[Jaggu]

Reviving an old thread, now it is the turn of Bangalore transport authorities to start the harassment. Question is why super bikes, why not those zillion bullets and pulsars which are more in numbers on the road! and riding around with louder exhausts. And how are they going to define this 80 decibel, measured at what distance, what speed?

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/48508864.cms

BENGALURU: The Harleys , Triumphs and Ducatis revving up on the streets of Bengaluru beware. Transport authorities are cracking down on super bikes for causing noise pollution, after having allowed their sales.

Joint Commissioner of Transport (Enforcement) Narendra Holkar has begun a drive targeting premium bikes such as Harley-Davidson that are iconic as much for their distinctive sounds as their looks. According to city regulations, the permissible decibel limit for bikes is 80, but but super bikes produce noise over 200 decibels.

Bike owners will be fined in the first instance, and the second time they are caught, their two-wheelers will be seized. Expectedly, they are miffed.

[loki]

What a bunch of horse poop.

This is one of the things I hate about this country. Absolutely absurd laws with no sense. And utter buffoons making these policies. Why does the transport department allow sales of these "loud' vehicles when you are going to ban them after a while? This Holkar Polkar guy talks about his strong weapon ie; Enforcement - which will be misused at the drop of a hat. This is a like a pay hike to these traffic cops who will resort to extortion now.

What does the 80 DB limit mean? At Idle or at higher RPMs ?

[CrackedHead]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/48508864.cms

200 Decibels!

A jet plane measured at take-off from 25 meters away is only 150db and will cause Eardrum rupture.

[xander]

"We will intensify the drives after the civic polls.Issuing notices to bike manufacturers is not on our agenda, because we do not have time for legal battles. We have a strong weapon called enforcement (and) that is enough," he said.

This attitude will result in their undoing soon enough. It's not a one-off case.

[tharian]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Reviving an old thread, now it is the turn of Bangalore transport authorities to start the harassment. Question is why super bikes, why not those zillion bullets and pulsars which are more in numbers on the road! and riding around with louder exhausts. And how are they going to define this 80 decibel, measured at what distance, what speed?

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/48508864.cms

Enfields were targeted and checked some time back by the RTO. Back then, few Bulleteers, including me had the same question- why only Enfields, why not superbikes

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/motorb...ullets-14.html

From what I remember, the db was checked at high revs with the db meter kept right at the tailpipe and some Bullets were measured at 120db when it should have been 85db.

I did change mine to stock since my exhaust was in the range of 95db.

[Sojogator]

Originally Posted by tharian

From what I remember, the db was checked at high revs with the db meter kept right at the tailpipe and some Bullets were measured at 120db when it should have been 85db.

I did change mine to stock since my exhaust was in the range of 95db.

Good to hear they have a DB meter. I will check mine with an app on my droid. Will give a reasonable idea at least

[VeluM]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Question is why super bikes, why not those zillion bullets and pulsars which are more in numbers on the road! and riding around with louder exhausts. And how are they going to define this 80 decibel, measured at what distance, what speed?

I've found that the noisiest of all vehicles on the road in Bangalore are the two-stroke auto rickshaws. They've modified the silencers to remove the baffles, and the silencer just acts as a resonance tank, amplifying the shrill, tinny, ear-splitting racket. I've noticed that the drivers are pretty chuffed about their vehicles, with shiny chromed springs and stuff

Next in line are the Bullets. Superbikes, probably because there are few of them and one doesn't encounter them very often, aren't that much of a problem unless one lives in an area where there are a few.

Originally Posted by tharian

Enfields were targeted and checked some time back by the RTO. Back then, few Bulleteers, including me had the same question- why only Enfields, why not superbikes

Off late I've seen a Lot (almost every other) RE around has one of those shortened or fat silencers that give it a very deep and loud thump. A very small number of them are well executed, though still too loud. The rest sound quite "phati baans" (hindi) like. Extremely irritating, and I don't understand the point.

Regardless of what vehicle one has, one can't make them louder than legal limits and then cry "why not catch the other guys!" if the noise pollution limits are enforced. It is illegal, just as drunk-driving is and a host of other things are illegal.

While we can lament the zeal that accompanies any "fine" collection - usually supported by the sheer lack of knowledge of what should be measured (or modified parameters to net greater fines!!) by the enforcers - I personally feel this particular instance is required and justified. The racket one has to endure in the mornings and evenings as an office commuter just has to be limited at the earliest.

On a separate note, Harleys are super-loud even with their stock silencers (or so it seems). Don't the noise-pollution norms apply to them, or have they struck a "deal" with the government as they did for air-pollution?

[tharian]

Originally Posted by VeluM

Regardless of what vehicle one has, one can't make them louder than legal limits and then cry "why not catch the other guys!" if the noise pollution limits are enforced. It is illegal, just as drunk-driving is and a host of other things are illegal.

I think you understood this in a different way.

What I meant was that , it needs to be a blanket enforcement. It is not that I have loud pipes on my Enfield, so what about superbikes that are so much more louder when in full clip.

If it is an enforcement drive, it needs to be on any vehicle that makes noise above the limit and I feel that is what the RTO is doing , except that it is in phases.

There are many vehicles out there that have aftermarket exhausts, but are finely tuned for both sound and performance, and are not loud or annoying in anyway,(my car and Enfield fall under this).
The sad part of crackdown is that because of few out there who are more interested in who's bike is louder, means guys like me have to revert to stock.

[VeluM]

Originally Posted by tharian

I think you understood this in a different way.

Sorry if what I said came across as accusatory. I didn't mean to imply that that was what you meant. I was expressing my frustration at the Loud Bulleteers I encounter every day (every trip, actually) and highlighting the Bullet part of your post.

I've come across well executed after market pipes - they are visually very different from the OEMs so I know they aren't stock - that sound deeper/heavier while not being annoying. But that's a very very small minority of the modified Bullets I've encountered.

I agree that noise limits must be enforced across the board, but with the efficiencies of our government that's a bit too much to hope for.

[Ricci]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

Question is why super bikes, why not those zillion bullets and pulsars which are more in numbers on the road! and riding around with louder exhausts. And how are they going to define this 80 decibel, measured at what distance, what speed?

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/48508864.cms

200dB - what hyperbole ! Even jet fighters and rocket launches don't hit 200dB. We used to be told as students, to rely in newspapers for accurate/correct English, and fact-checking. Now it seems journalists themselves slip up so bad, and the editors fail to catch the goofs as well.

I wonder if now the government will come up with ISI marked exhausts like with helmets. I can understand the very loud aftermarket pipes like Racefits and why people are aggravated by those, but most superbikes are still neither as loud, nor as slow to exit the area as the diesel three wheelers , their clatter and slow acceleration prolonging the torture on the ears. But then the drivers of those are a vote bank, SBK owners are not.

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by Ricci

I wonder if now the government will come up with ISI marked exhausts like with helmets.

Overseas they have it and some of the imported bikes have the certifications engraved in them (end cans) that confirm to the certification.

[rakesh_r]

Loudpipes+Throttle happy monkeys= Noise pollution.
In my case I have a wildboar on my CL500,which is moderately loud if I wack the throttle. Ride it sedately and it gives out a soft but deep thump.
It all depends upon how responsibly the rider rides his Motorcycle.
Why was the RTO sleeping all these years? If Loud pipes are illegal, CMVR shouldnt have permitted Harleys from selling screamin eagles, Triumphs from selling arrows and RE's from selling the offroader and FFE for the Conti.
Do i smell a conspiracy-the RTO remains mum for all violations untill one fine day they swoop in.

Mera Bharat Mahaan

[pratap.pratu]

This initiative by the RTO guys is totally crap. How can superbike equate to noise pollution ? i mean they are a music to hear (mostly in their stock exhaust IMO).
Am sure a stock exhaust will never put off any human, there are many after markets which might tend to start irritating a lot. At least a owner should not be penalized for running any road legal vehicle (be it a car or bike) for its sound. Penalizing a track only vehicle on roads is all together acceptable.

Anyways dearest RTO, think logically, have some class and raise your standards.

LoL,
An aspiring superbike owner

[alpha1]

Originally Posted by pratap.pratu

How can superbike equate to noise pollution ? i mean they are a music to hear (mostly in their stock exhaust IMO).

Your are right about the stock exhaust, but hardly anyone retains stock exhaust in order to amplify the "music" that you so love!

In addition, the music will not be so pleasurable if you were at your home very late at night, exhausted, and sick.

[ambujlal]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

why not those zillion bullets

Even bullets are a target. I was pulled up last week only to be left when one of their own drove in on a pulsar making more noise than the musical thump of my bull. The directive is very vague. What he told me was 80db at idling. But that again is very loose open ended. Who defines what is an idling rev for each bike! Even a splendor can make a lot of noise.