Running Out Of Vroom: Cities Are Muffling Bikers (Hush that Hog — NOW!)

TBO.com ^ | 08/24/2007 | EMILY FREDRIX

[Disambiguator]

muffling Harley-Davidsons, hushing Hondas and stifling Suzukis

Yes, very clever.

The writer could have added something about "attenuating Aprilias", or "de-volumizing Ducatis", but perhaps that would be too arcane.

[devane617]

I hate those nice quite picnic days in a local park where, without fail, a herd of Hogs will come along and rattle everyone to the bone. The loud Hogs have ruined many parks, and nice weekends.

[WBL 1952]

Don’t blame Harley Davidson - a stock Harley Davidson is pretty quiet.

Blame the aftermarket guys that sell these god dang straight pipes and the Harley Davidson dealers that convince customers they have to slap on something other than HD pipes, change out the air cleaners, and dyno the machine to “get them to run right” —— all for just about $1,200 or so.

One is born every minute.

[kilowhskey]

Some kind of national, measurable standard needs to be set; preferably one which captures those punks of all skin colors who drive around with 2,000 watt stereo systems booming.

[Honor above all]

There are a lot of after-market pipes that increase performance but won’t shatter your eardrums. The old canard that “Loud pipes save lives” is not defensible. The majority of riders have quiet pipes and the majority of fatalities are related to alcohol use, lack of a helmet, high speed and driving at night. Pipe noise plays no part in those statistics.
I’ve been riding on the street and in the dirt for 35 years and personally can’t stand the straight piped Harleys and the Yoshimura piped sport bikes that shake the fillings from your teeth. Still, I thought that we lived in a free country. I would prefer personal responsibility over legislated behavior. Sigh.

[horse_doc]

My former neighbor did the same thing. His garage is literally 10 feet from my youngest daughter's bedroom.

He woke her up at 2-3 a.m. at least once a week for months. I talked to him calmly over and over, but he just didn't care that a 3 year-old was running into my bedroom crying on a regular basis, in the middle of the night.

There's no difference between a Hog and loud rap music.

[SGCOS]

>>>Hey man, "Loud pipes save lives"

In keeping with this (bullsh!t) theory, I've wired my car horn so it's always on. I just drive around with it blaring away.

That right there is funny...

[paul51]

•In Lancaster, Pa., starting this month riders and all motor vehicle drivers could be ticketed for drawing attention to themselves, whether by creating too much noise by revving their engines or doing hard accelerations. Tickets start at $150.

They should have added to this list of morons the ones that drive their cars around with the bass audio turned up to brain emulsifying levels so you can feel the vibrations a half mile away.

[Honor above all]

I don’t care who ya are....

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Here in Gettysburg, PA, one of the local bigshots owns a Harley-Davidson retail outlet. Every July, he has the Chamber of Commerce sponsor "Bike Week." During that week, literally thousands of bikers descend on the town with their hogs, and relentlessly rattle the entire neighborhood.

I live next to the highway, and I can't even check the mail without having to run a gauntlet of bikers zooming up and down the road. The noise is deafening, and you can't hide from it since it penetrates walls. Citizen complaints go no where, since our wonderful elected officials always cite the $$$$$$$$ that the bikers bring into the town.

So, we have to grin and bear it... :(

[paul51]

I would prefer personal responsibility over legislated behavior

The complete failure of one seems to open the door for the other

[Honor above all]

True dat...

[devane617]

The Hog riders have made too many enemies lately. Even people like me that thought freedom to ride and modify was the American way. However, the Hog guys/girls have made a point, or so it seems, to make their bikes louder with each passing year. One of those situations where policing ones on group would go a long way toward keeping the government out of their lives, yet it wont happen.

[Psycho_Bunny]

 

I know people think they're cool, tooling around with their heavy hogs - and you know, maybe one in five thousand bystanders thinks the noise is super sweet.

But what bikers don't seem to realize is that everyone else thinks they're complete and total jerks.

And that "Straight Pipes Save Lives" bologna is one of the biggest lines of crap anyone ever came up with.  If riding your little toy is really so dangerous that you literally have to wake up entire neighborhoods just to feel safe, then maybe you should get yourself a little toy that's reasonably civil to play with.

[devane617]

...not anymore...he got drunk and pulled his wide-glide in front of a pickup truck. Now he has steel rods in his leg, and is in danger of losing it. finally, peace and quite.

[JoeGar]

Don’t blame Harley Davidson - a stock Harley Davidson is pretty quiet.

All motorcycles must pass the same EPA drive-by noise test. Harleys and sport bikes off the assembly line are equally quiet. It's obnoxious owners who make them loud.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

What is it about Harley (and apparently only Harley) riders

If you have to ask you wouldn't’t understand.

BigMack

[MaxMax]

Only American made Motorcycles can loose their first amendment rights.