WOF and aftermarket pipes.

**dangerous** · 25th September 2008, 06:18

Originally Posted by AllanB

I went for a WOF yesterday on the bike (hard to believe I have almost owned it for a year!). I went to the AA WOF station in Hornby, Christchurch.

That place has always been tough, its all a crock a shit there are older cars and bikes out there that you can not get factory exhaust systems for, any inspecter that fails a reasonble after market pipe is either a wanker or sceard of geting in the shit if his boss catches him or its involved in a acco up the road.

Got WOF (at the local testing station) for the firebolt last w/e with race can on it old boy didnt give a shit was more worried about the lack of a reflector.

The rules are aimed at little fuk boy racers and jocky knobs on Harleys with open pipes etc... blame them not the inspector.

**imdying** · 25th September 2008, 08:05

Originally Posted by chucky19

Getting your bike/pipes certified isn't gonna help one little bit if you're unlucky enough to get a picky cop or rub them the wrong way.

Not true... if your pipe has, riveted on, the LVVC plate that is given to you when you pass the objective test, then nobody can do or say squat. That's the whole point of having those plates... no disputes.

**The Pastor** · 25th September 2008, 14:06

how can they tell if its aftermarket or not? mine looks just like stock.

**vifferman** · 25th September 2008, 14:15

Originally Posted by renegade master

how can they tell if its aftermarket or not? mine looks just like stock.

They are X-spurts, these guys : they know everything.

Or, they could just look at the can - most cans (Japper, at least) are marked (by international agreement, and for compliance purposes) with shit like the manufacturer, what standard they comply with, etc.
Aftermarket can manufacturers like to advertise their wares, so their cans are only marked with labels that don't correspond to bike manufacturers (or parts manufacturers) names.
Factory pipes often look ghey too: huge, non-styley, heavy, boring, quiet...

**chucky19** · 25th September 2008, 15:52

Originally Posted by imdying

Not true... if your pipe has, riveted on, the LVVC plate that is given to you when you pass the objective test, then nobody can do or say squat. That's the whole point of having those plates... no disputes.

True, you can get a warrant with a certificate.... BUT since the boy-racer legislation came thru about a month or so ago, charges of 'Noisy equipment' and 'operating in a noisy manner' have been introduced.. it's a whole different story on the roadside.

The test for the snakes is that the machine has to be "similar or quieter than stock". Don't believe me?? go ask the cops, just don't do it on a noisy machine.

By the way, I have a VERY noisy bike.

**imdying** · 25th September 2008, 16:13

Originally Posted by chucky19

It's a whole different story on the roadside.

The test for the snakes is that the machine has to be "similar or quieter than stock". Don't believe me?? go ask the cops, just don't do it on a noisy machine.

By the way, I have a VERY noisy bike.

No, it's not, and yes, I have asked the police (edit: actually twice now, one known to me, one just a random)... and by the way, I have a very noisy bike too

'Similar or quieter than stock' does not apply to exhausts that have been certified and plated by a low volume vehicle certifier, it applies to exhausts that haven't been officially checked and plated as such.

**NighthawkNZ:Me** · 25th September 2008, 16:56

I reckon my old XJ Special (with stock standard) pipes would have probably failed... however the back end blew out of them and the were a bit rusted... so I thought I would replace them...

Point is, I tried to get more pipes for it and could not find any nor could I get any imported they stopped making them a couple of years before and had non left in stock... so I ended up putting bike cobbies on, they sounded nice...

Now this bike with its cobbies would have passed 20 odd WOFs in the past with no problem... but now all of a sudden it would most likely fail... (lucky I no longer own it) and no way of getting stock pipes... so would be a trial and error to see if the aftermarket pipes were as quiet...

**AllanB** · 25th September 2008, 21:14

'Similar or quieter than stock' does not apply to exhausts that have been certified and plated by a low volume vehicle certifier, it applies to exhausts that haven't been officially checked and plated as such.

This is the same as the enquiries I have made - louder aftermarket or modified pipes are fine as long as they are within the legal limits and are certified.
When I get the bucks for pipes I'll allow the extra for certification.

The WOF guy did say certified pipes will pass.

What there is in Christchurch is a good opportunity for a bike shop to start doing Saturday morning WOF's

**Toaster** · 25th September 2008, 21:20

Originally Posted by vifferman

They are X-spurts, these guys : they know everything.

Or, they could just look at the can - most cans (Japper, at least) are marked (by international agreement, and for compliance purposes) with shit like the manufacturer, what standard they comply with, etc.
Aftermarket can manufacturers like to advertise their wares, so their cans are only marked with labels that don't correspond to bike manufacturers (or parts manufacturers) names.
Factory pipes often look ghey too: huge, non-styley, heavy, boring, quiet...

Correct.

Oh and yes my new bike fits your factory pipe description very well! But at least it's legal... my modified M109R certainly wasn't!

**Dani-D** · 25th September 2008, 22:01

Another bonus of the kits Like the Hotbodies tails that tuck the pipe up under the centre of the rear fender. You can only really see the end and tip, so who can tell whats stock and whats not.

**imdying** · 26th September 2008, 08:52

Originally Posted by NighthawkNZ

I reckon my old XJ Special (with stock standard) pipes would have probably failed...

Only if it was too loud... factory pipes, no, pass objective noise test, yes, no trouble... seems a little loud, cert required, doesn't pass, was too loud anyway, modify to suit, stamped and will pass forever. Forever is relative... but a bit of effort has gone into the current system, seems unlikely that it'll change in the foreseeable future.

Originally Posted by AllanB

The WOF guy did say certified pipes will pass.

Yep, takes the onus off of him, so he's happy.

Originally Posted by AllanB

What there is in Christchurch is a good opportunity for a bike shop to start doing Saturday morning WOF's

PM WOFMan on this site... not sure about Sat mornings, but as he's an active member of the community, and has been very generous with his time, it seems likely that you'll get a fair cop from him.

Originally Posted by Dani-D

Another bonus of the kits Like the Hotbodies tails that tuck the pipe up under the centre of the rear fender. You can only really see the end and tip, so who can tell whats stock and whats not.

Heh, they're not entirely stupid...

**Serialunderachiever** · 26th September 2008, 10:40

Originally Posted by dangerous

That place has always been tough, its all a crock a shit there are older cars and bikes out there that you can not get factory exhaust systems for, any inspecter that fails a reasonble after market pipe is either a wanker or sceard of geting in the shit if his boss catches him or its involved in a acco up the road.

Got WOF (at the local testing station) for the firebolt last w/e with race can on it old boy didnt give a shit was more worried about the lack of a reflector.

The rules are aimed at little fuk boy racers and jocky knobs on Harleys with open pipes etc... blame them not the inspector.

Interestingly enough, I took the Enfield to AA Hornby for a WOF last month and it was failed on a 'noisy exhaust.' $140 and an Objective Noise Assessment later and it passed. 93.7db was the reading, but what fucked me off severely was that it has a FACTORY PIPE AND MUFFLER. As a result, AA Hornby (and all other AA stations) now lose the income from mine and Mrs Serialunderachiever's six vehicles that we've previously had WOFd there in the past.