Neighbours called EPA on me!

[Aussie Ninja]

Title says it all. I got a letter from the EPA saying someone complained my bike was too loud. It's a 2011 ZX10R with a mystery brand (maybe hotbodies) exhaust that came on the bike when I bought it at about 12 months old. The muffler is pretty much a straight though with an insert. Even with the insert it's pretty loud, so months ago I crammed some stainless steel wool in there to keep the noise down.

I'm assuming it's because I've been leaving for work at 5:30am recently to complete a project we are way late on, and at that time even shifting at 3.5k my bike is loud enough to wake people.

My first reaction was to do a few laps minus the insert (which I'd still love to do) but that'd probably just make my life harder in the long run. I'd rather not spend money on a new exhaust, both from a monetary point of view and I don't want to bend over for whoever called the EPA rather than coming to talk to me first.

Any suggestions?

[Smitty]

you bought it with the zorst AND with a roadworthy? ( I guess)

get another roadworthy and send that back in reply (is what I would do in Vic, not sure about NewSoufwhales)

[brewster24]

Yeah, that will end well for who ever gives you the road worthy.

[pkay]

I'd go for a cheap aftermarket that you can slip on when doing early shifts.

I had one of these on my car (when I was living in NSW) and unlkess you can show it was standard you are rooted. The way it works with the EPA is you are guilty until innocent. So if you keep riding after the warning and get an enforcement notice you'll have an issue. When I got the clear from the EPA there wqas a bit of payback - bitch!!

[farmer]

I have nothing against loud pipes. But if you think it is loud enough to wake people, and you are leaving early ..... Someone will not be happy. buy a muffler that makes less noise

[z900/zx9]

sure it probably anoyed them but hey at least have the guts to speak to you before calling the EPA .what has the country come to when people are so piss weak that they cant even talk to someone and have to do dirty shit.
I say FUCK THEM.

[BrettZZR]

While I do understand your reaction, a lot of people might be a tad fearful of you simply because you ride a bike. Said "reputation" is probably totally misplaced for most of us (myself included - I'm a decent size bloke, but the biggest softie) but most of us probably don't mind a bit of "bad boy" about us. That said, you can't really blame people for not wanting to front-up...

Why don't you be the bigger man, do whatever you would have done if they had come and talked to you about it. And then pen an apology and drop a copy in each letterbox.

Isn't that what you would want another bloke to do if the shoe was on the other foot?

[rooster]

Better still dob them into the EPA for littering

[Aussie Ninja]

I talked to Glen at Allfixed about my predicament. Apparently the EPA will go through me like a dose of salts if I get another complaint, they are getting really bad. So I'm getting an ADR approved Arrow system. It comes with documentation so I can prove it complies.

[javaman]

Some people are just precious pricks.

I got this last year. This is for completely original GPZ pipes. Imagine the horor were they KERKER

Suffice to say I ensure a few friendly 'blips' passing her house since then

Here's an EPA link which is sensible:
http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/your-environm ... tial-noise

[Mitch]

so what does the EPA letter say? Is like a warning? Surely they would have to go on something more significant than some ass hats thoughts that you have a noisy bike?

Fortunately, I live in a street full of bikes (inc a couple of loud Harley's and a 748) and have never come across this

[Aussie Ninja]

Yep, it was a warning. It said they had a complaint and if they got another they would bring my bike in for a thorough inspection, and if it was non compliant they would fine me heaps.

Got the Arrow pipe on, but the matching cat delete pipe was not in stock, so I had to put the cat back on. I've never had it on the bike (bought it with the other pipe on it already), and I hate it. The bike is too quiet. People keep trying to kill me. It's so quiet I can hear my tyres! The drop in power sucks too! It's really noticeable, and I need much more throttle to accelerate.

Can't wait until the new cat delete pipe arrives in a month.

[tim]

Yep, it was a warning. It said they had a complaint and if they got another they would bring my bike in for a thorough inspection, and if it was non compliant they would fine me heaps.

Got the Arrow pipe on, but the matching cat delete pipe was not in stock, so I had to put the cat back on. I've never had it on the bike (bought it with the other pipe on it already), and I hate it. The bike is too quiet. People keep trying to kill me. It's so quiet I can hear my tyres! The drop in power sucks too! It's really noticeable, and I need much more throttle to accelerate.

Can't wait until the new cat delete pipe arrives in a month.

An exhaust valve with electric solenoid would be perfect. No idea if they do them in bikes but are in some performance cars. Pop it on around your house open it up once on the open road.

[Phantom]

I agree that that your neighbor should have mentioned it to you before the EPA. Having said that, some insecure people
may think; bikie will bash me if I mention anything to them. I know it's sad but they exist.

Anyway, what I've done a couple of times in the wee hours, is rolled the bike out onto the street
and then started it out there, and rolled away at idle... i had decent neighbors so I was happy to do that for them.