Do you think "HOG" type motorcycles should be banned from your city streets?

Question

Why are they allowed in residential areas? Do their riders not realize that at 1am, people and expecially children, are TRYING to sleep and do not need to hear a motorcycle so loud that it sounds like it is in the bed next to you? They should all be dismantled and made into wind chimes.

Answer 1

Noise sucks. Inconsiderate people suck.

I don't have a personal problem with banning super-loud pipes (rather than the bikes themselves), but I don't know how much good it would do. Loud stereos aren't allowed either, but I still hear them. (I mean, you can HAVE them, but you're not supposed to crank 'em so that they can be heard within x # of feet).

But I must say, your idea has a certain poetry to it. Wind chimes! That's very pretty.

Answer 2

If made illegal, it would only be more appealing to the inconsiderate riders that wake you. It's not the type of motorcycle, either; it's the aftermarket exhaust pipes they put on. Sportbikes can have exhausts that push 110dB as well.

I believe in most residential areas there ARE noise ordinances that you may be able to have enforced if you know where the bikers live, but your odds of finding relief are about the same as trying to keep people off the cell phone while driving.

What bikers need to realize is that LOUD PIPES DO NOT SAVE LIVES, they just annoy everyone around them. If a driver isn't paying attention, they can't see OR hear you no matter how loud your pipes are!

Perhaps it's just another excuse for not knowing how to ride: "That idiot ran me off the road! It MUST be his fault, because I have loud pipes to take the place of paying attention to traffic!"

Answer 3

I am a rider (viz.) and I agree with you completely, except that you seem to think Hogs (some Harley Davidsons) are the problem. They are not, at least not as a brand.
The problem is exhaust noise. Many owners customize their bikes with minimal exhaust systems to improve performance and "sound tough". The performance issue (given the way Harley riders ride) is probably specious, and the "sound tough" issue is already illegal in most areas of the United States, where noise ordinances limit the decibels of ANY activity. This includes loud stereos, loud Japanese bikes (WaaaaaaaWAAAAAAwasssWooooowummmmm! followed by police sirens), and sitting on the side of the road beating on a drum.
I would suggest you speak to your city councilman/alderman or county commissioner about noise ordinances. Tell them (calmly) what your issues with noise are and ask them (politely) what can be done about it? The solution might be as simple as a directive from the council to the chief of police to start enforcing noise ordinances that already exist.
This is why you need to get involved in local government, at least sometimes. This is what those guys are all about ... responding to their constituents.

Answer 4

Why are they allowed? Maybe because they are DOT approved transportation? Please step back and realize what your real problem is, it's not a cruiser (the proper term BTW) motorcycle but the fact that someone is running straight pipe on a bike. This means no muffler, and if your local government doesn't have a noise ordnance you need to either deal with it, or push your local government to place one and enforce it. Personally I hope you do the later, I hate noisy bikes also. A noise ordnance that is enforced will deal with not only the bikes but the car stereos, cars with coffee can mufflers, etc.

Stop hating, all it does is make motorcyclist want to smack you in the head. I don't care for Harleys or that style to much but I won't stand for someone suggesting that a legal form of transportation be banned from roads. I've known to many decent folks on HD and other cursers that to trash an entire bike class because you got an issue with one person boils my blood.

Answer 5

WOW...some great answers, and some really scary little minds. ESH and GRENDLE are on the mark. All motorcycles sold in the united states are required to pass certain noise and emission standards before they are approved for sale. HOG incedentally refers to Harley Owners Group, a club for people who own Harley Davidson motorcycles. Cruiser styled motorcycles, weather they are American or Metric (translate:Japanese), are attractive to people who desire a bike that can be modified to reflect their personality. Most cruiser owners hava an idea of the modifications they intend to make before they take the bike off of the showroom floor. Unfortunately, it has become a popular opinion in the motorcycle community that "loud pipes save lives". I personally disagree. Loud pipes are likely to piss off the neighbors and the other drivers.
As stated before, enforcement of a community noise ordinance is the way to go. It would be unfair to discriminate against the law abiding bikers with legal bikes just to get the annoying ones off of the street.

Answer 6

I don't think they should be completely banned per se. I do think that a time restriction on how late/early you can ride them in the city might be a good idea. I know how you feel. I have a 2 month old son and Hogs and other loud vehicles sometimes wake him-or me-up in the middle of the night. But I don't think we should ban them altogether, just find a compromise.

Answer 7

The loud straight pipes are illegal but the law is almost never enforced. I put a new exhaust system on my bike that has a removable baffle. This allows me to decide how loud I want to be. I tried it as as straight pipe for two days and put the baffle back in because I did not like having to keep an eye out for the police. I never like to give them a reason to pull me over!

Answer 8

im sorry but im not a fan of cencorship of any kind..i dont care to ban anything infact i'd like to rewrite laws to make more things legal

Answer 9

I agree that they are very annoying to listen to but so are car steros that are blasting and thumping. But I do not agree that they should be banned.

Answer 10

your an idiot,they should ban you!! how about that loud garbage truck at 5 in the morning? By the way I allways cut my engine off and coast up to my house if I come in late.