How do loud motorcycle mufflers pass safety inspection ???

10/13/2016

Comment
Aloha!

If we have ordinances regarding the noise emitted by mufflers, how are these vehicles passing safety inspections? Is this not part of the inspection?

Quieter O'ahu
Excellent question. Yes, there are numerous statutes and ordinances covering muffler noise on automobiles, mopeds, and motorcycles. Why are they passing safety inspections? Because State of Hawaii and City and County of Honolulu claim that it's too hard to enforce these laws. Specifically, most of the laws are written, according to the authorities, too broadly. For example, quoting in part:
Illegally Modified Mufflers And Exhausts.
Hawai'i Law - ROH Sec. 15-19.28    Mufflers--Noise-Controlling Devices.
(a)    No person shall operate a motor vehicle on a public highway or street unless such motor vehicle is equipped, at all times, with a muffler or mufflers in constant operation and of such length and size or of sufficient capacity for the motor and/or exhaust system to prevent the escape of excessive or annoying fumes or smoke, and excessive or unusual noise. The term "excessive or unusual noise," as used in this section, means noise in excess of the usual noise which would necessarily result from the operation of a motor when reduced to the minimum by a muffler such as is defined herein...

Both HPD and the City Attorney maintain that "excessive" isn't clear. What's excessive to one person isn't excessive to another. Here's another example:
Hawai'i Law - HRS Section 291-22 Regulation Of Exhaust Pipe And Muffler.
It shall be unlawful for any person to drive upon the public highways any motor scooter, as defined in section 286-2, the exhaust pipe or muffler of which has been so changed from the factory design as to increase the volume or audibility of the explosions within the motor thereof. In this example they maintain that it's not possible to interpret "increase the volume" and, therefore, they can't enforce this law. Yet another:

Hawai'i Law - HRS Section 291-24 Motorcycles And Mopeds, Noisy Mufflers; Penalty.
(a) Every motorcycle and moped moving under its own power on a public highway shall at all times be equipped with a muffler in constant operation to prevent any excessive or unusual noise and no such muffler or exhaust system shall be equipped with a cutout, bypass, or similar device. No person shall modify the exhaust system of a motorcycle or a moped in a manner which will amplify or increase the noise emitted by the motor of such motorcycle or moped above that emitted by the muffler originally installed on the motorcycle or moped...

Here the sticking point with the authorities is "increase the noise emitted by the motor of such motorcycle or moped above that emitted by the muffler originally installed..." How do we know how loud the original was compared to the modification. they ask? And yes, there's one for automobiles also:

Hawai'i Law - HRS Section 291-24.5 Motor Vehicle Muffler.
(a) No person shall use on a public highway, sell, alter or install a muffler which will noticeably increase the noise emitted by a motor vehicle above that emitted by the vehicle as equipped from the factory...

Same arguments. But what will probably really raise your temperature is this. On the large motorcycles, the biggest offender of modified exhausts and the noise they generate, is that these modifications completely remove the "muffler" component leaving nothing but a straight pipe from manifold to atmosphere. They're intentionally designed to maximize the noise/resonance of the exhaust. So where an EPA approved motorcycle exhausts has a nominal noise level of approximately 81dB(a), these modified pipes can reach 125dB(a). Anything above 120dB(a) is considered a hazard to hearing.

But here's the temperature raising part. The Periodic Motor Vehicle Inspection (PMVI) for Motorcycles at page 5 says that if a motorcycle does not have a muffler it is to be failed for safety. Nonetheless, spend some time at any of the State's inspection stations and sooner of later (usually sooner) you'll see a motorcycle with straight pipes, clearly no muffler, being passed in safety inspection. Over and over again. You can find a link to the PMVI on our site under P1 - Our Noise Laws. Yes, unbelievable but all true.

A Quieter O'ahu has been lobbying, and recommending that others do as well, our legislators to change the current laws to reflect language more easily understood and defined. Many municipalities, for example, have adopted adopted language such as "any motorcycle exhaust system capable of being heard at a distance greater than 50 feet from the end of the exhaust pipe shall be deemed and illegal exhaust system." Nothing ambiguous there. The distance is simply derived by taking a legal exhaust and measuring the distance from which it can't be heard - 50 feet for example. It would be hard for the authorities to argue that kind of language would be difficult to enforce. And beyond motorcycle exhausts such language could be applied to boom boxes, boom car stereos, mopeds, gas blowers, and any and all devices emitting unwanted noise levels.

Thanks for your note. Hope this lengthy reply provides some insights.

Very best,
A Quieter O'ahu

12 Comments

Doc

3/26/2018 12:16:19 am

The motorcycle noise on Paula Dr is outrageous. Wish we could really do something. Law needs changing. Thanks Doc

Sarah Smith link

10/30/2018 02:52:55 pm

My brother has been looking up laws for safety checks and told me that there are noise/muffler laws. It's interesting that the standard laws in Hawaii do not specify exact decibels that mufflers need to operate within for vehicle checks. I would probably prefer that the laws be changed to reflect the distance a vehicle can be heard at, as you've mentioned people are lobbying for.

Louder oahu link

10/31/2019 07:00:02 pm

If it bothers you so much that a motorcycle is loud. Well then simple answer is leave! Thanks again for visiting hope to see you soon

Doc

10/31/2019 08:02:57 pm

Right to quiet life. You don’t have that. I can make as much noise as I want because I am me. BS

GMC Rich

5/16/2020 01:35:02 am

Is this actually a thing? The sounds a motorcycle makes as it passes you on the roadways or cruises past your residence is a problem? Lots of things make noise. Military jets for one. Going to complain to military about that?

Quieter O'ahu

10/31/2019 07:42:17 pm

Louder Oahu: Thanks for the comment. All views welcome. But also just more evidence that motorcycle noise is out of control. Please take the opportunity to view our latest Noise Blog entry.

https://www.quieteroahu.com/our-noise-blog

Quieter O'ahu

Levi Scovern

7/13/2020 05:56:07 pm

Loud pipes help keep riders safe by making their presence known, unfortunately there are plenty of poor drivers who do not have the surrounding awareness skills that (should) be required..

And others are distracted by multiple devices in their car whether it be a phone, radio, food, passengers just to name a few.

In fact, statistics show that motorcyclists are nearly 30 times more likely to die in a traffic accident as those in car accidents.

My problem with people like “Quieter Oahu” is they think the solution is to take away someones personal freedom (whatever that may be) but in this case to modify their own property, said motorcycle for intentions of better protecting myself while on the roadway.

How about we take the freedom away of the radio in the car so that you can have a better chance of hearing stock motorcycle exhaust?

You all keep taking peoples freedom away we might as well slap a communist flag on your door.

Quieter O’ahu

7/13/2020 07:04:55 pm

Thank you for your comment. “Loud pipes save lives.” A myth debunked by science and most reputable rider groups. Even the CEO of Harley Davidson has said “enough is enough.” Here’s an excerpt from RevZilla that debunks the myth fairly emphatically, and anyone wanting to know the science should just google “science myth loud pipes save lives” to get an earful. The only point of loud pipes is to annoy the public. There is no performance or safety purpose that stands scrutiny.
Source: From RevZilla.com

https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/stop-saying-loud-pipes-save-lives
Quote
Stop Saying "Loud Pipes Save Lives"

"Loud pipes save lives."
"Gotta make sure they hear you coming!"
"I can't tell you how many times a driver has noticed me because of my loud exhaust."
"They aren't just cool. It tells people you're there."
The "loud pipes save lives" argument is one I see or hear on almost a weekly basis. It's usually coming from some guy on a Harley or retro Triumph, though the sportbike guys are jumping on as of late. I honestly can’t tell if people really believe it, or it's just a nice justification when someone says their bike is too loud, but I think it's the second dumbest thing commonly heard from riders. (If you're wondering, the first is that 600cc supersports are beginner bikes.)
Let's start with some basic physics and a little rationality. Your exhaust is pointed backwards and by the nature of you traveling forward, you're actually leaving the sound behind you as you move forward. If that concept is confusing, think of the sound of a fire truck passing you with its siren blaring. The siren is pointed forward because the purpose is to warn driver’s the truck is approaching from behind. The next time you hear one coming, notice that it’s louder when it’s coming toward you than when it’s going away.
Now apply that to motorcycle crashes. The one comprehensive, reliable study of motorcycle crashes in this country is the well known "Hurt Report," which is now nearly 40 years old. Harry Hurt and his team found that 64.9 percent of multiple-vehicle motorcycle crashes were the fault of the car driver and “the typical accident in this category is portrayed by the automobile in traffic turning left into the path of the oncoming motorcycle.” A lot has changed in 40 years, but one thing that I think we can all agree hasn’t changed is that the car drivers are still pulling out in front of us. That means the bigger danger is still ahead, not behind, but most of the racket from loud pipes is just pissing off the people behind you, while doing very little to warn those in front of you.
Your headlights and horn, however, are pointed ahead. If you really were so concerned with an upgrade that could save your life, you’d add aftermarket auxiliary lights and upgrade your horn. But then you’d run the risk of looking like a dork instead of sounding like a badass.
Secondly, look at the cars around you. If loud pipes ever helped make you safer, that's less true today. My first car was a 1986 Volkswagen Fox. Basically, a go-cart with doors and a roof. Every scrap of road noise bled into the cabin. Today, even my semi-budget Mazda 3 manages to make road noise basically non-existent and it also comes with eight speakers, a six-CD changer, and an auxiliary port for my iPhone, so all I'm likely to hear is my music. In a current luxury car, you'll hear far less, and in the future, maybe nothing at all.
Now, I'm not saying a loud motorcycle has never alerted anyone to your presence. We've all had an experience where a driver has noticed us because of the sound of the bike. Obviously, anything that calls attention to your motorcycle helps today’s distracted drivers notice you’re there between their kids’ screams and bites from their burritos. However, claiming that “loud pipes save lives” while riding around on your brakeless bobber in your T-shirt and novelty helmet just makes you, me, and the rest of the motorcycle community look like morons.
Unquote

Quieter O’ahu

7/13/2020 07:11:52 pm

Oh, and by the way, if you want to save the lives of people on motorcycles, wear a helmet, wear reflective vests, wear long pants, wear shoes! But no, that’s not cool, is it? Much better to ride in shorts and slippahs with no helmet, no reflective gear, why, heck, I think most would just ride nude if they could. But helmets. Oh, no, we can’t have that. Which is why the motorcycle lobby year after year after year makes sure any attempt at helmet legislation is defeated. And yet you make the case that it’s loudness that keeps you safe. Check the number of fatalities caused by preventable head injuries and call us back.

GMC Rich

7/14/2020 12:40:55 am

This argument has been going on forever. I wonder if it’s really about this or the need to attempt to impose one groups will against another. I know from my own experiences that noise volume does make a difference even it’s just slightly. If you’re never ridden a Harley and i suspect most of the complainers in here haven’t then you’ll just have to take my word for it. Commenting about safety gear is getting off topic. Live and let live is popular to say in certain circles.

Quieter O'ahu link

7/14/2020 01:28:59 am

First, if GMC stands for Gunners Mate Chief, thank you for your service. I think we can agree that this is about one group imposing their will against anothers. In this case, motorcycle riders who fit their bikes with aftermarket exhausts capable of 125dB - anything over 120dB harms hearing according to OSHA, and spills that noise pollution a quarter-mile in all directions, making it impossible for hundreds, if not thousands, of others in proximity to that awful noise from enjoying their day. And tell us, please, where is the safety factor of loud pipes in sitting at a stop light or stop sign and endlessly revving the engine to ensure the noise continues unabated?
A stock Harley emits a noise level of 80dB. For reference, a typical car when idling emits noise at about 35-45 dB and in the high 50s to low 60s decibel levels at freeway speeds. So even though the stock cycle is significantly louder than a car, that seems still to not be enough noise for most riders. Got to have them louder. Got to "wake the dead." Well, we politely disagree, and, apparently so does the City Council and State Legislature. Both of whom have passed ordinances and statutes against such excessive noise. 80dB, loud, but okay, we'll live with it. But enough is enough and motorcycle riders, in the main, have crossed a line. Please review our pages on Hawai'i ordinances and statutes for a review of those most on point at: https://www.quieteroahu.com/hawaii-noise-laws.html . And we also disagree that our last response was off-topic. The submitter made the point that motorcycle riders were 35 times more likely to be involved in an accident than cars, and that noise saved lives - a debunked myth by rider groups and science, regardless of personal opinion - but if saving lives were of interest, then riders should equip themselves for riding: helmets, vests, and attire. Thank you for your comments.

GMC Rich

7/14/2020 10:12:14 am

Yes, GMC stands for Gunners Mate Chief. It was a fine time for 21 years. Back on point. Gas powered mowers operate at about 80-85 decibels. Motorcycle typically 95 decibels. Car horn at 16 feet 100 decibels. typical volume of radio in car when playing music 105-110 decibels, dog barking 110 decibels. Passing siren 120 decibels. And all those firecrackers 140-150. We have notices in our society. It’s just a fact. The duration of those listed noises won’t typically cause damage to the human body unless the duration of time is significantly increased.

Specifically, Harley and some other motorcycles that have factory manufactured exhaust systems most likely won’t come under scrutiny because they aren’t modified. I know a person that failed a safety inspection because he decided to pull the baffles out of the exhaust system. As long as the exhaust has a factory made baffle in it you will pass inspection because the pipes were not modified.

Responsible people with louder exhaust systems won’t rev the engine in proximity of residential areas. Their might be a few naughty ones out there.

The sound of freedom.

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How do loud motorcycle mufflers pass safety inspection ???

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