I was on the porch watching the sun coming up. And off inthe distance I hear a bike, just a slow steady rhythm of a big twin going through the gears. Kind of a sad sound really, I guess because I no longer ride. Or maybe because it is the sound of a dieing summer and winter is closing in. Ride safe my friends, and when you stop at that over look and see the colors of fall, maybe give a thought to us that can longer join you on that journey. Stay safe
A morning muse
- Thread starter skeets
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Yeah, he was probably a couple of miles away, and you could still hear him.
Around here in the summer, if you're outside, you're lucky if you can't hear one of the noisy bastards somewhere in the area. Apparently, noise and muffler laws don't apply to motorcycles any more.
And yes, I have a bike, but it has stock mufflers, it's quiet, and I like it that way.
And don't waste your time with the false argument about loud pipe saving lives. It's never been studied, and never been proven that more quiet bikes than loud ones are in accidents.
And oh yeah, I have hearing loss in my left ear because of one of those loud pieces of crap.
when I was young I wanted everything loud. Cut the pipes off of brand new vehicles, etc. Now that I'm older, the quieter the better.
I don't live too far off of a highway. Unfortunately. There are those that are either young or just stupid. Same stuff I did. I can hear them easily. Lots of harleys and a few sport bikes.
And speaking of noise. Today was 1 year to the day being gone from Kubota dealer. The new job is in a shop that has a/c and good heaters. And the noise level is exactly 25% of what it was at the kubota dealer, that dealer was 75 foot from a freeway, over 100,000 cars a day, on a hill, and the worst part? Log trucks. 100+ a day. And I can't think of one that had any type of muffler on them, all straight pipes, on the jake down the hill, and of course noisy going up hill. No a/c in the shop so the doors were up all day. Radio blaring. Fans running. It was 95-105 decibel every day, 9 1/2 hours a day 5 days a week. Ear protection is only so good for so long because of the amount of sweat that gets under the protection, it gets nasty/moldy, etc. So when that other opportunity came up, after 29 years I left. I couldn't NOT do it.
Guys, take care of your bodies. You only get one. Some might call us a wuss but when you grow up you'll hopefully understand.
I don't live too far off of a highway. Unfortunately. There are those that are either young or just stupid. Same stuff I did. I can hear them easily. Lots of harleys and a few sport bikes.
And speaking of noise. Today was 1 year to the day being gone from Kubota dealer. The new job is in a shop that has a/c and good heaters. And the noise level is exactly 25% of what it was at the kubota dealer, that dealer was 75 foot from a freeway, over 100,000 cars a day, on a hill, and the worst part? Log trucks. 100+ a day. And I can't think of one that had any type of muffler on them, all straight pipes, on the jake down the hill, and of course noisy going up hill. No a/c in the shop so the doors were up all day. Radio blaring. Fans running. It was 95-105 decibel every day, 9 1/2 hours a day 5 days a week. Ear protection is only so good for so long because of the amount of sweat that gets under the protection, it gets nasty/moldy, etc. So when that other opportunity came up, after 29 years I left. I couldn't NOT do it.
Guys, take care of your bodies. You only get one. Some might call us a wuss but when you grow up you'll hopefully understand.
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I know exactly what your saying. I sold my Harley a couple of years ago and really miss the "two wheels and a sunny day" times. Wife and I rode over 60 years and a lot of miles. But it was time.
I have always been protective of my hearing. The wife now has hearing aids, but seldom wears them. I had my hearing tested, and the woman doing the testing said that I had the best hearing of any 80-year old that she had tested in the past 20 years. I guess that I will have to fain deafness...
I would love to have mine back but besides getting too old it's scary enough driving on 4 wheels now, last week we almost had a head on with some idiot playing with her cell phone while driving.
ve9aa
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This week will probably be the last week to ride way up here. Once the temps dip below zero, snow, salt or not, I usually stop riding (to work anyways)...dues to hidden ice in corners.
Love the sound of my Harley Road King....stock pipes. (I never go anything louder)
Short riding season living "up north" coupled with a handful of reported bike deer /bear accidents every summer and increasing, plus aging and running out of "shelf life" made the decision for us. I'd been riding since I was 16. Started on a Cushman Eagle and I/WE never went down. Lets quit while we're ahead.
Mostly just your opinions there.
I was involved in a lot of traffic studies when I was younger.
Why does your car (and bike) have a horn?
Anything that makes noise that you can hear will increase your awareness of it. This is simple science and there have been many studies done. You can find an exception to every rule but AAGR, things you hear you will be more aware of. The cause and effect of it is a bike you can hear you will be more aware of, if you are more aware of it, you should be less inclined to hit it, or side-swipe it.
Not selling loud pipes here, just science. Things you hear increase your awareness, fact. When someone yells duck what do you do? Why?
Horns are required by law on all vehicles using public roads, and are there to get another drivers attention. What does that have to do with the issue of excessively loud exhaust systems on bikes, trucks or cars? Nothing.
The problem with that assertion is that, and I have observed this many times, that even if a bike with loud pipes is coming almost directly at you, like at an intersection, you can rarely hear it above ambient noise until it is very close. The pipes are directing the sound behind the bike, simple acoustics. I am more likely to see them, especially if the have multiple headlights, than to see them.
The fact is, there is no cogent argument for a noisy exhaust on any vehicle used on public roads. It's illegal, annoying, and just demonstrates a flagrant disregard for others and their rights.
I'm not talking about feelings or anyone's lack of hearing, I'm talking about science. Things you hear, you will be made more aware of. And this isn't a one or the other thing. You will also be more aware of things you see, things you smell, things you feel etc.
Amazing that you understand that horns are REQUIRED to get someone else's attention but you don't "get" that it is a sound that is "getting their attention". The sound maker is actually required by law.
Things your hear you WILL be more aware of, spin it any way you want. Things you see will also increase your awareness. It is why we put all those pretty lights and sirens on emergency vehicles for another example (sight and sound).
Again, not "arguing" for noisy exhaust or selling loud pipes, just science.
Kind of a catch 22 argument you make. "That bike is too loud with those pipes on it", Biker "they save lives because people can hear me" You - I can't hear loud pipes"...... ? We should get together and do an Abbott and Costello routine.
I only had two wheels until I turned 25 and was married. Long time ago, but I still remember the feeling.
Frankly, I would like to meet the A hole that comes by in the middle of the night regularly at about 3 AM blasting his exhaust as loud as possible, for reasons I cannot fathom.
Do not know what else to say…I remember seeing a guy on a Harley recently, straight pipes and he was wearing hearing protection! Go figure…
Big thumbs down to noisy motorcycles. I rode a BMW….quiet and reliable, and fast enough back then.
ve9aa
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TG1860, BX2380 -backblade, bx2830 snowblower, fel, weight box,pallet forks,etc
I am glad my bike has normal pipes. I think it helps....same as lots of rear lighting helps.....although some folks that are texting, drunk or over medicated run into the back of schoolbusses, ambulances, etc. It still may help !
I don't see a need for "neighbor hater" type straight pipes on bikes. That's just being an A$$h@t and giving the rest of us a bad name.
I was almost hit by an electric car in a parking lot a few months ago. Never heard it !
Some ICE (gas) cars are very very quiet as well. Too quiet !
I don't see a need for "neighbor hater" type straight pipes on bikes. That's just being an A$$h@t and giving the rest of us a bad name.
I was almost hit by an electric car in a parking lot a few months ago. Never heard it !
Some ICE (gas) cars are very very quiet as well. Too quiet !
Horns.
Now that every single car made uses the horn when the doors is locked, the sound of a horn is simply a sound that we are all immune to.
Should have said almost every single car made. Some have a little warning beep (but not the horn). You get the idea.
If loud sounds are all save, I'm pulling all the exhaust off of the Mustang. IT sounds much better straight piped. I'm sure the entire neighborhood will absolutely love hearing it at 5am; and I'm positive that the law will just be jumping for joy. Yet while sitting on the side of the road in front of blue lights, I'm pretty sure at least one straight piped Harley will pass us....
I have a "neighbor" like that too--straight pipe everything including the brand new pickup truck that he just bought. Drove it home and cut the exhaust off behind the cats and that's how it's been for 2 months now. Dude is a drunk. He's dumber than a hammer. We live almost a mile apart, so his shenanigans don't really bother me til he's doing burnouts in front of the house at dark thirty on a weeknight. Then it gets real. Since HE works nights he don't think about that stuff. But I do. I work days. So the last time I asked him to refrain from doing burnouts in front of the house, he laughed and took off. Fine. Two can play the game. I have race cars. They are loud anyway. Now imagine this. He gets home from work at about 0740. In bed by 9. Sleep til roughly 1630. Well about noonish on a Sunday (since I am off work that day), I fired up the race car after dumping 3 gallons of methanol/nitro mix, bumped the lead up to 50 deg, and decided to drive by his place, turn around in his driveway, and test it out in front after turning around. Pretty sure I got cussed. I couldn't hear it. But we understand each other better now.
Bad part is, nitro isn't cheap and it was ALL gone by time I pulled back in the shop.
Now that every single car made uses the horn when the doors is locked, the sound of a horn is simply a sound that we are all immune to.
Should have said almost every single car made. Some have a little warning beep (but not the horn). You get the idea.
If loud sounds are all save, I'm pulling all the exhaust off of the Mustang. IT sounds much better straight piped. I'm sure the entire neighborhood will absolutely love hearing it at 5am; and I'm positive that the law will just be jumping for joy. Yet while sitting on the side of the road in front of blue lights, I'm pretty sure at least one straight piped Harley will pass us....
I have a "neighbor" like that too--straight pipe everything including the brand new pickup truck that he just bought. Drove it home and cut the exhaust off behind the cats and that's how it's been for 2 months now. Dude is a drunk. He's dumber than a hammer. We live almost a mile apart, so his shenanigans don't really bother me til he's doing burnouts in front of the house at dark thirty on a weeknight. Then it gets real. Since HE works nights he don't think about that stuff. But I do. I work days. So the last time I asked him to refrain from doing burnouts in front of the house, he laughed and took off. Fine. Two can play the game. I have race cars. They are loud anyway. Now imagine this. He gets home from work at about 0740. In bed by 9. Sleep til roughly 1630. Well about noonish on a Sunday (since I am off work that day), I fired up the race car after dumping 3 gallons of methanol/nitro mix, bumped the lead up to 50 deg, and decided to drive by his place, turn around in his driveway, and test it out in front after turning around. Pretty sure I got cussed. I couldn't hear it. But we understand each other better now.
Bad part is, nitro isn't cheap and it was ALL gone by time I pulled back in the shop.
I’m with you Skeet’s. I miss a nice quiet ride on some back country road taking my time thru some twisties and enjoying the scenery and the sweet sound of the engine going thru the gears.
Oh, I get that quite clearly, however the horn isn't blaring whenever the engine is running, and it's use gets your attention. But as I said, the sound of a loud bike coming towards you blends into the ambient noise until it is very close, and in some cases too close, so it serves no practical purpose, other than to piss people off.
OK, so some sounds you hear, you recognize what it is and some sounds you hear, you don't, or ignore?
In the study you would be a statistical outlier.
Most people in the study when they heard something, it got their attention or increased their awareness.
Again, not selling loud pipes just science.
ve9aa
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TG1860, BX2380 -backblade, bx2830 snowblower, fel, weight box,pallet forks,etc
I was almost ecstatic when I discovered my 2009 MINI did not honk the horn or beep when I <remote> locked it.
I find that freegin horn honk/beep (or other beepers) when doors are locked extremely annoying.
Unless you are very hearing impaired, you can clearly hear all the doors lock and watch the park lights blink. Whoever started that horn beep thing should be made to listen to it for 24hours straight at close range <g>