Loud motorcycles throttle Calgary residents
Loud motorcycles throttle Calgary residents
Bike noise bylaw 'vague'
By Nick Lewis, Calgary Herald
June 15, 2009
CALGARY - When idling, a large Harley-Davidson motorcycle produces 100 decibels of exhaust sound. When it is revved, that loudness jumps to 120 decibels, which is about the same as a roaring jet engine.
And some Calgarians say that is simply too loud for inner-city streets, where a passing motorcycle can throttle all other sound.
"They all suffer from'Look at me,' syndrome, that's the problem," said a woman named Sam sitting in Tomkins Park on 17th Avenue and 8th Street S. W. on Sunday. "As a motorcycle rider myself, I couldn't do that to other people. It's just show-offy, and this is a show-offy street."
As she said this, the fat crackle of throttle hit the park like a shotgun blast, as a muscle bike with a modified muffler roared past us. Her husband, Roy, shook his head with disgust.
"I'm surprised that they're allowing some of these bikes on the road, it's extremely noisy," he said. "We were in the park yesterday and we had to leave, because it was just uncomfortable, we had had it."
They aren't the only ones complaining, according to Bylaw and Animal Services officer Bill Bruce. His office takes in a number of complaints about loud bikes each summer, but has a tough time handing out fines to violators. Fines range between $100 and $200.
"Our complaints about noisy motorbikes are going up and up and up," he said.
"Twenty years ago when most of these (noise bylaws) were written, it wasn't really a huge issue. Last summer, we heard more and more complaints, and this summer we've already received a lot of calls about it. So we're looking at ways of managing it better because it's become a priority for citizens."
Motorcyclists aren't allowed to modify their mufflers to emit more sound. But the bylaw about motorcycle noise is fairly vague and open to interpretation, Bruce said, as there is no set decibel level for what a machine can emit.
"There is a vague bylaw on how loud these bikes can be," he said.
"It's a traffic bylaw under a section called Noise and Disturbance; and it lists a 'loud or roaring sound from a motorcycle,' which is very subjective. Noise is such a nebulous thing to pin down. One man's noise is another man's music.
"And by the time we get that complaint, it's already gone. Even if they get a licence number, that witness has to be present in court to prove the case. So if an officer sees it and can act on it, he will, but failing that, we have to rely on the registered owner, and we need stronger legislation, which we're trying to craft right now."
Many Calgarians strolling and sitting on the patios of 17th Avenue S. W. on Sunday afternoon said they've simply gotten used to the sound of these bikes and accept them as one of the quirks of summer, along with the rattling bass of car stereos and the metallic throb of construction machinery.
"It doesn't bug me at all," said Maria Geronazzo, who spent the afternoon on the patio of a popular 17th Avenue bar. "Bikes are only on the streets for a couple of months, so it shouldn't be a big issue."
"Sometimes when you're in a restaurant and a bike starts up, it gets interruptive," said Katarina Doyle, "but I've just gotten used to it as a part of the summer."
The riders of these supposed loud bikes all echo the same sentiment --loud pipes save lives.
"I have a 1,250cc Harley-Davidson, and it's got a pretty loud pipe on it," said Dan Cossette. "And I guess that depends on how loud you think 'loud' is. As a rider, I like to be heard. You don't always have time to reach for your horn, but you can reach for your throttle and give it a little crack. That way, people know where you are."
Don Yip, a rider on a 1,635cc Victory Street Bike, concurred.
"If people on cars don't hear you, they're going to swing into you," he said. "If they hear you, you're more noticeable. And even if that only lessens your accidents by one per cent, it's well worth it. There's a lot of people who don't know how to drive in Calgary, and bikes are only on the road for a few months and they don't know how to react to them."
Street bikes tend to emit more noise than sport bikes, and a rider on a Honda CBR 1000cc sport bike we spoke with said the safety excuse is just that, an excuse.
"Loud pipes don't save lives, what saves lives is learning to ride properly," said the man, who wished to remain anonymous. "There's bad drivers in Calgary, but a loud muffler won't help you as much as having good reactions."
Bill Bruce said if Calgarians wish to make a complaint about a loud motorbike on their street, they can call 311.
"If it's a regular thing, it really helps me if you can call 311 and tell me, 'Well, frequently between 7 and 9 p. m. this vehicle is going up my street.' Then I can come down between 7 and 9 and I've got a good chance to catch them in the act. But if you say, 'There was a loud bike that went by my house this morning,' there's not much I can do about that. It's already gone."
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