how loud is 'too loud'?

Question

for a bike with loud pipes (the argument notwithstanding), what would be reasonable for a decibel limit at say...45 mph? if u can hear the bike at 1,600+ feet, is that too loud?

reason why i ask this: a rider got ticketed for loud exhaust by ohio state highway patrol. the cop measured the distance of the bike with his radar at 1,668', bike was moving away from him at 45 mph. this was in the paper; rider challenged the ticket, and the state law was ruled unconstitutional. i can understand a bit of a rumble, but to be heard at almost 1/4 of a mile...come on, that is a bit much.

for the article, here is it: http://tribunechronicle.com/news/articles.asp?articleID=23544

Answer 1

Too loud is when your bike pisses your neighbors off.

Only those will small brains, small winkies, or both have loud bikes.

Answer 2

check your local laws. there has to be some guideline. I love motorcycles as much as anyone. I have made my living from selling motorcycle accessories for over twenty years(biggest seller of those items is exhaust). My bike is loud, but I do not rev it unless I am in an acceptable setting and have respect for others I am near. I get pissed as hell when some one on a cruiser wants to impress everyone in the neighborhood at six am on Sunday morning by red lining the thing. The only ones being impressed are your buddies you are meeting for breakfast so you can go riding after wards and then come home and complain that the neighbors kids are too loud or the guy in the next lanes stereo is bumpin too hard.

Answer 3

You can get a ticket for anything without a stock exhaust unless it specifically states it conforms to EPA/DOT regulations.
The mandate specifies maximum decibels.
It was already mentioned that Harley's (V-twins) sound quieter than inline 4 cyl engines, the perception is due to frequency, high frequency is more annoying than low frequency, even if low is louder when measured
Officer may be making an 'informed' opinion but unless you have regs and decibel (Db,A & Db B scales) your sol
I'm pretty sure excessive noise isn't covered under freedom of speech
Just read the article.
Cop didn't have a decibel meter so case should be thrown out as law doesn't cover it.

Answer 4

I've got to agree with bikinkawboy about the variables.
Cold air - sound travels further. Fog - not as far, but sounds louder up close.

What are the other conditions? Standing still? Idle? Revving? At speed, in passing? Heavy load?

Mine seems a little louder when the engine is loaded more, 2-up, etc.

If you wear earplugs (for any reason) you shouldn't ride.(personal opinion).

My pipes are on the right, hearing loss in the left. Go figure.

Answer 5

Yeah. I don't know decibels much but If you can hear the bike from a block away, it is too loud (in my opinion). Harley riders seem to really like their bikes loud - Often putting straight pipes on. My brother had race pipes on his sport bike and it was loud, but you still couldn't hear it from a block away unless he was in high RPMs. My bike has stock pipes so is only slightly louder than a standard car.

Answer 6

There are too many variables to use the "hearing a bike at 1600 feet" thing. Early morning with damp air and you'd hear someone's electric toothbrush at 1,600 feet. Mid-afternoon with a strong wind blowing away from you and you wouldn't hear an atomic bomb blowing up. As far as I'm concerned, if I can hear your bike at 1,600 feet regardless of the weather it's too loud. As the fellow with the hearing aids implied, give yourself 30 years and neither you nor the kids who listen to loud rap music will be able to hear yourself fart.

Answer 7

Having New pipes put on professionally and giving the Bike a nice rumble isnt to loud ,but taken the baffles out just for noise can be to loud .My brother has a Suzuki Intruder with the baffles out and I can hear him from a long ways away ,We always make him ride in the back of the group /

Answer 8

with 4 cyl.10db.@10 feet. for a v twin 110db.@100 feet. with a 4 cylinder if you can hear that annoying buzzing noise they make at 10k rpm when standing next to it its too loud.
with a 45 degree v twin if I can hear 2 racing on the interstate or leaving a stop light a mile away from my front porch on a quiet evening its just right, its always pleasant to hear some righteous bros having a good time.
incidentially I've always ran drag pipes & my hearing aids cost me $1800 a pair now so start saving up your money.

Answer 9

i was down at myrtle beach for bike week, and also at daytona beach for bike week this year. there is a fine difference between a great sound like a bose speaker system and plain loud noise. i own a harley and i love the sound after i changed the stock pipes. my sound is like music not a rock star out of the hospital.

Answer 10

that depends on if you are riding past the cop at the time or trying to make sure that the Grey haired lady next to you knows you are there ., really it is up to interpretation there's no law yet, but if it is realy loud you can get disturbing the peace.