HOW LOUD IS LOUD ENOUGH???? Here in Denver they just passed a noise law that states that all motorcycles built after 1982 have to have the EPA stamp on the mufflers. If caught with out it, it will be a $500.00 fine 1st time and $1000.00 after that. How loud is loud enough? I drive a Road king with Full Sac true duels and 13/4in baffles in stock pipes. It is louder than stock (nice sound) but I don’t think it is too loud. Last night on the way home from work on I 25 I was passed by a metric with straight pipes, it hurt my ears when he went by and I wear a Bell Star full face helmet! I could hear him tell he was at least ½ mile in front of me. Now that’s too loud. It is ***’s like this that we need to get rid of. Thanks George

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I agree. A full deep sound is very nice.
It's the guy's that need to compete to be the loudest that
will f*** it up for everyone.

 

Glad to see Denver has a tougher laws for being loud than most places have for possession of drugs. God Job Denver. I don't have an issue with fines in general, but make the punshment fit the damn crime. If a loud pipe gets you 500 or 1000 dollars, then drunk driving should get you the death penalty. How about 50 and 100. Seems more reasonable, and it would still suck to pay it. 500 and 1000. Yeah, that's reasonable (insert big freaking rolling of the eyes here at Denver).

 

I'm quite certain this topic has been thrown around a few times on here but briefly I think this is something that will never be settled. I run V&H Straighshots w/Baffles. Not Loud -- Not Quiet. Actually I'm a little disappointed with them because only at ful throt do I hear that distinctive sound we all like. The Starightshots don't seem to have a deep throaty sound but I've already shove cash out for them and I'll keep them for awhile. On my street, there's some guys with straight pipes, not sure of the Brand but when they go by my house, it's amazing how loud it is. I mean to apoint where the neightbors came to me asking if I could talk to them.

Actually all I said to them was, when they come home if they come just cruise down the street, it should do the trick and they've complied. But to your point, if you have 50 bikes with pipes that are reasonable sounding and one that is obnoxious, that's the dude that gets Laws changed that effect all of us. I will never support being forced to run factory stock pipes on my bike. If the law ever got to a point where that wbecame the issue, I'd petition the law makers and fight it in court if I had to.

The saying, ' Loud Pipes Saves Lives ' isn't just a nice phrase to keep us unique, it's a reality. Cars have to know you're around them and there's no better way than when they can hear you. And speaking of hearing, a couple of months back, I went for a Charity Run on a day it was raining off & on. So I decided to wear my Helmet that day. At one point coming home, there was an siren coming from somewhere, but because of the helmet, I couldn't tell which way it was coming. I never have that prob when I'm not wearing it. Has anyone ever had that experience before?

 

They figure they can get the money, or it wouldn't be that high. They figure, you got money to modify, you go money to give to the state. Reasonable has nothing to do with it. I saw a sign that said $1200 fine for littering, 1200, whats the 200 for, why not 2000, or 1000, but 1200 what an odd number, you can never figure it out unless you are involved with the process.

 

Its a cash cow for Denver. Those fines areridiculous. IMO Denver is not what I would call biker friendly. If they were out to reduce noise they would have included several other types of vehicles. Why just target bikes? They can live with the illegals and drugs but not with a nice sounding bike? Everything always comes down to money. Funny how its always the the people who pay the sin taxes that pay for city repairs. ie (Denver Street repairs). They had one of the worst years of street damage due to heavy snows. Someone has to pay for those repairs. And your $500 dollar donation will help pay for it. Always finding creative ways to screw the little guy.

 

If they want to change our behavior, then they should impound our bikes. THAT would solve the problem overnight. I have the money to pay for the bike, and I save up money to modify it. Speaking only for myself, I do not have 500 or a 1000 dollars to spend on the "sound" of my bike. My guess is that the amount of the fines will be appealed, and made more reasonable. I saw it here in our own town (stereos, not pipes). The original proposal was to fine, then impound. The whole thing was fought successfully by a lawyer. The stereo noise is now worse than ever, with no enfocement. The whole thing depends on the police, and their willingness to enforce the ordinance. I do not believe Denver will make even a dent in the "loud pipe" department, because cops are not going to knowingly yank 500/1000 dollars out of the pockets ofbikers. We are a good group to have in your corner, and they know it. Now, I'm quite sure that if you are being an ***. they will get you, as they should. I would have no problem cruising right through Denver on my bike, because I know how to keep my bike quiet. Ifpeople insist upon being loud and obnoxious, I hope they get those guys. There IS a difference between loud pipes, and a guy with loud pipes being an ***.

 

If you have stock pipes on I would think you would be fine if you have the stamp on em.

 

I think about 80% to 90% of the Harley’s sound great and are not too loud. They should give tickets with a db meter. People can’t even buy stock mufflers for most old bikes. I am sure someone will take this one to court and win. The same law says any thing over 82db, but doesn’t say where to put the db meter to test it. So stock mufflers won’t pass. Denver has there head up there a—on this one. The $500.00 to $1000.00 ticket should go to the a—‘s that ride with straight pipes!!!! Not the fine, normal, Harley Rider.
George[sm=chattypair.gif]

 

Starting in 06 it is against the law to change the intake, exhaust, or ignition of any motorcyle. It has been against the law to change the exhaust for a while now. Luckly it's not inforced.

The best way to fight these things are by joining a Motorcycle Rights Org. There are National and Local ones in every state. The more members the the pull they have.

I agree with the Loud Pipes save lives. Some people do take it too far! And Helmets do impede hearing and vision, that's why it's illegal to wear them in autos in some states. Go figure.