Federal Legislation and Motorcycles

Interested in this history.

What were the years and legislative language that mandated how motorcycles can be sold here in the States.

Was the Mark 3 left side shifting a result of US law for 1975 imports?

Is it law that all bikes shift with down for first and up for the rest?

Bean can silencers a result of mandates or just Norton wanting to be seen as quieter?


How about noise decibels and turn signals mandated, was it around 1973?

Anything significant passed since then that effected motorcycle sales here?

The most significant things that have happened to motorcycles in the U.S. revolve around the State of California.

El Stinko.

Here ya go:



-----Original Message-----
From: George Kulakowski <scckayak@verizon.net>
To: Undisclosed recipients: ;
Sent: Mon, Jun 14, 2010 9:22 pm
Subject: Fwd: Senate Bil 435 is back!

FYI

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "AMA" <grassroots@ama-cycle.org>
> Date: June 14, 2010 10:38:20 AM PDT
> To: "GEo Kulakowski" <scckayak@verizon.net>
> Subject: Senate Bil 435 is back!
> Reply-To: "AMA" <nharis@ama-cycle.org>
>
>
> Senate Bil 435 is back!
> Senate Bill 435 (motorcycle emissions) has been amended and is now scheduled for a hearing on June 21st.
> Take Action!
> Bill would require stock exhaust on all bikes manufactured after January 1, 1983.
>
> California Senate Bill 435 (Pavley, 23rd District, D) is back. Despite repeated failure to garner support for past versions, Senator Pavley continues to unfairly target motorcycle owners. The latest version of the bill would require only stock exhaust systems on all motorcycles constructed since 1983, and mandates a $300 fine for any owner who is found to be in violation.
>
> Once again riders throughout the state are asked to contact their Senators and let them know that this is simply unacceptable. The newest version of this bill, which previously mandated smog testing, would result in thousands of currently legal motorcycles to be removed from the road, or their owners being forced to spend hundreds (or thousands) of dollars to reinstall OEM exhaust. Also, in the case of older models, many owners would be left in an all but impossible situation, as OEM exhaust systems will simply be no longer available from the manufacturer, therefore rendering the bike both illegal to ride and all but impossible to sell.
>
> Furthermore, the lack of a labeled exhaust system does not mean a motorcycle is out of compliance with the federal law. After-market exhaust systems that comply with RSA 266:59-a are available from a number of manufacturers and often installed by their owners for a number of different reasons:
> 1) after-market exhaust systems are available when OEM exhaust parts are no longer, especially for older motorcycles;
> 2) Exhaust systems can rust out or be damaged in a minor accident, requiring replacement
> 3) after-market exhaust systems cost less than OEM systems, even when they are available; and
> 4) OEM exhausts systems are not available for custom motorcycles and kit motorcycles constructed by individuals from non-OEM components.
>
> Lastly it is simply unfair to expect a motorcycle owner to display a ‘readily visible’ label if one is not delivered that way from the factory. Many EPA stamps are very difficult to locate on new motorcycles. Is it reasonable to expect a motorcycle owner to partialy dismantle his or her motorcycle on the side of the road to prove the exhaust system is labeled?
>
>
>
>
> AmericanMotorcyclist.com
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No sweat. 48 of my bikes were built before that, and the other two are so nearly stock appearing as to avoid scrutiny.

Going from memory (which is fading with age)...

Was the Mark 3 left side shifting a result of US law for 1975 imports?

Click to expand...

There were MKIII's in the showroom when I bought my MKII in the Spring of '75, and I recall the law was to take effect for the 1976 model year.

Is it law that all bikes shift with down for first and up for the rest?

Click to expand...

Dunno that one for sure, but I believe so.

Bean can silencers a result of mandates or just Norton wanting to be seen as quieter?

Click to expand...

LOL, take a guess.

How about noise decibels and turn signals mandated, was it around 1973?

Click to expand...

Noise restrictions in California started in 1969 and got progressively quieter up to '75 then again in '85.

Blinkers were required on bikes manufactured after Jan 1 1973

The law that put the shifter on the left actually mandated that both front and rear brakes be actuated on the same side of the machine. On the mufflers, ever-tightening noise regulations made them necessary since there was no practical way to make the clattery motor quieter. Product-liability labels were (are) just a bunch of lawyer crapola.

My memory serves up this.

1973 - Turn signals, larger DOT tailight.

1975 - Standardized shifting, left side, down, then up.
Kill switch mandatory.

MichaelB said:

My memory serves up this.

1973 - Turn signals, larger DOT tailight.

1975 - Standardized shifting, left side, down, then up.
Kill switch mandatory.

Click to expand...

You had to bring up the kill switch, didn't you... :roll:

Senator Pavley probably has a neighbor who rides a Harley with straight pipes. The bill appears to be tailored to H-Ds. I, too, get a little teed off when some do-ragged Harley rider blats by blaring +120db. Harley riders are consumed by the look-at-me, look-at-me syndrome.

"Bill would require stock exhaust on all bikes manufactured after January 1, 1983."

Yeah, that's gonna impact a lot of Commandos....

The first time the bill was introduced it was for bikes of 2000 model year to present, Now they are trying to go from 1983 forward. Once they pass it I don't doubt they will try and even take it to bikes built in bedrock by the Flintstones. California is broke and these nuts will take every last dime we have. :twisted:

I am far from a WE NEED A LAW type of person BUT and that is large noisy but, The Harley idiot's with the loud pipes save's lives straight pipes have brought this on themselves.If you don't police yourself than you sure wont like the government doing it for you. The total lack of respect for the community with the attitude of LETS SEE HOW MUCH NOISE I CAN MAKE forces places like myrtle beach take action that nobody likes and the motorcycle community wonder's why they are not welcome here. Remember the right grip on a Harley is a volume control and has nothing do with speed :mrgreen:

1. Sorry, but California is it's own little world. Ban bikes completely (if the Terminator will let you) - no skin off my nose. Love SF. No love lost for the rest of your state. Not talking about the people....

2. Socrates is a man. All men are mortal. Some HDs are loud. Some non-HDs are loud. Some HDs are not loud. All idiots should drink hemlock.

3. No Access Norton reader is an idiot. No Access Norton reader should drink hemlock!

BrianK said:

"Bill would require stock exhaust on all bikes manufactured after January 1, 1983."

Yeah, that's gonna impact a lot of Commandos....

Click to expand...

Hmmmmmmmmm...

Dave - can't see what you posted...?

PS, my 73 did not come with turn signals (although I added them, as no one here seems to have any bleeding idea what hand signals, bar one, seem to mean....)

BrianK said:

Dave - can't see what you posted...?

Click to expand...

Is this better?

bill said:

I am far from a WE NEED A LAW type of person BUT and that is large noisy but, The Harley idiot's with the loud pipes save's lives straight pipes have brought this on themselves.If you don't police yourself than you sure wont like the government doing it for you. The total lack of respect for the community with the attitude of LETS SEE HOW MUCH NOISE I CAN MAKE forces places like myrtle beach take action that nobody likes and the motorcycle community wonder's why they are not welcome here. Remember the right grip on a Harley is a volume control and has nothing do with speed :mrgreen:

Click to expand...

Has anyone on the forum ever been pulled over and/or cited for noise violations, lack of turn signals, too small tail light etc? Seems like everywhere I go, I see (and hear!!) HD riders making an incredible and illegal amount of noise but wonder how often they get cited for it. Seems like mostly unenforced laws to me.

BrianK said:

my 73 did not come with turn signals (although I added them, as no one here seems to have any bleeding idea what hand signals, bar one, seem to mean....)

Click to expand...

It was an option in '71 and my '71 never had them although I agree with you....drivers out there today have no clue what hand signals are. They probably wonder what you're waving at! :? :? :? That's why I'll be installing 'em on my Commando...

California regulations are a pain but I agree that to some extent we bring this on ourselves. I had a slightly hot rodded Moto Guzzi V50 monza that was very loud & when I started using it to go to work at 5:00am I put the baffling fiberglass back in the mufflers so my neighbors would hate me a little less. Two neighbors thanked me! There is some ass in my neighborhood now who rides one of the loudest HD's I've ever heard & will blast full speed down our little street past kids playing etc etc. He does this at all hours of the night too setting off car alarms and shaking windows. If I could ( as the legislators can) I would take his bike away from him for general stupidity & total lack of respect for others peace & safety. It's also in the way we ride in public, most Commando riders are not kids anymore so we're not the ones annoying traffic. I got invited to ride with a group of younger sport bike guy's lately and they were fun to chase around but annoyed traffic everywhere they went. Lane splitting at 100 mph, wheelies at every light etc. This will bring more bad attention & laws. That's the only way the general public knows how to stop people from being idiots.

Harley Davidsons seem to have found a way to make excessive noise without the distraction of more power.

A typical 600cc sportbike with stock exhaust produces more horsepower than a Harley big twin at triple the displacement.

Most of the mandates concerning motorcycle controls and lighting stem from US regulations. The US, after all, has traditionally been the biggest market in the world for large bikes

Here in Florida, it is still legal for a 16 year-old kid to get his motorcycle endorsement (4-hour course at many dealerships) then walk into a bike dealer and ride out on a liter sportbike, or larger! He is required to wear a DOT-approved helmet until 21, and the bike has a different tag designating him as under 21.