Modified Exhaust Ban in Massachusetts

[NETHED]

From the Article
"After being stalled for the last several years, a bill (H.B. 3574) to ban the sale or installation of “an exhaust system which has been modified in a manner which will amplify or increase the noise emitted by the exhaust” has been reintroduced by Rep. Liz Malia (Rep.LizMalia@hou.state.ma.us). The bill excludes limited-use “antique motor cars” from its scope - a clear attempt by the bill’s sponsor to divide the automobile hobby in an effort to gain clearer sailing for this restrictive and damaging piece of legislation. H.B. 3574 has been referred to the Joint Transportation Committee. "

I wonder how this will affect the muffler-ectomies or installation of straight-pipes.

 

[J double R]

considering the noise change isnt much, and HARDLY noticable compared to the exhaust note of truly modified gasoline car exhausts, i bet it will be largely avoidable by the TDI crowd. I know that my straight pipe has a meaner note, but is not at all loud, and volumewise, is pretty much the same as a muffled TDI at cruise speeds.

I'm also willing to bet that as long as we keep our cars looking OEM enough, the cops won't turn an eye at us.

 

[Souzafone]

Neither local or staties are going to climb under your car to see if your exhaust is OE. They WILL ticket the type R with a fart can melting the rear fascia, I bet.

 

[mydeathbynapalm]

Been pulled over in MA pulling away from the I-84 (going west) toll at I-90 interchange. ST had his window up...lots of other cars around and he heard me pull away (side-exit exhaust w/ resonator - stock DP) He would have given me a ticket for noise AND the exhaust as he stated a modified exhaust system in MA is illegal, but my car is registered in VA. Seems as though something is already on the books there.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

Does this mean they'll ticket the deafening Harleys that are everywhere in MA, too?

 

[Josiah]

Bleh. Those are everywhere here. Used to have some neighbors that had a whole ton of 'em. They're so loud they HURT. I don't understand how that is legal anywhere.

 

[Lug_Nut]

Time for some "Loud Pipes Save Fuel" stickers.

 

[Gothmolly]

Having solved all other problems, including fixing the Big Dig, its good to see the MA lawmakers are focusing on these important issues.

Aren't there already noise ordinances? Just ACTUALLY ENFORCE all the laws you've made.

 

[Hamsterdiesel]

Does this mean they'll ticket the deafening Harleys that are everywhere in MA, too?

Amen Let's hope!

 

[Bob_Fout]

What did you say I could not hear you?

 

[GoFaster]

Bleh. Those are everywhere here. Used to have some neighbors that had a whole ton of 'em. They're so loud they HURT. I don't understand how that is legal anywhere.

Those aren't legal anywhere, even now.

I am a motorcyclist, and I despise painfully loud exhausts. People that use those are costing the rest of us the ability to make *reasonable* modifications.

 

[Josiah]

I, too, am a motorcyclist (as you can probably tell by my sig), and my two bikes are rather different. I have a '79 XS650 with accidentally loud exhaust - I just bought exhaust for it and it was really loud. Ah well. At least it HAS mufflers. The SV650, on the other hand, has a more audible fuel injection system than exhaust system, and I almost wish it were just a tad louder. My TDI has totally stock exhaust... and probably will continue to until the stock exhaust falls off it, which might never happen, because I'm over 260K on the factory exhaust at the moment, and the only thing I've ever had to do to it was weld a crack at the downpipe ($40 or so at some welding shop). Usually I modify when replacing, and with SS exhaust, it doesn't look like this will be necessary

Those aren't legal anywhere, even now.

I am a motorcyclist, and I despise painfully loud exhausts. People that use those are costing the rest of us the ability to make *reasonable* modifications.

 

[mrchill]

There are lots of laws which are not enforced in Mass. They save them for when they want to hammer you. This I believe is an attempt at that. When I was a kid, I got a ticket for excessive noise in my 83 GTI. It was stock and had a new muffler from Brookline VW not even 3 days old. I beat that part of the ticket because I had the receipt(in court though). However, they made me pay the "lane change without a signal" fine ( I never changed lanes)and the speeding fine (I wasnt speeding). This is how Mass. is able to victimize at will. They pass laws they dont enforce till they feel like it. Then they hammer you with several at once. This way if you appeal, you are likely to pay at least one or two fines. A dirty game.

Now......the reason I have a 3 inch exhaust AND a muffler is just because of that. I know they can hassle at will, law or not. So.......no straight pipes for me. I can smash them in court as long as I satisfy the LETTER of the law even if I defy the SPIRIT of the law. If they choose to enforce this law once it is approved, the demufflered crew has to drive on stock (boring)rims and stock height suspensions forevermore, as they (the police) are attracted like Magpies to nice wheels and low slung vehicles....even if they are stock. Once pulled over they will look for items that complement that sporty looking car....."OH MY! whats this? a MISSING muffler? this exhaust has been modified! OPEN YOUR HOOD! is that engine stolen? Where did you get it? It doesnt look stock! I'm going to have to seize the vehicle!"

They are just dying to do that. It happened on the west coast with street racers. The confiscated the cars citing "possible stolen parts" and "possible streetracing" (as there are current lawas against both) and what? Crushed them. They made the owners of the cars watch as they destroyed them. Some lawmakers have been salivating ever since for an opportunity. Clearly there are no longer crimes being comitted that the police should pursue. We must live in a Utopia that has no issues beyond loud exhaust. Start with the overloud bikes and then the crazy loud Mustangs. We ALREADY have laws for that. Kraziness!

We'll have to see what happens. Till then, dont throw away your old exhaust......after all "loud" is a subjective term like "too dark" for tint. Or "too bright" for lights. You may not have a loud exhaust, but if in officer says you do......you do. (are they really experts in sound level?)

 

[Josiah]

For some reason, here in NH they don't seem to enforce anything having to do with motorcycles... helmets, exhaust, speed, whatever... I've been pulled over on the bike twice in NH and let go both times.... the officer seemed to just want to chat about motorcycles.
Then again, I have to say that the cops in my town are pretty darn cool. I've never had anything but positive experiences with them. Seriously.

 

[david_594]

Does this mean they'll ticket the deafening Harleys that are everywhere in MA, too?

Supposidly they are doing something about it. I got hassled big time at the beginning of the summer for some reflectors my scooter was missing. Once I got those straightened out I also saw them fail a couple motorcycles the day I was there getting mine inspected.

It was funny watching them do the sound test on my scooter revving it to half throttle and checking it with the db meter.

 

[TDIver]

loud pipes

People with loud pipes are self centered and annoying. They have changed my opinion of hybrid drivers completely. I now welcome hybrids in our town just because of the quiet factor. I give them a thumb up every day.
A little more social resposibility would go a long way to make peoplerespect each other like the old days...

 

[TDIJetta99]

My bike was quiet for exactly 3 days after I started riding it... EVERYONE and their brother pulled right out in front of me, seemed like they didn't even look.... I skidded to a stop just about dropping the bike on 2 occasions, both of them in the same spot, going about 30mph through town.. The second time I did drop the bike right as I stopped so there was no damage to speak of.. BOTH PEOPLE insisted they never saw me OR heard me coming... Mine being loud has nothing to do with being self centered as you call it. I value my life. Some people really don't see motorcycles for some reason, that's also why I ride with the high beam on all the time (That made a big difference in people cutting me off too).. Granted there are a number of people with deafeningly loud bikes that should not be as loud as they are, I know a few V-Twins that you can hear from a mile away, that's a little excessive if you ask me...

My bike has 2 mufflers, it's not REAL loud, but it's louder than stock.. You'll hear me coming before you decide to cut me off... My neighbors don't mind it at all, if one of my neighbors really have an issue with it I'll put different mufflers on it...

 

[Lug_Nut]

Hmmm... I learned to expect that cagers would be idiots so I watched out for them since they weren't watching for me.
I quickly discovered that riding a motorcycle as if it were a car, got me respected as if I were driving another car.
Have you considered putting the continual noise outlets AHEAD of you to better alert the others of your presence? The volume after you have passed would be better put to use if it announced your approach.
There's probably a real good reason ambulances and fire trucks don't have their sirens on their back bumper.

 

[TDIJetta99]

OK what could I legally put on the front of the bike that would do that AND not make me out to be MORE of an idiot than with loud pipes?? Nothing really... You can hear the exhaust no matter where you are, it's just louder in the back... Around where I am there's really nobody that has any real problems with loud motorcycles.... I'm a half hour away from OCC, along with a dozen or so other custom chopper builders.... We ride loud bikes...

 

[Lug_Nut]

OK what could I legally put on the front of the bike that would do that AND not make me out to be MORE of an idiot than with loud pipes?? Nothing really...

You're correct. There is nothing more idiotic than loud pipes.
If you believe they make you handle the machine better (maybe, you havent skidded or dropped the bike since, so you may be on to something) or will make you be more aware of your surroundings and that belief lets you sleep better, then fine. I don't know just how loud yours are, and I don't care to know. I'm perfectly willing to trample on your freedom of expression to silence those bigger idiots that need louder noises to compensate for whatever they feel they are lacking. I assure you I can sleep better with the silence. I am in favor of limitations on sonic pollution.

 

[TDIJetta99]

You're correct. There is nothing more idiotic than loud pipes.
If you believe they make you handle the machine better (maybe, you havent skidded or dropped the bike since, so you may be on to something) or will make you be more aware of your surroundings and that belief lets you sleep better, then fine. I don't know just how loud yours are, and I don't care to know. I'm perfectly willing to trample on your freedom of expression to silence those bigger idiots that need louder noises to compensate for whatever they feel they are lacking. I assure you I can sleep better with the silence. I am in favor of limitations on sonic pollution.

OK so you didn't answer my question, plus you don't understand anything of what I said....

Question... What could I legally put on the front of my bike that makes enough noise so that people don't cut me off that's not going to make me look like a total moron????

Statement that you didn't understand... The loudness of the bike has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with how I handle the bike... I am a very proficient dirtbike rider and I can handle a bike that's sideways with both wheels skidding on pavement (that's why I didn't drop the bike those other times).. The loud exhaust helps prevent OTHER PEOPLE from pulling right out in front of me because they don't know I'm there....

AND, you're not my neighbor.. I could honestly care less if you can sleep better when MY BIKE (which resides 5 hours away from you) is quiet.

I'm perfectly willing to trample on your freedom of expression to silence those bigger idiots

Think about how that statement makes you look......

I'm tired of other people that are multiple states away trying to push their beliefs down my throat....

 

[jollyGreenGiant]

I'm with Lug, louds pipes are downright irresponsible. There are limits, and way too many Harley's break those limits, it's the few that ruin it for the many probably but hey something does need to be done. A limit needs to be set with strict testing standards and if its over the limit then it's off the road, strict and commonplace enforcement. Enough is enough... Few cars I've ever heard compete with the level of noise some of the bikes out there now produce.

Don't tell me they save lives when my young children start balling, shaking and grabbing onto my leg because some idiot drives by at full throttle just to slam on the brakes 40 feet away at the next stop light...

I know how dangerous it is out there because I'm a big cyclist ( pedal power ) and I know how invisible non cages must look to average John and Jane America, trust me... I've had more than my share of encounters. I now ride with paranoia, if it looks like someone is going to pull out they probably will, if you get passed right before an intersection, chances are they'll right hook you... I've learned that you have to sacrifice your speed and right away sometimes to be safe, once you get past that and accept that every other person on the road is not willing to share and is just about trying to kill you, then you're half way there...

Drive safe out there!

 

[Bob_Fout]

England has noise abatement laws. What is the bike accident rate there?

 

[TDIJetta99]

There's a difference between being loud and just way too loud.. You can get quite a bit more sound than stock before you start pissing people off.. My TDI is a little loud, but nobody has complained at all... Not even a little bit.. Most think it sounds good the way it is..

I completely agree that there should be some sort of enforceable noise standard... Here in NY, I don't believe there's any certain Db level... There should be.. It's up to the officer to decide weather the exhaust is too loud, and they only enforce it when they want to.. They pretty much use it as an excuse to pull you over, then give a ticket for something else... OR, you'll get pulled over for speeding and get a loud exhaust ticket instead (inadequate exhaust is how it's worded)... Db meters are cheap enough... Officers should have one in the car and use it if they feel it's too loud...

 

[Lug_Nut]

My distaste for what I consider to be excessive emissions (noise or otherwise) don't translate into what the general public considers to be the limit. There is a point (as yet undefined) where your freedom make noise infringes on my freedom to silence.
Your exhaust modification may or may not make noise above my own level of tolerance. I don't think that is so much the issue I have with it. My issue is that I can't comprehend how you can hold that belief that louder is safer for you.
I had many close calls with my RD400 with Bassani expansion pipes. I had one (a squirrel) after that bike. The difference was in my attitude and my actions once I wised up and realised that if I wanted road respect from other users, that I had to respect them. When I began to accept that I was no more entitled to unfettered use of the road on two than on four wheels I noticed that the opportunities for problems almost vanished.

What is 'necessary' in your mind for your safety is nothing more than a pathetic cry for some validation of existence to me.
Ditto for the loud sub-bass rolling boom boxes.
Ditto for those "...so I sooted him." TDIers among us.
The indignant "What are YOU looking at?" from the punker with the orange 8 inch mohawk and the chain from nostril to nipple is ironic and sad at the same time.

You know my opinion, I think I know yours. We'll differ.

 

[jollyGreenGiant]

Db meters are cheap enough... Officers should have one in the car and use it if they feel it's too loud...

Connect it right into the officers video camera and laptop with a fully integrated and fully automated software interface, you can even program in a feature that'll ensure the mic is at the right distance and is calibrated each time, retrieve RPM off the bike ( inductive or plethora of other easy pick up options including non-contact RF pickups ) to ensure that a proper snap throttle took place and wala, a virtually fooll proof and repeatable snap throttle db test. Personally, I think these and other similar forms of vehicle testing are fair and consistent independant of the operator using them. We all seem to have a dislike of getting through an inspection process for some reason but think about how many things do get replaced to keep the car working on the higher mileage vehicles out there ( including trucks ). You're sharing the road with all those other vehicles out there that might be otherwise leaving a ball joint loose or a tie rod tight and/or a million other potential safety defects that put their and everyone else's lives at risk. It doesn't take much to cause an accident especially with all the distractions we have.

 

[TDIJetta99]

My distaste for what I consider to be excessive emissions (noise or otherwise) don't translate into what the general public considers to be the limit. There is a point (as yet undefined) where your freedom make noise infringes on my freedom to silence.
Your exhaust modification may or may not make noise above my own level of tolerance. I don't think that is so much the issue I have with it. My issue is that I can't comprehend how you can hold that belief that louder is safer for you.
I had many close calls with my RD400 with Bassani expansion pipes. I had one (a squirrel) after that bike. The difference was in my attitude and my actions once I wised up and realised that if I wanted road respect from other users, that I had to respect them. When I began to accept that I was no more entitled to unfettered use of the road on two than on four wheels I noticed that the opportunities for problems almost vanished.

What is 'necessary' in your mind for your safety is nothing more than a pathetic cry for some validation of existence to me.
Ditto for the loud sub-bass rolling boom boxes.
Ditto for those "...so I sooted him." TDIers among us.

You know my opinion, I think I know yours. We'll differ.

I think I got the wrong idea from what you said initially.. I assumed that you thought anything louder than OE was too loud..
There's a lot of things I can do while on the bike that will make it safer for me... If I just assume everyone is going to pull out and slow down a little and kind of prepare for it, it won't be so bad if they do because I was expecting it anyway... A little more volume from the bike does make a difference, it might not be much, but if it prevents one accident it was worth it in my mind... I really don't think my bike or my TDI would be over your threshold for too loud... If you're inside your house and I drive by, you'll only hear me if the windows are open.. If you're at the HO5G, let me know if you think my TDI is too loud, it's not much more than stock... I'm just curious now...

The indignant "What are YOU looking at?" from the punker with the orange 8 inch mohawk and the chain from nostril to nipple is ironic and sad at the same time.

LOL.. I agree 100% with that one....

 

[meganuke]

Sorry Jason, but skidding both tires is not the fastest way to stop a motorcycle. Some dirt riding skills translate to the street, some don't.

I forget the actual statistic, but I think over 30 mph, a bike can swerve in less distance than it takes to stop.

 

[TDIJetta99]

Sorry Jason, but skidding both tires is not the fastest way to stop a motorcycle. Some dirt riding skills translate to the street, some don't.

I forget the actual statistic, but I think over 30 mph, a bike can swerve in less distance than it takes to stop.

I wasn't talking about stopping the bike, I know not to lock up the tires trying to stop... I found myself in a situation where I was sideways, with both tires skipping and skidding and sliding... More of a panic stop/swerve gone wrong kind of thing... I didn't drop the bike.... I tried to quickly swerve around a vehicle that suddenly slowed down and had NO brake lights, looked like he was making a right turn.... l started to swerve around the left side of the car only to find out the car was going slightly to the right to TURN LEFT into a driveway instead of the road on the right... I ended up locking up the rear tire and thought I was going to have to lay the bike down, that's about where it looked like it was going... The driver of the car seen me at the last minute and stopped short so I was able to skate by without hitting the car... Scared the CRAP out of me, but I was able to stomp my left foot down and get the bike back upright... I ended up spraining my ankle doing that (85 honda shadow= heavy), but no damage to the bike, car or me...