Goldwing Motorcycle

Loud Vehicles. Unfair Noise Enforcement

Vehicles of all sizes are monitored for legal noise emission levels. This includes compact cars, S.U.V.'s, big 18 wheelers and all motor homes and R.V.'s.

Did you know if you put a sporty muffler such as glass packs' on your vehicle to give it a sporty growl, you can get a ticket from law enforcement for violating the noise emission level designed for that type of vehicle. It's true. You can also get a ticket if your vehicle makes to much noise due to it's original tailpipe being broken or worn out.

Most area's can also ticket you for motoring with your car stereo to loud.

I have no problem with these laws and practices, so long as they apply to everybody.

I've taken it upon myself to perform a little project at a major Wisconsin intersection. Sitting off to the side just past the sidewalk (about 15 feet from the roadway) I sat on a chair holding a noise meter. I watched the readings of the different types of vehicles. I wasn't surprised by my findings. Most late model cars barely moved the needle. A really good reading for such quiet vehicles.

Most 18 wheelers pulling away at the green light moved the needle about a quarter way across the dial. Not bad at all considering the size of the vehicle and its massive motor.

Honda Goldwing Motorcycles were about half the reading of the semi's. Then there were observations of a vehicle I can't stand.

Harley Davidson Motorcycles not only were louder, but in fact they actually buried the needle on the noise meter. Even after they left the intersection and were still accelerating a block away, they were still registering a quarter scale on the gauge.

These vehicles with motors 40 or 50 times smaller than that of a 18 wheeler were catastrophically louder than the big rigs.

I'm not just comparing the sizes of the motors, but the entire size of a tractor trailer.

It would take a excess of 50 Harleys to equal the size of a 70 or 75 foot tractor trailer combination.

That would be parking the Harleys sideways next to the 18 wheeler from its front bumper to it's back bumper 3 tears high to equal the size of one of these rigs.

Not only that, the sound of these Harleys actually give headaches, rattle windows and wake up people that are sleeping.

Okay. This isn't cool. It isn't funny. It isn't awesome. It isn't legal. IT IS A CRIME!

These bikes violate vehicle noise emission laws, they are noise pollution and they disturb the peace.

They don't get ticketed for their violations. This is yet another crime.

I'm among a growing number of people that hate these motorcycles because of this.

We need the noise laws to apply to everyone.

Below I've cut and pasted a email sent to me a while back regarding this topic, please read it.