# Getting a bad rap … and getting justice



## Nick Vejuice (Nov 15, 2018)

It’s fair to say large segments of society take a rather dim view of people who ride motorcycles. Bikers have had a pretty bad reputation over the years, thanks to depictions in the media, films, and certain biker gangs that have a criminal element to them.
*
Motorcycles are also seen as being inherently dangerous vehicles. Riders are seen as being reckless and dangerous, too. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of misinformation based on ugly stereotypes and the actions of a rogue minority.


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## OptsyEagle (Nov 29, 2009)

They are noisy. If a car put out the same level of annoying sound they would be fined. That I find annoying.


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## Emjay85 (Nov 9, 2014)

OptsyEagle said:


> They are noisy. If a car put out the same level of annoying sound they would be fined. That I find annoying.


That is part of a safety factor in my eyes, to an extent. Motorcycles can be hard to see for some. Being noisy brings more attention to the vehicle. If you can't see it, hopefully you hear it and it can make you aware of its presence.


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## OptsyEagle (Nov 29, 2009)

Emjay85 said:


> That is part of a safety factor in my eyes, to an extent. Motorcycles can be hard to see for some. Being noisy brings more attention to the vehicle. If you can't see it, hopefully you hear it and it can make you aware of its presence.


It would be even safer if no one was aloud to use them at all. Way too noisy. Even lawn mowers and snow blowers are quieter. As I said, if you ran a car without a muffler, where its noise was a little less then the last Harley that drove by me, you would get a fine. I think they should have a decibel maximum, obviously something less then what most motorcycles put out today and if the manufacturers cannot get the noise level below it, then they are banned.

My opinion of course. I am sure the biker enthusiast will have a considerably opposite opinion, but I suspect mine is more of a majority, from people who still exhibit a sense of hearing and would prefer to keep it that way.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

OptsyEagle said:


> It would be even safer if no one was aloud to use them at all. Way too noisy. Even lawn mowers and snow blowers are quieter. As I said, if you ran a car without a muffler, where its noise was a little less then the last Harley that drove by me, you would get a fine. I think they should have a decibel maximum, obviously something less then what most motorcycles put out today and if the manufacturers cannot get the noise level below it, then they are banned.
> 
> My opinion of course. I am sure the biker enthusiast will have a considerably opposite opinion, but I suspect mine is more of a majority, from people who still exhibit a sense of hearing and would prefer to keep it that way.




but Optsy where is it that anyone actually hears a motorcycle? we don't hear them in the cities, they are moving too slowly under the speed limits

i can't believe you are one who frequently walks on the shoulder of highways, miles from anywhere out in the country, where one might indeed hear a motorcycle roaring past


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## Longtimeago (Aug 8, 2018)

OptsyEagle said:


> It would be even safer if no one was aloud to use them at all. Way too noisy. Even lawn mowers and snow blowers are quieter. As I said, if you ran a car without a muffler, where its noise was a little less then the last Harley that drove by me, you would get a fine. I think they should have a decibel maximum, obviously something less then what most motorcycles put out today and if the manufacturers cannot get the noise level below it, then they are banned.
> 
> My opinion of course. I am sure the biker enthusiast will have a considerably opposite opinion, but I suspect mine is more of a majority, from people who still exhibit a sense of hearing and would prefer to keep it that way.


Actually there is a limit, at least in some places OPtsyEagle. California has been fining them for some time. Edmonton is just finishing a study using a camera and noise monitor combination. Toronto is doing a study. https://www.google.ca/search?rlz=1C...0....0...1..64.psy-ab..0.0.0....0.R2VXMH6_FAc

I don't know if I would agree re their being a general 'bad rap' Nick Vejuice. I think the old 'bikers are all Hell's Angels' type, is a very old stereotype that is no longer believed by the majority of people today.

I live in a small Ontario town that happens to be on a very popular motorcyle day trip route apparently. From spring through fall, countless bikes pass through. Sometimes in quite large groups. Here are my personal current impressions.

Most seem to have to stop at Tim Horton's as if it were a ritual.
Most are over 40 and have a beer belly. Male menopause behaviour?
Most seem to love the noise their bikes make.
Most are harmless older men who probably envied bike riders when they were young and only now can afford to buy a Harley and 'express themselves'. 
I see no evidence of any appreciable number of younger riders out to 'raise hell'. In fact, I haven't seen any at all I would think of in that category.

Is the noise annoying to me, yes it is. But so is the noise from all the pick up trucks driven by students at the local agricultural university campus near me. These 'farm boys' all seem to think a noisier truck, accelerated to the max as soon as they cross the line from town into the higher speed limit (80km) zone is a mandatory thing to do. Bikers are no better and no worse but kids being kids have an excuse for their nonsense. Older bikers, not so much. LOL


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## sags (May 15, 2010)

The movies haven't helped the image of motorcycle riders.


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## OptsyEagle (Nov 29, 2009)

humble_pie said:


> but Optsy where is it that anyone actually hears a motorcycle? we don't hear them in the cities, they are moving too slowly under the speed limits
> 
> i can't believe you are one who frequently walks on the shoulder of highways, miles from anywhere out in the country, where one might indeed hear a motorcycle roaring past


There noisy when they idle. On that note, an extra fine should be levied for every idiot that likes to rev and rev the damn things when they just start them up. Please. Start it up and get it moving to somewhere else. What is with this revving thing? Would you do that to your engine with your car? No why would you. Car engines are quiet. Can't annoy anyone with that.


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## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

There was a place I read about where the city posted decibel meters, like those speed signs. The motorcycles would park under them and see just how loud they could get. It was a game. Then there are the croch rockets that weave in and out of traffic...

There are a bunch of idiots, like always, that makes things bad for everyone.


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## OnlyMyOpinion (Sep 1, 2013)

Your first post Nick. Weclcome to CMF.
I'm at bit confused by your thread title, _"Getting a bad rap … and getting justice"_?
You touched on the bad rap part, what's the justice part?

(I've been riding on & off for over 50 years. Perhaps I'm still traumatized by the demise of Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda in Easy Rider)


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## abbeyman (Nov 15, 2018)

From observation most motorbike riders break the speed limit as though it doesn't apply to them and then complain they don't get any respect, wonder why?


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

I get nervous when I see the motorcycles blast down the highway in between two lanes of cars.


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## OnlyMyOpinion (Sep 1, 2013)

sags said:


> The movies haven't helped the image of motorcycle riders.


Jeez Sags, A Bronx Tale. I think this movie wasn't helping the image of Italian Americans.
Sometimes a guy can't get a cold beer nowhere :very_drunk:


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## lonewolf :) (Sep 13, 2016)

james4beach said:


> I get nervous when I see the motorcycles blast down the highway in between two lanes of cars.


 When in LA last year the traffic on the freeways would sometimes slow down to 30 miles an hour or less on 5 lane wide freeway. It was common practice for motorcycles to ride the line between the lane of cars traveling about 50 to 60 miles an hour faster then the speed of the cars. Lane change for the cars was just a crap shoot when a big truck was behind you blocking the view if a biker was coming up behind ridding the line. It was not the minority of bikers it was the majority of bikers driving crazy. It would be best if this type of ridding was banned. There is something wrong with riders that have real noisy bikes so they can feel powerful.


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

Lonewolf, it's legal in California -- isn't that crazy?? I drive in California some time and I'm really scared about accidentally killing a motorcyclist.

http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-lane-splitting-20180927-story.html


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## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

lonewolf :) said:


> ... It was not the minority of bikers it was the majority of bikers driving crazy. It would be best if this type of ridding was banned. *There is something wrong with riders that have real noisy bikes so they can feel powerful*.


 ... and a price to pay later, eventually when 18 wheelers decide to run them over or just knock them off the highway.

Or maybe no other vehicles needed ... black ice will do nicely. Okay, not in California but at least in the snowy provinces of Canada that we don't see them all year round.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

Beaver101 said:


> ... and a price to pay later, eventually when 18 wheelers decide to run them over or just knock them off the highway.
> 
> Or maybe no other vehicles needed ... black ice will do nicely. Okay, not in California but at least in the snowy provinces of Canada that we don't see them all year round.




my goodness, is the above a serious death threat?

millions upon millions of northern europeans - france, belgium, germany, denmark, scandinavia - ride motor scooters or motorbikes to get around. Commute to work. Shopping. Visit friends & relatives. Sightseeing.

they use scooters & bikes primarily because the gas consumption is so much less. Easy urban navigation & minimized parking don't hurt either. 

.


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## Just a Guy (Mar 27, 2012)

Yeah, and things are much closer together. You don’t see many scooters on the autobahn. Canada is big, lots of highway driving, lots of big trucks. My kids have been run off the roads by semi trucks and they are in cars. Motorcycles are a deathwish on some roads.


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## Beaver101 (Nov 14, 2011)

Just a Guy said:


> Yeah, and things are much closer together. You don’t see many scooters on the autobahn. Canada is big, lots of highway driving, lots of big trucks. My kids have been run off the roads by semi trucks and they are in cars.* Motorcycles are a deathwish on some roads.*


 ...+1.


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