Common Sense Bikers are Welcome

(Aired on July 26, 2010)

There has been much discussion in the past week centering on motorcycles. In particular, the noise the bikes make and whether or not there should be restrictions placed on that noise. Some suggest the decibel rating is beyond acceptable limits.

For me, the issue is not the noise level per se, it's where the noise is made. If there are mufflers and noise kits put on bikes that put the level above the danger rating for a person's hearing, that's obviously something that needs to be examined. But the bigger issue is whether or not bikers should be exercising some common sense and decency in dealing with motorcycle noise.

Out on the highway, noise shouldn't be an issue. Let it fly. In the City, that's another story. In my opinion, bikers need to be educated to rein in the noise when traveling down quiet residential streets. If they don't, fine them.

I know full well that bikes can be kept quiet. Even the big bikes that we traditionally blame for the problem. I live on a street right now that has bike owners, and in the past, one particular home used to have lots of the big Harleys come to visit. We never, ever had a problem. The bikes came into the cul-de-sac behind us, noise down, and you didn't hear them any more than you would a car or truck. Other people have totally different issues. People come riding down their streets early in the morning, full bore, and there's no excuse for that.

I don't think there's anything wrong with the city's noise bylaw. It has simply to be enforced strenuously when there are complaints.

One final note - I don't know why owners of the big Harleys seem to be the focus of much of the discussion. They aren't the only bike that makes noise. In fact, much of the noise I hear from the arterials and the highway nearby my home come from those crotch-rockets as they're called, the smaller street bikes that whine like a banshee when they're going at full tilt. They're much worse than any Harley I hear.

Noise is always an issue. And for some, it's much more concern than for others. Common sense is the order of the day here. If the bikes make unreasonable noise, fine the owners. Make them pay for their stupidity. But a certain amount of noise is going to happen. That's the nature of an urban neighbourhood.