Those Harleys and the obnoxious noise they make - a rant

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

I have noticed a distinct pattern where afficionados of rap or mariachi music have to crank it up as loud as it will go, and at the same time the windows HAVE to be rolled down.

Well, heck, if you had all that noise blasting directly at you, would you want to be trapped inside an enclosed car with it?

[1967 R50/2]

I ride a lot. In fact, I only own bikes.

I have never understood the straight pipe thing. Funny how cars generally don't have this need to be heard to "be safe" and generally they are much quieter than any bike.

If you want to be heard...USE YOUR HORN. Take any motorcycle safety course and "Straight Pipes" will never be mentioned as a safety measure.

[Jims5543]

True Story,

Duke was following me towards Gatlinburg Tn. last month and we were on some really sweet twisty roads. We come up on a Harley complete with loud pipes and a driver who had no business being on the bike, he should have been in a parking lot learning how to drive.

I am all for slowing for curves when your not sure but this cat was slowing to 10-15 MPH for every curve, even the nice sweeping 45 MPH ones.

We were probably cars 4 and 5 in the parade following this clown, he ignored 2 pull offs and in my book that is just plain rude, lets see, you have 20 cars lined up behind you and you think its o.k. to hold everyone up and ignore pull offs that were designed for people just like you?

We come out of a curve to a nice long straight, no one is coming, I drop down 2 gears and let her rip, as luck would have it I had to shift to 3rd (or was it 4th?) right as I got along side this guy...... have you ever been close to a turbo car with a blow off valve when it shifts, after being at hight boost and WOT????

The noise will pierce the loudest Harley and I am pretty sure this guy and his wife soiled themselves as I got past them. I am sure the speed at which I went by shook him up as well.

It felt gooooood.

[Jims5543]

Originally Posted by procon

You & Cashflyer are my Hero's!

I totally forgot, I gave you guys a dose of WOT leaving Pats, did it sound good?

[Jims5543]

Open pipes win every time..... wait!!!

[DARISC]

I love the sound of Harleys in the morning.

[Danny_Ocean]

Saw a good one today: "If Harley-Davidson Made an Airplane, Would You Fly In It?"

[Eric Coffey]

Originally Posted by djmcmath

I don't believe in the "loud pipes save lives" line either. Here's why:

...If the loud pipes crowd wants to claim that it's a safety measure, follow through by being visible and taking appropriate safety measures in other areas too, not just the ones that annoy other people. Otherwise, you can get noticed just fine with a good quality horn.

Just my $.02,
Dan

+1000. If these chromosexuals are so concerned about "saving lives" then why do the majority of them I see ride with ZERO riding gear and NO helmet??

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Not every guy with his bass cranked up is a gangbanger. he's a lowlife, but not necessarily a gangbanger.

I have noticed a distinct pattern where afficionados of rap or mariachi music have to crank it up as loud as it will go, and at the same time the windows HAVE to be rolled down.
Don't like that, don't understand why they have to do it except for the look at me factor.

Totally agree. The "all windows down" component solidifies the obvious cry for attention and/or small penor syndrome. I mean, if you just liked loud music, it would be better with the windows up, AND you would have less distracting road/ambient noise affecting your eardrum perforating sessions. I see (hear) these d-bags all the time here. You can usually spot them before you can hear them by the crooked, flat-bill hat silhouette in the driver's seat. Funny thing is that this time of year in AZ (monsoon), it can be 115+ degrees out and humid during the day, so it's not too pleasant to drive around town with your windows down, even with the A/C cranked. That just shows you the lengths some of these clowns will go to show you how cool/hard/gangsta they (think they) are. Degenerates.

[JavaBrewer]

It's sad how many of these RUB guys get "rubbed" out while pretending to be a bad-azz. I work with a guy who fits this stereotype. Rides in jeans, cut-off t-shirt, and a chrome half helmet. If he ever hits the pavement his chances of surviving are low. If he survives I wonder if his face will still look human after sliding down the street with his "protest" helmet pushed over his forehead.

In my eyes they are == to the stupid squids who wheelie their superbikes on the highway or ride East county roads +++ over their abilities and posted speed limits.

Not all HD riders are RUBs, thought sadly, at least here in SoCal, most HD folks I encounter are.

[Gogar]

I"m with Danny. Loud pharts save lives.

[Jeff Higgins]

I've been running the quiet, stock mufflers on both of my Harleys for at least a decade now. The whining, foot stamping, and sniveling in this thread has me rethinking that. I might just put the drag pipes back on the old Ironhead, and find some boomcans or something for the Road King. The thought that this simple act can bring such untold grief to the lives of such a broad cross section of hand wringing ninnies somehow appeals to me.

[VINMAN]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

I've been running the quiet, stock mufflers on both of my Harleys for at least a decade now. The whining, foot stamping, and sniveling in this thread has me rethinking that. I might just put the drag pipes back on the old Ironhead, and find some boomcans or something for the Road King. The thought that this simple act can bring such untold grief to the lives of such a broad cross section of hand wringing ninnies somehow appeals to me.

[Mule]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

I've been running the quiet, stock mufflers on both of my Harleys for at least a decade now. The whining, foot stamping, and sniveling in this thread has me rethinking that. I might just put the drag pipes back on the old Ironhead, and find some boomcans or something for the Road King. The thought that this simple act can bring such untold grief to the lives of such a broad cross section of hand wringing ninnies somehow appeals to me.

I appreciate your desire for freedom of expression. A drawers ripping fart as I walk past your dinner table gives me the same satisfaction.

[ChrisBennet]

Kids and even young adults tend to be thoughtless. We all drove too fast through neighborhood streets and we were lucky we didn't run over someone's child or pet. As one matures, generally one develops some consideration for others instead of the just focusing exclusively on ourselves.

Most of us don't run our lawnmowers early on Sunday morning, we don't open up our motor boats next to shore, don't shoot before 9am on weekends, etc. It's pretty basic adult behavior.

Some people just don't "get it", they don't understand or empathize that what they personally think is acceptable isn't acceptable to everyone. There was a thread a few weeks back about swearing in front of small children that perfectly illustrates this. Some people didn't see anything wrong with it and they weren't going to change their behavior around children just because the parents didn't agree with them.

You guys with your loud exhausts need to take the playing cards out of your spokes and start acting like adults.

-Chris

[stuartj]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

I've been running the quiet, stock mufflers on both of my Harleys for at least a decade now. The whining, foot stamping, and sniveling in this thread has me rethinking that. I might just put the drag pipes back on the old Ironhead, and find some boomcans or something for the Road King. The thought that this simple act can bring such untold grief to the lives of such a broad cross section of hand wringing ninnies somehow appeals to me.

Well Jeff, seems its not just me who thinks HD are fashion statements for tools, as you pointed out a little while back. Aside from being obsolete, bloated, charmless, evil handling wheel barrows that make chaff cutters sound like Ferraris, any company that is content to produce a 1300cc engine making 50hp ought be closed down, if not on environmental grounds then on the basis of sheer engineering incompetence.

Im sure many of us didnt find your post above very positive or uplifing either. Why cant you post something edifing, like that nice boy mule?

[Jims5543]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

I've been running the quiet, stock mufflers on both of my Harleys for at least a decade now. The whining, foot stamping, and sniveling in this thread has me rethinking that. I might just put the drag pipes back on the old Ironhead, and find some boomcans or something for the Road King. The thought that this simple act can bring such untold grief to the lives of such a broad cross section of hand wringing ninnies somehow appeals to me.

I have told this story before, my brother lives about a block away from a 4 lane road in town. Along that road is a popular meeting place for the Thursday night dress like a bad biker crowd.

His kids as well as his wife and himself all get woken up every Thursday night Friday morning with these clowns running WOT as they leave the establishment. No consideration at all that the people in the surrounding neighborhoods might like to sleep.

I see signs along popular biker routes all the time, most say loud pipes suck, or something along those lines.

The double standard is what pisses me off, if I took the mufflers off my cars and drove around with them like that, revving my engine at every red light and running WOT at the most inopportune times, I would have a collection of tickets and I would be labeled a jerk.

My wifes uncle has open pipes and he thinks he is funny bothering everyone around him, I have told him straight up I think he is a jerk for running like that.

[Mule]

Originally Posted by stuartj

Well Jeff, seems its not just me who thinks HD are fashion statements for tools, as you pointed out a little while back. Aside from being obsolete, bloated, charmless, evil handling wheel barrows that make chaff cutters sound like Ferraris, any company that is content to produce a 1300cc engine making 50hp ought be closed down, if not on environmental grounds then on the basis of sheer engineering incompetence.

Im sure many of us didnt find your post above very positive or uplifing either. Why cant you post something edifing, like that nice boy mule?

This might be the first thing we've agreed on.

[Jeff Higgins]

My two boys still get sent to their rooms when they engage in such childish snivelling, and they are now 17 and 20 years old. If we, as a society, heeded every man, woman, and child's incessant whining and quit engaging in anything and everything they found annoying, that wouldn't leave the rest of us much to do. I swear, the hand wringing ninnies are winning. Too many folks have obviously been way too coddled; it's time for y'all to unlatch from momma's teat, quit sucking your thumbs, and by all means, quit stamping your feet and whining.

Oh, and Mule, you don't even want to start with me. I've been known to clear the entire first class section on a 747 on a good day...

[Mule]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

My two boys still get sent to their rooms when they engage in such childish snivelling, and they are now 17 and 20 years old. If we, as a society, heeded every man, woman, and child's incessant whining and quit engaging in anything and everything they found annoying, that wouldn't leave the rest of us much to do. I swear, the hand wringing ninnies are winning. Too many folks have obviously been way too coddled; it's time for y'all to unlatch from momma's teat, quit sucking your thumbs, and by all means, quit stamping your feet and whining.

Oh, and Mule, you don't even want to start with me. I've been known to clear the entire first class section on a 747 on a good day...

Jeff, I grew up with loud cars. I didn't drive around with the headers open to draw attention. And at least my noise was making power. They sell Harley cams that are designed for more noise. Not more power, more noise. Read the story I posted about the fool who almost got my cigar put out on his gas tank. It's BS, no different than a la cucaracha horn. Some people think its cool, but most dont. It's no more coddling than noise laws on cars, jake brakes on trucks or blow your brains out stereos. Montana is calling.

[ramonesfreak]

whether or not any safety course mentions loud pipes as a safety feature or not is irrelevant.

if you have the balls to get on a motorcycle, and I assume many of the cry babies on this thread do not, ill give you two bikes.

go out on the highway with a quiet bike and then go out on a loud one. ill bet you youll choose the loud one, whether you like the sound or not

being next to teenage girls who are driving their cars with their blackberries in there hands, 90 year old geezers who cant turn their necks to check over their shoulder, while your bike is running practically silent is terrifying. go ahead and try it. youll crap your pants.

those that do ride bikes and prefer a quiet exhaust system...thats your right. you have bigger balls than i do. i wear my full face helmet and gloves and boots. i still want to be heard. trust me, if i am stuck in your blind spot, you will hear me. my exhaust is much louder than my little pipsqueak of a horn.. tweet tweet.

i would prefer to live another day, than worry about upsetting somebody because i am loud

now, while i favor louder pipes just because i do like the sound of an air cooled V twin harley or DUCATI or my own in-line 4 with ram air and carbs... i will admit that i have heard the occasional bike that is so goddamn loud that i wonder how the hell anyone could stand to ride it. you can blame the Discovery channel for that trend.

its not usually harleys that are absolutely ridiculously loud..its these custom ugly chopper builders that have sprung up out of nowhere since Jesse and the talentless idiot Orange County guys came into the main stream on cable tv

Ill agree with the ninnies on this thread that this minority of bikers have taken it too far

what i dont understand is this general stereotyping of people with loud motorcycles. Since i was a little kid, ive been exciting by loud engines. cars, bikes, boats, airplanes, snowmobiles. Im one of those types that walks towards the sound with a beer in my hand. im not a lowlife or a poser or a dirtbag. some of us try hard to avoid disturbing people. i dont sit in my garage and rev my ninja all night. thats just stupid. i wait till im out of the neighborhood to rev it. do i still set off car alarms and piss people off? yup. i can think of a ton of things my neighbors do that piss me off, like running their central air conditioning 24 hours a day for a week when they go out of town and its 60 degrees out. do i get crazy about it? no.