Exhaust laws

[Cruiser]

Hiya,

Just wondering if anyone knows what the maximum penalties/fines etc are if you get pulled over with a "Not for road use" exhaust (can) on your bike? Any help apreciated!!!! cheers

[St0rmer66]

I believe £30 fine for a first offence but up to a £1000 for recurring offences. You can't get any points on your license for it though.

Most coppers wouldn't know if it was legal or not unless it was taking the piss with noise or you didn't get rid of the "Not for road use" thing.
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:: Honda XR 125 L ('53) => Kawasaki GPZ 500S ('02) => Suzuki SV650S ('00) => Aprilia RSV-R ('51) ::

[Cruiser]

so i cant in anyway get 3 points etc due to insurance not being valid as its an illegal exhaust? yeah i need to find a way to get rid of the not for road use part, ive heard it can be polished out?

[AsPHy]

I remember hearing somewhere that coppers aren't allowed to remove stickers or anything off your bike. So some people have been known to use heatproof stickers to cover the 'not for road use' thing on the can, in a "subtle" way I assume.
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"it has to start somewhere, it has to start sometime, what better place than here, what better time than now?"

[steveh]

can you get done if there is no markings on your exhaust?

ive done a "little" modification to my exhaust, ill make a post about it tomorow once i get some pics.
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Current : 06 Zx10r, 07 Wr450f SM, 74 850 norton commando, 63 bsa b40, 1962 Triton 650, 67 Triumph Tr6r, 1955 Triton 750, 1978 TY250E.

[St0rmer66]

[Method]

I wouldnt be so sure...

Ok so i never had any trouble on my bikes before hand, but...

When you sit down and think about it, you can get points for driving a car that has bald tyres, just as you can for a bike. That is because it means your vehicle isnt fit for use on the road, a loud race can has the same effect. It is illegal for MOT's because it is illegal for use on the road, therefor in some places, some traffic cops may be inclined to do you for this, and in my eyes they would probably be right to do so...

[Ichy]

From what I've read you can be accused of having a vehicle which is not roadworthy if your exhaust is too loud. I think you have to get some form of paperwork off a MOT station to prove otherwise?

There's also antisocial behaviour although that won't affect your licence.

I thought that the exhaust had to be marked with a indelible approval mark or standard to make it legal, unless, strangely, it was brought as second hand?

Found this on the Cumbria Police site, seems like a attitude towards it all

There has been much written in various publications of the motoring press over recent years, intending I think to scare you and maybe alienate us from the motoring public into thinking we can just seize your car or motorcycle when you are driving along the road minding your own business.

Yes there are powers available to us which we can use, providing certain circumstances are present.

I intend to deal with Section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2000 which certain motorcycling press has suggested we can just take your motorcycle from you for purely for having a noisy exhaust. THIS IS NOT THE CASE.

What the legislation says is this:-

Section 59 of the Police Reform Act 2002 refers to vehicles being used in a manner which causes alarm, distress or annoyance. Where a vehicle is being used in this way, or otherwise amounts to careless or inconsiderate driving, a constable in uniform will have certain powers with which to deal with the matter. An example might be performing screeching 'handbrake turns' in a housing estate.

59(1) Where a constable in uniform has reasonable grounds for believing that a motor vehicle is being used on any occasion in a manner which-
(a) contravenes section 3 or 34 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (careless and inconsiderate driving and prohibition of off-road driving), and
(b) is causing, or is likely to cause, alarm, distress or annoyance to members of the public,
he shall have the powers afforded to him by the act.

So what this means in real terms is that if you drive a car and you are doing wheelspins, handbrake turns either on the road or retail car parks or driving in any other way that may be seen as driving without due care or inconsiderate driving (Section 3) and this is causing, or is likely to cause, alarm, distress or annoyance to members of the public, then on the first occasion you will receive a warning which will normally be a verbal one backed up with a written warning some days latter.

If you ride a motorcycle with a noisy exhaust then simply riding a machine does not make you fall foul of this legislation. IF however you ride your machine through a sleepy little village pulling a wheelie with the engine bouncing off the rev limiter, making enough noise to make everyone’s ears bleed then there is a very strong chance you would find yourself with a warning.

If on a second occasion you find yourself being stopped again having been driving in a manner previously described then your vehicle will be seized there and then and a recovery operator will be contacted to remove your vehicle.

The cost of this to YOU is £105 statutory removal fee plus £12/day storage after the first 24Hrs.