SEPTEMBER 2009
ROCKER & ROLLER
RUSH’S NEIL PEART LIVES FOR MOTORCYCLES
SOUND MANAGEMENT
WHAT THE NEW MOTORCYCLE SOUND TEST MEANS FOR YOU
Cover Photo Rush’s Neil Peart, photographed by Holly Carlyle. Navigation Photo The scene from one of the biggest Gypsy Tours: Laconia, N. H. Photographed by Bob Stegmaier.
Winner: Steve Quinn, who submitted this photo of Stu Kerr and Max Hendrix in Moab, Utah. Below: 1) Gene McAllister sent this photo of Ride to Work Day at General Electric’s Peebles Test Operation in Peebles, Ohio. 2) Julie Turgeon poses. 3) Charles Hammack’s take of Flaming Gorge, Utah. 4) Bones Engelman. 5) Three generations of Swangos ride together: Howard, 78; Jamie, 19; and Tim, 47. 6) Anthony Scordo. 7) Emma and Jacob Fain. 8) John and Bob Maki, and Ryan and Dale Sanborn at the 2009 WUDI ride in White Rock, Ark. 9) David Himlin. 10) AMA Hall of Famer Malcolm Smith and friends. 11) Greg, Catherine, Bianca Babor in Livermore, Calif.
From the TT course to Du Quoin’s world-famous Magic Mile, the annual AMA Racing Dirt Track Grand Championships bring out the top talent in amateur dirt track. This year was no different. Read more on page 32. Photos: Jim Grant, Jim Bowie.
EDITORIAL OFFICES
American Motorcyclist 13515 Yarmouth Drive Pickerington, OH 43147 (614) 856-1900 submissions@ama-cycle.org
Grant Parsons, Managing Editor
James Holter, Associate Editor
Bill Kresnak, Government Affairs Editor
Mitch Boehm, Contributing Editor
Mark Lapid, Creative Director
Nora McDonald, Production Coordinator Jen Muecke, Designer
ADVERTISING
Ray Monroe, Advertising Manager (815) 885-4445, rmonroe@ama-cycle.org
Misty Walker, Advertising Assistant (614) 856-1900, ext. 1267, mwalker@ama-cycle.org
All trademarks used herein (unless otherwise noted) are owned by the AMA and may only be used with the express, written permission of the AMA.
American Motorcyclist is the monthly publication of the American Motorcyclist Association, which represents motorcyclists nationwide. -VYPUMVYTH[PVUVU(4(TLTILYZOPWILULÄ[ZJHSS (4(1605VY visit AmericanMotorcyclist.com. Manuscripts, photos, drawings and other editorial contributions must be accompanied by return postage. 5VYLZWVUZPIPSP[`PZHZZ\TLKMVYSVZZVYKHTHNL[V\UZVSPJP[LKTH[LYPHS *VW`YPNO[ (TLYPJHU4V[VYJ`JSPZ[(ZZVJPH[PVU
Contributors and Staff
J.
Ed.D., founder of Improving Communications, provides corporate training to develop writing, public speaking, customer service, and leadership skills. Rich is a hardcore urban motorcyclist, having clocked almost all of his 100,000 miles in and around the New York City area.
MONTY SOUNGPRADITH, Photographer Monty’s eye for the sublime extends well beyond the shoot in front of him, as the photo above shows. It was the only moment during a non-stop three-hour photo shoot extravaganza that two
Has that guy got uncanny timing, or what?
BILL KRESNAK, Government Affairs Editor “The best kind of bikes to ride? Other people’s bikes!” Good work if you can get it.
MARK LAPID, Creative Director After riding KTM demo bikes on-track at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Mark Lapid was last seen drooling heavily over sportbikes, attempting to drag his knee in his work chair and otherwise grinning wildly while planning his next on-track foray.
GRANT PARSONS, Managing Editor Grant has gone off the deep end lately, spending far too much time on his scooter, to the jealousy of his sportbike and dual-sport. After much tinkering, head-scratching and automatic-
AMA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Stan Simpson, Chairman 413 FM 1103, Cibolo, TX 78108-1028
Jon-Erik Burleson, Assistant Treasurer 38429 Innovation Ct., Murrietta, CA 92563
Jim Williams, Assistant Secretary 9950 Jeronimo Rd., Irvine, CA 92618-2084
Erik Buell 2799 Buell Dr., East Troy, WI 53120 (UK`.VSKÄUL 8 S. 18th Ave., West, Duluth, MN 5580
Charles Goman PO Box 81, Winder, GA 30680
Perry King c/o AMA, 13515 Yarmouth Dr., Pickerington, OH 43147
Michael Lock 10443 Bandley Dr., Cupertino, CA 95014
Arthur More 16153 Starlight Dr., Surprise, AZ 85374
John Ulrich 581-C Birch St., Lake Elsinore, CA 92530
Werner +
choke replacing, he’s proud to report that the Moo-Scoot is representing hard—and getting over 102 mpg. Huzzah!
JEN MUECKE, Designer In Jen’s world, motorcycles have replaced “home,” since the last two weeks have been a blur of: A Mid-Ohio track day, racing at Heartland Park Raceway in Topeka, Kan., some track time at Road America, then VMÄJL[PTL PU 6OPV·ZVVU[V IL MVSSV^LK I`TVYL 4PK 6OPV Blackhawk Farms Raceway, and then, maybe, home. But probably not.
NORA McDONALD, Production Coordinator With new TV[VYJ`JSL SPJLUZLÄYTS`PU OHUK5VYH OHZIYHUJOLK PU[V solo lunchtime sorties on borrowed motorcycles while she WYLWHYLZ[VQ\TW OLSTL[ÄYZ[PU[V[OL]PU[HNL TV[VYJ`JSL lifestyle. She swoons hardest over café-racer Hondas, but YLTHPUZÅL_PISL
JAMES HOLTER, Associate Editor With an MX100 with a points problem, an FLHTC with a starter-relay
JH, GP, ML BK
RICHARD J. ATKINS, Writer Richard
Atkins,
He didn’t order the parts he needed from BikeBandit.com. He’s still at home waiting for them.
The team at BikeBandit.com doesn’t want you to miss a ride. For the past ten years, we have provided the fastest and most accurate way for you to buy parts online. In fact, we’ve shipped over 7 million parts to riders around the world. We make it easy to get back on the road.
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flat out pushes land speed limits.
makes sure a flat won’t slow her down.
24/7 ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE. After traveling at a record speed of 232 mph, if there’s one thing Leslie Porterfield dreads it’s being stranded with a flat. So for less than a buck a month, help from Progressive Roadside Assistance is never too far away. Protect yourself today at 1-800-PROGRESSIVE or call an independent agent.
ROCKER & ROLLER
He’s Also One Incredibly Thoughtful Guy.
Rush Drummer Neil Peart Lives For Motorcycles.
By Richard J. Atkins, Ed.D
Feature
Photography by Holly Carlyle
Neil Peart has clocked almost 300,000 miles on two wheels. And he still rides relentlessly.
Touring with the monumental group Rush, he’s spent his nights behind the drum kit, driving the complex beats of “Tom Sawyer,” “Sprirt of Radio,” “Fly By Night”—and delivering some of rock ‘n’ roll’s most iconic drum solos. He may even be, as some magazines have dubbed him, the world’s greatest living rock drummer.
But during those tour days, he’s on his motorcycle, riding between shows, Peart has covered 45,000 miles on two wheels in the past two years alone, traveling coast to coast, through Canada and Europe. And that’s only the start of a passion for motorcycles that has seen him chronicle some of his adventures in two books. Roadshow details his 2004 concert tour and the motorcycle journeys entertwined with it, while the more introspective Ghost Rider chronicles a wandering, 55,000-mile trip around North America for 14 months looking for a “way back to life” after family tragedies.
Of course, there is also his professional résumé, which could be the subject of endless KPZJ\ZZPVU 7LHY[PZHU VMÄJLY VM[OL WYLZ[PNPV\Z6YKLY VM*HUHKH HUK PZ[OL KY\TTLY HUK lyricist with Rush, responsible for releasing 34 albums and selling more than 40 million units worldwide since 1974. Peart has, in fact, received so many awards from Modern Drummer and Drum! magazines, that he’s ineligible for some of the award categories because he’s swept the readers’ polls too many times.
The real Peart is a true gentleman and a delightfully charming, generous, humble, humorous and erudite character. His life experiences, writing, music and motorcycling adventures are compellingly inspirational. Getting up close and personal is the perfect opportunity to explore his unique perspective on this shared gift of motorcycling.
Peart’s most impressive quality is his dedication to achieving his personal best in every aspect of life. There is a full enthusiasm for living, coupled with a careful consideration of precision in everything he does, and it’s contagious.
By knowing and riding with him, you start to hear yourself say things like, “Make that turn the best turn you could possibly make,” or “Ride that mountain road as though you’ll never ride another!” Whether it’s his lane position while riding, or his dedication to wearing complete riding gear for every ride no matter how short, Neil’s success derives from unyielding discipline. Realistically, how many average riders always wear full safety gear? Then again, how many average drummers can play “Tom Sawyer”?
Don Argento (marketing director of the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum) and I met with Neil to award him an Honorary Life Membership in the American Motorcyclist Association. Part of that get-together included a discussion about riding…
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“Another thing I learned from Neil is how to ride long distances. Before I met Neil, I would not have had the guts to load up my Ducati and head from Los Angeles to Cabo San Lucas and back with my girl on the back. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.”
Chris Stankee is an artist relations manager for Sabian Cymbals and rides a Ducati Multistrada or ’68 Triumph Daytona.
Your smoothness will allow you to cut in a little sharper or go wider around a patch of gravel—you’re equipped, because you’re poised.
That’s what it is, poise in motion. “Poise” doesn’t sound like a kinetic word that would apply to motorcycling and being in motion, but if you feel that way, you’re always ready for any obstacle or unexpected move from someone else.
On Lane Positioning
The way I place myself on the road is for visibility—for my visibility, to be able to
see as well as I can—or for my conspicuity, for drivers to see me as soon as they can. Lawrence Grodsky (1950-2006), formerly with Rider magazine, and 2009 AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame inductee David Hough, with the BMW club magazine, have written a lot about safe riding. These people give guidelines for lane position, and in [YHMÄJP[»ZYLHSS`Q\Z[ISVJRPUN WLVWSL MYVT taking your territory, and staying visible. On a two-lane road, I’ll stay close to the middle for the ultimate visibility and the most options. If a deer comes at you, which has happened to me, if you’re in the middle, you
“WE RIDE AS HARD AS WE CAN FOR AS LONG AS WE CAN”
have the most places to go. When there’s VUJVTPUN[YHMÄJ0 SPRL[V TV]L YPNO[ZV[OL JHYZILOPUK[OLÄYZ[VUJVTPUN]LOPJSL JHU see me. If somebody behind that one pulls out to pass, if you’re in the middle, they won’t see you until it may be too late. But if you’re over to the far right, then they have more chance. I’ve seen it many times: a car coming toward me will ease out, see me, and go back. That’s the ideal situation.
On Riding Smart
Another thing I’ve been learning lately is how to think for other people. If you look ahead and see that a lane is ending, and the driver beside you is going to need to move over, or there’s a slow truck ahead in the inside lane and the driver beside you is going to pull out to pass—you have to think, “OK, they don’t know yet what they have to do, but I do.” This is you looking ahead and predicting what others are going to need to do. You can’t predict random idiocy, but in the territory that you “own,” if you see that a car is going to have to cut in front of you, then you move back and protect your space, so they can’t surprise or hurt you. They can’t cause another problem—yours! Reading the road is an art form That’s another thing that gives you poise in TV[PVU UV[Q\Z[SVVRPUN HOLHK VM[OL
“WE RIDE AS HARD AS WE CAN FOR AS LONG AS WE CAN”
Catching Up With Peart’s Wingman
Michael Mosbach is the security director for Rush, and he plans trips and rides with Neil Peart while Rush is on tour. Author Rich Atkins got his take on their adventures:
WHAT IT’S LIKE TO RIDE WITH NEIL PEART EVERY DAY
Neil and I have ridden together for nearly 100,000 miles, if not more, and I’ve learned just a plethora: from motorcycle ergonomics to wearing the right gear at the right time. Also, I’ve learned not to be caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. That’s not just limited to lane placement, but also road, altitude, conditions, behavior and that sort of thing.
WHAT’S IT LIKE, BEING ON TOUR AND RIDING WITH NEIL?
For the most part, we ride as hard as we can for as long as we can. The tour for us is more of a motorcycle tour than it is a concert tour. We try to cover as many back roads of the country as we can, seeing as much as possible, and avoid riding on the same road twice. A concert, to us, is just stopping so that
we can make money to pay the bills, and then we continue along on the motorcycle tour. That is spelled out in his book, Roadshow. Neil likes to say that, basically, the concerts are him stopping for gas money.
We like to get as much contrast as is possible during the day, and include some mountain and desert roads, wooded areas, off road, and certainly some back roads.
Maybe once a month, we’ll stay in a nice hotel just so we can catch up on our e-mails and phone calls. A Best Western next to a diner is a treat for us!
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT AN AVERAGE DAY’S RIDE?
It is very hard work. Even though it’s physically taxing, it’s a great way to think. When you’re riding for six or seven hours, you can think about things that you haven’t thought about for years. Things come to mind that you haven’t thought about since you were very young, or that you wouldn’t think of during a normal day in life.
HOW DO YOU LOOK OUT FOR EACH OTHER ON THE ROAD?
We’ve learned to create a very simple formation that complements each of us safely on the road. It’s a microcosmic circling of the wagons, protecting us from anything that could harm us, whether it’s other vehicles or ourselves.
We ride in the basic tandem, but that HS^H`ZJOHUNLZIHZLKVU YVHKHUK[YHMÄJ conditions. He’ll stay more to the left, and I’ll stay more to the right to protect our lane, to make sure that people see that there are motorcycles there.
If we’re in the center lane, then it’s the opposite—he goes to the right, and I am to the left, protecting the lane from being rolled in on. Our tandem pattern is relative HUKOPNOS road conditions, as well as weather and speed.
Sometimes, when we’re in a “hot zone” (a place where people know it’s him), I take a half bike length ahead off his right. It’s just a more secure pattern to prevent any possible interactions we don’t want.
bike, but looking as far as you can possibly see, at every inch of pavement as it appears around a corner. I’ve noticed that I’ve become so used to that mode of perception. Even in a car, if the road is J\Y]PUN0»SSÄUK T`ZLSM SVVRPUN[OYV\NO[OL side windows at what’s coming up.
This is another perfect drumming analogy. If I’m playing a verse, if I’m not thinking of the next part, I’m going to be in trouble. It’s the same on the motorcycle. If you’re not thinking far ahead of yourself, things will surprise and upset you. Your concentration gets shaken. When I’m drumming, I’m thinking of the next part always—getting my transition set up, and that next part is being mapped out in my mind already, just like looking through a corner on a road.
On Enjoyment
Riding is a vehicle of exploration. It’s for a road that I want to explore. I want to see what’s around that corner, what’s over that hill, explore a trail that I haven’t been on before. So, for me, the vehicle is just part of all that.
On tour with the motorcycle, I might cover 800 miles between shows. You know, back roads and beautiful scenery. I go to Monument Valley, Taos, New Mexico, Mount Rushmore, over the Cascades, over the Rockies, the Sierra Nevada, or even the Great Plains—I really like riding through Kansas and Oklahoma on back roads. Then on the East Coast, you’ve got the Appalachians. All the way from Georgia to Maine, there’s good riding.
Sometimes I want to go see a national park, so that’s an excuse for a beautiful road trip—an adventure. If I’m going out for groceries, the simplest errand, somehow going on the bike is an adventure. I dress for it as if I was going to ride all day, put on all my gear. As soon as I put a leg over that saddle, I am in “motorcycling mode”—100 percent committed and engaged with what I am about to do.
On Mitigating Risk
Safe riding gear is something I’m a bit of a missionary about, because I believe in it so much. Armored suit, boots, gloves and full-face helmet—that’s my basic wardrobe on the bike. Fortunately, in my case, it’s not so much from experience, but observation. One November my friend, Brutus, went around a corner, and he hit a patch of ice and went down, going about 50 mph, sliding down the road on his back. He was wearing full armored gear, and the worst injury he suffered was when the luggage case landed on his foot.
I always liked the old saying that there are two kinds of riders: those who have fallen, and those who are going to fall. One old guy in a magazine interview said, “Look, it goes like this: if you love riding enough, and if you
“I think that Neil’s approach to riding, and looking progressively further ahead, may correlate to the approach he has developed in playing Rush’s music—in the present moment, but keenly aware of what is going on ‘up ahead.’”
Greg Russell is the owner and creative director of Tandem Digital, and rides a KTM Supermoto 950.
If it’s a great backroad in North America, there’s a good chance that Neil Peart has rdden it—or plans to someday.
“I keep waiting for the moment when I’m going to be able to help him pick his bike up somewhere. It hasn’t happened yet. When you think about a guy that’s ridden half-a-million kilometers, it’s simply amazing that he’s been able to maintain his discipline, attention and survival skills. ”
Brutus rides a BMW GS and builds future roads for him and Neil to ride in Alberta, Canada.
do it enough, chances are you’ll die doing it. The trick is to put that time off long enough \U[PS`V\KPL MYVTZVTL[OPUN LSZLÄYZ[¹
To me it’s simple: I don’t like pain. That might sound self-evident, but to me, it’s the No. 1 evil in the world; the second is fear; and the third is worry. I try to avoid all of those as much as I can—especially pain. Everyone grants that motorcycling is inherently risky, so when you’re riding, minimize that risk as much as you can by riding smart: using strategy and technique to keep yourself always in poise, in control, in balance, with the machine and with [OLZ\YYV\UKPUN^VYSK HUK[YHMÄJ 7YV[LJ[ yourself if that sudden thing happens.
On His Favorite Type Of Riding
I hardly know where to begin. It’s all a certain state of mind. I love technical riding, mountainous areas, of course. But riding HJYVZZ[OL 7SHPUZHSVUN H^PUKPUN YP]LY or over the mountains are all enjoyable. I like looking at farmland, or feeling that long stream-of-consciousness through the KLZLY[VY[OL .YLH[7SHPUZ0[PZ[OL YVHK 0
love. Highways through landscapes are the ultimate attraction for me.
On His Motorcycling Heroes
It’s the people who write about motorcycling that I look up to—those who set a good example of the spirit of motorcycling, or teach others strategy and techniques.
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The Perfect Vehicle: What It is about Motorcycles, which is a great voice for all of \ZVU^O`^L SV]L TV[VYJ`JSPUN 7LVWSL SPRL ;LK :PTVU+HUU`3PZRH HUK 9VILY[7PYZPN have contributed to that philosophical level, too.
Journalists like Lawrence Grodsky, who ^YV[L[OL¸:[H`PU»:HML¹JVS\TU MVY Rider magazine; Cycle World’s 7L[LY ,NHU 0 really like his writing and attitude toward motorcycling; Clement Salvadori is another one. My friend Brian Catterson, and Bruce Reeve, the former editor at Cycle Canada, a lot of people like that. I’m grateful for their wisdom and knowledge, and that’s the melding of it—being a good example. That’s
the way I try to ride, and write about riding, so that it will be of value to other riders. In my stories, I try to pass on that knowledge, ^OPJO 0 JHSS¸YVHKJYHM[¹ My No.1 rule of roadcraft is: Don’t let it be my fault. I ride, strategize and negotiate [YHMÄJZV[OH[PMZVTL[OPUN KVLZOHWWLU it won’t be my fault. You know those old JHY[VVUZ^OLYL[OL HUNLS PZÅVH[PUN\W MYVT the dead guy? Well, I want to be swearing down at the person who did that to me, not Z^LHYPUN H[T`ZLSMZH`PUN¸`V\PKPV[¹
On Riding Alone, And With Others
Both have their pleasures. I have a small circle of riders I enjoy riding with, but no more than four at a time—usually two. There’s a mutual trust with good riding partners, a shared respect for the rules of lane position and pace, and it’s nice to have someone to talk to at lunch.
I’ve traveled alone a lot, too. The whole Ghost Rider book involves 55,000 miles of solo riding. If I’m traveling alone, I have my notebook, bring something to read, and I’m happy with my own company.
On responsibility and motorcycling
0
One of my rules is not to be surprised on the road, and I don’t want to surprise anyone else, either—do anything unpredictable or make any sudden move that is going to cause worry or fear for anyone else.
The best I can do is set a good example, dress and ride properly. Signal every maneuver, position myself in the right place in the lane, and consider other drivers—not make a nuisance of myself. But I’m only one guy. I hope that, through forums like this, and when I write about motorcycling, the word is spread about the good way to do things. That’s all you can do.
“I once read an interview with my fellow drummer Nick 4HZVUMYVT 7PUR -SV`KHUK OL YLTHYRLK[OH[VM HSS[OL gold records and awards he had received for his musical success, he was most proud of his election to the British Racing Drivers Club. That’s how I feel about receiving this honorary Life Membership to the AMA—both proud and humble at being so honored by the motorcycling community. My gratitude and pride are tremendous and sincere. Thank you.”
Neil Peart
SOUND MANAGEMENT
A Breakthrough Streetbike Sound Test Standard Sets The Stage For Curbing Loud Pipes
The line between motorcycle sound and motorcycle noise has always been controversial. Cities around the nation have come up with some complicated laws over the years to try to deal with the issue.
Problem is, their solutions, though sometimes well intentioned, have been scattershot at best and
entirely subjective and unfair at worst. But now, a new way of measuring the sound of street motorcycles could change all that. In the process, it could help curb two of the worst problems that motorcyclists face today: Excessive sound, and the anti-motorcycling laws that come when motorcycles are perceived to be the source of it.
by Bill K resnak
Photo Open Image Studio
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(\[VTV[P]L ,UNPULLYZ:(,0U[LYUH[PVUHS has produced a simple, consistent, LJVUVTPJHS HUK LUMVYJLHISLZV\UK[LZ[ WYVJLK\YL[OH[JHU IL\ZLK[V KL[LYTPUL whether an on-highway motorcycle exhaust system emits excessive sound. If municipalities adopt the procedure, JHSSLK¸:(, 1 ¹HZWHY[VM[OLPY V]LYHSS sound-control strategies, it could eliminate SH^Z[OH[HSSV^[OLZ\IQLJ[P]L JHSS VM HU VMÄJLYVY H KLJPILS SL]LS YLHKPUN[OH[JHU»[ IL TLHZ\YLK YLWLH[LKS`[V IL[OL IHZPZ for enforcement.
That means the new practice is good UL^ZMVY TV[VYJ`JSPZ[Z·PM P[PZU»[\ZLK to unfairly target motorcyclists, and, hopefully, for cities nationwide.
“The motorcycling community and law enforcement have long sought a practical ÄLSK[LZ[MVY TLHZ\YPUNZ[YLL[TV[VYJ`JSL exhaust sound,” says Ed Moreland,
Excessive Motorcycle Sound Targeted Around The Nation
Before now, there was no simple sound test procedure to measure whether an on-highway motorcycle exhaust system emitted excessive sound. So jurisdictions around the nation have grappled with the issue in various ways, with sometimes severe penalties. Consider these recent examples:
5L^@VYR*P[`5@*HUK )L]LYS` Mass., considered proposals to allow WVSPJL[V JVUÄZJH[L UVPZ`TV[VYJ`JSLZ
0U[OL 5@*JHZLPM H IPRL KPKU»[OH]L HU L_OH\Z[Z`Z[LT SHILSLK I`[OL MLKLYHS Environmental Protection Agency as TLL[PUN MLKLYHSZV\UK SPTP[Z[OL IPRL JV\SK ILZLPaLK VU[OLZLJVUK UVPZL violation. In Beverly, if noise from the IPRL JV\SK IL OLHYK MYVT MLL[H^H`
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AMA vice president for government YLSH[PVUZ¸;OHURZ[V[OL OHYK^VYR VM[OL 4V[VYJ`JSL 0UK\Z[Y`*V\UJPS40*HUK[OL SAE engineers involved in the project, a ZPTWSLÄLSK[LZ[PZUV^H]HPSHISL
“The AMA maintains that few factors JVU[YPI\[L TVYL[V TPZ\UKLYZ[HUKPUN and prejudice against street riders than excessively noisy motorcycles,” Moreland adds. “With the new procedure, street motorcyclists can now determine how X\PL[VY SV\K[OLPY IPRLZYLHSS`HYL ¸;OL 1 WYHJ[PJL HSSV^ZQ\YPZKPJ[PVUZ around the nation, struggling with JVTWSHPU[ZHIV\[L_JLZZP]L TV[VYJ`JSL ZV\UK[VZL[YLHZVUHISL SPTP[ZPU accordance with the procedure,” he says. ;OL RL`[OV\NOPZ\ZPUN[OL UL^ practice intelligently, and not unfairly targeting motorcycles alone when it comes to sound issues.
“While the AMA supports the LZ[HISPZOTLU[VM[OL :(, 1 WYVJLK\YL PU (TLYPJH»ZJP[PLZ[V^UZHUK JVTT\UP[PLZ^L^PSS JVU[PU\L[VÄNO[ efforts that single out motorcycles while still permitting excessive sound from other ZV\YJLZZ\JO HZSV\K JHYZHUK[Y\JRZ
of a state law that would require EPA stamps on motorcycle exhausts.
Meanwhile, across the nation loud
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periodic police enforcement campaigns in many communities, including San Francisco, Falmouth, Mass., and Indian 9VJRZ)LHJO-SH
The AMA was aware even 60 years ago that excessive motorcycle sound created WYVISLTZ;OL (4( ¸4\MÅLY 4PRL¹JHTWHPNU
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Since that time, the AMA has
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“Only a practical and consistent sound test can determine if the exhaust system is out of compliance with the law,” says Imre :aH\[LY(4( NV]LYUTLU
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Tim Buche, president of the MIC, the trade group that underwrote the development of the procedure, also sees the new test as good news.
“The new SAE standard provides a much-needed alternative to outright IHUZYLZ[YPJ[PVUZHUKZV\UK[LZ[ standards that vary state to state and city to city, frustrating riders, exhaust system manufacturers, and municipal NV]LYUTLU[ZHSPRL> P[O 1 ^L JHU now have uniform standards and testing [OH[»ZLHZ`[V HKTPUPZ[LY¹OLZH`Z
0U HKKP[PVUP[»Z\UMHPY HUK W\UP[P]L ILJH\ZLZ\JO H Y\SL KVLZUV[HWWS`[V cars.”
Motorcycle Industry Council Spearheaded The New Test Effort
The creation of a new street motorcycle sound measurement procedure was a top recommendation of the 2003 national Summit on Motorcycle Sound, organized by the AMA. The Summit pulled together riders and user organizations, representatives of the motorcycle manufacturers, the aftermarket industry, racing promoters, government agencies, and others to develop proposals regarding the issue of excessive motorcycle sound.
The MIC initiated the $250,000 motorcycle sound test project three years HNVJVUK\J[PUNÄLSK[LZ[PUNHUHS`aPUN the data, and providing the initial draft practice. A representative sample of 25 motorcycles and more than 50 aftermarket exhaust systems were tested.
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Collaborating with the MIC throughout, [OL :(, 4V[VYJ`JSL ;LJOUPJHS :[LLYPUN Committee validated the scope of work HUK JV^YV[L[OLÄUHS WYVJLK\YL
“Thanks to the determined efforts of the 40*6, ;LJOUPJHS*VTTP[[LL[OL :(, Motorcycle Technical Steering Committee, [OL 40*(TLYPJHU=;^PU*VTTP[[LL MIC member aftermarket exhaust system companies, MIC consultant Tom Austin VM :PLYYH 9LZLHYJO40*=PJL 7YLZPKLU[ 7HTLSH (TL[[L40*TLTILY 6, manufacturers and distributors, plus Z\WWSLTLU[HS M\UKPUN MYVT UVU TLTILYZ /HYSL`+H]PKZVU HUK[OL 4V[VYJ`JSL & Moped Industry Council of Canada, ^LÄUHSS`OH]L HZ[H[PVUHY`ZV\UK[LZ[ WYVJLK\YL MVY VU OPNO^H`TV[VYJ`JSLZ that works very well and should be adopted across the country,” Buche says.
New Streetbike Sound Test is Easy To Administer
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The new streetbike test procedure
YLX\PYLZOVSKPUN H JHSPIYH[LKZV\UK TL[LY H[H KLNYLL HUNSLPUJOLZMYVT[OL exhaust pipe of a running engine. The procedure spells out how to do the test with the bike at idle, at a predetermined LUNPULZWLLK¸:L[974 ;LZ[¹VY I` slowly increasing the engine speed of the IPRLJHSSLK[OL¸:^LW[974 ;LZ[¹ ;OL :(, 1 Z[HUKHYKWYLWHYLK I` [OL :(, 4V[VYJ`JSL ;LJOUPJHS :[LLYPUN committee, recommends:
( SPTP[VM K)( H[PKSL MVY HSS machines; <ZPUN[OL :L[974 VY :^LW[974 [LZ[·K)( MVY[OYLLVY MV\Y J`SPUKLY THJOPULZH[ YWT VY percent of maximum engine speed, whichever is less; and ( SPTP[VM K)( MVY IPRLZ^P[O ML^LY than three or more than four cylinders at YWT VY WLYJLU[VM TH_PT\T engine speed, whichever is less.
;OL[LZ[HSZVZ\NNLZ[Z[OH[K)( be added to these sound limits for motorcycle exhaust systems that have ,7(ZV\UK SPTP[JLY[PÄJH[PVU SHILSZHUK OH]LU»[ILLU TVKPÄLK ;OL JVTWSL[L :(, 1 Z[HUKHYK
JHU IL KV^USVHKLK MVY MYVT[OL :(, website at sae.org/technical/standards/ 1
*OYPZ9LHSH TLTILY VM[OL :(, committee that put together the new street motorcycle sound procedure, says the sound limits of the new test are high enough so that motorcycles that fail the test are extremely loud.
“We’re talking about a race pipe on a ZWVY[IPRLVYZOVY[`OLHKLYZVU H=[^PU¹ Real says. (/HYSL`+H]PKZVU ,SLJ[YH .SPKL^P[O IHMÅLK HM[LYTHYRL[L_OH\Z[Z`Z[LT ^V\SK WHZZ[OL[LZ[I\[PM[OL IHMÅLZHYL YLTV]LKVY
slash cut pipes, it would fail, he says.
It’s the open pipes, he notes, that are the problem.
“Those are the guys making the communities crazy,” Real says.
“The thing we motorcyclists need to be aware of is that there are more of us [OLZL KH`ZHUK
communities,” Real continues. “Some cities have designated truck routes, and it would just take a stroke of a pen to have designated motorcycle routes because of excessive sound.”
Tim Buche
EPA Ride-By Test Doesn’t Work In The Real World
The new standard is a practical alternative to an existing standard that is so complicated that it just doesn’t work in the real world.
In 1972, Congress passed the federal Noise Control Act, which required the EPA to set noise standards for a variety of products. The EPA set sound standards for motorcycles beginning in 1983.
The EPA rule set the sound limit at 83 dBA, with the limit going to a stricter 80 dBA beginning in 1986. The test
ZWLJPÄLK I`[OL ,7( PZH WHZZI`[LZ[ Under that test, a motorcycle is ridden with the throttle wide open and the bike accelerating past a sound meter that is 50 feet away.
To be able to sell their bikes in the United States, motorcycle manufacturers must certify their products meet the federal standard and stamp a compliance notice on the pipe.
The onerous part of the standard, though, is the fact that it requires that
T\MÅLYZIL JLY[PÄLK MVY L]LY``LHYTHRL and model of bike the exhaust is designed [VÄ[;OH[TLHUZPM HU L_OH\Z[Z`Z[LT company wants to sell an exhaust for a ZWVY[IPRLP[OHZ[V YLU[HU ,7( JLY[PÄLK [LZ[MHJPSP[`OPYL H JLY[PÄLK[LJOUPJPHU[OLU show up with one of every year, make and TVKLS IPRL[OL T\MÅLY PZKLZPNULK[VÄ[ZV it can run tests on dozens of machines, which could take several days—a horribly expensive proposition.
For a company that’s trying to eke out a WYVÄ[MYVT HZTHSS UPJOL PU[OL TV[VYJ`JSL industry, that would be cost prohibitive. As a result, very few of the aftermarket Z[YLL[WPWLZHUK T\MÅLYZZVSK PU[OL<UP[LK States meet EPA labeling requirements. So regardless of whether they’re straight pipes or quiet replacements, they’re technically illegal.
What Exhaust System Makers Say
Tim Calhoun, executive vice president for LeoVince USA, calls the new standard a “positive and proactive move by the Motorcycle Industry Council to protect the rights of riders.”
“We believe the MIC has developed a test that is liberal enough to allow a responsibly built and engineered aftermarket exhaust system to pass these tests, while still being stringent enough to quickly weed out gross offenders,” Calhoun says. “These usually
gives the authorities a true roadside sound test that is valid and repeatable,” he says.
“All LeoVince exhausts will pass the new standard, and even our race cans will pass with a sound insert, which [`
adds.
Kenny Price at Samson Motorcycle Products notes that most Samson L
92 or lower decibel level.
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a fair set of rules we can abide by. This will also keep us aftermarket companies alive, and help the rider as well. This is a home run for everyone,” he says.
POLICING OURSELVES
6MM/PNO^H`9PKLYZ*VUMYVU[LK ;OL :V\UK 0ZZ\L @LHYZ(NV
The streetbike community is not alone in feeling the pressure for responsible sound limits. In fact, off-highway vehicle (OHV) riders have taken the sound issue seriously for years, knowing that noisy motorcycles (and ATVs) translate into closed riding areas.
Just like streetbikes, OHVs designed for use in public riding areas—as opposed to closed-course competition—are governed by rules put [VNL[OLY I`[OL ,7( ;OL Y\SLZWLJPÄLZ the same ride-by test used for street machines, with off-highway bikes built since 1985 being limited to 80 decibels if they have engines smaller than 170cc and 82 decibels if they are larger.
The EPA pass-by procedure is no easier to reproduce on a trail than it is on a street. But many park rangers, riding clubs and promoters found they could get consistent results from a test developed by the SAE.
Unlike the EPA test, which requires a large, controlled environment plus a test rider who will follow the procedures precisely, the SAE J1287 test is relatively simple. A calibrated sound meter is placed 20 inches from the exhaust outlet at a 45-degree angle.
;OLU[OL LUNPUL PZYL]]LK[VHZWLJPÄLK rpm (generally about halfway to redline) with the bike stationary.
;OL YLZ\S[PUNKLJPILSÄN\YLZHYLU»[ comparable to the numbers from the EPA pass-by test, but they result in uniform readings that can be used to develop independent standards.
@LHYZHNV4PJOPNHU»Z^LSSVYNHUPaLK Cycle Conservation Club used the
J1287 procedure to develop a 94 dBA limit for motorcycles ridden on the Z[H[L»ZLUVYTV\Z[YHPSZ`Z[LT In 2002, representatives from rider groups, exhaust companies, government agencies and even ZVTL LU]PYVUTLU[HSVYNHUPaH[PVUZPU California came together to work on a similar standard for that state. The result, after extensive testing, was a 96 dBA limit for bikes that can be ridden on public trails.
That standard is now the rule for recreational riding throughout California and AMA-sanctioned public-trails competition events, including enduros, hare scrambles and desert races nationwide (although if a state has a lower sound limit, then the AMA requires an event there to conform to that limit). It has also resulted in a whole new line of performance parts designed to meet the 96 dBA limit.
