Is it necessary to have a radio on a motorcycle?

I realize this isn't exactly GRM and it's about motorcycles but.....I was out for an early morning Sunday drive in the Miata (top down of course) sitting at a stoplight when up drives an older HD motorcycle, sounds like he has just straight pipes on it and a radio absolutely CRANKED so it will overcome the sound of the motor. It's 8:00 am, we are the only ones around and I am sitting at a light next to a sound that is virtually making my ears bleed. I am not a biker so I don't know............do you need to have a radio blasting when you are riding a motorcycle especially one with no mufflers? Kinda like putting a radio in a top fuel dragster. Just wondering.

I've got a rather long commute and have sometimes thought a radio might be nice to have on a bike... but I've got enough difficulties hearing traffic around me with wind noise; I don't need any other noise added. (That also includes the pipes - my exhaust isn't all that loud either.)

I ride with my ipod and headphones in on longer trips but I don't like the motorcycles with radios built in. They always have them turned up loud enough that you can hear it all the way down the block as well.

I don't really get it either. I've use headphones before, but only a few times. The sound of the bike is music enough.

If it were a GoldWing, the radio decreases in volume automatically as you slow down.

As someone else noted, Harley's R&D Center.

914Driver wrote: If it were a GoldWing, the radio decreases in volume automatically as you slow down. As someone else noted, Harley's R&D Center.

Not enough oil stains.

Bolting on a set of Reinhart True Duals and straight through mufflers on an ELECTRAGLIDE doesn't make any sense.

I WILL own an Electraglide.

My house backs up to a street that is dark and quiet on most nights. On a nice cool night when the windows are open and I am sleeping at 3:00am......some nut job accelerates to high speed on his Harley with the radio blasting and wide open pipes........thanks for waking me up.

I might need to move someday....

I wouldn't want any long drive vehicle without a radio. PLUS riding/driving while wearing headphones is ILLEGAL last I checked. That includes riding a bicycle.

To me, if you buy a Harley, and then add a radio that MUST be able to drown out the engine...well, it's like buying an ex-race Ferrari or Porsche, then filling the space behind the seats with all sorts of speakers. Isn't the Harley's "patented" engine note MOST of the reason to buy the bike?

radios on bikes are the stupidest thing in my opinion. if your bike has one, thats cool, i respect that. IIII feel that the whole point of having a bike is to be connected to the machine and the road, not mariah carey

integraguy wrote: To me, if you buy a Harley, and then add a radio that MUST be able to drown out the engine...well, it's like buying an ex-race Ferrari or Porsche, then filling the space behind the seats with all sorts of speakers. Isn't the Harley's "patented" engine note MOST of the reason to buy the bike?

Thank you. Exactly my point. Seems like every time I am out in the Miata with the top down I turn the radio off. Might be a different story for a long ride though as a previous poster stated.

What kills me are the ones that say "loud pipes save lives" but aren't concerned enough about safety to wear a full face helmet.

motorcyclist - helmet = organ donor

I confess, in the day's I rode my ZX6, I used those headphones that doubled as hearing protection. Massive reduction in windnoise: necessary for the longer trips that I enjoyed, and some (quiet) music was great to have on the straight boring sections. Maybe I'm just not hardcore enough.

I worked in the Harley business for a few painful years. I'd never liked how Harleys sounded before - but I cultivated a huge distaste for that "distinctive potato-potato exhaust note" (as H-D's patent an trademark application described it).

And any H-D with open pipes is like an icepick in the ears. Loud and not cool sounding at all.

Add a radio and it's even worse....

porksboy wrote:

914Driver wrote: As someone else noted, Harley's R&D Center.

Not enough oil stains.

No need for research on that. Harley perfected oil stains a long, long time ago

Listening to a radio on a Harley is like running my lawn mower in the living room while I play my stereo.

triumph7 wrote: What kills me are the ones that say "loud pipes save lives" but aren't concerned enough about safety to wear a full face helmet. motorcyclist - helmet = organ donor

I know a rider who says that he will not wear a (full) helmet because it cuts out too much noise and he can't hear whats going on around him. FYI, his pipes sound nice, but not overly loud, and he doesn't have a radio.

Atleast for Goldwings can't you buy the full face helmet with the built in intercom and the jack also doubles as a headset jack for the radio?

Yes.

Yep, what I thought. Just further proof that too many people are silly.

internetautomart wrote: I wouldn't want any long drive vehicle without a radio. PLUS riding/driving while wearing headphones is ILLEGAL last I checked. That includes riding a bicycle.

griffin729 wrote: Atleast for Goldwings can't you buy the full face helmet with the built in intercom and the jack also doubles as a headset jack for the radio?

So it is illegal to have head phones but not to have speakers built into the helmet? Or those stupid bluetooth cell phone things that people wear 24/7 and make them look like they should be protecting the president.

Rusnak_322 wrote: So it is illegal to have head phones but not to have speakers built into the helmet? Or those stupid bluetooth cell phone things that people wear 24/7 and make them look like they should be protecting the president.

The Borg protects the President? Wow, didn't know htat he had been assimilated.

On the subject of radios and motorcycles? If the bike is that loud, stupid to have a radio. On something like a Goldwing, shouldn't be an issue (even without the auto volume control).

Rusnak_322 wrote:

internetautomart wrote: I wouldn't want any long drive vehicle without a radio. PLUS riding/driving while wearing headphones is ILLEGAL last I checked. That includes riding a bicycle.

griffin729 wrote: Atleast for Goldwings can't you buy the full face helmet with the built in intercom and the jack also doubles as a headset jack for the radio?

So it is illegal to have head phones but not to have speakers built into the helmet? Or those stupid bluetooth cell phone things that people wear 24/7 and make them look like they should be protecting the president.

if it blocks both ears then yes according to my understanding. bluetooth is only 1 ear typically so it is ok. YMMV

internetautomart wrote: I wouldn't want any long drive vehicle without a radio. PLUS riding/driving while wearing headphones is ILLEGAL last I checked. That includes riding a bicycle.

looks like it's allowed in Mi

http://home.ama-cycle.org/amaccess/laws/result.asp?state=mi

I will say this, My inner-ear buds block all the wind noise in my helmet. I can hear more cars / engine noise with them in.