Once again, misguided angst towards law enforcement.
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Originally Posted by madrasahs
Seen any NH law enforcement officers with writer's cramp?
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This is the law the the New Hampshire State Legislature has given law enforcement officials authority to enforce motorcycle noise limitations;
TITLE XXI
MOTOR VEHICLES
CHAPTER 266
EQUIPMENT OF VEHICLES
Miscellaneous
Section 266:59-a
266:59-a Motorcycle Noise Levels. –
I. No person shall operate a motorcycle which has a measured noise level of more than 106 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 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 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.
Source. 1992, 94:1. 1993, 9:1, eff. May 25, 1993.
In order to enforce this particular statute, the officer must have a certified and calibrated decibel meter in his/her posession. The officer must show that they are trained and certified in the proper operation of the issued instrument. They must further show that the conditions of the motorcycle were as specified in the RSA, which means they must also have a calibrated/certified instrument to accurately measure the motorcycle's RPM at time of test. And yes, they must be trained and certified in that particular instrument also.
The time necessary to train & certify all NH officers in this particular RSA would take several years initially. They would all have to be recertified annually. Add the cost of the instrumentation and the annual maintainenace and calibration figures, and you have an RSA that would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to enforce.
The police officer on the street does not write the llaw, he/she simply enforces it.
If you are not happy with the present RSA, then contact your local state legislator and ask them to pass a motorcycle exhaust law that is feasible to enforce.
It's as simple as that.