I have a friend who got an electric motorcycle a few years ago. It was so weird to see him get on it and it silently pull away.
People I know who ride motorcycles don't want quiet exhaust because it makes them even less noticeable by other drivers. I am curious if the electric motorcycles have worse safety records than internal combustion.
People who drive by my house don't want a quiet exhaust because it's part of their identity to be loud, to disturb the surroundings, and to be noticed. Late-night packs of riders aren't worried about much of anything except cops and maybe not them. I estimate that in a few-mile strip near me, every time they ride, their clamor affects more than 20,000 people.
@grantbarrett I don't associate with people like that. I am curious to know if quiet motorcycles are more dangerous to ride. If not, I believe we should end the various exclusions motorcycles have from exhaust noise laws. I don't ride motorcycles and wouldn't object if they banned them outright for health and safety concerns.
@urlnotfound As s motorcycle rider of 20 some years, in my experience exhaust noise has zero bearing on safety. For one, exhaust noise only goes behind the rider, so it is only heard by people who can also see you. If you are concerned about safety on a motorcycle, you'll spend money on gear and skill classes, not pipes. People who say otherwise are lunatics with fragile egos.
Sound is important though. I ride an electric cargo bike and I have a big chunky chain in the box that rattles, so I make noise and don’t have to ring my bell if I want to pass slower cyclists on bike paths. If they don’t wear headphones they are aware I’m behind them and don’t get startled too much when I pass (at reasonable speed, I don’t ride very fast).
Just like electric cars that also generate ‘engine noise’ at lower speed to warn cyclists and pedestrians. Some brands of cars have really annoying ones, despite hiring movie score composers.(Hans Zimmer for BMW.)
@rogrtheshrubber Fair point... swap "mainly" for "only" and I stand by the statement. Sound goes everywhere in an atmosphere... but when you build directional sound cannons, it has a primary vector.
If sound is important, then a motorcycle could/should be just as loud as a car. If safety were tied to volume, cars would also be getting louder and louder.
In my old neighborhood (Oakland), there were plenty of cars and motorcycles that were all loud as fuck. Unfortunately, it wasn't a very safe place to drive...
Where I live now, it is incredibly quiet by comparison. It's not the countryside; it's a midsize city. But the vehicles are quiet, and people drive safely. It's remarkable how much this improves the quality of life.
People I know who ride motorcycles don't want quiet exhaust because it makes them even less noticeable by other drivers. I am curious if the electric motorcycles have worse safety records than internal combustion.
Note that these folks also tend to be the ones not wearing helmets and riding with a t-shirt.
Are you riding faster than the speed of sound, perchance?
Just like electric cars that also generate ‘engine noise’ at lower speed to warn cyclists and pedestrians. Some brands of cars have really annoying ones, despite hiring movie score composers.(Hans Zimmer for BMW.)
Where I live now, it is incredibly quiet by comparison. It's not the countryside; it's a midsize city. But the vehicles are quiet, and people drive safely. It's remarkable how much this improves the quality of life.