Loud Pipes Save Lives?

[00NissanNinja]

Originally Posted by alex.s

just had an idea. maybe we should all get these instead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nnzw_i4YmKk

that is pretty annoying, black dude was hilarious.

[Hadyn]

Originally Posted by Reswob

But obviously the louder you are, the more you are going to get noticed. No one is going to try to argue that the quieter you are, the more conspicuous you are. Are they!? It's exactly like riding a bright coloured bike as opposed to a black one, and wearing a "loud" helmet. Neither of those alone will save your ass, but they sure don't hurt your visibility.

Yes, but you can't put "I'm sorry about the noise, but my obnoxiously loud and disruptive motorcycle exhaust system might increase my conspicuity in certain situations and can potentially keep me from getting run over." on a helmet sticker.

Well I'm sure you could, but nobody would do it.

[2WheelGuy]

Originally Posted by bob706

" First, a word on motorcycle safety:
If you've put yourself in a position where someone has to see [hear] you in order for you to be safe -- to see [hear] you, and to give a f**k -- you've already blown it."


Nuff said

Ride Paranoid...Everyone IS out to get you!

[welcome2thedawn]

Originally Posted by alex.s

do you honestly think a revved engine communicates the message "you fu@#ed up" better than a horn? how many cars do you know that rev their engine when they're going to hit someone? or when someone starts pulling out in front of them?
now sure, in a low-speed situation where someone is creeping toward you, and you want to be "polite", by all means. rev the sh!# out of it and piss everyone around you off. don't bother with that "wimpy sounding" meep meep. that crap's for cars, right?

well, having seen it first hand, yes...if someone all zoned out, hears someone revving their engine right next to them, and looks up, and mouths sorry...ooops, they obviously were not paying attention like they should have been...well yeah, it worked

[hubcapbandit]

They taught us this tonight in my MSF class:

"Loud pipes risk rights"

Because you see, people are starting to get really upset about loud exhausts and are actually starting to take action against it. So what good are they really serving if in the end, they'll be banned/outlawed/whatever?

[road_rascal]

Originally Posted by alex.s

just had an idea. maybe we should all get these instead: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nnzw_i4YmKk

Yeah. Check out 1:54 when the retard blows a stop sign.

[Reswob]

Originally Posted by hubcapbandit

They taught us this tonight in my MSF class:

"Loud pipes risk rights"

Because you see, people are starting to get really upset about loud exhausts and are actually starting to take action against it. So what good are they really serving if in the end, they'll be banned/outlawed/whatever?

Technically most aftermarket exhausts are illegal already. They don't meet emissions (or noise) requirements in states that have them.

[sofo]

Where I live all the really hot bikes have stock exhausts since:

1) The RCMP is cracking down on loud exhausts on the street.
2) The local tracks have noise regulations at or near stock output.

[Anteraan]

Originally Posted by road_rascal

Yeah. Check out 1:54 when the retard blows a stop sign.

Exactly what I noticed...and well said. If the car on his left wasn't turning right, it would have been great accident footage - 2 stories in 1!

[ztrack157]

I would rather ride paranoid with a bright ass colored bike then ride with a loud ass exhaust. That said the sportisi exhausts are loud

[Soujyu]

Originally Posted by sofo

Where I live all the really hot bikes have stock exhausts since:

1) The RCMP is cracking down on loud exhausts on the street.
2) The local tracks have noise regulations at or near stock output.

Personal curiosity: if the Mounties nab you for a non-standard exhaust, what happens?

[revstriker]

I voted no. If someone is driving with the windows up and listening to music at a normal level, or even talking to a passenger in the car, the noise from the loud pipes will not even be noticeable. Once the bike is beside the car, or passes it, that's when the sound becomes more noticeable, but of course, the car is much less of a threat at this point.

Helmets save lives. Gear saves lives. Defensive and Offensive riding saves lives. Pipes... not so much.

[sofo]

Originally Posted by Soujyu

Personal curiosity: if the Mounties nab you for a non-standard exhaust, what happens?

One hell of a ticket on the first offence.

[Soujyu]

Originally Posted by sofo

One hell of a ticket on the first offence.

Like.... $10000?

[gogoKawi]

I am 50/50 on this subject. I can say, for a fact, that my exhaust saved me at least twice. One time was with a soccer mom (literally) in an SUV taking her kids to soccer practice. She didn't see me beside her, but she heard me. When we got to the light, she said the only reason she didn't get over was because she heard the bike, but couldn't see where it was. After she said that, I made a new rule to never ride beside an SUV, except when passing.

On the other hand, a loud exhaust can be annoying. There is no off switch. Coming home late sucks because you don't want to disturb your neighbors. I always get the comment "You were out late last night, huh?" Yeah...

I guess I just want to alert drivers that I am in the vicinity. Bright colors help you to be noticed. But if the driver can't see you, which is 90% of the time, then an audible alert is the next best thing. And let's be honest, the horn on the 250 is pretty much useless.

[sofo]

Originally Posted by Soujyu

Like.... $10000?

In a worst-case scenario, the bike will be impounded, license plates seized and require the exhaust be reverted to legal sound level then re-registered. License points can be subtracted as well.

Nice eh?

[supahamster]

Originally Posted by sofo

In a worst-case scenario, the bike will be impounded, license plates seized and require the exhaust be reverted to legal sound level then re-registered. License points can be subtracted as well.

Nice eh?

if this is the scenario... i'm sure they'll be hunting down harleys like no other mother, haha

[sofo]

Originally Posted by supahamster

if this is the scenario... i'm sure they'll be hunting down harleys like no other mother, haha

Don't get me started...

[Ken08Ninja]

Originally Posted by welcome2thedawn

well, having seen it first hand, yes...if someone all zoned out, hears someone revving their engine right next to them, and looks up, and mouths sorry...ooops, they obviously were not paying attention like they should have been...well yeah, it worked

And if the person was deaf they still could have hit you. Instead of revving the motor without going anywhere you should take evasive action.
Your better off not putting yourself in positions to be boxed in or side swiped.

[petiteninja]

it works for pedestrians, and where i live they outnumber vehicles.

[Soujyu]

Originally Posted by sofo

In a worst-case scenario, the bike will be impounded, license plates seized and require the exhaust be reverted to legal sound level then re-registered. License points can be subtracted as well.

Nice eh?

It's nice, but I'm surprised that monetary penalties aren't involved.

[Reswob]

Originally Posted by gogoKawi

On the other hand, a loud exhaust can be annoying. There is no off switch. Coming home late sucks because you don't want to disturb your neighbors. I always get the comment "You were out late last night, huh?" Yeah...

I always back it down to low rpms (where the bike is basically silent) when I pull into my neighborhood late at night.

[drowe531]

"That's because communities in Massachusetts and Arizona have threatened to ban motorcycles from riding in certain areas because of the noise"

From one of the articles KKim posted. On the Cape area they set up a road block and only stopped motorcycles to see if they had their stock exhaust. The rich a$$holes down there are getting upset by the noise and there are movements to even ban riding in those areas. I'm one that a horn is much better than a loud exhaust.

http://www.nippynormans.com/NAUTILUS.../STB-NAUT-COM/

Thats why I want to get one of these. As said we are accustomed to reacting to horns

[greg737]

The Loud Pipes Save Lives thing is just another example of "believing your own bullcrap."

We all live in a little world of our own creation. I call it "Personal Mythology." People secretly believe things like, "this bright orange Corvette compensates for my really small penis." It helps people get through life.

So the real truth behind wanting really loud pipes on your bike gets buried pretty deeply in "Personal Mythology." I'm betting the deep-seated psychological reasons are (or are closely related to) the need for attention and the overly-simpleminded perception that getting attention equals status.

Nobody is going to admit that the attention they get (real or imagined, positive or negative) by having loud pipes makes them feel important. They're not going to say, "I felt ignored as a child, so now I do whatever I can to make sure people have to pay attention to me."

Once you get your head lodged far enough up your rear end on an issue (any issue) you can easily fail to notice when somebody else is begging for you to show a little maturity and consideration. How's this for an example:

On the other hand, a loud exhaust can be annoying. There is no off switch. Coming home late sucks because you don't want to disturb your neighbors. I always get the comment "You were out late last night, huh?" Yeah...

Oh really, you don't want to disturb your neighbors? Would you even be willing to "get the hint" if they waited for you in the street at 1:00 AM with a baseball bat?

[patw]

The stock can is pretty quiet. IS there actually a way to make it even more quiet without changing the power delivery? I feel a bit guilty when riding through the neighbourhood at 10k+ rpm.

[dubojr1]

Originally Posted by patw

The stock can is pretty quiet. IS there actually a way to make it even more quiet without changing the power delivery? I feel a bit guilty when riding through the neighbourhood at 10k+ rpm.

yeah... switch gears. Geez... is 10K needed?

[silver_bullet]

Well in the past I thought when I tached the bike up when a car was about to pull out they noticed me, but after monday a Micron exhaust bounching off 16K rev limiter beside an R6 with a 2-bros shorty exhaust doesn't make a driver flinch...but a bike piling into them will.

[patw]

Originally Posted by dubojr1

yeah... switch gears. Geez... is 10K needed?

Makes the power delivery smoother... that's my story and I'm sticking to it

[kazam58]

I have the Sportisi VR system. As Matt stated, it's loud. And it's fricken awesome. I love it. I don't think it'll save my life, but never once did the stock exhaust turn someone's head, now I'll occasionally see people glancing my way. Cruising around the city, I almost never breach 6krpm, it's unnecessary. If I'm pulling in late at night, I keep it under 5k. It's not that hard, and I've never once woken up my roommates at 1am. And I ride up and park it right outside their window. If you're the asshole cruising down the neighborhood streets at 10k, I hope someone's out there waiting for you with a baseball bat. It's unnecessary. However, the idea of banning riding is certain places I find absolutely ridiculous. What's to stop the high school punk with his loud-ass civic from cruising through the neighborhood? I've still heard cars louder than me. And don't even get me started on harleys. I'm relatively certain the frequency of those exhausts messes with people's pacemakers. A 250 is hardly the loudest bike out there. Even 600s pale compared to many cruisers.
kkim, you hit a touchy subject. Everyone's now arguing for what they believe is fact. I have a loud pipe because I like it, and I won't try to justify having it by claiming its a new found safety feature. The only excuse I needed to buy it was that I liked it. And I believe that most of the people here who own one have a similar reason. If you're buying a pipe because you think it's the mother of all earth-shakers and it's going to save your life, you seriously need to rearrange your priorities.
Just ride sensibly if you're in an area where you might annoy someone. Keep the revs down. (Now can someone please press the Staples easy button for me?)

[welcome2thedawn]

what i find funny, is that is seems that i am now arguing for loud pipes, which was never the case in the first place....i would actually vote no....however, much like many things in life, things are not always one way, or the other....too me it just seems closed minded to only see one side of anything....i have no desire to get the loudest exhaust system i can find...and if i did, it certainly wouldn't be as an added safety device....however, i have seen more than one case of a loud exhaust getting someone's attention, who otherwise would not have been aware of a motorcycle on the road, as they are changing lanes, and texting about what's for dinner...unfortunately, the horn didn't quite do it

[adouglas]

Loud pipes are every bit as obnoxious as blasting hip-hop. Period.

I've got an AreaP Quiet Core and it's as loud as I ever want to get.

[greg737]

Loud pipes are every bit as obnoxious as blasting hip-hop. Period.

Good thing they moved you out of CB4 (location-wise, that is).

[TenaciousD]

I don't really know how I would vote in this poll. The only place I can see a loud exhaust really having any positive effect is when you are in the blind spot of another vehicle. Of course, you should never BE in the blind spot, but you do have to pass through it to pass the vehicle. My personal decision is to keep my stock exhaust.

[kazam58]

Originally Posted by adouglas

Loud pipes are every bit as obnoxious as blasting hip-hop. Period.

Some of us like our hip-hop.

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by kazam58

Some of us like our hip-hop.

That's very cool.

Now could you please invest in some frakkin' earbuds and let the rest of us get some SLEEP?

I live in Bridgeport, Connecticut, which has more than its fair share of Escalades with big rims, blacked-out windows, gold trim and stereos that can be heard literally a mile away.

My wife works late shift at the hospital and sleeps (or tries to) until 1 pm.

I don't mind anyone enjoying whatever kind of music they like. And I don't mind loud music per se... I'm a gigging musician. I make part of my living PLAYING loud music.

I just really REALLY hate it when someone insists on making ME enjoy their music right along with them whether I want to or not, at times of day when it's not cool.

Pumping the bass and blasting the volume is part of the whole deal with hip-hop, which is why I mention it. You generally don't hear people driving down the street with Bach cranked to 120 dB.

[kyl18b]

I find that even with loud pipes, most people cant tell the difference between an import tuner car and a motorcycle... also, it seems that most bikes are heard LONG before they're seen.

Stay away from their blind spots. Don't be stupid. Don't keep pace.

[b_eastep]

i only read about half the posts because you guys exhaust me.
i think in certan situations loud pipes may help. and it only takes one situation to kill you. that guy that ran over you might have heard you if you had loud pipes and so on and bla bla bla....
all my bikes have loud pipes and im the one that put them on there. did notice a diff in the ammount of people that noticed me after i put them on each bike. they arnt harley obnoxious but they are loud.
i do know that it made a major diff in the way deer react. now they are well on their way away from me by the time i see them.
so, i have loud pipes and think they may help a small percentage of the time. and if you dont like my loud pipes then you damn sure aint gonna like my HID's i have which i run on hi beam all the time. and if you dont like that and you flame me and call me names i will go out in my back yard and stomp on some baby chickens.

[mrlmd]

Having a loud exhaust so now people notice you is just plain stupid. Yeah, they notice you, for being an obnoxious asshole and an annoyance. That's the wrong reason to ride a bike, so people can look at you. You have no idea what they are thinking when you think you are being admired so.
Loud pipes damage your hearing long term. Do you wear ear plugs to protect yourself from your own noise? If not, you'll find out what you did to yourself in another 10 years and live to regret it for the rest of your life.
You want to be noticed in an emergency by making some noise? Get a Stebel or other variety air horn - much louder when needed and much more effective.
I seriously doubt the loud exhaust will alert deer and anything else in front of you, practically all the noise is directed out the rear of the bike. Those deer whistles sold for cars to alert deer have been shown to be absolutely ineffective.
Besides the fact that tampering with the stock motorcycle exhaust system is illegal in most states, and you can get fined or have the bike impounded if anyone decides to enforce the law. And the more loud bikes there are, the more complaints there will be, and eventually the fines will stop the loud exhausts. It's a lot of wasted money for a little "better" sound, and most exhausts. without other carb modifications will actually hurt performance and gas mileage if not properly matched to the engine.

[adri99an]

Originally Posted by b_eastep

i only read about half the posts because you guys exhaust me.

Yup

We ALL know loud pipes DON'T SAVE LIVES--this is KKIMS master plan here...to get people thinking and it has


A better question is "Why" do people have loud pipes?

[Hadyn]

Originally Posted by b_eastep

i only read about half the posts because you guys exhaust me.

/rimshot