The Place

I had an Email concerning possible noise issues for our first meeting on Saturday 22nd of April.
They are being very strict with noise and have track side monitoring so be prepared and take addition exhaust quieting materials like additional wadding or an end cap baffle if you think you are near the limit. Eight outfits were black flagged and made to reduce their noise or face being stopped to race.
There are devices on Ebay that you can buy to bolt into the end can.
My Email from was;-
Dear Dave
I was at Oulton yesterday as little more than a spectator, but I was informed that there had been an issue with the British F2's and the ride-by noise graphs (and photographs), and I suspect there was some hassle before the outfits were down to acceptable readings. The circuit now has a dedicated noise-man and sophisticated kit in race control whose only job seemed to be to monitor the ride-by noise levels (the circuit still gets a lot of hassle from the neighbours).

I want to pre-empt any problems for 22 April, so if you have had any noise issues with particular machines in the past, it might be worth warning the drivers concerned. I am sure you can get more detailed information from Pat and others from the FSRA who were there yesterday.

Kind regards

This is absolutely correct, and not an "idle threat" from the circuit.

20 out of 22 machines were listed following the first twenty minute test session on Friday, in terms of exceeding the noise limit on the "drive by" sensors (I'm told these were positioned on the exit of Lodge Corner, but there may be other places too). All of the outfits on track had already passed the stationary test, some were well within the limit of 105dba.

While many competitors worked hard to reduce their noise (I lost count of the number of people who came requesting to "borrow" rivets / silencer packing from me), the next session saw at least five outfits black flagged and return to the paddock.

This was not just at the test day. On race day, several machines were recalled to the scrutineering area and efforts made to reduce the noise.

It is definitely best to make every effort to sort this before you travel to the circuit, than have your tracktime cut short, or have to put makeshift solutions into place in the paddock.

Question.Are the drive by meters flaging up anyone who exceeds 105 at anytime on the circuit?
If this is the case then the ACU regs are useless,as the goalposts have been shifted.
Everyone knows that engines are noise tested at a specified rpm as per the ACU regs,however we all know that does not mean the bike will not be over 105 at higher revs.
So if Oulton Parks requires the bikes to ALWAYS be within 105,then surely the ACU regs need to be re written to suit?
As an aside,if you run a 2 stroke,you cannot simply stick an extra baffle in,or whack an endcan on,if you dont know exactly what your doing you will probably end up seizing,2 stroke exhausts are a very exact science.

Same as Croft Tony. I was talking to your old man there.

A big part of the issue at Oulton is the position of the noise monitor. F2/ conventional type outfits mostly have exhausts pointing straight at the monitor whereas solos or cars or F1 outfits are pointing away from it. The refusal of anyone official to even consider this is the most frustrating thing.

teamradar wrote:A big part of the issue at Oulton is the position of the noise monitor. F2/ conventional type outfits mostly have exhausts pointing straight at the monitor whereas solos or cars or F1 outfits are pointing away from it. The refusal of anyone official to even consider this is the most frustrating thing.

Well - if the noise monitors are all on the "outside" of a clockwise circuit - then we might as well all give up - most of the conventional outfits exit their exhaust pointing to the outside / left...

Alternate F2 muffler end that routes the exhaust straight down or back under the under tray?

That might be the solution Chris.The problem at Croft Geoff,was the local niose man not having his meter set to the slow response setting,as per ACU rules.We had no issues with the North East Clubs very proffesional set up,in fact they clocked us at 101.