Publisher’s Notebook

• SB 435: Words Should Speak Louder than Motorcycles •

ANNE SOBLE

SB 435, the “loud motorcycle” bill, authored by local State Senator Fran Pavley, would make it an infraction, punishable by a fine of up to $100, to operate a motorcycle without a readily visible stamp that proves that the bike’s exhaust system complies with federal Environmental Protection Agency standards.

This is not exactly capital punishment, but to hear the representatives of the various motorcycle lobbies rant, you would think that the state was planning to outlaw beanie helmets, black leather and Iron Crosses.

SB 435 finally passed out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee last week after it was amended yet again during that panel’s hearing to change the enforcement date from 2011 models to 2013, one more concession to the biker bunch, but at least there is hope for some semblance of noise control in the future.

The bill will now move to the Assembly floor for a vote. That action is expected to take place some time next week. Positive reinforcement with local and statewide legislators might be considered appropriate here.

The debate about SB 435 has nothing to do with negative biker stereotypes; it is strictly about noise. Just as there are controls on excess noise throughout other aspects of society, so do people not want to hear the eardrum-shattering sounds of motorcycles that have been modified with aftermarket parts. It’s big business upping the decibel levels with straight pipes because some bikers want to be heard as well as seen.

All SB 435 would do is make it a crime for “a person to park, use, or operate a motorcycle registered in the state that is manufactured on and after Jan. 1, 2013, or a motorcycle registered in the state with aftermarket exhaust system equipment that is manufactured on or after Jan. 1, 2013, that does not have the EPA stamp.”

While it would have been preferable for motorcycle enthusiasts to voluntarily police their own, the major biker organizations want to be free of any efforts to impose noise restrictions.

Malibuites who are tired of bike rallies jackhammering past their Pacific Coast Highway homes or along the area’s beautiful canyon roads have to let the members of the state legislature know that it’s time to address the problem.

If public support for SB 435 doesn’t resonate in Sacramento, there’s little doubt that motorcycle engines will continue to do so in Malibu.