Motorcycle noise testing simplified, but will governments hear?

June 30, 10:32 AMMotorcycle ExaminerKen Bingenheimer

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Motorcycle noise enforcement is not an easy issue (Photo by Friggs)

"The motorcycling community and law enforcement have long sought a practical field test for measuring street motorcycle exhaust sound," said Ed Moreland, AMA vice president for government relations. "Thanks to the hard work of the Motorcycle Industry Council, and the SAE engineers involved in the project, for the first time a simple field test is now available.

That's from an announcement made by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA), and it is a step forward, but it begs the question of whether states and municipalities will adopt the practice.

Denver has passed and New York City is considering passage of an ordinance that bases noise fines on the simple lack of an EPA stamp on the exhaust system. In June, Boston joined the group with a similar ordinance. The argument from the cities is that sound meters are too expensive to hand out to police officers.

The sound test standard announced by AMA has been developed by the Society of Automotive Engineers in conjunction with the Motorcycle Industry Council.

The J2825 "Measurement of Exhaust Sound Pressure Levels of Stationary On-Highway Motorcycles," issued by the SAE in May, establishes instrumentation, test site, test conditions, procedures, measurements and sound level limits. According to the SAE, the J2825 standard is based on a comprehensive study of a wide variety of on-highway motorcycles.

The standard is touted as simple, consistent, and economical. But sound meters are required to perform the test and that's the sticking point.

When Denver's ordinance was under consideration, opponents protested that it unfairly singled out motorcycles, while other vehicles might make more noise but not be cited. The city responded that it could not afford to equip all squad cars with sound meters.

The ordinance was passed and was quickly challenged. That challenge has faltered, with the attorney on the case saying his appeal was made to the Court of Appeals and should have gone to the Colorado Supreme Court.

Nevertheless, enforcement of the ordinance has been restrained. EPA stamps on mufflers are generally found in out-of-the-way places such as on the underside of the unit. Police officers have expressed reluctance to get down on hands and knees with a flashlight at night to try to find the stamp, all the while leaving themselves potentially vulnerable to attack.

Adoption of the new SAE standard could facilitate fairer, more impartial enforcement of noise ordinances.

"The J2825 test allows jurisdictions around the nation, struggling with complaints about excessive motorcycle sound, to set reasonable limits in accordance with the SAE standard," said Moreland. "While the AMA supports the establishment of the SAE J2825 standard in America's cities, towns and communities, we will continue to fight efforts that single out motorcycles while still permitting excessive sound from other sources, such as loud cars and trucks, booming car stereos, poorly maintained generators, whining leaf blowers, and the like."

The question is, will governments use it?

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