Loud Pipes Debate...

[RyanK]

Do I love to ride? You betcha! I’ve averaged ~900 miles per month for a little over 2 years on this bike now (same for my Katana for over 2 years prior). I have a 2 Brother’s exhaust on my ’07 Yamaha FZ6 and love it! I’ve heard that “loud pipes save lives” but never really ridden a loud bike, and used this excuse to help justify the expensive purchase. Personally, they are borderline excessively noisy, but I’m really enjoying them. Louder exhaust isn’t all about sound though, it changes the way the motorcycles feels, and your mental perception of the bike while riding, making the whole riding experience that much more enjoyable. At least for me, and I’m sure for at least some others.

I completely understand it’s not for everybody. Are there times I wish it were quieter? Sure, especially 2 up with my wife in the mountains, although the extra power would be missed. If it were a dead simple slip-on I’d swap it back to stock for those rides, in all honesty.

I also understand that there is “tastefully loud” and “excessively loud”, which seems to be a fine line for many. A baffle-less Harley definitely qualifies as excessive in most books. Even a stock exhaust can be excessively loud if you’re running 10,000 rpm for the quarter mile between stoplights..

So, do loud pipes save lives? Or just upset the neighbors & cagers? Many who are reading this will never have ridden a loud bike, or even ridden with a loud bike. To those I ask, “What leg do you have to stand on?” To those who ride loud bikes, I welcome your opinions, along with those who have experience of riding with friends whose bikes are loud.

Prior to the install of my slip-on’s, cagers were pulling out in from of me or, more commonly, changing lanes into me way too often. Every week or 2 I would be restraining myself from telling somebody how to drive, with at least one heart-stopper per month. I’ve now put ~6,000 miles on my bike with the loud exhaust, and I’ve not had a single person cut me off or pull out in-front of me! Am I relying on this pipe to save my life? Absolutely not! I ride as alert as ever watching for cagers. But how can someone deny that loud exhaust doesn’t help my presence be known, especially with the data above? People are always looking when I ride by. Even if it is a look of disgust, at least I’m being noticed!

As for those upset by my loud bike, sorry, but if my close-calls are reduced this significantly, you’re just going to have to deal with it. At least you noticed me didn’t you!?!?! My neighbors haven’t complained, but I’m not trying to make them mad either. On a well carbureted bike, and especially on the new fuel injected bikes like mine, it is easy to ride a loud motorcycle “quietly” through a neighborhood without disturbing the peace.

 

[clockworkjon]

My $.02: They don't make me more visible, I just like the sound.

Synthetic is better than dino.

Pirellis FTW!

Naked is better than faired.

Arai is better than Shoei.

Two Bros is better than Leo Vince.

The FZ6R is not a chick bike, but its not as good at the FZ6, especially when said FZ6 is naked.

______ makes better frame sliders than ______ .

Have I covered all the bi-weekly debates?

 

[mstewar1]

Hey Ryan,
This one may get as volatile as an oil thread. It'll be interesting to see what develops. I'm apparently the first to vote, besides yourself. I voted no.

The thing is, to my little brain at least, is that the noise that a loud pipe makes may be heard by other motorists, but as for the ones who're traveling in the same direction --such as riding alongside someone on the freeway -- they're not going to hear a loud pipe. Unless the rider gets slightly ahead of the driver and revs the engine. Something about the Doppler effect, I think.

Anyhow, I think this issue (don't want to call it an argument yet, but we'll see how the thread develops...) is like oil, the second amendment, politics, etc. Folks either believe it or they don't. I don't.

edit-->dang, I took a long time to write my post...nice retort clockwork

 

[MarinaFazer]

I voted option B; however I wouldn't use the word nuisance. I like hearing bikes with exhaust, but I just didn't like riding one. Too loud to my dome. And when I'm in my car I have the radio going and even with the windows down, I won't hear you coming on street and definitely not on the highway due to road noise.

 

[CCHOUSEKY]

Gotta get one of these shirts from PJ, then you won't have to ask for my opinion.

 

[Motogiro]

Loud pipes save lives threads are as good as oil threads! LOL

I live a few miles from MCAS (Marine Corp Air Station) Miramar. It can get loud here but we're used to it and you can hear the big difference between some pilots when they're leaving the area. Some are on that throttle and trying to crack the sky wide open.

I have a 2 Bro. exhaust and it's no where near as loud as a Harley taking off unless of course I'm getting on it. It depends a lot on how I push it.

I noticed the same thing as far as cagers noticing you more, but you'll no doubt find people to argue that a louder sound doesn't make a difference and after market pipes defy the laws of physics in that they aren't heard sooner than stock exhaust.

I'll wholly agree that there are folks driving that have so much crap going on in their heads that they shouldn't be driving in the first place. So you must always be at your best awareness and skills. No matter what pipe you have they're going to pull into your lane or blow through an intersection.

Hey! Enjoy the "Loud Pipes Save Lives" war you've just started! LOL!!

I'm setting my death ray to stun cuz my mom always said, "As long as nobody gets hurt"
Gort

 

[agp]

I think they help. I've been hit by a car during city driving. I don't think it would of necessarily saved me but I think loud pipes would of given me a better chance of being noticed. I also think they're is such thing as too loud.

 

[mercm3]

Only speaking for myself, sometimes I hear the loud pipe(car or bike) sometimes I don't, sometimes it annoys me sometimes it don't. But I figure if I notice at times others will also notice at times and thats good enough for me.

Written by a dude with stock exhaust on bike(but scorps sitting in garage waiting for midpipe damn mail)

 

[bcityroller]

I voted they don't make me more visible and hopefully I'm walking the "not annoying my neighbors" side of the loud exhaust line.

My one piece of evidence is that two weeks ago while accelerating to get out of an SUVs blind spot I had said SUV begin pulling over into my lane while I was directly beside them at 5-6k with my Lasers (no db-killers) which means upwards of 110 db (thanks Reiobard. Guess they didn't hear or see me right beside them - funny they did hear my horn though. Conclusion - having an aftermarket exhaust doesn't stop idiots from being idiots. I do like how they sound though.

 

[Wavex]

CCHOUSEKY: I have that same T-shirt! Clay had sent it to me

I voted YES, because I believe my loud pipe "helps make cagers aware of my presence". I don't think anyone would argue that... If I split lane in congested traffic, it is very obvious that my Jardine captures ppl's attention, and often times they will even make room for me... and maybe they helped stop a distracted cager from changing lane right in front of me.... but do they really save lives? I wouldn't go that far... a loud pipe may have helped someone avoid an accident, but as the OP mentioned, no-one should rely on loud pipes to do anything for them... if they help in some situations great, but it's mainly luck, and one should ride like he was invisible to cagers anyway.

 

[jtarkany]

Hey Ryan,
This one may get as volatile as an oil thread. It'll be interesting to see what develops. I'm apparently the first to vote, besides yourself. I voted no.

The thing is, to my little brain at least, is that the noise that a loud pipe makes may be heard by other motorists, but as for the ones who're traveling in the same direction --such as riding alongside someone on the freeway -- they're not going to hear a loud pipe. Unless the rider gets slightly ahead of the driver and revs the engine. Something about the Doppler effect, I think.

Anyhow, I think this issue (don't want to call it an argument yet, but we'll see how the thread develops...) is like oil, the second amendment, politics, etc. Folks either believe it or they don't. I don't.

edit-->dang, I took a long time to write my post...nice retort clockwork

Agreed :thumbup:

 

[jaclroberts]

I am running a MIVV exhaust with removeable baffles, baffles fitted it's as quiet as standard, out definitely not! I have a 30 mile commute to work covering fast dual carriageways, fast A roads and B roads and having ridden with and without baffles, I have less 'moments' regarding inattentive drivers with the baffles out. So, yes, loud pipes have saved my life, probably!

 

[sideshow_downs]

I cant vote because there isnt the right choice for me. No i dont think that loud pipes make me more visable but i like the sound. It makes me more happy

 

[Wolfman]

Freaking loud pipes work....end of story...cars get out your way...thinking that evil is all but upon them.....which i think is fine....quite happy for them to get the hell out of my way through fright!

:rockon:

 

[blitzcraig]

it's been like night and day since i've put on my two brothers compared to the stockers. in the past few months since i've had them on, not a single cager has jumped out in front of me. maybe that's luck, maybe not. no one has ridden my ass like they used to either. it's been like cager repellent . rattlesnakes have rattles, poison arrow frogs have colors, hedgehogs have spines, i have two brothers. stay back :thumbup:

 

[Wolfman]

it's been like night and day since i've put on my two brothers compared to the stockers. in the past few months since i've had them on, not a single cager has jumped out in front of me. maybe that's luck, maybe not. no one has ridden my ass like they used to either. it's been like cager repellent . rattlesnakes have rattles, poison arrow frogs have colors, hedgehogs have spines, i have two brothers. stay back :thumbup:

Two Brothers...freakin loud, ear ringingly so...but yes, they work!

:rockon:

 

[forwil]

How do I get one of those shirts

Save life’s I don’t know but I like the sound
Saving for the scorpions and will have them before winter is over


Edit: found it
http://www.pjsparts.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=60

 

[(none)]

All of you thinking your pipes are saving your lives need to look up the doppler effect. Ever notice that even when a cop car or ambulance has it's sirens on and they are comming at you, you can't hear them until they are right on top of you? Same principle and they have their noise makers facing forward. You have your noisemakers facing backwards. The people in front might hear it a little bit, but most of the audible noise is directed behind you. Anyone ever been to a track day? Stood by the front stretch and watch ppl fly by? You can hear them somewhat as they are approaching, but you really hear the exhaust and such when they are right by you and flying past you. I've had bike with loud exhausts (Staintunes minus the baffles on the VFRs) and bikes with quiet exhausts (the others). People still pull out in front of you either way. People don't hear to see if the intersection is clear, they look.

 

[mercm3]

All of you thinking your pipes are saving your lives need to look up the doppler effect. Ever notice that even when a cop car or ambulance has it's sirens on and they are comming at you, you can't hear them until they are right on top of you? Same principle and they have their noise makers facing forward. You have your noisemakers facing backwards. The people in front might hear it a little bit, but most of the audible noise is directed behind you. Anyone ever been to a track day? Stood by the front stretch and watch ppl fly by? You can hear them somewhat as they are approaching, but you really hear the exhaust and such when they are right by you and flying past you. I've had bike with loud exhausts (Staintunes minus the baffles on the VFRs) and bikes with quiet exhausts (the others). People still pull out in front of you either way. People don't hear to see if the intersection is clear, they look.

I sorta agree with this but there are still plenty of times I've heard exhaust coming from behind and from oncoming traffic way down the road and times I haven't. I don't think saying people do or don't is a correct statement I would think more sometimes they do and sometimes they don't, and while people have pulled in front of you either way in order to get a fair assessment of if the pipes did anything you'd have to ask all the people who didn't pull in front why they didn't also.

 

[Yammi Dodger]

Interesting article from the AMA and their call for “self regulation” makes a lot of sense.

Considering all of the discussion in the comment section after the Mission One electric motorcycle post about how the bike is too quiet followed by comments by some riders saying loud pipes alert drivers to their presence and keep them safer, this article by the AMA addressing the noise issue seems very timely. The problem is loud pipes do attract a lot of attention, very negative attention, and they lead to anti-noise ordinances which hurt all riders.

The first time I saw a sticker that said “Loud pipes save lives” I smiled thinking it was a joke, a humorous justification for an obviously too loud exhaust, but I found some riders really believed it then, and still do.

As one comment pointed out, what saves your life is that gray matter between your ears. Learn how to ride, pay attention, ride smart, assume the cars, trucks and SUVs do not see you. Part of the fun of riding is knowing your reflexes have to be quicker than those of anyone surrounded by steel. Every ride keeps you sharp. You’re part of a special group, you don’t need a set of really loud pipes to save you, I certainly wouldn’t feel very safe if my exhaust pipes were all that stood between me and injury or death. Pipes can sound good without being obnoxious. There are far too many communities ready to legislate against motorcycles, don’t give them another excuse to head down that path.