I’d rather see the Council wasting their time on superfluous, unnecessary lawmaking like this than devising more tax hikes or vice bans as is their usual practice.

The question is, will it be enforced? And IMO, car alarms and honking are an even worse menace than motorcycles. The latter especially… rush hour in my neighborhood is basically one long fight or flight stress response for residents due to all of the honking and aggressive driving. The culture of entitlement among motorists is just unbelievable at times.

If they can pass a bill to fight motorcycle noise, they can pass a bill to eliminate car alarms, which are totally useless and a much bigger problem.

When I hear unnecessarily loud motorcycles in the city, I can’t help thinking that the driver is simply looking for a fight. They’re knowingly saying “f you” to entire neighborhoods, and they’re just hoping, in their sick way, someone will confront them.

YES! Nothing makes me more irritated than purposeful and unnecessary noise like what comes out of these heaps of crap. Internal combustion can go away for all I care. Thanks!

This is not great news – it’s theater of the absurd that the Council is legislating on problems that are already illegal. It’s an appalling comment on how weak law enforcement on anything related to motor vehicles is. There’s no reason for it other than the culture of NYPD and City Hall’s unwillingness to get their attention on the issue, because such enforcement would likely be revenue-positive.

How about they ban loud garbage trucks picking up garbage at 1, 3 and 5 am in the morning?

What’s that? The unions wouldn’t like it? The mob? Or is it the politicians who get hefty donations from garbage companies and unions?

Motorcyclists ripping through the streets are a real scourge of Inwood. At our last Livable Streets meeting, held outside in a community garden, we were deafened at times by all the motorcycle noise.

At least car alarms serve a legitimate purpose, while motorcycle rumbling is simply egregious and, as ddartley points out, a collective “f you” to the entire neighborhood.

No 13 – you can’t be serious. They are PICKING UP GARBAGE, a necessary service. Riding down the street on your superloud toy just for the hell of it is not necessary.

I would love to see something effective done about this. On summer weekends in my neighborhood the bikers are unbelievably loud. It is an attack on the neighborhood that is completely unacceptable.

As a motorcyclist, I don’t like to be woken up by loud motorcycles either, or cars, or alarms, or garbage trucks, etc…

And I do not have a problem with current laws that ticket loud motorcycles. This is a quality of life issue, and in the city you need to be considerate of other people. As a motorcyclist I get pulled over at checkpoints a dozen times over the warm months, that gives NYPD plenty of opportunities to check for bikes that are violating current noise laws.

The problem with this new bill is that you can’t tell how loud a machine is while it is parked. The presence or absence of a sticker (which the DOT does not currently issue) cannot tell you if the vehicle is actually too loud or not.

Here’s why motorcyclists are against this bill: it’s not that we want to make noise in front of your windows… it’s because we know how city government and ticketing agencies work. People are going to get $1000 tickets (which is the actual proposed fine) for losing a sticker that is currently non-existent to begin with. Eventually this law will be enforced with the same rigor (or lack thereof) as the current noise laws. But from time to time, maybe near the ends of each month, law abiding bikers will be ticketed for losing a sticker. Meanwhile noisy obnoxious bikers will have an easy time modifying exhausts internally to be as loud as they like.

If Alan Gershon was serious about the noise problem in NY, he’d think of a better solution.

I don’t know about where you lot live, but in my neighbourhood we only hear ice-cream trucks after dark. The only reason I can think of is that they’re actually selling something more interesting than ice-cream…

I think we need an automated machine with a flash camera and a highly directional microphone (yes, they exist, i work in broadcast), like the automated speed cameras but for noisy vehicles. Anyone that drives by too loud gets a fine. You can put one outside my house.

Hello all,

one I like to reply to coolness, usally people that worry about other mens penis size are the ones with unusally small penis. It’s a fact.
All loud pipe do serve a purpose, for the same reason most of you are complaining the city is to noise and a motorcycle is to small. For a viechle that travels the speed limit of 30 + miles an hour a car getting in front of it can be deadly. I know many of you drive and living in new York many of you have been cut off and I am sure most of you didn’t even honk but instead slaked the breaks and graves the wheel tight. What I am try to point out is even in situations like in a automatic car were your hands are free and you are more protected it is hard to use something that is right at hand for warning, what does this have to with motorcycles you say? Try grabbing a hand full of brake graving the clutch and down shifting while some one is cutting you off, yea you can beep the horn too but you have to admit if it’s hard to do it in a car it has to be more dificult while doing all of that.
This is our choice though this is what we wish to ride, for what ever reason it is freedom, clostifobia, expression of one style, mid age crisis but we all handle the dangers in different ways, some of us wear bright clothing, which makes no sense to me because if they are plowing in to you because they don’t see you then what the heck does it matter what your wearing! Still they believe it better there chances just like some of us believe that our pipes better ours maybe you can’t see a man size viechle in your rear view but if you hear it you will know it’s coming and take extra percotion.
Many of you may think this is bull but then again not many of you ride, the riders that think this is bull well that is their opinion just like the bright clothes was mine. I can tell you from experince it dies add some level of protection. Now the are many arguments about this, that the pipes are facing rear so the car in the front don’t hear it well many of you know that is bull as you have heard bikes coming. It’s echo the sound bounces off of other cars and movies forward and around you. The othe argument I heard is that maybe only the car in front hears you but not two or three cars ahead, well I am only concern with a viechle that is withing stricking distance I can care less about a car three cars ahead of me. When your in your car do you worry about the guy three Cara ahead of you? I am sure you pay attention to him but because what he does can affect you but your primary concern is the cars immedatly around you as is a motorcyclist concern as well.
Now I have heard that bicyclest share the road with cars and they make no noise. The people who say that should go back to drivers Ed. Bicycles have privlages that motorcyclist don’t for example they have their own lanes, they are encourage to ride the oppiset way of traffic and they have the right way. I mean give me does privlages and I will be quieter then a church mouse.
All this was just to tell you that there is a reason for loud pipes, can all this be argued of course, everyone has their own opinion and viewes mine is just one of them, I just hope it gives a little insight to some.
Now, I have to say not everyone puts their loud pipes to good use. Or are conciously aware if their desicions. Have you ever heard the saying safety in numbers? Many motorcyclest ride in groups for this reason not realizing that because they are in a group and they have loud pipes they Moira becomes even worse and more anoying. I have also seen a up spurt of newbiees, these are motorcyclest with only two to three years under their belt, slot of these guys are trying to fit in or to potray the persona of a biker but over kill. You also have the youngleenes new riders altoghether guys how just got became of age to get a license a year ago or so an like many of us at that age want to push the bar wants to outstand out shine want to be the best, like a peecock in mating season. So, yes loud pipes in my opinion do serve a purpose but just like everything else in humanity can be taken out if porportion due to ignorance and stupidity.

My only true concern is this, an EPA stamp will not stop the noise what it will stop is my freedom of choice, no my freedom of choice does not give ne the privlage to inflect others with noise that is not what I am saying but it should give me the right to choose the style of pipes I instal on my bike the bike that I bought with my money and payed taxes on. Thus new law us not regulating noies since even EPA stamp bikes can be made loud all it is doing is regulating my choice, telling my what to do with what I bought, I have no problem liwering the sound of my pipes but I do have a problem changing the look for OEM stock parts. Many of you may say that is vane but yet you choose your cars on your taste, glasses, house, clothes, hair style! I know your saying it is nit the same because those choices are not affecting anyone but what if I tell you my pipes will be as low as you want just as long as I can keep the style? That wouldn’t affect anyone but by the passing of this bill I won’t have that option and that is something not only motorcyclest should be concerened about but everyone. The biggest things are started by the smallest ideas. What happens when in the benefit of better living they try to regulate what we wear! Don’t dissmis this so fast, remember they already passes uniforms in school, saying it’s for the better, sure it’s not truley unforced as of yet but how long befor it is?
thus law doesn’t work and they are so many different ways to fix this with out taking away our right to choose.
1. A motorcycle revives a yearly inspection just like cars why isn’t the db measured then and if it fails you don’t get an inspection sticker just like a car and just like a car you get a ticket for not being inspected if your driving or parked on the road.
2. We all know what noise is we are not stupid and neither is a cop if he feels a motorcycle is making to much noise give him a ticket for noise polution and let the motorcyclest fight in court, with a new law that states you must bring the vechile as proof, the court can test on the spot and make
judgement.

And I am sure they are a dozen more ways that don’t take my right to buy and do of my choosing what I want with my stuff as long as it does not affect anyone.

And as for the person that suggested buying a queiter bike like a hond, can i ask you to show a little remorse for our fellow Americans and the financial situation we are in and encourage people to buy American so we can keep some of our heard earn money in America. This is not a personal attack and I am sure it was not meant as any way except as an alternative to liwering the volume on motorcycle but I truely encourage everyone take pride in your country buy American if you buy American maybe our goverment will stop looking for other ways to make money off of us. And buy the pipes that you want just remember you have neighbors be concidarte.

Hiz, I did not make it all the way through your incoherent ramble but you will not find many sympathizers at this blog. Motorcycles as a mode of transportation or recreation are not the issue here – the problem is the massive sonic nuisance posed by motorcycles with modified exhausts. 90% of what you stated was just a red herring and excuse to justify imposing your “look at me!” behavior on unwilling and uninterested neighborhood residents. Your rights end when mine begin and no one but you is impressed by your loud bike.

And for the record, cyclists are most certainly NOT encouraged to ride in the opposite direction of traffic. At least, they aren’t encouraged to do so here or by anyone else with half a brain.

I am annoyed at motorcyclists who have blatant disregard for people in quiet neighborhoods.

There’s this guy with a motorbike in our neighborhood who constantly flies down the street at like 50 mph – on a side street. and the noise from the pipes is quite excessive engine noise. at later than 9pm–its very annoying!
He has done it at 1am before too.

I can’t figure out who the owner of the bike is so I can’t complain to the town yet.

But people! Please. Can you please have some common courtesy after 7pm to people in quieter neighborhoods off the major roads. Its loud enough noise from the major streets in the towns, But for someone to just ride through with heavy noise from the engines..- blowing through a quiet neighborhood where people are trying to relax, get ready for bed, and put the kids to bed with kids trying to sleep.

Have some common decency and courtesy!

Drive thorugh smaller quieter neighborhoods and side roads at a slower/quieter speed with less noise from your engines

Thank you

Motorcycles are one thing Lee. but I’m going to play my music as loud as I please. And nothing you can do will stop me 😛

This move is long overdue. No excuse for loud pipes in the city. Take it out on the highway or go live in the desert, but it’s insane to add to the noise here for no reason.

Our glorious city constantly passes laws against the Motorcyclist.
As a Rider, the muffler thing is no big deal, but there is a strong belief “Loud Pipes Save Lives”. Most drivers never pay attention and any edge we can get helps keep us alive.

what a jerk ye are!

so what happened?  did it pass?

On Staten Island is not possible to sleep with open window. This noise is absolutly consistent after 11pm up to 3 am

Yeah, I’ve done plenty of research where a driver looks twice and then doesn’t hit me. Loud pipes=look twice