They are definitely bad for your hearing. In a previous job, my boss and his biker buddies were all deaf to varying degrees after years of biking. I got a 125

They are definitely bad for your hearing. In a previous job, my boss and his biker buddies were all deaf to varying degrees after years of biking. I got a 125cc bike and ended up wearing earplugs for anything but the shortest rides, and that was a relatively quiet bike. Even then, I'd have ringing ears for hours afterwards. I got rid of it before I'd had it a year for other reasons, but if I was in the market for another bike, being loud would not be on my list of desirable features. A quiet electric bike sounds great to me. As someone not really in the biker scene, I find the whole image people try to project with loud bikes etc. a bit ridiculous. It's not about the bike and enjoying riding it or just using it to get to places, it's all about what others think of you while you're doing it. It's a fashion/lifestyle statement, and it's not something I personally care about so much.