Many motorcyclists are familiar with groups whose main focus is to control the noise level of motorcycles and to stop them adding ”noise pollution” to certain areas.  Many states have a mandated decibel level for motorcycle exhausts, some higher than local citizens would like, some lower than bikers would like…
 

In New Hampshire, as unlikely as it seems, Seacoast Harley-Davidson has teamed up with local law enforcement to help enforce the mandated decibel level and educate non-bikers about the actual parameters of the laws and many misconceptions that the volume of noise they are hearing is not actually in violation of the law.
 

New Hampshire's maximum decibel level for motorcycle exhausts is 106 decibels.  Most local bikers have no problem complying with the level set by the state, however, some continue to use modified exhausts that exceed the maximum decibels and risk an $84 ticket.  At a press conference held at Seacoast H-D, police officials said they are considering suspending motorcycle registrations of repeat offenders as further incentive to comply with the law.
 

Seacoast Harley-Davidson helped fund the noise campaign including printing brochures explaining commonly misunderstood motorcycle laws.  They have even gone as far as putting up posters outside the dealership saying “Motorcycle Noise Annoys.”   The owner says that they “want to educate owners and the public about what legal motorcycle exhaust is.”  All motorcycles sold at their dealership are compliant with the law, as are most all motorcycles registered in general; a lot of the complaints are “perception problems.” 
 

The belief of Seacoast and New Hampshire police is that this partnership will help them come up with a solution locally that will meet everyone's needs.  In the 2010 ballot a group of citizens successfully created an ordinance that stated in the town of Hampton, motorcycles could not exceed 82 decibels.  North Hampton Police Chief Brian Page says that is it common knowledge, however, that he will not enforce this ordinance because it is overridden by state law.  He wants to make sure he is being fair to the citizens of Hampton as well as all motorcyclists passing through.
 

To find out the motorcycle noise restrictions in your state you can visit http://drivinglaws.aaa.com/laws/motorcycle-noise-limits/