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Quiet Bikes Have Advantages

Butch

poseur
Staff member
Super Moderator
Joined
Apr 5, 2002
Location
San Jose, bottom of dirty 130
Moto(s)
‘18 Alta EX006, ‘17 Alta MX019, 06R6, 05TM530, 01TM250 2T, ‘24 Yam Tenere 700, Lightning Spark
Name
Butch
BARF perks
AMA #: 1093637
from Philip’s Alta website: https://altaownersforum.com/threads...-midnight-ride-under-the-stars.283/#post-3616

"...We finally arrived home (with the new bike) at midnight. I decide to take the bike for a test ride in the yard. My wife and daughter go into the house, and I start riding around our property (just over 4 acres) with several passes close to our bedroom. It was one of those rare cool Ohio skies in which you could see a ton of stars and the bands of the Milky Way, a great riding experience! I rode in modes 1 & 2 for a half hour, put the bike away, and went inside to see how noisy the bike was. They were asleep. The next morning, my wife asked if I really rode that late at night, which I did.

A couple of days later, I was riding in my yard when I noticed my neighbor mowing his yard. He stopped his zero turn and watched me for a while, then he waved me over to his property. "What the (blank) is that?" he asked. I told him it was an electric bike, and asked if the noise bothered him. "I can't here a thing!", he said. Anyway, he invited me to ride the trails in the back woods of his property, due to the quietness of the bike. Less sound does equal more ground!"
 
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What's a "here a thing"? :p

But yeah the noise thing is great. Bring on those urban moto parks! On the downside, if I had one, I'd totally poach the local hiking trail down to the American River. :laughing
 
I wish we could rent one of these for a day.

Do you have dirtbike? I’d let you try mine. They might have a demo SM at SF BMW/ Alta
 
I agree with quiet.

When the LAPD tested the Zero they broke a few belts (jumping, under power, from dirt to pavement). We fitted a couple bikes with chains and they complained that they were no longer nearly as stealthy (quiet).
Just the chain noise made that much difference.

Another quiet caveat...
Although not electric my TW200 is very quiet when just putting along. I noticed at Weaverville that I startled a lot more wildlife on the dirt paths than when riding either KTM.
 
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