899 Do You Get More Positive Or Negative Reaction From People On Loud Exhaust? (termi/akra/sc)

I think there’s two sides to this discussion. With my first two Ducatis, the Termi’s sounded awesome and they were an integral part of the bike and it’s overall appeal to me and to many others that heard them. So in that respect they were generally positively received. I did find myself and particularly on the 1098, warning people if they were stood nearby when I was due to start the bike and I guess it would be fair to say that when travelling through quaint little villages I might well have been riding the clutch more than usual just to keep the noise down. I ride with a guy who has a ZZR1400 which is a massive machine but so quiet compared to my bikes. Feels a little soulless to me because of that reason but he certainly doesn’t get people staring at him as he rides past.
The Akra’s on my SuperSport are tame in comparison to my previous bikes and I do miss it to be honest but then I’ve always been a biker. I can certainly see how the excessive noise might irritate others

 

There's loud & there's loud... Ridiculously loud bikes are just that.

 

There’s loud and there’s Harleys

Generally I don’t think the public will say anything, we are British, won’t say anything to your face but as soon as you’ve gone we’re on the phone to the police/council/Local MP demanding action

 

I agree with you!

I'm so glad I live on a cul de sac so very little traffic of any type. If I lived on a road where loads of bikes congregated -with their ridiculously loud pipes- I'd be really irritated by it.

 

Actually only had two comments here in France both from neighbours about a Monster 1200r with Termis.
One said it sounded fantastic.
The other said he could hear me coming from several miles away, which I took that as a compliment and I think he was inferring also that it helped with road safety and awareness. My French though is better now, he may have said something, erm, similar?
They do like two wheels around here which is encouraging, so I now run my GS with a baffle free Arrow can, just to aid Anglo/French relations.

 

Same here although 2 doors up the guy owns 3-4 classic bikes and is constantly tinkering and just “running them up” on the drive so no one’s likely to moan about my bike being too loud, I’ll certainly not say anything, he’s got a bike trailer so a handy bloke to know

 

Cars are much, much louder than bikes nowadays.
Especially all AMG Mercs and those with the ‘special’ sport noise button.
Personally I say show some respect to your neighbours and no worries. Once on the open road, let it r i pppp

 

What about all the French sound checks by Police and microphones that check sound levels and dish out fines ( whatever they’re called) in France? Is it myth that there are lots in France? You’re obviously surviving.

On that subject was told the other day that Lincolnshire Police have been out and about fining for loud exhausts.

 

Plenty loud bikes around.
I just try to go past any Gendarme with a steady throttle and a highish gear in towns and villages. We are out in the country though, France profonde really. It is all a bit 'laissez-faire'! Some of the cities may be different.
In general the only time it seems prudent to take care, is late afternoon/tea time. That seems to be the time for speed traps.
Other wise, no reflective helmet stickers, no breathalyser kits, no gillet jaune (for the motorcycle..), there is a lot of rubbish talked about what is required.
Outside Le Mans, bikes were randomly parked all over, cars too, motos had a range of dodgy exhaust systems. The Police were only interested in keeping the traffic moving.
The French gendarme cant help but wave back if you acknowledge them on the way past on the motorcycle.

Some info, copy paste job with a fast edit to reduce text
''All motorbikes in France over 175cc are limited to a maximum sound of 80 decibels.
Motorcyclists who break the law on noise can be given a €135 fine. They can also receive an €11 fine for having a non-authorised exhaust on their bike.
Since 2019 sound detection radars, nicknamed Medusa radars, have been in place in Yvelines. They are to help catch motorcyclists driving bikes that are too noisy.
Last year, Paris signed up to be a part of a two-year experiment using these radars with the idea of rolling them out more widely by 2022.''

Even so, I think you would need to be unlucky.

 

My bikes all have aftermarket Exhausts and until recently I’ve not really noticed anyone making a fuss except one of my neighbours mentioning it a couple of times.
I live at the bottom end of a cul-de-sac, which is more like a single driveway than a road. The road and my drive are very steep upwards from my house, so I have to give the bikes a little throttle to get anywhere.
So I don’t take the bikes out early in the morning at weekends for that reason.

A couple of weeks ago I did notice something for the very first time.
I went through the 'nice' residential area at the bottom end of Bell Hill in Petersfield on my M1000 DS with Remus DP Exhaust cans, an area known locally as ‘Little Switzerland’ because of it’s fantastic windy road out to the A32. Whilst in the residential bit I was purposely sticking to the 30mph speed limit and was keeping the revs down because of the number of people out and about for a walk in the sun. It opens out into a National Speed limit before the good bit, which is very sparsely populated.

Firstly a lady on the pavement who looked to be in her 70s put her fingers in her ears as I went past her going in the opposite direction.
Then @100yrds further on a gent of about the same age stopped and made a big deal of putting his fingers in his ears with his elbows out and rotated on the spot staring at me with a look of displeasure on his face as I went past.

It was as if the residents association had a meeting and decided on an agreed response to show their displeasure to loud bikes.

I’ve never seen that reaction before, has anyone else?
Is it a new ‘thing’?

 

Just means they remembered to put their hearing aids in that day.

 

In Linc's (around willingham woods way) they are doing patrols and stopping anyone who has dark visors, illegal number plates or loud exhausts. If your exhaust isnt OEM they are doing noise tests but are dishing out fines quick as possible, no warnings or friendly slips to get sorted.

Few cheap exhausts gone up since!

Sadly, its due to a minority going up to the meeting point and doing wheelies and rev bombs so they are responding to complaints from people

 

Do you get a prize for a full house? Asking for a friend.

 

Heard about this from Lincolnshiremotorcycles, said they're really cracking down hard up there.

 

So, don’t ride your bike to Wales, now don’t ride it to Lincolnshire.

What next?

 

“You weren’t thinking of taking that off your drive we’re you sir?”