NYC Sound Ordinance

[05 Busa LE]

From SpeedTV.com SpeedTV Article for our riders in and around NYC (and those thinking of braving the cold for the January '09 International Motorcycle Show at the Javits Center):

The New York City Council is about to give final approval to a bill that the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) says discriminates against motorcyclists and imposes severe, out-of-line penalties.

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The measure, up for full City Council approval on Thursday, Dec. 18, would make it illegal for any motorcycle to be on city streets unless it has an exhaust system with a stamp that states it is approved by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Essentially that means the bike must have a stock exhaust system.

Motorcyclists caught without an EPA-stamped exhaust system would face fines of up to $1,000 for a first offense and temporary forfeiture of the motorcycle until the fine is paid. A second offense would result in a fine of up to $2,500 and permanent forfeiture of the motorcycle.

City officials apparently believe that requiring motorcyclists to have EPA-approved exhaust systems is easier to enforce than trying to prove a motorcycle exceeds the city's vaguely defined 80-decibel sound limit.

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[zukracer]

un freakin real. then again, NY is the California of the east coast. The few cry babies make it stupid for the rest of us. Probably some wallstreet exect tired of hearing the HD's revin it up outside their offices downtown.

Shouldnt impact me really, if I'm riding in the city, I'll almost certainly be riding with a police escort to begin with .... and I'm fairly certain he doesnt like riding in the city I'll be taking the train into the bike show ... as normal

 

[Busa1166]

I have been thinking is there a way to stamp the new exhaust the same way the factory pipe is

 

[MelodicMetalGod]

And this kind of crap is EXACTLY why we should all be members of the AMA. I know the AMA ain't perfect, but they are the only significant political influence for motorcyclists.

This sound stuff is simply ridiculous. I've got a neighbor with a ricer-car that at idle will wake up every dog and most people on the block. Yet, there are more and more sound laws against motorcycles around the country that would ignore him and fine a quieter bike just for having a non-stock exhaust. Total horse hockey!!!! uke:

The AMA only has 300,000 members, yet there's millions of us motorcyclists. If you haven't already, the best thing you can do to fight this kind of BS is to join the AMA to give them more weight on Capitol Hill.

Best of luck to riders in NYC and Denver (and many more localities, I'm sure).

 

[mike1180]

With all the problems facing all of us in the future... and they have time to waste on this stuff??
The Wall Street comment seems relevant except that there isn't anybody down there anymore to hear the bikes is there?

 

[05 Busa LE]

I agree more should join the AMA. And the ordinance is ridiculous; I lived in NYC for a while, and I'll bet the garbage trucks are as loud--or louder--than most open-pipe Harleys.

I think we need a federal law that would preempt any local laws dealing with the subject.

 

[Mr Bogus]

This is just the result of guys running around on bikes with noisy systems..

They want to sound like race bikes and now the hammer falls.. You have HD riders with straight pipes and jap bikes running around on pipes at 117dba (Brocks for instance) Oh well, guys with relatively quiet systems (yosh pipes w/baffles etc) are now going to be punished for the loud guys..

Now lets see if NYC enforces noise and exhaust on 4 wheelers... (yea right) they really just want the revenue ya know....

 

[Pardini]

I think we need a federal law that would preempt any local laws dealing with the subject.

The EPA Law IS a Federal Law. That's the standard already. What NYC is doing is just saying exactly the same thing.

Any time you change out an exhaust on any vehicle that alters it from stock you are in violation of the law. Been that way for many years. The only way Yoshi, Two Bro's etc can sell exhausts is to label them Race Only. They aren't street legal. I expect soon, that loop hole will be closed as well. PC3's aren't legal on the street either. Dynojet got fined 1,000,000 bucks by the C.A.R.B. and was told to quit selling them in CA. That's why they came out with the PC EX.

 

[cipher5791]

This laws is f****d up. So there will be like no Harleys able to ride in the city.

 

[zukracer]

the funny thing... riding a bike in the city from about midnight monday til midnight sunday is about stupid anyway... Its just funny that they are targetting such a very very small portion of the motor vehicle population in the city. Target cabs, trash trucks, little POS cars with coffee can exhausts. There are far far more important things the city can do to make things better but oh well, what can we do but make our voices heard through the AMA or other organizations like them.

Honestly I dont mind them targetting them, there's really ZERO reason for a straight pipe HD or someone with an obnoxiously loud pipe on a sport bike to go WFO in the city or neighborhood area. There's no reason for a quiet piped bike to do it either

To paraphrase what Mr B said, the folks that play by the rules are once again getting screwed by those that dont.

 

[suzuki4life]

This laws is f****d up. So there will be like no Harleys able to ride in the city.

no it will be like every other law, for every one harley that gets busted, 100 sportbikes will be impounded

 

[2Wheels2Live]

We're doing it to ourselves...so thats who we should be blaming ??? All the guys that want everybody to look at them are getting their wish We're starting to get LOTS of attention Thank god I'm in an area where that isn't a problem I feel for you poor suckers that ARE paying the price tho

 

[ike]

Dumb law

 

[dolilind]

first they have to catch you to see if your exhaust has the stamp....

 

[Pardini]

The AMA is not going to lobby on behalf of those using illegal equipment on the street. I'm betting that their stance is for their members follow the laws and not put illegal equipment on the street in the first place. How much credibility is the AMA going to lose when it stands up befor the EPA and demands loud pipes?

 

[99'busa]

its all the harleys fault

 

[zukracer]

well I think the direction the AMA should go is that the law targetting one type of motorized vehicle where it expressly avoids the same issue with other types is wrong. I dont think they will ever say "hey let us ride with race only gear on the roads" but attack stupidity where its vulnerable.... laws must be at least fair and equitable across the board, this one is at face value, not so.

 

[johnstein]

time to get about 10,000 bikes to converge on the javits center and shut the city down ! there will easily be that many bikers there anyway .

 

[zukracer]

time to get about 10,000 bikes to converge on the javits center and shut the city down ! there will easily be that many bikers there anyway .

wonder if just not having exhaust would qualify you for a violation

Did you ever replace the one that someone took?

 

[MelodicMetalGod]

This is just the result of guys running around on bikes with noisy systems..

They want to sound like race bikes and now the hammer falls.. You have HD riders with straight pipes and jap bikes running around on pipes at 117dba (Brocks for instance) Oh well, guys with relatively quiet systems (yosh pipes w/baffles etc) are now going to be punished for the loud guys..

Now lets see if NYC enforces noise and exhaust on 4 wheelers... (yea right) they really just want the revenue ya know....

If the revenue is what they're after, then why wouldn't they go after cars? More of them than us.