Loud Pipes!

[Arizona Wayne]

Speaking of loud pipes and cops, not far from John Day, Or. is Burns, Or.  The last time I was going to the Rally in JD I stopped for gas @ the Sinclair gas station @ Burns.  In front of me was this biker with an attitude.  As he finally left he blasted the whole area with his really loud pipes I shouted, LOUDER you dumb ass.  Then I was told he was 1 of the local cops. 

[rodekyll]

One of our local cops -- the one who pulled me over for "the intention of speeding" -- has two bikes, a big HD and what looks like a triumph clubman.  I saw him the other day on the clubman in flip-flops, t-shirt and cutoffs -- no helmet, gloves, or eye protection.  I got beside him and commented that it takes a special kind of entitlement to both be a safety officer and also set that kind of example for the kids.  He said "I don't play the game -- I'm the enforcer."  I asked if it was ok to date his widow and rode off.

[Kev m]

I never got the load pipe argument until recently. I knew a bike was close, do to the fact I could here it.Turns out it was directly behind me, hidden by the separation between the two rear windows of my work van. I could not believe when that bike swerved just enough to become visible in my rear view mirror. I have since been re thinking the whole concept. I do now believe that hearing a MC could be just as important as seeing one from a safety perspective. My 2 cents.

* The motorcyclist was dumb to stay in a blind spot. You're equally not supposed to ride the center lane anymore than you should be 3/4 behind someone to either side.

* What were you going to do, BACK into him on the highway?

Not sure his pipes did jack.

[Kev m]

There are laws and statutes governing exhaust systems. Sadly, they are not enforced. Justice turns a blind eye when the enforcers are part of the problem. I have spoken with many LEO's about this and they all laugh it off. Sure, I have aftermarket exhaust on all of my bikes. With baffles.

Very VERY few (if any) aftermarket exhausts meet those standards/laws that you mention.

Therefore the irony is objecting to someone else whose pipes fail to meet those standards also.

For the record, ALL MY BIKES do and always have.

[lucian]

 What were you doing to do, BACK into him on the highway?
 

Still not a fan of obnoxious pipes ,however,  a couple of times I was made aware of a mc being close only because I heard them. I am also sure most cagers, who are not mc enthusiast, may not even equate the sound with being a mc. Although I prefer to keep my db killers in, if other choose not to I personally don't have a problem with it, unless someone is being a total ass wipe  and deliberately disturbing others . Kind of hate to see a blanket law passed because of a small percentage of abusers. Tough call.

[zedXmick]

Well I sure had my fill of the PIRATE PIPE brigade this weekend. Spent Sunday and today in Milwaukee with the family. EVERY gas station,restaurant,shopping stop,rest area...
Some HARLEY PIRATE WITH loud or even  straight pipes would be there blipping their asses off without a care in the world. I am so sick of these asshats....if you have LOUD pipes don't blip the throttles around people!!!!   end of rant.....

[chuck peterson]

Remember, it was outside a bar...alcohol involved

[drlapo]

At a local coffee-restaurant which is frequented by both motorcyclists and bikers I often offer to repair motorcycles so the rider doesn't need to blip the throttle.
My offer has yet to be accepted

[oldbike54]

 Told this before , just seems appropriate here .

 A few years back a small group of us attending the Okie camp out were doing the "mountain" East to West . I was riding the /5 , and it was being difficult,  requiring bump starting . We stopped on the top of Rich Mountain for a break . A small group of HD riders came in from the other direction , and were having a party in the parking area , stereo blazing , opening up the cooler from the chase truck, generally being obnoxious . We decided to move on before Michael D said something to provoke theses folks  I was rolling the beemer down a hill away from the group of HD riders , getting up speed before letting out the clutch . One of the HD guys said loud enough for one of our group to hear , "damn , that BMW is quiet" , well duh , it wasn't running 

 Dusty

[lucian]

One of the HD guys said loud enough for one of our group to hear , "damn , that BMW is quiet" , well duh , it wasn't running 

You must have this thread confused with the stupidest thing someone said about motorcycles thread.

[Fuzzy]

That's what I was thinking...

[keener]

The thing for me is not only are they too loud, they do not sound good...they actually sound gutless like flatulence ,have you ever noticed they when they roar off the bike is much slower than the sound, funny really ..

Years back i shared a campground with a bunch of Harleys with straight pipes etc, the guys riding them weren't  all bad they just joined the loud is proud club..
At the time i owned a 1978 Ducati Darmah it came with Contis which were loud but not excessive , when i was warming her up cold blooded bike that it was , a couple of the Harley riders came over for a look see and a listen ..Both of them commented on the music the Duck made said they loved it ..a nice crisp staccato.. the 90 degree bevel and the Conti pipes had a lovely sound that you wanted to hear and when i rode off i was easy on the throttle for those that were still dormant.
Later on my return ,the Contis  brought a few more HD riders over  and i heard the same comments , one even said his Road King sounded like shit in comparison ...
its the quality of the music  and not the volume that makes you smile ....

[oldbike54]

One of the HD guys said loud enough for one of our group to hear , "damn , that BMW is quiet" , well duh , it wasn't running 

You must have this thread confused with the stupidest thing someone said about motorcycles thread.

 

That's what I was thinking...

 That's where it was told before , just didn't feel like trying to find it 

 Dusty

[Moto Fugazzi]

The hostility...
civilians who come to such conclusions regarding all motorcyclists are either not paying attention, or have a whole other set of problems that have nothing to do with us.
I don't like straight pipes either, but I also don't like my neighbors lawnmower outside my window. It's just the way it goes.
OK, let me have it...

Ironically, my neighbor across the street rides a bike with straight pipes. When he cuts the lawn, he wears hearing protection. It makes no sense to me.
Ken

[atavar]

Not trolling here, but perhaps as a community we should start petitioning the local LEO's to start enforcing noise and equipment rules, if nothing else just as secondary citations for other stops.  As much as I enjoy the sound of a nice exhaust it does more harm to the motorcycling community than it is worth.  How long do you think you could drive your pickup truck with straight pipes before you got pulled over?

[Triple Jim]

How long do you think you could drive your pickup truck with straight pipes before you got pulled over?

Out here where I live now, pretty long, judging by what I hear.  Where I grew up, in Bethesda, MD, not very long.

[Arizona Wayne]

Not trolling here, but perhaps as a community we should start petitioning the local LEO's to start enforcing noise and equipment rules, if nothing else just as secondary citations for other stops.  As much as I enjoy the sound of a nice exhaust it does more harm to the motorcycling community than it is worth.  How long do you think you could drive your pickup truck with straight pipes before you got pulled over?

You sound like a control freak, atavar.  Glad you don't live in my neighborhood.   I'm sure if my mufflers are too loud I'll get pulled over without your help. 

[rodekyll]

Not trolling here, but perhaps as a community we should start petitioning the local LEO's to start enforcing noise and equipment rules, if nothing else just as secondary citations for other stops.  As much as I enjoy the sound of a nice exhaust it does more harm to the motorcycling community than it is worth.  How long do you think you could drive your pickup truck with straight pipes before you got pulled over?

If the complaint was about loud pipes I'd be in favor.  if one showed up at my door I'd sign it.  If it was about BIKES with loud pipes, not so much.  My BUBs make me perhaps the loudest bike in town, and they're pretty tame by loud pipe standards.  It's a Convert, so blipping the throttle at stops and redlining through the business district in first are not options.  We've got a few rumblers in town, but that cop I was commenting about earlier has the only raspy Harley.  His sounds like he stuck bamboo slats in his spokes.  I walked around it one day as he was parking it and asked him if that's what made the silly noise.

We've got folks with these oversize pickup trucks with tall stacks, "tuner" type roller skates and rotted out beaters all making a LOT more noise than I do.  The small aircraft don't give a second thought to buzzing the town at 200'agl, and when some of the working boats crank up at the docks you can identify which one from a half mile off.

[N.Y.zee10]

Want to hear some really loud pipes? Attend an Italian Motorcycle Owners Club rally. IMOC. No one seems to be crying about loud pipes at this yearly event. No one is suggesting eating the cheese and ratting the Italian bike owners out to the law. Sometimes I am skeptical as to the accuracy of some of these stories on the forum. Sometimes it seems folks just like to stir up the Harley hate pot with nonexistent or embellished tales. Flip a lit cig at someone round here and be prepared for a visit to the ER or your dentist.

[oldbike54]

 Let's be honest here NY , the vast majority of straight pipe MCs running around are HD's . Sorry , but that is the truth . Does it make me hate the brand , or even the owners that think it is OK to make a ridiculous amount of noise , well no . Does it irritate the hell out of me , well , yes . I have rarely heard an Italian bike running open exhaust , sure , those kinda loud "Competizione" mufflers , but NOT completely unmuffled . 

 Dusty

[Toecutter]

"Flip a lit cig at someone round here and be prepared for a visit to the ER or your dentist."

Well, if I'm about to flick a lit cigarette at someone, it's because I'm damn sure I can back it up.

[canuguzzi]

Something that hasn't been mentioned.

While I dislike loud exhausts some attention paid to how parking is arranged by shops with outdoor seating would help. Where they have cars pulling in to park at an angle bikes typically need to back in or have the rider struggling to back out. That means even with a stock exhaust, a rider sprays exhaust onto customers seated outside.

Parking space can be scarce but allocating one or two spots for bikes would let 4 or more bikes park and if those spots were off to the side if possible that would sure help.

At one of my favorite breakfast places I heave ho the Norge up the crown to have my exhaust pointed other than in the direction of those seated outside eating. I've even had someone help after they asked why I was pushing the Norge and I explained what I was doing.

[redrider90]

My SS Agostini's are loud when wound up tight. Not Bub loud but considerably louder than the stock Lafranconi's that came on the Mille. I consider Bub's quite loud on a Guzzi and Ducati. One of the loudest bikes I ever road with was a Bub Centauro. Even with good ear plugs and a high end Arai helmet I could not ride near the bike. It made my ears hurt and ring: granted I have sensitive ears from a bad virus 25 years ago. No offense intended but I think Bubs are too loud. But I shouldn't talk as I think my Agostini's are almost too loud. I am careful especially in town to ride it higher gears to keep it down.... unless I am gliding by a group of HD's at the local BBQ. Then I cannot help myself and wind it up and then back off the throttle as I pass them by..... watching with mouths agape at the Sweet Staccato emitting from my Red Italian Stallion. I confess to suffer both guilt from having too noisy a bike and ego when it comes to the showing off in front of the "other" crowd.
Bad Red Rider 90 

[atavar]

You sound like a control freak, atavar.  Glad you don't live in my neighborhood.   I'm sure if my mufflers are too loud I'll get pulled over without your help. 

Not at all a control freak, but when bikes ride by my house and with the windows closed I cannot hear the movie I am watching on TV it annoys the heck out of me. I am very pro motorcycle so if this angers me I can only imagine how it annoys others who have nothing to do with bikes. 
This is really one of the prime reasons that a lot of people dislike motorcycling and motorcyclists. 

[canuguzzi]

Not trolling here, but perhaps as a community we should start petitioning the local LEO's to start enforcing noise and equipment rules, if nothing else just as secondary citations for other stops.  As much as I enjoy the sound of a nice exhaust it does more harm to the motorcycling community than it is worth.  How long do you think you could drive your pickup truck with straight pipes before you got pulled over?

There is always a segment of any group that can't figure out the difference between quantity and quality.

There is a difference between a tuned exhaust and one that is just loud. Even so, it's the people that think everyone else wants to hear their loud trash that causes a big part of the problem. If you like to hear loud exhausts, great, have some courtesy and open it up where it isn't going to disrupts everyone's time.

No matter, there are always the ones who think walking down a street banging on a metal trash can lid is music.

[Damnyankee]

Not so much HD riders here, the sport bike riders take riding seriously here. Bikes are generally modified both motor and suspension to meet the challenges of the roads here. That said, they seem to be tolerated by the town's people as long as they don't go flying through town. Not much showboating either.

[keener]

So my Agostini on the Griso and the Arrows on the Multi are for me personally and I will use them with respect for all the other ears out there..... and they both have the DB killers in ...so not so loud and  just music to me .

I would think that there is a significant difference in the sound of a tuned exhaust system and the open annoying blatt of a HD ...but then again who am I to judge  .....eh
 

 

[canuguzzi]

If you like rock but rap not so much, rap played at half the volume of rock still can seem way too loud. Personally I'd rather listen to an entire neighborhood of children playing, yelling as they often do than a car driving by with rap vibrating the windows.

[Red Dog]

Just another story: 

When I had the C14 (stock pipes) I pulled in for gas and had just gotten off the bike when a bike pulled in (Honda VTX) with straight pipes that was so loud it was like being next to a nitro drag racer.  He rode past me stopped, got off the bike & came walking back & took a quick look at the Guzzi then asked me if it was a new Valkerye.  I shouted at him as loud as I could: "NO It's a f*kng MOTO GUZZI a real Godd*mn bike not some POS with loud pipes wanne be".  Then I left.

Sometime later I bought a Victory & got invited by other Vic owners to have breakfast & go on a ride.  There was a rider that looked familiar but I couldn't place him.  The conversation got around to loud exhaust & I told the story of the "A-hole with loud pipes at the gas station" story.  It wasn't until we were all leaving that I realized one rider was on a very loud honda.  He pulled out first and left & somebody who knew him commented they were glad he decided not to ride with them.

[normzone]

" Here in California, if someone lights a cigarette, we throw a Harley pipe at them.  "

That is partially influenced by the high taxes on tobacco - it costs less to throw a Harley pipe.