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You know what's even more awesome? Being in your own home or yard and not having to hear some dbag trying to make up for his teeny weeny with obnoxious, loud pipes.
I live in a failry rural quiet area. My street is basically a big loop with about 30 homes on it. Every once in awhile I will hear a motorcycle with obnoxiously loud pipes on it driving down my street. I think it's a friend or relative of someone that lives on my street who comes to visit. The point is that I live on the street and pay taxes to be where I am. Why in the hell should I have to listen to some dbag's "American Iron" while I'm out in my yard playing with my kids? How would he like it if I went driving by his house blasting my car horn as I did?
There's loud pipes and loud pipes. Not really a safety issue, but stock pipes on some bikes are really, really quite. Looking at picking up a Bonneville (used) and that's definitely a bike I'd put loud(er) pipes on. That said, they'll never get near Harley loud and I wouldn't go around obnoxiously revving it. MY CBR is pretty loud, and I'll crank the throttle a bit when I'm splitting lanes as an auditory warning, but that's about it. Well, my 250 Ninja stalls at idle so I'll rev that a bit to keep it running, but it isn't loud.
Everytime someone hears a loud motorcycle they immediately blame it on a damn Harley Davidson. But they are now keeping track of the numbers. And there going to surprise a lot of riders. As of now, its not just the Harley Davidson's making all the loud noise. Its the Metric cruiser's Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki. And then bring in the high performance sport bike. That have been set-up for racing with aftermarket exhaust. Much like a Harley Davidson. Are make the most noise these days. Google is your friend. And I'm here to tell you I still run drag pipes on two of my V-Twins. But I have installed Torque Cones and 4 inch baffles. My hearing isn't what it use to be. I have been warned. I still get the nice sound but just not the volume of sound. I can sneak home. But y pipes have help wake up a couple of drivers who have told me. They didn't see me coming, if it wasn't for the sound of my bike he would have pulled out and hit me. My luck ran out in 06. was hit and run over,dragged. Back to riding.
Sorry you feel that way. I have loud pipes on my Harley, and the fact is, they DO help in being noticed. Perticularly when I'm stuck behind some idiot that hasn't noticed the light is green.All it takes is one blip of the throttle to get their attention. You hate what you don't understand, by your own admission.
Until you ride one, you'll never get just what makes 45 degrees of American Iron so freakin awesome.
That's what horns are for. In the meantime, there's no excuse for making everyone else hear that crap throughout the day. And I don't doubt it feels "awesome" to be able to annoy everyone around you for the sake of looking cool knowing they can't legally do anything about it. Putting what you want above what everyone else wants/needs (the noise pollution is never good) usually does feel pretty awesome. Hence, why people are pricks in the first place.
FYI, sometimes people say "I just don't understand ____" or "Why do people ____?" to make the point that the behavior itself is completely ignorant.
I was woken up at 7:30 am (on a Saturday morning) by some jackass on a motorcycle with straight pipes. Not too much later someone drove by in a convertible blasting some Iron Maiden. I'm not complaining about the choice of music, but really, 7:30 on a Saturday morning?
People are either really inconsiderate or can't stand it when no one is paying attention to them.
I'd like to see a loud pipes fan say "Yeah, I'm an immature jackass but I enjoy being one and don't give a damn about you" rather than rationalizing his behavior as useful.
Exactly. If loud pipes for bikes make 'em safer, why not have loud cars too?
If the world's highways were dominated 95% by double- and triple-trailer big rigs and autos were only the size of Fiat 500's (that were often "invisible" to truckers wrapped up in their own world of thoughts and concerns and carpools and kids) there are times where having them be louder would be merited, yes.
I'm not a Harley guy. But my older 2v Ducati was quite loud just rolling on hard in 3rd gear at even 4500rpm (much more than my 4v Duc), and people could hear me coming, but I could also roll off, lope along, and be polite during darkness hours or early morning. But there was NO WAY for me to start it up quietly...so I mostly did mid morning or later rides. Wasn't worth the loss of good will with the neighbors. And THAT, IMO, is what it's gotta be about. Being smart about things when you own a louder-than-average bike.
I'm all for the sound of a well tuned V-twin going by...but when I (as a motorcycle owner and enthusiast) have to put MY fingers in my ears to avoid a headache as some jack-hole goes by with open pipes...I completely understand why the voting public-at-large thinks the loud pipes argument is just a crock.
There is noise everywhere - including noise from LOUD MOTORCYCLES (there, I said MOTORCYCLE in order to keep it on topic).
Because it's everywhere, if you cannot tolerate noise, you're going to have a miserable life.
Your choice.
Lots of things are "everywhere"; doesn't mean we have to keep adding more. And especially when it comes to noise, we should work to minimize it whenever practical. I don't find the loud exhausts on either cars or motorcycles serve any kind of practical function, including the cockamamie claim that they make people aware of the vehicle's presence.
Although, now that I think of it, there may be something in a motorcyclist's subconscious that convinces him his loud pipes are protecting him from getting hit. I mean, we all know it's not the safest way to travel. I'd hafta have some sort of faith to ride one, I know that.
Does a motorcycle make more noise than jets taking off and landing, and literally rattling windows in houses in a 5-mile radius of the airport? Does a motorcycle make more noise than a garbage truck? Or a semi-tractor trailer? Or a metro bus? Does a motorcycle make more noise than huge agricultural equipment - the kind of which our complaining "rural folk" inevitably hear? Does a motorcycle make more noise than trains?
I believe I was referring to loud pipes on motorcycles and the fact that they serve no practical purpose, unlike all of the things I grouped for you above. But in the interest of being fair, let's take a look at the other stuff.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GarageLogic
Does a motorcycle make more noise than boats and/or jet skis?
Do boats and jet skis appear right next to my vehicle on the street, or anywhere else I have to be? Try to understand, it's not just the noise, but the fact that most of us have to hear it, and in the case of loud exhausts there is no reason we should.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GarageLogic
Or the idiot that has his crack-head music cranked up so loud it rattles windows?
You know, I believe I've given you ample reason to assume that if I have a problem with loud exhaust pipes, I'd have even more of a problem with this. These people should go directly to jail for a night when they are caught blasting music as loud as you describe. Why not a fine, you say? Well, do you think most of these people care about their money, considering what they spent so much of it on?
Quote:
Originally Posted by GarageLogic
What about the constant fireworks every night, from mid-June through July, that scare the crap out of my dogs?
Combination of the last two. I actually don't think people should be able to pop fireworks (the ones that go BANG) in the city. If you live in the country, chances are your house is far enough from your neighbor's property that the fireworks aren't anywhere near as loud as loud exhausts. And if you then choose to go where you know there will be loud fireworks, that's kind of your problem, not anyone else's.
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In the meantime, there's no excuse for making everyone else hear that crap throughout the day. And I don't doubt it feels "awesome" to be able to annoy everyone around you for the sake of looking cool knowing they can't legally do anything about it. Putting what you want above what everyone else wants/needs (the noise pollution is never good) usually does feel pretty awesome. Hence, why people are pricks in the first place.