In Arkansas it’s a freedom of choice to ware a helmet; I have a novelty helmet and have used it in other states when crossing them on trips. Have been lucky I guess and have not been stopped for wearing it looks like I may need to invest in a DOT approved one instead of paying the LEO $$$

 

Here in Oregon it’s the law that you have to have on a helmet. They even have it posted at the state line. A few years back the police used to stop bikes for non DOT helmets and give tickets. Someone decided to fight the ticket and the Judge ruled that the police do not have the expertise or the equipment to determine if a helmet meets the DOT standard. He ruled that the only thing the police can go by is if the helmet has a DOT sticker or not. The ruling was taken all the way to the state Supreme Court witch did not overturn the lower courts ruling. So in Oregon as long as your novelty helmet has a DOT sticker you can’t get a ticket.

 

Where is the best place to motorcycle tour, in January?

 

I hear Australia is pretty nice in January but wear a helmet and keep your pipes quiet.

 

If loud pipes don't save lives, can the NY State Trooper explain why there are very loud sirens on all emergency vehicles around the planet. Wouldn't lites be enough?

 

I think you need to re-read your constitution, here let me help you with this

"Amendment X
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people."


If you do not know what means, I will explain. The states make the laws, state laws super cede federal law. The fed government will force (blackmail) states to make laws like seat belts and helmet laws by witholding federal funds, but the state has the last word on what law gets passed.

 

I'm gonna get bashed, but heare goes. If the state has a decible restriction, better heed. Drag pipes? Well let's just say I don't know of any state in the northeast where they would pass. You still wanna run them? Fine. Don't b*tch when you get a ticket. Go ahead. Bash me.

 

Another good reason not to live in the northeast.

 

Yep the state can make laws stronger or pass their own laws the fed has not ruled on but they can not lessen laws that the fed has passed. The fed government has not and never have set the drinking age to 21. They told the states that if they want funding for highway repair they had better set it to 21. LA held out for a long time after TX gave in. As a kid we would travel over to LA to drink when we were 18.

Hell when I first came in the military most bases you could drink on at the Enlisted Bar at 18.... Federal Property and state law did not apply.

Not anymore.

 

Hence the reason I hate rallies. From my article about a trip to Sturgis:

I'm not a fan of huge rallies, which is why I didn't figure it out sooner. I like to ride. I don't like crowds. I like to ride through a curve, maintaining a steady throttle. I really don't like getting caught behind a very slow moving vehicle in places such as the pigtails on Iron Mountain Road. I'm sure there are many good reasons to go to Sturgis, and someday I'll have the time, at the time, and I'll make the trip. However, the timing of this particular trip to the Black Hills was perfect: no crowds/limited slow-moving tourists, perfect weather, reasonable prices.

I didn't even mention the involuntary contributions many riders make to the local towns through traffic tickets.

I got a ticket for "non-stock" exhaust at Americade in '02. That's scarier to me than a ticket for loud pipes, assuming they have some way to test the decibels at a certain distance/angle/RPM. I'm working on an article right now about the demise of custom bike building by the average Joe, since you are only allowed to build one non-EPA approved motorcycle in your entire life, and the only EPA approved motorcycle as of '06 (or maybe it's '07) is stock motor fuel injection and exhaust with the EPA document imprinted in the chrome someplace where it's visible for all to see. Eh, more research to do on that article, but it isn't comforting to know.

As far as loud pipes saving lives, I agree that some pipes are obnoxiously loud (not mine, of course ), but some noise is good (IMHO). Yes, I think I have this constant ringing in my right ear because my Big Shots are on that side. However, I saw the driver coming up quickly behind me jerk to attention and stop when I revved my motor. This is something I watch like a hawk since getting rear-ended last year. Also, a few months ago I was in my car and had seen a bike in my rear view mirror. I thought he was still back there and started to change lanes. I checked for him again and didn't seem him, which surprised me. Suddenly I heard him loud and clear passing up through my blind spot. Fortunately I had seen him earlier and knew he was there somewhere, but if I hadn't been aware of bikers, his pipes definitely would have helped.