Maine Biker Network
" Maine Bikers Helping Maine Bikers "
Welcome to Our National Motorcycle Rights Section
This section is set up for the purpose of getting information pertaining to the motorcyclist’s rights issues around the nation to a larger segment of Maine riders. I will try my best to keep anyone interested in these issues informed and give them information that can be used to participate in the fight to protect our rights as citizens of Maine and the United States of America.
Thank you for showing an interest in the rights of all motorcyclists here in Maine and the nation. I hope the information provided here will help keep you informed and interested in defending your rights.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jacqueline on -
Hi,
Thank you for taking the time to create this type of forum. This is exactly why I joined this site. I am wondering if you have any information on today's events regarding the exhaust law (again). I'm getting tired of contacting my representative for the same sh*t over and over again. Maybe the woman who doesn't like the "100 motorcycles a day" going past her house in the summer should move. Or maybe we should post the road that motorcycles aren't allowed on her section of road as she obviously thinks her "rights" outweigh the rights of motorcycle riders. Regardless, I had to work and couldn't attend but would like whatever information you can provide. Thank you again. Jackie
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Permalink Reply by Joshua Herndon on -
Jackie, I realize it is three days later, but to answer your question about information, go to the Maine Motorcycle Rights page for an update on Thursday's hearings. I hope that you already have done this, but I wanted to respond anyway.
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Permalink Reply by Jacqueline on
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Thank you. I've been watching. i would just prefer to begin riding season planning my rides, not fighting for my rights.
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Permalink Reply by Joshua Herndon on
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Thank you for taking an interest. Yes, it would be nice to be able to just plan rides for the upcoming riding season and not have to deal with legislation. But, freedom requires vigilance. If someone isn't watching, the people who feel they know best how to protect us from ourselves will take that freedom. It has been a constant struggle for more than 40 years now to protect our freedom to ride and decide for ourselves. One of the biggest problems we have with the noise issue is riders that feel it is their right to make noise. This is not the case at all. When a minority of riders feel they can impose their idea of beautiful music on the rest of society we all suffer. If you want to hear that "beautiful music" of an unmuffled engine go to a drag strip and get your fill, but please have respect for others when riding on our public highways. The people promoting these noise bills are fed up with the constant noise. They see the EPA label as a cureall and do not realize, or refuse to realize, that the label will not cure the problem. This has been explained to them time and time again but to no avail. The only way this issue is going to go away is for the riders of overly loud motorcycles to realize they are the problem and change their behaviour. Otherwise we are going to end up with restrictive laws that affect everyone because these people promoting noise laws will keep on pushing. No matter what happens with this current legislation, this problem is not going away without riders doing their part to correct it.
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Permalink Reply by D. R. Webb on -
And here is and example of what can happen here in Maine.
NOVEMBER 18, 2011, 4:41 P.M. ET.
Federal judge upholds NY motorcycle checkpoints
http://online.wsj.com/article/APd85690f485cb457190e0848402d86251.html
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Permalink Reply by Rickey Holtsclaw on
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Jacqueline, you don't have the right to be "intrusive" with an excessively loud motorcycle. Your perceived right to ride loud ends where the perception of your excessive decibel's begins. Respect the right of others to enjoy a peaceful environment and domestic tranquility. The EPA regulated your motorcycles exhaust mechanism for the protection of the general public. Removing that legal 80 db(a) exhaust is illegal, disrespectful and personally, obnoxious. Rick
Jacqueline said:Thank you. I've been watching. i would just prefer to begin riding season planning my rides, not fighting for my rights.
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Permalink Reply by Rickey Holtsclaw on
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- Attachments:
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Media copy of GOV letter.doc, 72 KB
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Permalink Reply by Jacqueline on
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You are exactly the kind of person I am talking about. Who ever said my pipes were loud?
Rickey Holtsclaw said:Jacqueline, you don't have the right to be "intrusive" with an excessively loud motorcycle. Your perceived right to ride loud ends where the perception of your excessive decibel's begins. Respect the right of others to enjoy a peaceful environment and domestic tranquility. The EPA regulated your motorcycles exhaust mechanism for the protection of the general public. Removing that legal 80 db(a) exhaust is illegal, disrespectful and personally, obnoxious. Rick
Jacqueline said:Thank you. I've been watching. i would just prefer to begin riding season planning my rides, not fighting for my rights.
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Permalink Reply by Rickey Holtsclaw on
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Jacqueline, if your pipes are OEM, you're good to go...if not, I would personally like to see the thing impounded until such time the bike meets EPA specification. No quarter here, it's time the loud biker foolishness be properly dealt with...actually, it's past time. Yes, I am exactly the "kind" of person you're talking about. Rick
Jacqueline said:You are exactly the kind of person I am talking about. Who ever said my pipes were loud?
Rickey Holtsclaw said:Jacqueline, you don't have the right to be "intrusive" with an excessively loud motorcycle. Your perceived right to ride loud ends where the perception of your excessive decibel's begins. Respect the right of others to enjoy a peaceful environment and domestic tranquility. The EPA regulated your motorcycles exhaust mechanism for the protection of the general public. Removing that legal 80 db(a) exhaust is illegal, disrespectful and personally, obnoxious. Rick
Jacqueline said:Thank you. I've been watching. i would just prefer to begin riding season planning my rides, not fighting for my rights.
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Permalink Reply by Joshua Herndon on
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Rickey Holtsclaw is a retired police officer from Houston, Texas. He was fighting a one man battle against noisy vehicles in Houston and pretty much was forced to retire because of his aggressive style of enforcement. While he does have valid points concerning non enforcement of noise laws and some methods to correct the problem, I have to disagree with him on the 'label match-up' solution he suggests. This EPA label match-up, on the surface, sounds like a great idea to regulate what exhaust systems are allowed on street motorcycles. But the surface is as far as it goes in correcting the problem. The main drawback to this label match-up is that there are no replacement OEM exhaust systems for older motorcycles that fall under the federal guidelines. Most aftermarket exhaust system manufacturers do not certify their systems to the federal standards so someone riding an older motorcycle needing a replacement exhaust system or muffler has no choice but to purchase one that is uncertified. Even if that system is at or below the federal guidelines, it is unlabeled. The problem goes all the way back to 1981 when Congress defunded the Office of Noise Abatement and Control (ONAC). ONAC was the enforcement arm created by the Noise Control Act of 1972. With no funding for ONAC there was no enforcement of the manufacturer’s requirement to enter certified noise compliant exhaust systems into commerce. While motorcycle manufacturers did comply it was not 100% compliance with the regulation and most aftermarket manufacturers did not bother to comply at all. What they did was stamp their product with disclaimers like; ‘Not for On Road Use’ or ‘For Closed Course Use Only’ as a hedge against liability for a consumer using their product on a street motorcycle. If Mr. Holtsclaw and the anti- motorcycle noise proponents want to do something constructive to correct the noise problem I would suggest they start by addressing the lack of an enforcement division for the Noise Control Act. Start by contacting the Congress and asking why there is no funding for the ONAC. Once there is some teeth to the federal regulation the aftermarket manufacturers should come into compliance and there will be adequate certified noise compliant exhaust systems for all motorcycles that need a replacement system. The other side of this is that law enforcement has to step up and start enforcing existing law against straight pipes, drag pipes and other types of illegal systems. That’s the part on which I agree with Mr. Holtsclaw. The EPA label program as it exists today is not the simple answer that it is purported to be.
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Permalink Reply by D. R. Webb on
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Joshua Herndon said:Rickey Holtsclaw is a retired police officer from Houston, Texas. He was fighting a one man battle against noisy vehicles in Houston and pretty much was forced to retire because of his aggressive style of enforcement. While he does have valid points concerning non enforcement of noise laws and some methods to correct the problem, I have to disagree with him on the 'label match-up' solution he suggests. This EPA label match-up, on the surface, sounds like a great idea to regulate what exhaust systems are allowed on street motorcycles. But the surface is as far as it goes in correcting the problem. The main drawback to this label match-up is that there are no replacement OEM exhaust systems for older motorcycles that fall under the federal guidelines. Most aftermarket exhaust system manufacturers do not certify their systems to the federal standards so someone riding an older motorcycle needing a replacement exhaust system or muffler has no choice but to purchase one that is uncertified. Even if that system is at or below the federal guidelines, it is unlabeled. The problem goes all the way back to 1981 when Congress defunded the Office of Noise Abatement and Control (ONAC). ONAC was the enforcement arm created by the Noise Control Act of 1972. With no funding for ONAC there was no enforcement of the manufacturer’s requirement to enter certified noise compliant exhaust systems into commerce. While motorcycle manufacturers did comply it was not 100% compliance with the regulation and most aftermarket manufacturers did not bother to comply at all. What they did was stamp their product with disclaimers like; ‘Not for On Road Use’ or ‘For Closed Course Use Only’ as a hedge against liability for a consumer using their product on a street motorcycle. If Mr. Holtsclaw and the anti- motorcycle noise proponents want to do something constructive to correct the noise problem I would suggest they start by addressing the lack of an enforcement division for the Noise Control Act. Start by contacting the Congress and asking why there is no funding for the ONAC. Once there is some teeth to the federal regulation the aftermarket manufacturers should come into compliance and there will be adequate certified noise compliant exhaust systems for all motorcycles that need a replacement system. The other side of this is that law enforcement has to step up and start enforcing existing law against straight pipes, drag pipes and other types of illegal systems. That’s the part on which I agree with Mr. Holtsclaw. The EPA label program as it exists today is not the simple answer that it is purported to be.
Thanks for all this information.
I agree witrh what you have said, especially the enforcement statement.
A retired police office I know once said, "Laws are Voluntary Compliance." The choice is yours.
It's hard to have everyone follow the laws, when they so often see or ride with MCs that do not make any attempts to comply. For some, Narrow streets with High Buildings, under bridges and stop signs are a magnet to see how loud they can be.
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