Respect

[Countrysailor]

We all love the sound of our bikes. Some of us even like to enhance the sound with new louder exhausts. There are also gains to be had from aftermarket exhausts such as increased HP as well as weight saving in many instances.As for the noise, do we have a responsibilty to our neighbours?, I think we would all agree that the occasional blast ( for a little youtube video possibly )does not harm, done during a Saturday afternoon for instance. My point is that there is a Biker at the other end of my street who leaves home at 7 am but not before he's warmed up his bike on fast ( very fast and loud )tickover. He returns home at around half six in the evening vroom vroom vrooming all the way down the road to his house.I've never yet met him nor have much desire to but intend to have a quiet word when the opportunity comes.He's certainly not a teenager, not that that's an excuse anyway,but how do we Strommers behave with our neighbours. I like to think that we show a certain amount of consideration by not announcing our arrival and departures with excessive noise. Is that so?

[Danny]

I have original cans on mine but I'm still concious of the noise I make at 5am when I leave once a week ... start, into first, go .. with as little fuss as possible ... I live in a really quiet street and village and I don't want to piss off anybody nor give bikers a bad name ... even so I still get remarks from neighbours that they heard me go on but I don't think I've hacked anyone off ..

[Juvecu]

There are 3 other bikers living in the short dead end street that I live in. One bloke has a Yamaha TDM 900, the other has a 1200GS (never seen it other than in his garage) and the other bloke has a GSXR-750 (and a Subaru Impresa...) The GSX-R bloke always makes a lot of noise coming and going, whether it's on the bike or in the car. The other blokes have said that they don't like the noise he makes, but they don't mind the Wee. My Wee has a Scorpion can on it and I keep the baffle in (though in winter I put in the louder baffle.) Both the other blokes say that the Wee sounds nice and their wifes still smile at me when I pass and their children still wave at me (I guess it also helps that I ride very slowly when the children is about.) I leave at around 7 in the morning and come home at about 7 at night. I take it easy once I get off the B roads into the residential areas because I know the Wee can be quite loud if I wind it up a bit (by most people's standards.) If I put along it's quite composed with just a light rumble that no one seems to mind (some even seems to enjoy it.)

I'd suggest an anonymous note through your noisy neighbour's door that politely requests that he keeps the noise down while when he comes and goes. You could perhaps sign it as "A fellow biker" so that he doesn't assume it's someone who doesn't like bikes and he can't be sure that it's you that put it through his door either. Alternatively, make friends with him and tell him his bike is loud after you've known each other for a while, he's less likely to take any offence then. You never know, you could even convert him to a V-Strom  

[badger 1050]

I leave for work at 3.50 every day and with all the bikes I have had not one has had a standard pipe on it for long I always start engage gear and go most it gets revved to is 1500 more like a fast idle to go out of my road/estate but then go staraight onto a A road but still stay low revs
so far all the neighbours still talk to me and the wife and its been 5 years and only a couple of times somebody has said something when the bike hasn't started straight away

badger 1050

[StreetHippo]

I'm very aware of my bike in the small hours, I tiptoe out at min revs if I'm out at night/early morning. I think it's just a respect thing. Have a word with him, be polite, he may not be conscious that it's a problem!
I have good relations with my neighbours, even when I fire up my Vespa in clouds of blue smoke!!!!

Stu

[Squirrelciv]

Sounds to me you've got a knob for a neighbour... End of... From my experience no amount of chatting will cure him cos [in his world] he's the coolest thing in the world and women get weak at the knees at the sound of his placebo manhood.

Slap him with an asbo!

[Countrysailor]

Squirrel, you might be right but I hope your wrong  

[steve_icbinb]

my immediate neighbours are a retired couple. they don't mind my bikes at all, or any mates that come round. In fact Harry    is quite happy to help out    or to get one of his bikes out (GSR600/CBR600/Yam1100 cruiser) out to play    

in our cul-de-sac there's at least 8 bikers...

and that's why we've stayed in the same lil house for 30 years

[Jammo]

Like others on here, this is something that I'm always conscious of when leaving for work in the mornings or getting home at silly hours. Usually it's a case of getting the bike out of the garage, getting geared up and then starting the bike and going straight away, but keeping the revs low! I usually take the slow, non-occupied route out of the estate in the mornings to allow engine to warm up before hitting the bypass. However, if it's a completely sociable hour of the day, I usually give her a minute to get going, normally within 20 seconds the revs are around 1200 rpm. (She lives in a warm garage)

Personally I love the sound of my bike, even with the standard can, but I do get completely    off when I'm woken by another local biker who chooses to warm his bike up and then thrash the pants off it from the start - it may as well have no can on it for the noise it makes...

[Squirrelciv]

can't stand it when I hear a cold engine get thrashed. If the bike was an animal, you'd report 'em to the RSPCA

[2112]

can't stand it when I hear a cold engine get thrashed. If the bike was an animal, you'd report 'em to the RSPCA

Quite - should be illegal !

[indiana]

I have original cans on mine but I'm still concious of the noise I make at 5am when I leave once a week ... start, into first, go .. with as little fuss as possible ... I live in a really quiet street and village and I don't want to piss off anybody nor give bikers a bad name ... even so I still get remarks from neighbours that they heard me go on but I don't think I've hacked anyone off ..

I do pretty much the same, I live in a quiet cul de sac and work shifts and have never had any complaints.
As for the remarks from your neighbours sounds like they would probably complain if you walk to loud.