Blasted trail bikes

[Oldbloke]

If a trail bike is ridden in the forest and Oldbloke had his hearing protection on then was there a bike ridden in the forest?

Didn't hear that. Can you please speak up.

[Oldbloke]

I would reckon the db on my 243 makes that 94 reading sound like a whisper

True. BUT it is 1 crack, not on going for 5 minutes.

[bigfellascott]

Yeah it would be a pita too have that happen, part of hunting on public land I guess, thankfully not a problem I have too worry about myself.

[Gwion]

I would reckon the db on my 243 makes that 94 reading sound like a whisper

True. BUT it is 1 crack, not on going for 5 minutes.

Or 3 hours, as the case may be.

[Oldbloke]

"Or 3 hours, as the case may be." Yep, in this case they were gone in 5 or 10 minutes but with so many the hunt was ruined. I accept that 1 or 2 will often be about, but in that case animals settle down again after say 30 minutes. That does not worry me. But not this time.

Again. it's the high noise level that annoys me. Some must run straight exhausts.

Guess that's my rant over.

[WayneO]

I dont ride on the road anymore so I have my plastic with a nice sedate 450 motor. Its a full off-road bike so the sound is not street legal and neither is the bike. The sound makes the bike. You know a plastic is giving it horns from a mile off.
I do get that from time time to time we may upset a few guys who are sitting about and enjoying the sounds of the Forrest and for that I do apologize, but hey we are out there enjoying the Forrest just as much as you, just in a different way.

[happyhunter]

Sunday I was sitting in the bush beside a track. Waiting near a well used fallow deer crossing, hoping for a shot.
Next thing a trail bike club of at least 20 bikes come out of another track where I'm expecting the deer to appear from and ride straight past me. Needless this did piss me off.

Now animals do get used to that sort of noise but only so much I guess.

I reckon it's about time trail bikes be muffled to a similar standard of road bikes. I know this will effect the performance, but what about the consideration of other forrest users. It is after all noise pollution.

What do other hunters think?

PS I rode bikes for at least 10 years.

A few of my mates ride CRFs with the CR500 engine conversion and those old 2 strokes motors are way more friendly on the ears than the more modern 450s. I ride a YZ250 MX bike with rec reg and it's way quiter than than the YZF and CRF 4 strokes. 4 strokes are the problem

[Oldbloke]

2 or 4 stroke, they can all be muffled to sensible levels.

[KennyA]

Be careful what you wish for 'Oldbloke'.
What do you think a rifle shot sounds like to others using public land.
I'm happy to share with all other users.

[Tiger650]

I have two issues here, both in support of OB.
Firstly "clubs" I have been there and done that [with Classic Brit motorcycles] and all the reasonable man does is wed himself to maybe 40% disinterested, 20% worth talking to and 40% who are spiritually vexatious oxygen thieves whom nobody would talk to otherwise.

I wonder why someone who is not psychologically insecure would want to ride among a large group in the bush ?
The bush is a refuge for good folk from the teeming anthill of "civilization" but some apparently must infect that with noise and group foolishness.

Secondly is noise, a modern 400cc [for example] four stroke trail bike will make 35 horsepower with excellent low and midrange torque whilst being whisper quiet, this is not acceptable to the ill mannered.

The wankers need an expensive aftermarket "performance" pipe which will have their equally silly friends craving the same, never mind that the available 35 horsepower scares the crap out of them to start with.

Similar situation with cashed up bogans and jet skis, a nice day at the beach or on the river can be spoiled by some "look at me" f$c#wit.

To me a "club" riding in the bush [or on the road] is anathema, a good way to get hurt when one of the more unintelligent / unskilled "herd" 4uck#s up.

These silly bastards for some reason need to clump together, to paraphrase Oliver Twist, "Are there no football matches nor reality TV shows".

Any who regard the above as Cynical have me pegged just right.

[Peeds13]

A few of my mates ride CRFs with the CR500 engine conversion and those old 2 strokes motors are way more friendly on the ears than the more modern 450s. I ride a YZ250 MX bike with rec reg and it's way quiter than than the YZF and CRF 4 strokes. 4 strokes are the problem [/quote]


I can second that, I've got a CRF450 and a 92 CR500.
The 4 strokes resonate for miles. 2 strokes are loud when you're next to them, but not bad in the distance.
You can muffle them more, but that in turn effects performance. Even a lot of motocross tracks have decibel rules these days.
We don't get to hunt on crown land here, so it's not so much a problem.

[on_one_wheel]

All this bike talk is making me miss my bike.

Bikes are so much fun that when you're going full song, nothing else matters.

I might go and buy myself a Maico 700 ... just for sihts and giggles and because those modern 450's are gutless !

1999 CR500

IMG_19554470749074.jpeg (25.38 KiB) Viewed 5793 times

[Peeds13]

Nothing like a steel framed CR500 on_one_wheel, looks mint.
If I had the money I'd have a Maico, a ktm 550 and a kx 500 aswell. Love 2 strokes, though my 450 is quicker round the track and far less tiring. It doesn't scare/excite me like my 500 though lol