When Bathurst, New Brunswick brought in a bylaw banning loud motorcycle pipes, we pondered whether it would have far-reaching effects.
Well, we may be seeing some of those effects already, as the provincial government may begin requiring annual motorcycle inspections – something that motorcycles are currently exempt from.
Here’s what’s going on: the government plans to consult citizens on its vehicle inspection program this year, and one of the things they’re looking at is motorcycle inspections. But it has questionable merit. Motorcycle accidents are almost always due to an error on the part of another driver, or a rider’s mistake.
The Motorcycle and Moped Industry Council sent out a press release in light of the news from New Brunswick with some figures from FEMA, the Federation of European Motorcyclists’ Associations. According to their numbers, technical failure was a factor in only 0.3 per cent of motorcycle accidents. Obviously, FEMA isn’t it favour of motorcycle inspections; in fact, they call them “an additional and unjustified burden for motorcyclists.”
But here’s the thing: Inspections are a great way for the government to crack down on loud pipes. So, whether we like it or not, New Brunswick may see inspections for motorcycles soon – and bikers could have their open-exhausted brothers to blame.
i got lots of stock oem mufflers off harley davidson for sale when the bylaw comes in that the bikes need inspection them shot
guns pipes got to go pei passed the noise bylaw whos next
I’m a long time advocate of properly baffled pipes. Loud noise drives folks crazy, and if you piss people off long enough they will find a way to eliminate the source of the annoyance, including forced inspections and more and more invasion of your civil rights. Be civil, respect others and drive a nice quiet bike. Aftermarket brands all offer suitable baffles…use them on your own or the angry weight of the people you’re pissing off will have the cops make you do it as part of their job. Sitting out on your porch in the summer and hearing a window shaking turd on a Harley go by BWADADADADADA!!! dressed up like some kind of knob belonging in a bad, baaaad B movie is enough for me to consider chasing them down and punching them in the face.
This is a serious problem for older bikes. In many cases, OEM exhausts are no longer available. It is discrimination against bikes because the muffler is in open view where you can see the manufacturers stamp. Car mufflers are more difficult to see and are not marked.
I can hear them, in NB Parliament, now. “So 0.3% of accidents involve an equipment failure? Good; so we’ll be saving lives AND collecting fees!”
I hate big gov’t because survey says! – inspection = money grab! Ha-ha, and to think that motorcycles are hardly used in Canada, most of the year, they sit, waiting for summer weather, (not getting used up now) and this NB provincial government may begin requiring annual motorcycle inspections? F!@# me! I know gov’t killed snow machine use in Northern Ontario, go ahead, let them kill the motorcycle segment in New Brunswick. Right?
I see a lot of folks getting proficient at swapping out their pipes…