Motorcycle exhaust volume

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Geektastic

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#212749 10-Apr-2017 22:20

Is there any legal limit on the amount of noise bikes are allowed to make and if so, is it ever enforced?

My weekend was shattered on several occasions by groups of bikers roaring down the road with machines that sounded like the race bikes at Donnington Park - very intrusive for a public road. They could clearly be heard even 5 minutes later in the distance.

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#1760533 11-Apr-2017 06:43

There is a limit but it seems to be selectively enforced. California has a much tighter limit so Harley Davidson tractors can be manufactured to be quiet but are often modified. New motorcycles are often advertised with a set of aftermarket mufflers.

If you live south of Featherston I'm surprised you haven't noticed that Lake Ferry is a popular destination for groups of bikes.

richms

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#1760536 11-Apr-2017 07:06

Selectible baffles is common on bikes - either totally removed or something they can twist to disable them. More power that way, and safer since people know they are coming thru.

Richard rich.ms

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#1760538 11-Apr-2017 07:20

It's tricky, I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be 95dB, but I don't know at how many rpms. I cannot stand the sound of a big twin (like a Harley) yet love the sound big Ducatis and super sports make. I think it's because the sports bikes don't make too much noise idling compared to a Harley (or similar).

scuwp

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#1760546 11-Apr-2017 07:51

It is subjective until someone thinks it is a problem then an objective test can be enforced. Basically an exhaust system must be the OEM or not produce noise remarkably different to the OEM muffler. If modified with something noisier it must be low volume vehicle certified. Imported vehicles are tested and certified on entry. If a police officer thinks it is a problem they can pink-sticer it and the bike will need an objective noise test to have that removed. Over 150cc it's 97 dBA

https://vehicleinspection.nzta.govt.nz/virms/in-service-wof-and-cof/motorcycles/exhaust/exhaust-system

Lazy is such an ugly word, I prefer to call it selective participation

Coil

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#1760549 11-Apr-2017 07:57

scuwp:

It is subjective until someone thinks it is a problem then an objective test can be enforced. Basically an exhaust system must be the OEM or not produce noise remarkably different to the OEM muffler. If modified with something noisier it must be low volume vehicle certified. Imported vehicles are tested and certified on entry. If a police officer thinks it is a problem they can pink-sticer it and the bike will need an objective noise test to have that removed. Over 150cc it's 97 dBA

https://vehicleinspection.nzta.govt.nz/virms/in-service-wof-and-cof/motorcycles/exhaust/exhaust-system

You dont need a cert to change your exhaust system, It wont pass a WOF if its too loud.
The test criteria is 97 or 100dB at 100CM from the tip at 1500RPM or around there (Not actual figures as i cant find them just now). Literally the quiet rev ranges for most bikes..
I had a lovely pipe on my old bike that had a little bit that said "For race use only" Lets just say you could hear it across the city.
Never had an issue.

xpd

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#1760566 11-Apr-2017 08:59

When i had my Legacy, I had a baffle I could easily remove/insert to cut back on the exhaust volume, if WOF guys got picky, Id go around the corner, put the baffle back in and go back and pass. Legally, the baffle was suppose to be permanent, but I had a way of taking it out easily yet couldn't be shifted by the WOF guys.

I'd say its the same for bikers, they like the noise, but whack in a baffle for WOF purposes :)

XPD / Gavin

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Coil

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#1760589 11-Apr-2017 09:30

xpd:

When i had my Legacy, I had a baffle I could easily remove/insert to cut back on the exhaust volume, if WOF guys got picky, Id go around the corner, put the baffle back in and go back and pass. Legally, the baffle was suppose to be permanent, but I had a way of taking it out easily yet couldn't be shifted by the WOF guys.

I'd say its the same for bikers, they like the noise, but whack in a baffle for WOF purposes :)

I had a little baffle as well but it was still illegal with the baffle in. It was not rideable with the baffle out, Usually secured by an allen bolt.

Bung

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#1760631 11-Apr-2017 10:05

TimA:
You dont need a cert to change your exhaust system, It wont pass a WOF if its too loud.
The test criteria is 97 or 100dB at 100CM from the tip at 1500RPM or around there (Not actual figures as i cant find them just now). Literally the quiet rev ranges for most bikes..
I had a lovely pipe on my old bike that had a little bit that said "For race use only" Lets just say you could hear it across the city.
Never had an issue.

The test procedure is in scuwp's link. Your rpm is low 2500rpm for a twin cylinder 4 stroke with 2 valves per cylinder.

I knew the owner of what was the Wellington HD dealership at the time. When he was going on about how well the shop was doing selling to all the Mid-lifers I asked how they could get warrents. He got all huffy and I haven't seen him since.

Coil

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#1760634 11-Apr-2017 10:11

Bung:
TimA:

You dont need a cert to change your exhaust system, It wont pass a WOF if its too loud.
The test criteria is 97 or 100dB at 100CM from the tip at 1500RPM or around there (Not actual figures as i cant find them just now). Literally the quiet rev ranges for most bikes..
I had a lovely pipe on my old bike that had a little bit that said "For race use only" Lets just say you could hear it across the city.
Never had an issue.

The test procedure is in scuwp's link. Your rpm is low 2500rpm for a twin cylinder 4 stroke with 2 valves per cylinder.

I knew the owner of what was the Wellington HD dealership at the time. When he was going on about how well the shop was doing selling to all the Mid-lifers I asked how they could get warrents. He got all huffy and I haven't seen him since.

I had a single 250CC CBR250R and a DRZ400SM. The 250 was loud as heck. Had a Leo Vince full stainless system on it. Still cant hear correctly till this day, lost the ability to hear detail and speech clearly, Got to watch peoples mouths when talking. Phones are impossible haha.

2500RPM sounds like it, Like me said cant remember actual figures but a roundabout guess.

Loud bikes are good if you want to be heard, Hurts your ears and even with proper ear plugs i still lost hearing over a years period commuting every day.

dfnt

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#1760638 11-Apr-2017 10:37

At least you don't have a neighbour that warms his bike up every morning at 7:45am, just makes my day /s

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Geektastic

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#1760651 11-Apr-2017 11:14

Bung: There is a limit but it seems to be selectively enforced. California has a much tighter limit so Harley Davidson tractors can be manufactured to be quiet but are often modified. New motorcycles are often advertised with a set of aftermarket mufflers.

If you live south of Featherston I'm surprised you haven't noticed that Lake Ferry is a popular destination for groups of bikes.

Oh I have - although fortunately the route to Lake Ferry does not pass our house.

The ones around this weekend really were ridiculously loud for a public road - I used to go to motor racing a lot when I lived in Europe and it wasn't that much different from being at a track to be honest.

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Coil

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#1760654 11-Apr-2017 11:18

nas:

At least you don't have a neighbour that warms his bike up every morning at 7:45am, just makes my day /s

He isnt really doing anything wrong, Id hate for him to ride off and potentially damage his engine from it being too cold to rev or cause it to wear out faster shortening the engines life span.
Cant really blame them. But there is a tollerence. Like the ones who use old loud 2 stroke lawn mowers on a sunday at 7AM sharp.
Had one neighbor do that until i got a sprinkler and pointed it over the fence at his lawn and turned it on while he was mowing. Worked a treat.

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#1760656 11-Apr-2017 11:28

nas:

At least you don't have a neighbour that warms his bike up every morning at 7:45am, just makes my day /s

I have one that does that but at 5:45am and because of the tin fence it sounds like it's right outside my bedroom window does he realize it's like that nope because he and his wife are as deaf as door knobs

Fred99

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#1760657 11-Apr-2017 11:33

A friend of mine bought a new Porsche recently, has a "sport" button on the console, which as far as we could tell, does nothing at all except alter the exhaust note so it sounds harsher and crackles and pops on overrun. Quite noticeable from the inside, I guess also from the outside.
When I was about 8, we'd jam a piece of stiff cardboard around the forks of our bicycles, tensioned with a piece of string, so it'd flap against the spokes making a racket as you rode down the road.
Boys with their toys.

Coil

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#1760659 11-Apr-2017 11:37

Fred99:

A friend of mine bought a new Porsche recently, has a "sport" button on the console, which as far as we could tell, does nothing at all except alter the exhaust note so it sounds harsher and crackles and pops on overrun. Quite noticeable from the inside, I guess also from the outside.
When I was about 8, we'd jam a piece of stiff cardboard around the forks of our bicycles, tensioned with a piece of string, so it'd flap against the spokes making a racket as you rode down the road.
Boys with their toys.

Speaker in the windshield makes them sound pretty dandy! When the speaker breaks or become unstuck (Common) it will sond like a broken record.
You do get a wee bit of popping and cackling and a slight raise in volume from the outside but not as much as in the cabin.

You want to hear a RS3 in Sport + from the outside, Christ.....

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