My wife and I stopped in La Crosse Winsconsin in 2003, on our way to the Centenary celebrations in Milwaukee and picked up the local paper. The Chief of Police was interviewed about the expected and imminent invasion of Harley riders, passing through like us. When asked if he would be booking noisy bikes he simply said hell no, Harleys make a lot of noise, its a fact of life. Great guy!

 

These people are idiots, right there with PITA.

 

Loud pipe laws. As much as I hate the thought of another stupid law, After what I saw the other night, I'm not surprised about it.
My girlfriend and I were riding home from dinner out the other night, and got passed by some yahoo on a roadking, with the absolute loudest exhaust I have ever heard. It was literally painful on my ears as he laid into the throttle as he passed us. I can appreciate a nice deep toned set of pipes. But is it necessary to rattle the windows of every building he goes by? I had to laugh at the dumbass. I could still hear the bike long after I couldn't see it anymore. Being loud must make him a badass or something. Didn't impress me one bit.

 

I have to agree we're our own worst enemy, but not because we run loud pipes nope. It's because we won't stand up for ourselves we have riders talking bad about bikes, most things are exaggerated greatly. Loud pipes don't save lives? We just had someone post they heard a bike long after they could see it, they don't put silencers on emergency veh they put noise makers! As far as what's really loud in our neighborhoods how about the following. I've been woke up by chainsaws, lawn mowers, trash trucks, diesel trucks, sirens, cars with boom boxes shaking the walls and flow master exhausts and trains any body outlawing any of those things? I have never been woke up by a Harley riding by! City, county and state vehicles are the worst of all. No we need to stand up for ourselves and quit bowing down to the special interest groups that don't like bikes. If they want a noise ordinance then apply it to everyone and everything equally.

 

I agree that some exhaust systems cross the line of being too loud. I love the deep rumble of my Harley... I guess everything this is good in moderation.

I would be surprised if this law is enforced. Most states seem to have similar laws.... but I don’t see many Harley's with stock exhaust.

 

If I'm not mistaken it is a constitutional right for Harleys to have loud pipes, somewhere in the 294th amendment?

I think it's time for another class action law suit !!

 

We are going to lose this fight. Nationwide everyone is disgusted with open pipes. For those of you that think you have a right to intrude on everyone, whether by noise, physical presence or visual (think bare **** in Daytona), grow up. You are a very small minority and no lawmaker will fall on a sword for you.

 

If bikers are going to be stopped (and many should) then they should also be stopping cars and trucks with modified obnoxious exhaust. If they spread the wealth then I see no problem with it.

 

Noise is noise, is noise.
How about the guy next door that has to mow his lawn at 7am every Sunday morning?
or
The guy down the street who has a woodworking shop out back?
or
The kid next door who has 1000 watt amps in his yoyo buggy?
or
The neighbor accross the street who's remodeling and has his electric saw going all day?
or
The landscaping crew, with the weed whackers running?

Where does it end? Where do you draw the line?

My garbage guys come every Friday morning at 6am with brakes that squeal worse than any Brembo dreamed of.

There are people out there that are just plain inconsiderate of others. Always has been and always will be. And there are things that go on all around us every day that annoy us, be it noise or another reason.

We are becoming a society of intolerability.

Dont ride your Harley by my house with those aftermarket pipes, cause the noise just might interupt my soap opera for 5 seconds. Come on people, we're not living in a bubble.
Bikers are being singled out because they are percieved as easy targets and the few idiots who ride, whether its a Harley or Sport Bike, are bringing all the attention. These same people annoy others in many other ways, not just with their motorcycles.

I say lighten up Francis, live and let live and just deal those annoying people for the short time thier around, cause they aint goin away.

Rant over, peace!

 

I have a buddy that felt the need to get the loudest pipes he could get for his Metric cruiser. It is the most annoying thing I've ever heard. He seems to think he needs to come into the neighborhood wide open like we don't know he's coming. He did the same thing to another friend of ours while the kids were napping. Oops! My buddy comes running out of the house yelling louder than those damn pipes. Funny as hell. Now he doesn't even go into either neighborhood and pretty much has given up riding. I guess if his friends were willing to get all over him he must figure most people don't want to hear his bike either. I have decent sounding pipes on my SG, I don't see the attraction to these crazy loud pipes though. With that said I don't want some panty waist legislator telling us what to do with our bikes. But in this day and age we are not looked upon very favorably. Sucks!!!!!!!!

I'm fairly new to motorcycling (5 years). What "groups" are the best ones to join in an attempt to fight these laws? I don't know much about ABATE. I don't know of any others out there that fight for bikers rights. Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks, Kid