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KoobleKar, I enjoy hearing a throatly exhaust note myself. I don't mind loud exhaust but I understand that there are those who don't. I have an 88 Kawasaki KZ1000 police bike and a 84 Yamaha FJ1100 both with stock exhaust. Both bikes perform as I like and having a limited budget, exhaust systems are way down my list of thing to change.
You are exactly the person I can't debate the loud pipe issue with. Instead of claiming it's a safety feature, you say "I like it." Not much I can say about that.
Beyond loud pipes, there are plenty of other things that make the public at large not like motorcycles and the people who ride them. Wheelies on the highway, spliting lanes (in states where it is illegal) and impaired riding put us all in a bad light. Sure it's wrong to generalize any group but we all know it happens.
I grew up in Chicago's SW suburbs. I remember the Cook County Forest Preserve District banning motorcycles from the forest preserves in the 70's. How about the ban of motorcycles on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago? Look at the reason why these things occured. When I took my motorcycle driving test at the DMV, I remember the woman saying to a co-worker that she didn't see why they should have to do these tests, motorcycles don't belong on the road to begin with.
I love riding and do what I can to try to present a positive imagine to the public regarding motorcycles and riders. We need to pick our fights carefully. Sorry for the long, preachy post.
All is cool with me as to how people want their bikes to sound, their reasons for it, etc.
I also don't tell people what to spend their own money on. If they choose a bike I wouldn't...so what? They're still riding on two wheels and that's cool with me. It should all be chalked up to whatever floats your boat.
Mind you that even though my bikes aren't tremendously loud, I keep the sound to a minimum when there is reason to do so....like neighbors or people sleeping, when I ride near Amish folks (don't want to spook their horses), etc.
I got a patch on my jacket that says "I can remember when motorcycles were dangerous and sex was safe. I really can remember that.
These days prissy little MF's can't tell what is loud from what is not loud.
Then they all need social confirmation to see if what ever in jack Hell they do, is cool by popular opinion.
Before the PC age, a nerd was idiot, and that is how many people who think they know 'cool' are now, and so it all boils down to asking all yer idiot friends about if your cool or not, and since all your firends are idiots, it pretty much means you are too, if you ask that sort of thing.
NO ONE here take this to a personal level, I am not calling any one in here a idiot, unless of course you can't follow the one rule
So those rediculously loud stereo systems that rattle the trunk lids on cars are actually safety devices?
You obviously noticed them!
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While I will admit the loud pipes might get motorist's attention, it does so in a negative fashion. Sure the cagers know your there. Problem is they are p*ssed and in a much larger vehicle then you. Doesn't seems like a great solution to me.
Often I feel like there is enough dislike for motorcycles on the street already without giving them more excuses to hate us.
The stereos, yeah but I can't always tell which car the racket is coming from, not right away. Honestly I can pinpoint a loud set of pipe over the sound of a loud stereo much quicker.
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Originally Posted by johnnytang24
I'd rather be disliked and alive then run over.
Sure who wouldn't. It's just I have 34 years of riding with, for the most part, quiet motorcycles. The few mishaps I've had wouldn't have gone down any different with a loud exhaust. About being disliked, that will happen no matter how quiet or loud you are with some folks.
It will be a subject debated forever it seems unless the laws change. I don't want to see that happen. After all, we just want to ride our machines without being hassled by the man.
Although there are Federal Laws that prohibit changing to aftermarket exhaust which are above a certain decibel level, in my town it only took the Police Department a few weeks to remove the stock Harley pipes on their police bikes and replace them with louder ones.
They've got no business stopping ME for mine in that case!
Not that they would because I ride with them on benefit runs to help subsidize the K-9 section of the local cops. They always wave at me when I'm out riding.
It's good to have friends in the police department!
These guys can flat-out RIDE too!
They've all had to complete those special motorcycle cop riding classes. I've seen them do shows where they do some amazing riding on those big police bikes. Such precision and balance!
I also enjoy seeing them on their Harley 3 wheel Police servi-cars riding in the snow with chains on the two drive wheels.
SOME of them can really ride. The Dallas motorcycle officers have a few exceptions, like the guy who crashed into a guard rail on a freeway ramp (and died) while taking part in escorting Hillary Clinton. There was no apparent reason other than poor skills. They need to train them better.
I wish I had those kind of low-speed skills the guys you're talking about have, though. My bike has a high CofG and short bars, so it's a handful at low speeds. But I'm sure I could do better if I had their technique.
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I really can remember that.
