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HB-95 New Motorcycle Laws.... UGGH!
Its official.... we are becoming a nanny state! While I am all for noise laws (within reason) it seems to be getting a bit out of hand.... You dont have to wear a helmet, but you will be required to have a functioning tachometer...
Why not just purchase a tach for the LEO's? All you need is an inductive battery powered tachometer. Put the sensor on a plug wire and get the reading! HB 95 – AS INTRODUCED 2009 SESSION 09-0234 03/01 HOUSE BILL 95 AN ACT relative to motorcycle equipment and noise levels. SPONSORS: Rep. J. Day, Rock 13; Rep. Henson, Rock 13; Rep. Kepner, Rock 15 COMMITTEE: Transportation ANALYSIS This bill: I. Prohibits motorcycle exhaust modifications. II. Reduces permissible motorcycle noise levels. III. Increases maximum fines for motorcycle noise violations. IV. Requires motorcycles to have functioning tachometers. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -. Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.] Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type. STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Nine AN ACT relative to motorcycle equipment and noise levels. Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened: 1 New Paragraph; Motorcycle Muffler Modifications. Amend RSA 266:59 by inserting after paragraph IV the following new paragraph: V.(a) No person shall modify the exhaust system of a motorcycle in any manner. (b) No person shall drive on a way a motorcycle that has after market equipment installed to replace the muffler. (c) Any person who violates the provisions of this paragraph shall be guilty of a violation and shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $500. 2 Motorcycle Noise Levels. Amend RSA 266:59-a to read as follows: 266:59-a Motorcycle Noise Levels. I. No person shall operate a motorcycle which has a measured noise level of more than [106] 95 decibels on the decibel meter when measured 20 inches from the exhaust pipe at a 45 degree angle while the engine is operating at 2,800 revolutions per minute for one and 2 cylinder motorcycles and 3,500 revolutions per minute for any motorcycle with 3 or more cylinders. II. No person shall pass for the purposes of the inspection required by RSA 266:1 any motorcycle which has a measured noise level of more than [106] 95 decibels on the decibel meter when measured 20 inches from the exhaust pipe at a 45 degree angle while the engine is operating at 2,800 revolutions per minute for one and 2 cylinder motorcycles and 3,500 revolutions per minute for any motorcycle with 3 or more cylinders. II-a. No person shall operate in this state any motorcycle which produces a sound level in excess of [106] 95 decibels on the A scale, when measured in accordance with the provisions of the Society of Automotive Engineers Recommended Practice ANSI/SAE J-1287 annual report on “Measurement of Exhaust Sound Levels of Stationary Motorcycles.” III. Any person who violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a violation and shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than [$300] $500. 3 New Section; Equipment of Vehicles; Motorcycles; Tachometer. Amend RSA 266 by inserting after section 77 the following new section: 266:77-a Tachometer. No person shall drive on a way a motorcycle without a functioning tachometer. Any person who violates the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a violation and shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $500. 4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2010. Check out www.nhmro.com if you want more info. Woodsy |
Interesting. Maybe a few bikes on their way to MC week went through whatever Rockingham county towns those three state reps are from. If passed and enforced this would be an end to MC week in Laconia.
A large percentage of bikes have some modification to the exhaust system and not all have to do with sound. The design of the pipes and mufflers are normally a big part of the unique look of any bike. As for the mandatory tach, makes about as much sense as requiring every motor vehicle driver to carry their own breathalyzers in case they are stopped. I can understand a dB noise level but drivers should not be mandated to provide part of the test equipment with them. The State is facing a lot of real problems now, too bad these three idiots are not working on those. |
wait a minute
So what this says that if you have a modified exhaust other than stock exhaust that comes on the bike from the factory that you are operating a illegal bike?
If this is the case that is going to far, what are they going to do sit there on the highway and look at the bikes go by and pull over anyone that doe snot have the original exhaust on their bikes? Come on People this is craziness. Like said above most are done for looks why do they need to do that, why not just the noise violation? Please Please write and email your reps, I have a aftermarket exhaust on my bike for looks only and the decibel level is nowhere even close to being over the limit below even MA standards, (yes I had it tested). I guess I cannot ride in NH without being pulled over? |
What about all the custom bikes that also have custom exhausts? Do you really think the average LEO could even begin to tell the difference between the "factory" exhaust and an aftermarket setup?
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I have a few concerns with this law....
I really dont get why we seem to do things half assed! I dont mind the the db test, but requiring a tach is kinda silly.... there is no reason the LEO's cant have a calibrated digital tachometer they can hook up to a plug wire to perform the test. The db meter used does have to be calibrated! For the record, my sportbike has the factory exhaust and is quiet. But if I were to have a problem, and they used the Tachometer on the bike for the test, my argument to the judge would be that the tachometer is NOT CALIBRATED and it accuracy is unknown and possibly erroneous... thus invalidating the test. The same argument one could use if the db meter is not been calibrated properly. What about the effect of this law on tourism? Does every bike at Bike Week need to have this equipment? If your home state does not have this law, are you required to comply with it in order to drive in NH? oh skip...... Woodsy |
Would be funny to calibrate your law-required tachometer to read 2800RPMS when you're at 1000. In fact, it's the sort of thing that would be very easy to enable/disable with the flip of a hidden switch...
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you wouldnt need a hidden switch.... just miscalibrate it and leave it alone. Its not like you need a tach anyway!
Woodsy |
I'm thinking that the part about the tack, is a misprint. It's happened before. They mean speedometer.
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No they mean tach.... I had a reporter here in my shop the other day. He and I had a long discussion about this bill. Totally ridiculous. Too restrictive. Noise is Noise, but to ban any and all aftermarket exhaust is too far. Lots of older bikes have to go to the aftermarket when their stock exhaust is damaged or rotted out. OEM only produces parts for so long before they become obsolete! If you can't put aftermarkets on, then what? Retire the bike? Not fair. Also the style issue there are plenty of aftermarket pipe designs that meet the DB test, why make everyone suffer? I understand the issue with loud pipes, back in my younger days I had straights on my Sportster.(Really used to like the looks I got in Wolfeboro) But nowadays on my touring bike I have after market pipes that meet the standards for noise. I ask everyone on here, please call your local reps, tell them to vote no on HB 95.
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WBB, a reporter you say, they have gotten a story wrong before, let alone a technical issue.
We shall see. :) |
This sounds like the lawmakers are just asking for the Moon just to get everybody in a tizzy...with peoples minds off the Real Intent....to reduce noise on the street. After everybody whines a lot, the lawmakers will give in and "Settle" for the Db test by itself and everybody will be relieved.
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Here's a shocker...they are all Democrats!!:mad::mad:
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I think this law would be difficult to enforce against bikes legally registerred out of state.
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Practical Measuring Method Needed
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Regardless of the State of one's residency, measuring motorcycle noise needs to have some practical measure: I suggest the presence of ripples on the surface of a cup of coffee supported on the ground by a doughnut at 25 feet. :D The old law requires complexities reminiscent of a Romulan plot—hence these unworkable changes in the new proposal. |
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That proves my point.... Lets say the LEO is suspicious of the bikes tach reading. The bike just doesnt sound like 2800 RPM. The problem is he cannot definitively say exactly what RPM the motor was spinning at the time of the test. He can only state that it was his opinion the motor wasnt spinning at the proper RPM. This invalidates the test, and wastes the time of the LEO and the courts should the LEO decide to write the ticket anyway! Noise tests do not need to be made into a big production...... or require gyrations from the LEO's... You need a calibrated Inductive Tachometer, a calibrated dB meter, and a tape measure! 1. Attach tach to spark plug wire, adjust tach for appropriate number of cylinders. (Note: this can be any spark plug wire. It doesnt have to be #1 cylinder) Spark plug wires are easily accessable on most V-Twin motorcycles. 2. Measure appropriate distance & angle off motorcycle. Place dB meter at appropriate spot. 3. Take a reading of the ambient noise level as noted by dB meter. This may be important for court. 4. Rev engine to 2800 as indicated by calibrated tachometer 5. Note dB meter reading and issue the pass/fail. It doesnt have to be that hard or expensive.... I swear the politicians could screw up replacing a lightbulb! Requiring morotcycles to have a tach or completely stock exhaust is just assinine!! Woodsy |
I wont even get into the fact that this law ONLY targets the V-twin (Harley) crowd!
Woodsy |
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Brk...
At 2800 RPM the V-twin motor is right in the middle of its powerband.... I dont think there are many Harleys that rev over 5000 RPM. They are tractor motors after all... Your run of the mill 4 cyl crotch rocket doesnt get to its powerband until 7000 - 8000 RPM. They can rev as high as 13,000 RPM! A piped crotch rocket would be very quiet @ 2800 RPM. Woodsy |
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I'm (obviously) not a rider, but it's been on my to-do list for several years :) I do have this un-biased comment, though, the "loud pipes" crowd is pretty fugging annoying the majority of the time. The "loud pipes save lives" argument would only seem to apply to anything approaching directly from behind, for the most part it really comes off as a cross between a "look and me" and an "F U" statement. Although I've never kept valid statistics, I can't recall the last time I heard a crotch rocket with an insanely loud exhaust. Hard to say if this is the result of a specific anti-V Twin beef, or an attempt to just target the law towards the most common offenders. (I realize it may be hard to distinguish between the two statements. |
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I agree with BRK on this- there are few things more annoying than a straight piped V-Twin (let's be realistic most of them are HDs). I don't think it is anti-HD sentiment, people just don't want to get blown off the porch when a bike goes by (and yes I have riding a HD since well before it was fashionable to do so). Woodsy is right on with the equipment- I don't have a tach, never did, never will- the LEO should supply that. |
loud pipes are obnoxious
To me, loud pipes are the number one reason for people to dislike motorcycles. I had straight pipes when I was 21 years old and have since grown up. I wish riders with loud pipes would figure out a different way to be noticed, because that seems to be ultimate in self-centeredness.
I'm a life member of the American Motorcycle Association and have watched this debate for many years. The personal freedom argument pales in comparison to the obnoxious assault on one's senses that these bikes produce, IMO. This new law may have some aspects that will be difficult to enforce, but each state needs to address this issue. Aftermarket exhaust systems are fine as long as they can comply with the appropriate db levels. Wouldn't it be nice if we in the motorcycling community could influence all riders to be reasonable about noise levels, then we wouldn't need these laws. Peter |
Maybe it is because I am an old fart, but I don't like thru-hull open exhausts on boats either. It is no different than straight pipes on bikes- ew ew ew Mr Cotter pick (look at) me!
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IMHO, badly written and dumb! |
They will have bike week knocked down to 5,000 motorcycles in the next few years at this rate
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dB A scale
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II-a. No person shall operate in this state any motorcycle which produces a sound level in excess of [106] 95 decibels on the A scale, when measured in accordance with the provisions of the Society of Automotive Engineers Recommended Practice ANSI/SAE J-1287 annual report on “Measurement of Exhaust Sound Levels of Stationary Motorcycles". So, like the boat SPL RSA, it's dB-A and thus 0 dB = 20 micropascals. Still requiring a "functional" tach and outlawing aftermarket exhaust is dumb. Who cares so long as the sound level is met ? I wonder if these wonderkids will do the same thing for loud cars ? So sorry Walker etal, only factory exhaust allowed in NH ! :rolleye1: I believe other states require MC muffler manufacturers to certify their product(s) meet certain SPLs. Why can't NH do the same ? |
The distinctive sound of the Harley v-twin engine chug is important enough that Harley Davidson applied to the US Patent Office in 1994 for a patent on that sound. Nine competing motorcycle brands opposed their application and after six years Harley withdrew it.
Seems to me that distinctive chug sound should easily pass the legal test of an intellectual property right....go figure! Somewhere in Germany, there must be a BMW bike with straight pipes and no mufflers, too?:D |
I dont have a problem with noise laws for the most part, as long as they are not draconian in nature or enforcement.
I think HB-95 is a bit draconian to say the least. Mandating tachometers and stock exhaust? Its a bit much. Set a dB limit and let those who ride figure out how to comply.... Woodsy |
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"Max sound level of no more than 106dBA when measured 20 inches from the exhaust pipe at a 45 degree angle (Title 21, Chapter 266:59-a)" Not trying to hammer on you, but I think your suggestion has already been tried. |
Brk...
I dont feel hammered on at all.... I think the issue is the enforcement of the law. Requiring tachometers and stock exhaust is not the way to do it. My biggest concern is what happens to bikers from other states who do not have these laws? Are they going to be in violation? NH generates ALOT of revenue from bikers... In this economy do we want to be seen as unfriendly to bikers and thier cash?? Give the LEO's a calibrated Db Meter, a calibrated Inductive Tachometer and call it a day. I seriously doubt noise enforcement is very high on the to-do list. They barely have time to enforce the current law, I doubt they will enforce this law any better... Woodsy |
My bike has a functioning tach and a stock exhaust, but I'd love to see someone try to attach an inductive pickup to one of my plug wires. After they go through the trouble of pulling the tank and removing the air-box, they'll discover that my plug wires are low voltage wires that feed 4 coils, one mounted directly on each plug. I'm not sure the tach would even work.
This is simply a bill written by a couple of Representatives trying to address the noise problem. It's not a feasible solution and will not likely pass the house, I can't imagine a Senator passing this thing, as written. Most folks would agree that there are way too many loud bikes out there. Most of the annoying ones are cruiser style because they can safely make a lot of noise, through many gears, without moving very far or fast. You don't hear many sport bikes at WOT/redline because they can't do it for long. Many modern sport bikes are exceeding 100 MPH just to get to the redline in first gear and reach 150MPH in less than 10 seconds. There are not many places near population centers in NH with room to use WOT for long, and at 100+ MPH, the noise goes away really quickly. |
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:D |
Dave...
That was my point earlier... this bill is aimed squarely at the Harley V-Twin crowd... I doubt your sportbike barely makes noise at 2800 RPM... I know mine doesnt! LOL! Woodsy |
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True that, other than when at idle (1400 RPM) I run it at 3000 RPM minimum, it's barely ticking over and making little noise. The bill as written states that my bike would be tested at 3500 RPM, but even then, it's not making much noise. With the stock exhaust, even at WOT, it makes more intake noise than exhaust. I'm certainly not targeted by this bill. Whatcha got? Mine's a 2001 ZX9R. The only thing loud about it is the candy lime paint... I agree with who it's being aimed at. Frankly, I think it's richly deserved. A couple of these straight pipe morons go up the hill in front of my house at WOT all Summer. It's annoying during the day, but just plain rude in the middle of the night. $500 fine sounds about right. |
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About the tach,.... Please!!.......... Nowadays, most motorized vehicles to include motorcycles, use [ EIM ] or [ ECM ], electronic ignition module, electronic control module, for engines. Such engines have an ECM port wired into the wiring harness. We, in the industry for years have used, what they call a PRO-Link.... To explain, a PRO-Link is a hand held minni, not to be confused with a Winni, computer with changeable software to facilitate ( year make model ) to not only check RPMs, but in fact set engine timing, increases or detune, decrease Horsepower and set road speed, Max-Min and a host of other performance parameters. My point is, Whom ever is responsible for writing Law in NH, or where else, Please, double Please, get up to date! |
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On another note, most home lawnmowers would fail those requirements. |
What's next
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Wmur
Saw this article on WMUR's website:
Bikers Revved Up Over Pipe-Muffling Bill POSTED: 10:32 am EST January 22, 2009 CONCORD, N.H. -- The state wants to muffle loud motorcycles, but riders said the bill will cause them hardship. State Rep. Judith Day, of North Hampton, N.H., said she sponsored the bill after 1,000 voters in her town signed a petition asking for further limits on motorcycle noise. Current law says motorcycles can produce up to 106 decibels, but the new law would limit the noise coming from the tailpipes to 99 decibels. The fines would also increase from a maximum of $300 to $1,000. About 120 people showed up to the bill's public hearing on Wednesday, most of them against the change. Opponents said the new limits would cost bikers and dealers money to change their motorcycle tailpipes and could hurt Laconia's annual motorcycle week, a major economic event for the Lakes Region. |
Every NEW motorcycle sold has to meet certain Federal sound requirements. I don't believe dealers are permitted to change out the stock mufflers at the time of sale of the NEW bike. (I could be wrong).
I've always wondered where ALL those shiny new Harley mufflers go, after the owner buys aftermarket mufflers and puts them on the bike. Maybe they are still in the garage. NoBozo |
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One More Nail in the Coffin
This bill, if passed, will be one more step towards eliminating Bike Week. Every year fewer and fewer people come to the area during Bike Week. Many of the area businesses depend on the Bike Week income to make a living and stay in the black. The city does nothing to encourage attendance.
The City of Laconia could actually make a profit on Bike Week if they left half of the Police home. It has gone way beyond a police presense and become plain old intimidation. The passage of a strict law, as proposed, will send a clear message that Laconia, and New Hampshire, is "motorcycle unfriendly" How many attendees will come back next year when they see police officers stopping bikes and writing noise tickets? |
If a machine is "street legal" in the state it is registered in, how can some other state impose different requirements?
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Different States, Different Laws
Each state can make it's own laws. It's no different than some states require helmets, some do not.
Tinted car windows that are allowed in Florida will get you a ticket if you drive through Massachusetts with them. |
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The police presence is surely one of them. The obscene price gouging by hotels is another. Before I lived in the area, my buddies and I used to rent a place at B.Maes in Gilford Th, Fri, Sat nights. It was a good spot semi- reasonable at $150 or so a night, of course this is going back to the late 80s or early 90s. As LBW gained popularity again, the price was jacked up to almost 300 with a 4 night minimum. There is no way young riders will be attracted to the event especially with iffy weather we have had in recent years. The other thing I really have noticed is that I think there are as many bikers as in the past, it is just that everyone is spread out. The Weirs is no longer the epicenter of LBW. Laconia HD, North Conway, Funspot, etc have all pulled people out of Laconia- I believe that is because the weirs has been stagnant for years. Same vendors, entertainment, etc. I make one or two treks to the Weirs during LBW but that is it, we ride north from Moultonborough! |
your right about bike week
Each year I hear more and more is said about bike week price gouging.
So if bike week has been dying it is because of the greed of those who make their living off of it. I for one prefer to purchase things like hats & shirts from the local vendors like the Naswa & Patricks therefore keeping the money here. But we lost the desire to go to bike week and do so only if there is nothing better to do. I do not have a problem with a nice rumble as mentioned but it is getting out of control and is the main reason we prefer to stay out on the lake and only check it out on Sunday when prices are at there lowest and the noise level is not as bad. Unfortunately as mentioned in other posts on other subjects, many of the businesses take advantage of the fact this is a tourist area. Because there is a lot of money coming into this area rates tend to be higher for everything from food to building services. The only problem with this is many locals will shop around for a better rate and when the economy drops off like it has and tourist business drops off the higher priced services are hurting for business. |
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