Do loud pipes save lives?

[Joe-Bob]

Originally Posted by J-man

Or possibly a horn, as has already been mentioned.

I was being sarcastic...they already do it. Idiots think it makes people see them, but it really just blinds people. Exactly how is that safer? Even the ****-for-brains motorcycle cops do it.

[garytelecastor]

I have lived near a biker bar for 12 years and I have to say that I do believe they make a difference. Try to sleep at 2 am while the entire marching band of 1%'ers leave for greater adventures at the same time.

[Panheadless]

This is a myth created by the ostentatious extroverted attention seekers to rationalize another of their self-promoting billboards, and who are more often than not wearing half-shell helmets or none at all in states that permit no helmets and probably half drunk.
If there were a grain of truth to this balderdash, the NHTSA and manufacturers would have them on all bikes.
What saves lives on a bike is awareness, experience, and the mindset that every car on the road is trying to kill you.

[kelnet]

Originally Posted by superchicken_VI

I'm not saying I can't hear in traffic, but another set of loud pipes just becomes part of the noise, not a sound on its own. I hear sirens long before I see the emergency vehicle running the siren. I just don't hear bike exhaust as a distinct sound that draws my attention to the bike. Horns, even wimpy little horns, get my attention more.

Have you never been startled by the sound of a Harley ripping past you at full volume? I'm not talking about a motorcycle travelling at the same speed as other traffic. I'm talking about those guys who like to ride in pairs or packs and pass people on both sides of the car. If you can't hear that, get to a hearing specialist. If it has simply never happened to you, wow, that is one sleepy town.

[1293]

Originally Posted by Norton72

So we all have our ideals of what keeps us safe. When it's 80 degrees outside, I wear short sleeves. I' always mindful of what the road rash would be like, but if I can't enjoy my bike the way I want, I may as well be sitting around the house in a tinfoil hat.

Peace.

So safety that crimps your comfort isn't worth it, but safety that annoys the living hell out of everyone else is fine?

[robt57]

I had a Bright green Kawasaki with a very loud pipe, Kerker Header no, large baffle.

I never got cut off, a car pull out in front of me etc etc

I have had a few silver quiet bikes, and got cut off and car turn in front of me often.

Was it the kawi green or the noise, I dunno... Both I figure...

Ironically the green bike had brakes so good [$$MODS$] it mattered a little less. A little...


The good part was all the debt I went into making the green bike fast and light [not like today, in the 80s it took money] I would not have to pay back if I killed myself on it... ;)

[chippertheripper]

I talk alot of smack on a couple motorcycle boards with alot of my fellow racers, but we never get the non-motorcyclist input there. Thanks tdpri for bringing all together.
Back to your regularly scheduled b@tchfest...

Norton72, they make really awesome ballistic mesh gear for when it's hot. Check it out. It breathes super well (it's mesh, duh) and will keep the sun off your skin, and hence much cooler and safer than no jacket at all. Really, it's at least worth looking at.

[tpaul]

When I first read the title, I thought this thread was going to be about noisy plumbing.

[viking]

I havent had a bike in years , but I still consider myself a bike crazy dude !

Reg pipes and clothing , owning a V Twin of some kind ( LOL ) is often about being a member of a certain lifestyle , or wanting it to appear so. Its got nothing to do with being a motorcycle rider as such , IMO.....

I love the sound of a healthy exhaust note , but the typical V Twin open pipes are just plain stupid , and cause problems down the road for all of us who enjoy anything engined related , racing or what ever.....

I dont think loud pipes saves lives , but have nothing against a slightly louder exhaust system on any car or bike , if its used sensibly ......Running completely open pipes on the street anywhere and rattle windows up and down the street just shows a lack of intelligence , IMO

And dont believe for one minute that its nessecary to make the engine perform better , not even a giga piston-long stroke V Twin stoneage design......

[Shepherd]

Older guys ride a bike with loud pipes and younger guys drive a ricer with a loud exhaust. Seems like they are trying to make up for an area in which they are a little short on.

[Norton72]

Originally Posted by 1293

So safety that crimps your comfort isn't worth it, but safety that annoys the living hell out of everyone else is fine?

Dude, if you're going to quote me, at least have the intelligence to READ my freaking posts. I never said a damn thing about comfort, and I DON'T BELIEVE LOUD PIPES SAVE LIVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So crawl back into your hole and get off my a$$.

Chipper, that's a good idea about the mesh, I'm finding more and more that I need to protect myself from the sun, and sunscreen doesn't always do the trick.

[Triton Thrasher]

Originally Posted by Skully

My wife has complained about the silent-but-deadly nature of the electric cars after a few close encounters.

You'll get her yet!

[1293]

Originally Posted by Norton72

Dude, if you're going to quote me, at least have the intelligence to READ my freaking posts. I never said a damn thing about comfort, and I DON'T BELIEVE LOUD PIPES SAVE LIVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So crawl back into your hole and get off my a$$.

Chipper, that's a good idea about the mesh, I'm finding more and more that I need to protect myself from the sun, and sunscreen doesn't always do the trick.

Sorry, I assumed the reason you wore short sleeves instead a leather jacket in 80 degree weather might be for comfort. I got the impression you thought loud pipes were effective for keeping people from running into you from this:

Originally Posted by Norton72

Yep.

My pipes are loudER, but not necessarily loud. They are aftermarket pipes, with baffles. I've been riding over 30 years, continuously. Many of those years my bike was my only transportation, just as it is now. I ride a lot of miles, in all kinds of weather. Countless times I have seen someone react to the sound of my pipes. They didn't turn in front of me, or they didn't pull into my lane. I have employed the throttle
blipping method countless times. It's a reflexive reaction, honking the horn is not. I had an airhorn on the bike for a while, and it was quite loud, but the compressor gave out suddenly. As long as my motor is running, I'm pretty sure the throttle blip will work.

[Norton72]

I normally do not wear a jacket at any time, whether walking, riding a bicycle, sitting on the porch, or riding a motorcycle -- unless it's cold enough for it. I often wear a jacket on a motorcycle when I wouldn't otherwise because you know, it's colder with the wind on you and all. So, I wear a jacket for comfort, not safety. Whereas others wear a jacket for safety not comfort. So if I don't wear a jacket, it's because I don't need it, not because I eschew safety. I still look around, stay aware, pretend nobody can see me. These are the things that have kept me alive for 30+ years. If wearing a jacket is what keeps you alive, more power to you.

As for your second nonsensical comment, had you read further you would have learned this:

Originally Posted by Norton72

I hope you realized that I agree with you, loud pipes cannot be said to save lives. Do they contribute to driver's awareness? Who knows? Who cares? I doubt that the people who started the whole "Loud Pipes Save Lives" thing even believed it. They only said it to piss off the people that hate loud pipes. Somewhere along the line when challenged on the reality of that statement, the knee-jerk reaction was to start defending it. There are some people that believe that all those stickers with the cute sayings that they plaster all over their helmets are biker gospel.

Apology accepted.

[CharlieO]

Originally Posted by 68 Shovelhead

I actually find the healthy pipes most useful to catch the attention of some idiot in a car next to me, who is moving into my lane because they don't seem to see anything smaller than a billboard right next to them.
I have blipped the throttle to catch someones attention when I see they are entering my space (their right turn) and haven't appeared to see me. It absolutely has caused drivers to stop and look on numerous occaisions, so I'm for it.

In 40+ years of driving a car, this same situation has happened to me numerous times. Distracted or inattentive drivers don't see either a car or a motorcycle, in my experience. As a law-abiding car owner, I have always used the LEGAL means to alert the offending driver, MY HORN. It has quite effectively prevented a collision, every time.

If we followed the logic of the "Loud pipes save lives " fools, every car, truck, and motorcycle would be unmuffled.

[Boubou]

My 3 year old nephew makes loud noises when he plays with his cars and trucks, hopefully he'll grow out of it before he reaches adulthood

[CharlieO]

Here is another personal observation on this subject: In my lifetime, I have seen the bodies of seven dead motorcyclists, either on the roadway or at the side of the road covered by a sheet and surrounded by law enforcement officers. In every single one of those incidents, the motorcyclist had been driving some kind of sport bike that is usually expected to have a loud exhaust system, like a Sportster or a crotch rocket. Not one of them was a Gold Wing, a BMW, or a typical stock touring bike. I have no way of knowing exactly how loud each of those seven motorcycles were, but I can guess that they weren't quiet. At seven funerals, the cyclists' friends weren't discussing the idea that "loud pipes save lives."

[otterhound]

Loud pipes can save lives if you use them to beat down an attacker . Aside of that hey will actually draw the automobile to them . Where you look is where you go and when that driver turns their head to see the source , they will be headed towards you .
In a situation , you want to alert them without drawing their focus to you .
Most drivers on the road are using one of their senses for driving , sight . Attempting to have yourself observed by using sound will only serve to distract , confuse and possibly anger them . Bad moves .
The answer to the original question is no .

[otterhound]

Originally Posted by chippertheripper

I want t hear what you have to say. I'll get to my credentials later.

It is later . Cite your credentials .

[DeepDrummer]

I've ridden motorcycles for about 40 years. The last 4 were Harleys which I also raced quarter mile. One reaches a point in racing where you have to get more exhaust out in order to get more fuel and air in for a bigger boom. Lower restriction pipes are required for that. I found however that straight pipes with no back pressure at all actually slows down a street bike in the end. My race bikes were not as loud as some of the open piped big twins out there some of which will truly deafen you. Now consider those same open pipes never hit the track, I have to wonder why.
Still all things considered, I try to never let the sound of people having fun bother me.
Sea doers, boaters, motorcyclists. All just people having fun. (some folks would ban this but still allow the guy next door who simply MUST leaver his lawn cutting or chainsawing until just the right time during your family BBQ to really annoy you. Sure a group of bikes with loud pipes may roll by but within seconds that heavenly sound will be gone and grandma can get back to her stories and all will be right with the world. Some of you need to chill a bit and stop being mad at the world. We all know it's not just the pipes you're whining about.
Instead of thinking "there goes another dirty biker who may cause trouble." Just think instead "There goes another person having a whole lotta fun. It puts things in a better perspective."
The awareness of a biker because of the sound of his/her pipes is not likely to save his life at all. In reality the people with the loud pipes are generally doctors/lawyers/bankers/dognut shop owners and generally weekend warriors who have no clue about how to ride safely and drag out their pride an joy one day a week after shining for the previous 6 days and try to pretend they are badda$$es loud pipes and all. These NIMBY's (Not In My Back Yard) like to let lose in your neighbourhoods instead of their own.
Rather than practice my disdain for those folks (especially the lawyers) I just tell myself as I am waiting for the thirty wanna bees to each put one gallon in their rides so they can make the next dognut shop that these too are just people out having fun. Turn on some blues and keep on going.
I can't help but smile when I think back to the hundreds of thousands of miles of riding under my belt where "Live to ride and ride to Live" holds true meaning, when I rode 4 hours a day back and forth to a job which was a 9 hour ride each way to home on the weekends. As the rain would inevitably come along on a lot of those trips I would laugh at the NIMBY's hiding under a bridge until the weather cleared. When the rain quit a quick shine job and they were off again loud pipes crackling while I was already home cracking a frosty cold one.
The bottom line it that it takes all kinds but the sound of people having fun will bother you only if you let it. Now crying kids and barking dogs. Now there we have a problem. Oops was that a Harley going by? Nice sound. Oops he's gone. Having fun...
Note: unfortunately I don't own a motorcycle anymore. I keep telling myself that I would leave the pipes stock if I got another one. pffffft What are the odds?
Now. It SHOULD be illegal for anyone to change the pipes on their motorcycle unless they have upgraded the cams, put bigger valves, bigger valve springs , higher compression pistons, improved ignitions system, a free flowing air filtration system, a bigger carb or remapped injection system and installed a solo seat and wears a helmut, jacket and chaps(or full leathers for those of you who prefer to ride in the fetal position with your knees in your armpits and your back hunched over) with at least 100,000 miles on them. And you better be wearing boots. Those with runners are out of the club.
Saving lives is a lame excuse for loud pipes in my humble opinion.
Some of the louder (not loudest) pipes I have owned set to a background song I wrote. I guess we can see where I stand on it. SO chill folks. A little exhaust won't kill you. Now taking pictures while you are riding of course is not recommended (lol).