New bike/noise laws for Denver
 

As usual we'll be taking the heat for what, maybe 10 or 15% of the bikes out there?


Council backs measure to curb motorcycle noise
But ordinance won't go into effect until July 1
By Daniel J. Chacon, Rocky Mountain News
June 5, 2007
Leather-clad motorcycle enthusiasts tried but failed Monday night to put the brakes on a proposal that makes it easier for Denver police to stop bikers with ear-splitting exhaust systems.
After a two-hour public hearing, the Denver City Council voted 8-2 in support of the proposal, which was born out of a growing number of complaints about loud motorcycles in neighborhoods.
Council members Charlie Brown and Jeanne Faatz, who said the proposal needed more vetting, cast the dissenting votes.
However, Brown successfully inserted an amendment that delays implementation of the ordinance until July 1 instead of the end of the week to give the city time to launch an educational campaign.
The new noise ordinance applies to all vehicles, not just motorcycles, though some bikers who attended the hearing said they felt were being picked on.
"It's going to pop a lot of people," Kurt Smith said.
The city already has an ordinance regulating motor-vehicle noise. In fact, for motorcycles and other vehicles less than 10,000 pounds, it's 2 decibels lower than the one adopted Monday.
But it hasn't been enforced often, primarily because it's cost-prohibitive, officials said.
In the past three years, Denver has issued between 18 and 20 citations involving noisy motorcycles.
"The strongest method of stopping a violator is to use a sound meter," said Capt. Eric Rubin, head of the Traffic Operations Bureau.
"The cheapest one is probably $1,000 apiece," he said. "We could not afford to outfit every officer with one or to keep them maintained."
The bill would make it easier for police to ticket motorcyclists if a bike made after 1982 has a muffler lacking a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency noise-certification stamp.
Bikers would have two weeks to show a judge they fixed the problem to avoid a $500 initial fine under the bill.
Rubin said motorcycle noise can be far-reaching.
"A motorcycle that exceeds the decibel that they're permitted to disturbs the peace of countless people, not only within a block but perhaps two to three blocks," he said.


[IMG]local://upfiles/10968/A7D9F26AED504CB38F184C2104E78751.jpg[/IMG]

RE: New bike/noise laws for Denver
 

That sucks....I have seen people pulled over in PA getting the "probe." They stick something near or up the exhaust to read the decibel level. I'm glad they don't do that in Delaware....yet.

RE: New bike/noise laws for Denver
 

thats is bull$h!t. i wonder if my VH big radius pipes have such a stamp, they are loud, but not the loudest i have heard. i doubt they are legal.
so how does this work? some cop is going to pull me over and make me change my pipes becasue he 'thinks' it's too loud? or will he have to have one of those decible meters for it to be legit? it better not be based on the opinion of some dumb a$$. im not changing my pipes because the boys in blue are bored and have nothing better to do than sit around in their car and issue goddamned noise violation tickets. what if you aren't a residnet of denver? does it apply? i guess it doesn't matter because i do live in the city. god,it just steams me that denver can even think about wasting time and tax dollars with this crap.i can go on for ever why these city council memebers should get their meglomania in check.
no self respecting cop will enforce this garbage. my neighobors are allowed to have noisey brats running around screaming their heads off, or the guy next door's basset hound can go off for an hour while im trying to watch a movie, and we can't pass by someones house fora fraction of asecond? "hey everybody lets make kids and dogs illegal" (or at least kids) it is unfair, and we are being targeted, and i feel bad for the SOB who gives me a citation like this, because imchew out his a$$ until there's nothing left of it.

RE: New bike/noise laws for Denver
 

People still hate motorcycles, but let's face it, running drag pipes and other super loud exhaust makes it easier for them to act on their hate by passing discriminatory laws like this. And the vote wasn't even close.

RE: New bike/noise laws for Denver
 

Coming to a city or town near you soon... It was bound to happen, and we know who to thank...

RE: New bike/noise laws for Denver
 

I used to get popped in Michigan all the time for noise and blue dots.
Have never been even warned about that here in Tennessee.

btw, when we're all riding electric bikes, soon it seems,will we trick them out with sound? ;)

Don't knock electric bikes until you've experienced them, some are doing 7 seconds in the 1/4 mile.

RE: New bike/noise laws for Denver
 

call Abate and fight it!

RE: New bike/noise laws for Denver
 

We can all write, email, and call the Denver Council Members and let them know how we feel and that we will not visit nor spend money in their city because of this ordinance. Ride east to west or west to east, but not by way of Denver!

RE: New bike/noise laws for Denver
 

Sad to say but it's in the cards for all of us eventually. I'm thinking all the stock mufflers on ebay might be worth something someday.:eek:

RE: New bike/noise laws for Denver
 

Well, I got a ticket for loud pipes without a decibel meter. It was BS. I swapped to my stock exhaust, got it inspected, paid $15 fee and put on my other exhaust. I did not go to court to fight it as I should have. If there is a next time I will...