Comments on: Flip a switch and hear the roar, Lake Minnetonka

By: biker

biker — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 20:17:36 +0000

As a bike rider with more than a hundred thousand miles on
motorcycles and still living I feel qualified to comment on this.
Loud pipes help others be aware of the bike on the road, but
there is a difference between loud enough to be heard in a car
next to you and loud enough to be heard for miles around. The
car next to you has value, miles around is a nuisance. Loud
pipes distract from the fact that the ultimate responsibility
for a rider is the rider, not the drivers around. Riders
should not be next to cars unless passing, and that should be
done quickly and safely.

This article however is about boats, and loud boats it would
seem are much more of a nuisance than anything beneficial.

By: MPLS

MPLS — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 19:04:39 +0000

MC - I’m afraid that your point of view is about as empty
as Aredant’s. It is unfortunate that you are disturbed
at 5:30 in the morning and the actions of one individual
has swayed you into thinking that anyone else with a Harley
is the same way. Until you have been nearly swiped off
the road (usually by a driver talking or text messaging
on their phone) I do not believe you have the full insight
to pass such judgment. The stereotype you peg on Harley
riders is slowly dying out. Take a look downtown in the
parking ramps and see how many people come out of their
offices and jump onto them these days. By the sound of your
entry, I’m wondering if it’s not more of a way to to justify
to yourself that it’s ok you ride a scooter.

By: MC Johnson

MC Johnson — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 16:11:11 +0000

“America: Love it or leave it…” A right to loud pipes on a motorcycle? Frank; are you really at ignorant as you sound? Does the Harley owner that lives 1/2 a mile from my house have a “right” to use pipes that can be heard inside my home at 5:30am when he leaves each morning? How about the 10 to twenty bikes at a time roaring through Yosemite and Joshua Tree and all over the Sierras? Do not the hundreds or thousands of persons bothered by these few childish boys have any rights? In any civilization rights and responsibilities go together. I do ride, and the loud pipes have nothing to do with safety. Anyone who says that has a little wink and smile to go with it. Though most of the Harley guys are past middle age they are like the kids with playing cards clipped to their bike spokes; ‘Hey, look at me I’m riding a bike!” MCJ

By: Frank in Ga.

Frank in Ga. — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 09:24:36 +0000

Look…….this is America…..

IF you dont like loud pipes….stay home…

I do not own a bike but can understand about the loud pipes……and I understand that it is THEIR property, this is America….and……I dont recall the constitution or the bill of rights ever saying that you have a right NOT to be offended……

Get over it and understand that just because YOU dont like something in life……..doesnt mean we, as American patrons have to contort our ways to make anyone happy……

Like I said….I do not own a bike, I do not own a loud car……..but I damn sure like to see and hear them…..

America : Love it or Leave it…….just leave the rest of us alone….

Frank in Georgia

By: Doug

Doug — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 01:03:39 +0000

There are plenty of Honda cruiser bikes with loud pipes.
As far as BMWs I don’t think they even make custom pipes
for that brand of bike. I would say that any motorcyclist
who agrees with that aredant guy, you’ve got more guts
or less brains than I do, because when I’m on the highway
I want ever car anywhere near me to know that there is
a bike nearby.

By: Joe

Joe — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 00:58:22 +0000

The only motorcyclists who would agree with aredant are
those riders who haven’t been nearly killed by drivers
who change lanes without seeing motorcycles. When they
can come up with a device that warns day dreaming drivers
that there is a motorcycle next to them, I will gladly
take my loud pipes off. Until then, I will have the
louder pipes on (mine arn’t so bad as straight pipes).

By: Rick

Rick — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 00:50:04 +0000

Aredant…you are so wrong it is almost funny.
I have a Kawasaki with non-stock pipes and it is a
safety booster. Your reasoning is not sound. A loud
motorcycle is safer due to the fact that a motorcycle
is much more difficult to see due to blind spots. It
is also much more difficult to hear a quiet bike in
your car with the windows up, the radio on and all the
other road noise to contend with. A boat is much more
visible because on 99% of boats you have an unobstructed
360 view of the lake, much more visibility than you have
in a car. So the loud bike logic has nothing to do with
the loud boat logic. Defending loud bikes while not
defending loud boats in not hypocritical.

By: aredant

aredant — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 20:53:23 +0000

By that logic, you could make the argument that loud
boats are safer than quiet ones. I don’t buy the safety
argument - its just a way to justify being an
a##hole. Funny that I never see those stupid pipes on
Hondas or BMWs or are those owners just ignorant too?
It’s simply part of the Harley culture of nihilism.
The good part is that there is a comment section to
speak out against biker noise without being threatened
by some moron with a baseball bat on an gaudy hog.
Anyone who makes excessive noise with a vehicle of any
kind is just making our environment less pleasant to
live in and they should be aggressively ticketed.
Complaining about noisy boats on the lake while
defending loud pipes is just hypocritical.

By: Rick

Rick — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 17:36:39 +0000

Regarding this issue, I live on lake Minnetonka and feel strongly that
there should be some laws but into place to eliminate this problem.
Loud boats may indeed sound cool but getting the extra ooomph is pointless
since the speed limit on the lake is 40mph.

However, I completely disagree with your comparison of
“Why does a guy own a Harley with straight pipes”
Clearly most people are ignorant regarding the logic of doing so.
Yes, I’m sure some bikers do indeed have loud pipes for the reason
you suggest however the vast majority do it for one reason “Safety”
I’m sure many ignorant people will disagree with this view
however think about this. If you’re driving down the road and hear
sound to your side will you simply change lanes without checking
and kill the biker or look first?