His bike’s roar has been a life-saver

March 31, 2012

I MUST take issue with your March 19 editorial about a motorcycle noise bill now pending in New Hampshire ( “Loud pipes invite legislation’’ ). Having been a biker for about 40 years, I have had many experiences where my loud (to some people) pipes have definitely made the difference between a close call and a collision.

I lived on Cape Cod for about 20 years, and had numerous instances of rubber-necking tourists, cellphone-chatting 20-somethings, and drunk drivers trying their best to ignore me in their rearview mirrors. Having survived that, I moved to New Hampshire, where most of the drivers seem to respect bikers and their rights to the same roads.

You insult many of us by claiming that the noise merely serves "to buttress [our] egos." Where is the empirical evidence backing up this absurdity? I don't rely on my exhaust system to articulate my manhood.

Ostensibly, the bleating horns provided on most bikes are for safety, but are inadequate to warn the average motorist.

Perhaps you can concentrate on mitigating noises in downtown Boston instead.

Stephen Berniche

Winchester, NH

It does no good to stereotype, insult an entire group over loud pipes

I AM responding, as a 70-year-old biker, to the March 19 editorial “Loud pipes invite legislation.’’ You write, “Loud pipes serve only to buttress the egos of motorcycle drivers, whose exhaust choices are designed mainly to aggravate and intimidate anyone within earshot.’’ You accuse a group of people of negative motives. This is blatant stereotyping.

Just as skiers enjoy the sound of their skis swishing down a hill, and car buffs enjoy the sound of old engines, motorcyclists enjoy the sound of pipes. All sports and activities, from boating to tennis, have their particular sounds and smells. We enjoy our beautiful iron horses. We enjoy the smells as we ride, be it a home’s woodstove or a barbecue in someone’s yard.

I believe that your editorial showed a lack of understanding of what motorcycling is all about. It could have been a step toward a compromise, but defenses do go up when a group is stereotyped and insulted.

Jeanine H. Gervais

North Andover