Hi Y'all, I just wanted to let everyone know about the Fall Vintage Motorcycle Show. SATURDAY November 14,2009 . From 10:00a.m. till 2:00 p.m. Williamsburg Jamestown Airport. Williamsburg,Virginia. Free Parking Free Admission For More Information Go To williamsburgriders.org
Harley-Davidson Tries To Quiet Motorcycle Noise - Loud Pipes' Cost
By Art Friedman
Text Size In a message entitled "Something We Never Want to Lose" on his company's website, Harley-Davidson Motor Company President and CEO Jim McCaslin tackles the issue of motorcycle noise and the increasing backlash motorcycling is experiencing as the result of loud pipes. Citing a four-fold increase in negative media coverage during the last decade, bans on motorcycles in some communities, attempts to curtail major motorcycle events, anti-tamper legislation, and other limitations of freedom for motorcyclists as the result of complaints about loud pipes, McCaslin says, "We all, every Hog lovin' one of us, must do everything we can to protect our sport and keep it as strong as it is today."
In other words, it's time to pipe down.
This is the second stage of Harley-Davidson's campaign against loud exhaust pipes. Its initial effort last year was directed at and through dealers, with posters and literature that attempted to educate dealers and riders about the negative consequences of loud pipes. Harley-Davidson spokesman Paul James also told Motorcycle Cruiser that during the next few months Harley will cease shipments to dealers of racing exhaust systems that can be fitted to street models. We could no longer find any racing exhaust systems listed on the company's accessory website. However, Harley-Davidson still offers dozens of accessory exhaust systems that are street-legal (and therefore acceptably quiet), including for use in California.
Industry concern over the problem of loud exhaust pipes is nothing new. The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) has long warned riders that attitudes shaped by complaints about loud pipes frequently compromise the AMA's efforts to battle anti-motorcycling legislation and regulation. That same concern was echoed by the Motorcycle Riders Foundation a few years ago when it adopted the AMA's stance against loud pipes. The Motorcycle Industry Council has conducted anti-noise campaigns for over 30 years.
These days, the loud motorcycle you hear roaring past is likely to be a modified Harley-Davidson. This is somewhat ironic because Harley was among the first motorcycle makers to tackle exhaust noise a century ago. In the early days of internal-combustion vehicles, many vehicles were annoyingly loud as delivered, but the threat of anti-motor-vehicle legislation soon had automakers fitting mufflers to their vehicles. As McCaslin's message points out, quieting motorcycle exhaust pipes posed greater difficulties because there is no room for a bulky muffler on a bike. However, Harley engineered an effective silencer, and the resulting bike became known as The Silent Gray fellow. Its relative quiet contributed to its reputation as an elegant, advanced machine and helped distinguish Harley-Davidson Motor Company from dozens of rival American motorcycle makers.
Changing to an aftermarket exhaust system has become almost a knee-jerk reaction for many cruiser buyers. However, unless labeled as meeting federal and state standards, all of these exhaust systems are illegal and virtually all are illegally loud. There are exceptions, such as systems offered by Harley that meet requirements for all 50 states or all states except California. Exhaust pipes are changed for a variety of reasons. One is the search for performance improvements, although, as McCaslin and the AMA point out, not all deliver--and some increase power in a portion of the power band while reducing it in others. Some motorcycle owners change exhaust pipes to personalize the appearance. And many who modify their bikes' exhaust systems simply want the noise, often for vanity's sake. Some motorcyclists profess to believe that "loud pipes save lives," although research tends to contradict that popular axiom. (Few of those who say they want exhaust noise for safety's sake use other means--such as brightly colored apparel--which have been proven effective.)
Harley-Davidson's current stance actually puts it on the cutting edge of corporate responsibility regarding exhaust-noise. It is the only company that has both taken an anti-noise stance and offers street-legal accessory exhaust systems as an alternative to loud aftermarket pipes. Honda, Kawasaki, and Suzuki have never offered nor endorsed accessory systems for their cruisers. Both Victory and Yamaha offer exhaust systems that are not illegally loud as "racing" modifications, though no effort is made to qualify customers by asking for racing credentials. You have to find and click on footnote notices on their sites to learn that that the systems are not legal for the street, and the disclaimer page on Yamaha's site was not working when we visited. Neither company offers legal accessory exhausts. We also asked Yamaha if it had any plans to follow Harley-Davidson's lead on this issue, but we had received no reply to our email a few days later.
As the leader in the cruiser market, Harley's public stance on loud exhaust pipes may finally signal a turning point for an issue that continues to put motorcyclists in a very bad light and prompts increasing calls for restrictions on motorcycles and motorcyclists. Though some riders will try to contend that their noise doesn't really bother anybody, that they have some sort of right to annoy everyone they ride past, or that their noise protects them, such arguments have to sound increasingly hollow when the biggest cruiser-motorcycle maker points out that they are actually risking all motorcyclists' freedoms and asks them to "think about the consequences our actions have on others, before others take action against us."
Harley-Davidson is not simply speaking out about the problems that illegal loud pipes cause for the entire motorcycling community. The Motor Company also offers street-legal accessory exhausts systems and exhaust components for its various motorcycle model families. An alternative to universally loud aftermarket exhausts, the Harley accessory pipes, such as the these 50-state-legal slip-ons for Dyna models, provide a legal option for riders who want to customize.
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New store in the neighborhood asking for your patronage. We specialize in auctions and sales in high end merchandise and couple with Car and marine(Boat) Parts.
So check out the store and see if any of our motorcycle accessory will benefit you. Great value at the Price.
How do you pick the right face mask for you? This is my eBay guide about face masks. Thought it might be a good time to share the info. To see all of my guides, just click on my eBay user name and the link to the guides will be at the bottom of the page.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- This guide references the face masks we sell at dbGear (eBay user discount-biker-gear). While others may sell items which look similar, all masks are not created equal, so please read all item descriptions carefully and double check all seller's feedbacks.
NEED A FACE MASK? Consider (1)coverage and (2)material...
Coverage Exposed Areas - forehead, ears, face, neck. Coverage options - half face mask (velcro in the back), full face mask (wraps the whole face with an open top), full hood, ear wrap (a head band which will cover your ears and your forehead) - consider: If you need to wear a helmet, will this mask work?
Material Listed in order with the warmest first ... Material Options - neoprene, leather, fleece, cotton, polyester
NEOPRENE - spot clean only The neoprene is the warmest mask we offer because of it's heat retention qualities. Neoprene is a soft/spongey material, like a SCUBA suit. It is a blended material which contains some rubber. That makes them warm, but does make them smell a little bit like a tire. When not in use, you may want to throw in a bag with a dryer sheet. The neoprene half masks work best when held in place with a helmet strap. The full face neoprene masks work very well with or without a helmet. We have neoprene full face wraps which velcro shut in the back. They are "topless" masks with good reason. They're too tight with a helmet otherwise. If you are in a state with no helmet laws, think about also wearing a cap or getting a hood instead. Some of our masks have the option of longer neck coverage. If you plan to ride in cold weather, you'll want to stop that wind on your neck. You can buy a mask that'll do that for you, or plan to wear a scarf. When picking between the leather and neoprene, you need to consider what type of coverage you need more than anything because they are both quite warm.
LEATHER - spot clean only Leather works well to shield you from the elements but it is usually only available in a half mask so something else (like an ear wrap) would need to cover your forehead and ears. That leather bandanna style (triangle shape with a velcro back), however, does a very nice job keeping the wind off your neck as well. Just tuck the point into your jacket. You want to be sure you don't get a cheap leather mask with no lining. The leather up against your skin may actually leave black dye marks on your face if the leather gets wet from your breath or in rain.
FLEECE - washing varies/usually machine wash cold/read tag Fleece is a soft material that is pretty warm. Keep in mind, fleece is thicker than the other materials we offer with our masks. Great for warmth, but it doesn't work well under a helmet - makes it too tight. A knit mask/cap would be a similar thickness to fleece and would also likely be too thick to wear under a helmet. That's why you buy a motorcycle mask and not just any mask available at you local Walmart. There is a difference. Our gear is designed with function in mind.
COTTON and POLYESTER - machine wash cool, line dry or dry low heat Cotton and polyester offer about the same level of warmth. Our cotton and polyester masks are, no question, our #1 selling masks, but they are not our warmest. A number of skiers wear our polyester hoods and really like them. They stretch over your face and easily move with you. When already bundled up for the slopes and remaining active, the thinner masks work fine. But a biker is sitting there getting a constant stream of high wind which generally requires a heavier mask for cold temperatures. They offer about the same warmth as a t-shirt wrapped around your face would. They provide the best option for all-season coverage and will do a very nice job of keeping the sting out of sand and rain. They work great for cool weather (with or without a helmet), but for many riders, one of the other materials would be best for a real cold weather mask. Please note that our cotton masks and polyester masks are 100%, not blends which are less expensive but won't stretch as well and can have a cheap feel to them.
We guarantee our gear 100% for 30 days. Send back any item in new condition/tags attached, for a full refund.
We want you to get the one mask for your particular riding situation. Contact us if you have any further questions about which mask would be right for you.
Noticed with the cooler temperatures your glasses are fogging and you're not sure what to do?
WHY THE HAZE? The temperature difference between your glasses and your face will cause fogging. On a cool night, if you keep your eye wear on you when you go inside, they may be less likely to fog, but if it's downright cold out there, not much can be done with average glasses. As you get moving, some of that haze will fade. That's because the air is moving around the lenses and the temperature is getting back into balance. If you wear goggles, they should have small vents somewhere around the eyes to all for that minimal air circulation. Otherwise they will be cloudy all the time when it's chilly outside.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT? Well, you can buy Anti-Fog glasses or goggles. This is eyewear designed for these situations. (Not necessary for all the time, but useful for cool nights and easily affordable at under $20 ~ seeing is pretty important after all). The manufacturer treats the lenses, front-back-and sides, with a solution which prevents fogging. It works 99% of the time, and when they do fog under extreme conditions, the haze will fade more quickly than it would with regular glasses. Goggles are less likely to fog if they have small vents/holes around the eyes which allow for that air to pass through. I know, you're thinking that's the point of goggles, to keep the wind out, and they can still do that quite well while allowing for a little bit of air movement. I've seen solutions available which you can apply yourself to your eyewear to prevent fogging, but I honestly don't know how well it works. I would suggest you don't treat your own glasses if they have polarization (which is actually a film on the lens) or if they are mirrored. If any of you out there have tried to treat your eyewear yourself, I'd love to hear how it worked for you.
I've written an eBay guide about choosing the right eye wear for riding which has even more info ~~~~~~~~~~ You can click on my eBay user name (discount-biker-gear) which will take you to my eBay MY WORLD page. There you can find links to a few guides I've written which you may find helpful.
Please check out my eBay store. I've got most of my goggles and glasses 10 - 20% off starting this afternoon and through this weekend.
Riding Motorcycles is so much fun.....I wish that other motorists would treat us with more respect....and watch for us too....I figure I am a gnat to them..bah