January 1, 2014
Turbospoke: Making Bicycles Sound Like Motorcycles
Noise Free America
For immediate release
Contact:
Geoff Keller
[email protected]
Larry Deal
[email protected]
Ted Rueter
877-664-7366
[email protected]
Chapel Hill: Vat19.com, “purveyors of curiously awesome products,” has won this month’s Noisy Dozen award from Noise Free America for marketing the Turbospokebicycle exhaust, which “transforms any bike to sound like a motorbike.” Selling for $22.99, this new, ridiculous source of noise straps onto 95 percent of bicycles, producing either “the deep sound of an off-road bike” or “the deep, growling sound of a muscle bike.” Turbospoke promises to “project the thunderous roar like a horn.”
Geoff Keller, head of Friends of the Valley, an anti-noise group in Nashville, Indiana, stated that “the ‘Turbospoke’ sends the message to kids that noise is not only OK—it’s cool. This product encourages children to emulate the sound from extremely loud motorcycle exhausts—-which is the result of illegally tampering with their exhaust systems. This product is socially and acoustically irresponsible. Vat19.com
should be required to stop manufacturing this product, and stores should be required to remove it from their shelves.”
Larry Deal, the head of North Carolina Citizens Against Loud Motorcycles, noted that “some six year-olds like to make their bicycles rolling noisemakers. They used to do that with baseball cards and balloon modifications to their bicycle’s spokes. Now, the Turkospoke modification is being marketed to them to satisfy their penchant for noise. It promises to make their spoke noise even louder.”
Deal stated, “Obviously, the Turbospoke should be banned. It should be illegal to market it and to use it. Local, state, and federal authorities should also take action against the motorbikes which the big boys and girls ride on public highways. Removing or altering a motorcycle exhaust violates federal law and the motor vehicle code in all 50 states.”
Noise Free America’s director, Ted Rueter, stated that “noise is a growing threat to public health. There are numerous studies which show a direct link between excessive noise and heart disease, sleep loss, hearing loss, and aggravated behavior. It is time for action to protect the public’s right to peace and quiet The Turbospoke is a completely unnecessary new source of noise, and it should be banned.”
Noise Free America is a national citizens’ organization devoted to noise reduction. Past products which “won” the Noisy Dozen award include remote keyless entry systems, whirly-wind leaf blowers, wireless audio furniture, the “Rumbler,” and the “Hornblaster.”