Exhausts, noise and legality

[John Armstrong]

Where can I find what I can legally fit with regards to noise levels to my '88 R100GS as I suspect that I can fit something a little louder than is legal for a 2008 bike And could an exhaust that is marked "not for road use" therefore actually be legal if its noise level is within the requirements for the bike

I've not been able to find any "E" or "BS" markings on my current silencer / exhaust, a Keihan, although I guess they would be marked now.

 

[Kenny]

If it is marked not for road use..then on the spot fine I'm afraid.

If no markings up to the discretion of the MOT and police officer

Keihan usually marked on the very top ( I seem to recall )

 

[John Armstrong]

Been looking at this: http://www.busters-accessories.co.u...nd-Silencers/Scorpion/Oval-Road-Silencer-Edge but they told me it's got the dreaded marking Don't want the bikes exhaust to be loud, just more throaty IYSWIM

And don't want to have to keep swapping around come MOT time either, or selectively polishing certain areas and setting myself up for potential perverting the course of justice type rap

 

[Sylvester]

I used to have a DR 600 with a supertrap on it. As I remember if your bike was registered after certain date that the pipe/silencer had to have the EU number marked on it. The subject was covered in MCN and I used to carry the copy with me coz I used to get stopped on it now and again. My bike was inside the date by six months and so without a decibel meter it would have been difficult to prosecute as the pipe was not antisocial just "interesting" in tone. Strangely I had no problems anywhere in Europe with the same bike and I kept it in Germany for six months. I toured Sweden/Denmark on it with no problems either but got pulled by Starsky and Hutch within one hour of Dover on a visit to the UK.

 

[Sylvester]

What other manufacturers make slip on silencers for the Airheads?

 

[Redboots]

You could always stick one of these on it where its a bit difficult to read

Sticker


John

 

[John Armstrong]

What other manufacturers make slip on silencers for the Airheads?

Apparently HPN do: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....180306507365&_sacat=See-All-Categories&_fvi=1

I know Sito do as well, but they're mild steel and you need to mess with the exhaust guard. And there's this one, but not seen / heard of it before: http://www.bsm-exhausts.com/images/prodsheet/6752.pdf

 

[Paul Rochdale]

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafet...ling/interimreportoftheadvisorygr4639?page=12

 

[John Armstrong]

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roadsafet...ling/interimreportoftheadvisorygr4639?page=12

That's what I was thinking about

So my '88 bike can be louder than one from today, but I can only buy one that could be, in theory, fitted to both.

They don't like the "look at me I'm legal" stickers do they!

 

[Paul Rochdale]

I'm a bit out of touch with the practical application of the law but if the exhaust bares the correct stampings for the band the dates apply to and the exhaust wasn't excruciatingly noisy, it was acceptable. Exhaust decibels cannot easily be determined by the roadside as there are too many influencing factors ie walls of buildings to exagerate the noise. I don't think the Police have meters anyway.

There's obviously a need to make sure the exhaust isn't cracked, leaking and faulty ie 'failing to maintain'. At one time the old Bobbies used to shove their truncheons down the end to make sure there were baffles in place but many silencers don't have holes big enough. Mind you they have ASPs these days. BSA Gold Stars had straight-through silencers anyway with baffles around the sides of the exhaust.

Unless standard silencers nowadays have stickers - they may do for all I know - I can't see them being acceptable. They always had to be stamped on the silencer.

 

[John Armstrong]

Unless standard silencers nowadays have stickers - they may do for all I know - I can't see them being acceptable. They always had to be stamped on the silencer.

I guess that's the easy test for MOT's / road side police, can you see anything stamped on it. No = failure / penalty notice or whatever

I had to look really hard to find the Keihan label on my current exhaust.

 

[Redboots]

I guess that's the easy test for MOT's / road side police, can you see anything stamped on it. No = failure / penalty notice or whatever

Luckily, there is no MOT in France for bikes as yet... supposed to change in the next couple of years, but then they cant make it retrospective as old bikes cant conform to new specs and anyway, old bill and Joe public, here, seem to quite like a slightly fruity exhaust

So unless its really stupid it's OK.
On the other hand, the little shits that run around on mopeds and scooters with expansion boxes just make you want ram a broom handle in their spokes

John

 

[D6]

I guess that's the easy test for MOT's / road side police, can you see anything stamped on it. No = failure / penalty notice or whatever

I had to look really hard to find the Keihan label on my current exhaust.

an exaust basicly sound standard for the mot, NO markings needed, (musnt say not for road use etc)
take "sounding standard "how u want,
i tend to pass stuff if they arnt takin the piss,

 

[Deleted account 231211001]

Check out: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1989/Uksi_19891865_en_1.htm

as a start point. There is a specific manufactured date of April 1991 and a measure point of 73 decibels.

All your after that.

As I see it...... if it sounds too loud and it don't have a stamp on it, you haven't a leg to stand on in the case of a bored bobby nicking you and issuing either a FPN or a summons.

 

[John Armstrong]

As I see it...... if it sounds too loud and it don't have a stamp on it, you haven't a leg to stand on in the case of a bored bobby nicking you and issuing either a FPN or a summons.

Give them an excuse to pull you over to "have a chat" and then you're on the slippery slope. Don't take the p1ss and they'll move onto the sports bike as the majority seem to have either a small number plate / "fruity" exhaust / coloured headlight cover or all three, leaving us sensible BM riders alone

 

[PIGGLET]

John, have a look HERE
I got my can from the carbon can co. I basically told them what I wanted and they made it. It's a 200mm stubby with 2 baffles and is marked as road legal.
I then got a guy near me to fab up the link pipe.
They can make them in carbon, ally stainless orTi and with either a standard rolled pipe exit or the carbon cone type I got. The cone end adds about £40 though
They were a bit negotiable on price too

 

[PIGGLET]

Just looked at the price of the equivalent scorpion can in carbon. It's £280 with stainless ends, the carbon can co will do that for about £160ish.

 

[John Armstrong]

Just looked at the price of the equivalent scorpion can in carbon. It's £280 with stainless ends, the carbon can co will do that for about £160ish.

Carbon, on an airhead

But they are near to where I live Where abouts near Teesside airport did you get the work done as I worked there for a couple of years?

 

[PIGGLET]

Carbon, on an airhead

Hey you never know, it might catch on I was using the carbon can for a comparison, in theory if thats around £160 then a stainless or ally one should be cheaper

But they are near to where I live Where abouts near Teesside airport did you get the work done as I worked there for a couple of years?

It's a guy in Middleton st George who fabs up exhausts in his garage for a few beer tokens

 

[John Armstrong]

Hey you never know, it might catch on I was using the carbon can for a comparison, in theory if thats around £160 then a stainless or ally one should be cheaper

It's a guy in Middleton st George who fabs up exhausts in his garage for a few beer tokens

Do they do stainless? Just their name being Carbon Can Co, guess the inners might be