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Conclusion

This proposal will have no effect or impact at all on any motorcycle that is equipped with its original (from the factory) unmodified exhaust system. It only singles out motorcycles that are equipped with loud aftermarket or tampered-with original equipment exhaust systems.

When a state or locality implements “label match-up,” it is simply enforcing a federal manufacturing regulation, much like many of the other federal safety standards that police and inspection mechanics already enforce. These include ANSI glazing standards, DOT tire requirements, and federal EPA exhaust air emissions standards. Although the EPA Office of Noise Abatement and Control that created these regulations is dormant, there is no real need for its assistance, since there is more than enough evidence presented to show how this simple “label match-up” plan can be implemented and enforced.

The benefits to the health and welfare of citizens will be substantial. Based on EPA estimates, if states adopt and enforce “label match-up” and anti-tampering provisions^[1], there will be roughly a 61–75% reduction in the number of interruptions of people’s activities (i.e., sleeping, conversation, etc.) that are caused by just a single loud motorcycle pass-by^[2].

The cost to bring a motorcycle into compliance with this proposal can range anywhere from $400 to $1,200. Relatively speaking, this is not much of a burden to this group of motorcyclists, who routinely spend $400 to $1,500 on loud aftermarket exhaust systems, chrome wheels, and custom paint jobs.

It should be noted that many of these motorcyclists save their quiet original equipment exhaust systems to reinstall when they grow tired of their own noisy vehicles.

This includes preventing the installation of competition-use mufflers, as well as gutting or modifying EPA-approved mufflers.

The percentage is based on reducing the size of the modified (loud) motorcycle fleet (nationwide) from twelve percent (12%) to three percent (3%) by utilizing states as a tool to do so. See 45 Fed. Reg. 86694, at 5.