EPA Approved Motorcycle Exhaust Bill Passes in California

A while back, we were reporting on a proposal that requires motorcyclists to have EPA-compliant exhaust systems on their model year 2011 and newer motorcycles. The bill has passed and is now heading to the desk of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. If the bill is approved by the Governor, riders caught riding model year 2013 or newer motorcycles without a specific stamp would be issued "fix it" tickets by law enforcement officers.

“The noise caused by illegally modified motorcycle exhaust systems is a major quality of life issue across the state,” said the bill's sponsor, Senator Fran Pavley in a statement. “Basic common sense and decency dictates that when a motorcycle drives by and sets off every car alarm on the street, that is too loud."

"Additionally, many of the modifications which are aimed at making a bike louder -- for example removing the catalytic converter -- also make the bike exponentially more polluting. This has direct, measurable and negative impacts on public health.”

This is not Pavley’s first attempt, as she tried to introduce the same bill requiring the EPA stickers last year as well. Originally including smog tests for motorcycles built after 2010, the bill was watered down to the sticker requirement but still couldn’t make it through the legislature.

“In the absence of smog check, or other emissions or noise testing mechanisms for motorcycles in California, it is necessary to establish an enforcement mechanism that does not allow motorcycles to skirt current law,” explained Pavley in her statement.

AMA, on the other hand, feels Pavley’s proposal is not the correct way to approach this problem. "The only objective way to determine whether a motorcycle complies with sound laws is for properly trained personnel to conduct sound level tests using calibrated meters and an agreed-upon testing procedure," said AMA Western States Representative Nick Haris.