Are loud cans a good warning?

I was reading another thread where this was mentioned again as helping safety.

Riding the bike I do notice loud cans. I generally tuck myself in and let them get out of the way on the basis that they will probably be faster than me, and also a bit that they are likely to be mad, bad and dangerous to be near.

I can't say that I can ever remember hearing any motorbike's exhaust in a car, at least until they are already past me. I think this is to do with closed windows, radios and that sort of thing.

My feeling is that it is dangerous to rely on loud cans as being any sort of warning to others on the road.

Loud cans are a great warning, to the police!
Modern cars are so insulated that most cagers won't here you unless you're running no end can. Pedestrians will hear you, and stop their lemming like progress into the road in front of your wheel.

Not in the car but in the city centre, it stops pedestrians from jumping out in front of me, fact.

Cannae hear a thing from bikes unless they're directly beside or infront when I am in the car.

Yes they are some of the time - the Moses effect of cars parting when you filter is a good demonstration that they can alert people to your presence.

But the HUGE caveat is that while you will notice a difference in peoples awareness you should NEVER rely on it.

While a car driver probably wont hear you approaching a loud can does tend to make them aware somethings there when youre next to them which helps some of the time. But goes back to caveat of not assuming or relying they have. Same as presuming peds can hear you - one day you'll get taken out by one with headphones on if you assume people can hear you.

Loud cans do help, especially in heavy traffic when filtering. Only when the cage drivers have their window down and haven't got their radio blaring. It's true that modern cars are so insulated you can't hear anything outside until its too late. Modern day trucks are also getting the same inside - too quiet and you can barely hear bikes coming until they're past you.

I personally hate the standard quiet cans - they sound like hoovers and you can't hear bikes coming. I only use one for the MOT. Then it gets taken off afterwards.
If you are driving a cage, have the air con going, radio and windows up full, then you will never hear a bike behind you sporting a standard hoover can.

Yet boy racers are allowed to use any exhaust system they want on their cars no matter how loud it is. Not very fair....

[Balky001]

If you are filtering on any road where average speed is above 40mph I would say the vast majority of drivers will not hear your can unless you are sitting very close behind them for a while (which presumably you wouldn't be if filtering) - they may see your headlights (high beam on dual carriageways/motorways during the day if filtering not sitting behind them only when necessary), or hear you when you are next to them although above 60 this may be unlikely too. Someone I was sitting next too (they middle lane me fast lane) decided to take my lane on the A13 on Thursday - my can is pretty load and they decided not to check where they were moving to - I had been there a good 5 seconds or so.

A while back i was behind an ambulance with its lights and sirens full blast - one guy took over 2 miles to notice the ambulance on his rear bumper - unfortunately he wasn't the only slow witted one as the ambulance was slowed by dozens of cars an a dual carriage way - it wasn't even that busy - people don't notice what they don't expect half the time.

Best think nobody can see or hear you.

I agree pedestrians that are not on their phones, i-pods, talking or daydreaming may benefit, but only when road noise is not too high (around Bank in the City you couldn't hear a MotoGP when its busy).

Originally Posted by lynw

Yes they are some of the time - the Moses effect of cars parting when you filter is a good demonstration that they can alert people to your presence.

But the HUGE caveat is that while you will notice a difference in peoples awareness you should NEVER rely on it.

While a car driver probably wont hear you approaching a loud can does tend to make them aware somethings there when youre next to them which helps some of the time. But goes back to caveat of not assuming or relying they have. Same as presuming peds can hear you - one day you'll get taken out by one with headphones on if you assume people can hear you.

Sums up what I was gonna say better than I would have written it!

Much as it irks me and I hope that news of this incident does not travel far, I completely agree with Razor on this particular point. Apart from warning pedestrians a loud can has no benefit to safety at all. Complete tosh.

Cars might move if they have actually seen you in their mirrors, any other reason forget it.

Your approaching from behind, human ears are best designed for hearing sounds coming to them from front or side but not at their best at all in picking up sounds from behind.

Originally Posted by Peter Henry

Much as it irks me and I hope that news of this incident does not travel far, I completely agree with Razor on this particular point. Apart from warning pedestrians a loud can has no benefit to safety at all. Complete tosh.

Cars might move if they have actually seen you in their mirrors, any other reason forget it.

Your approaching from behind, human ears are best designed for hearing sounds coming to them from front or side but not at their best at all in picking up sounds from behind.

I have ridden with someone on a bandit with standard can and even he noticed the difference in drivers noticing the bikes between when he lead and I lead.

It was so noticeable I cant put it entirely down to simply getting 150 drivers who were more observant than the 100 odd drivers we past with him leading. Nor can I entirely attribute it to the lights. But thats my experience not yours so I wont expect you to change your opinion.

I guess you just have to ride in London with a standard can and non-standard can [as I have done, same journey pretty much same time daily] and notice the difference to actually consider that it does have some impact. Not as much as some would have you believe but it DOES make a difference - but as said before, not something to rely on.

Ps your thing about not hearing from behind well thats why its NOT to be relied on, but people DO hear approaching sounds from behind - quite frequently in London with the ambulance/police sirens. You say peds can hear it - but thats exactly the same approaching sound as a driver gets. A lot of drivers have their windows open [well on the A2 they do] so can hear the same thing a ped does. In fact its more likely as a driver isnt likely to be plugged into their i-pod.

Originally Posted by jimmy4237

Yet boy racers are allowed to use any exhaust system they want on their cars no matter how loud it is. Not very fair....

?? this comment confuses me no end??