AMA Takes a Jab at Schwarzenegger

The governor of California was selected for the distinction for signing into law the controversial Senate Bill 435, the Motorcycle Anti-Tampering Act. The Act requires all motorcycle exhaust systems built from 2013 onwards carry a stamp certifying it meets Environmental Protection Agency sound requirements.

The AMA has long stood against the law, arguing it will essentially kill the aftermarket exhaust industry as the certification process is too complex and expensive.

As a political statement to denounce the legislation, the AMA saw Schwarzenegger, a motorcyclist, as an obvious choice for 2010 Motorcyclist of the Year, a designation, the group asserts, recognizes
the person(s) who has had the most profound impact on the world of motorcycling, for better or worse over the past year.

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," says Rob Dingman, AMA president and chief executive officer. This makes him the logical choice for the 2010 AMA Motorcyclist of the Year.

The AMA also argues the EPA certification label does little to address the issue of motorcycle sound levels, saying only motorcycle sound testing is the most fair, economical and practical way to regulate excessive noise.

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

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Schwarzenegger Signs SB435
California Senate Approves SB435
Calif. bill targets motorcycle exhausts