Do loud pipes save lives?
 

Based on a FB post by Bennetts regarding E-Bikes and the subsequent neanderthal responses about noise. (I'm firmly in the NO camp)

Do they?

Re: Do loud pipes save lives?
 

In the Summer, if a car driver had his windows open, the radio off and wasn't chatting to his passenger maybe they would give the driver a little more warning, otherwise no.
What they do is make the average person hate motorcycles.

Re: Do loud pipes save lives?
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGyKBFCd_u4


Fags.......

Re: Do loud pipes save lives?
 

A half reasonable sounding bike passing through is one thing, an in-line four belonging to some tw4t who thinks it's cool to ride through an urban area on the rev limiter at 6am is another matter altogether.

I guess what I'm saying is that it's not necessarily the bike's noise that causes the issue, it's the way it is used!

But to answer the original question, No, I don't think loud bikes save lives.

Re: Do loud pipes save lives?
 

Assuming a loud pipe will save your life and relying on it instead of staying alert and riding defensivley will definitely not save lives. It can help in some situations but not as much as people think.


+ 1 to inconsiderate use of loud pipes. I love the sound of a good zorst but 12 at night when the local tw@s decide to use the road around the edge of our town as a race track isn't really appreciated.

Re: Do loud pipes save lives?
 

A loud pipe may not save my life but its definitely saved some dumb pedestrians/cyclists

Re: Do loud pipes save lives?
 

As expected, reasonable responses ;)

Re: Do loud pipes save lives?
 

The problem with any answer to this is that it's actually the wrong question.

It would be hard to argue that a louder motorcycle isn't (on average) more noticeable than a quieter one, and so in the very narrow terms of the question, loud pipes do save lives.

But, what the questions should say is: Is the noise pollution and reputation damage caused by having loud pipes worth the tiny increase in safety gained by them?

I'd say no.

Re: Do loud pipes save lives?
 

I'd say no.

However I prefer the Akrapovic on my GSXR, than the stock bazooka that was on the SV.

Re: Do loud pipes save lives?
 

Definitely more noticeable but I would argue this is situational, it's not infalliable. The same logic I would apply to hi-viz, effectiveness relies on being actively looked for (and in an age where everything seems to be getting painted yellow, that's harder to do)

As the owner of a motorcycle with a non-standard exhaust system, I must stress a fully road legal and baffled one :p

I would say no yet suggest this is also situational, some folks idea of an exhaust endcan is laughably about the size of a coke tin. Those for me are the bigger issue and likely IMO to cause more grief. The last one I rode near I couldn't hear my own bike over, just noise and not even nice noise.