One man's point of view (not mine)

[cactusjack]

I found this in the Opinions section of this morning's Arizona Republic. The writer is an LA Times columnist.

Excess motorcycle din cuts our quality of life

by John Johnson Jr. - Sept. 22, 2009 12:00 AM
Los Angeles Times

Summer is ending and not a moment too soon. In my seaside Long Beach neighborhood in Southern California, the warm months used to be a time when residents threw open windows to let in the sound of surf. But open windows are no longer an option.

Summer is now the season of the cacophonous roar, a time when phalanxes of motorcycles head for the beach cities, piloted by black-helmeted, big-bellied men who think "Easy Rider" was about them.

Visit any coastal community or travel mountain roads on a summer weekend and you will see them: desktop rebels rumbling along in vast, growling herds. Not satisfied with the feel of the wind on their faces, they aren't happy unless heads are turning and ears are bleeding.

As I researched this topic, I discovered I was not alone in my outrage. Indignation abounds on the Internet - along with alarming information. One Web site reported that 45 percent of motorcycles have been illegally modified to make them louder. The California Air Resources Board puts the number at about 85 percent, while a biking-industry group says it's closer to 40 percent.

This was a revelation. Motorcycles come with a muffler and catalytic converter to dampen engine noise and lessen air pollution. Why buyers would remove them is a mystery.

An aide to my city councilwoman, Suja Lowenthal, told me that his boss has tried to combat the problem. He said she pushed the police to set up checkpoints to catch the noisiest offenders. Great, I told him, so why haven't I ever seen one in my neighborhood? Probably, he said, because the police have their hands full with serious crime.

Haven't Bill Bratton and Rudy Giuliani finally killed the notion that cops should ignore nuisance crimes to free themselves up for the big stuff? In New York and Los Angeles, a different approach to policing has shown that addressing quality-of-life crimes - graffiti and noise prominent among them - is crucial to preventing violent crime. If you ignore the little stuff, good citizens move out. Pretty soon, the neighborhood deteriorates and serious crime moves in.

California state Sen. Fran Pavley has introduced a bill that would give police the authority to inspect pollution-control equipment on motorcycles. Although presenting itself as an air-quality measure, the bill would snare a lot of the loudest bikers because they tend to remove the catalytic converters to up the decibel level. The bill might work, if it's ever passed.

The attitude of the cycling crowd might be summed up by Tony Huerta, director of a Southern California biker club called American Thunder. "I do not agree with the state involving there (sic) noses where they should not be," Huerta wrote to me in an e-mail. "Leave all of us riders alone."

I'd be happy to, Tony, if you left the rest of us alone. Your pack seems to think that the laws apply only to squares and that carefree rebels can ignore them.

To my mind, the guy who wears different-colored socks is a free spirit. The one who purposely tampers with his vehicle to harass fellow human beings is a thug.

[ringadingh]

I guess the guys allowed to vent,

[Cajunrider]

Well Scott, I guess you're one of those guys now.

[AlabamaNomadRider]

CJ, I'd like to run into this guy some day. I have seen some bikes that might be a tad loud but most I can live with.

I too think the police have more to worry about than loud bikes and even speeders. I know the police here seem to only know how to catch speeders. I think it is a shame with all the crime going on in our country.

[Idaho]

On a certain level I agree with him. I pulled the baffles from my pipes but, as many of you know, that does not make the bike unbearable. I could race down the hill and rack the pipes every morning just after 6 am when I go to work but choose not to out of respect for my neighbors. Same when I come home, I try to keep it quiet. Others here are not so considerate. Loud bikes with straight pipes that they feel need to be blowing ear shattering decibels every time the engine runs, even if they come home at 1 am. Very aggravating.

Sorry but the general population treasures their peace and quite, especially in the security of their own homes. I'm one of them as I'm sure many of you are. Loud pipe mania is going to come around to bite us in the tailpipe.

[cactusjack]

Personally, I find rap music played at maximum volume with 1000 watts of bass vibrating everything within a quarter mile radius more annoying.

I was eating lunch at a Del Taco last week. Some doughhead in the drive up had his subwoofers cranked up. It vibrated the building so much you couldn't carry on a conversation. It was like that for at least 5 minutes while he waited for his order, then he pulled around to the side of the building and ate his lunch, while listening to his "music".

If they are going to go after noise violations, they need to go after "all" noise violations, not just loud pipes.

The author seemed really concerned about the removal of catalytic converters. Not all bikes on the road have them to begin with. I would also be willing to bet he texts while driving...

[phenrichs]

The last line of his article reads:
"To my mind, the guy who wears different-colored socks is a free spirit. The one who purposely tampers with his vehicle to harass fellow human beings is a thug.

This is the type of comment that proves that no matter how nice a person is on a mc you will never sway this guy's opinion of people. I would bet if Jesus pulled up on an old shovelhead with drag pipes he would still be stuck in his opinion.

Pardon my french but to that man I can only say ... F- You sir. Just for that we should all buy loud pipes.

Begs the question if all motorcycles only came with really loud pipes would they still be considered loud?

[dougster]

I agree with Idaho and CJ's assessments. I like to have my windows open, without having to listen to (or feel) someone's subwoofers vibrating. I also don't appreciate when the neighbors dog (whether right across the alley or three blocks away) whines and barks constantly. If I lived on the coast, I would want to be able to hear the surf, too.

A healthy society is one where the majority of the people show more concern for others than for themselves. (Think what a difference that would make in Washington, D.C.!) Society requires give and take, and for civility to function properly in society, we must give thought to the effect of our actions and choices on others. Sometimes, that means backing off on the throttle, rather than insisting on our "rights" to make noise.

Just my opinion (in connection with CJ and Idaho!)

[Top Cat]

You all know my opinion on loud pipes. I HATE THEM.
As I have said many, many times before, if we don't police ourselves , someone else will do it for us. Possibly to the point where you can no longer ride your motorcycle.
The thing that really gets me is the individuals who say" hey it is my right to run loud pipes" and then complain because the citizenry wants to ban their motorcycles. The general public has a right to enjoy peace and quiet also.
I will never understand why anyone wants pipes so loud they piss people off.
Loud pipes save lives is bull sh*t. Loud horns probably, but loud pipes no.
I agree the noise problem of radios blaring, dogs barking, etc. should be addressed also but that ain't going to happen.
Motorcycles out number those thing by a long shot.
The bottom line is the public sees bikes with loud pipes as a nuisance and if we don't address it our selves soon, we will be taking road trips in the car.

[blowndodge]

Hey Mac, didja hear that? TC HATES YOUR PIPES!!!!

Now he tells ya!!

[Top Cat]

Mac actually has the baffels in his pipes. I rode behind him for the whole mountain tour and they didn't bother me and I didn't see any one on the road sides plugging their ears as we rode by.
I believe he has V&H.
By loud pipes I mean the kind that rattle windows and make mothers cover their children's ears when the bike goes by.
Trouble maker ;)

[Kawhead]

The thugs that build houses along the beach get on my nerves. I like a uninterrupted view of the surf. When I'm on the beach I like to hear the pleasing melody of a V-Twin tooling down the road. Buildings interrupt that to.

[NRiderUSA]

Welcome to the new world order of you cants.........
you cant smoke
you cant drink
you cant eat fat
you cant eat salt
you cant eat sugar
you cant question the president
you cant question congress
you cant not wear a helmet
you cant..... fill in the blank from someone you know that knows everything including how you should live.

[mncruiser]

Originally Posted by cactusjack

Personally, I find rap music played at maximum volume with 1000 watts of bass vibrating everything within a quarter mile radius more annoying.

I was eating lunch at a Del Taco last week. Some doughhead in the drive up had his subwoofers cranked up. It vibrated the building so much you couldn't carry on a conversation. It was like that for at least 5 minutes while he waited for his order, then he pulled around to the side of the building and ate his lunch, while listening to his "music".

If they are going to go after noise violations, they need to go after "all" noise violations, not just loud pipes.

The author seemed really concerned about the removal of catalytic converters. Not all bikes on the road have them to begin with. I would also be willing to bet he texts while driving...

Totally agree, we live next to a busy road and when the thumpers go by, it is very annoying. The real problem we have here is the small airport. There are a lot of vintage planes here, bi-planes etc and you want to talk loud! They seem to fly in circles around the airport and when some of them go over your home, you just have to stop talking as it is pointless but that seems to be ok loud noise.

[bobzinger]

What bugs me is a motorcyclist that constantly revs the engine while sitting at a stop light....but even more annoying is that car with the subwoofer banging away.