Topic: Loud bikes...

[tsp37]

I'm with the quieter is better crowd, although the rumble of a BIG V8 in good form can still give me goosebumps.  But then again, I don't have to live with that racket all of the time.  A smooth 396 at idle sings a lullaby that can fill my sleep with sweet dreams.

[techy5025]

I can somewhat understand the lawn mower analogy, but the difference...in my opinion...is that most people don't remove
their mufflers to deliberately make them noisier. The noise is just inherent in the operation of the beast.

Jim

[sparty]

My new exhaust will most likely be loud - Kerker with a 2" comp baffle.  But with my ear plugs it will be quite enough.  As long as I don't whap the throttle at stop lights, I don't think there will be many complaints.  My exhaust is necessary to get the power out of my high HP mill.  There are tons of guys in my area with v-twins with exhausts that are VERY loud, much louder than mine.  As long as they are crusing the roads, my bike will be considered quiet.

Sparty

[Steve F]

One man's "noise" is another man's music!  I'm not too fond of the loud pipes in residential areas.  Even a bike with straight pipes can learn not to go full throttle down the street, and keep the music at a sensible dB level.  But then, there's my neighbor with the Harley crowd that blast down the street....any time of the day waking the dead.

[upperlake04]

 Well Jim - a quick tally of unique responders shows 11 yays and 11 nays, with 1 fence-sitter and 1 confused miscreant who didn't realize there was a question   A well-rounded group I'd say.

[GoatBaSS]

 
For me,
stealth
is key.
 


How else do you guys bend the speed limit late at night without getting caught. Cant be sly if they hear you coming. 

[cleveland]

That crap would never pass here in Milwaukee.  LOL  Got to thank Harley for that. 

Pro teal excluded, Chicago is filled with whinny people.  They banned sidewalk mascots (Liberty taxes lady liberty, Verlo Mattress man, Culvers guy, etc) because they "distract drivers and cause accidents."  What really happened is a local politician spilled some of his coffee on his self while juggling his phone, coffee, smoke, and trying to driving all at the same time.  Instead of manning up and taking responsibility for his actions, he pushed to have them banned and won.  Those people make me sick. 

[nickjtc]

I have an article written by an English motorcycle journalist somewhere at home, about the impact loud pipes have on the people around the rider. His most incisive comment, however, went along the lines of......

Rider on bike with obnoxiously loud pipes (NOTE: this could be a cruiser OR a sportbike with 'for off road use only' race pipes):

....."Look at me and admire the vastness of my penis."

Innocent onlooker:

....."Wanker!"

Being the GHOF that I am (and now GGHOF: see other post today) I just don't get it. Why would you seek to piss off the (non-riding) public around you? Anyone who still clings to the belief that 'loud pipes save lives' is deluding themselves. There is no reference in the Hurt Report             ( http://www.clarity.net/~adam/hurt-report.html ) to any accidents which may have been averted if the motorcycle had loud pipes.

A friend who had loud pipes on his sportbike ended up with a speeding ticket and a fine for the loudness of his pipes simply because he commuted past a police station every day and upset one of the admin staff so much that they camped outside one day and stopped him.

GGHOF, out.

[sandcastcb750]

This noise situation is mostly a Harley or Harley clone problem. They think more noise is more power, which is ofcourse is incorrect, and in some cases maybe makes the bike run worse.

If you buy new NOS Honda pipes for CB750s (like HM300s), they say not to be used on 1983 or newer models. Good luck making them fit, ha ha.

[cleveland]

I have to disagree.  Loud pipes (not obnoxiously loud, just loud) do bring awareness of the bikes presence.  We ride bikes, so it is in out nature to always be on the look out for someone on a bike.  A lot of people have never ridden a bike or know anyone that does ride.  So they tend to be less aware of riders. 

Personally I don't see any difference between someone that has loud pipes, a loud muscle car, or someone that plays their radio too loud.  It is a "cool" factor for the person.  I may not want to hear the vehicles, but I don't want to infringe on their civil liberties either.   

Who we want to think of us as cool directly effects how we try to be cool.  I have have a pair of sponge bob square pants pajamas because my kids this that is cool.  I could give a dam what the guy next door thinks of them. 

So I think it has more to do with who we want to impress and less to do with penis size. 

[boatsdickson]

I have have a pair of sponge bob square pants pajamas because my kids this that is cool.  I could give a dam what the guy next door thinks of them. 

Yeah, but do you have a spongebob shirt? 

[cleveland]

I don't think I have one of those, but it looks like it would be fun to play with. 

[nickjtc]

Someone could lose an eye getting too close to that.