Loud is Outlawed?

Are you a fan of loud exhaust? This is a pretty controversial subject among different groups of riders. In general, the Harley and sportbike crowds love loud pipes, while the metric cruiser and touring people prefer stock exhaust (I said "in general" so don't get butt hurt if I misspoke for you specifically). Personally, I have very little issue with a loud motorcycle exhaust. As a matter of fact, many of my previous motorcycles had mufflers that would be considered illegal.

The issue of exhaust noise was brought to my attention recently when I was snowmobiling (see that story here). While riding the trails I met up with some conservation officers who were measuring the sound levels of a snowmobiler's aftermarket exhaust. After determining that the exhaust was louder than the law allowed, the officers wrote the man a ticket. This topic came up in a later conversation with the officers and they mentioned that the purpose of writing tickets that day was to appease the local land owners who were filing complaints about the abundance of loud snowmobiles. Something had to be done or the land owners would no longer allow the trail to pass through their property.

I have heard of instances of police officers pulling bikers over for loud exhaust and even checking mufflers for baffles, so I knew that there was some public outcry against loud motorcycles as well as snowmobiles. Then I read this article detailing a lawsuit for overly loud motorcycle exhausts. There is an aspect of this that scares me. This could become more than just an isolated lawsuit, it could happen in any area. I don't ever want to see a situation where motorcycling can be taken away from us.

I want to reiterate that I am not against loud exhaust, but I do believe a little common sense may be warranted. If you have an aftermarket exhaust, then use some restraint while riding through residential neighborhoods especially at night. Feel free to rev the shit out of your bike when your on the open road, a track, or some isolated area where no one will be bothered.

"Loud is a way of life." - Steven Adler