Neighbours daily motorbike ritual

[lolaflores]

Every morning. At 10.30, give or take, our neighbour 4 doors down, starts the engine of his quite loud motorbike (I dont know the make), then leaves it to run for about 5 minutes before roaring off down the road.
He (it is a He I have checked), roars back later in the afternoon, about 4. He then does the same turning on, leaving to idle outside the house for 5 mins, then roars off.
He does this every, bloody day. The engine on the bike is loud and vibrating and it creates a heady thrum in the house. The delibrate polluting is getting on my nerves too.
Other neighbours have commented but as yet I haven't gone and said anything as I think I might be being a cranky old cow.Are there grounds for me to approach and ask politely for them to stop doing this" It has been going on for about 4 months now. Bored of it.
Added to which, there is the risk of the thing being knicked as it is left running unattended outside the house.
It is obviously his pride and joy but the shine has defintely gone off it for me.

He’s a twat.

Is it not illegal to let the engine run while stationary?

Op I sympathise. I expect this 'small' five minute noise twice a day has become blown out of all proportion because you start to anticipate it as the times draw nearer. I think other posters are right when they say you should make an attempt to use it more productively -such as for meditation etc - in order that it doesn't 'get to you' as much. Difficult I know. And @GlitterUnicornsAndAllThatJazz I have reported your post. Unnecessarily unkind and inflammatory and it's upset the op.

@lolaflores it can depend on age and type of bike. Mine is 20 years old and, like many of that age and older, needs warning up. I don't know about the newest bikes.

Also, no one needs to let their car run to defrost the windows. Use a scraper.

It’s unnecessary noise and air pollution and it very inconsiderate for those around you who walk and have to breathe in your fumes.

Please stop.

Under section 42 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, stationary engine idling is an offence that is punishable by a fine.

The Act enforces rule 123 of the Highway Code which states: “You must not leave a vehicle engine running unnecessarily while that vehicle is stationary on a public road.”

Doesnt apply to my private drive. In Northern Ireland. And chardonnay my car is very quiet. If you want to stand and scrape my car then go for it, i’ll Get on with getting my DCs ready for school.

Why Donny, is there a reason you can’t do it yourself?

Are you happy for your DCs to breathe in your car fumes?

Why Donny, is there a reason you can’t do it yourself?

I didn’t say I can’t. I don’t because I’d rather be inside hurrying children and sorting coats than standing outside scraping ice when I don’t have to be. My children already breathe in fumes. You should see the road outside my house. My car sitting for ten minutes makes little difference.

Tell me you walk everywhere, have never flown, bought anything that was transported by plane?

But we’re not talking about this Donny, you are overreacting.

It takes a moment to scrape off the frost, running the engine is completely unnecessary.

That’s all, no planes, no helicopters or anything else involved.

It's normal and sensible. Bikes rev higher than cars and should be left to warm up the oil and ensure it is circulating nicely.

Also, people with bikes tend to look after them. Starting and stopping a car for short journeys is not good for it but it's convenient

But we’re not talking about this Donny, you are overreacting.

talking about what? We’re talking about something, care to enlighten me about what that is?

It takes a moment to scrape off the frost, running the engine is completely unnecessary.

Try more like 10 minutes. And so what if it’s unnecessary? Are you saying you don’t use unnecessary fuel?

It sounds horribly annoying and would bother me too, but as he isn't doing it at an anti social time I don't think you have reasonable grounds to complain to him. Could you perhaps wear ear plugs/invest in noise cancelling headphones for the two times a day he is making noise?

Bikes are roughly 10 years or so behind cars technology wise (at least when it comes to emissions etc). Sadly up until about 2003 they were still rocking Carburettors instead of fuel injection meaning you could not just start it and go, even in the summer. It would kangaroo probably.

I had a more modern bike which was fuel injected and it could be ridden almost straight away, you just had to go easy on the engine for 5 minutes or so. Motorcycles generally Rev much higher than cars, so they need to be warmer to prevent engine damage.

More to the point though, what you describe sounds to me like he has an illegal exhaust or one with no baffle. Generally although louder they shouldn't cause vibrations (your windows)

Thanks everyone. I have got more perspective on the motorbike than when I started the thread and about the necessity of warming an engine.

There is alot to mull over

10 mins of scraping? what are you driving? An articulated lorry.

When I say unnecessary then it's full that not used for driving.

As for me, I walk. Both my DCs walked to school and back and I walk whenever I can, rather than taking the car.

It's simple, really.

Yes 10 minutes. I suppose you have no experience of scraping thick ice really as you’re so ethical that you walk everywhere so you can’t be expected to know the reality of it. It’s simple, really.

My car goes in the garage, but DH has one of those silver windscreen covers . The scraping doesn't take long, if it's just the sides and the back.

No need for ten minutes of running the engine. He leaves at 6am and that would be very antisocial.

Its 10 minutes a day during sociable hours. I think it's a tizz over very little.

So what actually happens if you don't let it tick over for 5-10 mins. I'm not referring to scraping ice. What actually really happens to the bike or car?

OP you sound like a window twitcher with nothing better to do. It's 10 mins a day, not at unsociable hours and he's doing it for a practical reason. Occupy yourself for those 10 mins.

You don't need to be a 'window twitcher' to hear a motorbike engine running for ten minutes.

HalieThanks everyone. I have got more perspective on the motorbike than when I started the thread and about the necessity of warming an engine.

There is alot to mull over.

Your advice on occupying myself has been offered several times. YOu missed the bus on that piece of original thinking. Thanks though

Here's another interesting article lola.

motorbikewriter.com/how-warm-motorcycle-engine/

Sparklingbrook Oh my word...that is perfect. I am going to print it out and pop it through the neighbours door.
It says it all and I don't feel quite so mental or liable to twitch curtains anymore.
Or, tomorrow morning I shall sellotape it to his seat as it sits unattended outside his house with another note of warning about it being nicked and his insurance company not being liable for the insurance to replace it?
That should brighten up his day? I will expect effusive thanks from him.
So happy. Off to wash my net curtains which Hailie will no doubt thinks are grubby AND twitch.

We know more about motorbikes than we did this morning now lola. We are virtually experts in fact.