Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Banning Loud Pipes



Someone posted a thread in the Kelowna Castanet discussion forum a while ago complaining about extra loud exhaust pipes on motorcycles. Seemingly it has become quite a problem there like everywhere else. Well the Vancouver Province recently ran a similar editorial entitled "It's time to silence a summer scourge."

Along with the editorial, the Province ran a cartoon of a biker blasting loud pipes with the caption of him yelling f off to everyone around him. That cartoon pretty much says it all. Loud pipes have nothing to with saving lives and everything to do with being obnoxious.

One person claiming to be female wrote in with the standard victim excuse: Loud pipes save lives. Unfortunately that argument is no longer believable. Yes there are bad drivers on the road but the bad drivers aren't limited to drivers of cars. There are bad drivers of motorcycles too. Motorcycles weaving in and out of traffic even between cars on the freeway. That is bad driving and sets a bad image for others who ride motorcycles.

Driving fast along the shoulder of the road passing cars is another example. What if a car decides to make a right hand turn when that motorcycle is speeding past them on the right? It wouldn't be the bad driver's fault for not seeing that motorcycle because that motorcycle isn't where they are supposed to be.

Another person wrote in arguing in support of loud pipes comparing it to playing loud music claiming you can't ban everything that's fun. That person revealed the truth. It's not about saving lives it's about being obnoxious and having fun in so doing. It is similar to playing loud music at night oblivious to neighbours. That is rude. People who do that are as*holes.

Another reader said the police should target loud cars as well as not instead of loud motorcycles. Indeed they should. Gunning down a side road late at night in a residential area with loud exhausts is just plain offensive whether it be in a car or a motorcycle.

In some residential areas you already see signs telling large trucks not to use their engine brakes in that residential area because doing that creates excessive noise. It's not a matter of singling out motorcycles, it's a matter of singling out excessive noise.

The fact that so many of these guys rush to excuse the noise is proof that it needs to be legislated. It's no different than the guy who argues it's his charter right to crank loud and offensive music anytime and anywhere they want.

We need province wide legislation like the legislation about paying for your gas before you fill it after that gas station attended was run over by someone stealing gas. Not everyone steals gas but enough people do to make the legislation necessary.

3 comments:

  1. Nothing to do with saving lives huh? well you obviously don't ride. I have experienced first hand the consequences of drivers not paying attention...I have ridden all my life, and always had loud exhaust...then 5 years ago I bought a brand new bike with stock pipes...it took 29 days with my quiet pipes for some idiot not paying attention to put me in the hospital for 4 months and rehab for 9! I will never give up riding, nor will I ever again use 'stock' pipes...the pipes I have now alert drivers to my presence. Don't lump every rider in with the so called 'outlaw' bikers.

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  2. I have driven full seasons in the snow. You don’t hear most of the noise from loud pipes until they go past which would be too late to avoid an accident. Your position is proof we need legislation. It has nothing to do with being an outlaw. Just with being a liar and inconsiderate of others.

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  3. Exactly correct. Motorcyclists who know how to ride safely do not need loud mufflers. Saying loud motorcycle mufflers saves lives is just an excuse to install loud aftermarket mufflers. Loud exhausts are not heard until it is too late, and riders with loud mufflers ride like their noisy mufflers will keep them safe regardless. We have ridden motorcycles with factory quiet mufflers for years without incident, all while wearing brightly colored and reflective riding apparel. How does loud exhaust on a motorcycle work with driver’s who are deaf or hearing impaired? Not unlike officers saying ‘that is what the siren is for’ when confronted with the fact the hidden emergency lights on their hazardous stealth patrol vehicles are being easily obstructed. When the matter of deaf and hearing impaired drivers are mentioned, they have no response.

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