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Neighbor hates my bike, but I need to go to work.

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ZCOFWM

Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2016
Location
HERCULES
Moto(s)
2000 EN500LTD
"Black Beauty"

2006 Ninja 650r

2003 K3 GSXR 600
This past month I moved into an in-law unit with my girlfriend & 3-month-old baby. I start work at 8am in Oakland, so I leave the house around 7:20. Last week, my landlord received a complaint about me starting my bike up for work. This complaint came from the same neighbor that had been complaining about the last tenants "nuisance" (what she called it.) This 2003 GSXR 600 is my only transportation to work during the week so this situation is unavoidable. I start my bike & let it warm up for no longer than 2 minutes, throw on my gloves, & get going. I never rev it up or power through the first couple of gears when leaving. I try to be as respectful as possible to everyone living around me.

I introduced myself and explained my situation to my neighbor the night the complaints started rolling in. Her only response was "Well I am a realtor, I work late, my headboard is right by the window, and you wake me up all the time, you have no respect for others!" She was so angry/stubborn but I reassured her I would do all I can to please everyone. This morning I pushed my bike out of the driveway & down the street to start it. It was a hassle as it is a slight uphill grade. The complaints still came. My landlord claims she is still being "harassed" by the neighbor and asked them to stop complaining to her. Now the neighbor is threatening to find her own "solutions".

I'd like to know what she means by that. Are there legal "solutions"?

**My landlord has asked other neighbors (including the tennants in the main house) is my bike is too loud. Their response is either "what bike" or "no."

*** I do have a Yoshi exhaust but is compliant with:
CALIFORNIA A noise limit of 92 decibels applies to any motorcycle manufactured before 1970. A noise limit of 88 decibels applies to motorcycles manufactured after 1969 and before 1973; 86 decibels applies to motorcycles manufactured after 1972 and before 1975; 83 decibels applies to motorcycles manufactured after 1974 and before 1986; 80 decibels applies to motorcycles manufactured after 1985. Motorcycles registered in the state that are manufactured on or after 2013 or have an aftermarket exhaust system manufactured on or after 2013 must have the federal EPA noise emission label affixed to it in order to be operated, used, or parked in the state.

My current plan: Do not push the bike up the street because it made me break a sweat at 7am, BEFORE work. Go back to the same thing I was doing: Start the bike up in my driveway, let 'er warm up for 2 mins & get to work to make my family some money.
 
Find out where her head board is and start it up right next to the wall with your baffles out. :twofinger
 
Find out where her head board is and start it up right next to the wall with your baffles out. :twofinger

That's exactly what my girlfriend wants me to do! After going over there to reconcile and only getting yelled at, I'm somewhat tempted to as well. But that wont solve anything. I have to reassure her (and myself) we have to be respectful. We're only 20 and this couple is looking at me like a disrespectful "punk". I'm just trying to get to work without any problems, make some money, and get home. That's exactly what I'm going to do.

I just want to make sure my landlord is, in no way, pressed to kick me out. Even though she has sided with me and admitted she "doesn't care for" the complaining neighbor. I also don't want to worry about the police ticketing me for something I have to do every week day.
 
True. I presently have the same issue with my extremely quiet FJ-09 and my angry downstairs neighbor. When she realized how much worse it could be (after I did a few revbombs right outside her window on my SV650) she stopped complaining about my quiet FJ start ups.

But YMMV
 
All you can do is be considerate within reason. Can you put on your gear and then crank it up and ride away, without the warm-up?
 
I drew a pretty picture for you all. (Aerial view)
 

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There is no need for you to 'warm up' your motorcycle. Put on your gear, sit, start it and immediately ride away. You are not hurting your motorcycle by doing this.
 
All you can do is be considerate within reason. Can you put on your gear and then crank it up and ride away, without the warm-up?

Even though she is FI, I do need to keep the "choke" lever out for a minute on a cold morning.
 
Try to build a relationship about other things with her, stay off the bike topic, do some little nice things for her. Stop warming it up there- start it and just putt 100' away @ idle, take it as a little Zen break.

She's the long term tenant that pays on time- you're the "new guy", so the manager/landlady is going to pick her over you (unless there is more to the story).
 
Or you could put the OEM muffler back on.
Those are actually quiet, not just "not as loud as other mufflers."

Just sayin.'
 
Try to build a relationship about other things with her, stay off the bike topic, do some little nice things for her. Stop warming it up there- start it and just putt 100' away @ idle, take it as a little Zen break.

She's the long term tenant that pays on time- you're the "new guy", so the manager/landlady is going to pick her over you (unless there is more to the story).

The neighbor is a home owner. I am renting an in-law unit to the house next to her. The main house (same property as mine) is also being rented out. Those tennants don't mind the bike at all.

The neighbor also said she didn't complain earlier because she thought I own the property. Once she found out I was only renting, she thought it would be okay to complain. I am not sure what kind of logic that is.
 
The neighbor is a home owner. I am renting an in-law unit to the house next to her. The main house (same property as mine) is also being rented out. Those tennants don't mind the bike at all.

The neighbor also said she didn't complain earlier because she thought I own the property. Once she found out I was only renting, she thought it would be okay to complain. I am not sure what kind of logic that is.

because she couldn't get rid of you if you owned the house, but if she complains to the owner enough you could get kicked out.

that's evidence that she can't do shit about it besides complain to your landlord
 
She can't do shit. Rev bomb her in the morning & extra early! Screw these kind of people!
 
I too am concerned about my neighbors even though they have never complained once. I treat my FI and carb bikes the same. Gear fully up. Start. Within 15 seconds or less I ease away. Carb bike is choked enough to run and let me feather the throttle, not a sky high idle. I take it real easy the first few blocks. Been doing this for years with no problems. My piped H-D riding next door neighbor who leaves around 430am also fires it up and rolls immediately. Unfortunately he doesn't ease away. But at least he gets on away. When he drives his super old open muffler truck, that thing -demands- 5 to 7 minutes of warm up or it -will- stall. We all HATE that thing idling while we're trying to sleep.
 
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There is no need for you to 'warm up' your motorcycle. Put on your gear, sit, start it and immediately ride away. You are not hurting your motorcycle by doing this.

+1

With EFI the bike starts easy. No need to sit there for 2 minutes with the bike idling to warm up.

Just start and ride away at low rpms and keep revs mild for a minute until the bike warms up.

Do you want to live there with or without headaches?
 
There is no need for you to 'warm up' your motorcycle. Put on your gear, sit, start it and immediately ride away. You are not hurting your motorcycle by doing this.

again this. The best way to warm up you stuff is riding it. There is absolutely no need to be a nuisance.

Problem solved.

er, edit, don't redline the motor until it is warmed up.
 
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As others have mentioned you have 3 easy potential solutions.

1. Start up and ride away immediately. I used to warm my bikes up too but realized there is no need. Just take it easy the first couple minutes. She may still complain though with just the startup.

2. Go back to stock. The last Yosh pipe i had was pretty loud at idle. Compared to stock it was a night and day difference. The stock pipe is pretty quiet until you get up there in revs.

3. Fuck her. Start that shit, let it idle, give it a little gas, do some burnouts on your way out, etc.
 
Yeah, it could be the length of your idle.

I had a neighbor that would start his Harley and run it for 2-3 minutes at 6am.

I doubt I would notice if he started and went but that it ran for a good period was annoying.
 
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