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sebastian.kaise
26th November 2002, 04:58
Hi.
Will be moving to NZ shortly (well, i hope to)
What are the Noise laws regarding bikes in NZ like?
And how do the cops react to loud pipes?
Thanks in advance

Sebastian

Kiwi
26th November 2002, 08:12
Hi Sebastian,

Lout is out ( auch in Neuseeland)

But loud pipes save life

:D

See ya
Kai

angenehmen Flug

Coldkiwi
26th November 2002, 17:15
Right

This is fairly and squarely something I should be answering; being a bloody acoustic engineer and all!
I've been wondering about this myself for a while so I'll do ome rooting around and find out what the story is. :soon:
Acoustic issues are never as simple as they seem to the average layman and I would be surprised if this is any exception!
:bigthumb:

SpankMe
26th November 2002, 17:38
I never heard of anyone getting pulled over because of muffler noise on their bike, and I've heard Harleys with mufflers that make the ground shake as they approach you.

There was a bit of moaning about boy racers and the slip-on mufflers they put on their cars. The cops were gonna use noise pollution laws to curb their street racing.

wari
26th November 2002, 18:51
I once drove a car from Wanganui to Ngaruawahia in the Waikato ... about 20 minutes into the journey going up the Parapara highway ( y'know the twisty windy one) hit a pot hole in the road, off comes the exhaust .. too damaged to repair on the spot and being late in the evening no help around not that I would've asked for any) ... so I flogged a hunk of wire from outside a farmers shearing shed ... wired the pipe up off the ground and drove all the way exhaustless, I was bloody deaf by the time I got there... saw a few cops and just got the stare 8-/ treatment.

Possum
26th November 2002, 21:30
I think its 80 or 85db for our 6 monthly warrent of fitness inspection.
I had LS650 with a Harris pipe that was loud enough to wake the dead,and send small children running for mummy.
They failed it,so I got them to run a db meter on it.It was just under 80db,good thing they didn't hear the back fireing under deaccelleration.
Some inspectors dont like loud bikes.
I thought it was kinda cool for a while.

Kiwibiker
27th November 2002, 02:37
yeah just had to put a new pipe on me GS1000 for me tour around NZ over December, seems the WOF says it canny be louder than 85DB :(. Had that pipe on for 20 years, u could here it comming from miles away. twas a Saga4into1 straight pipe
:argh: :argh:

sebastian.kaise
27th November 2002, 07:10
But aren't what the vehicle inspectors want and what gets ridden two different things? Changing mufflers every six months for the inspection isn't that big a deal.
But how do the cops react? Are they only allowed to give you a ticket or can they confiscate your bike (which they are allowed to do here in Germany)

SPman
27th November 2002, 21:40
There are some F*****g loud pipes out there. If you pissed a cop off and he ticketed you, I suppose it would be something along the lines of " riding a vehicle not up to WOF standards" or something similar.
What do they do for that - order you off the road or what??? - its not a confiscation offence.

Gixxer
2nd December 2002, 10:46
I read in some boy racer mag that they where complaining because the law has changed for noise levels on "motor vehicals" which seems to be amied at the boy racers, I can't be exact but I think they brought it down to 82db and it had to be tested a meter away on a 45 degree angle(if inspected by police)
I have also spoken to 2 WOF testing stations on this matter, both say it is a grey area and that there is no DB level, but in the new manual it says, a vehical should not be louder then should be expected from that vehical.
If you are pulled up, and the cops d onot like the sound of your bike the very worst they will do is give you a yellow sticker, which means your bike will sit on the side of the road.

svenhanne
4th December 2002, 18:39
Mahlzeit...
also bisher hats hier bei mir noch keinen arsch (und auch keinen polizei-arsch) interessiert wie laut meine motorraeder waren...

und sowas wie typenschilder oder seriennummern gibts in den meisten auspuffanlagen hier eh nicht... die werden (zumindest bei autos) vom laufenden meter rohr zurechtgebogen.... aehnliche regeln gelten fuer motorraeder....dranschrauben und los gehts...

guten flug, und meld dich mal wenn du da bist.. Sven

:beer:

Coldkiwi
5th December 2002, 12:47
Yes Sven, My thoughts exactly! :confused:

Right, for the rest of us that don't understand German... I've dragged up some info from LTSA and the pigs.. I'm just compiling it now and I should have all the details/stories posted by the end of the week.
:p

Coldkiwi
10th December 2002, 12:54
Ok, Here's the offical word

Noise from Vehicles is governed by the Traffic Regulations (1976) yes... we're right up to date here! Under Part 29: Noise, it states that "no person shall introduce, manufacture or sell for first registration... a motor vehicle the noise output of which exceeds the levels specified in the First Schedule".
(There are subclauses that mean modified vehicles must still comply with the testing regime set out below.)

The First Schedule states "when measured in accordance with test methods laid down in British Standard 3425 or in ISO 362 the maximum permitted noise level shall be-"
rah de rah....

"Motorcycle having an engine capacity of more than 125cm3, 86dBA"

but here comes the fun part!

:confused:

Coldkiwi
10th December 2002, 12:55
Measuring any sort of noise output from ANYTHING is a very hairy business that few people understand totally. Having worked as an acoustic engineer for most of this year I am already VERY skeptical of any noise data I see (9 out of 10 times its well founded).
The reason I say this is that the odds of Mr Plod having ANY idea of what he's talking about when he thinks your bike is too loud is minimal to say the least.

:stupid:

Before i go any further in this epistle, I should also mention that should worst come to the worst and your bike gets tested, there are probably only 3 companies in Auckland that would know where to start and possibly only Marshall Day (one of our competitors) would have the fancy gear to do it precisely! So If Mr I'm-an-Acoustic-Genius Plod turns up with a sound level meter and stands behind your bike and triumphantly declares your bike is illegal, I suggest you politely tell him to stick his meter that he doesn't know how to use where the sundoesn't shine!
:done:

svenhanne
10th December 2002, 13:02
what happened to the fun part ?

Coldkiwi
10th December 2002, 13:25
Bugger, put that last post as a new thread... oh well :p

To ascertain how this 86dBA is measured you need to follow ISO 362 (practically identical to BS 3425).
There are conditions over 6 pages with all the details but these are the guts of it

-measurements shall be made in a level open area with no reflecting items (buildings, boulders, fences etc) within 50m.
-There shall be a minimum of 20metres square of ashphalt or similar road surface (that has to comply with ISO 10844... I did say it wouldn't be simple!) with a further minimum 10m stretch at either end (at least 3m wide) prior to entering the 20x20 area.
-The microphone is 7.5m away from the centreline in the middle of the 20x20 area
-4 measurements are made per side .. ie vehicle does at least 8 passes
-vehicle must be warmed up first
-As the bike approaches the 20x20m area it must be doing 50km/hr in 2nd and/or 3rd gear (if 5 forward gears or more are fitted). The bike then accelerates hard across the 20m and then the throttle is closed as the rear of the bike passes the 20m line
-if the engine RPM's exceed the maximum net power point, the test is done only in 3rd gear, otherwise both 2nd and 3rd are used
-minimum of 4 consecutive measurements must be done and be within 2 dB



and it goes on and on... (incidentally I do realise I'm the only one interested at this stage!)


anyway... the reason I write all this is because the friendly man at LTSA mentioned that PIGS Ltd. have tried to prosecute some Harley owners with loud pipes. However, as is sadly oh-so-common in the field of acoustics, they didn't know their arse from their elbow and the cases got thrown because the cops didn't seem able to provide evidence as to what the law even was, let alone that the bikes were legitimately tested!
Apparently they tested them in warehouses in an attempt to get louder readings (I imagine they stood behind the bike and revved its arse off to!)




:done:
Anyway, Sebastian, thats the way it lies! Bring your bike to NZ safe in the knowledgeAnyway, Sebastian, thats the way it lies! Bring your bike to NZ safe in the knowledge that the pigs might not like it but wouldn't know what to do about it .. and if they REALLY don't like you, they'll probably get Marshall Day to do a test, at which time we can review it and bury them anyway!

hope all that helps!:beer:

Cuban
10th December 2002, 13:29
'stick soundmeter where sun dont shine',
gotcha, ill write it down and remember to whip it out when needs be!
:done:

Gixxer
11th December 2002, 09:52
I now be thinking of getting a louder can, thanks coldkiwi.

Coldkiwi
11th December 2002, 12:33
I read a review of an Aprilia Falco streetfighter kit (very limited edition) that included 'a race track only' pair of exhausts.... for the road.... go figure! Anyway, the review said they would be great, unless you want to go to work before 9am, in which case you'll have to appease your neighbours somehow.
But if you can deal with them, then you're probably pretty sweet!

svenhanne
12th December 2002, 21:06
Thanks, Coldkiwi

that was most enjoyable - and informative... if they try it on me i will tell them they first have to eat that ISO standard... as reading is not an option with those guys.

Once they've successfully digested it we can discuss it over a beer...

they are a bloody waste of my tax dollars....never mind