Loud Pipes Risk Rights.......

[omegajim]

from my experience, there are some parts of this country where the cops will ding you for loud pipes; I lived near one in Platteville, WI.

Apparently, a city not far away (either IA or IL, right around where all 3 states border) there was a police force that actually enforced loud pipes.

Although for the life of me, I can't remember another city anywhere around these parts that will tag you for loud pipes (unless you have really loud pipes and rev it up right past the cop shop, in which case you are being pretty careless).

[USMC_STRAT]

Originally Posted by Easy Rider

Yes, really. It is a fact.
But.....I'm not going to be baited into a fight about it here.

I hear that the military is pretty strict about following the "rules".
I wonder what they think about "outlaw pipes" on base......or ridden by a Marine off base ???

How in God's name did aftermarket "LOUD PIPES" ever become your so-called "OUTLAW PIPES" I guess all those hundreds of thousands of HD bikers with "OUTLAW PIPES" better get ready to go to jail for their "OUTLAW" pipes.

Don't make a fool out of yourself by proclaiming that loud pipes are OUTLAW PIPES k? No one here mentioned running 16" OPEN PIPES on the road with a 1900cc motor. We're talking LEGALLY sold LOUD pipes...and yes I'll bet if we did a online survey, the majority will easily agree that louder pipes do save lives.

As I posted before, a California Highway Patrolman on his police-issue HD recommended louder (not OUTLAW...whatever those are) pipes for traffic, or I'd get run over by inattentive drivers on the I-5 IVO Camp Pendleton.

Even their pipes are over the 80 Decibel limit...and they're the law

As for the military, laws are laws and they are the same on base as off base, but no one could care less about a Marine with loud pipes as long as your bike is safety inspected, you wear all proper safety gear (goggles, gloves, long sleeves, ankle-high boots, and a DOT-approved helmet). Safety Vests are NO LONGER required by the Corps as a country-wide study by State Police departments and the DOT admitted they do absolutely nothing to make a rider more visible, nor did they help prevent any accidents. So the military got rid of that rule and I'm glad they did as I hated that thing anyways.

I respect your opinion...but don't state it as facts until you can provide me a solid document (not some internet study) that shows proof that loud pipes risk rights. 80DB is the legal limit, or 87 I cannot remember, but if louder pipes were illegal they would not be installed on 90% of all bikes out there

You like quiet pipes, that's cool I like to be heard

[Rickster]

Originally Posted by USMC_STRAT

How in God's name did aftermarket "LOUD PIPES" ever become your so-called "OUTLAW PIPES" I guess all those hundreds of thousands of HD bikers with "OUTLAW PIPES" better get ready to go to jail for their "OUTLAW" pipes.

Don't make a fool out of yourself by proclaiming that loud pipes are OUTLAW PIPES k? No one here mentioned running 16" OPEN PIPES on the road with a 1900cc motor. We're talking LEGALLY sold LOUD pipes...and yes I'll bet if we did a online survey, the majority will easily agree that louder pipes do save lives.

As I posted before, a California Highway Patrolman on his police-issue HD recommended louder (not OUTLAW...whatever those are) pipes for traffic, or I'd get run over by inattentive drivers on the I-5 IVO Camp Pendleton.

Even their pipes are over the 80 Decibel limit...and they're the law

As for the military, laws are laws and they are the same on base as off base, but no one could care less about a Marine with loud pipes as long as your bike is safety inspected, you wear all proper safety gear (goggles, gloves, long sleeves, ankle-high boots, and a DOT-approved helmet). Safety Vests are NO LONGER required by the Corps as a country-wide study by State Police departments and the DOT admitted they do absolutely nothing to make a rider more visible, nor did they help prevent any accidents. So the military got rid of that rule and I'm glad they did as I hated that thing anyways.

I respect your opinion...but don't state it as facts until you can provide me a solid document (not some internet study) that shows proof that loud pipes risk rights. 80DB is the legal limit, or 87 I cannot remember, but if louder pipes were illegal they would not be installed on 90% of all bikes out there

You like quiet pipes, that's cool I like to be heard

I'm glad to see that you came back to offer your opinion on this subject, just try and keep in mind that we are all friends here, and we all want to be civil.

I think the big problem here is that we all have a different idea of what's LOUD, and to confuse matters even more we are talking to each other on computers, if we were all in the same place where we could hear what each others pipes sounded like we might not be even having this discussion.

If you have had cops tell you that your pipes arn't to loud than they must not be, but your opening statement made it sound like you were running straight pipes and dam proud of it, and the straight pipes guys are causing a problem for the rest of us that want a nice sounding bike because the only easy way to keep them quiet is to quiet all the bikes, and that's something that will hurt us all.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by Rickster

but you might get more converts if you use the baseball bat less, and honey more.

That's a nice theory but I don't think anything **I** say is going to result in any converts. Those who already have their mind made up are likely to react in a negative, defensive manner, as this thread itself indicates; thus the sig removal.

My "target audience" is more the newbies who haven't made up their mind yet. And in that case, you are no doubt absolutely right that a softer approach is better.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by Tab B.

Open, it was definately a more robust sound, with I think 5-6 more hp. I'm sure if you google it, something will pop up.

Oh sure, like THAT isn't marketing hype.

Without other changes, you are just as likely to LOSE power by tinkering with the exhaust flow as you are to gain anything.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by USMC_STRAT

How in God's name did aftermarket "LOUD PIPES" ever become your so-called "OUTLAW PIPES"

YOU need to take a chill pill, my friend.
You seem to be just itching for a fight and I'm not going to give it to you.

My use of the term "outlaw pipes" was intended to distinguish the common "slightly louder than normal" full pipe sets from a 20 inch header pipe.

I generally have no problem with the first; I have a LOT of problem with the latter.....outlaw pipes.

[frostbitevinnie]

Gotta get me some O' those outlaw pipes then I will have the proper bad a$$ sound.

[Tab B.]

Originally Posted by Easy Rider

Oh sure, like THAT isn't marketing hype.

Without other changes, you are just as likely to LOSE power by tinkering with the exhaust flow as you are to gain anything.

Like I said, google it and see what you find out. I don't think it would be a big deal, jetting/FI wise. If you ran those mufflers closed just to get quietly out of your neighborhood in the mornings, then let it breath when you get out on the road, most people would appreciate the effort. Jetting isn't that hard, if you have a jet kit installed. Most modern FI systems aren't terribly finicky.

[frostbitevinnie]

Guess I'm kinda lucky. In my hood we have up to 60 trains roll by every day so my bike is pretty tame in comparison. My neighbors say they never hear me at 2:00 am but I coast in anyway.

[Tab B.]

Ya know, frostbite, I've seen in neighborhoods where if you have a fairly loud bike, but you make an effort to tippy-toe in and out as you just mentioned, people appreciate that quite a bit. It isn't all about the actual decibel level. How you convey the sound is just as important. We have two Harleys that go by my house early in the morning around 4 to 5am, and they both sound about the same. One guy trys to tippy-toe, and you can tell. He rolls on gently and short shifts reasonbly well. The other guy just rips up the road as if it was the middle of the afternoon. Guess which one I'd like to throttle??

[inspiron]

I'm very lucky. The EU regulates the noise level of most vehicles, as I've mentioned before. The VIN plate on my bike clearly shows that the maximum noise level for my bike is 88 dbA at 3400 rpm. Plus, EU and Swiss law states that any after-market pipe I put on the bike must be certified by the manufacturer and approved for use on my bike and in Europe (with a CE-number stamped on the pipe).

Using an illegal exhaust (or removing the db-killer from a combined street/race pipe) on public streets will get your bike impounded, and can result in a suspended drivers license and several hundred dollars fine, since the illegal pipe invalidates your registration, therefore you are driving an unregistered vehicle.

Therefore, the loudest vehicles are tractors and airplanes ... not motorcycles.

[frostbitevinnie]

Guess I have never heard a "loud" sport bike at least not in comparison to some cruisers I have heard including mine.

HERE is the baffle I am looking at. I believe it is the only one for my pipes on the market right now.

[Rickster]

Those look like just what I need for my Road King Vinnie, thanks for the link.

[inspiron]

Originally Posted by frostbitevinnie

Guess I have never heard a "loud" sport bike at least not in comparison to some cruisers I have heard including mine.

Ah, we don't have that problem over here, as cruisers are much less popular than sports bikes, touring bikes and standards. Cruisers are really designed for the USA - long stretches of straight highway. Most of the riders in my parts of Europe are "twisty whores" ... looking for the next mountain pass and hairpin turn.

[tricker]

I'd hit up more "twisties" but all i have are on and off ramps beyond a few roads that are way toooo far apart form each other

[Tab B.]

You Europeans have what appears to be a wholly different mindset to motorcycling. From what I've seen and read, I'd get along over there just fine.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by Tab B.

I don't think it would be a big deal, jetting/FI wise.

Time out. Your first post said nothing about "jetting".

[Clint]

Originally Posted by Tab B.

You Europeans have what appears to be a wholly different mindset to motorcycling. From what I've seen and read, I'd get along over there just fine.

+1. I could leave the pirate brigade far, far behind. Noise =/= performance.

[GeorgiaRoller]

Originally Posted by inspiron

Cruisers are really designed for the USA - long stretches of straight highway. Most of the riders in my parts of Europe are "twisty whores" ... looking for the next mountain pass and hairpin turn.

I ride a cruiser and I think straight roads suck! To be fair don't lump all cruiser riders into the middle aged, heavy, cumbersome bike category that only ride 450 miles at a time on straight, long, boring interstates (my words, not yours I know ). I live to ride the curves that to me is what riding is all about. Perhaps I'd even like a standard one day if I ever got a chance to ride one.

But I understand your point. Even though I'm not a member of the cruiser group I described above, there are alot of them over here that are. My goal is to move to the mountains as soon as I can and motorcycling them is only one reason for that.

[Water Warrior]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaRoller

I ride a cruiser and I think straight roads suck! To be fair don't lump all cruiser riders into the middle aged, heavy, cumbersome bike category that only ride 450 miles at a time on straight, long, boring interstates (my words, not yours I know ). I live to ride the curves that to me is what riding is all about. Perhaps I'd even like a standard one day if I ever got a chance to ride one.

But I understand your point. Even though I'm not a member of the cruiser group I described above, there are alot of them over here that are. My goal is to move to the mountains as soon as I can and motorcycling them is only one reason for that.

Just get the M on a 50 mph twistie that goes up and down. 60 to 70 mph is a blast and the engine is geared just right for fun. Very stable and confidence inspiring even on wet pavement.