The Shame Among Us

Loud Pipes Externalize Costs - Tax 'em!

I won't argue that cruiser riders get some enjoyment from their loud pipes-- it must be a powerful feeling making all that noise.

The problem is their enjoyment comes at a cost to the rest of us, motorcyclist and non-motorcyclist alike.

When other motorcyclists subject me to their deafening racket so they can enjoy themselves, they're externalizing the cost of their enjoyment on me-- and they're not compensating me for it.

A great way to get those folks to internalize the costs is to institute a dB tax-- let's say $100/dB/year. That means that every time you double the volume of your pipes over to stock, you're going to pony up $300.

That way you can enjoy those lifesaving loud pipes if you pay for them.

I'm a lifelong motorcyclist, and I've lost sleep and been forced to sleep with earplugs in because of loud pipes. Unfortunately, loud pipes are favored by folks that probably won't be sticking around in the sport long enough to see the effects of their handiwork.

Since I'll probably be riding for the rest of my life, these loud pipe enthusiasts are going to be sticking me with the bill.

Hey, MO, how about a review of the DL650?!? What, not enough SV650 fans around here for you guys?

Re: Loud Pipes Externalize Costs - Tax 'em!

Guys, don't confuse me with those welfare statists in Washington, DC that just love to debase the currency in the never-ending quest to transfer wealth from the producers to the consumers. Last year, the Federales spent 26% of the US GDP. It's one of the articles on our home page. So, I'm the LAST guy that says "feed the Federales." The twisted brand of media hyped totalitarianism proliferating in the US has me browsing the one-way ticket section of Central American Airlines. Brazil, anyone?

I agree entirely re: who gets the dough is a problem. I was only thinking that we're getting an inefficient amount of loud pipes because of negative externalities.

Charging those bikers for their loud pipes will internalize the costs and lead to lower and more efficient levels of loud pipe activity.

However, in implementation, the state and local governments will be enforcing the laws, and those same state and local governments are pretty efficiently run (comparatively speaking, of course). That means that loud pipe fees would be going into the pockets (in the form of more services or less taxes) of those most likely to be affected by the loud pipes.