Haering that police will be giving on the spot fines for loud pipes. $350 and 3 points. Did this come through in July and if so has anybody copped any grief yet. Have heard this from a few and it's the on the spot thing that's worrying. I am looking at putting shortshots on my Fat Bob but don't want to have to take them off straight away. A mate has been running shortshots for years with no probs but just want to hear what's been happening lately and if anyone knows about the changes to this law and if it's worth forking out the money for a Vance & Hines system. I want my Harley to sound like a Harley. Wanna keep the points on my licence too.

Had a bike copper race to catch me & a mate for no reason. Pulled up next to us at the lights staring at the bikes.

I've got V&H Bigshots on the Street Bob was more or less resigned to the fact I was gonna get done.

I turned around & gave him a nod which he rtn'd then cruised off.....he rode straight passed. This was 2 weeks ago in Broadbeach.

Thanks for taking the time to let me know, regardless of my choice i hope i can have that sort of luck with the cops wanting to look at the bike rather than go over it with a fine tooth comb and fine you for everything they can. Will check out the double barrels and make a choice soon, the bike is apparently going to be early and is now due in 6 weeks ( much better than 12-14 which is how it was shaping up ) Cheers and enjoy your ride.

When you get these on-the-spot fines, do the cops have some kind of meter that they measure the volume with?

Cops are not qualified to test a bike for excessive noise, it has to be done by the EPA & there are specific guidelines that are to be adheared to.

I had heard that they had hand held meters and could test on the spot but with that said i also heard that any aftermarket exhaust was illegal. Bog stock was the only legal option. I have the same view as nearly everyone else and will be fitting Short shots asap. Fingers crossed the cops i am bound to encounter have their priorities right and care more about murderers and child molesters than giving grief to people that just want their Harley to sound like a Harley. Bound to cope some shit somewhere down the track but hey guaranteed to enjoy the ride so fuck it.

The law in Qld was changed a few years ago and alows cops with noise meters and proper training to do roadside tests. The test used is the current Oz Standard and goes like this.

Not more than 3 people presant inc rider (noise deflection)

Ambient sound within 5m radius of test site not exceed 80db (there goes the roadside test)

No object 2m in front, 5m either side, 10m to the rear or in line with baffle main body (including the cop car and the landscape)

Microphone 500mm from exhaust pipe exit at 45 degrees from the centre line of 'baffle' regaudless of actual exhaust exit angle at the height of the exhaust but not less than 200mm above the ground (so yes, they can test "down" facing pipes and if they do it to you get off the road, do it on somthing softer like dirt)

All exits will be tested and the greatest reading taken

Engine speed will be measued by calibrated electonic tacho attached to spark plug lead of No1 cylinder (lot of Jap bikes get computer freak out and wont run with this thing in place)

Engine speed will be calculated from piston stroke to achive a piston speed of 3000m per second(thats why the ADRs require stroke be cast into cylinders)

Or thats what I can remember from course I did when it looked like we would be training the coppers

In practice we found that if the rider stands rather than sits and places legs hard against the frame or tucked behind engine the reading could be reduced by upto 10db

Often mis-understood fact. Each 3db increase is an audable doubling in volume, so 93 it twice as loud as 90.

My Softail is stamped 93db and with std exhaust only made 85db, havent tested it with SE slipons or not quite std SE slipons but its about twice as loud so should be around 90db

Great post thanks for the info Deadly.

Surly, yep I stuffed up the calc but it should end up the same as the stamp on the swing arm ie. 2650rpm for my 96ci

RT, over at idle shouldn't matter, what was the reading at 2700rpm? and was the one with the tacho over weight and all over the left side of your bike or a good arms lenght to the side and forward of the engine?