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<p>New motorcycles are required to meet strict noise limits in a range of driving
conditions before being placed on the market. The current limit within the approval
test is between 73 and 77 decibels (dBA) depending on the power to weight ratio of
the machine and is not specific to types of roads.</p><p> </p><p>Once on the road,
regulations require that exhausts and silencers shall not be altered to increase noise
above the level the motorcycle was originally approved to. The police also have powers
to take action if they believe excessive vehicle noise could have been avoided through
reasonable driver care.</p><p> </p><p>The annual vehicle MOT test requires an inspection
of the state of repair of the exhaust and the tester uses their experience to make
a subjective assessment of the noise levels. A vehicle should fail the MOT if the
silencer has been altered to increase noise above the level expected from a standard
system.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
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