Loud Pipes..yes Or No

I'm not sure just how the research would be conducted but it would be interesting to know if there's any available data on the safety impact of loud pipes. That would be most helpful to put the "loud pipes saves lives" debate to rest. Or at least provide some objective insight into the conversation.

Another thing that occurs to me is that the tone or pitch of the pipes sound seems to make a bike's sound more (or less) noticeable. Or more or less obnoxious! I like the sound of my three bikes but the sound of each is quite different than the others. A funny aside--when I hear a bike coming if I'm out for a walk or someplace outdoors (and not on my bike), I like to see if I can successfully identify what it is by the sound before I see it. Nerd alert.

I got the opportunity to test ride the Harley-Davidson electric motorcycle prototype about five years ago and more recently test rode a LiveWire electric bike up in Phoenix. As much fun as that bike was to ride, I really disliked what little sound there was. It sounded like some sort of appliance and not like a motorcycle. And it was really weird sit at a stop light and hear.....crickets. And a couple of you commented about riding even faster on bikes that are quiet. I'll vouch for that based on my test ride on the LiveWire. I didn't realize how much the sound--and the sensations produced by the sound--impact speed. The more quiet the pipes the faster I seem ride though not on purpose--just sort of automatically. And that was abundantly apparent on the LiveWire. For me, I realized that sound provides another form of input or feedback that affects my riding.

 

I'd agree with this, induction sound wins everytime for me but i only really have cars to go by for that.

I like a little bit more of a bass note than standard, the tick over on my d650 sounds perfect to me but is a bit quiet when mid range.

I must admit though when in the car I always notice when a harley is coming before I see it but rarely ever notice any other bikes even with aftermarket exhaust, I put it down to the tone of the exhaust.

 

Load pipes yes and no, on roads with walls or houses getting through standing traffic I would have to say yes it works you see this work regularly but the people in the houses do not appreciate it, I have a neighbour with a Harley goes out on a Sunday regularly with his friends they turn up at 7am sit waiting for him to start his Harley with his open pipes Rev it up to clear it out and they all take off up the road shaking everyone windows this guy has had so many noise complaints he pushes it down on to the main road and meets his mates elsewhere, I get on well with the guy but talking to him he sees little wrong, but moans about the local kids on dirt bikes taking a short cut to local fields.

on open roads I don’t think non motorcyclist drivers in modern plush soundproof cars notice much at all if it doesn’t fit in the forward view screen, the bit that does concern me is that those who have the belief load pipes work may be disappointed when they meet the otherwise distracted driver that is completely unaware. So decisive and defensive riding tends to trump both sides of the argument. So ride safe out there and enjoy the brief UK summer.

As the American Generals say when they invade another country, they are there to win the hearts and mind of the people, So the less negative press and irritation of the public is probably best for all motorcyclists, for those who believe load pipes are the best thing since sliced bread, move next to a fellow believer who comes and goes at unsociable hours and thinks it’s ok to rev their bike and leave it running until it warms up, especially if you have young children it could change your mind

 

Kind of like our microwave, @littleade. But...there's a guy in our neighbor's yard at this very moment using a battery-operated leaf blower. The LiveWire actually sounded rather like a more quiet version of that.

 

There were a couple of Livewires on a rolling road at the last bike show I went to. They do make quite a noise but it's nothing like a combustion engine. I'm not convinced but I goess that's just a generational view.

 

I’m more an advocate of “be seen be safe”. Highlights on, hi vis jacket, but more importantly maintaining good observation and awareness of your surroundings. I once owned a Harley with very loud pipes but can’t say I felt any safer than when riding my other bikes which have all been quite quite. In fairness most of my riding is in rural areas so I don’t come across to many pedestrians as some of those who ride predominantly in urban areas will. So they may well have a different view.

 

Of all the bikes I've owned, this one was the one on which I felt drivers noticed/saw me the best. I'll give you one guess as to why. And I'll give you a clue--it was not the pipes.

 

does it ping when you come to a stop

 

Could start a movement: Loud Pipes Matter.
Ken.

 

To those who think loud pipes dont annoy the general public or your neighbours, in the news today...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...ar-Norwich-leaves-one-dead-three-injured.html





Second vid doesnt mention pipes!

FWIW both my bikes have aftermarket pipes, one with baffle in, one with it out (today at least). The one with it out often gets put back in, it gets irritating on a longer ride, i measured with a phone app and even with one in its still about 10db louder than the arrow with the baffle out that it replaced.

 

Not usually, Ade, but I was angling on how I could get a siren added to my bike. I’ll bet drivers would hear that!

 

You know what? My T120 Peashooter is fine. With earplugs in I can hears a nice rumble. As for "Loud Pipes" ...
1. I agree, they are great for café/bar crawling but absolutely a no-no for a long run - it is fatiguing and does affect your riding (even more when when I have to follow several H.D.s!) - I had a 1000cc V-twin with "removable baffles" (just to compete with the local H.D.'s) but to ride any distance was a PITA! …but it did sound good
2. The idiot that's about to cut you off is already more concerned about his Bass Boom Box?????

So, Awareness and Defensive Riding is the key. I know it's different between city and rural riding but (guess what?) over here, we still have, for example, logging trucks that pull out and/or turn in front of us - even when they see us! …the driver just smiles... that's life and, if you're awake that's o.k.

 

In general I go with loud pipes are a useful safety aid. In general pedestrians and other road users tend to react in a positive manner to a quick rev when the they are in the process of doing something dangerous in my vicinity. Too much loud music, exhausts and working environment has meant my hearing is not perfect and I detest silent vehicles that sneak up on you. Electric vehicles are especially annoying. Also the lack of exhaust noise makes it harder to 'read' a drivers intention when you are ready for a dash across the road. The absence of a rise or fall in volume not giving you a hint that they are accelerating or slowing.

 

Quantify loud...

I've been a passenger in a car where a non bike rider has become aware of a bike's presence by sound before the bike was visible. The programmed human response to sound is instantaneous whereas vision is less reliable, look up Saccadic Masking.

So, silencers so loud they set off car alarms are a bit much. Something audible in traffic for vehicles in such close proximity to be considered a potential hazard is a good thing surely.

This debate is easily tangled up with the social and environmental arguments. Noise, or the lack of, emitted by EV's has been an issue that's been discussed and formally recognized. So, by extension it's acknowledged that an acceptable level of noise emitted by a motor vehicle is a positive for safety.

 

Interesting - and reasoned. BUT - who defines the "acceptable" quoted in the last line of your post?

 

Acceptable is very difficult to quantify... Cyclists find their headlights acceptable I find them blindingly bright, led headlights also are way to bright for my eyes, I rarely find exhausts too noisy., Too loud, too bright, too smelly are all down to personal preferences.
.. If only common sense was a real thing that everyone had... Hmmmm

 

In the case of EV's, it was a 2019 EU ruling that required vehicles to be fitted with a noise emitting device which would work at around 12mph. The nature and volume of that noise will have been arrived at by testing. By extension, my reasoning is that a noise level sufficient to draw attention (and, not unreasonably, enjoyed by the owner) should be sufficient to the same ends but not be anti-social. The noise level testing process is also flawed allowing bike manufacturers to design a system to be quiet at specific engine and road speeds which means that a bike which complies to this specification could fail under different circumstances. I can't speak more specifically about motorcycles, I'm not sure sure that there's enough evidence and data available. The universal dislike for loud motorcycles has far overtaken reasoned argument and they're vilified before reasonable discussion and proposals have taken place.

 

I would also offer, that motorcycles are "probably seen" at junctions/intersections etc. but it doesn't mentally register with the car/truck driver. If they do do see us they have a "no fear" response i.e. we are not a threat! … and who comes off worse in a collision?
It's probably a similar statistic between small cars Vs SUV's and trucks/pick-ups …the smaller one gets hit by the bigger one? (less threat) ..so guess who wins?
I'll agree that loudish pipes would be some help in certain circumstances of a bike approaching (e.g. pedestrians, cyclists), but at a junction, with the engine at idle.... maybe not - unless your revving the snot out of it?
As for EV's we had a fleet of electric "carts" in the plant - we had to put "ball bearings" in the wheel hubs (or beepers) so that people could hear them approaching, especially from behind.

Conclusion: When I can hear the top end of the engine and the tyres on the road, but hardly the exhaust then it's a bit too quiet!
Also, never assume the the other driver has seen (or heard) you - even if they are looking straight at you - be defensive - always!

 

I removed the aftermarket silencer fitted to my Tiger 955i .On long runs it was wearisome.
All three of my machines now have standard exhausts....and the fuelling is at least what the makers designed it to be...not someone else's bright idea on what would be ' better.'
My bikes are for riding...not for shouting ' Look at me!' from.

 

Modern bikes are fuelled around emission requirements these days, so although they are fuelled correctly for what they are restricted to, that doesn't mean they're better.

You don't necessarily need a loud pipe but a bike set up to run efficiently, ignoring manufacturers fuelling settings, will perform better, be more rideable than a std bike (due to how lean settings are now) and quite often also be more fuel efficient