Boston outlaws exhausts without EPA certification

[lwszabo]

Dear deaf wanna be tom cruise:
I said bust one in their engine case, I'm not a man of violence. Unless one tries to inflict violence on me or my family or my country.
The threshold of pain(causing permanent hearing damage) is 120 db. I don't appreciate it.
If you're into that, maybe you should pick up a Kalashnikov and a harley and go to Afgan.
Damn Weenies.
What?? Whaat?? I can't hear you...
Dig me, I'm a loud-ass biker guy who wears leather.

man relax! its all in fun around here!

[J.P.]

man relax! its all in fun around here!

Ofcourse!
I love you guys.
Welded baffles in my friends Gussie for free- so I wouldn't have to listen to it while we ride. That's how good a guy I am.
Must admit- open pipe Ducs sound good to me- that's the only exception. But my neighbors at 6am? Just couldn't do it to them. My open clutch is annoying to them as it is!
Maybe I gotta move to the country.

[NAKID]

So anyone who runs open pipes is a dickhead starved for attention? 

Not on the track, but you'd be laughed off it.
Just if they ride by my house, then I'd have to add potato baffels.

Must admit- open pipe Ducs sound good to me- that's the only exception. But my neighbors at 6am? Just couldn't do it to them. My open clutch is annoying to them as it is!
Maybe I gotta move to the country.

Uhhh, hello double standard....

[Porsche Monkey]

Uhhh, hello double standard....

Um yeah, big time.    

[EvilSteve]

The biggest issue I have with all these laws is that they target motorcycles *only*. That's a problem and should be addressed. Some of the loudest vehicles in my neighbourhood are garbage trucks and in NYC they come around at all hours. Cars aren't much better & nor are trucks or buses but these new laws are purely meant to target motorcyclists.

I've been saying for a long time that it was only a matter of time before our selfish desire to have loud pipes cost us our ability to fly under the radar with nice sounding aftermarket pipes.

Industrial Grrrl did some excellent research on this particular issue and discovered that it wasn't unusual for bike rolling off the showroom floor to not have an EPA stamp, imagine yourself buying a bike and getting a ticket even before you've started it for the first time.

These laws are purely a knee-jerk reaction to the community's unhappiness with how loud some bikes are, problem is that we all have to deal with the repercussions. This won't just stop at big cities.

If you have loud pipes you're the cause of the problem, your average person makes no distinction between a HD with loud pipes and a Ducati, they're all bikes and they're all too loud.

[J.P.]

I agree- jap bike, peterbuilt, acura...
they all hurt my brain when it's too loud. The 2nd hand music thing is bad enough.
I feel dissed.
But nothing sounds crappier than a 300 lb harley dude gunning it next to me at a light.
punk asses.
unforgivable.

[DesmoLu]

Mass is so smart at giving people more and more incentives to just register and insure their vehicles in nearby states like New Hampshire...

[Mike Qube]

Mass is so smart at giving people more and more incentives to just register and insure their vehicles in nearby states like New Hampshire...

It wouldn't matter where it's registered. If you're within the Boston city limits, you're fair game.

I talked about this with a friend of mine who is a Boston policeman and he said there is no way in hell he's getting on the ground to try and find an EPA stamp.

[DoubleEagle]

I feel sorry for those of you that have to live in cities for a number of reasons.

All the crap goes on there and all the   are there so you don't have any options.

Me, I have my no baffle Termis and ride a few miles and can generally if I want to go 120 mph and if I see a   game on.

Some days I can ride for an hour or may be two and not even see a   .

I pick the speeds I want to ride .

I think if I had to live in a city I'd kill myself .

My pipes are not as loud as the Harley riders with their drag pipes .Plus they ride in groups and that makes even more noise .

I ride alone. One bike isn't going to make much noise in the Forest. Hopefully I'll scare some Deer that might have been near the road , thinking about crossing in front of me.

Dolph    

[Grrrly]

BREAKING NEWS ON BIKERS SUING CITY OF BOSTON

Motorcycle Riders Seek Justice over Discriminatory Boston "Noise" Ordinance
News Release - for Immediate Release (July 10, 2009)

For more info, contact:
Paul W. Cote, ClaimsCote@aol.com - 978-535-8222 (days)
Bill Gannon, billgannon2@hotmail.com
Mike Longtin, mlongtin@comcast.net
Vince Silvia, vsilvia@thesilvias.com - 987-852-3626 (cell)
Larry Cahill, webmaster@bostonbiker.com

Boston, MA. Yesterday Suffolk Superior Court Judge Geraldine S. Hines, heard arguments today for a Motion seeking to temporarily restrain Boston's Law and Traffic Enforcement Agencies from enforcing City of Boston Ordinance Docket Number 0658, which calls for $300.00 fines on (only) motorcycle exhaust equipment not displaying a "readily visible" stamp that the system is approved by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency.

Judge Hines stated she would take their arguments under advisement and issue a decision soon.

Until her decision is rendered, the ordinance remains in effect.

If you ride, or even park your motorcycle in Boston and the EPA labeling is not readily visible, you remain liable for a $300.00 fine.

Attending the 2:00 p.m. hearing proposing the Motion for Injunctive Relief filed on July 3rd were Plaintiffs Paul W. Cote of Amesbury, Bill Gannon of Quincy, Vince Silvia of Haverhill, and Mike Longtin of North Easton, Massachusetts. The quartet, calling themselves the Massachusetts Riders for Justice Committee were joined by long time motorcyclists' advocate Betsy Lister of Medfor, Massachusetts. Plaintiff Larry Cahill was unable to attend the Hearing but gave his full support.

Following a noontime telephone briefing from American Motorcyclists Association (AMA) Government Relations Specialist Imre Szauter and ongoing communications with motorcyclists' rights activist Bruce Arnold, the Riders For Justice retained Motorcycling Attorney Joseph S. Provanzano of Peabody, Massachusetts who passionately argued the position of the plaintiffs.

Provanzano has successfully overturned more than 300 "excessive exhaust noise" citations against motorcyclists in court systems throughout Massachusetts.

"This is not about noise as much as it is about the local 'Crown' over-imposing unwarranted authority on citizens," claimed Plaintiff Cote'. "Over 235 years ago the citizens of Boston told the British Government "no way!" Today we are doing the same by seeking the Court to declare this Ordinance to be "the rubbish it is," claimed Cote.

"I attended today to be part of the solution," stated Plaintiff Longtin," and this Ordinance discriminating against motorcycling is wrong and I'm there to say so!"

Plaintiff Vince Silvia of Haverhill, who rode into the Boston Hearing with no EPA imprint on his bike’s exhaust systems, said, "It's crap. My motorcycle has passed State inspections and five voluntary sound tests with the sound meter donated by the AMA."

"This Ordinance is nothing but the City of Boston trying to make a buck off of riders. At $300.00 a pop, 100 bikes equal $30,000.00 to them, a 1,000 bikes equal $300,000.00. This ordinance," Silva continued, "is designed to discriminate against, as City Council Salvatore LaMattina testified, 'those people' to keep riders out of Boston. This is 'revenue enhancement', in its purest form. Add onto the ticket the costs of exercising your right to due process which will cost you as much as the original ticket, not to mention that parked or not it will be a moving violation which will just jack up your insurance rates. To me that equals government sanctioned theft."

Attorneys representing the City Boston were accompanied by a Sergeant of the Boston Police Department. He did not offer any testimony during the hearing. He later conferred with Plaintiffs Cote and Gannon stating "They dragged me in just for show. I have nothing against motorcyclists."

Observer Betsy Lister of Medford, Massachusetts was impressed by Provanzano's representation of the Plaintiff's position.

Lister stated, "Attorney Provanzano was armed and dangerous exuding passion and commitment to the cause while adeptly citing chapter and verse basically illustrating how the Boston's new noise ordinance usurped and superseded both federal and state statutes and was totally repugnant!"

"Provanzano threw out more legal challenges than an 'all star' pitcher in a series baseball game with each statement being a perfect strike." Lister continued.

Recently, Cahill, Cote, and Lister visited the Boston Harley-Davidson dealership and examined all new motorcycles on the showroom floor. Because of varied production styling and components, in most cases the activists could not view the EPA stamp unless the motorcycle is partially dismantled.

Riders For Justice Committee Members are patiently awaiting Judge Hines ruling on the temporary restraining order while their lawsuit to permanently overturn the ordinance was filed on July 3rd and prepares to go to a trial before the Suffolk County Superior Court.

Motorcycle riders interested in helping fight this Ordinance are encouraged to contact Paul Cote at ClaimsCote@aol.com.


A footnote on the real issue underlying Boston Noise Ordinance 0658:

"The real issue here is neither noise nor loud pipes, and I encourage the bikers' rights activists of Massachusetts not to be tricked into fighting on those fields. The real issue here is the same as in Myrtle Beach SC, and Delray Beach FL before that: A money-hungry municipality overstepping its authority and passing discriminatory ordinances aimed at filling city coffers by penalizing all bikers for the alleged transgressions of a few."--Bruce Arnold

***

[kopfjäger]

But nothing sounds crappier than a 300 lb harley dude gunning it next to me at a light.
punk asses.
unforgivable.

    

[LA]

If where you live is anything like where I live the ABATE no helmet wearing, loud pipes save lives guys ....yes I mean the Harley crowd gave this big hammer to law enforcement and the legislatures to beat us up with.

Among hundreds and thousands of Harley bikers around here, way less than 10% DON'T run big straight pipes with NO baffling whatsoever.  I'm a lifetime biker and it hurts my ears and yes, pisses me off a little.  These, for the most part, very low performance (wouldn't pull a greased string out of a dead dog's ass) are so obnoxiously loud I just can't believe it sometimes.

Nobody loves the sound of a reverse cone Norton, or a Conti extended megaphone than I.  I run Termis with no dB killers and they are whisper quite by comparison.

Give credit where credit is due.  In the concrete canyons of NYC I can just imagine what the noise is like. We got nothing but trees and open space to reverb the noise here and it's still very offensive - even painful.

LA

[sbrguy]

if you think about it unfortunately this is a law to do away with really teh harley guys.  that is what people usually think about when they hear "loud motorcycle"  with straight pipes and such.

i have termi without baffles on my bike and though it is louder than normal, even when next to a stock harley 1200 sportster, you no longer can hear my bike at all.. and that is stock harley off the showroom floor.  wtf?

but obviously the laws are being passed to satisfy the 'rich' folks that hate to hear the motorcycles and think that those are the only loud things in the neighborhood.  any diesel box truck or garbage truck is way louder than a my bike without baffles on it and that is a "stock" truck.. wtf?

[kopfjäger]

i have termi without baffles on my bike and though it is louder than normal, even when next to a stock harley 1200 sportster, you no longer can hear my bike at all.. and that is stock harley off the showroom floor.  wtf?

 

No way a "stock" Harley Davidson is louder. It had to have aftermarket pipes. A stock Harley is very quiet.

[mstevens]

I live in a small town at the intersection of two state highways. I get deeply annoyed at jerks who feel the need to rev their engines at 2am at the stop sign outside with pipes loud enough to rattle my teeth. I personally have stock pipes on my bike since I have no desire to offend my neighbors and have never understood the attraction of noisy exhaust.

That said, the first thing that crossed my mind when I read about this new ordinance was "what a load of crap." There are tons of problems with this. I plan to go check my pipes for EPA certification, but who knows where that appears? Who's to say someone won't get a ticket no matter what, then be unable to prove in court that they didn't unbolt their illegal exhaust and replace it for show? What about loud cars and trucks?

I found myself wondering if the most pertinent part of this ordinance might not be the part about ticketing vehicles parked with aftermarket pipes. There's really no good way to tell if a car or truck has an aftermarket exhaust when it's just parked next to the street. However, a bike with carbon pipes parked on the street can be a cash machine for the city.