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/
 

Some of you may know about the very old Blue Laws that banned the sale of motorcycles (among other things) on Sundays in the United States.  Did you also know that a few of our states still upheld these laws?  Up until last week, New Jersey was one of these states.  Many New Jersey business owners, like Barb Borowiec, owner of Barb's Harley Davidson, lost business because people couldn't buy a motorcycle at her shop on Sundays.  Tons of potential customers have full-time jobs on the weekdays which left only Saturdays to purchase a bike, a day which was usually crazy busy at motorcycle shops across the state.  This prompted eager buyers to cross state lines and purchase their products at neighboring states like Delaware and New York, which allow the Sunday sales.  In an economy that is already struggling, losing a day of business can be a hard hit.  Borowiec said she still had her shop open on Sundays so customers could buy accessories and take riding classes but serious buyers had to be turned away until Monday.  Barb could not see any reason for the ban especially when liquor, cigarettes, and gambling are still available on the seventh day.  For six years the business owner wrote letters to New Jersey lawmakers and then finally, on March 3rd, Governor Chris Christie signed a bill into law that repeals the ancient Blue Law and now allows the sale of motorcycles on Sunday.  The bill was sponsored by Senator Donald Norcross, D-Camden, whose office is right by Barb's Harley-Davidson shop.  The change of law will not affect the ban on Sunday sales of automobiles and will not apply in Bergen County (across the Hudson River from New York) where Blue Laws still prohibit the sale of almost all non-essential items on Sundays. 
The states that currently ban all automobile sales, including motorcycles, on Sundays are Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin
Maryland, Michigan, Texas and Utah have certain restrictions banning some counties from automobile and motorcycle sales on Sunday but not others.
Jason Waechter is The Motorcycle Lawyer.  He represents injured bikers all over the country.  If you or anyone you know is injured in a motorcycle accident, call us for FREE advice.  Call toll free 1-877-BIKER-LAW
 

The Motorcycle Lawyer, Jason Waechter's Certificate of Appreciation for his work in Washington D.C.  He was part of a group brought together by the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and The National Judicial College to educate judges on Motorcycle Safety.

For fellow bikers that are heading down to Daytona Bike Week, we want to give you a warning about traveling through Georgia.  A $70,000 federal grant was awarded to the state to set up motorcycle only checkpoints.  Bikers will be instructed by portable road signs to pull off the road where they will be inspected for a properly endorsed license, a DOT approved helmet, and the condition of their bikes including good tires, and working headlights & taillights.  The checkpoints have been reported to be operating from 8am to 5pm on I-75 at the vehicle inspection station in Monroe County and on I-95 in Chatham County.

While discussions about these types of checkpoints have gotten very heated, it's best to abide by Georgia's laws while passing through to bike week.  The estimated delay for bikers with proper equipment and endorsements should only be a few minutes.

Electric motorcycle maker Zero has released their new model, the XU that comes equipped with a removable battery pack to make charging more convenient.  The battery can be taken inside and charged in about an hour.  With the purchase and charging of multiple batteries non-stop use can be achieved by simply carrying the batteries with you and swapping them out as you lose your charge.  The XU was designed for more city riding, while Zero's previous models, the X and MX were designed specifically for off-road use.

Another bonus, without the removable battery pack, no one can steal your motorcycle!

Do you want to immerse yourself in the world of Harley-Davidson?  Or do you just miss that old summer camp feeling?  Well H-D is providing a way to for biker enthusiasts to do both!

The Harley-Davidson Museum is hosting 5 day motorcycle camps throughout 2011 in their hometown of Milwaukee.  May 9th-14th is Biker Boot Camp for Women, June 27th-July1st is H-D Fantasy Camp and July 6th-11th is Speed Camp.  All camps feature unique tours and rides aimed specifically for the registered group.  Cost is $3,000 which includes a night out, riding time on a Harley, hotel, transportation to all camp destinations, admissions to all planned activities and of course food.  Each group is only accepting 20 riders so if this sounds like your kind of vacation, register now at http://www.harley-davidson.com/wcm/Content/Pages/HD_Museum/programs.jsp?locale=en_US or call 414-287-2799

Have you ever been riding your motorcycle and decided it was time for a nap?  Although the grassy patch on the side of the road may seem like a cozy place to doze off, it can cause other drivers to assume the worst.  A man in New Zealand recently laid his bike down next to him while napping on the side of the highway.  Another driver, assuming the man had been hit by a car and was unconscious, called for an ambulance.  When the local police realized the man was just sleeping they warned him to always keep his bike standing up when stopping for a rest.  Although there was no accident in this situation, The Motorcycle Lawyer recommends always stopping at a designated rest stop while riding your motorcycle.

Motorcycle-USA released it's Motorcycle Ride Guide this week, a one-stop tool for bikers to find riding destinations throughout the country.  You can now enter your current State and riding style, then through "Ride with GPS" you can download a map of your ride.  The new Ride Guide will also encourage bikers to share their favorite rides and enjoy locations they may never have known about.  To visit this great new site go to http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/Motorcycle-Ride-Guide.aspx 

The Motorcycle Lawyer represents injured bikers all across the country so let us know about some of your favorite rides either here or on our facebook  www.facebook.com/TheMotorcycleLawyer

Dream Machines of Austin, TX has just expanded it's customer base by launching www.dreammachinesofaustin.com to make their entire inventory available online.  Dream Machines stocks a wide variety of bikes from Harley's to custom choppers.  The store also buys and sells used bikes which means that their stock is constantly changing, they typically have more than 300 bikes in their showroom.  A spokesperson for Dream Machines said "We wanted to open our virtual doors to people outside of Austin.  While our primary customer base remains those people searching for motorcycles for sale in Austin, TX, we understand that our bikes might meet the needs of someone else.  Non-local customers can now purchase online and have their bikes delivered to their doorsteps."  The company also offers one to three-year mechanical warranties on all bikes purchased from them.  The Motorcycle Lawyer represents injured bikers all over the country including states like Texas and Florida.