The Other Side of the Pond: ACEM Cracks Down on Pipe Noise

The European Motorcycle Industry Association (translated to to "ACEM") has taken the fun out of pipe tinkering in the EU.

The end result?

Say goodbye to removing that baffle / silencer / dB-killer, because you can't take ‘er out anymore.

The guidelines – created with "key aftermarket exhaust industry players" – address a motorcycle's "Impact of Noise in Daily (EU) Life," stating that silencing baffles and aftermarket decibel-killers must now be "fixed onto the exhaust system, and can no longer be removable."

Should the unit already be spot-welded to the pipe, ACEM specifies that the silencer wil have to be beefed up "to [the] extent that the muffler itself will have to be destroyed in order for it to be removed."

Lovely, eh?

The guidelines were presented late last year to a stakeholder meeting hosted by the EU Commission, after which point it passed through GRBP (the world forum on sound level of vehicles) in February of this year. A final handout of the thing at a GRBP session in September will complete the process, cementing the rules for the foreseen future.

"This initiative, bringing together the expertise of recognized players in the motorcycle industry, tackles one of the main causes of motorcycle noise in the street," comments Antonio Perlot, the organization's Secretary General.

"Homologated silencers with baffles that are too easily removable are still present on the market today, which can lead to unacceptable noise levels on the road."

What do you think of Europe's new guidelines for the industry's decibel-happy pipes?