Unless you are riding through a small town being an ass, then you should have no problem. Most cops understand that loud pipes save lives when it comes to bikes.
There's an app for that. On some of our BLM jobs, we have noise restrictions.
My I Phone app is pretty much right on when compared to dedicated function meters.
So any one could be carrying a meter.
When Rat Hack used to actually sell tools and parts, you could walk in and buy 5 SPL meters off the rack and get 5 different readings from them with a spread of up to 10dB. 6dB is twice the sound pressure, while 10dB is twice the perceived loudness.
My Galaxy S3 has to be calibrated +12.5dB (bottom) and +9dB (top) to get a close-to-accurate reading, while my Sony Xperia Z tablet only needs to be calibrated +3.2dB (bottom) and +2.5dB (top) for an accurate reading. And really, that's only at 1kHz (100dB@1M, mic ports pointed directly at source), so the accuracy goes out the window for anything other than a 1kHz source. The transducer (and especially the housing) on a phone or tablet is way too small to be of any real value on low to low-mid frequencies.
Then there's the psychoacoustics. Run an SPL meter in a vehicle traveling down the interstate, and then run music at the same level (make sure you use the same weighting and averaging time on your meter). Which one is perceived as louder?
My Galaxy S3 has to be calibrated +12.5dB (bottom) and +9dB (top) to get a close-to-accurate reading, while my Sony Xperia Z tablet only needs to be calibrated +3.2dB (bottom) and +2.5dB (top) for an accurate reading. And really, that's only at 1kHz (100dB@1M, mic ports pointed directly at source), so the accuracy goes out the window for anything other than a 1kHz source. The transducer (and especially the housing) on a phone or tablet is way too small to be of any real value on low to low-mid frequencies.
Then there's the psychoacoustics. Run an SPL meter in a vehicle traveling down the interstate, and then run music at the same level (make sure you use the same weighting and averaging time on your meter). Which one is perceived as louder?
If you're gonna run a louder exhaust on a motorcycle or car/truck for whatever reason, you have to learn a bit of discretion. Keep the RPMs down and don't blip the throttle in town or traffic. Save the full throttle roll on for the turnpike on ramps and open stretches.
I have a Thunderheader on my Harley, and can keep it civil with little effort. The guys that repetitively blip the throttle with loud pipes and accelerate under full throttle in congested areas are doing it to hear their own noise or show off.
And remember, louder exhaust doesn't necessarily equate to more power/ performance.
I have a Thunderheader on my Harley, and can keep it civil with little effort. The guys that repetitively blip the throttle with loud pipes and accelerate under full throttle in congested areas are doing it to hear their own noise or show off.
And remember, louder exhaust doesn't necessarily equate to more power/ performance.
That's more than I've read in my entire life about sound measuring devices.
I was stopped once in my 87 K5 Blazer, looking for a DUI. He walked up to my window (bottom of window was about even with his eyes) and asked is this modified. Yes it is modified, it is a 1987 model, I have upgraded the axles, the motor, the transmission, the front bumper, and yes the exhaust has been replaced. He looked over it a few seconds and then said have a nice day. He never asked for my DL, or where I was going.
Oh it has 40 series Flowmasters, dumped
Oh it has 40 series Flowmasters, dumped
I've seen officers threaten tickets/impoundment on motorcycles missing the baffles. Really depends on the officer and circumstances.
They really shouldn't be exempt from noise restrictions, that whole "loud pipes saves lives" is BS anyway, with your exhaust pointed rearward and with forward movement the loud pipes noise is behind you and oncoming folks really don't hear it anyway. The strobe brake lights work pretty well.
That assumes that the only null there would be from a motorcycle's exhaust would theoretically be directly in front of the bike, and even then there's enough reflection and diffusion for it to not really matter, not to mention the entire system itself is resonating in an omnidirectional pattern.
The only time your claim of those not directly behind the bike being unable to hear the exhaust would hold any water is if the motorcycle is traveling at a speed greater than (1.4) * (286.9 J/K kg) * (absolute temperature).
Can't hear em when my thumpers are a "thumpin".
The front strobes work well too, btw.
The front strobes work well too, btw.
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