Noisy Harley Davidson Motorcycles Upset Bondi’s Hipster Community

MATTHEW BENNS, Editor-at-Large, The Daily Telegraph

THE ground-shaking rumble of Harley Davidson motorcycles in full flight has cafe-loving hipsters on Bondi’s trendy Campbell Parade choking on their soy latte macchiatos.

Now the locals are fighting back with their complaints prompting a police clampdown on any Harley Davidson rider whose aftermarket customised exhaust pipe exceeds 94 decibels.

“I know this has been a source of complaint for some time and councillors have been working with NSW Police to monitor the issue more closely,” Waverley Council Deputy Mayor Dominic Wy Kanak said.

“It is just the level of noise. It’s worse when they come in packs of 10 or more. The problem has become more noticeable in the last couple of years.”

Mr Kanak said highway patrol officers now sat in wait near the car park where bikers regularly accelerate. Any noisy exhaust note results in an order to get the noise level checked with the Environment Protection Authority.

An EPA spokeswoman said: “The EPA partners with NSW Police to conduct joint compliance operations that target noisy motor vehicles.

“These operations target areas where the community has raised concerns or a problem had been identified by NSW Police.”

But Nina Hoglund of Harley riding group The Throttle Dolls believes the clampdown is an overreaction.

“It is a safety thing. If people can hear you they are aware of you,” she said. “But of course you have to show respect to the local people.”

A NSW Police spokesman declined to confirm reports that officers had a quota of one bike booking a day. “People who ride motorcycles need to ensure that exhausts and all other aspects of their motorcycles are safe and compliant,” he said.

But not all Harley riders are complying with the spirit of the law. One rider told The Saturday Telegraph he had been given an order to get his bike checked with the EPA.

“I did what everyone else does. Took it to the garage and got the exhaust converted back to stock. Then took it to the EPA where it passed the test and then took it straight back to the garage to get the aftermarket exhaust put back on,” he said.