Loud pipes save lives?

[87gsxrnut]

Well, a couple of days ago, it really might have.

Was driving w/my windows down. Was getting dark. I was merging from the far right of a 5-lane highway to the far left. As I got to the 4th lane, I kind of heard what sounded like a buzzing, nasty sounding car. Kinda glanced to the left, but wasn't REALLY focused in and was zoned out. Didn't see anything. Put the indicator on, and got ready to merge. BUT, that annoying sound was still there. I really cranked my neck around and saw an older Suzuki Enduro Thumper sitting in my blind spot. His lights weren't all that great, so he didn't make any visible impression during that critical time of day.

If I hadn't heard him, I certainly wouldn't have seen him. His pipe is why I double-checked my 8 o-clock.

I'm glad I didn't run him off the road. However, it really pays NOT to sit in someone's blind spot.

- Nut

[RampageRider]

yes sometimes noise does get your attention, but only "if" your bike is more quieter than the other machine, when I'm out in the woods racing you can tell if someone is near you coming up on your six.

[Ranger_b0b]

Ya, and he was probably cursing you under his helmet... Glad it work out OK

[Clint]

Damn cagers!

[St0nkingByte]

Well if the loud pipes save lives guys can get all the cagers to drive with their windows down then I guess they've got something there.

[MagnumForce]

The loud pipes debate will rage on until the end of time. If you don't ride on a cage's blind spot, there would be no need to find out if loud pipes save lives or not.

[blackie1491]

Right on EZ

[87gsxrnut]

FWIW - It made a difference last week.

- Nut

[nhoel]

Yeah, ever since I got my new pipes, I also try not to annoy them by not throttling it while passing them... sometimes, loud pipes can get annoying, they'll want to run you over...

[Jayhawkk]

Having loud pipes will definately get people's attentions and that attention could save a life but I would put more trust into proper gear, riding technique and keeping out of blind sports.

You can't argue that loud pipes won't get attention

[Trapper]

There is loud and there is too loud.

[Clint]

Statistics (if you can believe them) show that it's rare when it actually works. I prefer "high performance" sound, not loud just for loud.

[Jayhawkk]

How could you really get proper stats on this? I would like to see the actual study and who and what was questioned.

[Jayhawkk]

Personally I like the rumble at idle like a mustang for example and to mellow out at speed. I use my horn and a foot into the door panel as a way to stop from being ran off the road.

[Clint]

Here's a good argument:
http://www.virginiawind.com/byways/l...save_lives.asp

Another:
http://personalpages.tds.net/~dsullivan/Articles/loudpipe.htm

Neither provide much in the way of stats, but they summarize my thinking well. While there's no doubt that, at one time or another, loud exhaust noise prevented a death (or a few), that's not adequate justification to hurt peoples' ears and wake them up at night. My .02.

Sorry, 'Nut. I didn't intend to turn this into another one of those threads.

[St0nkingByte]

These arn't really components of the loud pipes debate but there's a couple things about the loud-piper'ers that give me a giggle. You often hear em say oh I try to keep my RPMs low so the bike isn't too loud, ha! I ride my bike as hard as I can and the noise it always bearable. They also often mention how they have to chug through their neighborhood at ultra low RPMs so they don't piss off their neighbors, spouses, frighten small children and animals, etc. Again too funny, us stock pipes guys just ride the darn thing. I also get a kick out of the whole 'I blipped my throttle so they'd know I was there and then they stopped <insert bad behavior here>'. If you can blip the throttle why not just honk the horn?

Since loud pipes are so subjective, meaning there are a wide range of pipes and levels of loudness I don't think you'll ever see a study of the safety of loud pipes. However I have seen mention that statistically bikes with modifications to the main components are more likely to be involved in an accident. Again the studies don't differentiate between pipe mods and engine mods however pipe mods are most common and easiest for investigators to spot, so you do the math.

[Jayhawkk]

I'm not an advocate of loud pipes just wnated to see what kind of study was done on them. I think the negatives outweigh the positives that can be covered by other means like horns etc. Interesting debate either way though.

[HAMMERPETE]

Originally Posted by EZridr1

The loud pipes debate will rage on until the end of time. If you don't ride on a cage's blind spot, there would be no need to find out if loud pipes save lives or not.

It isn't always the blind spot...some drivers just don't look left before merging left.
Lady ran me to the edge of the yellow line almost. I cracked the throttle and she finally looked out her side glass. Yeah she crapped herself.
Funny thing is I was just telling the wife about the upcoming merge. She instantly saw what I was talking about.
Not five years ago my buddy put his V-max on top of himself at the same spot. He had a merger squeeze him but he was busy watching her come over and forgot about the quick stopping car in front of him. One has to be aware on every angle.

[stp1971]

Hmmm,,,sounds like bad J'ville drivers!!!!! Well I can say that there has been a couple of times that the blip of my throttle got their attention,, but then there is the times that their radio was cranked and the cell phone was in their ear and no amount of throttle would have saved me.

Concur with Hammer,,, got to watch all angles.

[visser]

I'm sure I'll get disagreements from the cruiser crowd, but I don't buy it as a something to rely on. This summer in my 'vert, with the top down, I had the opportunity to unscientifically analyze when I could or could not hear a seriously loud Harley.

For a good two miles, travelling at around 40 in a 45 zone, on a completely straight road with three lanes, in mixed traffic, with a variety of ranges between me and the bike (the bike first coming up on me from a long distance), and with the bike slowly manuevering around me in all directions (back, rear quarter, front, etc), the only time I could hear him as a distinction between a bike and some other vehicle, while he was behind me (straight and to the rear quarters), was when he got within around 10 feet of my rear bumper. I would imagine this would narrow in a non-vert car with the windows up. Add a stereo or cell phone and it's zippy.

Before I lowered the sound of my micron can, it was very loud and I thought it would help, but I still had cars cut into my lane and, by their expressions when I used the horn, they had no idea was there.

Instead, I stay out of blind spots, stay in their mirrors for the brief time I'm even behind them, never hover for too long in back, watch the front wheels (they always give the drivers intentions away), and always keep the horn ready. The cheezy, high pitched horn actually cuts through well and seems to register with drivers because it doesn't sound like a car horn. Saved my butt many, many times.