INTERNATIONAL NEWS:Quiet Edmonton bikes get ticket to ride

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http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/world/Many+Edmonton+motorcyclists+meeting+noise+limits/3176717/story.html Quiet Edmonton bikes get ticket to ride

Motorcyclists catch sneak preview of police noise-level check

By Andrea Sands, edmontonjournal.com June 20, 2010

John Needham, right, from Gibbons gets his motorbike checked by Constable Paul Jones. Motorcyclists get a chance to have noise testing of their bikes by EPS. This will provide riders with the opportunity to see if their machines comply with the new city motorcycle noise bylaw, and to get advice on how to fix their bikes so they do comply Photograph by: Jimmy Jeong, edmontonjournal.com

EDMONTON - A lineup of rumbling motorcycles snaked through a south Edmonton parking lot Saturday as dozens of bikers waited to find out from police if their machines are too loud.

For a lot of bikers, the answer was yes. "I'm just one decibel over the limit," said 65-year-old old Joe Coufal, after officers tested his white and silver Harley Road King.

Coufal bought his bike four years ago and replaced its factory exhaust system one month ago to improve the Harley's handling for a smoother ride. He spent $1,000 on the new system but now has to figure out a way to make it quieter. Otherwise, he risks getting a noise violation ticket once police start enforcing the city's new bylaw next month.

"Obviously, I don't want to pay $250," Coufal said.

Police are offering two days of testing, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and today, so bikers can find out if their motorcycles comply with the noise limits laid out in the bylaw.

"I'm seeing a lot of people failing here," said police traffic section Staff Sgt. Bill Horne during testing Saturday at the South NAIT Campus parking lot on 70th Avenue and 103rd Street.

Officers there positioned a microphone on a mini-tripod 50 centimetres behind each motorcycle's exhaust pipe, at a 45-degree angle. An idling bike must register below 92 decibels to comply with the city's new rules.

A second test is then done, which depends on the bike's engine, Horne said. Three-or four-cylinder bikes revved to 5,000 revolutions per minute (r. p.m.) must be quieter than 100 decibels. Other bikes must be quieter than 96 decibels while operating at 2,000 r.p.m.

Motorcycles that are too loud will net the driver a $250 ticket, with fines increasing for repeat offenders up to a maximum of $10,000.

The decibel limits are based on federal motor vehicle standards, Horne said.

"If you've bought a bike new off the floor from a dealer, you are not going to fail this test," he said. "Anything stock or bought off a dealer floor, guaranteed it will pass."

However, plenty of bikers checking their machines Saturday had made modifications, often to make their bikes louder.

Ron Stephens, 42, put a custom exhaust system on his 2008 Kawasaki Vulcan "for a little more performance and volume -- on purpose -- because loud pipes save lives."

Now, he will see if he can buy baffles to pack in his exhaust pipes and reduce the noise.

"I passed the first test but not the second," said Stephens, who works as a construction co-ordinator. "I will gladly fix my bike and make it quieter if they will make texting while driving a criminal offence."

Corinne Risseeuw and her husband, 49-year-old welder Mark Risseeuw, had their bikes checked. His passed. Hers failed.

"I don't meet the requirements," said Corinne, 45, who works in retail. "My idle's too high. I'm one decibel above."

Mark Stead, 50, said his Suzuki GS 1250 sport touring bike passed the noise check.

"I do have an after-market pipe. I passed easily, but I wanted to make sure," he said.

Still, he doesn't agree with the new rules. "It's a misuse of police resources," said the Sherwood Park salesman. "I think there are a lot more pressing problems than noisy motorcycles."

The bylaw passed last week by city council makes Edmonton the first jurisdiction in Canada to adopt such standards.

Officers will start doing checkstops in high-traffic areas this week, and run other initiatives around the city to make sure bikers know about the new rules.

Police start enforcing the new bylaw July 1.