Excessive noise??

[brico]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhodpcl9bAw]YouTube - Noisy Motorcycles - News - Vancouver Police - Sound Meters[/ame]

I hope they do not test my Fz6 with new TBs next summer. I'll pretend I do not speak "Ingrish" or dispute the ticket challenging their noise measuring instrument calibration which usually works since those technicians do not keep good records.

 

[RJ2112]

Don't bet on the calibration thing working out. If you challange, go after the technique used rather than the instrument. Angle, distance, orientation of the meter, whether the corect 'sock' is on the mike..... ambient noise level...... RPM tested at.

I'd have to think there should be a school for correct use of the meter. Did quite a bit of sound measurement for server systems.... that's some gnat's arse precision measuring, and we got a lot of variation, in a sound proof room.

Doing this on a busy street, with all sorts of weather changes, etc?

It's easy to understand why they are looking at 93 db rather than the 80 db the OEM pipes are supposed to produce. That's one heck of a lot of 'slop'.

 

[Kriswithak]

Is it just me or is it a little bit RETARDED to be measuring the volume that close to the bike.
I mean lets be serious here, unless someones asleep on the footpath and your in the gutter riding past its a pretty irrelevant test.
Also I don't know about in the US but from what I've heard here, the test has to be done with the bike moving, from a certain distance, since the difference between just revving and actually riding the bike at revs is noticeable.

Also, as much as I enjoy government and police stupidity, why is it that the idiots with a sound system turned up extremely loud never get busted, or the people who decide at 2am in the morning to walk screaming and yelling down the street stone drunk aren't fined.

With my new exhaust its much louder, but I did get the tips modified to be quieter than it originally was, and I've now ridden past alot of police RBT's, speed traps and operations and never had issues, however it just annoys me that our freedoms are constantly erroded like this, there are some people taking it to the extreme but lets start fining people driving a car with a engine bigger than a 1500cc's if they are the only person in it, that might actually do the world some good (pollution wise).

The one point I agree with is that if you need earplugs while riding your bike you might need to reassess the volume issues, however should also be kept in mind that wind through the helmet can be a factor so its not necessarily the exhaust that causes people to ride with earplugs, especially with half face helmets.

 

[Wolfman]

As it has been said, they will never make it stick...far too many variables, way to easy to challenge...

But Bikes with aftermarket pipes can be hellishly loud....my new neighbour told me yesterday he could hear me coming about 30 seconds before i got home, very early in the morning (4.30am)!

I have TB's, which until yesterday, had the baffles out, they are now back in....just for round the city, and out of respect for my neighbours...

:thumbup:

 

[OZXJR]

Here is how the test is supposed to be performed in Australia.

3. TEST SITE AMBIENT REQUIREMENTS
3.1 The measurements shall be made in the open air where both the ambient and wind
noise levels are at least 10dB(A) below the noise level being measured.
The site may take the form of an open space or beneath a canopy if no part of the
canopy or its supports is within 3 metres of the microphone being used in the test.
The test site within 3 metres of the microphone(s) must be substantially flat and may
include kerbs, channels, gutter, poles or other objects not providing excessive acoustic
reflection provided that no such object is within 1 metre of the microphone.
3.2 Measurements shall not be made under adverse weather conditions unless the test site
is located beneath a canopy meeting the requirements of 3.1 above. Any sound peak
that appears to be unrelated to the characteristics of the vehicle shall be ignored in
taking the readings. If a windscreen is used, its influence on the sensitivity and the
directional characteristics of the microphone shall be taken into account.
3.3 Whilst testing is in progress no person other than any occupants of the vehicle or, in
the case of a motor cycle, the rider, shall be within 1 metre of the microphone in use.
No person or object other than the testing officer and an observer or the objects
necessary for the performance of the test shall be within 3 metre of the microphone in
use.


Here is the website
http://www.ntc.gov.au/filemedia/Reports/NatStatExhaustNoiseTestSept2006.pdf

 

[Wolfman]

Here is how the test is supposed to be performed in Australia.

3. TEST SITE AMBIENT REQUIREMENTS
3.1 The measurements shall be made in the open air where both the ambient and wind
noise levels are at least 10dB(A) below the noise level being measured.
The site may take the form of an open space or beneath a canopy if no part of the
canopy or its supports is within 3 metres of the microphone being used in the test.
The test site within 3 metres of the microphone(s) must be substantially flat and may
include kerbs, channels, gutter, poles or other objects not providing excessive acoustic
reflection provided that no such object is within 1 metre of the microphone.
3.2 Measurements shall not be made under adverse weather conditions unless the test site
is located beneath a canopy meeting the requirements of 3.1 above. Any sound peak
that appears to be unrelated to the characteristics of the vehicle shall be ignored in
taking the readings. If a windscreen is used, its influence on the sensitivity and the
directional characteristics of the microphone shall be taken into account.
3.3 Whilst testing is in progress no person other than any occupants of the vehicle or, in
the case of a motor cycle, the rider, shall be within 1 metre of the microphone in use.
No person or object other than the testing officer and an observer or the objects
necessary for the performance of the test shall be within 3 metre of the microphone in
use.


Here is the website
http://www.ntc.gov.au/filemedia/Reports/NatStatExhaustNoiseTestSept2006.pdf

Far out, that is still extremely open to question IMHO. Have never heard of anyone being tested?

 

[RJ2112]

Here is how the test is supposed to be performed in Australia.

3. TEST SITE AMBIENT REQUIREMENTS
3.1 The measurements shall be made in the open air where both the ambient and wind
noise levels are at least 10dB(A) below the noise level being measured.
The site may take the form of an open space or beneath a canopy if no part of the
canopy or its supports is within 3 metres of the microphone being used in the test.
The test site within 3 metres of the microphone(s) must be substantially flat and may
include kerbs, channels, gutter, poles or other objects not providing excessive acousticreflection provided that no such object is within 1 metre of the microphone.
3.2 Measurements shall not be made under adverse weather conditions unless the test site
is located beneath a canopy meeting the requirements of 3.1 above. Any sound peak
that appears to be unrelated to the characteristics of the vehicle shall be ignored in
taking the readings. If a windscreen is used, its influence on the sensitivity and the
directional characteristics of the microphone shall be taken into account.
3.3 Whilst testing is in progress no person other than any occupants of the vehicle or, in
the case of a motor cycle, the rider, shall be within 1 metre of the microphone in use.
No person or object other than the testing officer and an observer or the objects
necessary for the performance of the test shall be within 3 metre of the microphone in
use.


Here is the website
http://www.ntc.gov.au/filemedia/Reports/NatStatExhaustNoiseTestSept2006.pdf

10 dBA is enough for good discrimination... that's roughly 1/8th the volume of the thing being measured. For testing of unwanted radio emissions, 6 dB is the minimum legal requirement (but 30 or more is commonplace).

All the stuff about reflections, and relatively flat surfaces.... that's where the judgement issues come into it. That's where you'd stand a chance.

If possible, getting an independant lab to measure your bike BEFORE you get 'tagged', and keeping that on file somewhere would go a long way towards winning such an argument if it went to court.

The US EPA standard has been modified from just measuring at idle to measuring at 1/2 peak RPM.... don't know off the top of my head if the exhaust still has to meet the 80 dB requirement at half max or not.... but it's a known fact that US Litre bikes don't rev out as high as the Euro versions, so the Peak RPM is lower...... hence changing the RPM the measurement is made at.

For what it's worth, because the sound energy drops off at a predictible rate, you can make the measurement 1 meter from the pipe's tip, and get a measurement that 'scales' with distance. What is 90 dB @ 1 meter, is likely 88 dB @ 3 meters, and somewhere around 80 at 10 meters...