Loud exhaust legal things question
 

Morning,

Just wondering, can you get a loud exhaust ticket or something without being pulled?

Reason im wondering is this morning I rode past a police man in a town on the way to work and as I pulled upto a junction he waved (in my general direction) and then pointed to his radio. I didn't see home actually talk into it...

What do you recon?

Just incase you wondered, it is a little loud!

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

Almost certainly just a warning.

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

Erm, no! He was probably shouting "STFU, I can't hear my radio!" or something along those lines.

HTH.

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

Your going to get home and your house is going to be cordoned off with tape and there will be armed officers lining the streets. You'll get arrested and thrown in cells. You'll be remanded in custody until your court appearance where you will be found guilty and banged up for the next 15 years in a maximum security prison.

You might get a warning notification but I wouldn't have thought anything else. Personally, I wouldn't worry about it. :)

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

should have pulled the clutch in or cruised past at 3k in highest gear poss, then you wouldn't be worrying!:-dd

I know nothing of this skill:^o

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

If you have not been stopped and examined for a non conforming exhaust and tested for a Db level I doubt if any single officer would be able to get a conviction by you riding past.

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

There is a legal limit for noise readings.

But its a very grey area. I.E the law is something like tested for noise at x metres behined, and x metres high.

Now show me any police officer who has this equipment available. I dont know of any MOT stations that have it, let alone the police.

They could do you for some kind of disturbance I guess, but its somethign i'd fight as they've got no legal knowledge on what the law actually is on noise :lol:

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

Construction and Use Regs specify noise levels dependent on year of manufacture and yes the police do have Db meters

I actually asked an Essex police inspector this question and he replied that they do have a meter but he didn't know where it was which made me smile.

The conversation was regarding Harleys with straight through exhausts

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

As I understand it a policeman's ears are accurate to 1db and their word is submissable as 100% condemning evidence.however if it was A police woman this isn't the case as they don't listen. I'd get an alibi ready...

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

lol

just out of curiosity if i had a can that said "not for road use" on it (not that i do) i wonder what the deal would be with that?

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

DT is correct that C&U does specify noise levels.

However ikn to to test for compliance there is also a proceedure, I cannot be bothered to go hunting. I used to do compliance testing many years ago in a different profession. This require not only static but moving tests as well, and also stipulated the environment in which the test was to be conducted.

Chances are that plod would not know how to use the meter, have it correctly calibrated, have the test proceedure, have the test environment or the skill to conduct the moving test.

So they will probably simply look for the correct E marking to show compliance with C&U and no indication of tampering and leave it at that.

Andy your question fails the whole europe type approval and therefore in breach of C&U

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

They wouldn't even need to measure it with a db meter,If you were stopped and it was spotted they could ticket you

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

Has to be an exact distance fromt he vehicle though, and thats the part the police will never know the laws on, so they can't officially use the db reader to do you as they won't know. Its quite hard to find the exact laws and EU guides on noise. Thats why i'd always argue it, as its an opinion, not a factual law. If you ask them to show you the specific law, they would have a real problem showing you it.

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

Depending on officer, it ranges from.

Let off
£30 fine
Stopping you from riding your bike any more as its not legal.

I've suffered the middle, but didn't have my baffle it, but its an official exhaust. If my plate wasn't slightly illegal, i'd have fought it as its marked with an E mark and a road legal exhaust. I'd have claimed it never came witha baffle from factory, but its a road legal exhaust.

In fact, my standard system is actually louder on idle than the factory upgraded exhaust, its just the factory upgrade is a good few db louder in the mid range revs.

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

Not sure but I thought this E marking of an exhaust was no longer valid. Regards to an exhaust passing or failing an MOT, is this now not down to the opinion of the tester as to if it is too loud or not?

When I had my stubby ART non legal race can on with no baffle or packing in it, the tester gave the throttle a bit of beans and then said no problem. I didn't actually hear him say this as my ears were still ringing and bleeding. But the pass certificate told me what he said.

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

Daimo, I have published the figure here a few times. However, the easiest place to get the info is the government published fact sheet on motorcycle type approval

What the fact sheet does not say is how to conduct the tests. for this you need to read the individual directives.

If you are a vehicle research facility, these types of tests are bread and butter.

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

And here is the problem. Vosa requirements for an MOT do not match the requirements of the eec directive. If you look at the link I posted you will see that replacement exhaust are also bound by the requirements. So whilst yo do not need the stamps to get an MOT, Mr plod can still do you under C&U.

However, my tester views a loud can as an essential safety feature. The vosa requirement does not measure the noise, instead it is a subjective assessment not to be louder than a compara ble motorcycle. So place it alongside a second bike with a lounf after market can and it is no different so pass

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

Sounds like if everyone went along with the loud cans saves lives we'd all be in the clear. :)

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

Very clsoe to what I jsut said though isn't it? Can find the noise regs, but actual regulations on the testing is much harder to come by??? Of which no police officer will really know, so cannot fine you as they cannot do the test, so its an opinion of theirs only.

That is unless that forward you onto said research facility, but realisitcally, would they go that far?

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

Run away..........

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

That is why the stamps exist, plod does not need to do the test for compliance.

They simply look at the stamps which prove compliance and for evidence you have modified the can to breach the compliance.

Remember they seized a guys bike to check the 25Kw restriction.

When I worked for Leyland's R&D facility, plod were a regular visitor. That facility is now a commercial organisation who amongst their many services conduct type approval testing. I am sure that if plod asked them to conduct a noise test, they would at a suitable price. the same with Mira etc

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

Ah, thanks for all the input!

So "should" be ok...

Mine have no markings, which means its a bit gray, but the noise is a bit extreme tbh. I should start running to work with baffles... :rolleyes:

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

if the police-person ( very p.c.) is over 40 can you get away on the fact that they think everything is too loud/innapropriate and is awake too late.. those young wippersnappers

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

I would say definitely okay.
What I was saying with my early morning grumpy sarcastic post was they have no proof of anything.


Mbk-if it makes my castration any faster and less painful it was aimed at women in general not just the kinky handcuff wielding ones :)

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

Actually, the opposite.

If its NOT E marked, then theres a high chance its an illegal exhaust.

Generally though, its either E marked, or marked "not for road use" unless its been rubbed away. Not having the E mark is asking for trouble though, unless its cheap nasty exhausts, in which case change them anyway :P

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

Not cheap or nasty, just... not from UK, or official really in anyway. :rolleyes:

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

So in which case there is a very high chance they are non legal exhaust pipes.

No need for the rolleyes. I put fact, not sugar coated fluffyness.

Please note the failed :P smilie, which should have come out like :p which denotes take in mild gest.

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

The :rolleyes: was just at it not being very official :)

I suppose they arnt really legal. But then I have done some searching and it looks like it might in a sense be more legal than most. The official line goes something like "if you modify the standard exhaust in anyway that increases noise or air flow its illegal".

So its kinda a dodgy mess with the whole exhaust thing, in theory that means all bikes with just end cans is just plain illegal! :mad:

Mine being a whole new system isnt a modification of the original but a complete replacement. :p

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

Apologies if taken in the wrong context then. :)

Ahh, but your not modifying it, your changing it completly. Modifying it is drilling holes and such ;)

But as a "general" rule, if its not got a road legal marking, the police can (and depending on mood), and generally will fine you.

But chin up, its just a fixed £30 penalty. Depending on your bike (and a TL qualifies as a "Worth it" model), if it sounds that good, its worth the odd penalty here and there, just for grin noise factor :lol:

I.E my baffle never has gone back in Nelli, like feck, it sounds far too good to be scared by a little police lottery ticket :lol:

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

Prepare yourself for the dawn raid!

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Mine's got "for competition use only" so can be used on road only if I'm riding competitively :rolleyes:

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

Reading this with interest - picked up my bike last friday, removed all stickers to find 'not for road use', so have i got this right - i could be stopped from riding if its found, but realistically im just looking at £30, because tbh it sounds great and i dont think its much noisier than my last Fuel can, just a different type of sound, and i really want to keep it!

Best method to remove 'not for road use'? I was going to try and find some thin sheet metal and just cover it over because i dont have any fancy tools to remove it.

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

Sounds like a fair argument to me. :lol:

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

:lol: @ Lucas

Kellyjo, yeah thats an illegal exhaust. But they give £30 fixed fines for them now. (this was given in an area they were trying to get bikes away from as well so were not the most polite of coppers either, they simply didn't want us there, made it a red route etc just to stop bikers congregating (Locals, A2 Ebbsfleet))

Same with things like wheelies, I think they offer training/fines instead of gaining points and dangerous driving charges.

It sucks, and I disagree with the silly laws, but its not like we dont have a choice so we can't complain when were given a fine.

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

There are dB meters used by police for testing vehicle exhause noise levels, though they are not used for motorbikes because of how close the exhaust is to the engine, compared to a car, ie is the microphone actually picking up engine noise as well as/instead of exhause noise - total cobblers but in the name of fairness and to avoid legal arguments bikes aren't tested in this way. The kits themselves are perfectly mobile and do not require a NASA space station or honours degree to use it. The tests are done stationary at the roadside and takes about 5-10 minutes. It does not take a genius to remember a couple of measurements and angles and use a tape measure to set up the microphone in the right place then press the big green button!

But whoever mentioned it is quite correct, that as well as the specific dB limits there is also legislation that makes modifying your exhaust to increase the noise created by the escape of exhaust gasses from when it was manufactured illegal. That includes replacing the entire system. Lets face it, that one isn't difficult to prove but like most of these more minor issues, so long as you're not really taking the p1ss then there's bigger fish to fry.

Speed guns, window tint meters, weighbridges, tachographs etc etc etc all require knowledge of the relevant law/s and how the kit/equipment works. Granted, your average bobby isn't likely to have time for/any interest in your noisy exhaust but we have traffic police don't forget, so to suggest 'Plod won't know how to use the kit' is a bit off the mark!

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

I thought only a bobby who'd taken the relevant course could use any kit they have to use as evidence. It'd have to be an operation or mass badluck to be stopped by one of those or one who can be bothered to call him/her in

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

Dave, pretty much spot on what you say, but there are other suggestions in this thread that police do not have access to the equipment (wrong) and won't know the law (frankly a ridiculous suggestion :rolleyes: ).

In reality this stuff's only likely to crop up if there's been loads of complaints about noise caused by vehicles or, as you say, a specific op. I'm pretty sure most .orgers aren't the type to be doing **** laps round their local town centre though so chill, it's normally reserved for the likes of 1litre Saxos/Corsas with exhausts that have to be checked for burrowing wildlife every morning.

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

Thats whats wrong with Quiffs mums car the "Burrowing wildlife" as it seems this 74 year old mums car spits feathers--------and its a Corsa:D

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

Agreed.
Although, I've actually been stopped in one of these operations and the police didn't even have a meter with them. The bike I was with (which they heard from several miles away) had no baffle and 'not for road use' but was deemed okay. My bike had a baffleless 'de vinci :rolleyes:' can which I'd retrofitted a baffle to to quieten it down a bit, particularly for visiting this venue...problem was I'd forgotten to fit it that day and copped for having a 'defective exhaust'

Bastids!

That was badluck, but the copper really did seem like he didn't have a clue what he was looking at, they seemed to be just checking for missing baffle bolts. I think it's so unlikely for anyone to get caught it's not worth worrying about, the benefit certainly out weighs the slim chance of a £30 fine.

Re: Loud exhaust legal things question
 

Again I agree, it's such a small problem in the grand scheme of things it really isn't worth worrying about so some/most police officers don't ever have to bother with it, along with the many other hundreds of obscure offences. But there are those who will know eg bikers or police vehicle examiners. The problem is if you get pulled in on one of those ops there's rarely any discretion afforded because they're generally about "sending a message out". As for the meter I can only speak about round here, but they do exist, though are relatively new because the home office only signed them off in the last year or two. And they prob won't be used with bikes anyway.

To be honest I can't see what all the fuss is about having a loud exhaust at all! Especially some of the ridiculous 'systems' you see/hear on some cruisers. But each to their own!