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Contact Ed Klim
As snowmobilers, we pride ourselves in the quality of the snowmobiles we enjoy. The amazing machines we ride are built to the highest internationally recognized standards in the world. New snowmobiles are built to a collection of Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) standards, which are continually updated and reviewed. The standards are systematically reviewed by an international body of engineers (some of whom are aerospace engineers.) They consider new technology breakthroughs and the newest testing mechanisms to verify the standards. We all marvel at how our winter machines can handle deep snow mixed with sheer ice and surprising bumps and moguls.
In addition to the SAE standards used by the snowmobile manufacturers, new snowmobiles are also built to meet tough US EPA exhaust emission standards. The first phase of the emission standard has concluded with the 2007 model year and the manufacturers are preparing for the second phase which will begin with models produced for 2010.
All new snowmobiles are made to pass two intense sound test procedures. They are certified by a third party internationally recognized testing agency which administers the two rigid sound tests. First is the SAE J-1161 a steady speed pass-by test and the second is the SAE J-192 which tests the vehicle in the most extreme condition at wide-open throttle.
When following the SAE J-1161 sound test procedure, the vehicle can generate no more than 73 decibels at the steady speed of 15 mph. When following the SAE J-192 test procedure, the vehicles at full throttle can generate no more than 78 decibels + 2 decibels for environmental variables.
The Society of Automotive Engineers is continually reviewing the sound test procedures and extensive work is being performed by the SAE and the manufacturers to better understand the sound generated by the snowmobile track and ski system, which generates a considerable amount of the vehicle sound.
The SAE, working with other government agencies, has recently developed a special snowmobile sound test procedure for enforcement purposes titled SAE J-2567. This test procedure allows enforcement officers to test the vehicles in a stationary mode. The procedure allows enforcement officers to differentiate between snowmobiles that may have been improperly modified and or improperly maintained and those that are compliant. The improperly modified/maintained vehicles can often emit excessive sound levels, which causes conflict and ultimately results in land and riding area closures for many snowmobilers. The new SAE J-2567 procedure has been adopted by some government agencies and should prove to be effective in removing noncompliant snowmobiles from our cherished riding areas.
Over the last few years, there have been numerous studies performed by engineering groups comparing sound emissions snowmobiles to those of road vehicles. Interestingly, when testing a road vehicle using the SAE J-192 test procedure, many vehicles emit a higher level of noise than a snowmobile. Many trucks and road vehicles tested to the SAE J-192 procedure in its entirety registered sound levels nearly 6 times greater to your ear than a snowmobile produces.
The snowmobile manufacturers are very responsive to the demands of the marketplace and carefully follow the internationally accepted guidelines and procedures when certifying their vehicles. Today’s snowmobile is truly a marvelous machine - designed by dedicated engineers.
