"Loud pipes save lifes" and helmets dont? (Harley, ride, drivers)

[jc76]

It's a double standard. Bikers with loud obnoxious pipes claim its so they're better seen/heard. But if your not wearing a helmet isn't this a double standard? Not trying to stir up fights, just curious because in my theory it has much more to do with Getting attention than it does with safety. The only attention loud pipes gets from me is a chuckle, its funny grown men have to attract the attention of total strangers.

[texdav]

I really thnik teh loud pipes being safer it's vaild because they are noly really heard much with heavy acceleration. helmets often mean the difference between being brain injured and not.

[whiteboyslo]

Both save lives IMO. I had my first 'helmet saved me' experience not too long ago when I wrecked a quad. I didn't even realize I hit my head, but the helmet told the story. I need a new one, but it did its job flawlessly.

As to loud pipes, this gets argued over and over again. My $.02 is that they help, but too may riders use that as an excuse to run the loudest exhaust they can find. It's obnoxious and gives all riders a bad name.

Some say the 'loud pipes save lives' argument isn't even valid because they don't hear a bike coming up on them anyway. That may be true, but as a rider, I'm generally not as concerned with the guy in front of me as I am the guy behind me or the guy getting ready to pull out in front of me. If you're behind me, it's likely you're going to hear me. And for the ones getting ready to pull out in front me, since they are stationary, the likelihood they'll hear my bike is pretty good, too. And if giving them another second of warning makes the difference between them 'going for it' or not, then I'm all for it. But it has to be within reason. I may want the guy a couple hundred yards away to be able to hear me, not the guys a couple MILES away.

Mike

[Pilgrim21784]

My $0.002:

1) Loud pipes save lives is BS and damages the general riding community's public acceptance of the motorcycle community in general. If one is so dumb as to require offense levels of noise to announce your presence, you really don't have a clue how to ride in common environments. JMO

2) PLEASE, ALL THE LOUD PIPES/HELMET ADVERSE/PROTECTIVE GEAR ADVERSE TYPES - continue your preferences. It nicely functions to clean up the gene pool. Just please segregate yourself in insurance categories so I don't have to subsidize your medical costs for stupidity.

The most recent Poster Child for the issue was, I believe, in upper NY state, a participant in an ABATE rally against the helmet laws and had a little problem --- he dumped, bashed his brain and died. Riding is an inherently dangerous choice. Just don't expect me to subsidize your preferences.

[catman]

I think your post is worth more than 2/10ths of a cent ($0.002). I agree with it. I don't mind some rumble (or high-winding sound), but some go overboard with it.

[CSD610]

Originally Posted by jc76

It's a double standard. Bikers with loud obnoxious pipes claim its so they're better seen/heard. But if your not wearing a helmet isn't this a double standard? Not trying to stir up fights, just curious because in my theory it has much more to do with Getting attention than it does with safety. The only attention loud pipes gets from me is a chuckle, its funny grown men have to attract the attention of total strangers.

What saves lives is OTHER DRIVERS who pay attention to everyone else around them in addition to a helmet, gloves, jacket, and boots. The loud pipes are just extremely annoying to me and I'm a motorcycle rider.

I appreciate the nice low rumble of a muscle car myself, used to own one, my very first vehicle was a muscle car but excessive noise is just not acceptable to me no matter what the vehicle

[Mac_Muz]

Loud Pipes is BS, as was stated. I ride, and I also drive. When I am driving the only time I hear overly loud pipes is as I have been passed.
The reason is because the pipes send sound ro the rear of the bike, not forwards.

Coming from NH, there is no lid law for those 18 and over. I own 3 lids just for me, but then there are some days when it's just too nice to wear one.

On those days, I tend to ride rural roads with not much traffic, and I take it SLOW.

Then there is no lid made that will prevent all injury, and they only work at some types of crashes.

So all the talk about lids gets moot over x speed, and a fast stop.

Car drivers just don't look. Why they are all too busy doing anything else than drive, to see riders.

Ride/Drive Safe.

[Pilgrim21784]

Mac_Muz: I know you are a very experienced and skilled rider (WAAAAAYYYY more than me now or I'll ever be), no issues there and I seriously respect your general riding opinions.

That said, especially for newbies and those riders like me who don't have decades of experience - the data is hard to argue with. A quality helmet protects your most important asset - your brain.

A full face unit keeps you much safer or at least minimizes the damage to your frontal face/jaw (the medics can't do much to rebuild a jaw) which is a very common injury area. Newer riders are especially prone to accidents - it makes sense, IMO, to encourage such folks to wear the most protective gear available.

I've several hard core Harley buddies (friends from the Marines in Viet Nam) who I occasionally ride with on one of my maxi-scooters. They always get a giggle from their friends' reaction when I show up in my super protective gear on one of my scooters. (I've gotta ride automatics because of some old war damage.) I'm pretty sure they invite me just for the giggle factor, but we're old combat buds and its nice to see them occasionally.

I wear race quality gear, ALWAYS, whether I'm doing a 30 MPH local ride to the store or on a highway cruise. I spent almost 6 months in a hospital, 1/2 of that in a body cast (REALLY not fun, you can't scratch your privates) from my adventure in Nam and have a huge aversion to hospitals, medics, etc..

My buds, in my opinion, are a bit nuts (but I already knew that, we served in the bush together a long time ago) because they wear the minimum required by law here in Maryland. Party lids, junk gloves, no armor and no protective clothing at all.

Its okay, its their choice. We've a long standing agreement - I've promised to clean up their bloodspots and they promise to scratch what I can't reach in the event of an accident. (There really isn't any comparison to the quality of the friends one makes in combat.)
Ride safe, compadre.

[whiteboyslo]

Originally Posted by Mac_Muz

Loud Pipes is BS, as was stated. I ride, and I also drive. When I am driving the only time I hear overly loud pipes is as I have been passed.
The reason is because the pipes send sound ro the rear of the bike, not forwards

True, maybe, but what about the times other than when the bike is coming from behind you? For example, what about the situation where you're the cager and you're pulling into traffic. You're telling me you can't hear the bike both coming and going? I can. You hear the whole Doppler effect working (pitch raises as it's coming, peaks in front of you, and lowers when traveling away).

Mike

[Wartrace]

I these "Loud pipes save lives" bikers want to be taken seriuosly they would also advocate flouresent "biker gear" which would enhance safety by adding a visual element to "being noticed".

My take on "loud pipes" is that these people are attention whores......