While lovers of loud pipes constantly tell us they’re saving lives, the fact is that they’re also alienating non-motorcyclists everywhere. We’ve seen city after city across Canada bring in some sort of anti-noise legislation as a result of loud bikes, but nobody has gone as far as Hawaiian John Graham – yet.
John Graham is putting together a petition on Change.org asking the Hawaiian state government to completely ban motorcycles, due to noise pollution. His quest isn’t just aimed at raucous open-piped cruisers; the petition lists “a growing number of extremely noisy mopeds and motorcycles, especially Harleys” as the the culprits “destroying the quality of life in residential Honolulu.”
He goes on to gripe about the Honolulu police for not dealing with the issue of loud pipes, and calls for a class-action suit against them.
While it sounds nutty, Graham has already collected hundreds of signatures and is close to having his petition presented to both the state legislature and the governor.
Now, Hawaii is a long way from Canada. However, don’t be surprised to see more petitions like this pop up in our country in the future, particularly if Graham’s efforts meet with even limited success. Canadian municipalities have proved more quick to ban loud pipes than their US counterparts, and if the anti-noise crusaders can make an impact in Hawaii, you can be sure it will embolden their counterparts in Canada.
Don’t fool yourself – loud pipes affect us all. Even if you aren’t pro-actively out saving lives with loud pipes on your motorcycle, you’ll be affected if anti-noise activists ever bring in a motorcycle ban. It’s happened in places like Quebec’s Old City, and if people continue to be outraged by open exhausts, it could impact you next.
If a person is to afraid to ride a bike that does not make noise just take the bus. You sound like little girls on the roller coaster “screaming don’t hit me I am so afraid”.
If load pipes are the only way to ride safely then all bikes need to be banned. That is what every bike with a load exhaust is telling you. Are you listening powers that be? I hear some grey goatee rider every five minutes over a mile away from my deck. Trust me I am not going to hit him even though I wish I could.
You’re kiddin’, right? Just how would that make riding/driving any safer? Your idea would create so many rear-end accidents it would look like payday at a gay bar. (and if anyone is “offended” by that comment, grow a thicker skin)
Every motorcycle should have a forward-facing radio transmitter, connected to the horn. Every car should have a receiver tuned to it connected to the immobiliser. When a car starts to pull across a motorcycles path, the biker sounds hos horn and cuts the car’s engine out for about 10 seconds or so. This will prevent many right of way error fatalities.
I still think that ALL motorcycles need a pressure sensitive multi-stage horn button and extremely loud horns that would be almost comparable to a tractor trailer blast when needed and the horn button was fully pressed. Maybe the headlight high beam could also flash whenever the horn button is pressed as well. If all bikes were so equipped then it just may negate the justification for a ‘loud’ exhaust.
Part of the problem is that police won’t allow a third party to do noise testing. This lead s to roadside tests, useless for to other traffic noise.
As usual, everyone ends up paying for a few self-centered, selfish idiots looking for the wrong kind of attention.
I wonder if any of those ‘loud pipe nuckle dragging meatheads’ would even ride bikes if they knew they weren’t annoying anyone.
Good article, Zac.
What he said.
There’s not many more annoying sounds than the soprano screech of squidly sportbike pipes or the elephantine flatulence of the Retarded Urban Bikers’ Hardley Ablesons “screaming chicken” pipes. The squealing brakes on the average TTC bus is worse, but that sound usually doesn’t travel very far.
If you don’t want to get banned, put a cork in it. Otherwise, move to Mars where you can make as much noise as you like.
I can understand the frustration with the general public on this. Some bikes out there are ear shatteringly loud. I was behind a V-Rod with open pipes on the weekend when it started up and it almost gave me vertigo, and I was wearing ear plugs!