1,000 Baht fine for my bike being too loud

[Gérard]

[quote="REEM"]As a four wheel man in Thailand I have come to detest anything on two wheels.
/quote]

As a two wheels man, I do not detest anything on four wheels, and will probably use 4 wheels when I am older and unable to ride a bike.
When I drive a car, I feel like in a wheelchair... after a bike accident ??? (I am now 65, riding since I was 16 and still alive....)

[Takiap]

As a four wheel man in Thailand I have come to detest anything on two wheels.

As a three wheel man in Thailand, I find many four wheel men in Thailand are arrogant road hogs who naturally assume the road belongs to them and them alone. Having said that, I don't "detest" them. If I did, I would try to find a place to live where there are no four wheel men.


Now, if all the bikes on Thailand's roads are getting you down, then may I suggest you retire to a nice peaceful location in Northern Europe where you'll only have to suffer this inconvenience a few times during the summer months. As an added bonus, you won't have to put up with soi dogs; cluttered sidewalks, etc; etc;etc.


Seriously though, I can fathom why anyone who detests bikes who choose to live and/or drive in Asia.

[Homer]

Seriously though, I can fathom why anyone who detests bikes who choose to live and/or drive in Asia.

Pick one:
- What's the postal code for Utopia?

- Because you can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime you find you get what you need.

[Homer]

Non-bikers will always find something to moan about.

We're not moaning, we're laughing.

The two real main advantages to aftermarket pipes are:

1) Horsepower gain as the engine can 'breathe' easier - most stock pipes are restricted.

Before bikes had CPUs, independent dyno test after dyno test showed that aftermarket pipes delivered, at most, a narrow band where the torque or HP curve was steeper. That satisfied the riders, because it passed the 'butt dyno' test. Bike manufactures crafted the entire intake - ignition - combustion - exhaust systems to work together. Aftermarket pipes just screwed that up. Are things any different with CPUs?

On 2 wheels I raced in head-to-head competition, did the bike equivalent of WRC for years, and ran against the clock on 4 wheels, all in sanctioned competition. Few drivers are able to use most or all the horsepower or handling they have. Far few riders than drivers are similarly able. The ones who are bothered by being beaten by smaller engined vehicles buy more horsepower so they can turn decent times (in their minds) by bombing the straights and tip toeing through the corners. That's true whether they're running close to their limits on a track or at spirited but sane limits on the road.

2) Loud pipes save lives - oblivious car drivers that prefer looking at their cell phones than their mirrors can hear you coming on the highway.

Horn?

Pilots have many old sayings mostly intended to keep new guys, or the newly arrogant guys alive. One that fits here is never let your craft get to a position that didn't reach in your mind 5 minutes earlier. Riding 5 seconds ahead is far safer than a horn.

[Ginjaninja]

Horn?

Using a horn on a motorcycle will give you less control as it requires the thumb to depress and that's where the strength in your grip is. Driving around town yeah fair enough....
Just saying.....

I'm not interested in sticking a loud exhaust on my Ninja. It's quick enough that it doesn't need the extra power and I really have no interest in drawing more attention to myself than necessary.
My CRF on the other hand has an aftermarket pipe because I detest the sound of a lawn-mower on a sports-bike. Oh yeah the performance is improved also.

GN.

[dtaai-maai]

Horn?

Using a horn on a motorcycle will give you less control as it requires the thumb to depress and that's where the strength in your grip is. Driving around town yeah fair enough....
Just saying.....

I'm not interested in sticking a loud exhaust on my Ninja. It's quick enough that it doesn't need the extra power and I really have no interest in drawing more attention to myself than necessary.
My CRF on the other hand has an aftermarket pipe because I detest the sound of a lawn-mower on a sports-bike. Oh yeah the performance is improved also.

GN.

The main problem about using the horn on a motorcycle is trying not to drop your phone.

I agree wholeheartedly with the lawnmower reference. I don't mind a deep roar every now and then, as long as it's not outside my front door every hour, but I can't stand the strimmer whine of some smaller engines. It's a bit like comparing the macho bark of my retriever with the irritating girly yaps that come from the Yorkshire terriers down the road...

[Nereus]

Before bikes had CPUs,...............

What is a 'CPU"?

[Ginjaninja]

Central Processing Unit - Or microprocessor (mini-computer).
Every P.C. has a C.P.U. fitted to the motherboard. I think even coffee machines have a C.P.U. now.

GN.

[buksida]

The new Hondas (250 - 650 range) are so quiet you can hardly hear them when running. A motorbike that makes no noise is a dangerous one - most car drivers are oblivious and indifferent to anything on two wheels as it is.

[Nereus]

Central Processing Unit - Or microprocessor (mini-computer).
Every P.C. has a C.P.U. fitted to the motherboard. I think even coffee machines have a C.P.U. now.

GN.

Erm, I think what you are referring to: CPU, is a Core Processing Unit.

What you will find on your engine control is an:ECU, Engine Control Unit, also on bigger systems sometimes called a: PCM, Power Control Unit.

[Ginjaninja]

Central Processing Unit - Or microprocessor (mini-computer).
Every P.C. has a C.P.U. fitted to the motherboard. I think even coffee machines have a C.P.U. now.

GN.

Erm, I think what you are referring to: CPU, is a Core Processing Unit.

What you will find on your engine control is an:ECU, Engine Control Unit, also on bigger systems sometimes called a: PCM, Power Control Unit.

Now you're being anal Nereus.... They are all essentially the same thing... a computer!
GN.

[Homer]

Horn?

Using a horn on a motorcycle will give you less control as it requires the thumb to depress and that's where the strength in your grip is. Driving around town yeah fair enough....
Just saying.....

First off, the horn is a warning. When the fecal matter is about to impact the rotary oscillator, bike control takes priority - but at that moment a loud exhaust is just as useless as a horn.

Grip strength? Other than picking up a dropped bike, or holding on for dear life after failing to slow for rough or bumpy surfaces in what situations are you using grip strength? One moves the end of a handlebar with two actions, push with the palm or heel of the hand, and pull with the fingers. But neither push or pull actions require grip strength. OTOH I've heard of cruiser bikes with sufficient power that full acceleration requires a good grip because, unlike a sport bike, riders can't brace with their legs against the acceleration g forces.

[Ginjaninja]

I'm aware of the concept of counter-steering, thanks for the refresher though....
So what your getting at is thumbs are null n' void during motorcycle riding. You don't need them for steering, braking, accelerating or generally supporting the upper-half of your body?
Maybe I should give 'thumbless' biking a go one of these long weekends.....
I'll have to agree with Buksida and his comment regarding other road-user awareness still stands.
GN.

[Dannie Boy]

Thumbs have other useful uses - stick them up your silencer and it's much quieter and avoids 1000 baht fines

[Homer]

So what your getting at is thumbs are null n' void during motorcycle riding.
GN.

Using a horn on a motorcycle will give you less control as it requires the thumb to depress and that's where the strength in your grip is. Driving around town yeah fair enough....

I addressed one specific use of the thumb that, in your mind, negated the usefulness of the horn. You obviously abandoned that stance after I blew it to bits.