Loud Pipes do save lives!
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,882
Likes: 1
From: NC
Here are my thoughts. Unless you point your pipes toward the front of your bike, loud pipes do very little to alert people of your impending arrival. Pointing towards the back of the bike does more to alert people that you are already gone, and because sound waves bounce off objects behind you, it may be confusing to anyone in front of you who might hear, where the sound is actually coming from. This is why you can't compare loud bikes to Emergency vehicles as far as sound goes. EV alerts are projected ahead of them, not behind.
I will admit that loud pipes may have some limited benefit if you were riding along side someone or in thier blind spots. However, loud pipes could startle a driver to taking un-necessary evasive action if the noise is too loud or confusing.
I love the sound of a V-Twin and I will select mufflers that I find will enhance that sound which I find is most pleasing to my ears.
As far as I know most safety experts and studies conclude that loud pipes does very little if anything to improve our safety while riding and I know from experience that loud pipes will not prevent a deer from running out in front of you.
Mark
I will admit that loud pipes may have some limited benefit if you were riding along side someone or in thier blind spots. However, loud pipes could startle a driver to taking un-necessary evasive action if the noise is too loud or confusing.
I love the sound of a V-Twin and I will select mufflers that I find will enhance that sound which I find is most pleasing to my ears.
As far as I know most safety experts and studies conclude that loud pipes does very little if anything to improve our safety while riding and I know from experience that loud pipes will not prevent a deer from running out in front of you.
Mark
1. How is it I can sit in my livingroom, with the TV on, doors and windows closed and still hear a bike coming (with loud pipes) from almost 1/4 mile away? And that's from any direction.
2. Lets see the names of some of those "safety experts" and lets see the studies that "concluded" that loud pipes do very little if anything to improve our safety.
3. I know from experience that deer do hear loud bikes (altho not all react the same). Last month I had 2 deer come out to the side of the road up ahead of me..ready to cross and I blipped my throttle twice and they turned and bounded back into the woods.
Rounder said it all. In fact that's one of the easiest to understand and right to the point posts on this subject I've ever seen here.
I know that on many occasions my pipes saved my ***. And that's all I need to know.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 4,067
Likes: 60
From: Chesterfield, VA
Ok..
1. How is it I can sit in my livingroom, with the TV on, doors and windows closed and still hear a bike coming (with loud pipes) from almost 1/4 mile away? And that's from any direction.
2. Lets see the names of some of those "safety experts" and lets see the studies that "concluded" that loud pipes do very little if anything to improve our safety.
3. I know from experience that deer do hear loud bikes (altho not all react the same). Last month I had 2 deer come out to the side of the road up ahead of me..ready to cross and I blipped my throttle twice and they turned and bounded back into the woods.
Rounder said it all. In fact that's one of the easiest to understand and right to the point posts on this subject I've ever seen here.
I know that on many occasions my pipes saved my ***. And that's all I need to know.
1. How is it I can sit in my livingroom, with the TV on, doors and windows closed and still hear a bike coming (with loud pipes) from almost 1/4 mile away? And that's from any direction.
2. Lets see the names of some of those "safety experts" and lets see the studies that "concluded" that loud pipes do very little if anything to improve our safety.
3. I know from experience that deer do hear loud bikes (altho not all react the same). Last month I had 2 deer come out to the side of the road up ahead of me..ready to cross and I blipped my throttle twice and they turned and bounded back into the woods.
Rounder said it all. In fact that's one of the easiest to understand and right to the point posts on this subject I've ever seen here.
I know that on many occasions my pipes saved my ***. And that's all I need to know.
Club Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 112,202
Likes: 1,316
From: On a hill among the hills, PA
Another loud pipes thread... good grief!! I know for a fact that they scare deer.. they don't always run the other way but they do scare em!! Still one day the deer will get used to the loud pipes just like driving with your lights on during the day and they will eventually ignore them.. hehe!! I know squirrels don't like em either... haven't had one attack me in years!!!
Cruiser
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 214
Likes: 0
From: Mooresboro NC
I drive for a living, funny how I always seem to hear a good set of pipes coming up from behind me. I will say this, I did almost move into a lane where a motorcycle was about a month ago. He somehow snuck into my blind spot, and I had no idea he was there cause his bike was whisper quiet. I can always hear if a bike is in my blind spot if he has some volume to his pipes. Lucky for him I always check my blind spot before moving into the next lane over. Fact is, the biker in my blind spot needed to be seen cause he could not be heard! If he sneaks up into someones blind spot all quiet like, and they do not check, splat. This whole notion that that pipes only alert the drivers behind them is perhaps the biggest crock I think I have ever heard. 
I hear bikes coming from all directions and sure as chit never get confused as to where they are coming from, left, right, behind, in front. I am sure you do to.
I hear bikes coming from all directions and sure as chit never get confused as to where they are coming from, left, right, behind, in front. I am sure you do to.Just kidding of course, we all have to determine just how far we go with our personal safety and loud pipes to me is the least effective of all safety devices that are available and should not be touted as such without scientific data to back it up.
Mark
Last edited by mkbrower; Dec 19, 2009 at 12:27 PM.
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,401
Likes: 2
From: Kansas City Mo
Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,431
Likes: 1
From: Calgary
Another loud pipes thread... good grief!! I know for a fact that they scare deer.. they don't always run the other way but they do scare em!! Still one day the deer will get used to the loud pipes just like driving with your lights on during the day and they will eventually ignore them.. hehe!! I know squirrels don't like em either... haven't had one attack me in years!!!
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 2,882
Likes: 1
From: NC
Tourer
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 495
Likes: 0
From: Bedford Nova Scotia Canada
[QUOTE=rounder;5984176]it is not theory, the more attention you give to yourself, the more people notice. Guess fire trucks should do away with the high color paint, and sirens and such as too ambulances and police vehicles. School busses are needlessly paint yellow to draw more attention to them.
Have you been experiencing the real world lately? Camoflage and silence is used to not be detected. Noise, color, light are all used to be detected. Loud noise attracts peoples attention! Loud colors too! No other way around it.
It's amazing we ignore every safety feature available , big mirrors, reflective clothing, extra headlights, i mean think about it we wear BLACK clothing most of the time.
BUT take away my LOUD Pipes!!!!!!!!!
We have loud pipes because we "LOVE THE SOUND OF THEM" period.
Have you been experiencing the real world lately? Camoflage and silence is used to not be detected. Noise, color, light are all used to be detected. Loud noise attracts peoples attention! Loud colors too! No other way around it.
It's amazing we ignore every safety feature available , big mirrors, reflective clothing, extra headlights, i mean think about it we wear BLACK clothing most of the time.
BUT take away my LOUD Pipes!!!!!!!!!
We have loud pipes because we "LOVE THE SOUND OF THEM" period.
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Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 15,793
Likes: 1,133
From: NorCal916
+1 on the lights. I'll take extra lights for safety over loud pipes any day.
The people that pull out in front of you, can't hear the pipes pointed behind you. But they sure can see the five headlights I have
I don't care about the people behind me, they saw, and heard me when I passed them.
But my Rineharts sure sound sweet.
The people that pull out in front of you, can't hear the pipes pointed behind you. But they sure can see the five headlights I have
I don't care about the people behind me, they saw, and heard me when I passed them.
But my Rineharts sure sound sweet.
I like my cycle shacks
Thread Starter
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Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 7,562
Likes: 11
From: Palm Harbor fl.
). Yes our visual sense is more strong while driving, our auditory sense is second and if they can have laws on using headphones on bikes or cars citing the dangers of not hearing traffic and other things(another proof that we utilize auditory perception) it is obvious that there is serious proof that we utilize sound to alert us of our surroundings. The louder the noise, the more it is noticed, thus, the more of a chance we have of others being alerted to our presence. All this simply boils down to LOUD PIPES SAVE LIVES.
Last edited by rounder; Dec 19, 2009 at 01:03 PM.