Police are handing out a strong message to motorcycle users in confiscating vehicles that are not compliant.

Police media officer Trevor Pitt said police have had reports of the same motorcycle riders in the past who have reverted to the same behaviour after receiving their bikes back.

This time Police have enforced a tougher stance on refitting at the police headquarter in Avarua.

Pitt said the fine for motorcyclists whose motorbikes are not compliant with silencers is $20 and bikes will be held at the station until they are fixed.

Last week 10 drivers were stopped by police and forced to refit the mufflers on their motorbikes.

Also, Cook Islands News has been publishing letters where letter writers have raised their concerns on this noisy motorbike issue.

A letter writer, Andy Olah on October 4 highlighted that it was good that there are at least two other people on the island who shared his frustration around noisy and illegal motorbikes.

Olah said at a particular time he spoke directly about this problem to the Police Commissioner, as well as the Deputy Commissioner, after this year’s Anzac Day Dawn Parade in April.

He said he also raised the issue with local MP Teariki Heather.

“Every Saturday and Sunday afternoon, we still get these noisy motorbikes yahooing up and down the Kavera Main Rd, often stunting on their back wheels, which in itself is illegal, stupid and dangerous.

“The Transport Act specifically states that it is illegal to tamper with a bike’s muffler system. It is not difficult to figure out that these bikes are well above any normal and acceptable bike muffler noise level, therefore they have been tampered with, and are therefore illegal.”

Another letter writer had said noisy mufflers are illegal and clearly breach the Transport Act.

“Why we continue to allow these clearly illegal vehicles to be on the road is quite ridiculous, Police know who most of these riders and owners are, and you can hear them coming from miles down the road.”

Pitt said noisy motorbikes are an ongoing nuisance and have been targeted by Police in recent days.

“The confiscated vehicles will not be released from Police Headquarters until they are legally compliant with silencers.”