The time has come!!!

**imdying** · 26th July 2007, 12:34

Hahahahaha, yeah right... and even if there was, we have a Labour government, so they'd simply be ignored in any case. You would be best to enjoy your freedoms before they're inevitably stripped away. You can bitch and moan all you like, but the reality is that these laws are going to become more and more rigidly enforced. And that isn't entirely unreasonable, there's no good reason why OEM exhausts aren't perfectly sufficient, and if you wish to construct your own, then a LV certification required. I can see no good reason why everybody in NZ should have to pay to have every WOF station equiped with a certified and calibrated dB meter.

**Conquiztador** · 26th July 2007, 12:55

Originally Posted by imdying

Hahahahaha, yeah right... and even if there was, we have a Labour government, so they'd simply be ignored in any case. You would be best to enjoy your freedoms before they're inevitably stripped away. You can bitch and moan all you like, but the reality is that these laws are going to become more and more rigidly enforced. And that isn't entirely unreasonable, there's no good reason why OEM exhausts aren't perfectly sufficient, and if you wish to construct your own, then a LV certification required. I can see no good reason why everybody in NZ should have to pay to have every WOF station equiped with a certified and calibrated dB meter.

There is things that can be done. By providing proper information and alternatives to strict regulations much can be achieved. But it all comes down to having someone/a group that is prepared to do it. If nobody does anything then we get what we deserve...

So again: Is there a group/organisation here in NZ that is working on this???

**imdying** · 26th July 2007, 13:11

If anyone, it would be BRONZ I guess. I do think we've been given pretty good rules to work with, as the powers that be have given a reasonable nod towards bikes by giving us the extra 5dB (it's a log scale, so that's a reasonable increase).

Having said that though, it's a little off that in your area the WOF testers have taken a rather firm stance, perhaps they would be the best place to start with. I can see their point though, they pass one reasonably fruity sounding bike, someone with one not much more wants there one done too, and so on. I cannot say I envy the job of a WOF tester.

**vifferman** · 26th July 2007, 13:18

Originally Posted by Conquiztador

Are U saying that all the guys who do WOF will know what is an original muffler and what is an after market one? Somehow I do not think so... So it will be down to interpretations.

Many of the OEM mufflers (especially Japanese ones) are stamped with summat like, "This muffler complies with blah blah regulation xxx dB..blah blah etc." to make it easy for inspection in Urp, Mrka or wherever.
When I first bought the FahrtSturm, I took it to a VTNZ place and asked them if it was OK. The FailedMechanicDude/OldPhart/Bureaucrat there stood looking at the stamp on the zorst, looked at the end of the zorst (with missing endcap), blipped the throttle, and said, "This zorst has been tampered with. You're not allowed to do that."

When I bought the VFR, I removed the factory-fitted sticker that said summat about the zorst met requirements BLAH BLAH and was marked XXXYYYZZ whatever", because the Satantune obviously didn't have any such OEM markings on it. A tester / polismun may not recognise that the Satantune wasn't standard, but in the offchance I struck one that could read, I didn't want him to connect the dots.

Originally Posted by sAsLEX

No the insurance company has to fit something fit for purpose I guess, which would probably make it uneconomically viable to repair most bikes.

True.
One of the reasons my (cosmetically challenged) VFR750 was written off was because the (OEM) muffler had a dent in it, and the list price for said muffler was $1200.

Originally Posted by imdying

Yep, if you're declined for a warrant, or are ordered (defected?) by the police, then you must get a LVVT to certify your exhaust dB output. IIRC there are 14 certified testing devices in NZ, 1 fixed in Chch, and 1 travelling the SI. I think Donn Hoff is the man here in Chch who has the fixed one. The 12 others are in the NI. The cost iirc is $380, and the plate must be riveted to the tailpipe.

Fuck off!
No way am I riveting an ugly plate thingo to my beautiful polished Satantune!
Must get hold of a sticker from Satantune that says it's compliant (as it would be - if I put the Mk. I restrictor back in (instead of the Mk. 0 invisible one it currently sports, or the Mk.II cutdown version in my backpack pocket...)

**imdying** · 26th July 2007, 13:25

Originally Posted by vifferman

Fuck off!
No way am I riveting an ugly plate thingo to my beautiful polished Satantune!

Yeah, can't say the concept gives me a hard on either

**vifferman** · 26th July 2007, 13:50

Originally Posted by imdying

The powers that be have given a reasonable nod towards bikes by giving us the extra 5dB (it's a log scale, so that's a reasonable increase).

You have to consider that a bike suffers when noise tested in that it doesn't have a great big lump of steel panelling and shit around the engine to shield the mechanical noises, and doesn't have room for a large/long zorst to reduce outlet noise, so some allowance must be made. My bike's kinda fukt for noise testing anyway, as the geardrive to the cams must be about 27 bazillion dB on its own.

The crazy thing is that with trucks they basically gone, "Trucks? Pffft!! They're so pharkin noisy we won't even worry about them - just make the limit summat ridiculous, and don't enforce it anyway. Oh - and do the same with zorst emissions."

**MSTRS:Me** · 26th July 2007, 14:04

Originally Posted by imdying

... in your area the WOF testers have taken a rather firm stance....

Where did that appear? New Plymouth is as far from Hawkes Bay as Orkland is...
I said that the WOF testers I approached would and do use the earometer which is highly subjective and prone to mood on the day.

**imdying** · 26th July 2007, 14:11

Originally Posted by MSTRS

Where did that appear? New Plymouth is as far from Hawkes Bay as Orkland is...
I said that the WOF testers I approached would and do use the earometer which is highly subjective and prone to mood on the day.

The rider that posted in the post above mine is in 'HB', which I assume is Hawkes Bay, and I'm pretty sure Napier is somewhere in there?

**MSTRS:Me** · 26th July 2007, 14:16

Yep. Still don't see where HB testers are hard nuts....

**imdying** · 26th July 2007, 14:18

:shrugs: .

**Conquiztador** · 26th July 2007, 14:37

Originally Posted by imdying

The rider that posted in the post above mine is in 'HB', which I assume is Hawkes Bay, and I'm pretty sure Napier is somewhere in there?

I also went to the local places asking the queations. But (as I stated somewhere earlier in this thread) the answers I got was: "That is news to us" and "Can't see us being too worried as long as the bike does not wake up the dead" and: "Boy racers are what it is all about".

So can not see where the HB issue came up. This thread was about an issue in NP that is on the other side of the island. And yes, both places are below the Bombay Hills.. ;-)

**kro** · 27th July 2007, 17:00

Take off the aftermarket exhaust badge, and put a Suzuki/Honda etc badge on it. Lots easier than changing muffs over.

**Clivoris** · 27th July 2007, 21:10

The boys in the workshop at TSS love my Renegades. I just hope that translates into a result next warrant time.

**Sensei** · 27th July 2007, 21:39

Well took my bike into a LTS Testing station today to see guy that worked at a bike shop here awhile back for a WOF on the Aprilia & left the LOUD Akrapovic muffler on it . Parked bike outside & went in to see if he was still working which he was so asked if he could take the bike through no worrys wheres ya keys . Handed over them to him & he went out & hopped onto the bike & fired it into life Holly shit it was loud ! everyone at the paying counter turned round Bugger I thought thats not a good start . When he got it round to the front he left it idling which got most of the other Testing people over to look at it as it was echoing round the building so I walked over to Nevil to see if I could turn the bike off so as not to attract any more attenion than the 4 guys looking at it , he was holding his clip board over the end of the outlet of the muffler trying to keep it quite but when one of the older testers asked to give it a Rev up to hear it thats when i knew something would be said for sure . Bike was reved everyone turned round again shaking their heads in a yes nood of approval & even the old guy said that sound Incredible but abit loud best ya get the pipe repacked before next time SWEET !!!! Nevil hopped onto my bike & road out through the station leaving me standing there with these old guys say to me thats a Beautiful looking & sounding bike ya have the , Ya thanks guys I said & walked off to get my baby from Nevil & have a chat about the new laws which are now starting to rear their heads . Have a standard can for my bike now so are ready if things get more crazy with noise levels etc . But for now another 1year WOF