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I bought some pipes for my sportster because of the way they looked. But OMG were they L _O _U _D!!.
This was an apartment in town that I was in before we were moving into Dutch Kountry. My ritual was, roll the bike about a block to the parking garage, after tearing off two pieces of corrugated cardboard from a pizza box. Roll up the cardboard and jam it into the pipes. Start the bike. IT had a real mild, muffled puppupupupoup sound. I would then roll to the bypass at low rpm's, stop, pull the cardboard and roll. It got old fast, but I didnt want to force that noise on people at 630 in the morning.
Loud pipes suck, people that "need" them need Dr. Phil more. That short time was the only time IVe had LOOK-AT-ME pipes.
My scooter is almost totally silent and somehow Ive never had any of the issues LOOK-AT-ME bikers have.
Yeah, the guy that lived near me when my kid was a newborn didn't have that loud of a bike but he gunned it down the hill past my house early in the AM after I'd maybe not had the best nights sleep.
Anyway, I used to dream of stringing piano wire across the road....
He wasn't a neighbor but must have lived somewhere 3-4 blocks or more past me and rather than take the main road around liked the shortcut through the neighborhood. Nice guy.
The noise ( when you're riding ) is actually behind you so it's not as loud for the rider as one may think. Probably louder to you than to me while riding along side one another.
Yeah, but this was a pack so the guys at the back were getting most of the same sound I was plus didn't have windows up keeping out some of it. Then again, they probably only ride like that a few times a year.
Thanks everyone for the responses.
Again, it doesn't matter if it's motorcycles, bingo or gardening club....there are always going to be a jackwagon or two in the group so I'm not dogging on the obvious vast majority of bikers.
I have loud pipes, ( Vance and Hines) on my HD, but if I am leaving or coming home late I try to be mindful of my neighbors and keep it just above an idle and kinda coast down my street and up my driveway
Same here. I have Rinehart's on my HD. No need to bother the neighbors.
And despite what others have said on this forum, I KNOW loud pipes save lives. I can't count the number of times I've revved my motor to get some idiot texting on their cell phone to notice they were drifting into my lane.
Same here. I have Rinehart's on my HD. No need to bother the neighbors.
And despite what others have said on this forum, I KNOW loud pipes save lives. I can't count the number of times I've revved my motor to get some idiot texting on their cell phone to notice they were drifting into my lane.
Modern cars are so quiet that even loud pipes don't make much of an impression. As a rider you should know that you always have to leave yourself an "out" so you don't have to rev your motor. And, I have this item called a "horn" that works even better than increasing traffic noise to get attention.
Modern cars are so quiet that even loud pipes don't make much of an impression. As a rider you should know that you always have to leave yourself an "out" so you don't have to rev your motor. And, I have this item called a "horn" that works even better than increasing traffic noise to get attention.
Pipes are louder than a horn and far more distinguishable. Also, because they reverberate, the human ear can quickly detect which direction the noise is coming from. A horn not so much.
But I agree with your point about leaving myself an out. That's very important. In fact, a couple of days ago I was in traffic so thick that I just pulled over and waited it out over some coffee. I ride for recreation, not for transportation, so there's almost always time for me to just pause the ride.
Modern cars are so quiet that even loud pipes don't make much of an impression. As a rider you should know that you always have to leave yourself an "out" so you don't have to rev your motor. And, I have this item called a "horn" that works even better than increasing traffic noise to get attention.
Loudpipers will swear that they can be heard in a car. Rational people know that the only time a loudpiper can be heard is when they get in front of you, not from the blind-spot area were the awareness is needed.
I know it sucks to be following a couple of LOOK-AT-ME's when you are on a cycle! oo0OOooff . . .
Forunately, as a genus, they are not too hard to go around
Loud pipes save lives, you have to know how to lay it down, and the extra weight of the helmet cause the brain injuries in bike crashes. I'm sure there are other great nuggets of wizdumb from all those crusty old riders out there.
If loud pipes save lives is all the argument they have. They got nothing. I've been riding for 40+ years. Loud pipes save nothing.
Have you ever had a bike with loud pipes? They definitely draw attention and get your bike noticed by people in cars. Even if only one distracted driver looks up and sees you who otherwise wouldn't have, it's definitely worth dealing with the noise.
All Harley's are relatively loud compared to most other manufacturers. Even stock, my current bike was louder than any of the Honda's or Kawasaki's I've owned. Putting the stage one kit on it with performance pipes increased the horsepower by almost 30% and improved my gas mileage as well. Add in the bonus of the bike being seen by cars and it's a win all the way around in my opinion.
To each their own though. If you like your bikes quiet then more power to you. Enjoy the ride!
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