're definitlely louder than stock!

I'm in Parker, but don't mind putting some miles on if the bike's put together!

Let me know if there's a Denver ride!

saying that loud pipes prevent us from being able have loud pipes is silly.

unfiguroutable: Explain yourself please. I don't follow.

--Chris

I just dont think about things in the same sequence I guess. In other words I know loud pipes are illegal I just dont care. I am willing to pay the ticket or install unmodified baffles in my pipes from time to time. I fail to see how a law that make this true inhibs your rights in any way especially since you dont want loud pipes on your bike any way.

I think what happens though is lawmakers listen to people who are complaining about loud motorcycles, and they enact a law like this that makes it easier to crack down on a motorcycle with any non-stock exhaust system. It's been illegal to tamper with the exhaust for a long time. Recently though, more and more municipalities are enacting noise ordinances like this that make getting a ticket more likely.

The town just east of me about 1 mile has a noise ordinance that says they can ticket anyone for any vehicle noise that can be heard 75 feet away. The fine is $500 plus they can impound the vehicle.

http://xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/showthread.php?t=37825

--Chris

I think what happens though is lawmakers listen to people who are complaining about loud motorcycles, and they enact a law like this that makes it easier to crack down on a motorcycle with any non-stock exhaust system. It's been illegal to tamper with the exhaust for a long time. Recently though, more and more municipalities are enacting noise ordinances like this that make getting a ticket more likely.

The town just east of me about 1 mile has a noise ordinance that says they can ticket anyone for any vehicle noise that can be heard 75 feet away. The fine is $500 plus they can impound the vehicle.

http://xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/showthread.php?t=37825

--Chris



They must not have any garbage trucks, city busses, semi's, or trains in that town.... or any cars made before 1970.....

The town just east of me about 1 mile has a noise ordinance that says they can ticket anyone for any vehicle noise that can be heard 75 feet away. The fine is $500 plus they can impound the vehicle.

http://xlforum.net/vbportal/forums/showthread.php?t=37825

--Chris

fascist, plain and simple.

I think they enforce it selectively, when they want. No one I know of has gotten a ticket for this. There's a Harley dealer in Berwyn and they don't have any trouble. A lot of times I think they put these things on the books so the politicians can tell their constituents that they're "doing something" about the noise problem. Then, it's on the books if they need it.

It's not like the politicians (in most cases) wake up and start making laws to penalize motorcycles or motorcyclists. They are responding to complaints. And there are a lot of people who complain about motorcycle noise, and as I mentioned in another thread, garbage trucks, car stereos, leaf blowers, dirt bikes, ATVs, backup alarms, car alarms, loud music, HVAC equipment, private jets at small airports, boom cars, electronic church bells and (I am not sh!TTin you) wind chimes.

--Chris

Another bunch of BS crap because we're easy targets. The trash truck next to me at the light the other day was obnoxiously loud but who is going to say anything? Everyone wants their trash picked up - including the lameass politicians. :frownthre

I second that about trash trucks. I have NEVER heard one that didn't sound like a WWII dive bomber coming in for a crash landing. They often do most of the dumpster pickups at night, revving the engine full bore to run the hydraulics, which scream and howl like pigs at the slaughterhouse. And since they only get washed when they are re-cycled at the end of their service life, the stench alone is a definite EPA violation.

More in the news about it today (or yesterday anyway): http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=73328


Denver ordinance against loud motorcycles causing noise
written by: Thanh Truong, 9NEWS Reporter
posted by: Colleen Locke, Producer
created: 7/8/2007 9:42:22 PM
Last updated: 7/9/2007 4:34:42 PM

DENVER - It's been about a week since an ordinance seeking to crack down on loud motorcycles went into effect in Denver. From the police perspective there's been a noticeable change in the short time.

"Generally I would always hear a lot of these motorcycles from several blocks away, when they're accelerating rapidly. I've seen a decrease in that and also I haven't had any complaints," said Officer Jim Pelloni, who is with the Denver Police Department's traffic enforcement division.

The ordinance requires motorcycle owners to keep their bikes' "noise" or sound, depending on which side of the debate a person falls on, to 82 decibels. It also requires bikes made after 1982 to carry an EPA compliance seal or sticker, as it's more commonly known, to be displayed on the pipes. The sticker would serve as verification that the pipes have been modified to meet the established decibel level. Many bikers are not complying.

"I've already spent a thousand dollars on my bike (to make it louder). Why would I spend another thousand to get it back to where it was?" asked Kelly Murphy.

From the biker perspective, loud pipes are vital for safety. Murphy says his bike idles at 105 decibels, clearly in violation of Denver's ordinance. Some bikers spend hundreds of dollars to make their bikes louder because they say it help drivers hear them when they may not be able to see them.

"I do believe loud pipes save lives and that's kind of why we do that to our bikes," said Al Galperin.

"The response to that is that if you ride safe I think you have a better chance of surviving out there than if you ride aggressively with loud motorcycle mufflers and try to bring attention to yourself," Pelloni said.

Denver Police say if bikers ride with "respect" then there will be no citations or anyone being pulled over. Pelloni says officers will not be pulling bikers over strictly because of the noise they're creating. It really lies with the compliance sticker.

"It's real simple to enforce. The officer determines that it's louder than what most motorcycles sound like based on their experience and training, they initiate the traffic stop, they inspect the motorcycle pipe. If it doesn't have the EPA stamp, they're in violation," Pelloni said.

Riders like Kelly Murphy say the ordinance just gives police another reason to pull them over. In addition to that, Murphy says it discriminates against bikers. He says many bikers are choosing to voice their opposition by avoiding Denver. They're also taking their money with them.

"We're going to take our business somewhere else. It's real easy, we walk with our wallets," Murphy said.

Murphy says many bikers are affluent business people, doctors, and attorneys.

"That's a good chunk of money there, and it's not coming to Denver," he said.

While it may be quieter in neighborhoods and on the streets, Murphy says it may be coming at a price that the City Council did not anticipate.

(Copyright KUSA*TV, All Rights Reserved)
The biker's argument in this article doesn't seem very persuasive to me. You spent $1000 to make your bike illegal, and now you need to spend money to bring it back into compliance, and you're complaining? Makes no sense to me.

And 105 decibels? I found this online about that level of noise (not about motorcycles):

http://www.downtownexpress.com/de_158/noiseonthetracks.html
"...for the everyday commuter who listens to a 105-decibel noise one or two minutes each day, the noise can do permanent hearing damage over time, according to Dean Mancuso, an audiologist and manager of aural rehabilitation at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center."

http://www.gcaudio.com/resources/howtos/loudness.html

--Chris

statements like

"I've already spent a thousand dollars on my bike (to make it louder). Why would I spend another thousand to get it back to where it was?"

is about the stupidest thing i have ever heard as an argument. I personally think loud ass bikes are completely obnoxious. if that is the best that can be brought up....that law isnt going anywhere

i do think that law is biased though. like many have said what about all the other obnoxious stuff out there (my pet peeve is bumping music). i dont care if there is some standard, but my kids can produce 8 1db on a routine basis.