Comment
motorcycle and moped noise is getting worse. the police should be spending more time and resources to cite violators. alawai park from mccully to university is the most urban park in the state with thousands of people directly affected by the noise there. the baseball and soccer are no problem but the occasional amplification sometimes all saturday or sunday mornings should not be allowed. thanks for your efforts.
Quieter O'ahu
You're absolutely right.
At Illegally Modified Motorcycle Exhausts we talk in detail about the actual nature of the problem - ILLEGALLY MODIFIED EXHAUSTS. One thing that people don't understand is that when Harley Davidson rolls a new cycle off the line it is as quiet as a passenger truck - approximately 80dB(a). But that doesn't satisfy the new owner, not by far. The removal of the muffler completely and replacing with either straight pipes or resonance chambers amplifies the exhausts noise to nearly 100dB(a), and can go as high as 125dB(a). Modification of muffler systems is illegal in the State of Hawaii.
I have sat in on several, several, several neighborhood boards where HPD has shown up to give testimony about loud motorcycles. Time and again their story is "We don't get any complaints." And, unfortunately, that's the truth of it. HPD says they apply their resources to enforcement of issues "most important" to the community based upon the complaints they receive from the community.
When I have called HPD personally I've found that they respond quickly and will listen to your complaint. Often they will say "we don't have the noise measurement equipment to prove they're too loud" so I've almost given up on that one. What I've found to be effective, however, is to point out the offending motorcycles exhausts system, usually straight pipes without a muffler, and then point the officer's attention to the Hawai'i "Periodic Motor Vehicle Inspection (PMVI) Guide," also found on the page below. I then reference Hawai'i Revised Statutes (HRS) 286-22 "Inspection by Officers of the Police Department" which gives officers' the authority to check ANY vehicle at ANY TIME to ensure they are in compliance with the safety inspection requirements. ANY motorcycle without a muffler (not just pipes) is in violation and 1) can be cited and fined, or 2) made to submit to a re-construction inspection and brought into compliance, or both. I've only had one officer tell me that under "his discretion" he doesn't have to do either. When I then politely asked for his name and badge number there was a remarkable transformation, and the motorcycle was cited.
We outline Hawai'i noise laws on our site at: Hawai'i Noise Laws.
It's unfortunate that we've come to the point that "if we say nothing, they do nothing" but it truly is that way.
I see you're from the McCully/Moiliili Neighborhood. The neighborhood board link is below - check it out and consider attending. If more people would, and stood up during the public comments time to talk about this problem, perhaps enough would act to make a difference.
Neighborhood Board Number 8 - Moiliili.
Good luck.
Very best,
A Quieter O'ahu
motorcycle and moped noise is getting worse. the police should be spending more time and resources to cite violators. alawai park from mccully to university is the most urban park in the state with thousands of people directly affected by the noise there. the baseball and soccer are no problem but the occasional amplification sometimes all saturday or sunday mornings should not be allowed. thanks for your efforts.
Quieter O'ahu
You're absolutely right.
At Illegally Modified Motorcycle Exhausts we talk in detail about the actual nature of the problem - ILLEGALLY MODIFIED EXHAUSTS. One thing that people don't understand is that when Harley Davidson rolls a new cycle off the line it is as quiet as a passenger truck - approximately 80dB(a). But that doesn't satisfy the new owner, not by far. The removal of the muffler completely and replacing with either straight pipes or resonance chambers amplifies the exhausts noise to nearly 100dB(a), and can go as high as 125dB(a). Modification of muffler systems is illegal in the State of Hawaii.
I have sat in on several, several, several neighborhood boards where HPD has shown up to give testimony about loud motorcycles. Time and again their story is "We don't get any complaints." And, unfortunately, that's the truth of it. HPD says they apply their resources to enforcement of issues "most important" to the community based upon the complaints they receive from the community.
When I have called HPD personally I've found that they respond quickly and will listen to your complaint. Often they will say "we don't have the noise measurement equipment to prove they're too loud" so I've almost given up on that one. What I've found to be effective, however, is to point out the offending motorcycles exhausts system, usually straight pipes without a muffler, and then point the officer's attention to the Hawai'i "Periodic Motor Vehicle Inspection (PMVI) Guide," also found on the page below. I then reference Hawai'i Revised Statutes (HRS) 286-22 "Inspection by Officers of the Police Department" which gives officers' the authority to check ANY vehicle at ANY TIME to ensure they are in compliance with the safety inspection requirements. ANY motorcycle without a muffler (not just pipes) is in violation and 1) can be cited and fined, or 2) made to submit to a re-construction inspection and brought into compliance, or both. I've only had one officer tell me that under "his discretion" he doesn't have to do either. When I then politely asked for his name and badge number there was a remarkable transformation, and the motorcycle was cited.
We outline Hawai'i noise laws on our site at: Hawai'i Noise Laws.
It's unfortunate that we've come to the point that "if we say nothing, they do nothing" but it truly is that way.
I see you're from the McCully/Moiliili Neighborhood. The neighborhood board link is below - check it out and consider attending. If more people would, and stood up during the public comments time to talk about this problem, perhaps enough would act to make a difference.
Neighborhood Board Number 8 - Moiliili.
Good luck.
Very best,
A Quieter O'ahu
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