Yard sales and cell phones. (rant)

[patrick_g]

4 words:

Heavy Steel Front Bumper

The front bumper on my one ton dually 4x4 Dodge/Cumins is made of 1/4 inch plate and has solid S/S push bars to protect the enclosed 12,000 lb winch (and keep beemers out of my radiator!) With winch, and fog lights the bumper weighs 500 lbs (Reunel in California builds them.)

Pat

 

[milkman]

LOUD PIPES, obviously you don't read their helmet stickers,
LOUD PIPES SAVE LIVES.

Also the ex cop in the shooting that FWJ referred to never spent a minute of time in jail either.

I should have put a bunch of these on the loud pipes comment. . Loud pipes are, Hey look at me I got a motor sickle.

 

[patrick_g]

I have always thought that there should be an acoustic plug in (like the non electronic air plane headphones) in motorcycle mufflers and a similar port in motorcycle helmets so a stethoscope type head set could be plugged into the muffler. A volume control valve could be employed for the "dainty" rider. This way the rider could clearly hear his hearty potato, potato, potato idle sound as well as the ROAR OF POWER with heavy throttle and the rest of us wouldn't have to. I like BMW motorcycles because the loudest sound they make (except crashing) is shifting gears.

The concept of exhaust noise for safety is so retarded as to defy rational explanation. The need for noise is strictly a juvenile trait which is not unexpected given that many riders are juvenile irrespective of their actual age. I do not indict all riders (My wife and I have had motorcycles) but many of the Marlin Brando wanna bees (and society at large) would be better served if they spent their $ on therapy instead of bikes.

Pat

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I have always thought that there should be an acoustic plug in (like the non electronic air plane headphones) in motorcycle mufflers and a similar port in motorcycle helmets so a stethoscope type head set could be plugged into the muffler. A volume control valve could be employed for the "dainty" rider. This way the rider could clearly hear his hearty potato, potato, potato idle sound as well as the ROAR OF POWER with heavy throttle and the rest of us wouldn't have to. I like BMW motorcycles because the loudest sound they make (except crashing) is shifting gears.

The concept of exhaust noise for safety is so retarded as to defy rational explanation. The need for noise is strictly a juvenile trait which is not unexpected given that many riders are juvenile irrespective of their actual age. I do not indict all riders (My wife and I have had motorcycles) but many of the Marlin Brando wanna bees (and society at large) would be better served if they spent their $ on therapy instead of bikes.

Pat

Now Pat... Tell us how you REALLY feel

I agree, albiet in less harsh terms. The "loud pipes save lives" concept is a rationalization (excuse) for wanting EVERYONE to see you and HEAR you, rather than a saftey reason. Learning how to stay in the line of sight of other drivers on the road is a saftey practice. Not putting yourself carelessly in harms way is a saftey practice. Having ear splitting loud exhaust is offensive and bad for the non-cycling publics image of bikes. If you TRUELY love your sport/hobby/passion, then you don't shoot it square in the foot at every opportunity. You try to peacefully co-exist with the rest of the world, cycle fans or not. That comment is from a Harley owner and lifetime AMA member....ME.

 

[turnkey4099]

Now Pat... Tell us how you REALLY feel

I agree, albiet in less harsh terms. The "loud pipes save lives" concept is a rationalization (excuse) for wanting EVERYONE to see you and HEAR you, rather than a saftey reason. Learning how to stay in the line of sight of other drivers on the road is a saftey practice. Not putting yourself carelessly in harms way is a saftey practice. Having ear splitting loud exhaust is offensive and bad for the non-cycling publics image of bikes. If you TRUELY love your sport/hobby/passion, then you don't shoot it square in the foot at every opportunity. You try to peacefully co-exist with the rest of the world, cycle fans or not. That comment is from a Harley owner and lifetime AMA member....ME.

Excellent post! My views exactly.

I is the 'crotch rocket' season here again. I am on a major highway and I can hear those adults with juvenile minds coming for a mile either direction.

Now I do like the sound of a well tuned 'working' engine. A Harley with loud pipes does not qualify under either of those terms. Give the the sound of a quiet evening as my neighbor runs the gears in his ?Honda? (not sure, it for sure ain't a Harley) full throttle and near redline. Love to hear it. He only does it when people are up and about and only one run a week average.

Harry K

Harry K

 

[patrick_g]

Now Pat... Tell us how you REALLY feel

Not enough time and energy to tell it all!

Just let me add truckers with jake brakes that use them unnecessarily when not needed just to make that BIG RIG sound are demonstrating the same juvenile attitude as bikers with loud exhausts. We can hear them for miles and miles. The nearest town (we are not in an incorporated area) put up signs proclaiming NO JAKE BRAKES and the truckers with the most infantile minds see it as a reminder to exercise their jake brakes to show that no one can tell them what to do. The result has been a marked increase in jake brake usage, again where it is totally not needed. I have no grudge against "NORMAL" people who are truckers but like in many other areas there are always a few who give the group a bad name.

Pat

 

[Bird]

Pat, I don't know how much it's enforced, the the first time I ever saw signs prohibiting the use of jake brakes in towns was going across western Canada. It seemed nearly every town had such signs.

 

[milkman]

Not enough time and energy to tell it all!

truckers with the most infantile minds. Pat

It is the ones with the exterior sun visors that cover about half the windshield, and they ride with the air seat all the way down and you can just see their eyes peeking over the edge of the door with their 8 inch unmuffled straight pipes that have caused most of that anti jake brake legislation and negative attitude toward truckers, as well as a lot of other unsanitary, uncivilized behavior.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Pat, I don't know how much it's enforced, the the first time I ever saw signs prohibiting the use of jake brakes in towns was going across western Canada. It seemed nearly every town had such signs.

I know of several towns in Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio that have ordinances prohibiting Jake Brakes.

 

[patrick_g]

Those signs are not uncommon here in Oklahoma but the little 400 people on a good day town nearest us has a part time mayor who is also the minister of the First Baptist Church and they had to have an activist beat them over the head before they posted theirs.

Pat