Motorcycle noise regulations ??!

[Wilhelm]

OK.. call me an old @#%&*%$ if you want. But I have had enough of loud motorcycles. After 4 Harleys were idling next to me at a stop light the other day..so loud at idle I had to roll up my window... then pulled away from the light at what seemed full throttle making an incredible amount of noise, I wondered again how motorcycles can get away with making so much noise. Some motorcycles that come down my street set off car alarms. If my car made that much noise I suspect I would be pulled over and written up. What gives here? Are there no noise laws for motorcycles?

[HardDrive]

No, its not 'motocycles' its 'Harley driving knuckle draggers with straight pipes'.

Even the loudest sports bikes don't make a noise like a 1450cc twin with straight pipes. I wish they could understand how incredibly uncool their cool is.

[look 171]

When my little boy was around one sleeping in the van going someplace, those Harley would pull up to a light and continue to rev their motor and full throttle it(I am sure they are not but sound like it) off the line. My little boy would jump and wake up. These two guys that come down our hill would always rev right around the bend. the noise would bounce off the canyon wall right into my bed room. This is usually early morning on a Saturday. Again my poor baby would jump and wake up. I am sick of them too. I can't understand why they just don't look where they are going instead of the loud pipe save lives BS. I have ridden my bicycle there 1000 times with no loud pipes and have not gotten hit. I want to shoot those bastards or pour diesel on the floor on Staurday mornings.

[Joeaksa]

What gets me is that the police stop a car, especially a 911 for anything under the sun but they do nothing for the Harley's with no mufflers! Totally agree!

[Wilhelm]

HardDrive, Look171, Joeaksa : I agree that Harleys seem to be the worst offenders. And the "Loud pipes save lives" is complete BS. The sport bikes are not so obnoxious...actually, I think they sound good. Maybe its just my bad hearing in the higher frequencies that makes me think a sport bike at 9K RPM or whatever they run, isnt so bad... at my advanced age, I have a low pass hearing filter . Some of my high frequency hearing is all shot out. I guess that makes Harleys stand out .

Also, I have noticed that very many ( OK Not ALL, maybe only 95% ) Harley riders are the rudest when it comes to moving into the right lane when quicker traffic...say a 911S on a canyon road.... is following. Most Harley riders seem completely oblivious to anything in their rear view mirrors. That is assuming they check their mirrors now and then.

[look 171]

Now you got me started on the b#$ching path. I just don't understand why they have to ride so freaking close to the white line. The tires are inches to the white line making their handle bars hanging over to the other lane. I drive right up to the handle bar to pass and get away from the noise and they give me dirty look and hand gesture to stay away. Yet, they get near you any time they want. those guys need to stay the Fuch away from my dirty truck not just inches. Yes they are doing 60 in a 65 zone on the 101 when there's no one around holding up the flow of traffic drives me nuts. They see you in their mirrors, they just don't want to move just lilke the guys that ride a bicycle. I rode a bicycle for years and do not do that crap.

[Wilhelm]

Originally Posted by look 171

Now you got me started on the b#$ching path. I just don't understand why they have to ride so freaking close to the white line. The tires are inches to the white line making their handle bars hanging over to the other lane. I drive right up to the handle bar to pass and get away from the noise and they give me dirty look and hand gesture to stay away. Yet, they get near you any time they want. those guys need to stay the Fuch away from my dirty truck not just inches. Yes they are doing 60 in a 65 zone on the 101 when there's no one around holding up the flow of traffic drives me nuts. They see you in their mirrors, they just don't want to move just lilke the guys that ride a bicycle. I rode a bicycle for years and do not do that crap.

Roger that. I remember driving North on PCH a while back, North of Malibu...light traffic, good weather. About 6 Harleys, 3 in each Northbound lane doing about 45 MPH. They would NOT move into single file in the right lane to let faster traffic pass. Amazingly frustrating.

[crustychief]

My Harley isn't loud, I also believe I am a courteous rider. You are stereotyping pretty heavily.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by crustychief

My Harley isn't loud, I also believe I am a courteous rider. You are stereotyping pretty heavily.

I am a very courteous bike rider and tries to make a difference when I am out on the road. I make no excuses for the jackasses on the road. thanks for being courteous. I am sorry for being stereotypical but that comes with experiences. That's not just one time, but many many times over and over again.

[Wilhelm]

Originally Posted by crustychief

My Harley isn't loud, I also believe I am a courteous rider. You are stereotyping pretty heavily.

Maybe I overstated it a bit. Perhaps it is only 85% of Harley riders who seem a tad rude. Nothing personal. Just something I have observed for many years. Not just a month or two. As look 171 says.. "That's not just one time, but many many times over and over again. "

[HardDrive]

Originally Posted by crustychief

My Harley isn't loud, I also believe I am a courteous rider. You are stereotyping pretty heavily.

No, no were not really. Maybe you should pick a different brand.

Your not talking to a hater, because I think Fat Boys and Dynas look pretty tight. But I wouldn't be seen dead on one. I used to do consulting work for HD in Milwaukee. I was the guy wearing a tie in an ocean of skull tattoos.

[Flieger]

So, the question stands, do they pass noise regulations? Are there noise regulations? Only in California?

I think even if they did pass a noise test (which is probably done at 75% throttle or something) then the stock ones are just annoying, but many owners take off the mufflers and run straight pipes that are just obnoxious. Sport bikes need to pass noise tests, thus the weird power curve dips now and the large mufflers. But the first thing riders do is take off the muffler, and bolt on a Ti or CF slip on cannister from Akropovic and there you go, 10 pounds of weight gone and sounds 100 hp faster. I like sport bikes though.

[Noah930]

Yes, most states have noise ordinances for motorcycles. The exact wording/db limit varies by the state. I don't think it's commonly enforced, though.

[Rick V]

I have been pulled over twice in my 911 for the volume (Bursch muffler and cat by-pass) which is not loud at all, not even at 6k, but it has happened. Both times after showing the officer the muffler and full pipes (and my Va. inspection license) I have asked them when the last time they pulled a bike with drag pipes. I am still waiting for the answer. I don't mind the bikes being loud, that is their choice but I do agree that they need to get pulled just as often as the rest of us. It's only fair.

[chrenan]

South Park had the correct approach:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4DXQkckz4I

[Porsche-O-Phile]

There are cool Harley guys and a-hole Harley guys just as there are for sport bike guys or P-car guys.

I also get annoyed occasionally by the "wanna be tough guy" jackasses that roar down our street (technically a highway, but clearly residential) but have observed that the most obnoxious offenders are the ones that typically don't wear helmets (image first!) so I figure they'll weed themselves out of the pool of riders in relatively short order. My Katana is fairly loud (D&D full exhaust, etc.) deliberately as I do believe there is some merit to "loud pipes save lives" but OTOH I am pretty careful to not rip on it or pick RPM settings that have resonance when I'm in (for example) residential areas with no other cars/hazards around. The freeways are another matter entirely - as are busy city streets with lots of traffic.

[Gretch]

Waa waa, nanny boo boo.

[GH85Carrera]

The only engine noise worse than a Harley with straight pipes is a Mazda rotary with no muffler. Actually any rotary engine noise is just horrible noise.

[s_morrison57]

Diesel pidk up trucks bug the crap outta me, the rattle and clanking from those at idle are stupid loud. can't understand the concept of buying a 20 year engine for a 10 year truck

[widebody911]

99% of Harley riders made the rest look like douchebags