Loud motorcycles draw complaints; police issue few tickets

Written by Off the Wire
News - Biker Rights Issues

By RHYS SAUNDERS ( rhys.saunders@sj-r.com This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )
THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER


Phil Satorius doesn’t have a problem with motorcyclists.

But he does take issue with the constant rumblings of illegally modified bikes being driven up and down Peoria Road near his home, something he says the Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office is ignoring despite his pleas for deputies to do something about the problem.

Sheriff Neil Williamson said he’s addressing the issue. The sheriff’s office issued three citations last year for noise violations related to loud mufflers.

Deputy Chief Clay Dowis of the Springfield Police Department said city officers issued 12 citations last year for loud mufflers. Most were for motorcycles, he said.

“Typically what we get is from the downtown district from people living in the apartments when the motorcycles leave (the bars) at night,” Dowis said. “If we get it at a particular time of night at a particular area, we’ll have a patrol car down there.”

It is against the law in Illinois to modify the muffler on any vehicle, including motorcycles, so that it is louder than it would be under factory design.

However, most police officers don’t actively enforce the law unless they receive complaints, and even then, issuing tickets can prove problematic because the bikers usually have gone somewhere else by the time authorities get there, Dowis said.

“For the average officer, it’s kind of hard to tell if it’s a little louder than normal,” he said. “Usually the officer won’t make a stop unless it’s complaint-driven, at which time we’ll respond to it, or unless it’s obnoxious.”

Serenity disturbed

Satorius lives on Sandhill Road, about a quarter-mile from Weebles Tavern, 4136 N. Peoria Road, which is in unincorporated Sangamon County and is a popular hangout for bikers.

Two people who work at the bar said they were not aware of any noise complaints.

About a half-mile away is Hall’s Cycles, 3801 N. Dirksen Parkway.

Bob Jones, who works with parts and sales, estimated that more than half of Hall’s customers have their exhaust systems modified. Some say it’s for safety — to ensure that other motorists hear them coming. Others just like the sound of the the modified exhausts.

Matt Carver of Springfield stops in at Weebles with his 1994 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy from time to time. He says a lot of bikers get a bad rap for people who remove the baffles, which change a motorcycle’s exhaust and performance systems.

Carver said he made sure to leave the baffles in his bike.

“Nine times out of 10, if you’re buying custom exhaust, it’s well under the decibel level,” Carver said. “A lot of people look at us when we walk into a place with our Harley shirts on and black sunglasses … and judge us.

“But if you sat back and talked to us, we’re not here to start a fight in a parking lot. We just ride a motorcycle because it’s cheaper with gas, and there’s nothing better than being on the back of a motorcycle.”

For Satorius, revving motorcycle engines get so loud that he says he can’t sit in peace on his backyard patio on weekend days. In the spring and summer, he says, he can’t keep his windows open at night.

“I have no personal vendetta against any of the guys who ride,” Satorius said. “But according to (Sheriff) Williamson, the law states that anything amplified over factory is illegal, period.”

Enforcement difficult

Williamson said it’s difficult for his deputies to enforce what some might consider lower-priority crimes such as noise violations.

Chief Deputy Jack Campbell agreed, noting that because of budget cuts, manpower is at an all-time low for the sheriff’s office.

“State police, city police, most police agencies seem to turn their head to that effect,” Williamson said of loud motorcycle mufflers. “I have repeatedly reminded deputies to be mindful of the violations, and if they come across someone who is in violation, to enforce it.”

In March 2008, the sheriff issued a press release saying that deputies would be more strictly enforcing laws pertaining to vehicles with excessive noise and modified exhaust systems. And again this March, as more cyclists took to the roads, he said he started receiving complaints about loud pipes on motorcycles and trucks.

A memo dated March 11, provided by the sheriff, states that Williamson “would like deputies to at least make stops and give warnings if deputies can tell pipes have been modified.”

In addition to the three citations in 2009, the sheriff’s office issued four warnings.

“It’s not a high-priority type of thing,” Williamson said. “We don’t have enough policemen to cover the entire county, let alone (Satorius’) street.

“I know it’s a problem, and I feel sorry for him, but to park a deputy out there and wait for the mufflers… I’ve told the deputies time and time again (to enforce this), and I hope they are, but it’s up to their discretion.”

An occasional issue

Chatham Police Chief John Holm and Rochester Police Chief Bill Marass said they haven’t received any recent complaints about loud motorcycles.

The agencies that do get complaints say they’re fairly seldom and seasonal.

“Right now, it’s a little early in the season for it,” Dowis said.

Illinois State Police Sgt. Brian Copple said troopers are vigilant about pulling over vehicles that are blatantly loud.

“This is something that people don’t like,” he said. “Loud vehicles going by their home, shaking their windows, that type of thing.”

Rhys Saunders can be reached at 788-1521.

State law

“Every motor vehicle driven or operated upon the highways of the state shall at all times be equipped with an adequate muffler or exhaust system in constant operation and properly maintained to prevent any excessive or unusual noise. No person shall modify the exhaust system of a motor vehicle in a manner which will amplify or increase the noise of such vehicle above that emitted by the muffler originally installed on the vehicle.”

-- Section 5/12.602 of the Illinois Vehicle Code

* Penalty: Written warning or citation with a fine of $75

Muffler citations for 2009

* Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office — 3

* Springfield Police Department — 12

* Illinois State Police in Sangamon County – 7
Copyright 2010 The State Journal-Register. Some rights reserved

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