Do loud pipes save lives?

[keith_d]

Originally Posted by Bibio

proper attention on the bikers behalf usually saves your life. if you get into a lot of near misses then i would suggest that you go for some form of advanced riding tuition. too many bikers blame the cage driver when in reality its their fault, but nobody likes to be told their wrong.......

Observation didn't help my mate DJ last week. He slowed for a give way and a car ploughed into the back of him without braking. Nothing broken but his right arm is seriously painful and his ZZR1400 is a write-off.

If he'd been on a skinny little 125 with a glowworm in the brake light it might have been understandable, but the ZZR is huge with lights to match.

For what it's worth, the driver is being charged with careless driving.

[Seeker]

Meanwhile, German proposals: https://www.visordown.com/news/gener...-silence-bikes


We ride bikes at the sufferance of the general public - if there's one thing that irritates the public it is a loud motorcycle. I would sooner ride a quiet bike than not be able to ride at all. At my local bike haunt it is not uncommon for conversation having to cease whilst some banshee is achieving escape velocity. That, is too loud and this is in a wooded area with no houses, the same noise level in an urban street would make me want to ban bikes too.

[Popy Fresco]

I've been stopped in paris for being too loud


I was on my SV in which the only modification was a fuel end can (and it wasn't annoying loud)

[Dave20046]

Originally Posted by Seeker

Meanwhile, German proposals: https://www.visordown.com/news/gener...-silence-bikes


We ride bikes at the sufferance of the general public - if there's one thing that irritates the public it is a loud motorcycle. I would sooner ride a quiet bike than not be able to ride at all. At my local bike haunt it is not uncommon for conversation having to cease whilst some banshee is achieving escape velocity. That, is too loud and this is in a wooded area with no houses, the same noise level in an urban street would make me want to ban bikes too.

The general public are ******s though.
That said, it's not all of them is it - it's a portion (and I therefore revise my earlier statement to be directed at just that portion).Motorbikes are generally louder than cars, we shouldn't feel bad on account of people who struggle to accept basic things going on in the world around them, they're the same discontented people who have been doing 45 in a 60 for the past 3 miles and then speed up when you go to overtake them or rage or swipe at you for filtering even though it has absolutely no affect on them (and actually eases traffic).

A meet is a bit different from 1/100 vehicles passing by and I can see how that would annoy if incessant, but I do think it's up to the riders to be responsible you know, maybe change gear and perhaps do just a hint less than warp speed round the meeting spot.

[Seeker]

There are roughly 37 million registered cars in the UK as opposed to about 1 million bikes. The point I'm trying to make is that if, for example, the right wing press decide that bike noise is a "bad thing", it will force the government into action.

If you google noisy motorbikes you'll find many forums with complaints: https://www.london.gov.uk/talk-londo...art-motorbikes (an example from 2017)

As a group, I don't think we are particularly responsible with regard to noise and it will result in punitive legislation. It's kind of ironic that many riders wear earplugs to protect their hearing whilst riding a modified bike that can harm other people's hearing.

[Chris_SVS]

Your own exhaust isn't loud if you can't hear it *puts moulded earplugs in*

[Dave20046]

Originally Posted by Seeker

There are roughly 37 million registered cars in the UK as opposed to about 1 million bikes. The point I'm trying to make is that if, for example, the right wing press decide that bike noise is a "bad thing", it will force the government into action.

If you google noisy motorbikes you'll find many forums with complaints: https://www.london.gov.uk/talk-londo...art-motorbikes (an example from 2017)

As a group, I don't think we are particularly responsible with regard to noise and it will result in punitive legislation. It's kind of ironic that many riders wear earplugs to protect their hearing whilst riding a modified bike that can harm other people's hearing.

Earplugs are for windnoise more than your exhaust noise! My induction penetrates the wind noise more than the exhaust does, but the wind is the deafening element. There is little risk of damaging the general public's hearing with your exhaust unless they are attempting to climb down it. It's about proximity; the guideline on loud noises over 120db (bike exhausts are generally under 100 over 5k rpm, much less below) caveats 'beside your ear' - you're not likely over 5k in the correct gear unless on a motorway or NSL road where pedestrians will be a good distance from you and certainly not within earshot for a prolonged period.

I get the point on people lobbying to change things they don't like with 'some' basis, I'm thinking of two strokes (which was my first thought on noise, how popular were scooters way back when?) but they were phased out on environmental factors other than noise. If they're going to push to change things based on noise pollution surely they'd start with aeroplanes.

The same people moaning about a motorbike will go and have a gawk at or have a selfie (shudder)with a road-legal lamborghini which produces more noise. Just because we're on motorbikes and there's a prejudice I don't think we should all hide away.

[Chris_SVS]

Only a matter of time before the KTM/Husqvarna TPI system makes it to the road, I mean as a road going bike -not an enduro converted to Supermoto

[SV650rules]

I agree with Seeker, most people normally prefix motorbike with 'loud' and there are really some annoying bikes out there from the shriek of inline 4 to the thunder of a cruiser with straight through pipes ( my brother in law on his 1300 Yamaha V Twin can be heard approaching many streets away ). I left the normal can on my AL7 and fitted some LED spots to augment the pitiful single headlight.. for daytime visibility as I never need to ride at night. Problem is that your own exhaust is behind you, so our don't get the full volume. I reckon decent forward facing lights will save your ass better than a loud exhaust as most bikers get hurt by people pulling out on them.

[Red Herring]

Originally Posted by keith_d

Observation didn't help my mate DJ last week. He slowed for a give way and a car ploughed into the back of him without braking.

Observation includes rear observation you know. Without knowing the full circumstances I'll not offer a view on your mates incident but it astounds me how many riders pull up in the centre of a lane at junctions/roundabouts. A rear end shunt at such locations is one of the most common crash scenarios and on a bike you really don't stand much chance, especially when you consider you're going to get punted out into the very path of whatever you have stopped to give way to..... Don't do it folks!