loud motorcycles

Now that warmer weather has arrived, so has something else: loud motorcycles. I have heard easily a few dozen on my west-end street in the last 90 minutes. I know from past experience that I will hear anywhere from 50-100 per day all summer. And when I mean loud, I mean LOUD. As in: I can hear them in the inner hallway of my apartment building, I can hear them with all windows shut, earplugs in my ears and a fan on the high setting, all conversation must pause when they go past because they drown out everyone's voices.

How do UTers feel about loud motorcycles in the city? Do we need better enforcement on this issue? I mean, nowhere in Toronto is open road-Easy Rider territory. Most of these motorcycles are pootling around the city at 50 km/h or less. They are literally just mobile lawnmowers, and even lawnmowers are subject to the noise by-law.



75. (1) Every motor vehicle or motor assisted bicycle shall be equipped with a muffler in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise and excessive smoke, and no person shall use a muffler cut-out, straight exhaust, gutted muffler, hollywood muffler, by-pass or similar device upon a motor vehicle or motor assisted bicycle. R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 75 (1).

Enforcing those bylaws are another matter altogether.
Document and record such incidents. Once you have sufficient evidence then file your complaint.

Bonne chance

LordWanker said:

Enforcing those bylaws are another matter altogether.
Document and record such incidents. Once you have sufficient evidence then file your complaint.

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I was thinking more along the lines of the recent changes re: appealing parking tickets.

It's not at all difficult to find the loud motorcycles.

I have heard from some that motorbikes deliberately want to be loud so they are better noticed on the road - since they are small and can get lost in blind spots or other locations where motorists might not notice them.

I think others just like the attention.

BurlOak said:

I have heard from some that motorbikes deliberately want to be loud so they are better noticed on the road - since they are small and can get lost in blind spots or other locations where motorists might not notice them.

I think others just like the attention.

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I've researched the safety issue and it's bogus. It all has to do with the direction of the sound, which isn't towards at the driver who most needs to see the motorcycle. Motorcyclists who don't have loud pipes and are opposed to them (they exist) say that defensive driving is more effective. Plus, motorcyclists could always get horns just like cars if they are really THAT worried about safety.

And anyway the safety argument is moot when you're going 50 km/h or less on residential streets.

TOperson said:

I was thinking more along the lines of the recent changes re: appealing parking tickets.

It's not at all difficult to find the loud motorcycles.

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*sigh* Loudness is a relative term unless you have an actual certified device that can measure alleged motorcycle. Hope you have a camcorder to record it too.
Plus the loud bikes likely have no mufflers and are straight pipes which are quite illegal on public roads.

I can hear them a block away from my house, even with the windows closed. It's time the police start clamping down on excessively loud motorcycles with the modified exhaust pipes.

I've been riding my motorcycle since 2006, and the noisy group is certainly a subtype more than a generalization. This group consists usually of the poser cafe cruiser crowd, and they don't ride far, and have little tyre wear outside the centreline.

My crowd isn't loud and rides alot, and well. You'll never see my trusty 1969 Triumph speeding or loudly bothering the neigbourhood.

LordWanker said:

*sigh* Loudness is a relative term unless you have an actual certified device that can measure alleged motorcycle. Hope you have a camcorder to record it too.
Plus the loud bikes likely have no mufflers and are straight pipes which are quite illegal on public roads.

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I know, I've researched all that. I'm talking about definitely no-mistake full-on LOUD motorcycles. I described above how loud I mean.

A police officer could easily just sit in front of my apartment building for a day and identify dozens of them.

Admiral Beez said:

I've been riding my motorcycle since 2006, and the noisy group is certainly a subtype more than a generalization. This group consists usually of the poser cafe cruiser crowd, and they don't ride far, and have little tyre wear outside the centreline.

My crowd isn't loud and rides alot, and well. You'll never see my trusty 1969 Triumph speeding or loudly bothering the neigbourhood.

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That's the thing - motorcycles really don't need to be crazy loud, they don't leave the factory that way and plenty of motorcyclists manage just fine without the excessive noise. So it's crazy that literally millions of people across North America, and it's got to be in the tens of thousands in the GTA alone, are being seriously disturbed by a few posers. And we just submit to it.

gabe said:

I can hear them a block away from my house, even with the windows closed. It's time the police start clamping down on excessively loud motorcycles with the modified exhaust pipes.

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Agree. And there isn't anywhere you can move to escape them except really remote areas. There are whole towns that got written up in "great motorcycle routes" articles and books and now they are tormented by the loud ones.

TOperson said:

That's the thing - motorcycles really don't need to be crazy loud, they don't leave the factory that way and plenty of motorcyclists manage just fine without the excessive noise. So it's crazy that literally millions of people across North America, and it's got to be in the tens of thousands in the GTA alone, are being seriously disturbed by a few posers. And we just submit to it.

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excessive noise tickets are almost impossible to convict on.
you need an officer with a well calibrated DB detector and this requires alot of effort for a measly $100 ticket.

excessive noise is a excess charge that gets tacked on to other charges such as speeding or racing.

its rarely a charge on its own.

On the opposite side, there are those who complain that electric cars, hybrids, the new streetcars, and e-bikes are too quiet.

W. K. Lis said:

On the opposite side, there are those who complain that electric cars, hybrids, the new streetcars, and e-bikes are too quiet.

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actually my dad owns a 2013 prius.
when its coasting on battery mode, it actually emits a fake audible hum.

you can disable it though by cutting the speaker out.

W. K. Lis said:

On the opposite side, there are those who complain that electric cars, hybrids, the new streetcars, and e-bikes are too quiet.

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Can you cite any online examples of this?