Hasbeen, "I don't find him at all intimidating, probably because he is about 165cm & the beard is getting pretty grey these days."

Ergonomics is unknown to the makers of these tractors. The pedals and seating position are ideal for someone who is as you noticed the ideal height for a Harley, which is 165cm.

There is a reason why the "No-Necks" with black potties on their heads look like Cheetah doing a bog, and why even short trips result in that trademark Harley grimace. That seating position is cruel.

The loud tractor, like the tatts selected from the parlour wall, express their 'individuality'.

The is a fellow who sits on his for minutes outside the local shops, as the sound reverberates off the shop windows: "Look at moi", "Please look at MOI". But no-one ever does, they have things to do and lives to live.

I don’t have a problem with bikes, only with extremely noisy ones... and with lawless riders that speed and tailgate, which seems to be something over 50% of all bikers out there on our highways.

I do find it interesting that people don’t like doof-doof music, barking dogs and indeed any noise created by their neighbours, at any time not just late at night, but are not fazed by the extremely loud and intrusive sound and intrusive Harleys.

There are noisy motorbikes of all sorts, and then there are Harleys, which are at least order of magnitude worse.

It is just so blatant!

I witness it a lot around Cairns, especially at Ellis Beach, which has been favorite stopping place for bikies for many years. Even there, where bikies and their loud bikes are commonplace, when a Harley starts up and takes off up the road, all conversation stops, everyone looks at the intruder, and at least all the non-bikers in the place are not impressed at all.

Hey if you yelled at the top of your voice for thirty or so seconds close to a group of people, or blasted your car horn continuously for that period of time, how do you think they would react? You'd most likely get a very strong dressing down.

But an ear-splitting building-shaking Harley, which is much louder than either of those when close to you, let alone at some quite considerable distance away, is apparently fair game!

It is just so incongruous and hypocritical for us to have wide-ranging noise pollution, public nuisance and offensive behaviour laws, but for unmuffled Harleys to be excused from them!

Why??

Why isn’t there the simple requirement for all motorbikes to be fitted with mufflers?

Would that really detract from the experience of riding a Harley?

It seems like the Harley-Davidson company has had enough of this sort of criticism. I understand that 2014 Harleys are going to be fitted with mufflers.

Ludwig,

In Queensland it was once a requirement that motorbike exhausts could not make 'undue noise'.

However, the OEM muffler was always acceptable.

Now you can replace the muffler with something that is 'equivalent'. So some bikers probably drill the baffles. If found, that would be faulted by police or Dept Transport.

The manufacturer in this case has stretched the envelope from the start, believing that the particular sound of the bike is a selling point. The sound being the 'chuff, chuff', a characteristic resulting from the particular design of the engine. That means more volume sells more bikes, so they have ramped the sound up a peg.

Your question is why can this manufacturer get away with it?
The answer is that while some, perhaps many, object, too few contact the transport minister to complain. That applies everywhere not just in Oz.

So the 'real' problem is that citizens do not believe that once elected, governments are responsive. Only activists and professional lobbyists bother the minister's ear.

Some Harleys have the same fuel efficiency of a small car.

This has prompted their description as fuel to noise converters.

This has prompted their description as fuel to noise converters.
Shadow minister,
Mount Panorama, Philip island, Gold Coast Super Cars, Grand Prix etc. etc. must then count as ego & money hunger to fuel, noise, environmental damage converters.

I would rather hear a harley then a car with squeaking breaks go up the street.