Recently I have been working on a new card to help promote our "Sound Advice" no excuses campaign. This initiative is all about educating riders about issues surrounding noise. Noise is currently one of the #1 issues for the off-road motorcycling community. As many of you may have noticed, mandatory sound testing has been occuring at trail rides and materials have been provided (along with the right tools for installation) to help riders lower the overall sound of their bikes. Our goal...to have all bikes under or at 94 decibels. Why is sound such a big deal? Well, i'm sure all of us have experienced a lawn mower being run a little too early in the morning or a neighbours loud music interupting our sleep or a nice dinner at home. Everyone perceives sound differently. For some, rock music might be enjoyable and others might prefer jazz. We all have to keep this in mind...especially when riding by residential areas or on shared multi-use trails. Remember: Loud is not more powerful. This issue is important because it directly relates to trail use and preserving our right to ride. The sound issue is an easy target and frequently used to close trails to motorized vehicles. Basically, less sound equals more ground.
Some interesting sound facts:
120 dBs is the sound threshold for pain and 125 dBs is where hearing damage occurs. The typical rock concert emits 120 dBs, a power mower 105 dBs and a french horn 10 feet away emits 97 dBs. The loudest sound in air is sonic boom which occurs at 194 dBs.
How is sound measured? The smallest audible sound (near total silence) is 0 dB. A sound 10 times more powerful is 10 dB, 100 times is 20 dB, 1,000 times is 30 dB. The difference between 94 dB and 100 dB would sound like having four 94 dB bikes running side by side!
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