OFF THE WIRE
By Basem Wasef
Civilians are usually the ones getting attention for loud motorcycle exhausts, but this time the San Francisco Chronicle reports that the Oakland Police Department-- AKA "Rolling Thunder"-- has re-installed noisy aftermarket pipes onto their fleet of Harley-Davidsons. According to the article, safety concerns spread among the department three months ago when an officer riding with stock pipes was struck by a motorist who claims he didn't hear him coming. The new pipes produce an average of 93 decibels.
MIC spokesman Mike Mount is quoted as saying, "We encourage all motorcycle riders to keep the original low sound levels that meet the ... federal sound limit of 80 decibels." He adds that "It would seem counterintuitive that a law enforcement agency would go against federal standards." Especially considering that recent laws have been clamping down on loud bike exhausts, the Oakland PD's attitude seems to suggest that they are above law, or perhaps that they know something that non law-enforcement types don't.
Are the Oakland PD's loud aftermarket pipes justified, or is this a case of law officers taking advantage of their positions of power? Do you think loud pipes will save officer's lives?
