Arnie's parting ‘gift' falls flat

The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) has named former body builder, actor, bike rider and now politician Arnold Schwarzenegger its motorcyclist of the year – the person who has had the most profound impact on the world of motorcycling, for better or worse, in the previous 12 months.

This one certainly doesn’t have a celebratory tone, as Schwarzenegger, the Californian governor, signed a bill which the AMA claims will have far-reaching and potentially harmful effects on the motorcycling community nationwide.

Schwarzenegger put his signature to The Motorcycle Anti-Tampering Act on September 28, which fundamentally changes how California will regulate motorcycle exhaust systems.

The legislation requires every new motorcycle or aftermarket exhaust system built starting in 2013 to carry a stamp on the exhaust certifying that it meets federal Environmental Protection Agency sound requirements.

For most motorcycles, the law is a de-facto OEM (original equipment manufacturer) exhaust mandate because the federal standard was not designed for aftermarket manufacturers, and compliance for the scores of low-volume production models now on the market is extremely problematic.

“Gov. Schwarzenegger signed a piece of legislation that has rocked the motorcycling world, and will impact motorcyclists in other states as well for years to come," said AMA President and CEO Rob Dingman. "This makes him the logical choice for the 2010 AMA Motorcyclist of the Year.

“The California law is a poorly crafted piece of legislation that's discriminatory and does little to address the core problem of excessive sound from all sources, not just motorcycles.

"Rather than objectively regulate offensive noise, this law creates all sorts of problems for riders, law enforcement and aftermarket manufacturers."

“As a motorcyclist, Gov. Schwarzenegger should have known better. Now California's motorcyclists, as well as key segments of our industry, are going to be negatively impacted."

Currently, only two aftermarket manufacturers in America offer EPA-sound-stamped exhaust systems for a handful of late-model Harley-Davidsons. The process of certification is complex and expensive. For the millions of owners whose motorcycle models were made in relatively small numbers, the requirement to replace an aging exhaust system with an expensive OEM system is onerous and discriminatory. Owners of automobiles and trucks don't have to meet the same standard, and they can buy less expensive replacement exhaust systems at local muffler shops.

Outside of the current situation, the AMA however does praise Schwarzenegger as an ally of motorcycling during his governorship, which expires on January 3, 2011.