Ludwig, I get where your coming from...one rule for them, one for everyone else. I'm a bit of a grump old woman at heart, and can't stand the doof doof music, cars that sound like giant sewing machines etc. I live in a small country town, so we rarely has a Harley rumble through. When one does no one (except maybe someone trying to move stock) seems to mind, and I think maybe its because of the way the Harley is used. Normally they start up, maybe give her a rev or two and get on the road, all the other noises you have listed are constant or stick around. The neighbours lawn mower, the twit "cutting laps" in his extremely annoying doof doof car. Although I would hate to live anywhere near a club house or gathering spot of Harley riders. As to it changing the experience, surely it would help the riders ears as I have noticed the couple of Harley riders I know are deaf as posts.

To not like the burr of a Harley is akin to not having a soul. It's a shame though by what characters most Harleys are ridden. But then again one just has to look at the characters who visit the houses of God on weekends. This in some way excuses some of the Harley owners.

<< Ludwig, I get where your coming from...one rule for them, one for everyone else. >>

Yes Bec, that’s the essence of it. Even if the noise of a Harley didn’t bother me, it would still offend my sensibilities by being so blatantly excluded from laws and norms that cover this sort of extreme noise.

If there was some reason for excluding it, then maybe it could be acceptable. But there just isn’t any reason!

I understand what OTB is saying about the sound being a selling point and the manner in which noisy Harleys have managed to remain outside of this sort of law, but it doesn’t amount to a good reason for them to continue to do so.

The ‘big four’ Japanese motorcycle manufactures of the very popular road bikes; Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha and Suzuki make very powerful, hi-tech efficient machines that do not make excessive noise. Even the red Italian stallion the Ducati, while noisy, is considerably quieter than Harleys.

Sure, some people like Indi don’t mind the noise, and could even say that they love it. I can understand that. But there are plenty of people – I’d say the vast majority – who would find it to be of high irritation and really quite offensive.

There is NO good reason why unmuffled Harleys should be allowed to remain unmuffled!

Ludwig,
One has to agree with your last post. Yes I don't mind the sound of a Harley but when it goes on & on I too get pi$$ed off. I like watching the occasional race on TV but when they go on for hours it puts me off. Why does everything have to be done in such saturation ? By all means have a ride or a race but be done with it in an hour. No need to leave a Harley running in front of a house just for the sake of running it. Same with dumbthump music. Why does a motor race need to go on all day ? Surely someone can win after an hour or two ? All this endurance hype is nothing but hype. It's of no point whatsoever. In these days of bleating about polution & global warming we still have those mindless 24 hour races to amuse the mindless.

I feel my reply here will no doubt raise the ire of a few. Owned and ridden motorcycles for over 30 yrs now and while the saying "Loud pipes saves lives" may be true, it is the riders attitude and that of other road users that saves lives. Is the loud Harley any different to the large F350 'pickup trucks' - are they trying to tell us something that Freud already knew about their insignificant appendages? The majority appear to ride their bikes no more than a few dozen kays, and not even wearing ear plugs under their helmets. Those who actually ride any distances will attest to the hearing damage that loud unmuffled pipes can do. Sure, a Harley being cranked over, a Ducati bevel, or an old Manx Norton sounds great...so does a Rolls Royce Merlin flying overhead, or the 3801 Pacific class steam loco pulling up a steep cutting from the Hawkesbury. Boys n girls will always have their toys. I recall a guy with a really loud Harley that lived in the row of villas here in The Gardens who would always switch off the ignition and coast into his carport so as not to wake the neighbours. I wish there were more people like him, considerate of others but still thoughtful enough to push his bike out onto the cul de sac before he cranked it up.

Indy just as there are 6 furlong & 3 mile horse races, for different horses, so goes motor racing. Motor racing is a reflection of what it once was.

The Le-Mans 24 hours race was to demonstrate some cars ability to be driven quickly for a reasonably long period, & still be in one piece. This was a good way for the public to evaluate the cars available. The Bathurst 500 [miles] was a race for stock standard production cars, & served the same purpose, as well as being fun. The Bathurst 100 [miles] was the serious race for serious drives, in proper racing cars.

However times change. Do you think there would be many boys from Penrith in the Penrith football team? Not many Morris Minis in the Bathurst race these days either. Gone are the days when the boys of the town donned a football jersey on Saturday, then went back to work on Monday. I find todays professional sport less interesting than the days of old, but as an old bloke that is to be expected.

Why do you want stop racing drivers spending all day on a road WITHOUT SPEEDLIMITS? After all, that is really what half the field, the back half, is doing.