Do loud pipes save lives?

[BobbyZ]

So do loud pipes save lives? Or is that just what the stupid people who like them say ?

[dayold]

I gave up riding years ago but think it could. They cause a lot of distraction around cars.

[Triton Thrasher]

Don't know, but I wouldn't depend on them.

[w3stie]

Originally Posted by BobbyZ

So do loud pipes save lives? Or is that just what the stupid people who like them say ?

They save lives in the same way bobbles on car aerials help you find your car in a crowded lot. It won't work if everyone does it,

[Freejack]

Anecdotally there certainly can be situations where loud pipes can be beneficial. However appropriate riding location (not in a blind spot) and situational awareness is much more beneficial than loud pipes.

It's like using your horn. Sure, you can beep like a New Yorker but if you stay aware, you can react appropriately and not have to use your horn.

Let's not forget that not having your EPA etchings on your pipe is a Federal offense with fines of $2,000 and in many cities, loud pipes are also fineable. Denver has a $500 (I think) first offense fine for not having the EPA brand and $990 (again, I think) for second offense.

I personally like a louder, throatier pipe (I have a Yosh on my Hayabusa) but it's also not ear splittingly loud like the straight pipes I've heard on many bikes.

I find it amusing that Loud Pipes save lives, but wearing pirate gear is an acceptable risk over some level of safety gear. But I support your right to ride without a helmet.

Carl

[superchicken_VI]

I've never in my life heard a set of loud pipes while in my car driving down the road. I do hear them nonstop as they sit idling across the road or driving by in the flow of traffic. As I've typed this, I've heard 3 motorcycles and one Honda Civic with a fartpipe. I don't see how on Earth they save lives. In fact I think that they make the motorcyclist less likely to be able to hear traffic around them because of all of the noise they're generating. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if they cause more crashes because of that.

[adifferentbreed]

Yes, they do.

[Doug 54]

no

[Brad Pittiful]

Originally Posted by adifferentbreed

Yes, they do.

how can they when i have my music up loud and i cant hear the pipes...what saves lives is people being aware of whats driving by them...no distractions of cell phones or putting on make up and the like

[Freejack]

I can see how they might save lives when folks are pulling out of driveways or intersections. Personally I like having the modulating headlights over loud pipes. I can't tell you the number of times I've had someone start to pull out in front of me only to have them stop due to the modulating headlight.

Back in the early 70's, the government mandated always on headlights for motorcycles due to the increasing number of motorcycles on the road. The accident level dropped. Over the last 20 years, more and more cars have always on headlights so motorcycles are getting lost in the lights and accidents are increasing. A modulating headlight (legal in all 50 states and all 13 provinces in Canada) pulls you back out of the crowd making you more visible.

Carl

[J-man]

Surely there is an equally, if not more effective way of achieving the same end that doesn't involve annoying the crap out of everyone you pass?

[Freejack]

I'm also an advocate for motorcycle training; BRC (Basic Riders Course) and ERC (Experienced Riders Course), especially for returning riders. Older folks are getting bikes now that the kids are gone but they're getting the bigger bikes and going touring.

I took the motorcycle defensive driving course back in the 70's and used the things I learned to stay out of danger. When I got back on bikes (a 2001 Harley Softail Classic), I was close to getting taken out 6 times (I counted) in the first month and had numerous close calls. I took the BRC and found out the skills I learned back in the 70's and 80's were different with distracted drivers in 2001. Instead of moving to the left side of the left lane, which left a blank spot to other drivers in the middle lanes for them to merge into with out looking, I protected my space by sticking to the right side of the left lane. The car in front and the rear weren't really a problem, it was the guy to the right that was the one that would take you out. Same with onramps. When going by one and you're in the right lane, stick to the right side. Then the guy who's rushing up to take the blank spot will actually see a bike in that spot and not try to merge in with you.

There were other things I learned that were different between riding back then and now which were very helpful and I recommend everyone who rides should take the BRC or ERC every few years to keep your skills up.

Carl

[chippertheripper]

I couldnt find the real poster I was looking for.

[Freejack]

Well, The Dragon is a tad different. Nothing like coming upon a semi in one of the tight corners blocking all lanes.

Check out killboy.com for lots of great pictures and videos.

Carl

[goldtopper]

No but helmets can.

[DesmoDog]

[QUOTE=Freejack;3953096]I find it amusing that Loud Pipes save lives, but wearing pirate gear is an acceptable risk over some level of safety gear. [QUOTE]

+10000

The argument would be much more believable if the patch was sewn on a set of safety orange leathers rather than a denim vest. Or the sticker was on a full face helmet rather than the plastic novelty helmet.

And no, I don't think they do save lives. They do anger people though, which seems to amuse a large portion of the population.


BTW - Loud clutches save lives!

[64Strat]

Recently, I've had my pipes save me from some potentially very nasty situations. One situation in particular was in congested traffic and a distracted woman, talking on a cell phone when she decided to take my spot WITHOUT looking, and I know she didn't look 'cause I was watching her. I very quickly pulled in the clutch and blipped the throttle and she darted back. Problem avoided. I ride very defensively, as if ppl are trying to kill me. Cell phones should be banned completely while driving, they are a huge problem... loud pipes may be a temporary nuisance but distracted driving costs lives. I knew a local couple were killed by a cell phone distracted 21 y.o. female 18 months ago.... They left 3 kids behind. And I also know there are idiots that abuse the pipes by blipping the throttle incessantly or blasting where they shouldn't but honestly, that is the least of our problems in the bg sweep of things.

So, emphatically YES!! they work. No BS, no nonsense... get over it.

[chippertheripper]

I love killboy, and that dude who posts all those crash vids of that one corner on mullholland.

As someone who's gone skipping across the pavement several times at speeds up to about 70, loud pipes are really no substitute for gear. One of those times I got run over, then my bike slid into my back, and I still went back out and finished the race. Minor stress fracture only.

[Mad Kiwi]

Sorry 64 strat, but you could just as easily have pushed the horn button. if not easier...

I have ridden and raced bikes my whole life. In my experience The ONLY people who support "loud pipes save lives" are the bogans that want a loud bike and don't give a rats ass about the social implications.

I mean as a huge motorsport enthusiast i love a nice exhaust note but some of the open pipe Hardley Davidson bikes around here are simply ridiculous, just stereo typical people trying to prove they can and will buck the system. Tough guys on the open road....

Eventually you will end up with the same as we have here after all the boy racers got carried away, rules and regulations that prohibit even mild exhaust noise, tickets for "loss of traction" etc....

IMO YMMV.

[DesmoDog]

Originally Posted by 64Strat

Recently, I've had my pipes save me from some potentially very nasty situations. One situation in particular was in congested traffic and a distracted woman, talking on a cell phone when she decided to take my spot WITHOUT looking, and I know she didn't look 'cause I was watching her. I very quickly pulled in the clutch and blipped the throttle and she darted back. Problem avoided.

So, emphatically YES!! they work. No BS, no nonsense... get over it.

The same thing has happened to me in my car. Luckily my car has a device known as a horn. Pressing a button makes it blare, which luckily has resulted in the same accident avoidance as your loud pipes.

The above pipes weren't loud enough to keep the woman from starting to move over so they didn't save any lives there. Bikes don't come standard with loud pipes, people have to buy them from the aftermarket. Aftermarket bike horns cost less than aftermarket pipes, horns don't require you to rejet/reflash the bike to make it run right, and I can hit my horn button quicker than you can pull in the clutch and rev the engine. I can even accelerate away from something while activating a horn. With the clutch in, you're just coasting. Given all that, it would seem horns are capable of saving more lives than loud pipes are?

Your anecdote does nothing to convince me loud pipes save lives any better than other solutions.

But I pretty much agree with everything else you were talking about.

PS - yes, I do ride, for the last 20+ years now. And a couple of my bikes are less quiet than when they left the factory so I'm no saint either...