On Tue, 25 Sep 2007 03:06:02 -0400, "Eisboch"
wrote:


"Vic Smith" wrote in message
.. .


A Gold Wing flew past 3 feet away, accelerating nicely to about 60
as he passed us.
We saw it. Didn't hear anything.
Honda Rules! Harley Sucks!

--Vic

You sure it was a Gold Wing and not a Honda Civic? Same exhaust sound.
(With applogies to a certain Florida Jim)

Pretty sure. It had only 2 wheels, and was skinnier than a Civic.

The stock Harley exhaust is not all that loud. The problem is that most
newbie Harley owners immediately exchange the pipes for a set of illegal or
semi-legal aftermarket slip-ons. It's a ritual of sorts. Then there's the
screaming 2 stroke rice rockets that will rupture your ear drums.

Yeah, I know. And I'm still really a pushrod guy.
Harleys are still pushrod, aren't they?
They used to ticket the open pipers, but for some reason they
leave them alone now. Maybe because most of the riders are pushing 60
or 70 years old. Probably half-deaf.
My 22-year-old got a ticket when he put something similar to the old
glass packs on his ride. I swear. I told him to keep a low profile,
but he managed to turn a damn '93 Chevy Corsica into a cop-magnet with
all the tricking out he did on it. You'd think from looking at the
car it belongs on a trailer headed for Talladega.
Got another ticket for some goofy LEDS he put on the "custom" hood.
All this was legal, and he beat the tickets. He's a good driver, and
has less movers than I did at his age. But a cop-magnet is a cop
magnet. They'll make a U-turn and follow him waiting for any mistake
- unless they know him.
I ****ed him off by telling him with 2 more pounds of rice he'll have
a Civic. But it's actually all well-done, and I'm proud of his
efforts. I'm thinking about pushing/helping him into opening a
customizing shop. He's got too much talent to waste doing truck
chassis.
The rice screamer bikes are pretty rare around here. I don't think
they live long, because they not only make that terrible screaming
noise, but they're moving WAY fast.

I ride an Ultra Classic with stock pipes and it isn't loud at all.

Whenever I think about what bike I would have, that's about it.
But I lost all desire for a bike after I crashed a car doing 105mph.
There was nothing unmangled but the front seat and me.
A black eye was my only injury.
I saw the value of being wrapped in steel - and luck.
I can do the steel part.

--Vic