Quiet bikes would be place to start

There have been several letters written on the proposed motorcycle track near Granite Falls. All the complaints are about the potential for noise. A berm has been suggested, but believe me it will cost a lot of money, and will do nothing to satisfy the surrounding community.

I live about five miles from the Monroe Speedway, and although half deaf, I can clearly hear the cars on race day. Whether it be cars or motorcycles, the roar and bark of the engines seems to play a part in the emotion in racing. For those who are not spectators the noise is beyond annoying.

Since there is no place I can think of where noise will be embraced, it falls upon the participants, sports organizer and the equipment manufacturer to engineer a compromise. A Honda Goldwing is not a dirt bike, but one can hardly hear it go by on the road. A dirt bike, on the other hand, can be heard for at least a mile in each direction, especially if traveling at high rpm. There may be more horsepower with a tuned exhaust, but it is very loud. With a quiet exhaust system everyone would race at the same horsepower disadvantage, and the spectators would not be wrapped in the roar of the engines, but like I say we are looking for a compromise.

Curt Young

Snohomish