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> “Amplified volume is imperative to keep us safe” when riding motorcycles. The unmitigated, narcissistic gall of solving a problem of one's own making (choosi

> “Amplified volume is imperative to keep us safe” when riding motorcycles. The unmitigated, narcissistic gall of solving a problem of one's own making (choosing to ride a motorcycle), by annoying everyone else. When I am Necromancer-King, anyone even thinking of making this argument will lose all "making sound" privileges of any kind at all - not only motorcycle, but even talking, playing music, tv - for a long, long time. I fantasize about cheap, robotic air guns designed to inflict painful welts on these noisy assholes.

_moof 4y ago
The best part is these guys will look you dead in the eye and tell you about "safety" while riding a motorcycle in a t-shirt and the absolute legal minimum head protection.
- rendall 4y ago
  I suspect the argument is bullshit, but they cannot say "I get a boner when I think about all the people I piss off and there's not a thing they can do about it"
  - kylehotchkiss 4y ago
    That exact situation is Big Truck Single Passenger Modified Exhaust guys
rychco 4y ago
I agree with your general sentiment but as a motorcyclist myself, what can I do to ensure that the cars surrounding me (windows up, listening to music, carrying out conversation, probably fiddling with a phone) are aware of my existence without making noise? The greatest threat to responsible motorcyclists are unaware drivers. An electric motorcycle might as well be invisible amongst ordinary traffic.
- rendall 4y ago
  If you're saying "It is too dangerous to ride motorcycles without making lots of noise" then you're saying "It's too dangerous to ride motorcycles". Full stop. Any other answer is turning a "you" problem into an "everyone" problem.
  - jjav 4y ago
    That's not a great answer because as a society we should be encouraging by all means the use of transportation that takes very little space (both while moving and while parked) and is very efficient. Pushing even more people into giant SUVs isn't good.
    - rendall 4y ago
      > Pushing even more people into giant SUVs isn't good. Yeah, see, that's not a good-faith response. The choice is not "ride noisy motorcycles" or "everyone rides giant SUVs"
- tayo42 4y ago
  Is this only an issue when lane splitting? If I can see other cars doing normal things I can see motorcycles. Can't you just not lane split and don't sit in people's blind spots. Which drivers should already do
- tshaddox 4y ago
  I can’t believe it needs to be said but the answer is sight. The sense of sight is how vehicle drivers are able to navigate and avoid collisions with other vehicles.
  - jjav 4y ago
    While I want to agree, it's also true that in a very high proportion of incidents where cars hits cyclist or motorcyclists, the excuse is always "I didn't see them".
- ironmagma 4y ago
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
SilverBirch 4y ago
Riding a motorcycle is absolutely not "a problem of ones own making". My commute for about 5 years was between 2-3 times quicker on a motorcycle than it would have been in a car on average and it reduced congestion for other road users. You could apply your logic for basically any form of transport - "We shouldn't have bus lanes, they're just solving a problem of bus riders' own making by annoying everyone else". There's no reason for stupidly loud exhausts (although ICE motorbikes will likely always be louder than cars due to the exposed engine and not enough room for a larger muffler), but that has nothing to do with your apparent irrational hatred of motorcycles.
- rendall 4y ago
  > irrational hatred of motorcycle I very clearly linked my "irrational hatred" to the noise. Interesting that you read that and thought "that's me!" Is it irrational to hate people who intentionally inflict loud, unpleasant noise indiscriminately on everyone else - sleepers, infants, daydreamers, musics listeners, meditators - because of their own lifestyle choice? Surprisingly, someone who does this thinks so. I actually admire quiet motorcyclists. They are adults who understand the risks and accept them. Like adults do.
  - SilverBirch 4y ago
    You really are getting over-excited about this. I didn't think "That's me" I thought "riding a motorcycle is a problem of your own making" is a really obtuse argument. Not least because we all know that the noise has nothing to do with safety anyway. For reference, I ride a motorcycle that has the factory fitted exhaust in a country that has laws limiting the noise of exhausts sold and tests vehicles every year to ensure they haven't been modified to be louder. I also wear earplugs when riding it to protect my hearing - which protects me from wind noise - not engine noise. So, no, I'm not thinking "that's me".
    - rendall 4y ago
      I don't have a problem at all with riders who follow the law with respect to noise. I'm sorry it wasn't clear. My problem is with people who modify their cycles to be louder because they feel that it is safer for themselves. In order to catch the attention of the, let's be generous, 1 in 5 car drivers who would not otherwise be aware of them, they blare noise that disrupts the peace of mind of literally hundreds or thousands of people who are not on the road. Frankly I am baffled that anyone would actually argue for this. I honestly think there is something wrong with their empathy processing, or their hearing. Surely they must experience this themselves as pedestrians or sleepers? When their baby is woken or car alarms go off, they think "that hero just reduced traffic congestion". Weird.

_moof 4y ago

The best part is these guys will look you dead in the eye and tell you about "safety" while riding a motorcycle in a t-shirt and the absolute legal minimum head protection.

rendall 4y ago
I suspect the argument is bullshit, but they cannot say "I get a boner when I think about all the people I piss off and there's not a thing they can do about it"
- kylehotchkiss 4y ago
  That exact situation is Big Truck Single Passenger Modified Exhaust guys

rychco 4y ago

I agree with your general sentiment but as a motorcyclist myself, what can I do to ensure that the cars surrounding me (windows up, listening to music, carrying out conversation, probably fiddling with a phone) are aware of my existence without making noise? The greatest threat to responsible motorcyclists are unaware drivers. An electric motorcycle might as well be invisible amongst ordinary traffic.

rendall 4y ago
If you're saying "It is too dangerous to ride motorcycles without making lots of noise" then you're saying "It's too dangerous to ride motorcycles". Full stop. Any other answer is turning a "you" problem into an "everyone" problem.
- jjav 4y ago
  That's not a great answer because as a society we should be encouraging by all means the use of transportation that takes very little space (both while moving and while parked) and is very efficient. Pushing even more people into giant SUVs isn't good.
  - rendall 4y ago
    > Pushing even more people into giant SUVs isn't good. Yeah, see, that's not a good-faith response. The choice is not "ride noisy motorcycles" or "everyone rides giant SUVs"
tayo42 4y ago
Is this only an issue when lane splitting? If I can see other cars doing normal things I can see motorcycles. Can't you just not lane split and don't sit in people's blind spots. Which drivers should already do
tshaddox 4y ago
I can’t believe it needs to be said but the answer is sight. The sense of sight is how vehicle drivers are able to navigate and avoid collisions with other vehicles.
- jjav 4y ago
  While I want to agree, it's also true that in a very high proportion of incidents where cars hits cyclist or motorcyclists, the excuse is always "I didn't see them".
ironmagma 4y ago

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

SilverBirch 4y ago

Riding a motorcycle is absolutely not "a problem of ones own making". My commute for about 5 years was between 2-3 times quicker on a motorcycle than it would have been in a car on average and it reduced congestion for other road users. You could apply your logic for basically any form of transport - "We shouldn't have bus lanes, they're just solving a problem of bus riders' own making by annoying everyone else". There's no reason for stupidly loud exhausts (although ICE motorbikes will likely always be louder than cars due to the exposed engine and not enough room for a larger muffler), but that has nothing to do with your apparent irrational hatred of motorcycles.

rendall 4y ago
> irrational hatred of motorcycle I very clearly linked my "irrational hatred" to the noise. Interesting that you read that and thought "that's me!" Is it irrational to hate people who intentionally inflict loud, unpleasant noise indiscriminately on everyone else - sleepers, infants, daydreamers, musics listeners, meditators - because of their own lifestyle choice? Surprisingly, someone who does this thinks so. I actually admire quiet motorcyclists. They are adults who understand the risks and accept them. Like adults do.
- SilverBirch 4y ago
  You really are getting over-excited about this. I didn't think "That's me" I thought "riding a motorcycle is a problem of your own making" is a really obtuse argument. Not least because we all know that the noise has nothing to do with safety anyway. For reference, I ride a motorcycle that has the factory fitted exhaust in a country that has laws limiting the noise of exhausts sold and tests vehicles every year to ensure they haven't been modified to be louder. I also wear earplugs when riding it to protect my hearing - which protects me from wind noise - not engine noise. So, no, I'm not thinking "that's me".
  - rendall 4y ago
    I don't have a problem at all with riders who follow the law with respect to noise. I'm sorry it wasn't clear. My problem is with people who modify their cycles to be louder because they feel that it is safer for themselves. In order to catch the attention of the, let's be generous, 1 in 5 car drivers who would not otherwise be aware of them, they blare noise that disrupts the peace of mind of literally hundreds or thousands of people who are not on the road. Frankly I am baffled that anyone would actually argue for this. I honestly think there is something wrong with their empathy processing, or their hearing. Surely they must experience this themselves as pedestrians or sleepers? When their baby is woken or car alarms go off, they think "that hero just reduced traffic congestion". Weird.