NYS Muffler Laws

[Glormegil]

Morning guys and gals,

Again this in only one of a few post I have done here so please be patient.

I dunno if you guys can help me here but I have a question. I am rebuilding my 1975 Yamaha xs650 and I was wondering if any of you would know the answer to this question.

I want know know if putting straight pipes on the bike is legal in New York State. I only ask because I know that for cars it is illegal...trust me I know this one... however, I see customs with just pipes out there on the road.

If this is not the right place for this post please let me know I will move it, or even if you could answer the question.

Thanks Again for the Help Guys and Gals.

 

[Poverty]

I believe in New york SOUND is the issue I dont think bikes are subject to smog checks of any kind .. .. bike dont needs cats .. so a straight pipe with a good baffle should be fine .. Never understood the loud pipe thing (who wants all that negative attention anyways )

But I dont live in New York .. so Wait till you get someone from your state chiming in

 

[Glormegil]

Its not the sound that I wish to get but the custom look I will get from doing it. I have a sweet idea of how to run them in my head but I just need to know if I can.

Thanks for the input though Poverty

 

[KJ790]

Straight pipes and mufflers with removable baffles are illegal in NY, however there are a lot of people out there with them. Some shops will pass a bike with straight pipes for inspection even though they are not supposed to, some don't for fear of losing their inspection license.

 

[Derek]

Its not the sound that I wish to get but the custom look I will get from doing it. I have a sweet idea of how to run them in my head but I just need to know if I can.

Thanks for the input though Poverty

Sketch out what you want to do, including baffles, and go talk to a few shop owners who do inspections. Some might pass it, some might not. Get a few opinions from the guys who matter and it'll give you a good idea of what can and cannot be done.

There is one shop in my area that won't pass anything that isn't stock (or very close to it). I had to try my darnedest to convince them motorcycles in PA don't need signals, but they wouldn't have it. They don't get my money.

The guy who gets my money looks at the important (read: safety) things, knows hand signals are legal, and says the exhaust was stock when he inspected it... Find that shop.

~ Derek

 

[uebe]

http://www.calmusa.org/New York/New York Law.htm

I've never seen a decibel level rating for how loud is loud here in NY. Seems to be at the discretion of the police. There seems to be a lot of loud pipes out there who don't get ticketed. ( maybe it just seems that way). Everything thing I've read seems to be more concerned with non-stock pipes or mufflers. I believe it's mainly the local noise ordinances that come into play. I live in a city where loud vehicles and music are more acceptable than in say, a small village. Just my opinion.

 

[Glormegil]

Sketch out what you want to do, including baffles, and go talk to a few shop owners who do inspections. Some might pass it, some might not. Get a few opinions from the guys who matter and it'll give you a good idea of what can and cannot be done.
~ Derek

Thanks Guys,

Derek great idea. I will do this, and as for the inspection at the moment I have a whole year to worry about that...it has stock ones at and passed.

 

[uebe]

Excellent idea about talking to the inspector prior to the inspection.

About the hand signals...........I'm starting to think non-bikers don't know what the hand signal is for stop or left turn. I'm gonna go with huge lights.

 

[Glormegil]

In NYS I was told by the inspector that if the bike came stock with the lights then you need to have them. If the bike did not then hand signals are legal. Not sure for PA though.

 

[trance]

In NY:

http://www.dmv.ny.gov/forms/mv529b.pdf

mufflers are required. straight pipes are not allowed. there is nothing wrong with a muffler with removable baffles, but you can't remove the baffles.

 

[Glormegil]

Thanks Trance,

Was hoping but oh well.

 

[trance]

I'm running the shorty mufflers. Not on the road yet, but they are fairly unobtrusive.

wonder if someone makes a muffler that's 1 3/4" or 1 1/2" diameter than you can weld in to look like a straight pipe?

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3pfc8Cn4d1rv4kg5o4_1280.jpg

 

[KJ790]

According to http://www.dmv.ny.gov/mcmanual/mclicenses.htm exhausts with "cut-outs" and mufflers with removable baffles are prohibited. I have never seen anyone get in trouble for an exhaust with a removable baffle before though (as long as the baffle was in place).

If you do run straight pipes, don't go to Americade, the cops use that as a fund raiser and set up road blocks to ticket everyone with straight pipes. Other than that I haven't heard of too many people getting in trouble for straight pipes.

 

[Glormegil]

Well then what about internal baffles such as these. any thoughts on this?

 

[trance]

no idea. JC whitney also seems to have some 8" mini muffler inserts. I'd go talk to the shop that's going to do your inspection. Please report back on the results, cuz it'd be nice to do something invisible inside a straight pipe.

http://www.jcwhitney.com/8xx-internal-mini-mufflers/p2006472.jcwx?filterid=u0

 

[Glormegil]

I will do that Trance and get back to you no latter then tomorrow when I pick up the bike from getting new tires on it.

 

[trance]

this looked interesting too. put a couple of these in and you wouldn't even see them. they are actually a muffler

http://www.jcwhitney.com/motorcycle-2-cycle-silencer/p2006238.jcwx?filterid=c14675

 

[rezsst]

i use a bolt flanges on my truck exhaust so if i need to i can switch them out. it takes me about 10 minutes

 

[angus67]

Well then what about internal baffles such as these. any thoughts on this?

i have those. they sound pretty good on a well tuned engine, but they can bark!!
they idle nice. if you run them, you need 1 and 1/2 inches to fit snug in the inner pipe. I cut my pipes rite after the mounts under the bottom motor mount.

 

[Glormegil]

Ok, so according to the guys that do my inspections the internal baffles will work for inspection purposes. However, if a shop wants to be picky noise level readings are taken.

Taken from the guys mouth.