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Mark Hinchliffe·
NewsMotorbike news
··12 Comments·1 min read

Motorcycle exhaust blitz expected soon

Loud Pipes exhausts mufflers blitz axe

Another Queensland Police and Transport and Main Roads (TMR) blitz on motorcycles is expected in the next couple of weeks, particularly concentrating on noisy exhausts.

As part of Operation Grenadine on April 28/29, Queensland Police issued 16 vehicle defect notices and TMR officers issued six defect notices.

TMR could not provide a breakdown of the defect notices, but it is believed they were mainly for noisy exhausts.

There are now rumours on social media that the blitz will be repeated soon following more residents’ complaints about noisy bikes.

Police and TMR would not confirm this.

Defect notices blitz

Police 'safety campaign’ unfair on riders cops road safety crash accident may blitz
Police pull over riders on the Gold Coast hinterland during the recent Operation Grenadine

A TMR spokesman says defect notices do not have a penalty or fine attached, “provided the registered operator of the vehicle complies with the requirements of the notice”.

“Minor defects may be categorised as self-clearing, which means the registered operator is required to remedy the defect, with the vehicle not required to be independently inspected.

“With more serious defects, the defect needs to be remedied and the vehicle inspected at an approved inspection station by Queensland Police or at a government inspection facility, as specified on the defect notice. 

“The rider of a defective motorcycle may alternatively be issued with an infringement / penalty notice for driving or parking a defective vehicle on a road.

“The penalty ranges from $126.15 to $252.30, depending on the defect.”

See also

There are also heftier penalties if your bike is found defective for the same issue within a 12-month period.

Aftermarket exhaustsexhausts Mt Mee police operation mountains cars traffic blitz

One of the main problems with receiving a defect notice for an aftermarket exhaust is it costs money and time to take your bike for a further inspection.

Brisbane Barrister Levente Jurth believes aftermarket exhausts are not illegal, anyway.

He has studied the laws and determined that police and authorities do not have the expertise nor objectivity to sustain a conviction for the alleged offence.

Read his comments here and maybe print out a copy to hand to police or TMR officers when they try to issue a notice.

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12 Comments

  1. Flood the courts with legal forest on all fines given. Maybe do it as separate and individual basis so the courts are tied up with ridiculous cases instead of serving justice.

    1. Good idea. The coppers could pull over 10 bikes – ANY 10 bikes, and 8 or 9 would have aftermarket exhausts. The courts would be overflowing. Yet the coppers claim they want to build rapour with riders……blitz after blitz, always profiling Bikers. It’s enough to make you think about giving it away.

      There’s a thought – when will the clowns who dream up these blitzs just come right out and say what they are thinking – and ban motorcycles completely? There again, plenty of revenue to be made, a handlebar blitz will be next……..then a mirror blitz, then a reflector blitz, then a tattoo and beard blitz…..

  2. My missus has no knowledge of acoustics or sound engineering but is quick to complain about the occasional “stupidly loud” bike coming up our hill [her words]. The bike is ALWAYS a Harley that aggravates her, never a modified sportsbike. So it may follow that it is the type of sound rather than the decibels alone that annoy the general public and that lead to complaints. Just a thought!.

    1. I’m not an expert on this, but I think it is all about the size of the ‘bang’ rather than the number of ‘bangs’. A 450cc single cylinder dirt bike seems to make more noise than a 1000cc four cylinder sports bike which has four 250cc cylinders. So with Harleys having two cylinders of around 850cc each (seriously, Harleys are so boring that I don’t bother keeping up to date with their specs) they create very large bangs. That combined with the fact that some Harley owners are really stupid in the way they modify their bikes.

  4. I have a collegue whos already spoken to his local MP re the banning of black Tshirts, they terrify him, these are the people pushing the buttons.

  5. For those who hear Harleys making more noise than others, you are correct. The “National Stationary Exhaust Noise Test Procedures for In-Service Motor Vehicles” gives them a specific advantage over every other bike brand. When the measurement of noise is made, here is what the standard says:

    “4.2.3.3 Where the ESMP for that engine has not been determined by the testing
    authority then the engine shall be brought to and stabilised at a speed as close
    as the testing officer can achieve to one of the following speeds: …..
    In the case of a motor cycle:
    (i) for a two-stroke engine 3750 rpm
    (ii) for a four-stroke engine:
    – from Harley Davidson 2500 rpm
    – from any other manufacturer 3000 rpm.”

    “Engine Speed at Maximum Power” (“ESMP”) means the speed at which the engine
    develops maximum power (rpm).
    So there might be an advantage in not having a tacho in some Cruisers after all. Too bad if your cruiser is a Yamaha or Kawasaki.

  6. It’s a pity to see here bikers attacking other bikers and the machines they choose to ride. We are at our best when we support one another in the spirit of brother and sisterhood…..then our collective voice has some power.

    So many experts regarding Harleys – news flash, Harleys have had tachos for years. They are in the digital readout part of the speedo. My Harley has a noise sticker set at 2750rpm too. It’s always best to only comment when and if you know something rather than speculate. Harleys can range from sewing machine quiet to silly loud, it depends on what mods have been done. What many of us object to is being hassled just because we might run a set of slip-ons. They do not need to be crazy loud. No louder than any Ducati, Japper or trail bike. Unless your bike is absolutely stock in every way, you don’t want to be pulled up during these blitzes, loud or not.

    Carry on.

  7. Loud bike is a safe bike.
    I have a couple of 1970s 2 strokes with beautiful higgspeed (look em up on the interwebby) chambers on them that will challenge any Harley for max decibels. The only tin tops that don’t know where theses bikes are when they are on the road are the dingleberries with the duf duf music at a higher decibel rating….and lets face it they have trouble knowing where on the road they are themselves.

  8. Since having loader pipes I haven’t had any cars try to change into my lane load pipes save lives .

  9. Are we talking about defects , which are at a State level , or issues of non ADR compliance ?
    I always thought they were 2 separate categories .
    Good luck beating an ADR breach .
    I own a Harley and everytime one goes past at 4000 rpm with a set of Vance & Hines pipes
    in full roar I think ‘ no wonder the public are pissed off ‘ .
    Always better to glide by under the radar , why ask for unnecessary attention ?

  10. the way the cops are doing there tests the average stock standard Harley that come out of the HD shop will fail. who comes up with these laws do they sit around a table drinking beers and come up with these laws. my law mower is loader than my HD that mite be on the next list of laws lawn mowers

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