Loud bikes in the National Parks

Heard this on NPR:

http://www.npr.org/2012/06/25/155727756/no-warm-welcome-for-motorcycles-in-national-parks

Quote from the story:
"AHEARN: Trevino says the park service is hesitant to limit anyone's access. For now, they're still gathering information. So, no tickets or regulations in national parks anytime soon. What they are doing is partnering with motorcycle associations to ask riders to stay in smaller groups, not accelerate excessively and respect park quiet hours. Whether riders cooperate is another question."

I've never been a into loud pipes just for the sake of being loud. But I admit I've changed the pipes on most of the bikes I've owned for the sake of getting a "better" sound. Which is of course completely subjective. I put Predator pipes on my Triumph Thruxton and Staintunes on my wife's Ducati Sport Classic. Making those bikes louder than stock. But oh, so good!

However I found myself feeling pretty guilty about the noise I was making when I'd ride in the mountains in the front range in Colorado. Embarrassed actually, for disturbing the peace, as it were. I decided then that I'd make sure any future bike I have will be much quieter. I'm not necessarily going to leave stock pipes on, but I'm going to make sure the aftermarket ones I buy are not obnoxious.

What do you think? You think we (riders) will self regulate, or be forced out of the parks?

Different version of the same story:
http://earthfix.opb.org/land/article/the-call-and-noise-of-the-open-road/

Including a video that shows sound propagation of a motorcycle riding up Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park in Montana:

<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/44550100" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="209" width="500"></iframe> MotorcycleNoiseVid from EarthFix on Vimeo.

I personally like stealth mode but I am glad they are handling this in this way. I do not want to see any new laws restricting anything about motorcycles or riding them.

Yet the problem needs a solution, and face it- the LPSL crowd aren't likely to change on their own, or due to 'peer' pressure (they're too busy telling themselves how nice their bikes sound. WHAT? I SAID YOUR BIKE SOUNDS COOL...) So- short of legislation, how do you propose that get fixed?

Why does it need a solution? Because non-riders outnumber riders about 20:1 (WAG), and "let those who ride, decide" works right up until enough non-riders realize that the riders have decided to keep being asocial, and a knee-jerk law will get passed that makes anything louder than a mouse fart illegal.

This thread is going to go downhill fast. Personally, I find myself turning and looking when I hear a nicely muffled cycle. Love the sound of old airhead BMWs, and a new Triumph Bonneville went by the other day with a nice purr. IMHO loud exhaust is the #1 threat to the freedom to ride. I personally would like to be able to ride in a National Park, but because of abuse by a minority we all may be banned.

Yeah, this is what concerns me as well. I can't see them ever banning motorcycles from the parks, and I can't see them doing a decibel meter check on every bike coming into the park. I don't know how else they could regulate it though so maybe this is what we'll see someday.

Peer pressure has more effect than you might think. We apply it daily at the store by gently guiding owners to muffler systems that put out a much more respectful note and decibel levels

It is at times amazing to hear the difference between the high crack of some of the metric cruisers with pipes that stop buy the store when compared to the deep throaty sound of a HD with good quality pipes and a tune.

The overwhelming number of looks of disproval towards the throttle blippers is interesting to see as well… And in the parking lot of an HD dealer no less.

My opinion - some state with lots of clout is going to ban pipes that don't have an EPA sticker or stamp on them.
National Parks will follow suit.... and not let you in if your bike doesn't comply.

It's about time.

Photo sound (like photo radar) enforcement anyone. I could make a good prototype in a few weeks, something to sell would be a man year or so to do right. If I can, somewhere someone has the prototype and is probably out selling the revenue enhancement aspect right now.

Rod

NO! i

Ugggg, I get so sick of the "throttle blippers" in town.


Here in our forests we really dont have too many bikes running loud exhausts, it's mainly the ATV's running obnoxiously loud silencers or no silencers at all.

It's a two inch putt to simply outlaw modified exhaust systems. I noticed recently that more and more high performance cars are sporting new aftermarket exhaust systems that are not only noisy, but with a very different note. Lots of BMW's, Corvettes and such, not to mention the new Maser's. :eek1

well, you can be quiet and loud if you have the mind to be...

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-670150-2

Might be cheaper to modify a loud motorcycle to shoot bullets than to change out the exhaust ....and then what?:huh

------New law allows loaded guns in national parks

And you know that that store is the exception to the rule, right? Not that rice burners with straight pipes, or ricer cages with fart cans, Diesel pickups with stacks, or beaters with no muffler at all- are any better. Rudest bike I've heard in a while was a Suzuki Volusia.

Pretty much what CA has already done, yeah?

Already been done by a guy in Canada, being field tested by his local plods...

already a thread in JM

In a forest, where nobody is around, why do people have to give a FUCK what other people do or how loud their exhaust is?

holy fuck, i thought the point was to get away from people and regulations, not to create regulations and restrictions for people.

It's a national park, people shoot guns, have loud parties, have two stroke dirt bikes, etc

Pack your trash out, be respectful and we'll have no problems, regardless of how loud your exhaust is.

edit: two more things:

1. the person's kid got scared from a pirate in a parking lot and started crying - she's all butthurt about it now

2. many of the people entering national parks, etc are motorcyclists.. gonna be hard to justify losing all those funds and people being less likely to vote for increases for funding. not a good idea to piss off the HD crowd.. they have a big lobby in the USA

national parks and national forests are two different things...with two different sets of rules (generally you cannot shoot guns in national parks).

hopefully, they aren't going to add any more rules to either, though.

btw, this guy...

...is an asshole (even if the winking thing is an embellishment).

who should be punished. not the rest of us.

Knew it. Damn, a day late as usual.

Rod