Motorcycle exhaust noise levels

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I find it difficult to believe that the big bad government told Harley to deny warranty repairs on Harleys with a non approved exhaust pipe. I don't find it difficult to believe that your average Harley owner would believe that, however, nor do I find it difficult to believe that Harley would capitalize on their customer's ignorance.

Boy you really are spoiling for a fight even though I'm on your side here if your side is loud exhaust is dumb. Believe what you like, it is easy enough read between the lines in the consent decree... "evidence of tampering"...

I'm out.
 
Boy you really are spoiling for a fight even though I'm on your side here if your side is loud exhaust is dumb. Believe what you like, it is easy enough read between the lines in the consent decree... "evidence of tampering"...

If Harley chose to interpret that to mean they should deny warranty repairs because an "unapproved" exhaust is installed...you should realize that benefits their bottom line.

They have every reason ($$$) to interpret it that way AND claim that the government made them do it. You said it yourself, that violates MMWA ... how can a consent decree REQUIRE someone to violate a law? Do you think for a minute that the lawyers wouldn't have gotten that tossed out if that was really the case?

Denial of Warranty.
a. Defendants shall deny all warranty claims for functional defects of
powertrain components for any Harley-Davidson vehicle (Model Year
2017 or later) registered in the United States, if any Defendants have any
information to show that such vehicle was tuned using a Tuning Product
that was not covered by a California ARB Executive Order or otherwise
7
Case 1:16-cv-01687-EGS Document 6-1 Filed 07/20/17 Page 9 of 33
approved by EPA.

Exhaust pipes and muffers are not "Tuning Products". I am unable to find anything which says that exhaust pipes and mufflers are subject to CARB approval.

l. "Subject Tuners" means the tuners referenced in the second "Whereas" clause of
this Decree.
4
Case 1:16-cv-01687-EGS Document 6-1 Filed 07/20/17 Page 6 of 33
m. "Tuning Product" means Subject Tuners and similar aftermarket devices,
including modules and chips; and

As an FYI, you don't "read between the lines" of a legal document. You read it exactly as it is written. This is not written to include mufflers and exhaust pipes as "Tuning Products".
 
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I rode motorcycle from when I was 27 till 69. Had to give it up when I broke my lefy hip and the hip joint weight rating was 250 lbs. I had a 1500 Goldwing was my last one and it weighed over 900 lbs. Wife and I rode all over the South East on it and loved it. All of mine had stock mufflers. Honda,BMW,Motoguzzi,Yamaha. Not one Harley. Wanted to ride and not break down.
well, I put 200k+ on 2 different Electra Glides.. beauty of a Harley is it is repairable by anyone with modest mechanical ability..

that said have an aquaintence who is a GW lover... he was on his third and the sucker grenaded on him.. and I forget what it cost but it wasn't pretty... and the repair involved spilling the motorcycle in half and then spilitting the cases..ees.. whereas those old Big Twin, with separate engine, tranny and primary drive are quite serviceable... I think some of the end result depends on what your abilities are.. to be honest anything built by the MOCO before say the year 1985 is going to be cantankerous, but once you get into the Evolution stage and up to current, they are about as dependable as anything else.. you can't pull the engine on a Gold Wing like this...
000_0018_00.webp
 
Me neither, but doesn't it sound like grasping at straws to justify loud exhausts?

When you're going 120MPH on a 45MPH country road, you need loud pipes to warn other drivers who might pull out in front of you that you're coming.

The loud pipes also let the people who live near the 4-way stop on the country road intersection that you just blew through it without even slowing down.
 
I remember being a young teenager we had a new neighbor George move in across the street. Nice guy him and my dad got along just fine. On early Sunday mornings weather permitting he would take his loud Harley for a ride full throttle right out of the garage. Dad caught him one morning and told him love you George but I'm giving you one warning pull away nice n quiet moving forward or we going to have a problem that I prefer not to have and you definitely don't want to have. George being a nice neighbor got the hint and did the right thing.
 
I've never heard of the EPA approving exhaust parts for noise compliance. Post a picture of that supposed EPA notice.

EDIT: They don't. The EPA just requires that the exhaust pipe have a notice stating that it's compliant. Whether any actual documentation of testing required to prove that is required is unknown, but probably unlikely.

EDIT2: The EPA can require the manufacturer submit to a test to verify compliance, but this is at the EPA administrator's discretion. A company could just put an EPA label on anything whether compliant or not, and wait for the EPA to do something about it, which may never happen. (Most likely won't, funding for the EPA's noise pollution programs was gutted years ago).
Looks like this: While it might not be stamped by the EPA itself per se, it is shown to be in compliance, and Harley, or any other manufacturer would not put this on a bike and risk getting audited over it, just to "get past the EPA" I think you could already get the jist of what I was getting at.

There is a big difference between a "loud" pipe, and an "Obnoxious" one.
EPA.jpg
 
Well, we can tell the posts in this thread are void of a lot of motorcycle owners. ... and of course the motorcycle company that out sells every other brand in the USA combined gets brought up through ignorance. I suggest are more quiet Harleys percentage wise than sport bikes. Harley's are so popular they are called out by name, then every other brand in the USA is lumped into one group which equals the number of Harleys sold in the heavy weight market anyway.

More ignorance but has already pointed out by someone knowledgeable is the Exhaust on Harleys are stamped as meeting EPA requirements.
Another fails to understand if a bike is brought into a Harley dealer they can be liable if the bike has been tampered with and violates EPA standards if they work on it. (FACT)

Ok, now that the Harley thing has been cleared up, why not list every other brand in the USA with ear splitting high pitched exhausts?
 
Harley, or any other manufacturer would not put this on a bike and risk getting audited over it

Lots of examples of manufacturers, including Harley, who have violated EPA regulations and almost got away with it. Makes you wonder how many times it happens that they DO get away with it.
 
They subject cars to exhaust levels however motorcycles are given a pass by law enforcement except in locales with noise ordinances. Motorcycles with stock exhausts seem really quiet even Harley and sport bikes.


My wife/I were traveling on RT95 around Boston and a bike about 1/4 mile ahead made conversation difficult our Tiguan doing 75 MPH.

Why is that ?
Your state law enforcement? You're asking a question that pertains to one state.
With that said, in many states there are also ear splitting noisy car exhaust. I would think that maybe more in states that do not require vehicle inspections?
 
I know most of you guys aren't motorcyclist.
Harley got in trouble some years back when they used to sell Screaming Eagle equipment for off road use only
which eventually ended up with the MOCO in a consent agreement with the EPA and they quit selling the stuff
chrome-extension://oemmndcbldboiebfnladdacbdfmadadm/https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-12/documents/harleydavidson-cd.pdf
 
Your state law enforcement? You're asking a question that pertains to one state.
With that said, in many states there are also ear splitting noisy car exhaust. I would think that maybe more in states that do not require vehicle inspections?

Virginia has safety inspections and as long as the exhaust system is intact (not leaking), it can be as loud as you want and still pass.

19VAC30-70-300. Muffler, exhaust system and trailer venting.
A. Flexible tubing may be used anywhere in the exhaust system.
B. Inspection of exhaust system does not concern noise level.
 
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I know most of you guys aren't motorcyclist.
Harley got in trouble some years back when they used to sell Screaming Eagle equipment for off road use only
which eventually ended up with the MOCO in a consent agreement with the EPA and they quit selling the stuff
chrome-extension://oemmndcbldboiebfnladdacbdfmadadm/https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-12/documents/harleydavidson-cd.pdf

Yea, that was the subject of discussion here and it doesn't apply to exhaust systems, at least as far as my understanding of English works.
 
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