You may recall that Time Magazine selects a “Person of the Year”, and this person (formerly “Man” of the Year) is sometimes considered a saint, and sometimes a villan. Times Man of the Year for 1938? Adolf Hitlter.
Before any of you get too excited, I am certainly not suggesting that the Governor of California is a villian that belongs in the same league with Hitler. My point is this. The AMA has chosen Schwarzenegger as its Motorcyclist of the Year because it views Schwarzenegger as a villian, of sorts, for signing California Senate Bill 435 into law.
With this law, California will require “every new motorcycle or aftermarket exhaust system built starting in 2013 to carry a stamp on the exhaust certifying that it meets federal Environmental Protection Agency sound requirements.” The upshot? According to the AMA, those of us with older motorcycles that might need to replace an exhaust in the future may have no choice but to purchase an expensive OEM system (if one is even available). The AMA believes that, particularly for low-production models, the aftermarket simply cannot afford the federal certification process. The AMA also points out that the new California law might spawn similar legislation in other states, and, in any event, is not the best way to effect reasonable sound limits.
One interesting thing is that Governor Schwarzenegger is a motorcyclist himself who has gone out of his way to do some very positive things for motorcycling in the past (as the AMA notes). Here is the press release from the AMA.
For 2010, that distinction belongs to outgoing California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose signature on a controversial law will have far-reaching and potentially harmful effects on the motorcycling community nationwide.
With no fanfare, Schwarzenegger signed a poorly crafted bill on Sept. 28 that fundamentally changes how California will regulate motorcycle exhaust systems. The new law also maps a path for the rest of the country, as other state and local lawmakers look for their own answers to address excessive motorcycle sound. The full story is in the January 2011 issue of American Motorcyclist magazine, the journal of the AMA.
“Gov. Schwarzenegger signed a piece of legislation that has rocked the motorcycling world, and will impact motorcyclists in other states as well for years to come,” said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. “This makes him the logical choice for the 2010 AMA Motorcyclist of the Year.”
The legislation, California Senate Bill 435, the Motorcycle Anti-Tampering Act, requires every new motorcycle or aftermarket exhaust system built starting in 2013 to carry a stamp on the exhaust certifying that it meets federal Environmental Protection Agency sound requirements. For most motorcycles, the law is a de-facto OEM (original equipment manufacturer) exhaust mandate because the federal standard was not designed for aftermarket manufacturers, and compliance for the scores of low-volume production models now on the market is extremely problematic.
The AMA has long advocated reasonable measures be adopted for the regulation of excessive motorcycle sound, and cites the Society of Automotive Engineers J2825 motorcycle sound testing procedure as the most fair, economical and practical solution to the problem vexing communities nationwide.
“The California law is a poorly crafted piece of legislation that’s discriminatory and does little to address the core problem of excessive sound from all sources, not just motorcycles,” Dingman said. “Rather than objectively regulate offensive noise, this law creates all sorts of problems for riders, law enforcement and aftermarket manufacturers.”
An EPA certification label is no guarantee of sound compliance, and the lack of a label is no guarantee that an exhaust is too loud. The only way to know if a motorcycle exhaust is compliant is to test its actual sound output, Dingman noted.
“As a motorcyclist, Gov. Schwarzenegger should have known better,” Dingman said. “Now California’s motorcyclists, as well as key segments of our industry, are going to be negatively impacted.”
Currently, only two aftermarket manufacturers offer EPA-sound-stamped exhaust systems for a handful of late-model Harley-Davidsons. The process of certification is complex and expensive. For the millions of owners whose motorcycle models were made in relatively small numbers, the requirement to replace an aging exhaust system with an expensive OEM system is onerous and discriminatory. Owners of automobiles and trucks don’t have to meet the same standard, and they can buy less expensive replacement exhaust systems at local muffler shops.
Schwarzenegger’s selection as AMA Motorcyclist of the Year was reinforced by California’s position as a role model for the rest of the country.
“In many cases, we’ve seen other states follow California’s legislative lead on a number of issues,” Dingman said. “There’s no reason to think that trend won’t continue with respect to S.B. 435. With the stroke of his pen, Gov. Schwarzenegger significantly altered the motorcycling landscape for motorcyclists everywhere, and this is the reason why his selection as AMA Motorcyclist of the Year is so impactful.”
The full story of Schwarzenegger’s involvement with motorcycling goes beyond S.B. 435, and is detailed in the January issue of American Motorcyclist. Schwarzenegger has, during his tenure, been an ally of motorcycling with key appointments to decision-making committees that deal with off-highway riding issues, as an example. In addition, as a known motorcyclist himself, Schwarzenegger has drawn attention to motorcycling and, after a high-profile crash in 2006, the need for proper motorcycle licensing.
“We will continue to work with municipal governments and state legislatures to implement reasonable measures, such as the SAE J2825 standard, to address excessive motorcycle sound,” said Dingman. “But we now have the added burden of showing how California’s new measure is not an effective solution, and we have Gov. Schwarzenegger to thank for that.”
Most every rider like some tone from their bike, as I do. But a lot of riders simply have no respect for others or their neighbors. This is what brings on regulation. Put a muffler on, quit running straights, you are not impressing anyone. Show a little common sense when riding in populated areas.
Well the good thing is no other states really look to California for leadership and ground breaking legislation… That being said I am sure there are some BOOBs in other states that will try to get this passed as well. BUT as a motorcyclist I will say it is our own fault for not voting ENOUGH and for riding bikes of all makes with pipes that are too #%$*&@! loud. We need to clean up our act before a government of non-riding BOOBs does it for us. You can keep tooting your stupid “Loud pipes save lives” horn right back into your garage where the new government is going to make you keep your NON-Stock bike. Wake up fools they will take our ability to ride where ever and when ever we want away if we don’t police ourselves. I don’t care if you modify your bike but keep the sound levals SANE and for the love of God stop reving your 2cyl lump NO ONE cares about your potatoe potatoe just like you don’t care about their ears and peaceful Sunday afternoons.
you do understand that the “loud pipe fools” you are talking about & directing this at are probably not AMA members, right??
Don’t know where you live Bill, but it must be somewhere that has already banned 4 cyl sportbikes with loud exhausts since you don’t mention how annoying it is when you hear/see some rider wringing the throttle to the upper rev range while sitting on his 4cyl sportbike in some parking lot…. as you hear the bike breaking up in the higher range..
or you hear a squadron of sportbikes, all with aftermarket systems (loud exhaust) trying to break the sound barrier on the local interstate 2 miles away!
Glad there aren’t any of those type riders where you live Bill…
Guess you also don’t realize that you are singling out 1 brand bike & the person who rides it. That’s fine Bill… cause there are millions more of us than you there always will be. By the way, all my friends have stock systems…. but it doesn’t sound like that’ll make you or a lot of the others who posted here happy. Face it Bill… you are biased against H-D & the people who ride them… just like a lot of the others below…
I have no problem with that other than you & the others can’t admit the truth… you hide behind the computer screen & the loud pipe issue… all tough!
Did you notice no one else besides me mentions the shrill sound of a badly tuned 4 cyl sportbike revved to redline sitting still? & you’re going to tell me you never heard that?
I love sportbikes & love to go to Superbike races… I don’t ride one because I’m a little older & I honestly like my tractor-like- HD… it does what I want it to do. But you & many of the others below are basically complaining about Harleys & their riders. Why not grow a set & call it what it is! BUT IT AIN’T ABOUT LOUD PIPES!
Steve, you ramble like any other loud idiot. It is not about Harleys, it is about that in-your-face noise that you subject bystanders too.
Same as the morons with the boom box stereos that rattle the neighborhood. Nobody gives a rats@ss what kind of stereo it is.
Half the time you don’t even see the bike, so how could there be a bias against anything but the noise.
Is this the first, and only time, that the AMA gave this honor to someone that went _against_ our values? Not that we value loud bikes, but this law is not what the AMA wanted.
To be sure, the original bill was much worse, but that’s not why he won.
I know that he rides a trike, but did he ever get an actual endorsement (not necessary for trikes in CA)?
Where is my comment?
Loud pipes saves lives – yeah right!
If that was the case they would aim the pipes forward so you would hear the bike coming at you.
ok…I’ve read all the post the last few days….
where did it become a crime to have an original thought or analyze the issue yourself without having to be TOLD what side to be on!
The issue is loud motorcycle exhaust… no different from loud car exhaust or truck or commercial vehicle exhaust… & THEY HAVE SOUND ORDINANCES IN EVERY TOWN & HAVE FOR PROBABLY 50+ YEARS! Does anyone really believe the number & decible levels of exhausts has risen? Show me the data… not some 2 bit politicians stance. Some of you might be too young to remember the 60’s & 70’s… EVERYBODY under the age of 30 had glasspacks or headers on their car… my 1st car had headers & NO ONE, cops or otherwise said ANYTHING! My neighbors would come out to see the car because it was cool! same with bikes! I had a Hooker expansion chamber on my 1974 250 Kawasaki Enduro (street/dirt), no one, cops included, had a problem! So IS there a problem? I say NO! it’s being manufactured by politicians & liberal idiots that think motorcycles are too dangerous & are only “toys” so why not ban them altogether… they are starting down this road by passing stupid laws like this.
I repeat, I dislike some fool on a V twin or 4cyl sportbike with loud pipes wringing the throttle out in the middle of the night… but I love going to the track & hearing the thunder of the AMA XR 1200 class as they rockets past… or the Superbikes or 450 motocrossers pinned!
Some of the “apologists” here remind me of my hero.. Ricky Bobby… when he confronts the car owner’s kid asking if he had “experimental surgery to have his ba**s removed”
[quote LoudPipesRock says:
December 11, 2010 at 6:10 am
Laws should not limit freedom in the United States. This law about oem exhausts is just another law against freedom.
[/quote]
What kind of freedom is that if you can kick on other people’s right to have a quiet and relaxing night?
What kind of freedom is that if you can cause severe body damage such as tintitus and prmanent hearing loss to other people?
This law is not against freedom, it’s is protecting the freedom of people that actually can think!
What is all the fuzz about the load pipes here?
Many, many countries have regulated this for years already and this whole discussion is so anachronistic!
I can’t believe that I still hear the same dumb argument again and again that loud pipes will save lives. It’s already proven several times that this is not the case and accident statistics tell the opposite as well!
I’m a biker myself who loves the deep sound of motorcycles, but I remember once being in Pismo Beach, CA, where a total d***head was passing by with open pipes and open throttle. My ears were ringing after that encounter for at least an hour and my pleasure from visiting this small city was gone for the day.
If you want to stand next to a starting 747, it’s your choice, but nobody should be forced to do so!
And that especially not cool if that happens at 2am when the biker comes home from his pub crawl.
If you want to blame someone for this regulation, blame yourself. There have been many warnings and serious demands for self-regulations. If the biker community is not coming up with something themselves, there’s no need to feel sorry for them now.
Dont blame the gov or any other politco. Blame every idiot that rides a crazy loud bike that scares old ladies and children! We are our own worse enemy.
you r a fool mark & should really abstain from drinking kool aid!
You know that the same idiot politicians that will try to pass additional sound laws are the same pols that want to ban motorcycles that go over 100mph or are larger than 600cc, etc….
& YOU ARE SUPPORTING THEM!
remember these r the guys that banned lead making kids dirtbikes illegal…
What r u gonna do when they come after YOUR BIKE!
Yeah, our wonderful governor Meathead signed a truly bad piece of legislation. However we asked for it including me. There is no doubt many of the bikes running down the high way are WAY to f***ing loud….cruisers and crotch rockets both eh? I live near a busy street and you only notice it when some wanna-be on an HD flies past with open pipes or you hear what sounds like an F1 car rapidly approaching with a decibel level that will shatter windows.
This bill is in no way the answer and I suspect that we can get it modified to be acceptable to the aftermarket community. Remember cars went through this already. We used to run basically wide open exhausts on cars in the belief we got more power. Huh, come to find out you can make a ton of power and still sound good and not be that loud. It will be difficult and a transition but I believe we can have our cake and eat it too just not as stupidly loud as we have had it in the past is all.
I own a Triumph Speed Triple and a Kawi ZX-14. The Triple has an aftermarket exhaust, but it’s not obnoxiously loud. Stock exhaust for the ’14.
I’m seeing all too many laws get passed that, more and more, infringe on our freedoms. What the hell is happening to his country? Seems like America’s spine is slowly deteriorating from all this politically correct bull crap. First, it was state-specific mandates requiring the use of helmets, then a federal seat belt law. I will continually wear a full face helmet and a seat belt, but why force this down our necks? I say, let people be as dumb as they want. Don’t wanna wear a helmet? Fine, don’t. But you should be required to sign a waiver that you may not sue the other individual when they run over your dumb truck of a head and spill brain matter all over the street and you should have to pay extra for insurance.
So, to the matter at hand – as previous posters have said, cities already have excessive noise ordinances to cover this type of thing. Also, and much more importantly, the law does absolutely nothing to curb decibel values. Having an EPA cert. is not even relevant to decibel values, unless the EPA cert. specifically outlines decibel thresholds in their certification process.
Ok, so what do you do if a motorcyclist has an overly loud pipe? Get their license or enough identification to report to local LEOs and let them do their jobs. It’s just a matter of actually enforcing something that already exists. If you yourself are a motorcyclist and believe loud pipes save lives, consider a Stebel Air Horn. At 139+dB sound output, you shouldn’t have a problem attracting attention.
I am not for mandatory helmet use but do believe people who choose not to wear a lid have little to protect inside. Oh, if your head gets rolled over no matter if you have a lid on or not you will assume room temparature. Just sayin!
I think that a lot of you are missing the point. This law will have impact, not just in Califormia, but all over the US. CA has the highest concentration of motorcycles, and, if a motorcycle product cannot be sold there, it will not be made.
That means that aftermarket exhausts for your 2013 and later motorcycle will not be available anywhere, unless it meets EPA sound levels.
I used to live near a busy intersection. At times bikes would be stopped at the red light and the noise was deafening. Windows would rattle, forget about hearing the TV or carrying on a conversation. These bikers have nobody to blame but themselves. As much as I hate government intervention, this one was earned. I have an aftermarket exhaust on my Duc that is louder but not totaly obnoxious. If you feel you have to have a bike that loud to be safe then drive a car.
sheep to slaughter…
you mr dirtrider, DESERVE everything the government inflicts upon you! Hope they outlaw your dirtbike, then we’ll see how you like it. There already taking all your riding areas…
& once they do, only outlaws will own dirtbikes….
Then I want to hear what you have to say when I tell you “you earned it”
To all the people that think ANOTHER law is a good thing. I don’t know of a single city in the US that doesn’t already have a noise ordinance. We don’t need more laws. ANY law that is passed has absolutely nothing to do with anything other than the expansion of government control and generating revenue for the expansion of government control. I can finish all of your posts with the addition of “and when they came for the guys with loud motorcycles, I did nothing, because I don’t have a loud motorcycle…”
the sound nazis need to enforce the existing laws in EVERY towns books instead of creating additional, uneccessary bureaucracy that WE WILL END UP PAYING FOR, ESPECIALLY the head sound nazi’s salary, pension & benefits!
Vote em out, all of them!
Viva la decibel revolucion!
“Get to da choppa”!
When loud exhausts are outlawed, only OUTLAWS will have loud exhausts!
Give me loud exhaust or give me death!
“Ask not what loud exhaust can do for you, ask what you you can do for loud exhaust”
I repeat, I did not have loud exhaust with that woman!
Define “loud exhaust”
Anyone making over $250k per year should not continue to be allowed to have loud exhaust! (Bo-rock Obamadinejad)
I voted no for loud exhausts before I voted yes!
It’s Bush’s fault!
Bush lied, they never found loud exhaust in Iraq!
Cheney & Halliburton are the cause of the loud exhaust!
Remember Ollie North & the loud exhaust/contra affair.. .that was Bush #1!
Funny! A few more:
I used loud exhaust once, but I did not inhale.
You want loud exhaust? You can’t handle the loud exhaust!
I have a dream…that loud exhaust users of all colors and creeds will be judged by their decibals, and not by the color of their skin!
the idiot politicians don’t care about us, noise, bikes, etc…. they care about getting elected & then re-elected & will do whatever they think will improve their chances. If the politicians think they need to show they are doing something, they need to create a bill/law that the public will believe shows this… & loud pipe laws are a no brainer since the majority of the public does not own/ride a motorcycle but has heard loud exhaust…. so the pols can pass the law & not have to worry about the public pushing back. Face it, I am an AMA member but the whole AMA only has (I believe) a membership in the 100k to 200k range…. that number doesn’t command a lot of attention when there are hundreds of millions (approx 400 million) of Americans out there who probably don’t care what the law says.
I’m not endorsing loud pipes…I really dislike straight pipes on V-2’s or loud systems on Sportbikes but a separate law? Most if not every town in the US has a noise ordinance, why not just enforce the existing law & ticket the offenders & leave the rest of us alone….
For all of you aplauding this law; I guess it’s cool for government to outlaw all kinds of stuff…as long as it’s stuff you don’t like. As soon as they infringe on freedoms that are important to you – you’ll be the ones screaming the loudest in opposition. You can’t have it both ways; either you want freedom or you want a nanny state. Make up your minds.
I haven’t liked loud pipes since college, and never owned a bike with straight pipes. I think they’re obnoxious and annoying. But I sure as hell don’t want big brother telling me what’s good for me every step of the way. May be there is a happy middle ground somewhere, but it sure as hell not this law.
I typed this on an iPad, so if there are errors – blame Steve jobs.
No, we don’t think it’s cool. We are not happy that the gov’t was forced to take action against these fools, now all have to face this law on account of the morons with these ignorant pipes. If you think this “freedom” is important to you, well guess what, the majority disagree with you. We think we have the “freedom” not to be constantly assaulted by the noise levels of these pipes and will pass laws to enforce it. That is what freedom is about.
then what is next …..lawnmowers and garden equipment, what about those noisey airplanes that fly allover. Maybe there are a small handfull of obnoxious riders out there but I hear more stinger ear peircing exhausts on jap cars buzzing around town than bikes!
LOUD PIPES RISK RIGHTS. Here’s the proof.
We are talking about the MOTORCYCLIST of the year. You certainly can’t make a guy that doesn’t even have a motorcycle license the Motorcyclist of the year.
Laws should not limit freedom in the United States. This law about oem exhausts is just another law against freedom.
and yes >> there is no doubt that a loud pipe makes a motorcycle more visible in many cases. Are you deaf or something???
I think you forgot something, we don’t live alone on this planet. At what point do your “freedoms” infringe upon other’s freedoms. That’s why we do have laws, because we do not live alone!
Actually there is complete doubt that loud pipes make you more visible. Noise is not visible, you don’t listen for other vehicles on the road you LOOK for them. Being VISIBLE is what will keep you alive. Keep your properly aligned headlight on in the daylight and wear a proper full coverage helmet if safety is what you are really concerned about. But we all know that it’s not really safety you are concerned about. This is not a law against freedom it’s a law against a-holes, just like the one that says you can’t yell fire in a crowded theater. Your rights end where ours start. Got it yet?
I think you need to read, just a little, about the physics of sound.
Well, lets see now. Honestly, just about every state has some kind of exsessive noise law on the books for motor vehicles and they could make a killing in fines but they just don’t enforce them. Something about the revenue this crowd brings in to the local buisness comunity with their multiple noise festivals every year. I don’t see this having much effect really and that’s too bad. The loud crowd will find out the hard way about hearing loss and tinitus. You really want to see them flip out? Mandatory helmet laws:)
I LOVE motorcycles. I grew up riding them, racing them, and working on them…They are my ZEN of sorts…But the noise is killing us(motorcycle riders). As an owner of sport, touring, and off-road bikes, I’m fine with a strict noise law. Mainly because it will help stop the bulk of the frustration that the general public feels toward us, that in turn motivates more legislation against us. If you take noise out of the equation, we are a small portion of the traffic-going population, and thus can fly under the radar. Lets stop drawing all the attention to ourselves so that we can be free to enjoy the ride! But Hell, in the end we will all be riding electric anyways, so really…Who cares.
Though this law is bad, it’s passage is predictable. I used to live at the intersection of two busy streets in my old apartment, and if I had a dollar for every loud pipe KNUCKLEHEAD who passed my apartment, I could retire! I’d be relaxing in my reading room, and these guys would shake my windows. Even closing the windows didn’t help with some of them!
If these clowns upset me (remember that I’m someone who rides and has owned a few bikes), then that begs the question: what are these same ‘loud pipes save lives’ morons doing to the general public? What impact are they having on those who don’t ride? How are they influencing the opinions of those who think motorcycling is dangerous anyway, and ought to be outlawed for our own good? If these jerks are upsetting me, someone who rides, then how much are they angering the general, non-riding public?
It is a good start to get rid of this obnoxious unnecessary noise .
ABOUT TIME
Thanks Arnold Schwarzenegger
Despite what the residents may think, the world does not revolve around California. Sure, this is a starting point for similar legislation elsewhere. But, I would think that for the foreseeable future, the other 49 states (not to mention the rest of the world) will provide an incentive for the aftermarket to continue making affordable pipes, both quiet and loud, for the rest of us non-Californians…And, in this day of e-commerce, you can get just about anything, from anywhere – so, I’m thinking that (at least near-term) this will have a pretty negligible impact – Even on Californians that choose to buy a quiet aftermarket pipe over the web.
There’s the written law, there there’s what’s enforced (co-habitation anyone?). Sport bike riders will continue to get tickets for the things they always have but I doubt anyone with a working muffler on their bike will ever get pulled over for their bike’s noise. This will fall hardest on the straight-pipe Harley crowd.
I wish I had a dollar for every morning I’ve been roused from a sound sleep by someone with no baffles in their Harley or Japanese copy, and it’s like the louder the better for most of these guys. I seriously believe it has nothing to do with the fact that they think they are safer because they’re heard, but for most of them it’s more of a “look at me” factor. I have ridden with friends whose bikes were so loud I had to look at my tach if I wanted to be sure my BMW was still running, and after any distance at all I would be getting a headache. Something needs to be done but I agree, but other states already have laws addressing the problem, and enforcement can be done either at road checks with a decibel meter, or even at inspection time.
So let’s see, the voters elect someone whose sole qualification to be govenor was his appearance in a series of action/adventure movies, and we’re shocked that some legislation he signed isn’t perfect? It would seem a miracle if the opposite happened.
Personally I think a db limit on motorcycle exhausts should be enforced. Of my stable of motorcycle’s, the only one that seems overly loud is my Aprilia, and that was after replacing the exhaust I bought it with for one with a “quiet baffle” in the core, which still really isn’t sufficient.
Well, welcome to my life guys!! We had simillar laws here in Quebec for a long time! And belive me, it didn’t stop after-market exhaust sale at all! It’s just an other way for our governement to collect more money!
The only argument I can see here is that OEM exhaust parts will succumb to the supply vs. demand issue if/when replacement is needed. In addition to the whole, taking a little bit more freedom from you….
However, I for one am against aftermarket exhaust anyway. They’re too expensive and too loud and from what I see on performance charts, don’t “do” that much anyway. Sure they may save some wieght, but so can driving “past” the drive-thru once and a while…Most of the bikes these days make plenty of power. Is spending another $500 – %1500 on an exhaust system really worth a few more horsepower? I advocate spending that money on a track day or something else that will sharpen your skills. Besides, the track is/or may be where you’d want that extra power.
“Before any of you get too excited, I am certainly not suggesting that the Governor of California is a villian that belongs in the same league with Hitler. My point is this. The AMA has chosen Schwarzenegger as its Motorcyclist of the Year because it views Schwarzenegger as a villian, of sorts, for signing California Senate Bill 435 into law.”
This is a very poor reason to elect someone a AMA motorcyclist of the year. I am not a member of the AMA and never will be. What a crock legislators.
Helmet laws, pipe laws and unGodly amount of traffic? Why would anyone ever want to live in California? They are going bankrupt and other states would do well to stay away from anything that KALI FORN IA passes as legislation.
Busineeses are running for cover and dumping California, real estate is incredibly high priced and unemployment is almost 20%. Yup, that’s the place I want to be.
435 is an important bill that will certainly save Kallyfawnia from bankruptcy. Way to go, Ahnold.
Does this law include exhausts that are for “Offroad Use Only”?
You may not have an “Offroad” to ride on if they keep passing bills like this one.
CS response by the AMA.
Not going to be able to keep your classic on the road?
Don’t blame Schwarzenegger. Don’t blame the California legislature. Blame the folks who put loud aftermarket pipes on their bikes.
“We have met the enemy and he is us.”
WTF Talk about bunch of hypocrites posing as AMA. Off all the BS they go along and pick someone whom single handily introduced the most deadliest vehicles against motorcyclist on roads, the Hummer. Here is the guy whom not only dares to ride a bike without a legal motorcycle license for over ten years, yet he goes and gets in an accident and gets away without an even a warning or slap on the hand. How dare AMA awards someone who has not lift a hand to support “fellow” bikers all these years that he has been in office. Look at the roads with giant potholes his leaving us with and countless number of bikers whom have lost lives to them. And yet the fees to register our bikes have gone up almost yearly And yet he gets person of the year awards. Big F*#k you to AMA.
+1
whoosh!!!
That’s the sound of you missing the point of what the AMA did. They aren’t praising Arnold. Read the article again.
Simon,
Read the criteria for this “award” again. You will then understand.
The loud pipe cruiser crowd is responsible for this law and I can’t say I disagree with it. How many times have I been parked in a state park with my stock ST1300 and been embarrassed to be a motorcylist when a group of these loud pipe cruiser morons have roared by. I just hope the law can actually be enforced.
The loud pipe SPORTBIKE crowd is responsible for this law and I can’t say I disagree with it. How many times have I been parked in a state park with my stock ST1300 and been embarrassed to be a motorcylist when a group of these loud SPORTBIKEER morons have roared by. I just hope the law can actually be enforced.
Bliz…. you oughta be embarrased riding that sewing machine!
sorry Bliz, I couldn’t resist… I know a guy that had the previous generation Kawasaki Concours who would wear a full coverage riding (space) suit all summer long & have to sit on the ground & strip it off whenever he stopped…. I always thought it bizarre but he never relented. Your post made me remember him…negatively. No offense for your chosen ride, I actually like ALL motorcycles & the loudness of the exhaust doesn’t make the man.
Loud is still loud, given that…it is a fact that lower frequencies penetrate surfaces while higher frequencies reflect. A sportbike may be just as loud as cruiser, but the big V-twins are the ones that wake people up.
R U FREAKIN KIDDING ME!
it’s not the sportbike crowd, it’s the harley crowd…
you are an idiot…
U R A dirt rider, right?? any stock 4 stroke motocrosser is much louder than any harley….
& when did you become an audiologist?
DATA, not subjectivity
He is correct. Low frequencies penetrate more than higher frequencies. Scientific fact.
Loud sportbikes are just as stupid and detrimental to motorcycling as loud cruisers, but there is absolutely no question that there are more loud cruisers (both in absolute numbers and percentage-wise) than there are loud sportbikes.
And doesnt Arnold have a harley (or multiple ones) and I bet they dont have the stock exhaust on them.
Laws never apply to the king.
Don’t blame the government for this one, blame the idiots who voted the idiots in. The under informed and over opinionated have continuously voted these Clowns into office and the rest of the states lawyer scum follow suit. I respect the laws and only wish our government would worry about important things. Have people died, lost their jobs, killed animals because of non-EPA approved pipes? How about you stop writing new laws and start enforcing the ones you already have! (Immigration, slow traffic merge right, etc). Off my Soapbox
This law is a direct result of the “loud pipes save lives” (but apparently helmets don’t) robots. And as for the companies that make that obnoxious garbage, congratulations you just put yourself out of business and good riddance to you. A law like this can’t come to where I live soon enough.If this is the biggest whine the AMA can come up with for 2010 then maybe the they are completely out of touch with the majority of riders out there. All 8 of my bikes carry their OEM exhaust system and I am proud of it.
I didn’t read the entire article.
Tough tittie to the loud pipes save lives ilk (AKA “brain dead”, with all due respect). I moved from the shite hole (IMHO) called California almost four years ago and nothing known would cause me to move back. Yes, there is much beautiful geography in CA, but unfortunately much that goes with it is downright repulsive. My OH cousin states that many Californian’s believe the USA ends at the Nevada border. The unsolicited disapproving drone from ex-neighbors and friends in CA who say they could never live where it snows (we get 62″ here) are plain stupid when you think of the crap they live with daily. I know, I lived there 51 years. But I digress.
I would pay money (really, literally) to crush right in front of the owners the god forsaken loud bikes on the road. Cops should ticket these guys right now. Any blood sucking bureaucrat reading this pay attention. The following law is a guaranteed revenue increase and your constituents will LOVE you: Write a simple law based on the AMA noise regulation that is based on the EPA law (not too complicated, even a govt employee could do it). Purchase reasonable SPL meters for reasonable cost and setup a test facility in your county. The cops ticket every f’n suspect on a suspect loud vehicle, but mostly bikes.
The bike must then enter the local test within 30 days. If the bike fails, it gets one more chance 30 or 60 days later, then next time the bike gets pulled over you crush the bike and the owner has to watch.
Aftermarket companies will have a field day because all they have to do is barely undercut the OEM cost, which is huge.
Am I blocking?
God bless Ah-nowd.
This is the guy that was crashing without a CDL
And that means loud bikes are a blessing to the human race? The rate of hearing loss increased dramatically in the last ten years among young persons in the USA (“Americans” is small-minded. I detest the term.)
Irrelevant.
What?
Ah-nowd apparently disagrees. He has more clout than you, thank God.
I think it was a great idea to make Gov. Schwarzenegger the motorcyclist of the year for his support for OEM exhaust sound levels. I hope it spreads all across the USA. I hate, absolutely despise loud motorcycles and the knuckleheads who generally ride them. Pissing off the general public (and that describes me with a 40 year/75 motorcycle history) has it’s consequences. Less sound = more ground as was noted in the 70’s!!!
I hope all the “loud pipes save lives” idiots are happy now. For a long time, reasonable motorcyclists have been warning that excessively loud bikes will lead to a crackdown on aftermarket exhausts. And now those predictions have been realized. If you have a loud exhaust on your bike, this law is directly YOUR fault. Thanks a lot, you a-holes!
Digg.
+1. Couldn’t have said it better myself.
+1,000,000, the “loud pipes save lives” crowd have ruined the party for all of us
You hit the nail on the head. Stupid friggen pirates.