stryken
Vertically Challenged
But, my favorite t-shirt states "Loud clutches Save Lives!" BTW, I have a Duc also .
Maybe our Yamaha shirts should say LOUD GEARBOXES SAVE LIVES!
But, my favorite t-shirt states "Loud clutches Save Lives!" BTW, I have a Duc also .
Like it or not, "we've" worn out our welcome with John Q. Public in terms of "our" exhaust notes and the end of loud pipes is on the horizon. I feel that the day is approaching when someone who rides with loud pipes will be looked at in the same way that the sandal, t-shirt and sunglasses wearing rider is generally looked at today.
:squid:
Bruce
I live in a 'forkin' yuppie area in the city of Geelong (lawyers, judges and surgeons), close to arguably one of the best bike roads in the world, 'The Great Ocean Road'.
So the mate knows I sometimes get off the nest early some Saturday mornings and head for the coast. He says,
'Can I join ya next Saturday?'
I say,
'Sure, meet me outside my garage at 7.00am'
At 6.50am on Saturday morning he rides down my street on his new Hyosung 650 with after market pipe. He proceeds to keep it going while I suit up.
I start my new Fazer with standard pipes and he says,
'It sounds like a sewing machine mate, tee hee.'
I say,
'are you enjoying coming with me today?'
He says,
'Sure am'.
It is his last time. He woke every kid, dog and neighbour in my street.
Sure loud pipes save lives.
But they also lose friends real fast.
If the manufacturer doesn't go above a certain sound level why should anyone else?
And why should some idiots feel it is their right to impinge on other peoples freedom, the right to peace and quiet.
Just my thoughts
I don't know where you are from...
As was mentioned in another post on the same subject, recently the AMA (that's the AMERICAN motorcyclists Association)...
aimed at the aftermarket companies selling exhausts in the US (that's the United States)...
Avatar location reads: Cotton Grove, NC.
...but here most people appreciate a -nice- exhaust note on a performance car or on a bike, it just has to be within reason.
There are obviously people who don't but those are the same people who probably don't approve of alchohol, going out past 9pm, laughing or having fun, or generally letting people live their lives with a bit of freedom.
Comparing our exhaust to those V-twins just seems a bit off to me.
I can't blame the public for wanting rid of the radically noisy pipes, I would say the majority of the bad press however is Harley's, Choppers and the like. Its seems that the 4cyl. never get as offensive, and their sound even while loud can't penetrate like the twins. It is sometimes to the point of offensive where you hope they stall out and have to trailer it home. And some of the exhaust notes are not even healthy sounding, it's as if some are just as horrible as possible to get the most attention.
The problem is that when legislation is written it doesn't say "V-Twin" or "In line four", it says "Motorcycle". Besides, decibels are decibels no matter if they are read from a cruiser, a sport bike or a jet airplane.
Bruce
very well putThe general community also isn't normally the 'group' who causes these legislations to be put into place. You come from a country where something like 30% of the population vote to elect one of the most powerful leaders in the world and your trying to tell me that the majority of people DID get up in arms about the sound of a motorcycle exhaust?
Small minority groups of very loud, sometimes influential, and generally very political people are the ones who get these laws passed. Mainly because most of the people who would stand against the overreactions we see are pretty laid back and often don't realise what they stand to lose until legislation has been passed. Many people just can't be bothered or just don't know what is going on. It changes and they adapt.
Its funny that guns kill people, and are used in so much crime in the USA, but that 'right' can't be taken away but a loud exhaust which realistically doesn't harm (but maybe annoy) anyone is. The main difference is if they tried to take away guns.... well the idea is laughable. If they got the same response at the suggestion to take away loud exhausts they wouldn't try that either.
Its political really, politicians love to be looking like they are doing something 'good' for the community, when people actually stand up and say 'no we won't accept this' often the latest grand standing ends up failing.
I really could care less if it bothers other people. I could care less if it causes negative perceptions of other bikers. Let's be realistic, their perceptions won't change whether or not I have loud pipes.
Its funny that guns kill people, and are used in so much crime in the USA, but that 'right' can't be taken away but a loud exhaust which realistically doesn't harm (but maybe annoy) anyone is. The main difference is if they tried to take away guns.... well the idea is laughable. If they got the same response at the suggestion to take away loud exhausts they wouldn't try that either.
That's a mature way to look at it
That's probably how all these obnoxious super loud cruiser guys look at it as well...
A little decency could help us all get along!
First .. guns don't kill people they are inanimate objects and only lay there until picked up by a person, sorry had to be said.
The thing is in my neighborhood and I would venture to say most neighborhoods we don't have people driving down the road at all hours of the day and night shooting a gun and killing people. We do however have the cruiser/chopper crowd (a few others sure but mostly those) popping, snaping and thundering by at any given time day or night. You try sleeping through that on a fall night when all you wanted was to lay there with your window open and enjoy the cool breeze lofting in on you as you sleep. The problem isn't pipes however just as it isn't guns it people. The thing with a gun however is it will stay in my gun cabinet quiet and harmless unless it is needed. How are you going to ride that cruiser/chopper courteously with pipes that can't even be quiet while its idling? In school we were taught that your right to freedom ends where another person's rights begin. I am thinking that if I stood outside Mr. Choppers house one morning at 2:00am and made as much racket as he does with his bike going past my house he would be offended to the point of doing something about it, don't you?
In my opinion, we have entirely too much regulation in this country. It's in our nature to protect the group, but sometimes that can get in the way of our personal freedoms. Well, that's life.
I still have a choice, and I will exercise that freedom.