Why all the SUV's and Trucks? (Phoenix: living, trendy, suburban)

[Finger Laker]

because sound is important to motorcycles - kind of a "let you know we're here" type of noise .......... of course you do have the jackholes who want to take it up another 15 notches

[Greatday]

Originally Posted by joe moving

I have not found the 4 wheeled vehicles here to be obnoxiously loud. To me, the most obnoxious are motorcycles. Sorry. This wappapapapap crap is awful. Why is it legal to drive the most obnoxiously loud motorcycle but a car that loud would get a ticket?

Exhaust systems on motorcycles have historically tended to be noisier than cars - then, with some customizing - such as putting straight pipes on them - the sound gets enhanced

Then again, I hear some automobiles / trucks that have done much the same thing but their exhaust systems tend to be muted a little - one reason (not the only one) is the catalytic converters -

Personally - there is nothing neater than a group of bikes - say 15 / 20 taking off from a stop! Love that sound~

[azriverfan.]

Originally Posted by tnp

I'm not in Arizona yet, but I'm curious if people with those trucks do what they do here in TN.

The big thing in my neighborhood is who gets bragging rights for having the loudest truck. They sit out in their driveways for hours just revving the damn things. They modify them so badly that they can't get 2 miles down the road without stalling. As long as they can be heard, they don't care if the trucks can't actually go anywhere.

Also the ATVs are really bad here. They don't take them to places made for off-roading (therefore no need to haul them in those trucks that stall on the road, lol). They ride them in their yards here, and if they know you don't like the noise, they'll ride them on the property line or back and forth on the road in front of your house, just to bug you. The motto here is "If it ain't botherin' anyone, it ain't fun". Between the noisy ATVs and the revving trucks, I'm soooo sick of the constant noise, and I'm really hoping it's not this bad in AZ.

I don't care what people drive as a status symbol, as long as they're quiet about it.

That's southern culture. Whether that is a positive or negative thing depends on the individual perspective. That was pretty evident in Oklahoma and Texas. People like large trucks. And I'm talking about trucks not SUVs. The Phoenix metropolitan area's culture most closely resembles that of southern california as opposed to the south or anywhere else. It's definitely different than SoCal but its got a lot of similarities just like Oklahoma/Texas is different than the south but it has more in common with the south than any place else.

[themudpuppy]

Thanks for all the answers to my question.

When I was in AZ in 2005 I traveled through much of the state looking at homes in many towns, trying to find a potential town to move to. There was only one town where I noticed a lot of ATV riding in the yards. I don't remember which town it was. I think it was close to Sierra Vista, in a rural area. It was a gorgeous area, and the house and property I went to look at was exactly what I was looking for, but there were lots of kids and adults riding their ATVs all over the neighborhood, so I decided that was not the place for me. Otherwise, I think I would have loved it there. I didn't notice the ATV problem anywhere else, and I'm really hoping the noisy "southern culture" doesn't spread to AZ before I move there.

We have the motorcycle problem here too. The same people who have the noisiest trucks and ATVs here also have motorcycles that they ride in their yards. The guy next door to me even built a race track right next to my yard, where people come to race their ATVs and motorcycles. These are loud off-road type of motorcycles like they race on dirt tracks. And here I thought moving to the country would be peaceful and quiet.

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by joe moving

I have not found the 4 wheeled vehicles here to be obnoxiously loud. To me, the most obnoxious are motorcycles. Sorry. This wappapapapap crap is awful. Why is it legal to drive the most obnoxiously loud motorcycle but a car that loud would get a ticket?

I got a ticket in VA in my barely street-legal track car for a loud muffler by a cop whose Harley was far louder than my car. It was such a bull$hit ticket AND it made my insurance go up. But I have a BMW bike and they are not loud at all.

[breeze823]

Originally Posted by Prinny

sorry, don't mean to be rude, status symbol is ridiculous. Are people that pretentous that they think a vehicle means something? Seems to me a SUV is a means of transportation, all it shows people is that you owe money, nothing more, unless you paid for it but then that means nothing either. If anyone thinks along those lines it makes me very sad and I have yet again learned something!

Are you serious, this is new to you? A vehicle as a status symbol? Well of course it is! Many people get a certain vehicle as a status symbol and yes, many people are "that pretentous"!
As for me, I drive a plain ole mini van that fits our family and it's almost paid off, yippeee!

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

I got a ticket in VA in my barely street-legal track car for a loud muffler by a cop whose Harley was far louder than my car. It was such a bull$hit ticket AND it made my insurance go up. But I have a BMW bike and they are not loud at all.

Your insurance rates jumped over just an equipment violation ticket?

Then again; I have been gone from the Wash DC area for 30 years.

[pinkdesert]

Originally Posted by joe moving

I have not found the 4 wheeled vehicles here to be obnoxiously loud. To me, the most obnoxious are motorcycles. Sorry. This wappapapapap crap is awful. Why is it legal to drive the most obnoxiously loud motorcycle but a car that loud would get a ticket?

it s a safety thing so cars can hear bikers.

[kdog]

Originally Posted by pinkdesert

it s a safety thing so cars can hear bikers.

Nonsense. By far, the most frequent and dangerous motorcycle accidents are from vehicles making left turns in front of a motorcycles. In those situations, loud pipes do absolutely nothing as the car is coming the other way. And there's no point in blasting the cars behind you with noise because they can already see you in front. So the only instance loud pipes might help is if you're in a car's blind spot. However, only an idiot rides in peoples blind spots. You either pass the vehicle, or get behind it. Overtaking vehicles with loud pipes is actually more dangerous than a silent bike because you can startle the car driver into doing something unpredictable. It's simply ludicrous to hear bikers without helmets and dressed in T shirts proclaim their loud pipes are safety features. Serious bikers know otherwise. Proper riding gear and visibility features such as auxiliary lighting and bright clothing are the way to survive on a bike. Sorry to sound pedantic, but this is a topic I know something about.

[Prinny]

Originally Posted by breeze823

Are you serious, this is new to you? A vehicle as a status symbol? Well of course it is! Many people get a certain vehicle as a status symbol and yes, many people are "that pretentous"!
As for me, I drive a plain ole mini van that fits our family and it's almost paid off, yippeee!

'

Yes, totally serious, STUFF doesn't mean a whole lot to me, not in terms of what other people drive. I don't care who drive what, why should I? I mean if I worry about who has what and am thinking they are thinking the same about me then I really haven't got a life. We get what we like and what works for us plain and simple. If it looks good or not, shouldn't make any difference. I'd never let it make a difference.