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Running Out Of Vroom: Cities Are Muffling Bikers (Hush that Hog — NOW!)
TBO.com ^ | 08/24/2007 | EMILY FREDRIX

Posted on 08/24/2007 8:27:53 AM PDT by devane617

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To: NonValueAdded
Let’s not forget all those modified rice burners. They can be equally as loud and annoying. Or would that be considered profiling?

There are many more cruiser motocycles out there compared to sport bikes. Cruiser riders are vast majority of buyers the after market pipes.

I have a touring bike with stock pipes, works great and there is not a street Harely out there I can't pass.
81 posted on 08/24/2007 1:10:57 PM PDT by Starwolf
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To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra
Well Bill, the 50 that don’t make noise won’t be getting tickets! The one that does make noise will.

The issue is that is not always true...cops do not have calibrated ears. You get one with hard on for motorcycles or expressed direction to ticket anything they can think of as is being done by the THP on the Dragon right now, and it won't be just the ones making lots of noise.
82 posted on 08/24/2007 1:16:34 PM PDT by Starwolf
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To: -YYZ-
property rights...

rights with regulations?
No.

Noise level is a relative thing...but only tyrants try to regulate the relatives. For me, maybe the noise your blender makes is too loud...or your lawn mower, or your cat, or your hedge trimmer, or your kids laughing, or your -fill-in-the-blank.

This really has more to do with those evil dirty nasty bikers than anything else. And when your logic is applied to the loud things you CHOOSE to participate in then you will cry bans to be unreasonable.

The regulations you might see might apply to car stereos, & exhausts in cars too....but I doubt it...for the busybodies dare not have their OWN STUFF regulated...their own ox gored...for they will surely cry foul.

maybe we’ll start a campaign in your neighborhood to ban fireworks on the fourth of July because of the ear-splitting racket that disturbs other people just trying to sleep or enjoy the use of their own property.

...or put noise monitiors on your street in case your children laugh and play too loudly because of the ear-splitting racket that disturbs other people just trying to sleep or enjoy the use of their own property.

...or ban your LOUD guns because of the ear-splitting racket that disturbs other people just trying to sleep or enjoy the use of their own property

...or ban LOUD mouths with ignorant comments because of the ear-splitting racket that disturbs other people just trying to sleep or enjoy the use of their own property.

...or ban municipal airports and traffic & Sheriff helicopters because of the ear-splitting racket that disturbs other people just trying to sleep or enjoy the use of their own property

...or ban LOUD protest marches because of the ear-splitting racket that disturbs other people just trying to sleep or enjoy the use of their own property.

...or ban church bells because of the ear-splitting racket that disturbs other people just trying to sleep or enjoy the use of their own property.

...or ban...fill-in-the-blank because of the ear-splitting racket that disturbs other people just trying to sleep or enjoy the use of their own property

...or Friday night high school football games because of the ear-splitting racket that disturbs other people just trying to sleep or enjoy the use of their own property.

...see, when it’s YOUR ox, then it’s an apparent different story...so don’t gore my ox.

83 posted on 08/24/2007 1:16:52 PM PDT by woollyone (whyquit.com ...if you think you can't quit, you're simply not informed yet.)
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To: MaxMax
Only American made Motorcycles can loose their first amendment rights.

What makes you think that HD and others are more American made that those with Japanese names...my Kawi was made in Lincoln, NE, with extensive domestic content.

HD buys a lot of stuff overseas. They may assemble in the US but the provenance of their products has a lot of overseas content and their bikes are the better for it.
84 posted on 08/24/2007 1:22:13 PM PDT by Starwolf
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To: -YYZ-
m also pretty sure that laws that require bikes to be quieter than according to DOT and FMVSS regulaations will be overturned.

I have had similar patchwork issues with headlight modulators, which are on all of our motorcycles. Quite legal, and seem to help them be more conspicuous to on coming traffic. Every so often on a trip some local yokel LEO will take offense to it. I carry the Federal docs to show that they are legal, sometimes that helps, sometimes it doesn't. If it bothers them that much I agree to turn it off, wait until I am out of thier jursidiction and then turn in back on.

Local rules suck in a nation with good interstate highways
85 posted on 08/24/2007 1:27:02 PM PDT by Starwolf
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To: devane617

BMFLR


86 posted on 08/24/2007 1:28:19 PM PDT by Kevmo (We should withdraw from Iraq — via Tehran. And Duncan Hunter is just the man to get that job done.)
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To: Starwolf

DB meters are cheap. My tech has one with a “Hold” button, and memory.


87 posted on 08/24/2007 1:32:44 PM PDT by Dr. Bogus Pachysandra ("Don't touch that thing")
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To: Dr. Bogus Pachysandra
DB meters are cheap. My tech has one with a “Hold” button, and memory.

- Is the meter accurate/when was it last calibrated?
- Are they being used uniformly?
- What were the test conditions for the vehicle
Most cops are Luddites when it comes to technology. I won several times in traffic court by showing that cops had no idea how to use their toys correctly.
88 posted on 08/24/2007 1:41:46 PM PDT by Starwolf
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To: woollyone

Forget about goring and oxes and all that. You can’t enjoy riding your bike without making an earsplitting racket? Is that an essential part of the experience? I enjoy riding mine just fine with stock mufflers. I wouldn’t even mind moderately louder aftermarket pipes. But when I can hear some idiot with straight pipes accelerating away from a stop sign 3 blocks away they’re TOO DAMNED LOUD!

I don’t mind a certain amount of noise, and some loud noises are unavoidable. I live near an airport and at some times of the day planes are usually coming on approach, and less often climbing out over my house. A necessary evil. The kids next door can be noisy sometimes, but kids will do that - I’m not some sort of nut that would try to ban kids, or ban kids having a little fun. When the guy next door runs his lawnmower (or me mine), that’s noisy and annoying, too. But it’s usually only once a week or so for less than an hour, and again it’s understandable. If I started mowing my lawn at the crack of dawn in the summer (around 5am or so), I’d not be surprised at all to get a visit from the cops and a citation. So why do I have to put up withm my idiot neighbour across the street starting up his Harley at 5:30 and letting idle in the driveway for 10-15 minutes (nevermind what kind of piece of crap needs that long of a warm-up, anyway - that’s another discussion) What need or useful purpose is served by making an ear-splitting racket with your bike, other than to draw attention? And no, I don’t really care for extremely loud sport bike exhaust systems, either. There’s nothing particularly clever or amusing about making a whole bunch of noise just because you can.


89 posted on 08/24/2007 1:41:52 PM PDT by -YYZ- (Strong like bull, smart like ox.)
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To: Starwolf

I agree. If a vehicle meets federal regulations and is legally licensed in one state (or province, since the US and Canada have coordinated regulations), that should be good enough for any jurisdiction.


90 posted on 08/24/2007 1:45:47 PM PDT by -YYZ- (Strong like bull, smart like ox.)
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To: -YYZ-
"I enjoy riding mine just fine with stock mufflers. I wouldn’t even mind moderately louder aftermarket pipes. But when I can hear some idiot with straight pipes accelerating away from a stop sign 3 blocks away they’re TOO DAMNED LOUD!"

So you're obviously OK violating EPA noise guidleines by changing pipes on YOUR bike, but also want to be the new bully onthe block to decide what is too loud for everyone else eh?

Even by your examples you hae appointed YOURSELF to be the Lord Of The Noise...where all noise is loud only according to YOUR standards.

LMREO

typical tyrant answers!

In other words the EPA rules are too strong for YOU, so it's OK for YOU to break those rules...but EVERYONE else has to do what YOU say?

I heard about that atitude in church...

Your sin on YOU needs forgiveness.
Your sin on ME need condemnation.

Hypocrite!

...and FWIW...my pipes ain't "ear-splitting"...which is a relative term, and actually not even a legal or medical definition...'nuther story altogether tho.

any way...listen to yourself & then get real!

...by the way...you wouldn't just by odd coincidence happen to serve on a HOA board of directors would you? Live in a HOA community? you would make a great HOA brown shirt!

91 posted on 08/24/2007 1:59:57 PM PDT by woollyone (whyquit.com ...if you think you can't quit, you're simply not informed yet.)
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To: AppyPappy

“The loud bike makes up for the small penis.”

I’ve been in the custom bike business for almost 20 years. My opinion is that an exhaust that is MODERATELY louder than stock can be helpful...most often while traveling on the highway. I have about 175,000 miles of riding under my belt and an exhaust (either on a Sportbike or a cruiser) that is MODERATELY louder than stock...one that still has the internal baffles intact is usually just loud enough to attract the attention of a car driver without being obnoxious.

We have a traffic light about 150 feet from my shop... it never ceases to amuse me when some total DWEEB-WANNA-BE...on a Sportbike or a Cruiser constantly blips the throttle...non-stop at a red light. Someone needs to tell these a-holes that unless your sitting on a 250 CC two-stroke at a starting line of a sanctioned race...there is absolutely no need for it.


92 posted on 08/24/2007 2:20:53 PM PDT by taxed2death (A few billion here, a few trillion there...we're all friends right?)
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To: woollyone
No, I don't belong to an HOA, and you might try calming yourself. In fact, I meant that I wouldn't even mind moderately louder aftermarket pipes on other peoples bikes. Although, I did have an aftermarket can on a previous bike that I owned, for a while, I was never really comfortable with the amount of noise that it produced, which is why I insisted the guy I bought my current bike off put the stock mufflers back on before I took possession.

I don't know if your pipes are ear-splitting or not. Ok, that's not a technical term. Do they cause children to cover their ears, adults to glare at you in disgust, and animals to cower in fear when you ride by them? Then they're probably too loud.

Yeah, I think the EPA regulations are probably too strict. Unfortunately idiots who have to go way over the top and have the loudest possible pipes are ruining it for all the people that actually have an ounce or two of sense in their heads.

93 posted on 08/24/2007 2:31:21 PM PDT by -YYZ- (Strong like bull, smart like ox.)
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To: taxed2death
My opinion is that an exhaust that is MODERATELY louder than stock can be helpful...most often while traveling on the highway.

My experince (40+ years of riding and beaucoup miles) and I belive physics disagrees with you about the helpfulnes of louder pipe, but I would su[[ort some easing of the current limits if there was balanced enforcement of them on aftermarket pipes.
94 posted on 08/24/2007 3:14:37 PM PDT by Starwolf
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Comment #95 Removed by Moderator

To: JackRyanCIA
Frankly, I am embarrassed that I wasted my time responded to these infantile whiners and bigots.

Infantile whiners and bigots?
Now really, isn't that a little too rich for this broth?

Here's the argument as I see it:
Some people like peace and quiet.
Other people--far fewer were someone to bother to count--feel that any desire that they limit the gratuitous noise they make is a violation of their rights, an affront to their dignity and a threat to their safety.

Which one is infantile?

96 posted on 08/27/2007 11:55:27 AM PDT by tsomer
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To: taxed2death
"We have a traffic light about 150 feet from my shop... it never ceases to amuse me when some total DWEEB-WANNA-BE...on a Sportbike or a Cruiser constantly blips the throttle...non-stop at a red light. Someone needs to tell these a-holes that unless your sitting on a 250 CC two-stroke at a starting line of a sanctioned race...there is absolutely no need for it."

LOL! A couple of years ago I pulled up next to 2 wheeled vibrator and the nut job kept blipping the throttle. I was on my Gold Wing and asked him (in my many dB voice) if he had to keep doing that to keep that POS running?

I would not change the pipes on my Gold Wing to make it louder but I can make it look just like a HD by pouring a quart of oil on the ground under the Wing.

97 posted on 08/27/2007 12:24:28 PM PDT by Wurlitzer (Islam or lawyers. Which one is lower on the food chain?)
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To: 38special
I personally like the loud sound of the Harleys!

Yea. Particulary the ones that shake my house at 5:00 AM. NOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT.

98 posted on 08/14/2008 9:15:02 AM PDT by ColdWater
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To: devane617
That worries riders rights groups, which fear that a wave of ordinances aimed at muffling Harley-Davidsons, hushing Hondas and stifling Suzukis will create a confusing patchwork of laws that motorcyclists won't be able to navigate.

Well now, we wouldn't want that, would we?

Here's a free clue: Install quiet mufflers on your bike and you won't violate any of the laws!

There. Now that wasn't so hard, was it?

99 posted on 08/14/2008 9:21:07 AM PDT by TChris (Vote John McCain: Democrat Lite -- 3% less liberal than a regular Democrat!)
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To: devane617
I strongly disagree with the the way Denver is approaching this problem, especially the "no aftermarket parts" provision.

As a matter of legal principal, the law should target the actual behavior, no the presumed precursors to it.

Set a friggin maximum A-weighted dB level at the pipe and it will be fair, objective and predictable!

The brand of pipe doesn't tell you a thing about how loud it will be.

There are lots of conditions which can make the audible range vary, and the loudness of the bike is only one variable.

Just make anything >80 dB (or whatever limit makes sense) at the pipe (regardless of throttle position / RPM) illegal.

100 posted on 08/14/2008 9:26:45 AM PDT by TChris (Vote John McCain: Democrat Lite -- 3% less liberal than a regular Democrat!)
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