The American Spectator

p> HARLEY NOISEMAKERS br> Re: Lawrence Henry’s Perspective : /p> p>Having been a citizen of Wyoming for 65 of my 66 years, I have often read articles about my beloved State, but the article by Mr. Henry (from Massachusetts, yet) is one of the best and most accurate. When one first sees the Teton mountains, they literally take the breath away. After seeing them a few hundred times, they only inspire awe. And these mountains are only a taste of all the beautiful places there are in Wyoming. So many judge the State by the trip across on Interstate 80. This is desert area, still interesting though a little monotonous. One needs to travel the northern parts to see magnificent mountains, Devil’s Tower, Yellowstone and Teton Parks, the Wind River and Big Horn mountain ranges. Come visit us…you are always welcome. The loud motorcycles are mostly a temporary thing in mid-summer while so many pass through the State to and from the huge Sturgis, South Dakota, rally. br> — Steve York br> Riverton, Wyoming /p>

In a recent Forbes interview, the CEO of Harley-Davidson was asked why his bikes are so loud. He replied that they are not, at least not when they leave the factory. He explained that all manufacturers have to comply with the same federal regulations restricting the noise level of their products, and that it is only after Harleys leave the factory that owners (and perhaps some dealers) modify and otherwise mess with the exhaust systems to produce the so-called Harley rumble.

Regardless of whether the rumble is built-in or added-on, most of the non-riding public would likely agree that ear-splitting bikes, and particularly Harleys, are a nuisance…or rather the people who ride them are. Oh sure, it’s a blast to watch several hundred of them in a parade. But other than that, sorry, there’s no excuse for, or reason to tolerate, the cacophony such bikes create, especially when there are more and more of them on the road each year.

It simply shouldn’t be this way, and the fix is simple enough: when such bikes are brought in for annual safety inspections, fail them. Cars with missing or malfunctioning mufflers are failed, so why shouldn’t the same apply to motorcycles? Devices to measure decibel levels are cheap, so cost is no excuse.

I used to ride a 1989 Honda CB650. It was a beautiful bike, with all the power anybody but a crazy man could want, and it was nearly as quiet as a Rolls Royce. The only reason I eventually sold it was because the roads were just getting too crowded and way too crazy for my interests in self-preservation.