While I agree that loud pipes are annoying to neighbors if they are too loud, the don't seem to bother most people when you just pass through.
Drives me insane when a guy around the corner rides back and forth for hours. Can't hear the TV, conversation, etc...

Whats the worst though? This grown adult (30+) driving round and round the neighborhood on a chainsaw with wheels. from 6pm til after 12 am, every 2 minutes or so, there he goes again!!![:@]

I'm hoping he gets bored of this thing soon.

A litter neighborhood consideration goes a long way.



Oya! One of my woderful neighbors just remined me. Lazy azzed people that can't get out of the car to ring the bell are the worst. Just sitting in the street honking the horn over and over.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhh.

 

I hear ya Rhubarb, hear, hear![sm=exactly.gif]

 

I have a hd with stock exhaust. It is loud enough. I live in the country and do not go to bed until 4-6 in the morning. I live in the country so it will be quiet. I may not get up until noon. So all of you who think it that is ok to be quiet only in the early hours in the morning need to get a life. My house is 150 feet of the road in a rural setting. When I am trying to sleep and I can hear loud exhaust i am not real happy. Anyone with non factory exhaust should get a ticket, including loss of license for repeated offenses. The majority of people do not realize that some of us move to the country for peace and quiet. So it is not alright for some to crank on the throttle in the (wide open spaces) with non factory exhaust.

 

Well why stop with loud exhaust systems. Let's outlaw loud people. I don't like fat people either let's outlaw them too. Oh and ugly people too. Anyone know where I could get one of those bubbles to live in so I don't have to breath the same air as all of you.

This country is about freedom!!! The current laws regarding disturbing the peace are plenty!!! We don't need more laws and resrictions, we need more freedom.

Are there jackasses around who abuse there freedoms, absolutly, always will be too!!

Will more laws really make the majority of us happier?? I think not!!!

If your so annoyed or scared of your freedom, move to a place where people aren't free. Don't take my freedom.

 

Right on, Jungleman! We're in the same boat (same shift & location).

I wasn't trying to compare smoking to loud pipes. That was just an example of what can happen when the majority of the public gets really pissed about something.

I don't really believe we are close to "no more motorcycles" yet. It's just the worst-case scenario. With all the weird legislative s**t that has gone down lately, even though you're probably right that it's just not likely, you can't believe that it isn't at least possible.

As for "I'm just passing through so it's no biggie", if it WAS just you and it WAS just one guy's conversation, well then big deal and screw 'em, right? The problem is, you aren't the Lone Ranger and neither is he. A lot of bikers (and for sure, not just H-D riders) are doing the same thing you are at the same time you are, and that one guy is actually all of the neighborhoods surrounding your location at any given time. This is a small number of people making a very large number of people unhappy, and yes, even angry in many cases. Loud rice burners are also part of the mix, but for some (probably psychological) reason, that distinctive Harley sound that we all love (ya, me too...just less volume, please) gets singled out in the minds of the 95+% of the population that doesn't ride, just because it IS distinctive. If you truely believe they don't care about this "momentary" inconvenience, the next time you have an afternoon or evening of riding to burn, stop and ask the people that you see if they think your bike is too loud (ask politely, like you're actually interested in what they think). The results of this poll will be a real eye-opener for you. As an added bonus, you'll generate all kinds of good will with each person you ask because they've always assumed (correctly) that you don't give a s**t what they think. They'll be flattered that you thought enough to ask them.

The problem is doubly unfair to us because, here in Newton's universe, it's a fixed physical law that it's much more difficult to effectively and efficiently muffle the exhaust from two large cylinders than it is to muffle multiple smaller cylinders. A good muffler should have on the order of ten times the displacement of the cylinder that it's muffling! Rice burners may look normal with a hunk of sewer pipe on the end of their headers, but our mufflers would need to be the size of corrugated ditch culvert and that just ain't happening. It's a minor miracle that our stock bikes run at all, let alone as well as they do.

Sorry I deviated a bit from the original question, which was about noise, not performance. I know that you wouldn't be making all that racket in the name of speed because you can go a lot faster for a lot less money on bikes other than big twins. Hell, even Harley makes faster bikes. The larger Sportsters, for starters. Buells and VRods are faster yet. No, you've chosen big twins for their great looks, stable handling, comfort, and yes, that terrific sound. All I'm suggesting is that you strongly consider the views and rights of those who are hostile to us already before you saw off those mufflers and expose ALL of us to all kinds of potential legal mayhem. Just a thought...

 

Loanshark: jungleman didn't ask for more of those "evil" laws...he asked that the ones already on the books should finally be enforced. Additionally, motor vehicle operation in our country is and always has been a privilege, not a right. You are only granted this privilege providing you agree to abide by applicable laws, codes, etc. If you believe that excessivly-loud pipes (as defined in the vehicle code) are your "right", then you apparently believe that you live somewhere other than the USA.

jungleman: Shame on you for having an opinion that is unpopular with some of your peers. How dare you? Since you'll probably have to leave the country for committing such an unpopular act (thinking for yourself), you may want to avoid wherever it is that Loanshark thinks he is as a possible destination. Just another thought...

 

First off I wasn't trying to single out jungleman. The point I was trying to make is that for this country to succeed we all have to tolerate each other. That includes being considerate of each other as well. I get annoyed at some things just as easy as the next guy. My pipes have baffles in them, the're still loud. My neighbors lawnmower is only slightly less loud and I have to listen to it for a solid hour once a week. Nobody has ever had to endure my bike for an hour other than me.

And I know exacly where it is that I live bud. If you listen to whiners and the government long enough they'll try to convince you that everything is a priviledge. You obviously missed my point big time!!

So we need to enforce the current laws better huh, well let's hire more cops then, I mean I'm sure we don't want to redirect our current officers working on rape, murder and theft cases too jungelmans neighborhood so he can get a peaceful days sleep. I know I want to pay more taxes!!!!

1analguy I really don't want to start a fight here, it's just that there are real problems to be dealt with. Complaining about loud pipes is a waste of time. There will always be inconsiderate people that inconvenience the rest of us, but they should be dealt with individually IMO.

 

I always love this discussion... talk about agreeing to disagree.

I just recently installed the new pipes on my bike (and yes, some would consider it very loud).. I did talk to my neighbors about it, and they all assured me that even though they definately heard me start up in the morning that is was NO problem for them... since I always wait until I am down the street before I start generating SEROIUS noise (btw - I leave for work at 4:45am)

I do have several friends that I ride with however that think it is their sworn duty to roll through any parking structure on a mission to set off all the cr alarms they possibly can. I have been working with them to discontinue this practice, because although it certainly amuses them.. I am sure that this pisses people of to no end.

Courtesy builds a lot of good will..

 

Some people are so unhappy w/ their own life that b..ching about others makes them feel better. It will always be something ie:bikes, planes, kids, trucks etc... If they don't like it then they should move to the country.

 

I grew up out in the country, my driveway was 500 feet long, noise was never an issue where we lived, even with all the windows open even the loudest vehicle driving by never became an issue.

from jan of 03 to jan of 05 I was on active duty stationed in Syracuse NY, I worked the midnight shift, so I slept all day, never did I have any problems with loud bikes, and quite a few people in our appartment complex owned some really loud ones, myself included, what always would wake me up would be the punks in the honda civics with the 120db of bass cruising down the road and weed wackers, nothing else bothered me. and I'm a light sleeper. When I moved into my next appartment, I had a parking spot in the basement of the building, a number of older people lived in the building so I wouldn't rev the bike inside and when I would bring it back to park it I would kill the engine and coast in to my spot. I asked the other tenets in the building if my bike was to loud and they said they knewwhen I would start it up but it wasn't to a point where it was a problem.

the way i see it, you can be loud and still be polite to the neighbors, its all a personal choice, thats what makes this country so great.