Loud pipes save lives

Riderguide

Neil - The Rider Guider
Feb 24, 2019
386
481
63
South Australia
www.youtube.com
I ride a
Yamaha Tenere 700 T7
A decent loud pipe will only be heard if a rider is giving it the berry's and if they're giving it the berry's in a place where they actually need to be heard to decrease the chance of vehicle conflict, well they need to learn to ride safer. No rider should feel safer because of a loud pipe. I have the same opinion with high viz. Only ever used high viz riding gear in an official capacity as part of supplied riding kit. Other than that I rely on my own spidey senses :-D
So basically I don't rely on noise or visibility to survive, because that's leaving my safety in someone else's hands. I understand Lupin's comment about pedestrians also however, if I feel there's a chance of pedestrian collision I'm on the horn to wake 'em up from their zombie like phone trance.
 
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RideOnTwo

Smart Ass
Jun 14, 2019
196
222
43
53
Massachusetts USA
I ride a
BMW F750GS
I agree with everything that has been posted here. I am also a true believer that the Loud Pipes Save Lives is just an excuse for those that wish to rattle windows and break the law. It gives them justification for having Illegal and obnoxious straight header pipes. These are usually as someone pointed out That Guy in the neighborhood. This doesn't just apply to Bikes but Trucks and Cars as well. While they look and sound cool at low RPM, when revved up gets super annoying. With the direction of the all about me world common courtesy is almost non existent and That Guy doesn't care about anyone trying to sleep or watch TV.

Do I think that the regulations are a little too strict, maybe. Here in the US this is not a priority and is not enforced unless you catch an officer on a bad day. Because of this it is getting out of hand, Sport bikes with race exhausts and Harley's with straight pipes no baffles are just the tip of the iceberg and only during the summer months here. The problem is way worse than that.
 

UncleL

Uncle LongBeard
Feb 29, 2020
113
170
43
49
Midlands, UK
I ride a
HD, W800, RE
I don't think that it can save my life but I think it sounds hell a lot better. But I'm reasonable with revving though
 

Skant153

Wannabie Member
Feb 22, 2020
88
54
18
39
Rochester, NY
www.sandycreekmanor.com
I ride a
97 CBR 900RR
98 VFR800
98 Valkyrie
07 VT1100
I'm surprised there isn't more argument here.
The Doppler effect means you'll be closer to vehicles in front of you before they hear you than those behind.
I've never been run off the road on my cruiser but I can't even count them times I have on my sport bike.
Who cares if they do or not, loud bikes sound cool. That's all I care and don't try to justify it.
 

SighBored

@thesighbored
Jan 18, 2015
2,662
1,235
113
Malaysia
www.thesighbored.com
I ride a
2012 Kawasaki ZX-6R
The answer is HELL YES, regardless of what anyone thinks or says or etc. Having a noise-maker outweighs the silent nonexistent presence. If people say they didn't hear you, it's because they have their Justin Bieber cranked up at max volume.

I agree there are some, as with anything in this world, that take things to the extreme, and have exhaust sounds that are ANNOYING. In most cases, these douchebags also tend to rev it up at all the wrong places just to get attention.

Apart from the above case, I don't see any problem with the noise, it's not pollution. Noise pollution is having to listen to your whining-arse baby cry and wail all night/day long. If you just warm up your bike for a few minutes and ride off, an understanding neighbor would not be a dick about it.

:)
 

Skant153

Wannabie Member
Feb 22, 2020
88
54
18
39
Rochester, NY
www.sandycreekmanor.com
I ride a
97 CBR 900RR
98 VFR800
98 Valkyrie
07 VT1100
Apart from the above case, I don't see any problem with the noise, it's not pollution. Noise pollution is having to listen to your whining-arse baby cry and wail all night/day long. If you just warm up your bike for a few minutes and ride off, an understanding neighbor would not be a dick about it.

:)

I live out in the country, my only neighbor for 1/2 mile in any direction walks his dogs and lets them go all over my lawn. I rev the heck out of my Vulcan with straight pipes in the mornings before heading to work... At 5:45 am
 
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Ragamuffin

Wannabie Member
Mar 3, 2020
22
27
13
Rome, Italy
I ride a
MT-07 Yamaha
Most the time, the sound of loud pipes are just associated with another car.

Bikers are the last thought on the average motorists mind, especially in countries or cities that have a smaller percentage of motorcyclists.

Loud pipes CAN sound nice
Loud pipes CAN make you deaf
Loud pipes DO NOT save lives
 
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Pooley

Wannabe tractor enthusiast
Nov 19, 2019
315
379
63
Derbyshire
I ride a
2003 Honda Deauville 650
Just jumping into this thread, but, if anyone has seen my content I also think being seen is equally as important! But yes loud pipes are good until you pop in for an MOT...
 

Ragamuffin

Wannabie Member
Mar 3, 2020
22
27
13
Rome, Italy
I ride a
MT-07 Yamaha
It's hard to prove a negative, right? Maybe we can't definitely say they don't save lives but apart from anecdotal evidence, we can't say they do.

At the end of the day, you do you, pals

I do think there is enough accurate and reliable data to prove they do or don't. However, I'm a sucker for a loud pipe but not if its a bit over the top and drones on and on. I just don't believe it holds any safety benefit.

Just jumping into this thread, but, if anyone has seen my content I also think being seen is equally as important! But yes loud pipes are good until you pop in for an MOT...

Ah the good old MOT, noise was a little easier to get away with, it's removing a catalytic converter that usually caused problems. I hear they are getting stricter and stricter now. :(
 

Pooley

Wannabe tractor enthusiast
Nov 19, 2019
315
379
63
Derbyshire
I ride a
2003 Honda Deauville 650
Ah the good old MOT, noise was a little easier to get away with, it's removing a catalytic converter that usually caused problems. I hear they are getting stricter and stricter now. :(
Yes they are these days, a few years ago I put a legal aftermarket exhaust on a 10hp bike and got an advisory for excessive noise even though it really wasn't anti-social at all...

Tarnished the bikes clean mot history dang it!!
 

scooterwuf

L Plate Member
Jan 6, 2017
1,269
1,319
113
Philadelphia/South Jersey
I ride a
Kymco Downtown 300i
Maybe it's more about loud pipes are satisfying to a rider than saving lives. I really don't know anyone who's been okay with a loud bike early in the morning or late at night. My wife and I never liked it when we lived in Philadelphia and a rider would start their bike, quite loudly, around 3 am in a small alley between apartment buildings. Someone finally dumped a bucket of ice on him and his bike (it wasn't me cause I lived across the street).

As technology progresses to electrical and quiet vehicles, riders and drivers will have to rely more on physically seeing those around them. We're also seeing a move towards radar like detection technology in cars making the need to hear cars and other vehicles less and less, and loud pipes perhaps more problematic and exasperating.

- Wolf
 

Moto Mengy

Motovlogger from PA, USA
Mar 23, 2020
1,115
1,709
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I ride a
2018 Honda Goldwing Tour DCT
My first couple of Harleys all had loud pipes. By my 5th Harley, my '05 Heritage, I was only putting mildly loud pipes on it. Then both of my Road Glide Ultras I kept the stock exhaust on, I liked the quieter sound so I could hear the radio.

Now I own a Goldwing and it's so very quiet, and honestly that's what I prefer now. As I got older I started doing much more long distance touring, and when you have to hear your bike for 14 hours a day then loud can get really annoying, and fatiguing.

I do believe loud pipes offer some safety value, but I ride quiet bikes now all the same.
 
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WheelyPerd

Everywhere @WheeliePerd
May 18, 2017
579
520
93
34
South Africa
I ride a
Triumph Tiger 800 XCx
As I got older I started doing much more long distance touring, and when you have to hear your bike for 14 hours a day then loud can get really annoying, and fatiguing.
Agree with that, when I was younger I would never go more than 100km in one trip. Now I rarely go on a shorter trip.
 

WEB

L Plate Member
Feb 14, 2020
255
370
63
35
I ride a
Triumph Thruxton + Harley Lowrider
I just did 1000 miles in 17 hours on my straight piped Harley, tbh you don't even hear it once you're outside city limits, just pure wind noise
 
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Moto Mengy

Motovlogger from PA, USA
Mar 23, 2020
1,115
1,709
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I ride a
2018 Honda Goldwing Tour DCT
I just did 1000 miles in 17 hours on my straight piped Harley, tbh you don't even hear it once you're outside city limits, just pure wind noise

Yeah I got tired of the wind noise too, LOL! I don't wear earplugs but I do now wear an open face 3/4 helmet which blocks much of the wind noise. For most of my life I wore half helmets (or less!). Plus the Wing itself keeps a lot of the strong wind off me anyway.
 

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