5 ms·

If we could band together and get motorcyles banned I would be ecstatic. Loud mufflers of any kind, really.

codingdave 8y ago
Motorcycles do not have to be loud. Many riders believe that loud pipes make them safer, but I haven't seen data to back that up. I've owned bikes for years, commuted to work on them (when I've had office-based jobs), and mostly my neighbors are surprised to find out that I ride them, because I don't sit outside and rev them up in the mornings before leaving, or gun them up to high RPMs while leaving the neighborhood. Motorcycles can be far more efficient than cars, so fight the noise, fight the obnoxious riders.. but not the vehicle.
- larrywright 8y ago
  Really my objection is to the loud noise. If Harley Davidson makes a silent electric one, I'll rescind my call to ban them.
  - gerbilly 8y ago
    If Harley Davidson made an electric bike, then people would start buying aftermarket noise makers that play the Harley sound at 140dB.
    - larrywright 8y ago
      I think you're right. The sound seems to be part of the appeal, for whatever reason.
    - ecshafer 8y ago
      Harley Davidson does make an electric bike, and it's also incredibly loud.
    - ryandrake 8y ago
      Cars are already piping fake engine noises through their speaker systems [1], so this idea isn’t that far away. 1: https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15117726/faking-it-engine-sound-enhancement-explained-tech-dept/ https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15117726/faking-it-en...
  - reificator 8y ago
    So I can't have my fuel-saving super-efficient quiet vehicle because you're upset with the people who buy a Harley specifically to be loud? Banning motorcycles will not fix loud noises. They'll just buy loud trucks and cars and/or "upgrade" them to be loud. I watch for other motorcycles because motorcyclists wave at each other as they pass. Around here (Colorado) it's maybe 1/20 motorcycles that are louder than a car under normal conditions. Probably 1/12 or so that are louder than a car when they're driving like an asshole. I honestly encounter loud cars more often than motorcycles, usually when some idiot thinks I pulled up to the light on my motorcycle to race them in their civic. (When I'm just on my way to or from the damn grocery store) Though if you're looking for the loudest thing on the road, I'll grant that it's usually some 60 year old dude on a Harley.
  - kevin_thibedeau 8y ago
    Stock Harleys aren't that loud. What you hear is after market open pipes that are poorly regulated in most states and rarely ticketed in those that do regulate them.
  - mmaurizi 8y ago
    It's coming out this year https://www.harley-davidson.com/us/en/motorcycles/future-vehicles/livewire.html https://www.harley-davidson.com/us/en/motorcycles/future-veh...
- michaelt 8y ago
  Many riders believe that loud pipes make them safer I've always been sceptical of how earnestly anyone believes this, because I've never seen anyone with loud pipes dressed [1] to attract motorists' attention visually. [1] https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Police_Motorcycles.JPG https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Police_Motorcycles.J...
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
  - SilasX 8y ago
    Exactly. If you only use the safety measures that improve your social status, maybe it's not safety you care about.
AdrianB1 8y ago
The motorcycles in Europe have drastic noise limitations, most as on the same level with your average car while consuming less fuel and polluting less. No ban is needed here.
- larrywright 8y ago
  I'm fine with that. I just hate the loud noises. Harley's get a lot of the blame, but there's plenty of crotch rockets that are loud as well.
- usrusr 8y ago
  > No ban is needed here. Actual enforcement would go a long way though...
reificator 8y ago
You couldn't hear my motorcycle over the sound of your own engine idling, I guarantee it. The problem is not motorcycles. The problem is people who think loud vehicles of any kind compensate for their shortcomings.
loudtieblahblah 8y ago
You are as petty as you are fascist.
- dang 8y ago
  Personal attacks will get you banned here. Please review https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and post civilly and substantively, or not at all.
  - loudtieblahblah 8y ago
    This entire thread paints everyone who's not in lockstep as "evil"(TM). I was responding in kind.
    - dang 8y ago
      Even if that's true, breaking the site guidelines is not ok.

Motorcycles do not have to be loud. Many riders believe that loud pipes make them safer, but I haven't seen data to back that up. I've owned bikes for years, commuted to work on them (when I've had office-based jobs), and mostly my neighbors are surprised to find out that I ride them, because I don't sit outside and rev them up in the mornings before leaving, or gun them up to high RPMs while leaving the neighborhood. Motorcycles can be far more efficient than cars, so fight the noise, fight the obnoxious riders.. but not the vehicle.

larrywright 8y ago
Really my objection is to the loud noise. If Harley Davidson makes a silent electric one, I'll rescind my call to ban them.
- gerbilly 8y ago
  If Harley Davidson made an electric bike, then people would start buying aftermarket noise makers that play the Harley sound at 140dB.
  - larrywright 8y ago
    I think you're right. The sound seems to be part of the appeal, for whatever reason.
  - ecshafer 8y ago
    Harley Davidson does make an electric bike, and it's also incredibly loud.
  - ryandrake 8y ago
    Cars are already piping fake engine noises through their speaker systems [1], so this idea isn’t that far away. 1: https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15117726/faking-it-engine-sound-enhancement-explained-tech-dept/ https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15117726/faking-it-en...
- reificator 8y ago
  So I can't have my fuel-saving super-efficient quiet vehicle because you're upset with the people who buy a Harley specifically to be loud? Banning motorcycles will not fix loud noises. They'll just buy loud trucks and cars and/or "upgrade" them to be loud. I watch for other motorcycles because motorcyclists wave at each other as they pass. Around here (Colorado) it's maybe 1/20 motorcycles that are louder than a car under normal conditions. Probably 1/12 or so that are louder than a car when they're driving like an asshole. I honestly encounter loud cars more often than motorcycles, usually when some idiot thinks I pulled up to the light on my motorcycle to race them in their civic. (When I'm just on my way to or from the damn grocery store) Though if you're looking for the loudest thing on the road, I'll grant that it's usually some 60 year old dude on a Harley.
- kevin_thibedeau 8y ago
  Stock Harleys aren't that loud. What you hear is after market open pipes that are poorly regulated in most states and rarely ticketed in those that do regulate them.
- mmaurizi 8y ago
  It's coming out this year https://www.harley-davidson.com/us/en/motorcycles/future-vehicles/livewire.html https://www.harley-davidson.com/us/en/motorcycles/future-veh...
michaelt 8y ago
Many riders believe that loud pipes make them safer I've always been sceptical of how earnestly anyone believes this, because I've never seen anyone with loud pipes dressed [1] to attract motorists' attention visually. [1] https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Police_Motorcycles.JPG https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Police_Motorcycles.J...
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- SilasX 8y ago
  Exactly. If you only use the safety measures that improve your social status, maybe it's not safety you care about.

AdrianB1 8y ago

The motorcycles in Europe have drastic noise limitations, most as on the same level with your average car while consuming less fuel and polluting less. No ban is needed here.

larrywright 8y ago
I'm fine with that. I just hate the loud noises. Harley's get a lot of the blame, but there's plenty of crotch rockets that are loud as well.
usrusr 8y ago
> No ban is needed here. Actual enforcement would go a long way though...

reificator 8y ago

You couldn't hear my motorcycle over the sound of your own engine idling, I guarantee it. The problem is not motorcycles. The problem is people who think loud vehicles of any kind compensate for their shortcomings.

loudtieblahblah 8y ago

You are as petty as you are fascist.

dang 8y ago
Personal attacks will get you banned here. Please review https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and post civilly and substantively, or not at all.
- loudtieblahblah 8y ago
  This entire thread paints everyone who's not in lockstep as "evil"(TM). I was responding in kind.
  - dang 8y ago
    Even if that's true, breaking the site guidelines is not ok.