Should MOTs have noise limits?

I have a full race system on my bike (Suzuki Hayabusa) I dont have it to make me sound 'cool' I have it because I like the way it alters the characteristics of the bike. It is a full Akropovic titanium system that when on full throttle is rather noisy, however when on only part throttle isn't to rude at all. I think one problem with a lot of bikers is they ride around in the 30limits in 2nd gear so the revs are kept high thus more noise. I dont ride like that for that very reason and just bimble through the limits as quiet as possible.

I have fitted a blueflame system to my car too (pug 306 Gti6), only because the standard system fell apart and I wasnt going to waste my money fitting standard back when it will fall apart again. So I fitted a free'er flowing good quality stainless system. Again though on part throttle its not really that noisy at all, its only when the throttle is used hard that it makes a lot of noise. As per my bike I do my best not to draw attention to myself in the limits but do love giving it a good thrashing out in the nationals :D When I had my MOT done the MOT'er gae it a good blip of the throttle whilst moving it around and said it sounded really nice :cool:

I must admit i do like a bit of noise I just keep my vehicles as quiet as possible in the quiet villages / towns etc
 
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This is a similar situation to window tinting etc.

There's a few people who have excessively tinted windows, and the majority of cars don't. For them to kit out an MOT station with light meters and noise meters would cost them millions - and the time taken to do the test will increase, and so will the cost to the motorist.

And what for? So that a couple of cars will be failed due to loud exhaust and tinted windows, when 99% of cars will pass? It's not worth it.
 
Kami said:
Some cars sound good loud, 1.1 Fiestas and Renult 5 campus's are not included though. Just because the exhaust is blown or the cheap rubbish "performance" one they shoved onto thier debadged XR3i doesn't mean they can go any faster, they look any better or they are any cooler.
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Most Honda engines sound fantastic with loud exhausts. I can't help but smile when I hear a chavv'd up, stickered up, boy racered Honda :o

Noisy exhausts don't really bother me... mainly because the guys with modified cars where I live have modified them quite nicely. It's more the pounding from twin 15" subs at 2am that really gets me wound up :mad:

It's just common sense not to have your install cranked up at that time, I know I cetainly don't do it!
 
titchard said:
Well even if there is one (And Gilly is correct on this one) they could just tune it down (or whatever they can do I am not a car person) and just pass, then after just put it back to it's usual levels!

Rich
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Aye, same as the lawbreakers swap off their illegal silly fonted, silly coloured number plates with the extra bolts to make it say LOVEGOD or whatever.

Idiots.
 
As I understand it, there *is* a limit - but it's not enforced properly at an MOT. As was mentioned, the police can force you to have the exhaust tested for noise levels, which has to be 100Db or under. Apparently there's some new European legislation being talked about that will reduce that to 80Db, which is supposed to be the same as a hoover...
 
agw_01 said:
Most Honda engines sound fantastic with loud exhausts. I can't help but smile when I hear a chavv'd up, stickered up, boy racered Honda :o
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Maybe it sounds fantastic to you. But it doesn't sound fantastic to me when they are driving up and down the street at full throttle running down all the little old ladies!
 
Another point worth mentioning is that some cars are just gonna be plain loud regardless of exhaust. i.e. a silly bhp jap turbo car will have an induction "noise" (turbo spool and induction rasp) which can be extremely loud also. But these people arent labeled as boy racers, but usually are respected as clearly care about their car and have modified it in a tasteful (?) and more serious way to gain speed. Typically this would mean a very free flowing full exhaust system which add yet more noise. BUT....they can be as quiet as most other cars on the road if they are driven with respect in built up areas and not like idiots. The boy racers with loud exhausts, usually have just a cheapo backbox which adds loads to the sound but doesnt give any real gains in performance. These backboxes generally are the ones that you are moaning about as they drone even at low revs and hum away from miles away.

As above, people that buy performance exhausts for performance gains, usually have the ability to only make a shed load of noise when they are giving it some!

I think its more a case of people need to slow down and stop being so anti social. I mean, moped boys cant think they look good with there on or off hairdryers topping out at 38mph down the highstreet making a load of noise? Its just an annoying noise too. Id rather hear something twice as loud but a nice proper piece of performance machinery.
 
Lopéz said:
Many bike end cans (Micron for instance) say "For race use only" or "Not for road use" but people fit them anyway because they sound cool.
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If the MOT tester see's that on a can, then it will fail.
If they cant see the above any where and in their opinion its not excessively(sp) noisy then it will pass.
 
Shoei said:
If the MOT tester see's that on a can, then it will fail.
If they cant see the above any where and in their opinion its not excessively(sp) noisy then it will pass.
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Yep, a friend put the Micron sticker over the edge of the stamp so it read "FOR ROAD USE" on his ZXR-750 years ago. :D
 
My 100E failed on excessive noise which I was dead proud of. Annoyed at the time but I smile when I look back. It was loud enough to make everyone duck when it started and it set off every car alarm down my road as I went past :D
 
sniper007 said:
i.e. a silly bhp jap turbo car will have an induction "noise" (turbo spool and induction rasp) which can be extremely loud also. But these people arent labeled as boy racers, but usually are respected as clearly care about their car and have modified it in a tasteful (?) and more serious way to gain speed. Typically this would mean a very free flowing full exhaust system which add yet more noise.
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:o

98db @ Idle = Win :cool:
 
mx-5 with a big hole in the exhaust !! hhahaha

i have a new one to put on when i CBA

Buddy club spec 2 racing exhaust
Fujibitso 4-1 race manifold with built in decat pipe

wont be THAT much quieter to be honest :cool:


i dont race around towns though, high revs are for the open road!!!
 
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alexthecheese said:
I dont mind noisey cars so much, but yappy little mopeds that take forever to pass your house really get of my 'nads! :mad:
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These are a true PITA, especially when they get together in a little convoy. They can't do more than 30.1MPH and theres always some scrote leaning down trying to edge more speed out of his Honda Vision that he bought off an old granny trailing behind to prolong the agony. Your left thinking for god sake how long is it going to take you to get out of ear shot.

paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAArp :(

EDIT- and then you have to put up with the crap that they talk to their mates when they stop "yeah I de-restricted it and stuck a sports pipe on it" Nice one, I'm sure the money you spent and the 1000's of people you pee of a day is worth the extra 0.4MPH ...end of rant....
 
sniper007 said:
Another point worth mentioning is that some cars are just gonna be plain loud regardless of exhaust. i.e. a silly bhp jap turbo car will have an induction "noise" (turbo spool and induction rasp) which can be extremely loud also. But these people arent labeled as boy racers, but usually are respected as clearly care about their car and have modified it in a tasteful (?) and more serious way to gain speed. Typically this would mean a very free flowing full exhaust system which add yet more noise. .
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4.5" to 6.5" slash cut full decat, and its annoyingly loud at times - having said that if I rev it in a tunnel I still do sex wee's

for me at least there is a huge difference between loud for the sake of it and loud for the sake of performance
 
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