Loud motorcycles are back
- Thread starter Ronsant
- Start date
Then it shouldn't matter to anyone else if they aren't loud enough to hear over the other traffic.
You have to consider that the average noise level in a house, my house anyway, is a LOT lower than the average noise level in a moving vehicle in traffic.
Therefore, a motorcycle I won't even notice over the wind noise, the radio, and everything else that you hear when driving a vehicle...
...is a LOT more intrusive when I hear it in my house.
I suppose, but I guess it doesn't bother me. A second or 2 as they drive by and it is gone. Much worse things in the world today to worry about.
I was driving on I-15 in southern CA last week and a loud bike came up on me splitting lanes and I definitely heard it coming. Wasn't expecting it either as lane splitting isn't legal in MN.
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Depends on how often it's happening and when. Late at night or in the wee hours of the morning and it gets real old real quick.
We could be nice and politically correct and say silly stuff like that
but ever since day one manufactures and their riders have passionately
battled for hearts and minds... I see this fighting attitude as
wholesome for it insures Motorcycling is still fresh and won't crawl
up its own ass and suffocate...
Give me more of that glorious growl...
[youtube]
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I have been riding for 51 years now and the last time I thought loud pipes were cool was 49 years ago. I dont mind an exhaust that gives you a deeper tone but some of the stuff on the road is louder than standing at the firing line at the rifle range. We had to ask 2 guys in our riding club to either change the exhaust or dont show up for weekend rides because nobody wanted to be behind them and most of us ride cruisers not Gold Wings.
There's an example of a rider who apparently needs the loud pipes because of how they ride (even though it's legal).
Loud pipes put these idiots in danger. My wife was in the car pool lane and some dude twisted the throttle on his open pipe ape hanger Harley right next to our window to split lanes. It scared her so much she almost swerved into him. Idiot could not even control his bike.
The decibel count coming out of a motorcycle exhaust has nothing to do with a riders safety. How about staying out of blind spots, anticipating, and honing riding skills. As a rider for over 50 years I'm quick to admit my reflexes have deteriorated over the years.
The only thing I have going for me is practicing safe distance, leaving myself an out and braking/evasive drills every time Io swing a leg over my bike. Also covering brake and clutch with a few fingers. I use and practice the SMITH system very single day I'm on public highways.
One example is when they pull out in front of someone (yea, you can get away with driving like that in a full-size SUV, but doing it on a bike is asking for it) and the driver they pulled out in front of mistakes the noise for acceleration and doesn't change lanes to get around them.
You are kind of passionate about this? All I said is I heard him coming from my car.
It kinda sucks being stuck in a multi-hour traffic jam because one of them wiped out doing something stupid...
It sucks when anyone does something stupid and causes a traffic jam. I see a lot more cars doing this than bikes for what its worth. I'm not defending them one way or the other, but this thread seems to be doing a lot of stereotyping and grouping all riders of a particular bike into the same bunch. A little "GET OFF MY LAWN!"ish.
The H_D riders all seem to be under 5'6" around here. Little squirts trying to appear B-I-GOk…….you go first!
When I was a kid in the 70's I got pulled over in my car for loud pipes. Actually, I needed a new muffler.
What ever happened to noise ordinances? Federal Noise control devices - unlawful to remove or alter 42 U.S.C. §4901 et seq. (1972)
Are cops afraid of bikers? Or is a straight piped H-D or Vicky just "Merca!" and let it be ?
It's because there are more cars than bikes on the road.
There is no stereotyping. The majority of loud pipe, ape hanger and gas station waddlers are old 40+ year old Harley riders. The majority of shorts tee shirt and sandals ripping in and out of traffic are young 20-30 year old sport bike riders.
There are more squids on the road than real riders. It's an easy observation to access rider skills. A very simple one is at a red light. A safe rider has the clutch pulled in foot on rear brake scanning mirror and at the ready to avoid being rear ended or taken out by vehicles nearby. The squid knocks his bike in neutral and sets right behind the car in front of him waiting for light. Or squid is in front of car in neutral and snaps bike in gear at gear then throttles it through intersection without looking.
There's been a few times I've thought about running them over BECAUSE OF those loud pipes.
The noise goes the wrong direction for it to be useful. Just ruins life for everyone else IMO.
I don't care what people do in their backyard, backroads, track, whatever, as long as it's away from me. Why should I put up with the consequences of their actions?
Ok…….you go first!
Arco beat me to it but this is what I see in a typical HD rider: Over 40 years old, open pipes, Arnold Schwarzenegger approved ape hangers that go up past the ears (even with bottom of cereal bowl helmet), gut hanging so far out they can't see their own *****, anything under 10mph using both feet for balance, anything under 5mph and waddling to prevent tip over and I'm sure theirs more.
Real Harley rider: Black Knights, Vagos and Mongols. Here in CA they get big respect from me. The Mongols especially are some of the best riders in the world. I am blown away at the high and low speed skills these dudes have. When they are in a group I hang back and they always wave me by. Believe me they earn every bit of those rockers across their backs. Big respect from me.
Scary Harley riders: Devils Disciples!! I don't even look at them wrong. When they come wheeling into a gas station I don't make eye contact and leave.
You say "there is no stereotyping", and then you go and stereotype in the EXACT SAME LINE
I'm in my mid 40's and ride in ATGATT, but after the car behind me comes to a stop, I click my bike into neutral as to save on my left hand as I have carpel tunnel. Am I now a squirrely kid (Squid) because I don't follow your procedure?
You also didn't mention lane position...did the rider position themselves for an "out", and not directly behind the car in front of them...I guess that doesn't matter?
All those are best practices...something I don't do every single time I come to a stop even with my nearly 30 years of riding experience don't replicate every single time. I am not about to judge another as SQUID or not just due to how they sit at a stop light.
and to stay on topic...I like the sound of a bike with a decent aftermarket exhaust that attenuates the sound. Straight pipes should be shoved right up the tail pipe of the rider sporting them.
I'm with you 100%. I have the quietest aftermarket pipes both with quiet inserts on both my Beta and Super Tenere. When I had my KTM300 I was always the quietest in the group. I got teased at my DP silencer but it was worth it. I would blow below 86db during inspection before the desert races:
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