For
the past 21 months, AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman has been leading
the world's largest member-based motorcyclists' rights organization to
rededicate the AMA to its core mission: protecting and promoting the
future of motorcycling and the motorcycle lifestyle. In this interview
-- the second of a three-part series by AmericanMotorcyclist.com --
Dingman discusses the most contentious issue in motorcycling today:
excessive sound.
AM: Many street riders have a long-held
belief that a loud exhaust system alerts car and truck drivers to their
presence. Yet cities and towns across America are enacting very strict
sound ordinances that target motorcycles unfairly. What is the AMA
doing about this?
RD: The single
greatest threat to motorcycling in America -- both on- and off-highway,
including ATVs -- is excessive exhaust sound. Nearly everyone we talk
to in the motorcycling and OHV (off-highway vehicle) community echoes
this concern. For many riders, their machines are an extension of their
personalities, and this includes the distinctive sound of their
engine's exhaust. I completely understand that. But as motorcyclists,
we have to realize that we live in a world already filled with unwanted
distractions, and chief among them is sound that is so excessive that
it becomes a nuisance to the general public. Excessive exhaust sound
plants targets squarely on the backs of all riders, even those who ride
with reasonably quiet exhaust systems.
It is important to
remember that this problem is not limited to motorcycles and OHVs. Loud
cars and trucks, booming car stereos, poorly maintained generators,
whining leaf blowers -- they are all part of the problem. However, just
because there are other sources of unwanted noise does not mean that
the motorcycling community can excuse itself. We have to be part of the
solution.
So to answer the question, the AMA and our sister
organization, the ATVA (All-Terrain Vehicle Association), must
simultaneously do two things. First, we have to get our own house in
order, and by that I mean all riders must take an active role in the
self-regulation of sound. Second, we have to stand up against
government actions that unfairly single out motorcycles and OHVs for
discriminatory or punitive enforcement.
AM: What role can the AMA and ATVA take in the self-regulation of excessive sound?
RD:
The first thing we have to do -- through publicity, peer pressure and
support of appropriate sound ordinances -- is tell our friends and
acquaintances who ride loud bikes and OHVs to tone it down. We need to
lead by example and convey the idea that it is totally unacceptable to
ride an obnoxiously loud machine. Next, we have to stop installing
unmuffled exhaust systems on our bikes. Thundering cruisers with
straight pipes, howling sport bikes with competition exhausts, and
barking dirt bikes and OHVs with unpacked silencers have no place on
our public streets and trails. While I realize this statement may cost
the AMA and ATVA some members, if we continue to ignore the serious and
negative impact that excessively loud bikes and OHVs are having in our
communities, we are going to see more draconian measures to restrict
sound, more targeting of riders, and fewer places where we are allowed
to ride. Just one irresponsible rider can negatively impact the rights
of countless others.
AM: Have you seen any progress to date?
RD: The
AMA and its partners started a public dialog about excessive sound in
the early 2000s, and the OHV community has embraced the concept of
quieter motorcycles and ATVs in a big way. We have seen leadership
emerge among the sport's heroes and influencers. For example, at the
invitational Colorado 500, which attracts the industry's movers and
shakers, the organizers have brought down the sound of their off-road
bikes from well over 100 dB(A) to 96 dB(A) using the SAE J1287
stationary sound measurement standard. It's become a matter of pride
for entrants to have the quietest bike. And when these riders go home,
they set the example for others to follow.
California is another
example. AMA districts and clubs have been at the forefront of the
issue, and were key participants to changes made in the state law.
Today they are actively enforcing 96 dB(A) at their events.
The
manufacturers' professional racing teams are also involved, and this
year both AMA Supercross and Motocross machines must meet the
FIM-developed 94 dB(A) standard. And starting in 2011, AMA Racing will
be enforcing similar standards in amateur racing.
There's more
good news: Many more aftermarket exhaust manufacturers build
high-quality exhaust systems that readily meet these standards with no
degradation in performance.
The AMA supports these grass-roots
efforts by providing sound-testing equipment to our districts and clubs
through a grant program. The kits help test the sound level of OHVs to
help riders understand how loud -- or quiet -- their bikes are, and
also ensure that competition machines are in compliance with AMA
standards.
AM: What challenges remain?
RD: While
we have made headway in the OHV community, there are still OHV and
motocross riders who run excessively loud exhausts, so we have more
work to do here.
Beyond that, our most pervasive challenge today
is in the streetbike community, where loud bikes are all-too-common.
The same measures that are working with OHV riders -- peer pressure and
self-regulation -- are what is needed to bring about tangible change.
Fortunately, most riders, and a number of clubs, have seen the writing
on the wall and are already talking to their members about quieting
down their bikes. The key is to regulate ourselves before the
government does it for us. We certainly won't like their solution.
AM:
If the AMA is in favor of reducing excessive sound, why does the AMA
oppose ordinances and legislation intended to do just that?
RD: Great
question. The AMA opposes measures that target only motorcycles, and
measures that are unfair. If an ordinance or a bill considers all noise
sources -- not just motorcycles -- and is reasonable in its solution,
then we can support it. And we have done so.
Nevertheless, we
must remain vigilant against poorly crafted legislation that singles
out motorcycles and OHVs from other vehicles and offending sound
sources. This is currently the case in New York City, where a proposed
sound ordinance would mandate an EPA-stamped motorcycle exhaust system,
effectively requiring an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) system
for streetbikes up to 20 years old. So we are working to oppose badly
thought-out initiatives, while at the same time educating legislators
about fair and reasonable strategies to curb excessive sound.
AM: What can we expect next?
RD:
The AMA and ATVA are taking a leadership position in this effort by
saying that obnoxiously loud bikes and OHVs are not acceptable, and
that we will work with riders to demonstrate the benefits of quieter
exhausts. We want to positively influence our peers and quiet
excessively loud motorcycles and OHVs to ensure greater access to
public lands and city streets, plus the continued availability of
accessory exhaust systems. Also, we are looking forward to seeing an
SAE-developed, easy-to-implement streetbike sound standard and testing
method that will help municipalities enforce reasonable measures to
reduce excessive sound. With these tools we can demonstrate that the
motorcycling and OHV communities are acting responsibly when it comes
to sound.
I can't stress enough that curbing
excessive sound is the most important issue that we can address today.
We have to do this if we want to expand opportunities for riders,
reduce threats to riding and usher in a new generation of riders who
are not limited by bike bans, land closures and unjust regulation. If
we do this, we can get back to what riding motorcycles is all about --
having fun.
Read the first installment in this series, where Rob Dingman discusses threats to responsible OHV access to public lands, here. Read the third installment of this series here
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