Okay, all you Harley guys

Tobra · Tobra's Garage

What is with the obnoxiously loud pipes? Seems like every day I see a Harley Davidson with what sounds like straight pipes, no muffler. Occasionally will observe them setting off car alarms. Isn't there some sort of noise abatement law on the books most places, I know in Kalifornia, there is an upper decibel limit, how is it these guys are not getting constantly hassled? Is it because the HD has become the yuppie bike that is coveted by wealthier types now? I can't figure it out. Maybe cops got better things to do(no doubt part of it)

motion · 08-12-2006, 12:04 PM

They are starting to get ticketed in the coastal communities in my area. Personally, I hope the cops start getting much more aggressive. It is ridiculous. I think its just these wannabe's way of showing they are anti-social.

scottmandue · 08-12-2006, 12:10 PM

Even more annoying in Hawaii... you fly thousands of miles and spend thousands of dollars to get to paradise and some goofball has to ruin it by thundering around with no muffler.

They did have a recent crackdown in my neighborhood, they even advertised it in the paper that that weekend the police would be on the strand with db meters... of course many of the bikers didn't read it and got caught.

I'm surprised the police haven't cashed in on this goldmine. I hate the idea of using police to generate revenue but unfortunately that is what they are becoming and here is a case of wealthy people with no regard for the law or other peoples privacy.

widebody911 · widebody911's Garage

I think it goes beyond straigt pipes; I'd swear these exhausts were designed to amplify the sound.

I wonder how they'd feel about me cruising my 911 with an open exhaust in front of their house at 0'dark-thirty?

Jims5543 · 08-12-2006, 12:35 PM

My brother lives a block off a busy road and has to endure these things at 2:00 a.m. every Friday after "Dress up like your a bad ass biker" Thursdays.

A cop will not hesitate to pull over a loud car but will look the other way at a obnoxious bike.

Loud pipes save lives? Loud pipes piss everyone off.

Brian 162 · 08-12-2006, 04:48 PM

A guy around the corner from my place has one with straight pipes. He is a good neighbour, he barely creeps the engine above idle until he gets to the main street.

Jeff Higgins · 08-12-2006, 05:37 PM

This is finally becoming an issue for H-D themselves. They just anounced last month in "The Enthusiast" (their factory rag and the longest running motorcycle publication on the planet) that they will no longer sell their Screaming Eagle line of pipes. Dealers will not carry, nor will they install, non-stock pipes. Now when the "chromosexuals" (gotta love Thom's label) want to bust some eardums and save some lives, they have to go elsewhere. And risk voiding the warrenty on their new $20k scoot.

Yeah, a lot of erstwhile bikers have anti-social tendencies. And they pick poor role models. Everyone wants to grow up to be just like Sonny Barger or Bandito George. There is a real defiant attitude that runs along the lines of "if you are gonna make me ride with a helmet, with a headlight on, with my apes lower than my head, then by golly you can put up with my loud pipes. So what if they piss you off; your silly rules piss me off. Ya wanna step behind the bar and 'discuss' this?"

It's weird. I have been running in this circle for almost 30 years and I'm almost kind of distressed over the turns it has taken in about the last ten or so. Early on I was fairly deep into the club thing; lately I have nothing to do with them. I have never been without a Harley of some kind since I got my license; I currently have two bikes. Both with stock pipes. (My 911 is louder than either bike.) Anyway, it seems the guys who have been at it the longest care the least about how loud their bikes are and tend to ride the quieter ones. They could care less about all the other stereotypical crap the FNG's get all excited about to try to fit in. Hell, we are the guys they are trying to fit in with, the old school bikers, and we have put most of that juvinal nonsense behind us. We just ride and let the yuppie RUB dip*****s carry on making fools of themselves while trying to impress each other. It sure as hell ain't impressing us. And it's pissing off the civilians.

dd74 · 08-13-2006, 12:54 AM

I don't know; I've become used to the loud bikes. One day I might hook a pair of megaphones to my car, and have a sound-off: Uncorked H-D vs. Uncorked 911.

But Jeff's correct. I know some old salts on Hawgs, and they're some of the nicest enthusiasts you can meet with the most quiet bikes. Talk 911 cars with a well-seasoned Harley guy, and invariably you'll have common ground.

The real question is what's louder: an uncorked Harley or Neil Young's famed distortion played live.

Victor · 08-13-2006, 02:00 AM

It's the same here (Australia) - old geeks on loud Hardleys.......mortgage the equity in the home loan and BAMMO! Instant bad boyz. Wankers - the lot of 'em. Should be euthanized.

asphaltgambler · 08-13-2006, 08:36 AM

Me........... I've have two. Yeah, I like it loud. Not because it is, but because both engines on my bikes are heavily modified and sound very, very good (almost) unmuffled. To completely muffle those beasts would constitute a sin. MO

I don't purposely rev my rides at every stop light or just to make all the car alarms go off as I go thru down town. As a matter of fact I try to do the opposite and be respectful. But when I want to run thru the gears out on the highway; I want to hear nothing but music from those pipes.

Open pipes on a stock, low compression engine SHOULD be a sin. MO. Sounds like VanHalen off key and out of time.

speeder · speeder's Garage

I would love to have a late-model HD, either a dresser/FLH or a nice Low Rider/cruiser deal. One of the reasons I like them is because after years of riding off and on, and owning all types of bikes, I realize that I just like to putt around town on a sunny weekend afternoon or take a babe for a ride. Harleys are made for that kind of work, all bottom-end torque and they look and sound cool. There should be quite a buyer's market for used ones now that every RUB on the planet bought one, and thousands are sitting in garages unused.

As for sound, I think that they sound good muffled, maybe low-restriction muffs but muffled. "Blub-blub-blub" like a drag boat, as one older biker friend described his. Loud pipes DO save lives, but you only need to be heard, not split people's ear drums. Plus you always need to guard your own ass on a bike anyways.

Jims5543 · 08-13-2006, 10:17 AM

I was standing at the top of Chimney Rock in North Carolina and all you could hear was the sound of Harleys exhausts echo through the valley below.

Maybe it was cool 30+ years ago when there were not many bikes on the road. Speeder nailed it indirectly. Now everyone has one and the roads are full of them on the weekends.

I am also sure every town in America has a "Biker Night" here it is Thursday nights. The roads are covered with bikes. It's like holoween every Thursday here everyone is in leather looking cool in their outfits.

Asphaltgambler- When you are opening up you HD on the highway did it accur to you there are probably houses along there that are just cursing their heads off as you blast by?

I am looking foward to a time when bikes have to submit to emmisions and noise level as well.

Lake Lure (where chimney rock is) has a huge sign in the side of the road as you enter town stating their zero tolerance to loud pipes. Unfortunatly it see,s to only be a sign as there were loud bikes polluting the beautiful valley everywhere.

asphaltgambler · 08-13-2006, 10:48 AM

Actually .......no it did not occour to me that I was pissing people off as I was riding by

cegerer · cegerer's Garage

As annoying as they are, I'd much rather listen to HD straight pipes then the trailer trash homeboys with their bass thumping stereos.

Good story: last week I was at a busy gas station. This blonde teen tattoo tramp pulls in with her ghettoized Lincoln Navigator - bass thumping out some Kill the Cops rap tune. She pulls up to the pump and then gets out and goes into the store, leaving the stereo blasting. Everybody is looking at each other but doing nothing, so I walk over, open the door and turn it off.

Everybody laughed their asses off. Man I love getting old, you just don't give a ***** about the consequences of crap like that anymore.

asphaltgambler · 08-13-2006, 01:14 PM

You sir..............are my new hero

Jims5543 · 08-13-2006, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by asphaltgambler
Actually .......no it did not occour to me that I was pissing people off as I was riding by

I am not trashing on you at all. Please do not interpret my statement as my intention.

I am mearly pointing out what others go through.

Like I said before, my brother lives about 2 blocks from a bar that has turned out to be a popular biker spot on Thursday nights. It pisses him off to no end that the bikes roar by at 2 in the morning obviously at WOT.

I am not saying you do that, honestly that same could be said about my P-car at WOT it is not quiet. I try to keep off the gas, like you in neighborhoods.

Like I said a while back it was a non-issue due to how far and in between a HD would be. Now they are everywhere.

The car stereos? That could be a thread of its own.

Jeff Higgins · 08-13-2006, 02:15 PM

Well done, my man, well done. Yup, when half the dip*****s you run into out there are young enough to be your daughter (or son), it sure makes it easy to do that stuff. Sounds exactly like what I would have done.

asphaltgambler · 03:05 PM

Jim - I take no offense here. You have a strong opinion about this.

If I lived right around the corner from a local hang out and heard that noise at 2am...........h3ll if it was 11pm it would p!ss me off as well

Jeff Higgins · 08-13-2006, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Victor
It's the same here (Australia) - old geeks on loud Hardleys.......mortgage the equity in the home loan and BAMMO! Instant bad boyz. Wankers - the lot of 'em. Should be euthanized.

Actually Victor, I bet it is even worse down there. The Aussie "bikies" (as opposed to our "bikers") have a reputation for trying just a bit harder. The hard-core clubs are worse down under, so there is no reason to believe the weekend warriors are not as well. What a bizare sub-culture this has turned into.

Sonny Barger, multiple time convicted felon and, from testimony given by some who used to ride with him, a multiple murderer as well, sits down at a book signing. His adoring wanna-be fans line up for him to autograph his latest written justification for his lifestyle. Any one of whom, back in his younger days, could have been his next victim. I'm waiting for him to come out with his own line of clothing...

Jims5543 · 08-13-2006, 05:57 PM

When my dad used to ride in a gang or club as they are called today it was bad news. This was in the late 60's early 70's.

He had a 55 K-Frame with a knucklhead engine that was bored and stroked. His kick starter was extended so he could kick it over and the carb was on the wrong side which made kicking it over difficult because it was prone to flooding.

They used to deal drugs, sell stolen goods that they stole and would basically kick your ass for looking a them wrong wherever you were and no matter how many of you there were.

He even tangled with some Pagens once and lived to tell about it.

He gets a kick out of this current yuppie biker craze. He has made the comments that if the younger him and the guys he wrode with ever showed up to these meets most of the guys there would pee themselves.

Of course he went from one extreme to the other and is now a Bible thumper. I grew up a PK. I liked the found Jesus verson of my dad better though if I had to pick.