I can see this becoming more of a problam here in England.
There was a petition in the NE not all that long ago to curtail the weekend noise of Croft Autodrome. It was organised by residents of the nearby village (Dalton on Tees) who were a tad peeved at bike and car noise on weekends.
How many people are jarred off with noisy bikes in Devon - on the lanes, tracks and illegal use?
Martyn
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TTR250 but now a mobility scooter Budleigh Salterton
For the most part I don't think we are noisy out on the lanes, that said there are going to be areas that a very regularly used and have properties close by and so it's these red areas that need the riders to show a little respect when passing.
Don't mind the sound of modest race pipes on (road) sports bikes, open cans are a no-no as far as I'm concerned (but at a race meet they sound awesome). My personal preference for dirtbikes on the leanes is the quieter the better, however I also appreciate the sound a more liberated pipe provides, and TBH they're don't sound much if any louder unless on full chat. I do understand the noise issue and act as sympathetically as I can, however the anti-noise lobby is starting to get ridiculous now - people complaining about a race track/live music venue/aerodrome(?) they've moved next to for example. Nobodoy likes noise - unwanted sound - so don,'t move to an area that generates it then complain!
When we're all riding silent electric bikes in a few years time (you never know ) what will these idiots complain about then? "Oh, you're bike will have to make more noise as we can't hear you coming". They're starting to do this with electric cars already. Unfortuantely the compliant majority will always be at the mercy of the whingers - usually retired old busy bodies with f**k all else to do other than spoil it for the rest of us.
I can see this becoming more of a problam here in England.
There was a petition in the NE not all that long ago to curtail the weekend noise of Croft Autodrome. It was organised by residents of the nearby village (Dalton on Tees) who were a tad peeved at bike and car noise on weekends.
How many people are jarred off with noisy bikes in Devon - on the lanes, tracks and illegal use?
Martyn
Noise is the number one complaint levelled against us and will continue to be so I imagine.
All the more so since there are idiots who take the baffle out of end cans and say "It's not that loud", demonstrating such insensitivity it beggars belief. Complaints will doubtless fall on deaf ears and although such folk are a very small minority they have a disproportionate impact. It seems clear that turning a blind eye, or should that be a deaf ear, to such behaviour will rebound adversely upon us. I applaud the Somerset TRF stance in noise testing at their events, and believe that it will help weed out the bad apples. (Cue Mr Angry).
What is music to their ears, and mine, annoys the hell out of some people and fuel is added to the fire by the purveyors of the 'Loud Pipes Save Lives' stickers one sees on Hardly Ablesons. At Paignton bike night I find it difficult to safely ride through the crowds on arrival and when leaving unless I put the race can on because people don't hear me coming otherwise, and I find myself slipping the clutch at walking pace while listening to the marshalls refrain of 'Mind your backs please' while waiting for sightseers to get out of the way. My Triumph drew quite a crowd on the dyno at a bike show, but I don't think many of the spectators would like to hear it go past their home regularly so the carbon can doesn't go on often, or for long rides.
I love to hear a motor on full chat, but find it wearing, and annoying, after a while. Lovely for a few minutes racing but I like to ride all day, while I still can, before the selfish and stupid behaviour of the minority sees us banned. I should say I believe noise is a much more sensitive issue on the lanes before I am accused of hypocrisy.
Noise testing at events is getting very common now, almost part of the normal routine at most road tracks. For example Croft are likely to turn away more recent R6's and similar bikes because the standard factory fitted fully legal can is above their noise limits! Quite often the comment is made to "take it to the tracks" but noice limits are now preventing perfectly legal road bikes doing that!