So Are Quiet Trials Bikes A Thing Of The Past?

[swooshdave]

First of all the majority of the noise is behind the motorcycle therefore if you don't know the bike is there until you hear it then it is too late.

Secondly, US drivers MUST be better informed and trained to look for those on bikes, horses, walking, and bicycles.. etc. our drivers training is extremely lacking in this respect. Also the predominate attitude of US drivers is "I am most important you move out of my way" But the attitude should be "we share the road"

Wishing that the drivers in the US were better trained is just fantasy. Reality is that they don't share the road, that they are poorly trained (if at all) and tend to kill each other and anything in the vicinity.

Surviving on the road in the US is only accomplished be defensive driving. When on a bike you have to use any means to make sure that you are seen, heard AND are able to escape.

This is why bicyclists are easy targets for cars: slow moving, silent and can't escape.

I wish it were different, but it ain't.

[spud]

What about Pre67 bikes aren't they loud and were they riding the land before the lastest four strokes appeared?

The 05 Sherco 4t is quiet, but the newer 07 and 08 are a lot louder when opened up. I heard an 08 blast down a track to a section a couple of weeks back i thought it was a MX thumper. The Beta 4t is quiet and so is the Scorpa. The baby Scorpa 163cc is very quiet and if all the manufacturers matched this bikes noise level we wouldn't be worrying about noise.

[zippy]

swooshdave Posted Today, 12:57 PM

QUOTE (ZIPPY @ Jul 4 2008, 11:27 AM) *

First of all the majority of the noise is behind the motorcycle therefore if you don't know the bike is there until you hear it then it is too late.

Secondly, US drivers MUST be better informed and trained to look for those on bikes, horses, walking, and bicycles.. etc. our drivers training is extremely lacking in this respect. Also the predominate attitude of US drivers is "I am most important you move out of my way" But the attitude should be "we share the road"

Wishing that the drivers in the US were better trained is just fantasy. Reality is that they don't share the road, that they are poorly trained (if at all) and tend to kill each other and anything in the vicinity.

Surviving on the road in the US is only accomplished be defensive driving. When on a bike you have to use any means to make sure that you are seen, heard AND are able to escape.

This is why bicyclists are easy targets for cars: slow moving, silent and can't escape.

I wish it were different, but it ain't.

Maybe wishing US drivers were better trained is a fantasy, but what I was trying to convey is that it needs to be made a reality. Through organizations such as the AMA and the MSF. I have seen billboards in my area stating the need to watch for motorcycles, a definite step in the right direction.

And I already agreed with the ability to escape.

ZIPPY Posted Jul 4 2008, 02:27 PM

Third if you are riding ANY type of motorcycle and are unable to maneuver out of a situation or maintain control of the machine you have absolutely NO business on a road bike.

I forgot to mention anything about being seen, that is my oops. I do agree with being seen.

As for the heard portion I don't think we will agree......so to avoid going off on a tangent of this topic how about we agree to disagree about "Loud pipes save lives" and concentrate on Off-road noise.

I have a Honda TLR200 Reflex that I started back into trials with, In the section at Idle I had more than one observer ask if it was still running. With that same bike opened up it was still rather quiet. I realize that it is a small bore machine and typically is quieter, but is it possible to obtain the same sound volume of the TLR200 with the same performance of say a montesa 4rt, or any of the 450cc Crossers/off roaders?