Noise laws in NZ

**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

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.

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

**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

**Coldkiwi** · 5th December 2002, 12:47

Yes Sven, My thoughts exactly!

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.

**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!

**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.

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!