Motorcycle-approved exhausts? (Noise limits, emissions, ...)

Transportation, Travel and Trips
1
Hello, I was wondering if some of you knew something about motorcycle exhausts laws in Switzerland, more precisely which brands / models of exhausts are legal and allowed to be used in Switzerland.

I know that UE-approved exhausts may be illegal in Switzerland, and you need a piece of paper stating that the exhaust is legal to be used in Switzerland, since Switzerland has different noise / CO2 emissions laws concerning exhausts).

Does somebody know for sure that a specific brand (Akrapovic, Arrow, Leo Vince, Ixil, etc) provides Switzerland-legal exhausts?

2
I first answer your most dire question. Yes, Akrapovic, Arrow, Leo Vince, etc)provide Switzerland-legal exhausts!

For an exhaust to be legal, either one of the following must be true:

a) It is an exact replacement of the original.

b) It is listed on the motorcycles type approval.

c) It has a Swiss type approval.

d) It has a EC / ECE type approval, and has a Certificate issued by a Swiss importer or producer.

e) It has a EC / ECE type approval and you can show the full version of it (some 10 to 20 pages)

f) It was specifically tested on your bike and you can show the test results from a approved testing site.

f) gives you the most freedom but is the most expensive option.

d) Is the standard option. You either buy in Switzerland (expensive) or buy aboard and get a certificate from a Swiss dealer. Other forum members may help with this. See for ex: Having issues finding importers for motorbike exhaust.

Most information can be found in (No Italian or Englisch version)

KT MB 11 «Austauschschall-dämpfer und -katalysatoren» (German)

http://www.asa.ch/media/archive1/Sho...MB_KT_11_d.pdf

or in French: http://www.asa.ch/media/archive1/Sho...MB_KT_11_f.pdf

Here the rest of the legal Mumbo Jumbo (in German)

Weisungen des ASTRA vom 29.09.1995

Erläuterungen und Weisungen zu VTS, VVV und VZV

http://www.astra2.admin.ch/media/pdf...9-29_710_d.pdf

Weisungen des EJPD vom 29.09.95

http://www.astra2.admin.ch/media/pdf...9-29_710_d.pdf

ASTRA Weisungen über die Befreiung von der Typengenehmigung

http://www.astra2.admin.ch/media/pdf...-27_2418_d.pdf

Verordnung über die technischen Anforderungen an Strassenfahrzeuge. VTS

http://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classifie...165/index.html

Verordnung über technische Anforderungen an Motorräder, Leicht-, Klein- und dreirädrige Motorfahrzeuge. TAFV3

http://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classifie...170/index.html

Directive 97/24/EG

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-conte...LEX:31997L0024

and Annex 2 of Council Directive 78/1015/EWG

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-conte...LEX:31978L1015

ECE-R 59

http://www.unece.org/trans/main/wp29/wp29regs41-60.html

ECE-R 92

http://www.unece.org/trans/main/wp29...egs81-100.html

3
Thank you so much for the detailed answer. I guess the best way would be to buy the exhaust from Italy/Germany/France/UK and then contact the local importer for the appropriate certificate (through my dealer).

This may be a long shot, but do you have any idea if some slip-on exhausts are not allowed with a restricted (25kW) motorcycle? Would there be a way to use them (like restricting the bike that little bit more to be under the limit). Thanks!

4
Generally speaking the exhaust has to be less then 97DB noise..

IF the cops pull you over and test the noise of the exhaust and its

in excess of 97db then they can fine you 400f for first ticket, scaling up

for further violations or they can seize the bike on the stop depending on them.

For Example all harley davidson bikes from usa direct have the stock exhausts

removed and replaced before they can do the safety.. stock usa exhausts

have a lovely note but they are 120-337 db average. far in excess of the 97db

mandated here in switzerland. So you can put on a legal pair get TUV MKF

approved, when you get bike back put the american stocks back on or a pair of

scream eagles, vance and hines etc.

Yeah get your certificates, and make sure your approved or keep the pipes

off your bike unless you love fines Just a few handy tips.

A>

5
Restricted bikes have a different type approval number. So if the slip-on's approval does not cover your restricted bike, you have to go for option f) from above.

6
DB, what? dB please. But then it is still missing a reference as dB alone is just a quotient. Normally dB (A) is used. And then we are missing a measuring distance and condition.

Putting all together we get :

80 dB (A) in a distance of 7.5 Meters, approach with 50 km/ h, then full throttle and release.

The dB (A) value from the stationary test at half of the maximum power rpm, at exhaust level, 0.5 Meter away, can be higher and is for reference only.

See Chapter 9 of Directive 97/24/EG for exact test conditions.

7
This is exactly what I did. I bought an exhaust from the UK for half the price (once import fees, and tax are all accounted for) and purchased an 80-120 CHF (model dependent) certificate from a local dealer for that exhaust.

Edit: Akrapovic and Arrow certificates seem to be more expensive than Leo Vince from my research FYI.

8
Sorry to resurrect an old thread. I just got my Akrapovic slip-on. I really like the sound, but it's really quiet, almost like stock. Would it be possible to remove the db-killer and ride around without it, if it doesn't exceed 80dbA at 50kph at 7.5 meters?

Also, is the "full throttle and release" reading still done at 7.5 meters? So basically redline the bike and if it's under 80dbA at 7.5 meters of distance, it should be fine?

9
Old thread? It is a young one by EF standards.

Yea, if you get it measured and certified by an ASTRA approved testing place you are fine. Thats either http://www.dtc-ag.ch or http://www.fakt.com/

10
Thanks for the links. Do you know how I would go about getting the exhaust approved in Tessin?

11
There are two reasons your Akra seems quiet/same as stock

1. Replacement exhausts should not exceed the OEM noise levels

2. It's just a slip on

You can take the chance to remove the baffle or use a straight one and if it's not too loud, you should get away with it.

The Akra will sound different but to get a whole new noise, you'll have to replace the whole exhaust - and then you'll pull the cat and face non-compliance there.

#loudpipessavelives!

12
I asked because I see (and hear!) a lot of motorcycles with very loud pipes, but I highly doubt they are all illegal. So, you're saying that the aftermarket pipe should not exceed OEM noise levels - does that mean that removing the db-killer will render the exhaust not approved, even if it's under the 80dbA at 7.5 m (etc.) that we talked about earlier? I'm going to ask my local MFK and see what they have to say anyways.

13
You need to buy a louder bike. To get an aftermarket exhaust which is louder will run you into trouble.

My bike is loud, loud enough that I wear earplugs on long journeys. I did not do this with the sewing machine I had before and that had an aftermarket exhaust on which was actually approved for the model year up to and including the year before and it had to be removed for MFK.

So get a bike which is loud from the off and has passed the CoC based on those manufacturer specs. I'd recommend a Panigale or MV Augusta

You'll find that it's type-approved (the slip-on) with the baffle in place. So removing it or putting in a straight baffle (marked not for road use) will get you into trouble at some point.

My bike has a straight can with some kind of dB killer in place but apparently you can remove it and it runs at the same volume - no difference in sound. And my bike when I get going can be heard coming and going You can ask Tom

14
Thanks for the reply. As much as I'd like a Panigale, I'm afraid it's a little too soon for that kind of bike . I don't get the point of these regulations then. If my bike without db Killer is quieter than another bike with a db Killer, why would my exhaust be illegal and not his? I mean, the whole point of these laws are to regulate noise emissions, right? That doesn't make sense, but maybe I'm not understanding something correctly.

15
Actually, I found it quite quiet.

(compared to any of mine)

Tom

16
Okay, I have contacted the 2 Swiss companies that certify motorcycle exhausts and the Swiss importer for Akrapovic. The two companies either didn't reply to my email, or said to contact them via telephone (2CHF/min, sure!), while the importer told me that the aftermarket pipe shouldn't exceed the original one's noise by more than 2-3%. I am still going to email my local MFK as well as talking to my mechanic about this, but it seems to me like a "wrong" law. Why would my bike only be allowed to output x dB, while yours can make double as much noise as mine? It doesn't make sense to me, there should only be a hard limit of noise for every vehicle imo.

I would still be interested, if someone knows, if I'd be allowed to get the pipe certified at one of the Swiss companies that do this kind of work. Are they going to look at the motorcycle model and go from there (no more than 3% of the original pipe'noise), or do they only have to look at the document posted by aSwissInTheUS (80dB at 7.5m etc...)?

17
Depends on what you want. Either a general part approval that exhaust Y works within the legal noise levels when mounted on bike type Y. Or this specific exhaust mounted on your bike.

In both cases DTC or FAKT has to do the actual drive-by noise measurement.

But I think in the later case you could go to the current existing limit (if the bike meets all other current existing regulations) or to the limit in force when the your bike was put the first time on the road(if the bike meets all other regulations existing back then).

18
then they are giving more gas.

19
Thank you. I still don't understand if the original exhaust put on the bike has some weight in their testing or not.

I mean, are the going to check how much noise the motorcycle emitted stock, and then add ~3% to that value and say that's the maximum noise the motorcycle can produce, or are they not going to bother doing that and just follow the general, 80dB rule? I'm sorry if you already said that but I just want to make sure I have a chance of certifying the exhaust before doing 200+ km, just to get told that with the db killer inserted it's already at its maximum noise.

20
My brother's KTM on its stock pipe is louder than mine with the akra. He had some KTM PowerParts and it was even louder than that. I am talking both at idle and at full throttle. There's no way my bike is louder than his, idle or full throttle. And he is on the stock exhaust at the moment.