Are you a Loud Idiot?
I didn’t say it. I should have. I wanted to. I’ve thought it many times when out riding, but it was Jimmy Lewis that coined the phrase “don’t be a loud idiot” in the July 2010 issue of Dirt Rider. Good job Jimmy!
As I’ve said many times before and will say many times again…..we are our own worst enemy. Every year I get invited to ride with someone or some group that I’ve never ridden with before so I always ask about the sound level/types of mufflers that everyone is using. I absolutely refuse to ride with loud idiots and I don’t want to show up and have a problem at the trailhead. When I ask “how loud is your bike?” I often get the response “my bike is not too bad”. To that I say bullshit. Not too bad is the same as not too good and that is just NOT acceptable. Loud bikes, especially 4 strokes, offend all other trail users and me. It pisses me off when some Neanderthal thinks that installing a loud muffler or pulling the insert out of his quiet muffler will give him that added horsepower that he needs to get down the trail. Well, unless you’ve recently won a National off-road event you probably can’t handle what you have, so dream on cowboy. FYI: Well known racer Shane Watts recently won the sportsman class at a GNCC with a DB Snorkel (84dBA) on a small bore KTM 200. He did it just to prove that quiet bikes can win.
If we don’t police ourselves we will continue to loose land access issues. So, I have to ask…..are you a loud idiot, or do you ride with loud idiots, or when you meet one on the trail do you talk to them about their loud idiot ways? Please ride a quiet bike and ask and persuade your friends to do the same.
Jeff Slavens
Tags: Adventure rider, AMA, Blue Ribbon, CMTRA, COHVCO, Colorado motorcycle trails, Colorado TPA.org, Colorado Trails Preservation Alliance, Expensive KTM 300, Hidden Gems Wilderness, Jeff Slavens Racing, KTM, KTM Talk, Slavens Racing, Slavens Trailhead, Thumper Talk
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on Tuesday, June 1st, 2010 at 9:34 am and is filed under Rants.
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Mike Spencer Says: