Free exhaust decibel testing (RCMP)

[Steve G.]

RCMP Press release:

Police Tackling Noisy Vehicles

The onset of summer is not always good news for some Lower Mainland residents, who dread the increase in noisy motorcycles and other vehicles on their neighborhood roads.

The North Vancouver RCMP and Port Mann freeway patrol are inviting motorcycle riders and other vehicle owners to attend the parking lot of the Main street off ramp at the Ironworkers Memorial bridge, on June 5th and 6th from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for free decibel testing of their exhaust systems. This type of testing has never been offered by the police before and will be a unique opportunity for riders and drivers to become more aware of their noise levels. Trained Police officers will determine if the noise levels from the exhaust pipes are illegally loud.

On these days only, drivers will be offered an amnesty (no charges) by the police in North Vancouver. If their vehicle is found to be above the legal decibel limit, the Police will explain how to make the necessary improvements. Only street legal and street safe motorcycles and vehicles will be tested.

- If a motorcycle, car or truck is making more noise than a factory model, it is too loud.
- If after-market pipes have been installed they likely do not have baffles and are not legal.
- Most after market products are not approved mufflers.

Extensive enforcement for noisy vehicles will take place during June to October. Drivers charged under Section 7A.01 of the Motor Vehicle Act - Regulations will pay a fine of $109 and receive three points. If the noise is too excessive, vehicles could be towed and license plates seized, requiring the owner to have the vehicle inspected and then re-licensed.

“I have pulled over many motorcycles over the years and have heard all kinds of explanations,” says Constable Peter Kennedy with the North Vancouver RCMP. “None of them were valid, especially when someone says that the noise is for safety reasons and could save their life. Noisy motorcycles do not save lives, they simply irritate other people enjoying a peaceful day. The general public does not enjoy the noise and have made many requests with the local police agencies and the Mayor’s office for serious enforcement.”

Motor Vehicle Act Regulations

“A motor vehicle shall be equipped with an exhaust system which ensures that the exhaust gases from the engine are cooled and expelled without excessive noise.”

“The opinion of an inspector as to whether the engine and exhaust noise is greater than that made by other vehicles in good condition of comparable size, horsepower, pistondisplacement or compression ratio shall determine whether exhaust gases are expelled with excessive noise.”



Was there always three points attached to an excessive noise ticket ?
And you can bet that anyone dumb enough to take advantage of the 'amnesty test' will end up in a database for the next time they are pulled over.

Oh, this is good. I'm going to take my Laverda Jota there with factory stock pipes, and a collector plate demanding the use of the pipes, which,,,,,are friggin'loud. When they fail me, [where they get factory sound decibel levels for a company gone broke in 1988 I don't know] I'll point out the factory European/US certification tags, see what the hillbillies say!!

Steve

[Duclover]

An "audible" pipe is just one arrow in the quiver to help keep a rider alive.
This pipe does not need to make ear drums bleed, but should certainly be audible from inside an automobile.
If a rider with said audible pipe rides around as if this pipe is going to save his/her life, they'll be dead very quickly.
If a rider relies on any one arrow in the quiver they'll be dead very quickly.
We need as many arrows in the quiver as we can get and I for one will always have an audible aftermarket pipe on my motorcycle. Drivers have ears and we must appeal to that sense as respectfully as we can.

[BMR]

Ducati?

[iakai]

what about ducati with termis ? instant fail ?

[brani_ca]

I'...think i just found my new best friend....."Duclover"
I'm 100% down with ya buddy!

[bandito]

An open Ducati dry clutch is more obnoxious than a pair of pipes
any day.

I don't understand the fascination with them. They sound like a rickety
piece of shit with a major engine problem.

[IcE 9]

I'm curious about the sound test itself. It will be a fail if the pipe is over 91db. But what is a typical db level to expect at the RPM that the test is done?

If an aftermarket pipe makes 107db max (at 9000+ RPM), but less than 91 at 3000 RPM, then there should be nothing to worry about if the test calls for 3000 and idle engine speeds for the readings.



Or are you required to rev the shit out of your bike while it sits in neutral?

[Sikorsky]

I'll point out the factory European/US certification tags, see what the hillbillies say!!

A traffic Nazi will say "Put it on a hook and come back when you can show me it is a street legal vehicle in Canada".

I learned a long time ago poking bears with a stick is a lose-lose proposition!

[Sikorsky]

lets face it there is lots of posers...around...that are saying:" look at me...and my bike".....i agree on that.....but come on.....what do you have to say on Twin's....a?.......Ducati's......sounding like a f.....ing sledge hammer,the Aprilia owners.......like a modded Harley....and more and more......so what do we do for them a.......I'm only saying cause I'm one of them and i don't wanna be hurt from the POLICE cause its a different type of bikes.........and they do make allot of noise!......

When I read your stuff it comes across like Christopher Reeves used to talk when he had the machine breathing for him!

[DrFunkyMD]

I'...think i just found my new best friend....."Duclover"
I'm 100% down with ya buddy!

Get a room. Funboys.

[BMR]

When I read your stuff it comes across like Christopher Reeves used to talk when he had the machine breathing for him!

Don't you mean more like Stevie from Malcom in the Middle?

[KaiBosh]

Okay, so what are the specs that they draw the line at? How do they conduct the test? Is the test the same for an inline 4 sportbike as it is for a Harley? Who came up with the specs?

This is such total nonsense. If someone is making noise that is obnoxious then pull them over and deal with them. The idea of setting up checkpoints with a decibel meter makes me sick. No-one ever even *notices* my ZRX with full Akra around town, why? BECAUSE I DON'T RIDE LIKE AN IDIOT AROUND PEOPLE.

[Regular Joe]

Well, I'm definitely not on the "Loud pipes save lives" bandwagon. Maybe yes. Maybe no. Generally speaking, I'm a skeptic.

I do know that loud pipes break ears and that loud pipes piss people off and I don't need a research grant to figure that out. Stock is fine with me.

That said, my recommendation is that NOBODY take their bike in to have it tested. I'm guessing that most of the people who would go are those who ride with stock exhaust anyway and just want to swing by for kicks.

Of course, you have to wonder where the police will be getting their baseline data for all of these different bikes that they're going to want to test in the future. How could you possibly get a bunch of test data from stock motorcycles of all makes and models to use for future enforcement purposes?

I know what I'd do... I'd offer an amnesty day for anybody with a bike to swing on by for a free noise test. Then, I'd log all of the test result from stock exhaust bikes and use that data in future enforcement actions against non-stock bikes.

"Yes, your Honor, I know that Mr. Akrapovic's exhaust was excessively loud because it was 10 db above the noise level of an identical bike with stock exhaust. Here's the reading from the stock bike...and here's the reading from Mr. Akrapovic's bike."

It's a dick move, but it's also brilliant...as long as nobody figures it out until it's too late.

Are the cops smart enough to come up with a plan like that. Maybe yes. Maybe no. Generally speaking, I'm a skeptic.

[Locksmith]

So you are saying I shouldn't go get my stock bike tested so the idiot with the loud pipe doesn't get into trouble? Why would I want to do anything to allow said idiot to continue to ride with an obnoxious pipe?

[brani_ca]

cause 98.2% of the riders out have aftermarket exhaust on.....and the rest 1.8% which is u and another bitchy old timers.....have their stock ones...... And whine about the rest of the bikes around being loud!
Ps:
One thing nothing personal,respect your fellow rider..no matter what kind of pipe he has....they don't deserve to be called-idiots ok.........respect!