Does a lounder exhaust save lives?

[CafeRay]

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Although the sound emitted from a bike/car/truck is never usually aimed forward, the sounds they make do find their way to our ears. Barring any health issues with hearing.

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/hph.html

Yeah, and good thing no one listens to the stereo while driving.

You left out the part where that noise is heard by the driver, but does not confer any directionality, at all. This is a major problem with Emergency vehicles, you can hear the sirens, but you have no idea if the vehicle is in front, behind, or to the side.
Talk to any EMT driver, sirens only work from far away to warn people to look, but they have people turn in front of them all the time with sirens blaring. There is a whole technology industry around this.
http://www.directionalsirens.com/

This doesn't work on summer days because the background noise is wild hogs everywhere.

I wonder how many people with $800 exhausts still have the cheap, tinny, $8 horn typically supplied on bikes?

 

[unL33T]

Shouldn't these people be altering at least one pipe to face forward rather than back then?

Here's a few!

 

[Venom01]

Cool story but...
A truck is backing up and the rider wasn't looking at the rear of the vehicle, then you had enough time to block the back , then make noise. And the solution is LPSL? These threads always end up in convoluted stories like this.

Here's another story...
[video=youtube;eaSR0BQPNMw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaSR0BQPNMw[/video]

Hipster loud BMW, no mirrors, no signals, no horn, because cool. The car comes into his lane on a collision course. Does he move? Nope. Use the horn (which faces forward)? Nope (took it off). He twists the throttle because LPSL, and finally brakes to avoid getting hit.

Shouldn't matter here. Your not road legal without a horn

 

[-Maverick-]

In some cases beep beep doesn't cut it. Especially at the beach, SUV, female texting, loud stereo / sub backing up.

This thread will never be won or lost. Best advice is to listen to those who've survived a long time on a bike and make up your own mind. You could always deploy a megaphone.

 

[LePhillou]

In some cases beep beep doesn't cut it. Especially at the beach, SUV, female texting, loud stereo / sub backing up.

This thread will never be won or lost. Best advice is to listen to those who've survived a long time on a bike and make up your own mind. You could always deploy a megaphone.

Great minds think alike.

And they arent that expensive. Buddy's gf bought him one, he's already obnoxious, with a megaphone its just plain painful sometimes.
That's how i love him ahahah

 

[-JERICHO-]

You left out the part where that noise is heard by the driver, but does not confer any directionality, at all. This is a major problem with Emergency vehicles, you can hear the sirens, but you have no idea if the vehicle is in front, behind, or to the side.

The system to tell where something is coming from is built into your hearing and brain. (posted earlier in the thread) I know what you are saying, but there still needs to be a standard. I understand some people will have NO problems locating a sound source, where as others will have some difficulty, or it will just take them longer. There are factors that contribute to this (age, genetics, abusing your ears, drugs, alcohol). Being able to tell where something is and the speed at which you can detect where the sound is coming from are individual, and only by doing tests with many many (I'd say in the 1000's) people can you form a baseline avg. (which has been studied)

So of course there will be differences between individuals but it still does not take away the noise stimulus argument. Its the fact that the drivers have become aware of a bike in any form - is all that really matters. (for this argument) The bikers themselves will have to ride appropriately with traffic to reduce their risk of course, but assuming the rider is being responsible (not speeding, or lane splitting or ANYTHING ELSE). The sound emitted from the bike will increase overall awareness to all the other road users around them. It may not be as important as actually learning to ride well and safely, BUT it does what it does. I suppose along the way it annoys a few people, but that doesn't take away how the science behind it all works.

The horn upgrade is a great idea as well, but that would be reserved for those "oh *****" moments.. whereas a louder exhaust is just a telltale sign that there is a biker around. Its up to the drivers of cars to drive their vehicles responsibly as well. Be aware of all other vehicles around them. They can't go ramming into people they feel "hurt their feelings" or some other none sense.. I

Indeed it looks like there will never be full agreement on "Do loud pipes save lives?" but there is no refuting human biology and how the process works. Perhaps as I stated earlier in the thread, the entire question is wrong. "Do louder exhausts create awareness of a biker in the vicinity?" More accurately reflecting what the exhausts actually do in live traffic. I think yes.

 

[CafeRay]

Indeed it looks like there will never be full agreement on "Do loud pipes save lives?" but there is no refuting human biology and how the process works. Perhaps as I stated earlier in the thread, the entire question is wrong. "Do louder exhausts create awareness of a biker in the vicinity?" More accurately reflecting what the exhausts actually do in live traffic. I think yes.

If you want to raise your awareness, ride with nothing but a fluorescent yellow thong, or a clown mask.

I don't care about awareness. Do louder bikes get into fewer accidents? No. Hand wave all you want.
Will loud pipes end up in severe pipe and noise regs or outright bike bans? YES. It's only a matter of time.

People won't tolerate this much longer, and numbers have dwindled bikers down to zero political importance, and while people on bikes think loud is cool, the reality is they are the butt of jokes and just annoying.

[video=youtube;xGyKBFCd_u4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGyKBFCd_u4[/video]

 

[CafeRay]

[video=youtube;dN8V7in4esE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN8V7in4esE[/video]

 

[Brant Bandit]

Loud clothing is more effective than loud pipes, but I have to admit blipping my throttle as well when moving through slow traffic and getting concerned about people zigging in to my lane. In those situations where you are slowing creeping through traffic but still passing or having a hard time getting out of blind spots......a bit a braaaaaap can help.

 

[Old Suzy]

If you want to raise your awareness, ride with nothing but a fluorescent yellow thong, or a clown mask.

I don't care about awareness. Do louder bikes get into fewer accidents? No. Hand wave all you want.
Will loud pipes end up in severe pipe and noise regs or outright bike bans? YES. It's only a matter of time.

People won't tolerate this much longer, and numbers have dwindled bikers down to zero political importance, and while people on bikes think loud is cool, the reality is they are the butt of jokes and just annoying.

[video=youtube;xGyKBFCd_u4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGyKBFCd_u4[/video]

Completely agree. The load pipe mindset is pissing off too many people. Don't care if its your Harley or rice burner. I was in PA last summer and stopped at a small coffee shop. Stop sign just up the street. Every Harley rider with load pipes rolling through town had to blip their throttle several times at the stop sign. Not sure why you have to go VROOM VROOM before you let out the clutch other than to say look at me, I ride a bike and like pissing people off.

Could not wait to finish my coffee and get out of there as the noise was brutal. I would begin to hate all bikers if I had to listen to that S$#t all day.

 

[Baggsy]

Loud clothing is more effective than loud pipes, but I have to admit blipping my throttle as well when moving through slow traffic and getting concerned about people zigging in to my lane. In those situations where you are slowing creeping through traffic but still passing or having a hard time getting out of blind spots......a bit a braaaaaap can help.

I cover my air horn in those situations.

 

[unL33T]

Completely agree. The load pipe mindset is pissing off too many people. Don't care if its your Harley or rice burner. I was in PA last summer and stopped at a small coffee shop. Stop sign just up the street. Every Harley rider with load pipes rolling through town had to blip their throttle several times at the stop sign. Not sure why you have to go VROOM VROOM before you let out the clutch other than to say look at me, I ride a bike and like pissing people off.

Could not wait to finish my coffee and get out of there as the noise was brutal. I would begin to hate all bikers if I had to listen to that S$#t all day.

I have to vroom vroom to spin up my flywheel or the bike will stall on launch but I'm kind of an exception.

 

[jc100]

I couldn't hear a car alarm annoying me in my car the other day with the windows closed, ac on and radio on. I'm not going to hear someone's fart can nearby either in the same situation and I'm not a young distracted driver. Loud pipes do nothing at all for safety...it's a "look at me" accessory, that's all.

 

[Roomie]

They'll get right on loud pipe bans about as soon as they crack down on the kids with fart pipe cars.... been waiting for that since fast and the furious 1 yo.

 

[-JERICHO-]

If you want to raise your awareness, ride with nothing but a fluorescent yellow thong, or a clown mask.

I don't care about awareness. Do louder bikes get into fewer accidents? No. Hand wave all you want.
Will loud pipes end up in severe pipe and noise regs or outright bike bans? YES. It's only a matter of time.

People won't tolerate this much longer, and numbers have dwindled bikers down to zero political importance, and while people on bikes think loud is cool, the reality is they are the butt of jokes and just annoying.

[video=youtube;xGyKBFCd_u4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGyKBFCd_u4[/video]

I do care about awareness. I feel like that is important when riding my bike. I also understand not everyone will notice me no matter what I do, so does every other rider. I also do not ride a cruiser style bike, so all those insults in those videos are to someone else.. Not all louder exhausts exceed what is the legally allowed limit. Some do, and they are breaking a law. But if there are law abiding owners of an exhaust that increases the dB within the confines of the law, then what? Outright bike bans? Really? Highly doubtful..

People can and will tolerate whatever is legal. Can't stop people from whining though..

 

[Baggsy]

The idea seems to be to distract drivers from what they are current doing,
and make them aware of the motorcyclist who may or may not be near them.

Since pipes are always on, they are always attempting to distract drivers.

If the motorist happens to hit someone else, could there be some liability, morally not necessarily legally,
on the motorcyclist's part, for distracting the driver?

That's why I find that an air horn works much better. I can time the sound for the most effect.

 

[nakkers]

Ever watch a MotoGP or any motor vehicle race with the sound off? It's just not as fun.


Love snicking through the gears under the Welland Canal. And other tunnels and such.

I don't rip up subdivisions. I try to be a good neighbour.

Never felt a good exhaust note was about saving lives.

I understand the need for legislation. It's too bad really.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[optionfa]

I have counted, my bike sets of three car alarms on the way down to my parking spot, and this makes me feel much better about my small penis.

so yes they do save lives.

 

[LePhillou]

I have counted, my bike sets of three car alarms on the way down to my parking spot, and this makes me feel much better about my small penis.

so yes they do save lives.

#smallpenislivesmatter

 

[Beaker]

Cool story but...
A truck is backing up and the rider wasn't looking at the rear of the vehicle, then you had enough time to block the back , then make noise. And the solution is LPSL? These threads always end up in convoluted stories like this.

Here's another story...
[video=youtube;eaSR0BQPNMw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaSR0BQPNMw[/video]

Hipster loud BMW, no mirrors, no signals, no horn, because cool. The car comes into his lane on a collision course. Does he move? Nope. Use the horn (which faces forward)? Nope (took it off). He twists the throttle because LPSL, and finally brakes to avoid getting hit.

Wrong lane position of the rider.

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