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posted June 09, 2008 05:39 PM
Loud Pipes Save Lives According to Oakland PD
Over in Oakland they like it loud - so loud that all 45 of the Police Department's Harley-Davidson motorcycles have been equipped with shiny new tailpipes, at a cost of $500 apiece, to rev up their roar.
It seems the cops just didn't feel safe on toned-down bikes.
"There's an old motorcycle adage that you are heard before you are seen," said Deputy Chief Dave Kozicki, explaining the department's decision to toss the bikes' muted factory-issued mufflers in favor of the more high-volume pipes.
Kozicki cited an accident three months ago in which an Oakland officer riding a toned-down cycle was struck by a motorist who said he hadn't heard the officer approaching.
But some City Hall insiders, as well as motorcycle cops elsewhere, said the safety argument is a stretch.
Even the folks at the national Motorcycle Industry Council, which represents all the big bike manufacturers, were unaware of any safety benefits from louder mufflers.
"We encourage all motorcycle riders to keep the original low sound levels that meet the ... federal sound limit of 80 decibels," said industry spokesman Mike Mount. "It would seem counterintuitive that a law enforcement agency would go against federal standards."
Ironically, it was just a short time back that Oakland police were called upon to crack down on noisy motorists who had modified their auto mufflers to make a whistling screech. The "whistle tip" pipes were eventually outlawed under state law.
Oakland's cops had a long tradition of riding their Harley-Davidsons with the modified, louder tail pipes, earning them the nickname "Rolling Thunder." But after an officer complained about a loss of hearing and others around town questioned whether the police force was violating the very noise standards it was supposed to enforce, the department brass ordered a switch to the quieter stock mufflers.
According to Kozicki, the decibel drop sparked a chorus of complaints from other officers, who said they felt less safe.
So last year the department launched a $1,200 study in conjunction with the city's risk management division to determine whether A) the louder motorcycles contributed to officers' safety, B) were detrimental to their hearing, and C) complied with noise standards.
Kozicki acknowledged that whatever safety-related findings the study produced were largely anecdotal. Still, after everything was taken into consideration, the department concluded "it was in the best interest of the officers to put more-audible pipes back on," Kozicki said.
Hence, all 30 of the department's Harleys were sent down to the central maintenance yard for a muffler makeover, at a cost of about $15,000, according to City Hall insiders. Another 15 newly purchased motorcycles were ordered with the louder pipes, though at no extra charge.
Oakland officials acknowledge that the noisy pipes, when tested, averaged 93 decibels - well above the federal legal noise limit, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council.
But city Finance Director Bill Nolan, who oversees the risk management division, isn't alarmed.
"If they were riding eight straight hours, it would be a problem," he said. "But they aren't."
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/06/09/BAJB114OUT.DTL&tsp=1
   
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bigdtd
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posted June 09, 2008 05:41 PM
crank it up!!!
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maximus
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posted June 09, 2008 06:36 PM
here in Colorado you can get a pretty fine for noise, But shit I am not removing the Muzzy.
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stevewfl
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posted June 09, 2008 07:21 PM
Mountains of data and evidence oppose the cop's theory loud pipes save lives, but good for the COPS in Oakland.
The police conned the tax payers right into all those sweet pipes 
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TedG
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posted June 09, 2008 07:38 PM
Nothing worse than sound of a loud harley.
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Bawls
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posted June 09, 2008 08:03 PM
there is something worse... it's the sound of a loud honda civic. Fucking fart cans here in san diego crack me up everytime that they drive by.
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KikonZX14
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posted June 10, 2008 03:28 AM
After I removed the silencer inserts out of my Yoshi's my Baby roars, and it is the sweetiest sound ever. 
No Max, I won't  my Yoshi's.
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BobC
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posted June 10, 2008 05:29 AM
 Edited By: BobC on 10 Jun 2008 06:31
quote:
Kozicki cited an accident three months ago in which an Oakland officer riding a toned-down cycle was struck by a motorist who said he hadn't heard the officer approaching.
Makes a change from "I didn't see him Officer" which just is a euphemism for I didn't look.
Surely there's a happy medium somewhere between causing a public nuisance and running over the vision and hearing impaired.
As for idiots in cars, you can't legislate for them, just ride defensively.
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CrotchRocket
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posted June 10, 2008 05:51 AM
Good for them, now there's a a guy with some balls!!!..I would not bother any motorcycle with loud pipes if they are just cruising around...But if they are winding it up or bouncing off the rev limiter, then they deserve to get stopped by the man!!!
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TedG
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posted June 10, 2008 07:37 AM
This is such bullshit. Now the morons will have an excuse to run us over. Oh I couldn't hear them. Fuck-wads are supposed to use their eyes. Most of the time the windows are up and the stereo is blasting. The police setting a precedent such as this, is just plain irresponsible and dangerous, not to mention annoying.
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ninja14
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posted June 10, 2008 08:54 AM
If the bikes are now louder than code...........somebody will get the bright idea of suing the police
As for riding.........ALWAYS ride like EVERYONE is trying to RUN YOU DOWN.........
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Superman T
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posted June 11, 2008 06:59 AM
Loud pipes draw attention and for a rider that has had both setups on my previous bikes, I can honestly say that I havn't had nearly as many close calls on my "piped out" bike in comparison to a bike with stock mufflers. I think you need to aware cars that you are around. I have an exotic car and have been in many luxury vehicles and they are so "sound proof" that you could'nt hear a bike with stock exhaust.....even if you have the music off.
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NOX
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posted June 11, 2008 02:22 PM
They better not be writing any tickets on noise now......
Our stock harleys here are freakin loud........
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TedG
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posted June 11, 2008 02:58 PM
Better yet, have one of them write a ticket for themselves on a citizens complaint.
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frEEk
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posted June 11, 2008 03:54 PM
Cops not obeying they laws they are supposed to uphold. What a fucking surprise!
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aliveagain
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posted June 11, 2008 06:04 PM
Wait until they don't hear a victim because the noise was too loud! Or they start filing workers comp due to hearing loss.
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tshultz
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posted June 16, 2008 03:43 PM
quote:
Nothing worse than sound of a loud harley.
Or when they just sit there and rev them up I hate that
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TedG
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posted June 16, 2008 04:23 PM
I went riding with some people this weekend and one had a Triumph Rocket 3 that was very loud. It was miserable to listen to, and I traded bikes with him (so he could ride the C14) and the noise was almost intolerable after a few minutes.
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Ted
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jeff martin
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posted June 16, 2008 06:03 PM
Been riding a goldwing for 5 years and have had less close calls by far than on a sport bike with loud pipes. So i think they should be wearing a 3 foot wide helmet painted in neon green or orange. Or heres a thought buy goldwings for cop bikes and save 3 million a year on parts and maintenance. Besides the oil they add to the road kills more than they save is my bet.
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ninja14
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posted June 16, 2008 06:15 PM
quote:
I went riding with some people this weekend and one had a Triumph Rocket 3 .........
Those seem to sound like crap no matter what............
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TedG
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posted June 17, 2008 07:24 AM
quote:
quote:
I went riding with some people this weekend and one had a Triumph Rocket 3 .........
Those seem to sound like crap no matter what............
Really terrible, and this one was loud and annoying. In contrast the best sounding triple IMHO was the stock piped 69 - 71 Kawasaki H1. It also had that cool 3 pipe setup with 2 on the right and 1 on the left.
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Ted
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