Posted on 08/24/2007 8:27:53 AM PDT by devane617
“Loud pipes save lives” when the pipe is loud enough to make others look your way, but not loud enough to piss them off. The biggest threat to a rider is the guy in the next lane who is blissfully unaware of your presence even though you’re just 3 feet from the driver’s door. That’s also why you often see us jack-rabbit ahead of cars in the next lane; we just don’t want to ride beside someone.
About two months ago I was taking a Sunday drive through the country with my daughters. We came upon a pretty grizzly motorcycle accident where one rider was on the ground, his body and his bike both pretty mangled. His buddies (these were all Harley riders, natch)were all by the side of the road watching the cops and paramedics doing their thing. One of my daughters asked me what happened. I told her it looked like somebody on a Harley had done something stupid and pondered what the odds of a Harley rider doing something stupid were. I feel pretty confident in guessing that in the seconds before the crash, there was a LOT of noise and motorcylce preening going on.
I personally like the loud sound of the Harleys! I also like the sweet sound of American V8’s with aftermarket exhaust. The gov’t needs to stay out of our business.
Seriously, I’m not going to take you seriously. No offense.
At least motorcycles quickly pass by but the loud record player in the next apartment never stops. We fled the noise by buying a house on a large lot.
There are laws about this for automobiles. I don't find them all that confusing.
I have been riding motorcycles since the 50s. Bikers also get into accidents because they outdrive their abilities, headlights, eyesight, tires and/or brains.
So other than being stoned out of their minds (bad enough, granted), there’s no other reason? Like, maybe the sort of person who would alter their engine to the point where it can be annoying from several city blocks away might also be the sort of person given to reckless and moronic behavior on the open road?
My neighbour just bought a 2007 Sportster 1200. It has, AFAIK, the stock exhaust system on it. I think it makes a pleasingly throaty sounds as it is.
Anyway, as as far as the straight-pipe morons and race-can rice boys go, I’ve got no freaking sympathy for them at all. Hope they get pulled over and ticketed repeatedly until they learn their lesson. Making all that noise is mostly about “Hey! Look at me! I’m a freaking moron”, anyway.
It’s too bad that this will end up limiting the ability of everyone to put moderately louder, lighter and/or performance enhancing exhausts on their bikes, though.
I’m also pretty sure that laws that require bikes to be quieter than according to DOT and FMVSS regulaations will be overturned.
Finally, we also need to do something about idiots with fart cans on their rice-boy cars, and also idiots in (mostly) pick-up trucks with ridiculously load Flo-masters and whatnot on them.
Judging from the other replies on this thread, it looks like you and the rest of the other Easy Rider/Rolling Thunder sorts are very much in the minority. I look forward to the day when you have to pay through the teeth for the priviledge of annoying the bejesus out of people.
Not possible, no houses withing 500 yards of mine.
You need to learn his sleep habits and return the favor. How about you mow the side yard at 7:00 am. ;^)
Maybe not moronic behavior on the road but it is somewhat moronic nonetheless. I have noticed in my 50 plus years of riding that a good many of the (extremely) loud muffler harley boys tend to act pubescent, regardless of their age.
Btw, I put my money where my mouth is. When I bought my current bike I had the previous owner remove the very nice, but extremely loud slip-ons that he had put on it and replace the original mufflers. Maybe it does sound a lot like a v-twin ATV now, but I don’t ride to impress other people with the racket I’m making, anyway.
Also, being stealthy draws less attention from the cops when I’m breaking other traffic laws. :)
and let’s not forget the fart-can mufflers on the import carts...I mean cars
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.