An Essay on Loud Pipes

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This is a slightly edited version of a posting I did to a LIST on Friday, April 20, 2007
It was in response to someone's posting about feelings being hurt, due to a disparaging remark about Harley Riders.

Whilst generalities are just that, and do NOT apply to all Harley riders, the same way all BMW riders do not wear fancy riding suits, have matching helmet and bike colors, and do 50,000 miles a year.....still....I think you all should know how I feel...and I feel strongly about this subject.

"It is unfortunate, but a rather large percentage of Harley riders are not riding nice quiet motorcycles.   The noise is causing problems for all the rest of motorcyclists in the U.S.   The bold truth REALLY IS (and I get the monthly sales figures for aftermarket AND Harley Screaming Eagle stuff...), that the VAST majority of Harley purchasers modify their exhaust systems as the FIRST thing they ever do....and the DEALERSHIPS are installing these items.   Companies promote these products like crazy.   How many companies promote loud noisy pipes for BMW? Triumph? others?

Are you aware that in some places owners can't even ride QUIET bikes on their OWN property.....?  Guess WHY that came about?!

There ARE BMW riders who have noisy pipes, but they are VERY few and far between.   When I see/hear them, I make a point of asking them to go back to quiet pipes...NOT just asking them to quiet down THEN, but to replace the equipment with QUIET items.   I HOPE you do the same, no matter the brand.

I have owned just about every make of bike there is, including a fair number of Harleys.  I am not against Harleys.  I AM against very loud pipes.   The "loud pipes save lives" group are immature folks, in MY estimation.  They install equipment to emphasize that immaturity; they have egos that feed on "look at ME", they dress to appear immature, and they often act immature.  They are...and have been... giving a very bad name to all bikers...or, rather, motorcyclists.

That some use "Harley" with vast stereotype images and words, is, perhaps unfortunate, and, yes, may hurt YOUR feelings, but truth is truth, facts are facts.  I have NO PROBLEM backing up my FACTS on what Harley buyers are doing with their exhaust systems.  It is NOT just anecdotal.  I have INDUSTRY SALES FIGURES, all across the United States.  I get an insider industry magazine every month.  MUCH of the advertising in one portion of one of that magazine; and, one other industry magazine, deals with aftermarket items that are designed to make noise, and give certain impressions.

Just yesterday, whilst doing some AMA magazine reading and then internet work in laying out what the wife and I are going to do about Rallies and so on for some of this year, I ran across an ad for what seemed like a nice ride and tour.   I navigated to the website, and as it loaded up I heard LOUD PIPES...from the website.....as....a very noticeably HARLEY motorcycle danced across the screen.   I looked no further.

My wife and I will NOT attend Daytona, we will NOT attend Sturgis, we will NOT attend the Laughlin run.

It has nothing to do with naked women (my blood is also red....and I have plenty of testosterone), and other parts of these gatherings/events.   I love a Party.   I love naked, or partly naked women.   What is THE reason we will not attend?:::  Loud pipes, 24 hours a day.

The last AMA event (I'm a life Member) that I attended was an AMA tour campout, in California.  It was my last, will be my last, won't EVER be another, in my lifetime.  Why?   At this FAMILY event, of perhaps 100 or 150 there, about a dozen insisted on displaying their mighty pipes....continuously.

This noise problem is going to result in VERY serious problems for motorcyclists.  It is starting to come to a head, with the U.S. going along with many European standards.  We are going to see some fun and games with being able to modify anything on our motorcycles, within 10 years.  Keep in mind what drives politicians to make laws.

In MY estimation, the only thing keeping police departments in the U.S. from issuing huge amounts of noise violations is one simple fact:  When an local officer in most States writes a citation for anything, LITTLE of the court fines comes back to the LOCAL police department.  Thus there is no reason (unless a LOT of complaints in one area) for the local police departments to issue citations for things that are not financially rewarding to the department.  If asked, the excuse offered is that they are too busy 'dealing with serious crime...'.

Until the Harley owners, as a group, start disciplining themselves, Harley owners will continue to be mocked, sneered-at, and generally put-down....in various ways.

You, if a Harley rider, may not like it, and it may creep into a LIST message now and then, but, it is what it is, and there are reasons Harley owners are thought of.....generally....as being anti-social and much more.  Louts comes to mind.

No one here is deliberately trying to hurt your feelings.   Stop whining.  Do something about fellow loud pipe riders.

It is for certain that there are a LOT of Harley riders who are NOT loud pipes types.  I know some, some are very old friends of mine. I ride with them now and then.    But, until folks start disciplining themselves, and making CLEAR that certain types of annoying anti-social behavior are NOT ACCEPTABLE, you can expect what you see and hear about Loud Harley Riders.,,,,and, worse yet, you can expect increasingly strict laws and enforcement from the Public, as well as restrictions on where folks can ride.

There is a reason why drivers of quiet sidecar rigs are warmly embraced, grandmothers ask to ride in them, non-motorcycling crowds gather around them when they park someplace.   These common ordinary human beings would NEVER go up and talk to a loud piper;....no, what they will do is complain to their Representatives...and VOTE for laws that might end up being broadly awful.

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