Two Wheel Junction - News

Riding in the Spring

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:38:56 EDT

As much as I love to ride, I find the spring to be my least favorite time to be on two wheels. I suspect that for most riders this is completely backward. That is probably why I dislike it quite so much.

The problem with spring riding is that I see too many overconfident riders. People that parked the bikes back in the fall, and are just now coming back out.

Skills atrophy, and riders hop on the bike with the confidence of a summer of riding. They are sight seeing and make mistakes, or worse, they forget they are on two wheels and behave as if they are still in their cars.

This weekend, I saw something that no rider ever likes seeing. Bike and rider on the pavement. Fortunately, the only injuries were a bit of plastic, some rashed chrome and a healthy dose of wounded pride. It was an avoidable incident, one that is much less likely to happen when the skills are not a little rusty. The gentleman in question had simply forgotten how heavy a bike on an incline can be. When he came to a stop on fairly steep hill with a slight camber to the left at the stop light, he had failed to balance the bike to the right and over it went.

It could happen to anyone. But it seems to happen when people are either overconfidant or distracted. I know from talking to the gentleman while helping him get everything situated that it was his first ride of the season. The feeling I got was that it was completely about confidence, and a lack of familiarity. He just assumed that his skills were at the same place in the curve as the year before.

Now he has a costly reminder of where they are not.

Meanwhile, those who have been riding through the winter are having to cope with the disrespect of drivers that are seeing the recreational hooligans running around, half geared and full throttle. Guilt by association as it were. When the weather is bad, drivers seem to respect the guy out there in the elements. When the weather gets nice, the responsible riders just become part of the bad element.

With spring having arrived, it looks like it is time to reeducate the hooligans on what it is to be a good citizen.

Do Loud Pipes Risk Rights?

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 15:35:40 EDT

"Loud Pipes Save Lives!" or so many owners of loud pipes would have us believe. Statistically, there is little to no grounds for the statement, yet it is frequently tossed around as fact. The reality is probably somewhere in the middle ground. A place where the loud pipes increase awareness with some drivers, maybe.

What we know about this statement is that, it has been proven that loud sounds to get attention. We see this in practice with the use of sirens by most emergency vehicles. These sirens are broadcast from emergency vehicles with forward facing horns to maximize the directional travel of the sound waves, but also use higher frequency sounds to provide better clarity of direction. That is another fact that we know. As sounds get lower in frequency, we lose our ability to determine the origin of the direction. This is why subwoofers can be placed with little regard to a sound stage, while the midrange and high range sounds are normally presented from the frontal locations. We also know that noise causes fatigue. This is quite well documented by those pesky people at OSHA that study all kinds of things about our safety.

Some other things that we know about motorcycles. Most motorcycles have rear facing exhaust pipes. The exceptions are almost all heavily modified customs. We also know, courtesy of something that is almost gospel to motorcycle safety in the Hurt report that roughly 77% of all motorcycle crashes occur with frontal impacts.

Then there are the things we know about the cars on the roads around the motorcycles. Cars have become increasingly sound proof, to the point where it has become a major selling point. Car stereos have gotten louder. Many drivers face increased demands upon their attention while driving, between phones, stereos and GPS devices.

So in summary we know:

Loud Noises attract attention

Higher pitched noises maintain directional sensitivity

Low pitched noises do not

Sirens are broadcast forward

Exhaust Pipes are not

Loud Noises increase fatigue

77% of Motorcycle accidents involve frontal impacts

Cars are increasingly sound proof

Interior distractions further inhibit drivers hearing of external noises

There are pluses to many aftermarket exhausts, including performance and weight improvements, these pluses often come with a noise increases as well.

There are other things to think about in this discussion. The things we think. These are things that we do think, but do not have much more than personal experience to back them up. Loud pipes bother many drivers. Loud pipes bother homeowners and wildlife along the roads they travel. Excessive noise by a few creates a hostile environment towards the majority.

Again, there is very little to prove these things we think, but without a doubt a vocal minority that feels that way is trying to legislate changes. In California, we have a very recent example of just that, legislation to reduce the noise levels of these motorcycles. Maine also has a similar effort underway. Many cities around the country have enacted ordinances against motorcycles. Here in Atlanta, a couple of shopping areas have forbidden motorcycles from their property in retaliation to excessive noise issues Atlantic Station Posted Parking Rules.

The question becomes, even if Loud Pipes Save Lives, and that is still a very large assumption, do they justify the loss of rights that comes with them?

To the weekend, and fair weather riders, that answer may well be yes. But what about the rest? Those that ride every day, commuting to and from work. The folks that depend upon their motorcycles for transportation who may find themselves exiled from facilities for actions that are not their own.

For the last several months, we have been taking a look at the bikes that are the daily riders and commuter bikes around the area. The metro-Atlanta area is a city with mild enough winters that it is a viable 12 month riding season, so there are a good number of commuters. In our informal survey, the commuters are not a part of the Loud Pipes Save Lives crowd. Yes, some have loud pipes, but even they generally have not advocated the Loud Pipes for safety. Usually it has been for performance or reasons. We did have one group of riders tell us that is was all about the image, they use those pipes because they like the sound and look. Overall, the commuters felt that the loud pipes mantra does more harm than good.

That may well be the take away from the entire debate. While there is not enough information to prove or disprove the "Loud Pipes Save Lives" supposition, there is enough evidence that Loud Pipes are causing a loss of riders rights that a little self regulation might be in order. If the riders themselves do not regulate, it is a safe bet that the legislation trends will continue. Unfortunately, for many, this is not a subject that is up for discussion and they will not be swayed. Those same individuals may well end up costing all of use rights to ride in and to certain locations.

Scooters and Motorcycles in NY

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 11:36:47 EDT

This is a perspective piece by WYNC Jim Colgan.