Motorbike noise!

Tina20

I know a lot of people are fussy about road noise, but I'm really not one of them. I used to live by an RAF base and even the planes didn't bother me.

BUT. The is a guy a few doors down from me who has a ridiculously loud motorbike. I started noticing it on Sunday mornings, extremely early, he seemed to just ride up and down and up and down, as well as sitting in his driveway letting his engine roar for ages.

It's pretty much every day, and sometimes the night too. It's getting ridiculous! I have a sleep talk recording app on my iPhone, (which is brilliant by the way) and THREE times it was activated by this motorbike! At 3, 4 and 6AM! In my bedroom with a closed window and the recorder set on 'low sensitivity'!!
Today, he woke my sleeping baby, she was in her room at the BACK of the house, with the door closed, and I had the window open in the living room and the noise was terrible!

I know it may seem like a big deal over nothing, but I shouldn't have to worry my kids are gonna be woken in the night with all the windows shut (double glazed)! I shouldnt have to sit in a hot house with all the windows shut just because of some idiot who thinks a loud engine makes him look more like a man. ( making up for something you think?)

I'm just wondering, is there any kind of rule that an engine can't be too loud? I know it's not as simple as 'turning it down' but I know engines are often beefed up to sound louder. Is there anyone I can report this to?

Billy-no-Money

Can't help you I'm afraid, other than to say that there are noise limits on amotorcycle exhaust but there is a significant market for replacement 'cans' which are not road legal - ostensibly for track use but in practice used on the road by a certain type of rider.

There are also plenty of road-legal cans which may sound loud to someone accustomed to cars - and even a road-legal bike will sound loud at 3am!

Is it a high-revving 'sportsbike' noise, or a lower-revving rumble like a Harley?

And no, it's not a big deal over nothing. It's this kind of thing that makes people less tolerant of bikes as a whole, which in turn can make life difficult for a more considerate rider like myself. He needs dealing with.

iharding

Seeing this triggered a vague memory of reading in the paper that a persistent noise nuisance problem caused by parked cars playing loud music was solved using an excessive vehicle noise law as a bit of lateral thinking. Even more appropriate in your case I would think.

I think these might be the relevant rules:
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1986/1078/regulation/97/made
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1986/1078/regulation/98/made

Hopefully you can go directly to the police, rather than through the council.

bazster

There are laws about noise levels. Usually, though, the MOT will not pick up these problems because the culprit re-fits his original (legal) can before the test, and puts the noisy one back on afterwards. The police can take action.

Have you spoken to him? I don't suppose he'll voluntarily remove his noisy can (he's probably very proud of it) but having been spoken to (politely) he might choose to come and go quickly, at low revs, in order to make his racket elsewhere.

pogofish

There is alo this:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1987/34

The Motorcycle Noise Act 1987.

I think the current limit is 80db, which is quieter than many commercial vehicles, so unless he has an old machine that predates the noise regs, you would probably have a good case to discuss with Env Health.

Police too of course but I can't see them taking this very seriously and I doubt they will give it much priority.

It is also the case that many riders do have a legal silencer for day to day use and MOT-time, plus a rather more free-breathing pipe for weekend/playtime use - It might be time to suggest this guy does the same.

And speaking as an ex 70s Ducati owner (ie thunderous!), I used to be quite prepared to push my machine down the road a bit to avoid upsetting neighbours, girlfriends parents etc when I was on an early start.

bazster

pogofish wrote: »

And speaking as an ex 70s Ducati owner (ie thunderous!), I used to be quite prepared to push my machine down the road a bit to avoid upsetting neighbours, girlfriends parents etc when I was on an early start.

Anyone who gets upset at the sound of a huge V-twin on (ahem!) free-breathing pipes needs their head examining! Music, pure music!

Four cylinders screaming away at 15,000rpm are another matter entirely...

Llyllyll

bazster wrote: »

There are laws about noise levels. Usually, though, the MOT will not pick up these problems because the culprit re-fits his original (legal) can before the test, and puts the noisy one back on afterwards. The police can take action.

Have you spoken to him? I don't suppose he'll voluntarily remove his noisy can (he's probably very proud of it) but having been spoken to (politely) he might choose to come and go quickly, at low revs, in order to make his racket elsewhere.

I can’t imagine anybody ignorant and inconsiderate enough to do this would have the good grace to accept that they have been unreasonable and rude. The reasonable thing to do would be to go to the Police…

bazster

Llyllyll wrote: »

I can’t imagine anybody ignorant and inconsiderate enough to do this would have the good grace to accept that they have been unreasonable and rude. The reasonable thing to do would be to go to the Police…

If you don't ask you don't get.

Tina20

Thanks everyone!

I'm a bit too nervous to confront him, as I'm home alone all day with baby and don't want to make an enemy out of neighbours!

I will look into all the links thanks, and see if anything can be done. It's a Harley-type noise but not a Harley bike, looks like a pretty boring bike to me, too boring to be making that much noise anyway!

pogofish

bazster wrote: »

Four cylinders screaming away at 15,000rpm are another matter entirely...

Or worse still, an old Fantic 50 - My fillings are tingling at the memory!




:eek:

HeadAboveWater

My partner recently sold his SP1. Have to say, it was one be-a-ooooo-tiful bike!

But talk about noisy It would literally set off car alarms on the way past!! :eek: :rotfl:

Next door neighbour has woken us from our sleep a few times with her mad partying, and one Sunday he did actually start the bike the next morning at ridiculous-a.m. for badness...

(PS. Sorry - I know my post really isn't very helpful to you at all... )