QWR Sends Congrats to Arnold for Winning 2010 AMA Award

The Recreation HQ congratulates Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for winning the AMA’s 2010 Motorcyclist of the Year Award. Actually, if you read the following news release… this is one award he may not want.


AMA News Release on Arnold’s Award
http://www.ama-cycle.org/news/story.asp?id=2404

Unlike some years where a rider wins an award for having a positive impact on motorcycling, the award this year correctly takes Arnold to task for signing SB435 – the CA “sound reduction” bill.

Just like so many of Arnold’s recent endorsements of the far-left agenda, SB435 did not make sense as written, will do little if anything to reduce loud street bikes, and brings harm to the motorcycle industry and community.

Quiet Warrior Racing opposed SB435 early on and urged the legislature and Governor Schwarzenegger to oppose this goofy bill.

QWR SB435 Blog on Arnold Signing Bill
http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2010/09/arnold-signs-sb-435-no-surprise.html


QWR SB 435 Alert to Send Letters to Arnold
http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2010/09/action-alert-send-letter-today-to-ca.html


The General had high hopes for Arnold when he took office but when he started to embrace the radical environmental agenda of the left…those hopes were dashed. By signing SB435, Arnold has justly earned his place in motorcycle history. Congrats big guy!

Arnold Signs SB 435 - No Surprise

The Quiet Warrior was disappointed (but not surprised) yesterday when The Governator signed SB 435 into law.
*
PHOTO: The Quiet Warrior

*

LA Times Article on Signing of SB 435
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2010/09/motorcycle-noise-bill.html

Over the years, HQ and QWR have seen his administration embrace too many far-left proposals and programs. There for awhile, every time the Obama administration would propose a new EPA regulation the Governor’s Office within 5 minutes would issue a news release praising that job-killing regulation or law.

As much as I am critical of the Governor regarding his passion for environmental over-regulation, QWR is even more critical of the street-riding community for digging their own grave on the street-sound issue.

I remember doing an OHV Sound Day at Malcolm Smith’s shop back in 2003 to help educate riders about the new CA 96 dBA law.

Article on Malcolm Smith Sound Day
http://www.sharetrails.org/releases/?filter=media&story=243

What is not in that story is that the loudest bike at the event was not a dirt-bike going through the SAE J-1287 sound check but a v-twin about 50 feet away in the street blowing a 105 dBA on my sound meter (remember the dBAs from dirt-bikes in the article were taken from 20 inches).

No this time, obnoxiously loud street bike owners are to blame for Arnold signing SB 435. Just as in my interview with Chris Daniels on KMJ radio who is a strong conservative and generally against government over-regulation… when it came to SB 435 he (and many others) have become desperate for ANY measure (no matter how ineffective that bill might be) that gave even the slightest hint of addressing excessively loud street bikes. Also another industry person who is a life long motorcyclist told me last week that he was in favor of the bill for many of the same reasons.

Blog with KMJ Radio Interview (a good case study of to why Arnold signed the bill)
http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2010/09/radio-talk-show-on-sb-435-with-quiet.html

Let’s hope Arnold’s signing of this bill sounds a clarion call for both OHV and street riders to respect the rights of others when it comes to being grossly obnoxious on either the road or trail.

Radio Talk Show on SB 435 with The Quiet Warrior

Many followers of this blog ride both on and off road motorcycles. As some of you know, Quiet Warrior Racing is opposing SB 435 because it really does nothing to address excessively loud street bikes but rather sets up a discriminatory fee/ticket schedule and bureaucracy designed to single out motorcyclists for unfair punishment.

*

PHOTO: The Quiet Warrior on his 2001 Intruder this summer

*

See Blog with QWR Alert on SB 435 with letter to the Gov.
http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2010/09/action-alert-send-letter-today-to-ca.html

Yesterday, the Quiet Warrior was invited on the Chris Daniel’s show on the powerhouse radio station KMJ in Fresno to talk about SB 435. I think Chris is, for the most part, a conservative who supports freedom and less government, but the excessively loud bikes in his area was pushing him to possibly support SB 435 out of sheer desperation.

The Recreation HQ invites you to listen to the show and send in your comments. The SB 435 interview with The Quiet Warrior starts about 9:00 into the show and goes to about 17:00. After the interview, Chris takes calls from listeners who ride. I think the caller section is very interesting as it covers the entire spectrum on this issue from folks who champion the “loud pipes save lives” concept to riders who think that we should respect the rights of others.

Link to “Pipe Down!” Segment (click on “listen” icon)
http://www.kmjnow.com/pages/archive?app=podcast&podcastID=774

AP Article with Quote from Don Amador and others
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hnKFh-vuy12ogTY81-4MOc6dMSAQD9I6VPMO0

I think the interview explains to Chris and the audience that SB 435 unfairly discriminates against the rider and really does not address or offer any substantive way for law enforcement or educators/advocates to deal with excessively loud exhaust.

HQ believes that riders should be given the choice to purchase either OEM or aftermarket mufflers and that any legislation should come as the result of a collaborative process (similar to what OHV did regarding the 96dBA sound limit for public land use) and is based on SAE J2825.

Here is a recent news article on SB 435 for your review
http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/bill-99080-state-riders.html

As the article suggests, the bill awaits a veto or approval by the Governor who is also a motorcyclist. HQ hopes that common sense will prevail and SB 435 is vetoed.

HQ encourages you to listen to the whole show and feel free to comment on the blog or send the Quiet Warrior a PM at: damador@quietwarriorracing.com

Quiet Warrior Racing Announces Official Sound Bike for 2010

The General is proud to announce that Quiet Warrior Racing has selected (actually it was donated) its official sound education bike for 2010. As some of you know, The General has been on the forefront of advocating for the use of sound compliant exhaust systems on off-highway motorcycles. QWR is now supporting that same ethic for street bikes using SAE J -2825.

Over the years as a land use consultant to the BRC, he has promoted 96dBA on public lands using the SAE J-1287 20 inch sound test for OHVs. Since 1996, TG has also helped as a volunteer sound tester at various OHV events held on public and private lands.

Recently, he renamed his consulting business to Quiet Warrior Racing. QWR is a recreation and natural resource-based land use firm that specializes in a number of venues including; event support, field research, public land policy analysis, legal research, political consulting, product evaluation, government/media affairs, and public relations. It will also offer some gear with official QWR logo.

QWR will allow TG to continue his efforts to champion a responsible on and off-road land use ethic for BRC and other interests. To make that work fun, QWR will be campaigning for the rest of 2010 on a well-used (and in need of few upgrades) 1994 Suzuki RMX 250. With a repacked 90s era FMF ISDE Spark Arrester it tests at 92 dBA at 3750 rpm.

If you are interested in sponsoring the efforts of QWR or the RMX feel free to drop TG a note at:

Don Amador, Owner
Quiet Warrior Racing
555 Honey Lane
Oakley, CA 94561
Email: damador@quietwarriorracing.com

Office: 925.625.5309

If you want to support QWR by bidding on an official T-Shirt go to:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Official-Quiet-Warrior-Racing-T-Shirt-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQitemZ120608426468QQptZApparelQ5fMerchandise

Thanks to those who are already supporting QWR -- it means more than you really can ever know.

HQ's View on SB 435 and Loud Street Bikes

Several street riders have contacted the Recreation HQ to see where The General stands on SB 435. This is a piece of legislation that has evolved from a motorcycle emission bill to a motorcycle sound bill.

*

Quiet Warrior Racing's Letter to the Sen. on SB 435 (click on it for expanded view)

*

July 7 Modesto Bee Op Ed on SB 435
http://www.modbee.com/2010/07/07/1243455/support-bill-for-quieter-motorcycles.html

KCRA Article on SB 435 (a bill in search of an issue)
http://www.kcra.com/mostpopular/24075288/detail.html

Having seen the success of addressing excessively loud OHVs on public lands via the 2003 96dBA OHV sound law based on SAE J-1287, HQ believes that street riders should be proactive and embrace a similar effort for CA street bikes based on the new SAE-J2825 sound test.

Edmonton, a town in British Columbia, recently adopted a sound law based on J2825 and is holding sound clinics so riders can find out how loud their bikes are.

See Article on Implementation of Edmonton Sound Law
http://www.edmontonjournal.com/technology/Countdown+enforcing+motorcycle+noise+bylaw/3199670/story.html

Both on-road and off-road motorcyclists must understand the general public does not distinguish between a loud off-road motorcycle or a loud on-road motorcycle. To the public - ALL motorcycles are the same and judged collectively. Off-road motorcyclists got their act together almost 8 years ago to protect their access to public lands by addressing excessively loud OHVs. Now it is time for the street-bike crowd to step up to the plate. Be proactive or get shut down.

Thanks for your interest in this subject. Your comments are welcome.

Skunk in CO OHV Politics

After reading the Nov. 6 article about a faux “OHV group” (RTA) and a number of anti-OHV organizations in Colorado trying to strip trail maintenance funds from state parks and use them for more “law enforcement,” I was reminded of my March 2009 blog regarding such groups as being a Trojan Horse or Skunk at the Party.

*Photo: Don Amdor (left) FMF/BRC Sound Crew Leader and Hayward MC's, Jim Donahoe (right), at the Sound Check Station - Cowbell Enduro 2009. Mendocino NF, Photo credit - Ron Simmons

Nov. 6 Article on User Fees Being Diverted (quote from OHVers including Jerry Abboud)
http://www.gjsentinel.com/hp/content/news/stories/2009/11/05/110609_1A_OHV_funds.html?imw=Y

March 2009 – RTA et al being a Skunk at the Party
http://thegeneralsrecreationden.blogspot.com/2009/03/rta-trojan-horse-or-skunk-at-party.html

Having been involved in California OHV politics (remember that ALL land use decisions are political decisions) for almost 20 years, I can guarantee the OHV community that when you have any organization (most of these will be anti-OHV at the core) that focuses primarily on law enforcement to the detriment of trail funding …you have a skunk at the party or worse yet… a Trojan horse in your midst.

My good friend Jerry Abboud (executive director for the Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Assn) who has been at this game for even longer than I… must have an equally good sense of smell. (see his quote in the Nov. 6 article)

These faux OHV groups that now claim to speak for “responsible recreation” should spend an equally proportionate amount of their time and energy supporting trail maintenance, new trail construction, trail volunteer projects, or trail reroutes to address resource issues. If not, get ready to hold your nose.

Most agency and green groups (if they are honest) know that I have been – and continue to be – a strong supporter of appropriate law enforcement as part of a holistic approach to the management of motorized recreation. However, The General believes a strategy that relies primarily on “law enforcement” as a management tool in the absence of a well-managed OHV program --that includes a functional trail network, well kept staging/camping areas, good signing and maps, and most importantly an involved and committed land manager – is doomed to fail.

Groups that require, as their main focus, the following mandates – use of large license plates (so you can be turned into authorities more easily), trail funds be used mostly for law enforcement, and increased fines -- are not your friends.

Not all environmental/conservation groups are so narrowly focused. Be prudent before you jump on the trail with groups that have a hidden or not-so-hidden agenda.

Test Example for SAE - J2825

As you know, The General is the “Quiet Warrior.” Since 1997, he has been on the cutting edge of advocating for sound education and appropriate enforcement of sound laws to address excessively loud motorcycle exhaust noise. He has helped sound tech as various OHV events throughout the country at areas ranging from the Stonyford OHV Area in Northern California to Loretta Lynn’s Ranch. Those events include working AMA National Enduros and Dual Sport Rides, Dealer “Sound Education Days”, major trail rides, and helping at sound clinics. On behalf of the BRC, he also runs the FMF/BRC Sound Testing Program for OHVs.

A number of the troops asked me to do a sample sound check on my bone stock 2001 Suzuki 1500 V-Twin Intruder using the test procedures of the SAE – J2825 20 inch sound test for street motorcycles.

Results for the 1500 Intruder:
Idle – 80.4 dBA
2000 rpm – 85.5 dBA

It appears this test procedure leaves plenty of room for healthy sounding aftermarket street exhaust systems, while screening out the obnoxiously loud street bikes.

This is a very good step for motorcycling!

New Sound Test for Street Bikes - SAE J2825

With so many issues hitting off-road riders these days (i.e. CA budget battle, travel management, etc), The General wanted to make sure that the troops are aware of a rather historic event in the saga of addressing excessively loud motorcycles.

***************************************

*A Quest Type-1 "law enforcement grade" Sound

Meter is Pictured on the Right

*******************************************

*************************************************************

On June 24, the MIC issued a news release regarding a new sound test –SAE J2825
http://www.mic.org/news062409.cfm

************************************************************

***********************************************************
AMA issued a release as well:
http://www.amadirectlink.com/news/story.asp?id=995

***********************************************************


I believe this is a game changer in the battle to improve the image of both the off-road and street motorcyclist. While the off-road community has the SAE-J1287 20 inch sound test – a standard that has been adopted by several states, the missing-link in the sound saga up until now has been an easily applied stationary sound test for street bikes.

While operating the FMF/BRC Sound Testing Program for OHVs at many AMA Dist. 36 Enduros or Dual Sports, I am often asked by dirt-bikers..."When is somebody going to do something about the loud street-bikes?" Well it looks like we have an answer.

Also, some riders don’t realize that the general public does not distinguish between loud dirt bikes vs. loud street bikes – they view all excessively loud motorcycles in the same manner.

I think the SAE-J2825 offers law enforcement and those of us in education a valuable tool to help the riders and other stakeholders address excessively loud street bikes.

Everybody wins with this new test. Kudos to all those who worked in the development of the

SAE-J2825 Sound Test!!!

# # #