Loud cans save lives?

[fizzwheel]

Another point. So following this train of though does putting a loud exhaust on your 1.2 Corsa Chav Mobile make that any safer ?

Personally from my point of view, I put the can on my bike because I wanted it to sound better for my own personal enjoyment.

Fizz...(Sorry about this! :P )

I am 100% with you on that. I am seeking a different sound,not particularly a louder sound. It is something that is pretty important I think.

Blue flashing LED valve caps also makes cars move out of your way. I can only begin to imagine the results swapping your indicator covers for blue ones and putting your hazards on, a la Ghostrider 4 can achieve.

"I only did it the once yer honour and I realised how very lucky I was that the police I passed on that road were involved in a serious accident and didn't pull me and I took them out and threw them in my "spares" box as soon as I got home and haven't used them since." <- True Story.

IMHO having a loud can can't be relied upon to make car drivers aware of your presence, but it does have an effect on 90% of the dopey pedestrians who are busy squeezing between the cars in London

The other 10% have their iPods plugged in and are going to get squashed sooner or later

[northwind]

I've definately seen people hear my bike and make stupid mistakes... Mind you, it used to be horrifically loud... But then, the evidence of people noticing me because of it wouldn't be so noticable.

But i'm in the camp that you should never put yourself in the position where the sound of your exhaust can save you from being run over.

Originally Posted by Mr Toad

IMHO having a loud can can't be relied upon to make car drivers aware of your presence, but it does have an effect on 90% of the dopey pedestrians who are busy squeezing between the cars in London

The other 10% have their iPods plugged in and are going to get squashed sooner or later

While it makes a difference, does anyone actually rely on it? I doubt it tbh.

I certainly dont. Its helpful in advertising my presence but I never assume its a failsafe. Theres always a deaf person out there, a half asleep person whos looking elsewhere for the noise or those in the land of oblivion that arent going to know youre there unless you backfire next to their door. Done that once accidentally but she certainly stopped daydreaming after that

Do loud cans save lives? Yes - there are probably a few people who are alive today who wouldn't be if the can was quiet.

Should they be legal - no, and that's from someone with a loud can on. If you do then you've gotta apply the same principle to all vehicles. There are loads of kids who've been killed after running out in front of a car who'd be alive if the car that hit them was really noisy, but we don't want loud car exhausts as that would make the roads a nightmare of noise, so why should we expect others to tolerate loud bike exhausts?

Originally Posted by Well Oiled

Do loud cans save lives? Yes - there are probably a few people who are alive today who wouldn't be if the can was quiet.

Should they be legal - no, and that's from someone with a loud can on. If you do then you've gotta apply the same principle to all vehicles. There are loads of kids who've been killed after running out in front of a car who'd be alive if the car that hit them was really noisy, but we don't want loud car exhausts as that would make the roads a nightmare of noise, so why should we expect others to tolerate loud bike exhausts?

Hear hear. I did have an Art can on my SV, and it was kind of fun, but to be honest it was just damned anti-social. I like to get up early some Sundays and go for a blast, but waking up my whole street as I left is, quite simply, not on. So I put the original back, and that meant I got more overall enjoyment out of the bike, as I could now use it early on weekend mornings when the roads are nice and quiet. I've got no intention of changing the original can on the R6 for the same reason. Noise IS a form of pollution, after all!

I also think that one reason people notice you more is because they are relatively rare - those who don't live here in London may not appreciate that going up towards the centre in the morning, you'll arrive at the head of queue at traffic lights amongst 10 other bikes. At every set of lights... With that number on the roads, noisy exhausts would soon make life pretty unpleasant for local residents, and car drivers might think the bike they can hear is the one they can see ahead, and not you coming alongside!

I have a CCC can and I also have a blue LED at the front and I believe they have made a big difference to pedestrian awareness of my approach.

I got stopped by police and they gave my bike a good once over and they stated that the bike was obviously well looked after but they werent happy about the exhaust and blue led. I explained that I fitted them because I was fed up with peds walking out in front of me and I wanted to raise awareness of my presence and they agreed because they heard me then the blue light caught their eye. They then let me carry on my way wishing me good luck for a dry day

This is what the led looks like and it comes in handy when commuting IE the moses effect.