We have had a few interesting things happening in Quebec right now. First of all, the police are coming down hard on noisy bikes. If you are riding a bike with modified exhaust...it's an immediate ticket for the owner. It's happening often enough that bikers are trying to organise petitions and protests. I'm for the side of original mufflers. I hate noisy bikes. There are now a few places in Quebec where bikes are not allowed to go. On a different theme, the provincial police is coming down hard on criminalized motorcycle groups like the Hell's Angels and their sympathisers. Recently, a high level SQ officer and his civilian father received death threats from the Hell's Angels. A bunch of Hell's Angels and their sympathisers were in jail, awaiting trial. Somehow, things got screwed up (I'm figuring that people were bribed) and the trial took too long so these people were released. Since then, the Hell's Angels are showing up again and there are some new motorcycle groups being formed. As you can imagine, the provincial police is monitoring all suspicious activity and actively gathering as much information as possible. One Hell's Angel and 4 of his friends were intercepted by provincial police just outside of my town. They all received fines for modified mufflers. The Hell's Angel took a video of the interception and whined about the strict behaviour of the police officer. This guy was released from prison a few years ago for being an accomplice in a murder. He was given a 15 year sentence which translates to 3 years via the Canadian penal system. The Hell's Angels are planning a huge party for the 3 of August near Montreal. What is really weird is the fact that there are many people on facebook who sympathize with these criminels.
I'm wondering if the modified exhaust laws are just a way to harass mc clubs and give them a reason to pull them over (don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan biker clubs). I'm also not a huge fan of loud exhausts, but there's nothing wrong with adding a little deeper tone as long as it doesn't become obnoxious. A decibel limit would make more sense, but would be harder to enforce so it sounds like they're just outlawing it for everyone. Then again, Quebec has some pretty strict motor vehicle laws pertaining to modifications. A lot of people from NB went out west for work during the oil boom and came back with nicely lifted trucks, only to be fined when passing through Quebec where even that isn't allowed.
In all of Canada, there are only 2 provinces who have provincial police...Quebec and Ontario. All the other provinces use the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (federal). These provinces are also poorer and less populated and from what I can learn, they have fewer police officers. Yes...here in Quebec, there are decibel limits and there are instruments to measure the noise level. I will have to ask a policeman what the real criteria is. Maybe it will take someone who goes to court and proves that his bike does not emit too much noise. From what I see, about 75% of the bikers have loud exhaust and are very proud to let you hear them.....even if you don't want to. In New Brunswick, all Harley Dealers sell their bikes with straight pipes. As for the modified suspension systems, everyone knows that they diminue the vehicle's roadworthiness. The accident rate in Quebec is double what it is in Ontario even though there are fewer people. The government is trying to decrease the accident rate. Ontario provincial police do not bother with vehicles from other provinces. There was a time when helmets were not obligatory in Quebec but were in Ontario. Quebec bikers without helmets got the "peace and love" sign from the police.
The definition of a criminal is one that breaks the law. I sometimes speed, don't stop completely at stop sign, change lanes quickly to avoid a road hazard without signaling and probably break a few other laws at times. I'm sure there are a few of you out there that might at times do the same. Just a thought, since we are three or more and at times break the law I question if that make us a criminal gang or club?
As far as the modified exhaust... I am a supporter of louder exhaust. You can have good sounding exhaust and not be annoying with it. I am willing to bet there is no one on here who is honest with us and themselves that there have been times you heard a bike before you saw it. Do loud pipes save lives? Who knows because the person is alive so no way to judge it.
I am in a RIDING club not a MOTORCYCLE club. There are differences. We do not ride stupid. We are safe. We are human and not perfect, yes we exceed the speed limit, yes we roll stop signs. I do not think that makes us criminals. LOL
"Most traffic tickets in Texas are for Class C Misdemeanors, which are crimes punishable by a fine up to $500. Generally, parking tickets are not Class C Misdemeanors. This page discusses your rights and general guidelines for self-advocacy when you are charged with a Class C Misdemeanor."
About once a month a gang of riders goes past my apartment. You can really here them coming that sound of angry bees. Then about 25 or 30 riders on Vespas and mopeds go by, I'm sure their up to no good.
measuring sound level is difficult. The reference is usually the sound (air pressure) level at a distance of 1 meter from the center of the source of the sound. As you get further away the sound pressure decreases, so you have to correct the measurement based on the distance of the microphone from the source.
Anything that will reflect the sound creates both peaks and troughs in the level, depending on the distance, and that includes the pavement.
A police officer cannot measure the dB level of your exhaust as you ride by, like he can measure your speed. To get an accurate measurement he would have to know the distance to your exhaust pipes ie. make you stop and get out the tape measure, and take a reading.
and then, does he measure it with the bike idling, or reving the hell out of the engine?
If you are stopped next to a wall, or under a bridge... the reading is meaningless.
Fwiw, real motorcycle gang's wouldn't let us in the club because of our 'metric' cruisers. LOL....
Back on topic, I live about 10 minutes from QC. If my bike ever gets fixed and I can ride it, I guess I better have my peacemaker's in quiet mode when I ride over there. thanks for the tip!
That was the reason I gave the heads up about police in Quebec. Some cities have asked their police officers to crack down on excessive noise too. From what I can gather, any modified exhausts are apt to get ticketed until there are enough noise meters available to the police. I guess that anyone who can prove in court that his mufflers do not exceed the legal noise limit, his case will be thrown out but is it worth doing? As for the criminal side of things, there is a big upswing in criminal bikers riding their bikes here in Quebec. Are they causing trouble? Not out in the open.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Yamaha Starbike Forum
352K posts
33.1K members
Since 2008
A forum community dedicated to Yamaha Star motorcycle owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, modifications, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!