Worst thing is that they are ruining it for everyone. Loud pipes, racing on the streets - causes more and more noise laws and motorcycle bans, making it harder for everyone.

Also looking forward to ride electric. Currently, the range sadly doesn't enable what I want to do with my bike - ride it out of town, to the mountains, where there is no infrastructure. But hopefully soon. For inner city commuting, electric bikes are already a great fit - prices are the only problem left.

They've taken the significantly-emptier streets of midtown-Manhattan and decided it's their playground evenings and late nights. Most of them are coming in from New Jersey. Usually it's 30 or 40 of them at a time and they ride extremely dangerously in addition to being loud.

It wouldn't be an issue if the NYPD were interested in enforcing the law.

What do you want them to do? Between public sentiment right now and De Blasio and his bullshit, I'm surprised they haven't all quit by now.

I'd expect them to do their jobs and remain professional, and if they feel that they can no longer do that, then they should quit vs. petulantly refusing to do their jobs.

Public sentiment is the way it is because of rampant documented abuses of power, authority, and regression to childish, over simplistic views of their positions and responsibilities.

where have there been motorcycle bans?

In German there is discussions about it, in Austria they banned all bikes that go above 95db in certain regions.

Many of China’s cities have banned motorcycles

I don't get the loud exhausts and I don't get the community either. I've been riding bikes all my life and I've never felt attached to any "community" of bikers.

I never understood those people. Even the standard, factory sound of my bike was distrubing a little on longer trips...

I love the sound of engines and find videos likehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baGM9StRJfI very relaxing. (Of course, living near a busy street and having to endure tens of bikes at the same time is another thing).

Isn't louder == safer?

No, cars are isolated.

Safe driving practices are safe. Like knowing the perception psychology that makes it hard for cars to see you and try to counter that.

https://youtu.be/x94PGgYKHQ0

Purely anecdotally I used to have a motorcycle that after about a year had the muffler need replacement. I was a poor student and so bought a fake one instead that was just a muffler shaped pipe.

The difference was immediate and extremely noticable, the number of near misses went down a huge amount and the few times people got a little close I could just chuck the clutch in and give it a good rev to scare anyone off.

My biking days are done for now but if I go back I will not be going back quietly.

Why wouldn't you just put a wind-powered vuvuzela on the front instead? Then it's only being obnoxious when you're in motion and it's pointed in the direction that you want people to hear you instead of the opposite.

Cars are isolated? On a regular basis I drive 5 different cars, various makers, I can hear a Harley just fine in either.

And from every parked car where a driver has a conversation on speakers I can hear it so well they might as well have had it outside of their car. New Teslas, BMWs.

Cars are not sound proof.

Depends on the car. Ever rode in a Mercedes S-Class at 250 kph on the Autobahn? Unnoticable, except of the fast whooshing by of overpasses, or such. (As front seat passenger)

No, I have drive in a class and it’s not sound. Not on the Autobahn though ;) I guess I should have clarified.

Almost all affordable cars are not sound proof.*

Yes it is. I'm not a fan of motorcycle racing in the city but I used to commute using a scooter and I'd never do it on a completely quiet machine. Car drivers are already pretty oblivious to smaller vehicles.

Louder == annoying

Louder == I get woken up at 2am

There’s loud, and then there’s the thunderous roar that some of these bikes make because the owner has obvious mental issues.