A light dusting of snow on the surrounding mountains was the backdrop for an off-highway vehicle (OHV) sound check day hosted by the Grindstone Ranger District of the Mendocino National Forest.

On March 23, 2002, Forest Service personnel and I performed courtesy sound checks on OHVs at the popular Stonyford Recreation Area located about 2 hours northwest of Sacramento, California.

The purpose of the sound clinic was to give OHV recreationists a chance to correct or adjust their exhaust systems to be in compliance with the California State vehicle code. The current maximum allowable sound reading in the Golden State is 101 decibels.

Besides giving the riders a chance to see if their dirt bikes are meeting current sound levels, this field-testing also gave us a chance to get feedback from the average user. After interviewing a number of riders to understand how they came to purchase an aftermarket pipe, several issues became abundantly clear.

ISSUE ONE - Just because a spark arrestor has "USDA Forest Service Approved Spark Arrestor" stamped on it does not guarantee it will make the bike comply with current California State sound laws. A number of riders were frustrated because the local motorcycle parts salesman had told them that the "BRAND X" silencer was "the unit" for their bike and that it met federal spark arrestor requirements. Yet, they were not told it would fail a sound test.

Several riders told us that they had taken those "BRAND X" units back to the shop after flunking a previous sound check. Most of them were satisfied when many dealers took those units back and replaced them with "BRAND Y" systems that did comply with the law.

Clearly, motorcycle shops, pipe manufacturers, catalogue merchandisers, and the users must become more sophisticated in their recommendations and/or purchases of aftermarket exhaust systems that are used on public lands. Maybe, the Forest Service should consider stamping a "sound approved" seal on a unit as well.

ISSUE TWO - Since public education and outreach is an important aspect of law enforcement, it seems that clubs should work in cooperation with federal agencies to set up courtesy sound check stations the day before an enduro or cross-country event. Nothing can ruin a rider's day more than showing up to an event and finding out that he/she does not meet the current sound requirements and may even risk getting whacked with a 100+ dollar fine.

OHV associations should consider developing a sound check team or appointing a steward who could pre-screen bikes before they show up to the starting line. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management officers who are trained in administering the 20-inch sound test should be more than willing to lend helpful advice for such an endeavor.

We found on a number of bikes with multiple disk systems that by removing just 2 to 4 disks that the sound level dropped by 5 to 12 decibels. One example was a Honda XR400 that tested at 105 decibels with 12 disks installed on the muffler. By removing 2 of the disks the bike retested at 93 decibels. Adding one of the new "quiet tips" to an aftermarket spark arrestor reduced the sound level on one bike by almost 9 decibels. Sometimes complying with the law takes little effort.

ISSUE THREE - OHV recreation organizations and publications should continue to get the word out to their readership about "less sound equals more ground." Those subscribers should then take it upon themselves to educate their own network of friends who use and enjoy motorized recreation on federal or state lands. When you are at a staging area and you hear a loud bike fire up, you may want to go over and in a polite tone explain to the rider that our continued access public lands is dependant on him/her having an OHV that complies with the sound law. And, it may even save them the cost of a 100+ dollar ticket.

Everyone in the OHV community (i.e. manufacturers, aftermarket companies, dealer networks, catalogue stores, clubs, trade associations, grassroots groups, publications, agencies, users, etc.) must do their part to address excessive exhaust sound on public lands. It's up to all of us to be the solution and not the problem.

A special thanks to Weekend Warrior Trailers, KTM Sportmotorcycles, Kawasaki, FOX Racing, Sprocket Specialists, FMF Racing, Motion Pro, and Torco for the extra support to BRC for my efforts to promote responsible use of public lands.

Don Amador writes on land-use issues from Oakley, CA. He may be reached by email at: damador@cwo.com.