Myrtle Beach police offer bikers courtesy sound checks

By Thema Ponton
WBTW News 13 Reporter
Published: September 29, 2008

Motorcyclists are already in Myrtle Beach getting ready for the fall Harley-Davidson motorcycle rally.

The rally doesn’t start until Wednesday, and many rally-goers, like Eric Talley, from North Carolina, said they came down ahead of time to see just how they will be affected by the new ordinances passed by Myrtle Beach city council.

The 15 ordinances, designed to curtail the May motorcycle rallies in the city, were passed last week by council in an almost unanimous vote.

Talley said the new noise ordinance, which states, “It shall be unlawful and a public nuisance to operate within the city limits a motorcycle that has a measured noise level of more than 87 decibels on the decibel meter when measured 20 inches from the exhaust pipe at a 45 degree angle while the engine is operating at idle” is not fair.

“I think what they ought to do is crack down on the people that are causing trouble and leave us law abiding vacationers alone.” said Talley.

Myrtle Beach police meters will be giving courtesy motorcycle exhaust sound checks Tuesday, from 1-3 p.m. at the law enforcement center annex on Mustang Street
   
During the checks, police will not write tickets for systems found to be in violation of the noise ordinance.
   
City spokesman Mark Kruea said, “Compliance is the goal, not to go out and write a bunch of tickers, our goal is a quiet motorcycle.”