[SCRBen]

So...... “noisy” motorcycles are a bit of hot topic in the U.K. bike media at the moment, seemingly spurred on by lockdown last year. It appears lots of people, especially in rural communities, actually enjoyed the peace and quiet last year (can’t blame them for that). However, once lockdown started to be lifted, a portion of the biking community made a nuisance of itself by taking advantage of still-relatively quiet roads, and suddenly shattering the peace. No doubt the usual suspects: the race reps with full race systems, bouncing off the rev limiter, not slowing down for villages, and I'm sure a fair sprinkling of cruisers on open pipes too (and I’d lump ourselves into the latter group.....or, me anyway, with my Danmoto pipe......)

The problem is, this is getting us a lot of negative press, to the extent police are stepping up enforcement - loud pipes, illegal number plates (I’m currently guilty of both), dropping speed limits on otherwise good biking roads, more speed cameras, and even talk of German style bike bans in certain areas on the weekend (for example). I’ve certainly heard near me, in North Yorkshire/Cumbria etc, bikers are currently getting a lot more attention from the fuzz than is usual, due to pressure from local communities etc.

My question(s) really are - can we blame them? And, are we our own worse enemies?

I’ve attached a pic of a letter which appeared on the correspondence page of Bike magazine this month. It struck a cord with me - I have a young child, and he doesn’t like my ‘loud’ motorbike, so can completely understand what the corespondent is talking about re the upset children he witnessed. And, do we really want people tutting, and saying “dickhead” when we pass through their town. I don’t, really....... In addition, I think there’s also been a massive increase in loud cars in recent years, the blame for which I lay firmly at the feet of the Fast and the Furious films, and the fact that PCP (not the drug!) now allows young kids who could never afford such vehicles early on in life to now ape Vin Diesel and co every night, cruising round town..... Such antics really piss me off, but who am I to speak, really, when my bike is as loud as any of their cars.....?

So, the Danmotos’ coming off, this time for good, and the Akras going back on. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still louder than stock, but nothing like the shorty Danmoto. It’s a lot more mellow in comparison......

And, if I can contribute to more biking roads not having artificially low speed limits imposed on them, if it stops me getting hassle when the rozzers are parked up outside local bike night, or if it helps to stop us generally being demonised more than is warranted , then that can only be a good thing too.....

Thoughts......?

Ben

 

[SCRBen]

A second article, also in Bike this month......

Ben

 

[Thommo]

Ben, what a brilliant and honest post.
This is something I have struggled with for years. I love the sound a bike can make, especially a Vtwin. But I also appreciated the anti social impact it has, It’s an idealistic idea but as we have speed cameras in areas speed is anti social, could the powers that be not introduce decibel restrictions in areas that require them, ie towns, village’s etc, and alow us to make as much noise as as a shotgun in the country ?

 

[Dustyroads]

A bit louder than stock is alright but some pipes are just too loud.
I drilled some holes in the stock muffler, thats about as loud as I want to make my bike. It's not as deep and bassy as a slip on but not as loud either.
I've had loud pipes on other bikes, they sound great to me while riding but are really loud to anyone behind my bike so I ditched them for quieter pipes. I was waking my neighbors leaving for work early in the morning, I'd be mad if someone did that to me so I stopped doing it to them.
The danmoto pipe on my dr650 was the loudest pipe I've ever heard, harley guys complained lol. I'll never get a danmoto pipe again, it was well made, cheap and easy to install but is basicly a straight pipe. They're so small if you quiet them down with a baffle they get hot and dont work any better than stock so you have to leave them loud.

 

[SCRBen]

There’s definitely a downside to this though - on the motorway the other day, in the third (I.e. fast) lane, and some old dude in a truck tried to merge right into me!! Good job I had to fix the horn for my MOT last year, as it got a good work out!! (As did my fist, and various other hand gestures!!! 🖕etc..........)

The point is......I think he would have heard me if I still had the Danmoto on! I don’t know this of course, but there’s a chance......

Anyway, more defensive riding called for, me thinks.

Ben