|
|
Post by Dennis D on Sept 7, 2008 14:46:54 GMT -5
"LOUD PIPES SAVES LIFES" There is a reason that this is one of the popular helmet stickers. When I first bought my Yamaha VMAX it had a quiet exhaust on it. I had 3 cars pull out in front of me within the first 6 months! I replaced the exhaust with a high performance full system made by Kerker and changed the baffle to a 2.5 in competition baffle. Low RPM it has a rumble, mid range is loud, high rpm is obnoxious!! In the past 5 years, I have had not one car pull out in front of me. If I am on the interstate running 80+ in the left lane I see people looking up in there rearview mirror within 50FT I am heard now. Its loud but it has prevented me from anymore close calls. You've been lucky.... you're also technically in violation of noise ordinances in many locales.... and I don't wee why in the case of motorcycles those violations are overlooked. Just wait until the moron in the rattling car with the big subwoofer pulls out in front of you.... and you had no clue he couldn't hear you because between the loud exhaust and the damage you've done to your hearing, you had no clue... and you expected to be heard. And watch out for the people who are sitting at cross streets and in driveways waiting to pull out, too. They probably can't hear you either if their windows are up and their radio's on. It has to do with the doppler effect..... the speed differential isn't very great as you approach someone going just a bit slower. But.... ever sat at an intersection waiting on an approaching train with your car windows up? Unless it gives a blast on the horn, you barely hear it til it's almost right in front of you, even though you know it's there and are looking right at it. But it's so loud you have to raise your voice considerably to talk to the person in the seat next to you as it's going by if it's moving at a decent speed. Placebo effect! You're sure the loud pipe is what's saved your bacon for the last five years.... when actually it was an angel with earplugs riding pillion. If you like loud pipes and don't mind being offensive... I guess that's your choice, unless and until law enforcement decides to shift their focus to noise ordinance enforcement. But don't let your imagination lull you into the feeling that those loud pipes will protect you..... that angel could get a new assignment! |
|
|
|
Post by dean on Sept 7, 2008 15:06:09 GMT -5
"LOUD PIPES SAVES LIFES" There is a reason that this is one of the popular helmet stickers. Most car drivers dont look for scooters / motorcycles. If they here something different this catches there attention if it be annoying or curious, the key here it gets there attention. Why do you think they put sirens on emerency vehichles? When I first bought my Yamaha VMAX it had a quiet exhaust on it. I had 3 cars pull out in front of me within the first 6 months! I replaced the exhaust with a high performance full system made by Kerker and changed the baffle to a 2.5 in competition baffle. Low RPM it has a rumble, mid range is loud, high rpm is obnoxious!! In the past 5 years, I have had not one car pull out in front of me. If I am on the interstate running 80+ in the left lane I see people looking up in there rearview mirror within 50FT I am heard now. Its loud but it has prevented me from anymore close calls. Anyone can keep people away by being a nuisance. Kids do it all the time. All your doing is pissing people off and giving other riders a bad rep. It doesn't cause anyone to see you coming. It just makes people wonder where that sound is coming from -- while they wonder the drive straight. But let get this straight. You make it a habit to look in other people's rear view mirrors at 50ft while traveling at 80 mph? Sounds like you got the loud pipes as a substitute for, er.... |
|
|
|
Post by stevep on Sept 7, 2008 21:38:00 GMT -5
I was always a Honda guy rather than a Harley guy, and no, I never had an issue with my manhood...I like the sound of the scoot...in the western days, you'd ride into town shooting your guns to get attention, at least they did in the movies...or maybe I could put that ice cream truck music on old Francis, and ride real slow...
|
|
|
|
Post by Aerostudent on Sept 8, 2008 2:21:00 GMT -5
How about........."It's a Small World After All" at 2000w output!!!  That would get some attention! ;D Aero |
|
|
|
Post by mafunsalow on Sept 8, 2008 5:58:36 GMT -5
.in the western days, you'd ride into town shooting your guns to get attention, . still happens, depending where ya live |
|
|
|
Post by jimk on Sept 8, 2008 7:47:47 GMT -5
I must admot that loud pipes are annoying and distracting to many motorists.. I have owned some pretty badass musclecars, and they had nice throaty exausts.. Don't know how many of you remember having the Thrush sticker in your window... But it was all about throaty deap and low.. Not loud.. There is a reason for the exhaust, But going straightpipe will in fact improve your performance immensely.. MY CHevelle had 4 pipes coming out the back, 2 were nice throaty low pipes.. 2 were straightpipe, I had cut-offs from JC-whitney on the dash, and at a light, when I wanted to scare the begeezus outta someone, because I was an immature Butthead, I would pull the cutoffs and gun the motor.. NOw that I've gotten old, err matured, I realize that I hate noise as much as I hate people.. THerefore, I hate loud pipes and their riders.. so I have to make a conscious effort not to just beat them to death with their loud pipes.. ok ok... I don't really hate the pipes that much... Just the people... ;P J/k
Seriously though, Loud pipes are something you grow out of after you turn 20.. If you really think those LOUD pipes sound that good, more power to ya, but please stay on the west coast. thanks.... Oh, and ear plugs don't filter certain frequencies, they simply reduce the overall volume of the noise.. in other words muffle it. SO, if he is wearing earplugs he is muffling the sound, because he has to or he wont be able to hear.. guess what, he isn't so considerate of us...
|
|
|
|
Post by jimk on Sept 8, 2008 8:16:29 GMT -5
oh, and let me add a little side note...
Some people have very debillitating lung disorders.. My wife is one of those people... The loud pipes are more than just loud, they also are stinkier than the quiet pipes.. The stinkiness isn't the problem, it is what is making it stinky.. THere are more pollutants, more chemicals, more Carbon Monoxide, so what happens when you jump on the freeway with your loud pipes, and get in front of someone like my wife... YOu rideon with your loud pipes, and my wife has to try to navigate the car over to the side of the road before she passes out from coughing.. No, Im not exaggerating, I have had actually go and get her, because she couldn't drive anymore, because a truck with a messed up exhaust pipe caused her problems...So, remember, loud pipes can take lives...
JimK
|
|
|
|
Post by 90GTVert on Sept 8, 2008 17:13:47 GMT -5
If you explore every possibility and scenario, yeah loud pipes can kill you or save you depending what you want to argue.
For example, regarding Jim's story... A quiet vehicle can still produce bad emissions. You can put a super turbo muffler on a car with no catalytic converters and other smog/emissions equipment and barely be able to hear it polluting like crazy. At least with the loud pipes, your wife gets a warning to back off.
|
|
|
|
Post by jimk on Sept 8, 2008 18:10:42 GMT -5
I was overemphasizing it a bit. But yeah, there are some that are quiet that are bad with the fumes that get her really bad.. But the point is still there. The loud pipes are one of those arguments like the chinese/japanese scoots... The answer is multi-faceted, so that everyone is right and everyone is wrong. There isn't a perfect world where people watch for bikers all the time, so that loud pipes truly serve a purpose in that regard, but they definitely have limitations to that purpose, as with the loud booming stereos that wont hear the pipes, or the old man with the hearing aid that didn't replace that battery.. THings like that... At the same time, there is the aggravation they cause many people with the noise, my son suffers from migraine headaches.. When loud pipes go by, it's real hard on him... once the headache is gone, no big deal, he's 11... But, he still thinks they are cool... My oldest son, he thinks they are stupid, he's 32.. But basically even with loud pipes, your still invisible, and with the laws changing regarding decibel levels, I have a feeling more people are going to be ticketed...and more bikes will be quieting down... They are going "hog" wild with emissions and noise ordinances.. sorry, couldn't resist the pun...
JimK
|
|
|
|
Post by 90GTVert on Sept 9, 2008 8:00:11 GMT -5
I know the loud pipes annoy people, that's an unfortunate side effect to me. What the people who are annoyed for a few seconds don't think about is what loud pipes do for some of us. When I get on the gas in my car the sound of the wastegate opening up and hearing all the power is one of the few things in my life that makes me happy. So if anyone wonders why I keep getting mad when everyone tells me how it annoys them for 30 seconds, there's why. I'm not saying that makes me right, but not everyone with a loud exhaust is just doing it for attention or trying to annoy you... though I know some of them are.
|
|
|
|
Post by kilted1 on Sept 9, 2008 10:32:53 GMT -5
In my younger days I had a few Harleys with the large diamater drag pipes....and swore by the motto "loud pipes saves lives" well after my bike accident , Harley into the front of a Mazda truck, I had loads of time to think about did load pipes work?.... ahh no..
With the ever growing number of distractions drivers have going on in their cage, cell phones, music, kids, life etc it really dosn't matter how loud your pipes are to get noticed by other commuters....
I have the V8 Carbon fiber pipe on my scoot now it's a bit louder but not t othe point of making anyone's ears bleed like some of the big twin cruisers.
|
|
|
|
Post by 90GTVert on Sept 9, 2008 11:39:13 GMT -5
In my younger days I had a few Harleys with the large diamater drag pipes....and swore by the motto "loud pipes saves lives" well after my bike accident , Harley into the front of a Mazda truck, I had loads of time to think about did load pipes work?.... ahh no.. No single item will save you in every accident. The only things that would even come close to preventing every accident are attention and skill, and they must be present in everyone around not just one person. Even if everyone was a skilled rider/driver and gave their undivided attention to their driving, sometimes crazy stuff just happens. IMO it's a good thing for those of us that have loud pipes that many of you don't like them or use them. If everyone had loud pipes, no one would pay any attention when they heard one or look to see where the sound was coming from. |
|
