Archive for the ‘Loud Pipes’ Category

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Threats To Motorcycling 7 And 8

Monday, August 17th, 2026


It really matters what goes into your gas tank. Just ask Dennis. Thank goodness for several other guys who rushed over to help us roll this Indian into the truck.

I’m picking up where I left off a while ago, offering an overview of what the American Motorcyclist Association listed in their magazine, American Motorcyclist, as the “10 Biggest Threats to Motorcycling.” Let’s continue.

Excessive Sound
Yeah, we’re all familiar with this. Loud pipes save lives. Or they don’t, they just annoy other people. You’ve probably all heard how the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration did a study and concluded there is “little evidence” that louder pipes improve rider safety. This piece also quotes from what they referred to as “an exhaustive study” (pun definitely intended) in Romania that said “The sound produced by a motorcycle is not heard by the drivers of cars in front of you or is heard too late to be able to influence the driver’s decision. Our best advice? Let’s be seen, not heard.”

The downside (per the article): Few other factors contribute more to misunderstanding and prejudice against the motorcycling community than excessively loud motorcycles.” This leads to laws that seek to curtail motorcycling. I guess that would count as a threat to motorcycling.

The fix, as the article continues, includes the AMA’s program of gifting sound meters to AMA-chartered clubs to accurately check the sound emissions of their bikes. “Motorcyclists also have a responsibility to be part of the solution by being sensitive to community standards and respectful of their fellow citizens’ right to enjoy a peaceful environment.”

If you think the issue is valid but the fix offered is a bit week I would agree. Too bad, but can you offer anything better? Then do.

Ethanol
This is simple enough. Federal mandates require use of ethanol fuel, which is generally made from corn. A little is not a particularly bad thing. Too much can damage your motorcycle engine, though not necessarily your car engine. So it’s important that there be good labeling at the gas pumps.

Just a bit more info on the damage: “Ethanol-laced fuel can also be hazardous for bikes stored for weeks or months at a time, as the blend starts to oxidize, separating the ethanol from the gasoline and forming a thick, corrosive sludge that can ravage fuel tanks, fuel systems, and engines.” Not to mention that you get fewer miles to the gallon with ethanol in your fuel.

The main fix they are calling for here has to do with better labeling at the pumps. They also offer measures you can take, such as “using fuel stabilizers, keeping the tank full to limit headspace for air and humidity to get in, or simply filling your tank with ethanol-free petrol.” If you can find it.

You also need to just pay attention. The OFMC was on a trip a few years back and at a gas stop Dennis did not read the signs on the pump carefully and ended up putting diesel fuel in his tank. That was completely on him. That pump was marked. So to the AMA’s suggestion I would add, don’t be stupid.

Biker Quote for Today

Motorcycles are wonderful contraptions, but it’s the people we get to know and hang out with and ride with along the way that make them so special. — Mitch Boehm

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Posted in American Motorcyclist Association, Biker Issues, Loud Pipes, motorcycle clubs, Motorcycle legislation | No Comments »

Thoughts On Hawaii Motorcycling

Thursday, April 20th, 2023

The coolest thing I saw in Hawaii (yeah, we were just there), and I was really sorry I didn’t have a chance to get a picture, was two young guys on scooters, headed for the beach. They had their boogie boards with them, laid length-wise on their seats, and they were sitting on the noses of the boards with the tails sticking out behind. What a great idea.

  A 1%er, Hawaiian style.

OK, so backing up, we just spent 10 days in Hawaii, on the Big Island and Oahu. Of course I paid attention to motorcycles. And the islands have lots of narrow, winding roads that motorcyclists tend to flock to, but you don’t see motorcycles there. Any you do see are probably tourists; the locals seem to stick to the cities. I mean, when there are 150 miles of highway on the whole island, how many times can you ride those roads? And it’s not like taking your bike to another island is much of an option. I wouldn’t want to live in Hawaii.

So anyway, in the Kona area, the main tourist area on the Big Island, on the western, leeward side, there are a lot of scooters. That makes total sense because parking is in short supply and gas is expensive.

Other than scooters what you tend to see is big Harleys. Those guys almost universally ride without helmets and frequently without jackets, despite the fact that rain falls almost every day. A lot more of the scooter riders wear helmets but certainly not all of them. A very sparse middle range consists of smaller sport bikes. Those guys almost universally wear helmets and jackets. And boots and gloves.

On the rest of the island, even over in Hilo–a larger city–it was pretty much all Harleys. One night at dinner there was a couple at another table that caught my eye. She had a puffy jacket but had taken it off. He–in a place where everyone else was in T-shirts and many in shorts–was wearing a leather motorcycle vest over a hooded sweatshirt, and a wool hat on his head. I never got a chance to see if he had anything on under the sweatshirt. The only thing he took off, when their food arrived, was his wool stocking cap. Dude, are you not roasting?

I didn’t know for sure if they were on a bike till they left. Then from outside there was this explosion of aftermarket pipes as he fired it up. Yep, definitely on a bike.

In Hawaii it rains a lot, though not very hard most of the time. One time we were driving through heavy rain but came out of it. It was just then that we passed a guy on a Harley going the other way. No helmet, just a T-shirt. Oh man, you are in for it.

He’d probably just call me a wimp.

OK, and I’ll leave you with a thinker: Why do they have interstate highways in Hawaii?

Biker Quote for Today

“Universal” accessories are so named because that is where you must search to find the bike they will fit.

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Posted in Harley-Davidson, Loud Pipes, Scooter | 2 Comments »

Truth And Ignorance Update

Thursday, October 25th, 2018
motorcycle exhaust

I’d guess the pipes on this custom bike are not quiet.

After I put up that latest Examiner Resurrection piece I got to wondering if these anti-noise groups have perhaps gotten their facts a bit more in line since that was published in 2010. So I’ve been perusing their websites to see.

First I visited the NoiseOFF site. Recall that back then this group was accusing the various motorcycle rights organizations (MROs) of lobbying “to defeat motorcycle noise legislation.”

So has NoiseOFF gotten their facts a bit more in line? Read this:

Some riders join motorcycle rights organizations (MROs) that lobby against motorcycle noise legislation. These organizations include the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, and American Motorcyclist Association (AMA). In many cities and states, there are groups that call itself ABATE.

Also:

The AMA compromises (compromises? I think they mean comprises>) over 300,000 members and more than 1,200 chartered clubs, with corporate representation from the motorcycle industry. Through sponsored events and organized campaigns, they mobilize their membership to lobby to defeat motorcycle noise legislation.

So no, NoiseOFF still has their FactsOFF.

Also of note, their web page also contained this:

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) analyzes and reports on motorcycle accident data statistics and acts as a clearinghouse on motorcycle safety.

In their 2007 published report, ‘Fatal Two-Vehicle Motorcycle Crashes’ (DOT HS 810 834), motorcyclists were found to be overwhelmingly responsible for causing accidents with passenger vehicles. In nearly three-fourths of the two-vehicle motorcycle crashes involving passenger vehicles, the role of the motorcycle was recorded as the striking vehicle. Additionally, factors including alcohol impairment, invalid license, and speeding were more attributed to motorcycle riders.

Wow. I think they misread the stats. Other studies have shown that it is predominantly the car driver who is at fault. Yes, the bike may strike the car, but that is almost always because the car turned in front of the bike. I’m all in favor of keeping noise under control but these people need to get their facts straight.

What about Noise Free America? Back in 2010 they were saying that “In reality, the Sturgis event is probably the largest concentration ever of lawbreakers. And Mike Rounds, the governor of South Dakota, gave aid and comfort to this massive lawbreaking.”

Frankly, they’re probably right about that. While I don’t find this statement on their site anymore, they do present a much more factual look at the nature of motorcycle noise and enforcement efforts. They look at what the legislation is, how enforcement is generally ineffective, and at what might be done to address that ineffectiveness. Mostly they call for enforcement of existing laws.

I agree. That’s what I said in 2010. But don’t just focus on motorcycles. As I said then, “If noise of any kind is a problem, pass laws that limit the noise regardless of the source. And then enforce those laws.”

I guess nothing has changed in the interim.

Biker Quote for Today

Good girls go to heaven. Bad girls go to Sturgis.

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Examiner Resurrection: Motorcycle Noise Debate: Truth And Ignorance

Monday, October 22nd, 2018
motorcycle exhaust pipes

Motorcycle noise is a legitimate issue, but let’s separate the fact from the ignorance.

Will the Governator veto the California bill requiring EPA seals on motorcycle exhausts? (This Examiner post is from eight years ago, so there have been some changes.) That’s one of the biggest questions on many people’s minds at the moment. That it should be an issue at all is a demonstration of ignorance. Let’s start with a recap.

Truth
Some motorcycles make too much noise. Admit it, it’s a fact. Also, some cars and trucks and airplanes and trains and other vehicles make too much noise. This is true as well.

So the California legislature decided to copy what has been done in several other jurisdictions in recent years, notably Denver, and has passed legislation requiring all motorcycle mufflers to carry the Environmental Protection Agency stamp that certifies it does not exceed noise standards. Thus the waiting to see what Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is a motorcyclist himself, will do.

The ignorance comes in where the proponents of the bill think it will solve the problem. It won’t, and Denver again serves as a good example. In a recent CBS News article it was reported that “just 37 tickets were issued in 2007, the law’s first year. In 2008, just 4 tickets, and last year 5 tickets. So far this year, no tickets have been issued.”

It’s a matter of practicality. Generally the stamps on the mufflers are in obscure, out-of-the-way places where a police officer would have to get down on hands and knees, or perhaps lay on the his back on the ground, to spot. It’s just not very likely to happen. Plus, OEM mufflers carrying the EPA stamps are not always available for older bikes, and even if they are, why should a biker be subject to ticketing for not having a stamp if the noise the bike makes is not excessive?

In the meantime, laws like this are not needed. Laws already exist limiting noise. All that is really necessary is to enforce the laws already passed, and this is regardless of whether the source of the noise is a motorcycle, a truck, a lawn mower, or anything else. The problem with the California law and others is that they unfairly target motorcycles.

Ignorance
While controlling noise levels is a valid endeavor for cities and other jurisdictions, the people promoting this agenda have been going off the deep end of late, and they often don’t worry about getting facts straight.

For instance, on the site for NoiseOFF – The Coalition Against Noise Pollution, they offer this bit of misinformation:

Some riders join motorcycle rights organizations (MROs) that lobby against motorcycle noise legislation. These organizations include the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, and American Motorcyclist Association (AMA). . . . The AMA compromises (sic) over 300,000 members and more than 1,200 chartered clubs, with corporate representation from the motorcycle industry. Through sponsored events and organized campaigns, they mobilize their membership to lobby to defeat motorcycle noise legislation.

First off, the MRF is only involved in national lobbying and they don’t get involved in local issues. As for the AMA, all you need to do is check their site and you’ll learn that they routinely urge riders to be conscientious with noise, and that what the AMA does oppose is . . . drumroll . . . legislation that unfairly targets motorcycles.

Then of course there is Noise Free America, which recently had this to say about the Sturgis motorcycle rally and South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds:

In reality, the Sturgis event is probably the largest concentration ever of lawbreakers. And Mike Rounds, the governor of South Dakota, gave aid and comfort to this massive lawbreaking.

Is it really that hard to understand? If noise of any kind is a problem, pass laws that limit the noise regardless of the source. And then enforce those laws. Quit singling out motorcycles. The sleeper whose slumber is disturbed doesn’t care what caused the noise, they just want the noise stopped. And that includes sleeping motorcyclists.

Biker Quote for Today

The bike started up–better rev the engine a dozen times to make sure.

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Posted in Examiner Resurrection, Loud Pipes, Motorcycle legislation | No Comments »

Motorcycle Noise In The National Parks

Monday, April 27th, 2015
OFMC at Colorado National Monument

The OFMC at Colorado National Monument.

For two and one-half years I’ve had our backs in the national parks, but that ends as of Friday.

As an editor with the National Park Service I have been in a position to crucially reword documents when they have spoken about how motorcycle noise is totally obnoxious and something needing to be eliminated. I have made it my personal job to change that wording to read something like “the noise of loud motorcycles” or “noise from loud vehicles.” The point being that, despite the general public perception, only some motorcycles are loud, not all of them. And noise from loud cars and trucks is just as objectionable as noise from loud motorcycles.

But my gig will wrap up on Friday, May 1, and after that there is no one who will be watching out for us in that way. So here’s an idea: how about if motorcyclists make it a point not to annoy the public, especially in the parks, with loud noise?

The National Park Service even has a page on their website about this issue. “Motorcycle Riding in the National Parks” only seems lukewarm as it is in regard to bikes, stating that “riding a motorcycle through a national park can be an acceptable way to experience our nation’s natural and cultural heritage.” You see that? “. . . can be an acceptable way . . .” That kind of gives the connotation that they’d really rather not have us there but if we’re not totally obnoxious they’ll tolerate us. And the site adds, “Over the past ten years, complaints from visitors concerning excessive noise from motorcycles have been increasing.” By the way, my editing duties do not extend to the website.

Now, lest those of us who don’t have Harleys with extra loud aftermarket pipes get too smug, let me point out that engine noise is not the only issue. If you have a sound system that blasts out music that you can hear when riding, that can be pretty unwelcome, too. Aside from bothering people, it bothers animals: “Noise can adversely impact wildlife by reducing the area over which they can communicate and listen for potential prey or predators. Natural sounds are also important to park visitors, 90 percent of whom say enjoying the sounds of nature is one of the top reasons they visit parks.”

So here is the NPS recommendation for riding your bike in the parks.

Ride Respectfully

  1. Obey speed limits.
  2. Avoid traveling in large groups.
  3. Avoid excessive acceleration or revving of the engine.
  4. Turn your engine off instead of idling.
  5. Use horns only when necessary for safety.
  6. Turn down radios or use a headset.
  7. Be extra sensitive near campgrounds, lodging, and visitor centers.
  8. Operate your motorcycle as quietly as possible to minimize disturbance to wildlife and other park resources and respect the experience of other visitors.

Biker Quote for Today

Happiness isn’t around the corner, it is the corner.

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Posted in Biker Issues, Loud Pipes | 1 Comment »

Motorcycle Noise? At Least Talk Sense

Thursday, July 17th, 2014
Triple Pipes

I'm betting this is not a quiet motorcycle.

My wife sent me a link to a story on the National Public Radio website that she figured I would be interested in: Vroom, Vroom, Hmmmm: Motorcycles As Literary Metaphor. While I found the story interesting, I also found the comments interesting, but not in what these people had to say.

What was interesting was how predictable it all was.

Right off the bat was this remark: “It’s difficult for me to appreciate this story since I find the noise pollution produced by lots of motorcycles to be abhorrent. ”

Yeah, right from the word “Go!” the battle was on. And just as predictably, the riders lined up on two sides crying that loud pipes save lives and that skillful riders don’t need loud pipes to ride safely. The main point in my mind was that both sides were spouting some truth and a lot of bogus garbage. For instance, in some back and forth on loud pipes, the noise proponent said it helped make people aware of him in traffic when he was in someone’s blind spot. The reply was a blasting about “What the heck are you doing in someone’s blind spot in the first place!!!”

Hey, I’m sorry, but when you ride in traffic, such as when you use your bike to commute, you’re in heavy traffic a lot and you are constantly in and out of people’s blind spots. It’s inevitable. A skilled, attentive rider will make a point to be aware and to spend as little time as possible in blind spots but you are in and out of them constantly, if only for a second or two.

Heck, just today I was riding home and twice had people start to pull into my lane because they didn’t do a head check and at the instant they decided to make their move I was in their blind spot. I pay a lot of attention to blind spots but they are unavoidable.

But here’s what I have new to add to the discussion. A few days ago I was in my car going down a similarly crowded multi-lane street, and I knew there was a guy on a bike a little behind me to my left. And from what I could tell, this guy was not paying attention to where he was in my field of view. You know what? He was on a Harley and even when I couldn’t see him in my mirror I could hear him. I knew he was there.

Now, I’ve always been more inclined toward the skilled-riders-don’t-need-loud-pipes position. I have three bikes and they’re all quiet. Somehow I’ve never been in an accident; must be skill or attentiveness or something. And I know that most of the noise a bike makes is heard behind it, not in front of it where it matters most. But there I was, hearing this guy even when I couldn’t see him. I just don’t think you can deny across the board that no, loud pipes don’t save any lives ever. Maybe not as many lives as some people would like to think, but I suspect they do save a few.

Is that justification for making a lot of the non-riding population hate us by blasting them with mega-noise? Absolutely not. I didn’t say this guy was really, really loud, he was just on a bike that does make some noise–a good bit more than the Kawasaki I was on today. And that was enough. Just because some noise can be a good thing, that doesn’t imply that absolutely deafening noise is a better thing.

How about if we all just use common sense? You guys who want your bikes loud, don’t go overboard. Don’t go making us enemies everywhere you go. And you guys who think loud pipes are worse than useless, it won’t hurt you to admit that there’s probably at least a kernel of truth in the claim. And how about if we all make it totally clear to the real offenders that even other riders don’t care for the black eye they’re giving us all?

Personally, with those guys I really don’t believe that safety is the issue at all. They’re just using that as an excuse to hide the fact that they’re too self-centered to care about anyone but themselves. Don’t let them get away with it.

Biker Quote for Today

Turns gasoline into noise without the burdensome byproduct of horsepower.

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Posted in Loud Pipes, Motorcycle Safety | No Comments »

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