Bonneville America Forums Forums Rider Safety Forums Riding Technique Loud pipes do save lives.

I never truly believed this this until my drive home form work today.

Took the truck this morning yeah I'm a wuss sue me. But temps violated my new 1 degree rule. If the air temp is not at least 1 degree fahrenheit above my age i dont ride.

Anyhow coming home 4 lane devided hiway. Driving Ford ranger with a cap. doing about 70 slow lane modarate traffic.Coming up on slower traffic decide to move to left lane, do a quick mirror check hit turn signal.Thats when i heard it the unmistakeable sound of a big V-twin with straight pipes.Now i hear him but still dont see him check rear view nothing just about have to put my head out to the window to see him, there he is right in the blindest part on my blind spot. Some moron on a HD (i only use the term moron because of where he was this isnt an HD bash). So i canceled my turn signal and wait for hin to go by. Guess what he dosnt, stays right there. I wait a couple seconds see if hes gonna pass or get behind me.Nope stays right there. Finally I backed off the gas a little and let him
ease by. Then I got in behind him thats when he fianlly opened it up and took off.

Now I dont know if this guy was coming up to pass and got spooked when my blinker came on. Or if he had been there a while.I do know that I did not see him approach.

I guess the whole point of this story is if he didnt have the loud pipes. I dont know if i would have ever seen him.
Chances are i would have put him into the median or at the very least scared the living poop out of him. And of course it would have been my fault.

Onejack, If you see my name on a reply you allready know it's going to be off the wall. Learned a long time ago to check 3 locations before changing lanes. 1-rear view mirror, 2-side mirror, & 3-turn your head left or right to quickly check that blind spot. When you least expect it, they'll be there. As for the bike in your blind spot, if you'd done #3 you would have seen him.
As for my second opinion. That loud pipes thing is just total bull. All it does is to make us motorcyclist's look like total uncaring jerks around the neighborhood. I like the sound myself, not to the extremes, but I "do" like the sound. After all, I have thunderbike exhaust on my america but I am very careful when starting it up in the morning and feathering the throttle around town until I hit the four lane. We need to be more condiderate of our neighbors "and" the neighborhood. Firm believer, be considerate to people and they will return the favor. Maybe not at once, but sooner or later they will catch on.

Jerry

Quote:

---

If the air temp is not at least 1 degree fahrenheit above my age i dont ride.

---

You old enough to ride?? .

Anyhow, loud pipes can get the attention of drivers.
Sometimes.
But don't depend on it (you got the moron part right!!)
Riding in a blind spot is asking for trouble. Had it been someone who doesn't ride instead of you, it could have had a different ending.
Or someone distracted by cellphone, kids, coffee, lunch, makeup, etc.
I have friends in the fire dept. and police dept. They could (and do) tell myriad stories about people who don't hear the sirens or see the flashing lights. I guarantee those won't hear loud pipes or see a bike.

Quote:

---

As for the bike in your blind spot, if you'd done #3 you would have seen him.

---

Probably not. There's a reason it's called a "BLIND spot".

First let me say that I believe a proper motorcycle should make a proper noise. However, the situation you describe is the exception rather than the rule and is perhaps a lucky outcome of a series of less than thoughtful, proactive behaviors. Particularly the cyclist’s contentment to place himself in jeopardy by maintaining his position in the ‘blind spot’ and what appears to be a less than safe approach to lane changing (I’m not criticizing – I’ve done it, too. And if you ask my wife, I do it all too often). Typically, and subject to conditions, the noise generated by a moving object is not heard to any discernable degree until the object is in very near proximity and or has just passed. Using that bit of science would dictate that using loudness as a safety factor would provide results far too late in most circumstances. My recommendation would be to select your level of noise on personal taste with some amount of respect for the general public, regard that noise as being for your personal satisfaction only and NEVER as a safety cushion, stay away from the ‘blind spot’ as best you can, when you find yourself in one – get out as quickly and safely as possible, when changing lanes –on any form of vehicle- use every observation tool available – eyes, mirrors, ears (yes, even ears for that occasional time when it may be a factor), and your head – beyond holding your thinking cap, it’s also a movable appendage and will enable views well beyond mirrors.

Jack, you may have to modify that age plan as you get older. I just got home and the temp is 5º below my age. I had my leather gear on and was comfortable. The outside temp was 52º. In ten years or so when you're 60, are you not going to ride in ANY 50s?

I have "louder than stock" pipes because I like the sound but not for safety...I consider that just a side benefit. Another benefit with my add-on pipes is they are quiet enough in the neighborhood but loud on the highway.

Denying that louder pipes don't provide an "additional" safety factor is ignoring your common sense AND experience...and yes I have also read the reports/test about "noise generated by a moving object, etc".

I'll trust my 34 years of riding on this topic.

They may not work well with cage traffic, but loud pipes definitely scatter the deer when I'm coming home at midnight. I'm not going light speed when I approach them, and I am constantly on the lookout for them, but the pipes do get their attention and send them in a different direction....

Loud pipes or not the guy on the bike is stupid for staying in the blind spot even after having seen your turn signal.
I try my best to stay out of a blind spot. I either move up or slowdown. I just don't understand why anyone on a bike would want to play chicken with a cage.

Yeah seriously!! Loud pipes may save lives or not, but we shouldn't RELY on one thing or another to saveo ur hides.

Quote:

---

Denying that louder pipes don't provide an "additional" safety factor is ignoring your common sense AND experience...and yes I have also read the reports/test about "noise generated by a moving object, etc".

---

Find comfort wherevere you choose. I didn't develope my opinion from the current writings on the subject, but more on my own observations. Listen to a passing train, airplane, or helocopter. Take note of where horns are strategically placed and where exhaust pipes point and ask yourself how pedestrians are still run over by trains and tractor/trailers. Its fairly simple - They didn't hear them until it was too late. If that doesn't persuade you, roll your car windows up and turn the radio on while your neighbor is mowing the lawn. You won't need much volumn to drown him out. I'm not saying there isn't merit to being heard - just that relying on it doesn't make me feel very secure

Grump's right, again... I live in deer-moose-elk country and my pipes - Thunderbikes - scatter the critters consistantly. Whatever else you can say about loud pipes - and they're certainly no substitute for careful riding, but wildlife steers clear.

Right again?? Hmmm, I think that makes 2 for this year...

I'm with Barry on the don't rely on it factor. Actually, you shouldn't rely on anything - pipes, horn, bright clothes, bright lights, etc.
Just assume nobody sees you and ride accordingly.

The wife and I went shopping today and as we were coming home we were approaching a side street on the left. We were still a couple hundred feet away. There was a car coming towards us and a p/u truck in the side street. I told the wife - watch - that pick up is going to pull out. I slowed way down. Sure enough, the pick up pulled out and tapped the other car right on the rear corner near it's bumper just as it was passing thru the intersection. She looked at me like I was psychotic, er, psycho, er, psychic....
Sometimes you can just sense these things. Riding seems to hone those skills.

Quote:

---

I'm with Barry on the don't rely on it factor.

---

Damn - Your right AGAIN!

Janet and I play a game like that when we are caging. We call it 'Spot the Idiot'.

We usually rack up a couple hundred points between us going to grocery store and back. Grocery store is 3 miles away.

Sigh.....

I never believed the loud pipes thing either. But the other night I was coming through some construction on rt 290 in wocester MA. And for those of you not from the northeast, this is a screwed up portion of road. And out of no were this harely coming screaming up splitting lanes. I never would have know he was there, if I hadn't heard he was coming. I wouldn't ride like that, or have a bike that loud. But I never believed it before then.

You gotta be nuts to split lanes in the Big Woo like that, especially on 290! I used to commute on that road...

That guy was nuts. We were all doing 70 in the 35mph construction zone with the lanes changing right and left. And he came and went in a blink of an eye. I never saw a wet spot so he must have made it through.

Hey guys...I'm brand spankin' new here, but been riding one thing or another for 20 years or so. I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents here and say that loud pipes DEFINETLY saved the lives of the couple riding (on an ultra-classic HD) on I-94 in Wisconsin this summer. I drive an 18 wheeler and had just finished passing a slower truck when I hit my right signal, checked my right mirror, saw it was safe to start merging back right when all of the sudden I heard the V-twin bellow and it almost sounded like he was underneath my truck! I stopped my rightward track and was basically stradling the "zipper" checking both mirrors and not seeing anything when all of the sudden he shoots out passed me, nearly on the right shoulder and gassing it as hard as he could, all the while managing to shoot me the bird with his left hand. His poor passenger looked terrified holding her head down. After he got ahead of me, I finished my lane change and picked up the CB mic and asked the guy in the truck behind me what happened. He said "the guy came within 2 inches of my bumper trying to get around you on the right." Moral of the story, this guy was in a bit too much of an hurry, but I would have made jerky sticks out of them had it not been for his 'loud pipes'!!!!!!

I think the saying should be "Loud pipes CAN save lives". They don't always, but they don't hurt!

well think what we will about the saving lives stuff. but our bikes when amingling with numerous Harley Davidsons like for instance at a typical PGR function....just dont measure up...at least not with T-bike pipes. I rode to Sierra Vista outside ft. Huachuca yesterday with a small contingent of PGR folks to support the local Sierra Vista American legion Riders in a counter protest against some lefties protesting outside the main gate. We rode past the bad guys with flags mounted.. slowly and revving the snot out our bikes and my measly little T-bikes although contributing to the din just dont measture up to those Harleys.

I guess I need some Scepters to even get in class with em.

Maybe I will sell my T-bikes and get some Scepters.

You'll need to just go straight headers to get anywhere near a harley like that...

Quote:

---

but our bikes when amingling with numerous Harley Davidsons like for instance at a typical PGR function....just dont measure up...

---

This you?

LOL. Maybe I'll keep the T-bikes.

PipeDr. I just knew that I could lure you into this one.
I'm still voting for you when you run for Senator.
Campaigning also.

Jerry

So, does the biker with loud pipes hear the horn or the truck over his shoulder? Does he hear the siren in the distance? I would submit to you that not hearing what is around you is as much or more dangerous than you making lots of noise. I do agree whith the animal thing though, they would help not to hit deer and the like.

How many of you guys are running open headers on the family cars to keep the family safe?

Just don't let Dwight know I'm running. It will start a series of censored posts

So "loud pipes" save bad riders lives?

It seems to me this debate can have no victor. Both sides of the argument certainly have merit.

I, for one, certainly do see the relative idea that LOUD gets some attention whether it be good bad or otherwise for a two wheeled vehicle with virtually no protection in a collision. Hitting a deer or a javelina in an pickup truck or a standard sedan is not a good thing but in probably 99% of the instances is certainly surviveable. Whereas the same collision with a typical deer at 60 miles an hour is almost certain to inflict great bodily harm or death to the rider of a motor cycle. Thereby some noisy pipes that just might give pause to that deer may be providential.

Likewise the driver of a car might just hear you coming as opposed to seeing you.

But its an argument that cant be won one way or the other.

To each his or her own. And keep in mind that loud pipes may be an indication of a teeny member as Bill's link would suggest.

Quote:

---

So "loud pipes" save bad riders lives?

---

If you are depending on your loud pipes to help, then you have already made a very large error before you even got on the bike. I assume no one hears or sees me when I am riding, and it is up to me and me alone to insure my safety.

Tom

all of this discussion is in its way diametrically opposed to the preferences of the largest majority of riders in my honest opinion whether they be Harley riders, Triumph or other metric cruisers.

Invariably it seems the louder pipes are preferred by most of us (in use other than stock pipes loudness being relative to the ear)

My Thunderbikes although not earsplitters are considered loud by non bikers I am sure.

None of us for the most part are happy with the sound of stock typewriter pipes.

I have only heard t bikes and Epcos and they are both loud when compared to the stock issues. The increased volume of these typical pipes we use on our bikes is certainly evidenced as preferential to us. Our bikes sound better coming and going. The increased bass tones the pipes emit are readily more apparent and pleasant to our auditory sense.

Virtually all the Harley riders I know worth their salt have louder pipes than stock. Most serious riders of Japanese cruisers also typically put aftermarket pipes on their rides.

Granted , loudness of pipes is no excuse for not attaining an acceptable level of riding expertise. But there may still be instances whereby the increased volume level might factor into someone hearing you that might not otherwise do so.

Just my .02 cents.

A cop told me that in surveys he had seen, over 50% of the people do not see flashing lights or hear sirens. Now that is scary! Ride invisible with a BIG horn.

The issue, of course, is preoccupied drivers doing everything but driving. The city of Austin announced it is going to try to come up with a solution to the preoccupied driver problem. I shudder to think what that will be.

Their last really bright(this is the honest truth)idea was to buy a bunch of bicycles, paint them bright yellow and leave them around town for anyone to use. The theory was if you needed a bicycle to go somewhere, you got on one of these and rode it to your destination and left it there for the next person.

Any 5 year year could have told the city council how this would turn out. Less than 60 days and they were all gone.

I agree with you. After riding for many years and then taking the MSF course, I am a much more aware driver. If you just WATCH it's amazing what you see and can predict will occur.

My pipes are louder than the feeble horn that Triumph supplies us with. Has anyone seen the movie Little Miss Sunshine? There is a hilarious scene where the family is driving in a crippled VW bus. Another driver cuts them off, and when the VW driver (Greg Kinnear) honks the horn, it sticks on. The sound of the horn is what makes the scene so funny. (beeeep..mmeeeeep.eep.nnnmmeep) Hahahaha. It cracked me up. It sounded uncannily like a Triumph TBA horn.

Cody

Wow, have to go with the loud pipes DO save lives, not all the time, and not deserved for the rider who passesd you on the right, but the passenger deserved the break. I've had too many instances where my pipes have made the difference not to acknowledge that they help...and we all know when we're out there on 2 wheels, we need all the help we can get or create.

Shiny side up, ya'll
Tom.

everyone has great points here- Stay out of the blind spot- wear loud pipes and ride with safety clothing you are happy with. Ultimately- if we chose to shorten the odds well.....