Save your stock pipes (bit of a rant)

[Gummiente]

'Cause you're going to need them soon. For the last couple of years I've noticed an ever increasing amount of news articles from all over Canada and the US that deal with "excessive noise" issues from motorcycles. Some communities have banned bikes from certain streets, some have banned them from entire subdivisions, some have banned off-road bikes from rural areas and many more are in the process of taking similar measures. It used to be all about "Loud Pipes Save Lives", well, guess what - they've heard us and now it's all about "Loud Pipes Ruin Rights".

My '06 FXDI has the 50-state legal SE mufflers and while they're nowhere near as loud as many of the bikes in my town - especially that couple with the Kawi Vulcan and Road Star and their obnoxiously ratty, tinny sounding Cobra's - I can't help but wonder if any of my neighbours are b*itching about it when I fire up the Harley at 6am for my morning commute. Nobody's said anything to my face, but then again I'm not the most approachable and friendly loking guy anyway. Thing is, I live on one of the main entrances into town and for the entire riding season am subjected to all kinds of exhaust noise be it from bikes, boompa-boompa cars or transport trucks. Sometimes I get p*ssed off at the noise, so I can only imagine what my neighbours think.

The U.N. is now drafting legislation for a worldwide 87db limit for pipes. This is serious sh*t, folks. Harley has already taken steps to make it difficult for aftermarket manufacturers to make loud exhaust for their bikes, while companies like Reinhart have reported a staggering increase in the number of requests for quieter mufflers. We are just beginning to see the fallout from years of abuse of the "common sense" rules of noise limits and it's going to get worse, much worse, before it gets better.

Think I'm being paranoid? Remember when you used to be able to smoke in restaurants and in the cafeteria at work? Wasn't all that long ago. Now entire cities have gone smoke-free and the province of Ontario just took things a step further by banning smoking in ALL public places.

Better keep your stock mufflers handy.

[Locopez]

about 2 years ago I had a neighbor...who asked me to turn the bike down.?? I told you just can't do that! Then he suggested that I push the bike around the corner before I start it. I mean its not like I idle it for 15 mins or anything....In the morning...I hit the starter button and go. He has been a pain in the rear until he moved a few weeks ago.

But you are right...always hearing about pipes....and yes I still have my stockers!

[Mustang]

I kept the stocks just because I was ticked at paying so much for the V&H and having them installed.

I don't think this thread is a rant, its certainly a valid point and like Gummy I'm getting a little nervous with not only the noise regulations but also the EPA stuff.

As I mentioned in the other thread, it seems HD is taking a middle ground by coming up with its new sound, leaving the everyday riders with other than stock at the mercy of whatever legislation comes down the pipe...excuse the pun

This is all ironic as everyday I'm in traffic on 4 wheels I'm expected to tolerate loud pipes on cars and trucks as well as music so loud I can barely hear my own radio with the cars windows rolled all the way up.

[CentralOzzy]

Remember when you used to be able to smoke in restaurants and in the cafeteria at work? Wasn't all that long ago. Now entire cities have gone smoke-free and the province of Ontario just took things a step further by banning smoking in ALL public places.
Better keep your stock mufflers handy.

Smoking is OK for the individual, but some folks don't want to breathe in the 2nd hand smoke as I'm sure you know.
With loud pipes.... just like smokers, there are considerate ones & no funs who just don't care how what they do impacts on others.

The re-action by the government is usually extreme to gain voting points, so blanket rules & Laws are created to sting most riders (Smokers) even the considerate ones.

My pipes are not abusive & besides that my neighbours make way more noise then I ever will. So I know they will never complain.

This is all ironic as everyday I'm in traffic on 4 wheels I'm expected to tolerate loud pipes on cars and trucks as well as music so loud I can barely hear my own radio with the cars windows rolled all the way up.

Nothing in this Crazy World makes sense to me anymore.

More & more I think..."Why should I abide by all the rules & regs when most people are not & getting away with Murder!"

Thank God I have a bike to go ride & blow of Steam! & living in the middle of no-where has an advantage.....no real Police Strength to up-hold stupid laws.....well....not yet anyway!

& yes I still have my Stock Pipes....

[KingRobb]

The city is good for the same reasons...we have plenty of police but they have WAY too many unenforcable laws...sure if you tick one off you may get a bs noise ticket or some such but i look for this to go nowhere.

[crazy5dave]

I live in Japan. They have noise and exhaust limits in place. Everyone keeps the stock pipes here because you have a shaken(vehicle inspection) every two years. So the aftermarket pipes come off and the stockers go back on just for the test and service. My shop has a Db meter and a horiba EGR machine to check. Own a Harley, the Shaken and forced 10K service costs about $700-800 dollars. EVERY TWO YEARS. And that dosent include problems like your tires are bald, you will correct it, or no sticker for you!

[MajorGator]

Actually, I prefer the stockers. As a Realtor, it makes poor business sense to have loud pipes as I ride through the neighborhood. I live atop a mountain, and can literally COAST down. At idle, one can barely hear it while moving.

[Rydr]

I cut the stock pipes from my 2006 Dyna FXDBI apart and used the packing and parts of the thru-tube to make a better baffle for the 2 into 1 Vance & Hines that I installed. The V&H is still louder than what I like but much quieter than it was without the baffle that I manufactured.

[blues2cruise]

This past summer, the police did a crack down on bikes with loud pipes. They handed out a lot of tickets to bikers whose bikes were over a certain db.

[Bingo]

This thread hits a nerve for me, as I (loudly ) oppose loud pipes. My peeves are;

1. "Loud pipes save lives" If you are counting on loud pipes to do your defensive driving for you, you are already a statistic waiting to be counted.

2. Somebody blipping the throttle at an intersection / parkinglot / everywhere to announce his pipe purchase. If the bike can't idle without cracking the wick all the time, get it fixed.

3. Riding beside someone on a poker / charity / whatever run who likes to hammer the throttle so he and everyone else can hear the roar. May sound OK to the rider in front of the exhaust tip, but if I am right beside it, it literaly hurts my ears.

4. "It's my right to have loud pipes" What about my right to sit somewhere and chat with my friends without being interupted by a noisy exhaust? If you want to hear loud engines, go to the races. How many have seen the look of fear on a childs face when they go to start their bike because the child thinks the bike will hurt thier ears? I have. More than once. I am not into scaring kids, and this is not the way to promote our hobby / passion.

Many of the freinds I ride with have modified exhaust, but they are not using the dB to tell the neighbourhood that 'it's time to ride', they are very conservative with the throttle and know when it's 'the right time' to get on it. As always, a few will alter the rules for everyone, and I can't blame John Q for being upset.

I hope I haven't stepped on any toes here, but this is front and center on my list of Hot Topics!

Flame suit on.

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