"Why is it that every time we try to have a relaxing day," Cartman declares at the top of a much-discussed South Park episode, "a bunch of a******s on their Harley motorcycles show up?"
We've seen plenty of Harley hatin' here on our blog comments, but the show adds a whole new dimension to the anti-H-D stance. The episode-- available gratis on South Park's website-- depicts a pack of bikers whose disruptively loud Harleys prove too irritating for the truth-blurting, foul-mouthed lead characters. As the decibel assault escalates, the kids take the matter into their own hands, lobbying to have the dictionary definition of the term "f*g" changed to "annoying, inconsiderate Harley riders."
I won't put too fine a point on the suggested correlation between the Harley-Davidson brand and raucous exhausts, but if you've ever been annoyed by loud bikes, you can probably identify with the outrage expressed in the episode. And regardless of your stance on the ever-popular debate as to whether or not loud pipes save lives, you'll likely find humor (or irritation) in the show that's so controversial, the New York Times has reported that a gay advocacy group is protesting of the episode. Watch the 22-minute show here, and let us know: does South Park go too far, or do Harley riders really deserve a bad rap?
Sources: Hell for Leather Magazine, South Park TV, New York Times
Related:
- New York City Tries to Ban Loud Pipes
- Oakland Motorcycle Cops Stir Controversy with Loud Pipes
- New Laws Seek to Stifle Noisy Motorcycle Exhausts
Photo © South Park Studios; click to enlarge
I have ridden loud bikes (although, not as loud as a straight-pipe Harley), and I have ridden quiet bikes. I have also ridden bikes with enough vibration to numb your hands, feet and butt within minutes, and I have ridden smooth, vibration-free bikes.
And, I can tell you without exception, quiet and smooth beats loud and shaky every time. Ride a loud bike for 150 miles, and then ride a quiet one for that same distance. The loud bike will make you tense without you realizing it, and when you get off the bike you are shell-shocked by the noise for hours afterward. The quiet bike on the other hand, will allow you to enjoy the ride and the scenery and get to your destination ready for action.
So, where does that leave Harley? Well, Harleys are OK noise-wise, as long as you leave the factory mufflers on them. But, it seems like that is the exception in Harley World.
And these guys that say that loud pipes give them a safety edge in traffic? Give me a break. You and I both know that they have the loud pipes strictly because it helps build on that outlaw image they have of themselves.
I thought the episode was funny, when they were in the library was the best. I have a Harley and the pipes are a little loud on my bike. If ya can’t laugh at your self sometimes it’s a boring sad life.
The library bit was priceless….. the we’re just not loud ENOUGH bit, with the fireworks, cymbals, rooster, PA system…… I’m still chuckling.
This was a really funny episode. I have arguably the loudest stock pipe out there on my Stratoliner, but it’s a rumble and I never rev it needlessly.
Anyone who watches South park regularly knows they go after anyone and everything and push the limits… The Harley episode was just downright funny, and anyone who takes offense took it way too seriously.
steve ga, loud pipes do alert people that you are coming, and yes annoy some people, i have so called loud pipes on my Harley, more people want to hear it than complain about them, and im not an outlaw biker wannabe, as for the show it was brilliant i dont watch south park but did for this one, spose im a fag now, just waiting for someone to come out with it, but will only laugh….
Steve,
I can tell you at least two instances where my pipes have saved me from someone pulling out in front of me.
I could care less about looking outlaw. That’s pretty much out the door when i walk into work (probably not too many 1%er eye doctors out there), but i like the way my moderately loud pipes look on my bike. Explain to me why every day i hear a pickup truck with loud exhaust-? I’d say there’s more of an excuse for us than them.
As for this episode. Haven’t seen it yet, but my buddy was telling me about it and i died laughing.
I cant stand loud bikes and loud cars. I feel sorry for the fat old balding guy that shaves his head gets some tats,grows a goatee and buys one of these loud machines just to recapture or finaly acheive a little of the old glory of youth. It sad in a pathetic funny way. Go back to buying a corvette, please.
Just tell me where you live David, this F*g will be right over to rev my bike by your house. Your real tough on the internet David.
Loud Harley Rider!!: Ooh, no, please don’t rev your bike at me! I’m so scared!!! F*g.
After riding my new bike for a full year now, and having a loud pipe on it (single cylinder supermotard), I’m all for making noise on a bike to keep people alerted. That said, my bike still has a real muffler on it. It’s louder than stock but by no means stupidly loud. Harleys with straight pipes border on ridiculously loud, especially in packs. But hey, they stay safe since everyone can hear them, so it’s all good.
Yup, and I love these “bikers” that bitch about the loud ‘thumpa-thumpa’ music. Than take off at 125 decibels.
Folks, there is no doubt that South Park is a show about sarcasm. What is ironic is how a small group of elementary students with limited vocabulary and intelligence are able to persuade the mayor and publishers of a dictionary into labeling a group.
The show could have done the exact same idea with people who drive around in expensive cars blasting offensive rap music with the windows down.
The show is entertainment but not to everyone. If it offends you, complain to the network or change the channel.
Utterly Hillarious! The most meaningful line was when Cartman said “nobody’s intimidated by you, we all just think you’re a bunch of f*gs!”
And that’s so true…..what I think when I see these idiots is; why are you so needy? why are you so attention starved that you will do anything….even piss people off..just to get them to look at you.
It’s very sad really. I don’t know if your mother didn’t hold you when you were a baby or your dad never said he loved you but there’s surely something major missing in your sad, lonely psyche to make you so selfish that you go out of your way and spend extra money to be obnoxious, you’ve grown up to be a very lame f*g indeed!
Why do the gays protest, do they want to keep the name as if it is some kind of control over there identity like the black community has over the N word and look how they have used it in there community, this is not very smart of the sudo intellectuals andso perhaps they like the beat downs by the culture. So be it Harley- Davidson the gays are on your side.
South Park goes too far and loud Harleys (or loud anything else) are antisocial.
lol! You all need to take a chill pill. The show’s writers are tryin for just this exact aniumated dialougue-verbal fisticuffs. Its supposed to antagonize both sides of the argument while they- the writers – continue buying Hollywoods best (snif, snif, winkwink…get it?) with the money they make on the show from poor a******s LIKE ALL OF US who sit and watch the show. get your panties outta the bunch and laugh at yourselves! I love my LOUD WideGlide and if i kno it pisses u off i’ll rev it even more..lol. a******s!
> does South Park go too far, or do Harley riders
> really deserve a bad rap?
South Park does not go far enough. Harley riders absolutely are a bunch of fags and the rep is well earned. Any time I’m doing anything that normal people do – walking in a park, eating at a sidewalk cafe, or just plain enjoying the scenery, along come a bunch of leather clad a******s to ruin it with their noise pollution. There is no difference between the guys on Harleys and the morons who ride around with their 150dB stereos disturbing everyone.
The best line of the show “there are only two types of people that feel the need to play dress up and be as loud as possible – Harley riders and 16 year old girls”.
I agree with south park,
I ride an 08 CBR 1000, and harley riders are F*gs,
My bike is just alot faster and quieter, and more advanced.
I have no problem with the f*gs though.
Cheers
Internet Ninjas! You should tell the next f*g on a Harley what you really think. P*****S!
I’m not a big South Park fan but they nailed it. There’s no (good) reason for loud pipes. I rode for years and totally support any city/town that wants to ban load pipes. And there was certainly a double standard when I used to ride. Cops would pull over cars with excessively load exhausts but I never saw or heard of a bike with load pipes getting stopped.
That is HILARIOUS! I’ve always loved South Park, but I can’t grasp how some people don’t get satirical humor. I ride a Harley, and although it’s probably not the quietest thing on the road — a little bit of throttle control goes a long way.
Loud pipes CAN occasionally save lives (many people can attest to this). But if you ride a completely blacked out bike, wear a flat black helmet, a black baclava, black gloves, and black leather jacket… and then put on loud aftermarket pipes to “make your presence known to other drivers”… then you are just bleeding irony, and you should know this before ever throwing a leg over your bike.
f*** south park and f*** this nerd idiot trey parker
GSrider, believe it or not, not all harley riders with loud pipes are trying to intimidate anyone. I’ll assume you took the MSF course? Remember being told that you should ride as if you’re invisible, because car drivers likely just don’t see you?
Why do I “need attention?”
“The Air Force Safety Center is concerned by the high number of springtime Air Force motorcycle mishaps in 2009. 77% of the service’s springtime private motor vehicle mishap fatalities last year involved motorcycles. 68% were documented to be the faultof the four-wheeled vehicle drivers –not the motorcyclist!”
Loved the SP episode (it was spot-on).
People who ride to be seen (and heard) are jerks. There is no evidence that loud pipes save lives. It the loud bike riders are so concerned for their safety then why to the not wear helmets (or the useless half helmets)? Yes, cars are at fault in a large number of bike wrecks but these stats don’t take into account whether or not the bike was being operated in a safe manner.
I SoCal, it’s not unusual to see some young soldier-type on a crotch rocket splitting lanes at 70MPH or blasting around curves way too fast. If a driver makes a left in front of a bike, causing a collision, the car driver is at fault – even if the bike was moving far too fast for conditions.
I’ve had five bike (all quiet) and rode because it’s enjoyable to me… I never felt the need to make a “hey! look at me, dammit!” statement). (I also obeyed the “ride as if invisible” rule.)
The load bike (usually, but not always, HD) bunch has turned me into someone who doesn’t like bikers.
dear oh dear this makes me laugh americas economy in the s*** and an american show s*** cans its own product. Do they want more economic crisis on there hands? yes loud pipes are anoying but that episode dident do much to sell many american made motorcycles. stupid americans cant see the forest for the trees.
I guess I don’t mind the loud pipes too much. They do suck when their riders are blasting the throttles in front of outdoor diners or revving the motor just for the noise in a parking lot.
I get having fun. But having fun that ruins someone else’s ability to enjoy their day is inconsiderate.
Safety my arse! I’ve never heard a Harley while I was actually driving my car…only when I’m trying to sleep and a f@g, douche idiot drives down the street!!
I F’IN HATE THEM!! Die in a crash, f@gs!!!!!!!
Yes Harley riders are fags. OOOOOh so loud, soooooo cooool.
I wanna be just like you fags.
Email me unwantedmilk@gmail.com
would love to talk to you fags.
I ride a Harley. I like low-tech. I can work on it without taking all the plastic foo-foo stuff off. I looked at the Jap bikes, just didn’t do it for me. I used to ride British bikes too, loved them.
So, do all you “bikers” that call us fags, want to go home and tell your wife you got beat-up by a fag? LOL
If I wanted to pay 2020 prices for 1980 technology I would for sure buy a Harley because they do look really good.
Breeze (30) is a perfect example of the Harley rider mentality. For some reason they think riding a Harley makes them tougher.
I bought a bike recently and a Harley rider asked me why I didn’t buy a Harley, I told him because I don’t have erectile dysfunction. He was speechless
H.D for E.D
Loud pipes save lives?
If you’re that concerned that you would annoy everyone around you maybe you shouldn’t be riding a motorcycle anyway.
looks like it’s catching on
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=fag
funny
The show didn’t make fun of HD riders, only incosiderate ones. If you ride a Harley, cool. They’re nice bikes. If its loud-hey, I’ve owned loud cars in my day, and it does increase safety a bit.But if you spend 10+ minutes reving your motor in your driveway or a parking lot?If you weave through traffic to get to the front of the line at a red light?If you feel the guy from the “Diablos” shooting “Hell’s Angels” at a Toys-For-Tots charity drive was justified? If you suit up in quality denim and aromored leather and a $300 helmet, have your gf/wife/kid hop on the back wearing shorts, a tank top, and a $50 Walmart helmet, then take off superfast, mabe even popping a wheelie? You are a F*G! And I WILL say it to your face. Try me.
Harley Riders are Fags!
Wouldn’t make more sense to wear somethong bright rather than all black? Hearing is not a requirement for a drivers license afterall. Or what about a louder horn? If you are partaking in an activity where you think you have the right to be inconsiderate for your safety, there is a flaw in your logic. Just as if loud pipes on a bike are safer, wouldnt that same premise work for all vehicles? Loud pipes for all! I think not.
I ride a motorcycle. It originally was a very quiet bike. Since I made it a little louder, I have felt safer on the road. Cars notice me and I know longer have people trying to change lanes while I am next to them! I can understand some peoples frustration with the loudness of harley’s. However for the split second it takes a person to pass by on their bike is not really a reason to get all bent out of shape because of noise. People just love to bitch I think. Ultimately though. I choose to ride a loudish bike because I feel safer. I have seen a-holes who love to just make as much noise as possible.. whether it be penis envy or whatever. However these same loud a-holes are the same guys who bring their bikes to US military and 9/11 victim’s funerals to rev their engines so families do not have to hear protesters from the westboro baptist church shout things like “thank god for dead soldiers (or IED’s or AIDs, etc.). So instead of bitching about things that are so infrequent. Why don’t we pay attention to things that actually matter? BTW. I saw this episode of southpark and thought it was FUNNY AS HELL!!! If anyone gets mad at what southpark says anymore they need to again just chill the hell out!
@Mcbafe Good idea! Wear something bright in traffic and play some nice music instead. May I suggest the color pink and the Village people?
F@gs
motorcycles with loud pipes get in MORE accidents, not fewer accidencts… click here…
http://noiseoff.org/pipes/foreword.php
10 year old kids on here are sitting around insulting one of the greatest symbols of American engineering in history, the mother f****** Harley davidson. I take interest in Harleys, because it was passed down to me from my father. Sure I could sell this old heap of junk, and go buy a quiet Technologically advanced Honda. And I’m sure someone could sell their old Mustang, and go buy a Subaru. But what for? Style is style, and just because something is different, or a little loud, doesn’t give you the right to insult it. None of you can handle a real bike, and probably wouldn’t take pride on working on it. One of the best appeals of a Harley is it’s sound. And if you think loud things are bad, let’s throw all of the music in the world in the garbage and burn it. Let’s stay away from waterfalls. Let’s kill all the dogs, tigers, and elephants in the world, they’re loud too. How about you all respect American tradition, and stop being a bunch of self righteous P******. You can’t hide in your house and watch Degrassi all day. Starbucks and Jazz music isn’t everyones cup of Tea. And until you have a monsterous hunk of metal between your legs leaking oil, and spewing exhaust as it revs like a Bat out of hell down the street, you’ll never know what the f*** it feels like. If Harley riders are f***, Ask your mothers, girlfriends and sisters why their p***** get wet when they see us. Fuck off, losers.
Oh Ray…. Harleys aren’t different, they are just like all the other Harleys. Every HD rider is a cookie cutter of the rest. Black leather, loud pipes, 5 o’clock shadow…. usually a toothless bar fly on the back. (Those are the only women that get wet over a Harley, by the way)
Harley’s are slow, unreliable pieces of garbage sold at premium prices to people trying to chase the image. Nothing more. Nobody thinks you’re a tough guy because you’re on a Harley, and nobody is impressed with the noise, the sea of chrome, or the pirate outfit. You’re just inconvenient.
Sissyboy Faygets have noisy mufflers
Despite the BS arguments posters are making about safety, 90% of guys with loud pipes are tools looking for attention…and if you are among the minority who has loud pipes for safety, buy a minivan you wimp.
Riders with loud pipes are no different than the homeboys driving honda civics with glass packs in their exhausts and spoilers.
well..Ive been riding different bikes since 1982 Hondas,2 Suzukis , an old 77 XLCH Sportster and now a 2003 Harley 883R. My bike has the stock 2 into 1 pipe,it growls real well, I dont need to go much ovr the speed limit anymore and as far as