AMA Awards Five Sound Meter Kits

Five organizations will receive sound test kits in 2020 as part of the annual AMA Sound Meter program, which is one aspect of the AMA’s ongoing commitment to educate riders and the nonriding community about the issue of excessive motorcycle exhaust sound.

Few other factors contribute more to misunderstanding and prejudice against the motorcycling community than excessively loud motorcycles.

Since the AMA’s inception in 1924, the association has been urging motorcyclists to be sensitive to community standards and to respect the right of fellow citizens to enjoy a peaceful environment.

For on-highway motorcycles, the AMA endorses the SAE J2825 sound measurement standard. For off-highway machines, the AMA supports the SAE J1287 standard, which has been adopted by many clubs and is endorsed by the U.S. Forest Service.

The AMA Sound Meter program provides money for the purchase of sound testing kits that include a Type 2 sound meter, a tachometer, training materials, a spark-arrestor probe, personal protective equipment and a protective case.

The full AMA position statement is available at americanmotorcyclist.com/excessive-motorcycle-sound.

Including the 2020 kits, the AMA has awarded 134 sound meter kits since the program began in 2005.

The organizations receiving kits in 2020 include:

• Blue Brothers New York LEMC, Newark Valley, N.Y.
• Southern Maryland Dirt Riders Inc., Prince Frederick, Md.
• CCC of Michigan, Capital Chapter, Laingsburg, Mich.
• Vincent Owners Club, Gotham Chapter, Highland Lakes, N.J.
• Fun Rides Bike Nites, Defiance, Ohio