Loud pipes DO NOT save lives

scott123007

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So, I've always scoffed at the "loud pipes saves lives" shtick but recently experienced a situation that has caused me to reconsider, albeit under a very specific set of circumstances:

As a born and raised NY'r who has never experienced the freedom that is lane splitting/filtering, I recently found myself in California.....in a rental car.....in heavy traffic.....on the freeway......doing my best to get to my destination without incident. Had it not been for the loud exhaust note of the lane-splitting bikes approaching from somewhere behind, I would have undoubtedly cut more than a few of them off as I made several last minute lane changes trying to keep up with my GPS. After the first couple times being surprised by "quiet" bikes filtering, I learned to watch for them in the mirror and give them a wide berth but those "loud pipes" (which I did hear while they were still several car lengths behind me) probably saved me from putting a few of my fellow riders in jeopardy due to my lack of exposure to lane splitting.

Still not a fan of loud bikes but I have a new appreciation for the argument.
There is an element of truth in that scenario when traffic is moving slowly, but at speed, it's just annoying noise for people behind, with no benefit to those they are trying to alert.
 

squarebore

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I love the smell of two stroke in the morning. I love the sound of v8s. I love the sound of harleys, ducatis, and lots of other bikes.

The super ten has a magic sound when opened up. When you wind on the throttle and feel the acceleration and hear that satisfying tone from the 270 deg firing. It makes for the whole experience.

I can ride a quiet motorbike but I WANT to ride one I can hear.

If the loud pipe saves my life, awesome. If it just sounds good, then still awesome.


Sent from my SM-T580 using Tapatalk
 
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Bigbore4

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I am in the aftermarket pipe camp. I like to hear the bike. I do not like the straight pipes so many of the pirate contingent favor. And there are some pipes that even though baffled to a small degree have a very sharp sound. And I detest the continual look at me blipping.

I found myself in CA a couple years back. My bike is not overly loud, had the Leo Vince on at the time. But it did help when I finally worked up the balls to split. Most folks would move over and make room. Man I hope splitting catches on on a broader scale.

I live in an exurban area. There is a biker bar a few miles up the road. In the summer with the windows open you know when the bar closes.
 

maverick2076

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My wife and I rode Harley’s for years before switching to our S10’s. Every Harley we had got aftermarket pipes and intakes. Not because loud pipes save lives, but because stock HD pipes and air boxes are ridiculously restrictive due to EPA regs. Doing a Stage 1 upgrade on a HD can easily net 15-20 HP at the wheels, and that’s a good chunk of power those big bikes desperately need back. We never ran straight pipes. Most guys don’t. They sound like shit and are a pain to tune for. We also never ran particularly loud mufflers. You can get a good sound without being ridiculously loud.

We are both still running stock exhaust on the S10’s. Anthony’s reflash was enough of a performance upgrade for me, and my wife is still running stock. I’ll probably swap mine out for something eventually to get a little better (not louder) sound, but it’s just not a priority on the S10.
 

cyclemike4

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I doubt that loud pipes save lives for the most part but I also know without a doubt that on occasion if they didn't save a life they at a minimum saved injury with a traffic mishap. I like to hear my bikes too but I also like to be respectful to other road users and people in general. Every body I ride with on the road owns Harley's. they all have aftermarket pipes and they really don't bother me. One of them has straight pipes on it. I have rode thousands of miles behind him with no issues because he understands the respect that is needed for our way of life to continue. Every motor has a nice easy sweet spot that it can be ridden in that the exhaust is not being over bearing on others. Yes they are louder but like I said not over bearing. I have had incidences with quiet bikes and cars that have ran up on me I never knew another person was near. One was a Zero electric bike. I was in Rapid City lots of traffic and I was checking mirrors and the such. I completely missed this tiny 20 inch bicycle looking motorcycle that decided to pass me on the right. it was so small the head light looked like the other head light on the car behind him. I saw him just in time. I have had other bikes do that as well. they say the sound travels back. O.K. most of the sound does travel back but I can hear the louder bikes and cars before they get to me. I think that is the case with any driver who is paying attention to driving. Every single day I have to pull out onto a road from a blind spot. I always listen. I love loud cars and bikes there.
 

SJC

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I doubt that loud pipes save lives for the most part but I also know without a doubt that on occasion if they didn't save a life they at a minimum saved injury with a traffic mishap. I like to hear my bikes too but I also like to be respectful to other road users and people in general. Every body I ride with on the road owns Harley's. they all have aftermarket pipes and they really don't bother me. One of them has straight pipes on it. I have rode thousands of miles behind him with no issues because he understands the respect that is needed for our way of life to continue. Every motor has a nice easy sweet spot that it can be ridden in that the exhaust is not being over bearing on others. Yes they are louder but like I said not over bearing. I have had incidences with quiet bikes and cars that have ran up on me I never knew another person was near. One was a Zero electric bike. I was in Rapid City lots of traffic and I was checking mirrors and the such. I completely missed this tiny 20 inch bicycle looking motorcycle that decided to pass me on the right. it was so small the head light looked like the other head light on the car behind him. I saw him just in time. I have had other bikes do that as well. they say the sound travels back. O.K. most of the sound does travel back but I can hear the louder bikes and cars before they get to me. I think that is the case with any driver who is paying attention to driving. Every single day I have to pull out onto a road from a blind spot. I always listen. I love loud cars and bikes there.
Maybe you have lost some hearing?
A Harley with straight open pipes is obnoxiously loud and illegal.
No proper motorcyclist would ride like that.
We all get painted with the same brush and our liberties will eventually be taken away if this kind of nonsense continues.

Having said this, I have an Arrow slip on muffler on my Super 10.
It sounds slightly louder than stock.
Just enough to hear it.
Very respectable and certainly acceptable.
 

limey

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Up here in good ole Kanada we will all pay for fuk sticks that end up hospitalized because they didn’t wear a skid lid.
I think your exaggerating a bit. I don’t give a crap if someone wants to wear a helmet or not and I think it’s great the Sikhs got their own way but it should be everyone’s choice.
 

limey

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The post was indeed meant to be serious.
In addition to not saving lives, loud pipes also disturb other people.
Loud exhaust, especially of the Harley type piss people off and scare people.
They simply aren’t part of a proper motorcyclist lifestyle.
Yes your exaggerating. HD riders do more for charity than any other group .
 

OldRider

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Riders don't put on loud pipes in an effort to save their life. That's just the best reason they can come up with. Are they trying to save their life when they bust through a subdivision leaving for work at 5:30am waking everyone up and jarring windows? No. Are they trying to save their life when sitting stopped at a red light blipping the throttle? No. They put on loud pipes so people will notice them and look at them. "Hey look at me, I have a motorcycle".

I was riding through White Sulphur Springs WV on a quiet Goldwing a few years back. I had always wanted to stop at the Greenbriar and look the place over. I was turned around at the gate "no motorcycles allowed". I had a friend that rode out to San Francisco and I told him to make sure and ride through Seventeen Mile Drive. No way, "motorcycles not allowed.

Loud pipes have did more harm and turned more people against motorcycles than anything else I can think of.
 

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ballisticexchris

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Riders don't put on loud pipes in an effort to save their life. That's just the best reason they can come up with. Are they trying to save their life when they bust through a subdivision leaving for work at 5:30am waking everyone up and jarring windows? No. Are they trying to save their life when sitting stopped at a red light blipping the throttle? No. They put on loud pipes so people will notice them and look at them. "Hey look at me, I have a motorcycle".

I was riding through White Sulphur Springs WV on a quiet Goldwing a few years back. I had always wanted to stop at the Greenbriar and look the place over. I was turned around at the gate "no motorcycles allowed". I had a friend that rode out to San Francisco and I told him to make sure and ride through Seventeen Mile Drive. No way, "motorcycles not allowed.

Loud pipes have did more harm and turned more people against motorcycles than anything else I can think of.
I could not disagree more! Before I installed my Yoshimura exhaust the first thing I did was was pull out the quiet insert and opened up the restrictive baffle. I also drilled pulled the mid pipe, opened it and torched out the cat, and drilled out the air box for maximum air flow. I can care less what others think. I did this as purely a performance modification. Along with my dyno tune and richened fuel map I was able to push almost 115 RWHP out of this beast.

And I just love the sound!! There is something to be said when going in a tunnel or underpass and whacking the throttle to the rev limiter to let everyone know where I am. As an added bonus it really helps to get the attention of the tree huggers as I blast past the campgrounds in the local forests. Loud pipes are here to stay for me.

It's just really sad when I hear riders are intimidated and scared what the general public thinks. "Motorcycles not allowed"? Big deal. BTW you can enter Seventeen Mile Drive through the Spyglass Hill, Cypress Point, or Pebble Beach Golf Courses. No need to use the main gate. It's really fun to idle through the golf course and rev the motor right before the golfers take their shots on the green.

Loud pipes forever!!
 

scott123007

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I could not disagree more! Before I installed my Yoshimura exhaust the first thing I did was was pull out the quiet insert and opened up the restrictive baffle. I also drilled pulled the mid pipe, opened it and torched out the cat, and drilled out the air box for maximum air flow. I can care less what others think. I did this as purely a performance modification. Along with my dyno tune and richened fuel map I was able to push almost 115 RWHP out of this beast.

And I just love the sound!! There is something to be said when going in a tunnel or underpass and whacking the throttle to the rev limiter to let everyone know where I am. As an added bonus it really helps to get the attention of the tree huggers as I blast past the campgrounds in the local forests. Loud pipes are here to stay for me.

It's just really sad when I hear riders are intimidated and scared what the general public thinks. "Motorcycles not allowed"? Big deal. BTW you can enter Seventeen Mile Drive through the Spyglass Hill, Cypress Point, or Pebble Beach Golf Courses. No need to use the main gate. It's really fun to idle through the golf course and rev the motor right before the golfers take their shots on the green.

Loud pipes forever!!
LOL, Chris:)
 

509rider

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I have always called them dirt bike toys.. Jet skis, ultra light airplanes, snow machines. loud motorcycles, helicopters. They are fun when you are on them and they suck when you are not. As an example riding a nosey Harley is most certainly fun but listening to a couple of them pull up to the swim hole while relaxing with my wife is not. I respect my neighbors and want them to think that I care about the noise. I do not start my chainsaw at 5am (except during hunting season) or shoot my guns early sunday morning. I have the S-10 so I can ride around forest roads and then open it up and travel on the interstate. The nose simply does not work for me in the woods nor in my neighborhood. It might be different if I lived in Los Angeles. One other thing, and this is totally subjective but I do not like the bike to sound broken? When a loud motorcycle sounds like it really hauls ass I have to admit I like the sound but when it sounds like the South Park posted above it sounds kinda lame and broken. OK if you ride any motorcycle I have at least some love for you so thanks for reading my pathetic rant, I know you all will do what you do.
 

Xclimation

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Do you have numbers to back up this claim?

Loud obnoxious exhaust only scares and ultimately pisses people off.
It’s totally unnecessary.

This is my last post on this pissing match subject that we will sadly never agree on.

Where you live..not much traffic. Ride in daily traffic here in DFW, Texas or any other major city....then I promise you, you would think different. Especially in this age of cell phones..
 

Checkswrecks

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Came close to getting out the pruning shears because it was getting close to personal attacks.
Watching the thread for now.
 

limey

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Where you live..not much traffic. Ride in daily traffic here in DFW, Texas or any other major city....then I promise you, you would think different. Especially in this age of cell phones..
He’s just west of Toronto the forth biggest city in North America.
 
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