I used to have a bike, and was almost creamed a number of times myself. The point about the noisiness being safer is a good one and I don’t blame anybody for upping the decibel quotient somewhat to save their butts. But an unaltered Harley is totally audible from inside a car under normal conditions (i.e. for the conscious).
Again, I am singling out the inconsiderate boneheads who just make noise because they “like it” or want to be noticed or whatever, regardless of the impact on others or the law.
Pray tell, what is there to like about noise? Is the noise still likeable when someone else is making it? I doubt it. I still think it is a power tripping fantasy, and that the size of the penis is inversely proportionate to the loudness of the vehicle. For the females maybe they feel empowered too. Yeah, in their minds…
Soft whirr? I guess I usually hear 600s wound up to about 12,000 RPM. It’s not a soft whirr.
The “loud pipes save lives” argument is, pardon me, a bunch of hooey. Most motorcycle riders ought to realize that their biggest danger from other motorists is between 10 and 2 o’clock. So why don’t they point their exhaust pipes forward?
Loud pipes serve mainly to annoy all the motorists and non-motorists that are not currently a safety threat. Of course, they may become a future safety threat when they begin to believe that motorcyclists are just a bunch of inconsiderate jerks that can’t share the roads in a civilized manner.
Nope, I’m not a big fan of the loud exhausts.
That being said, besides having their practical uses, internal combustion engines are just fun, and part of that fun is their sound. It’s just that people ought to realize that there is a time and a place for that sound, and outside my bedroom window at 2:45 AM ain’t it.
handy, I’m sure they do hear it the same way. Remember, most the guys who insist that the loud pipes exist for their own safety are the ones who get a shoestring and tie a steel mixing bowl on their head and call it a helmet:)
The noise of a Harley is the main reason that I will probably never own one. I love…LOVE a nice Electraglide, Fatboy or Roadking. There isn’t much prettier on two wheels… except maybe an Indian… but I can’t stand the noise they make. It’s not even so much the volume, but the pitch of that pop/crack that they make.
My bike is quiet enough that at 70mph, I can hear cars coming up beside me. I’d rather hear what’s going on around me than drown it out. Sides, the cars that usually try to take me out are the ones with the teenage punk kid with a stereo that could drown out Sturgis at high tide.
I’m trying to make up for my small penis. Also I like the added power a freer flowing x-pipe exhaust makes.oh bTW its a helleva lot quieter than a (insert import here) w/a “fart can” attached.
When a person puts a huge exhaust resonator on their Honda Civic they look like a total wanker. We still know that it’s a Honda Civic except it’s just louder and more annoying, especially with the stereo turned up louder than a Who concert.
When it comes to motorcycles I was always a supporter of loud pipes… not loud enough to wake the dead but loud enough that other motorists might notice as you are coming up on them.
My old Honda Supersport was fitted out with a racing exhaust and yes… I’ll say it… loud pipes save lives.
Until I read this thread I had no idea that any normal human would have used the argument that loud motorcycles save lives. Go figure.
I have a question for Feynn: Are you no longer a supporter of loud pipes? Small humor aside, does anyone think that loud exhaust noise does anything to ameliorate biker danger?
I just like being able to pull up beside someone, while they’re yapping on their cell phone, and just stay right there until they get so fed up with trying to talk over the noise, that they HANG UP THE EFFING PHONE AND DRIVE!
Something for people who like loud pipes to think about:
You might not only be annoying people; you may be causing physical discomfort. When a loud bike or car comes up next to me, or even when I’m too close to an especially loud telephone, I feel the pressure waves. When each wave hits it causes my eyes to flutter and I feel a little dizzy. And I’m near the threshhold of pain. It’s very uncomfortable. It only happens with pulsing noises such as a loud Harley or car or a loud phone, and when there is a good bit of bass in the tone. Unfortunately it seems the left ear is the most sensitive, and that’s the side loud vehicles invariably pass me on.
Do you really want to cause pain and discomfort to people around you? Think about that next time you’re in traffic.
Have you ever considered that the kid with the stock Civic with a 4" exhaust tip that sounds like a bunch of pissed off bees is as much of an embarassment as the guy with the v6 mustand with the Saleen kit and Cobra badges? It’s the same thing.
Most of my friends have modified Civics. It’s a hobby, same as their fathers and grandfathers have done since cars first came on the scene. The deal is, just like our dads worked on the muscle cars of the 50’s, 60’s or 70’s, we work on the cars of the 90’s.
And some things are the same. One of the first mods most kids make is an exhaust and an intake. They help, same as in your car. But they’re loud, for which I’m sorry, but it can’t be helped.
If it’s any consolation, the cops will pull us over for our window tint (legal), before they pull you over with your straightpipe exhaust(illegal). The cops hate us.
And we don’t run through neighborhoods blaring our systems at 230am either. The ones doing that are jerks, same as everyone else. And they come in all ages, not just kids.
For the record, the exhaust on my motorcycle is loud because the exhaust is crap and needs to be replaced. But since this is my disposable bike, I’m not willing to spend the money on new pipes.
That being said, I was out riding with my wife last night, and even when I was in front of her 50 cc scooter, I could still hear the distinct buzz from her engine.
To those of you with loud pipes: the rest of the world laughs at you.
I drive a Cabrio, stock obviously. What is illegal about a straight tailpipe? Tristan, how do the modifications to the exhaust and intake help? Do they make the car faster? Don’t know that much about cars, but isn’t that the principal with carburated engines and not the fuel-injected ones of today (if that’s what they are)?
