I know everybody that has straight drag pipes just love them. But from the perspective of riding with someone with straight pipes, they suck! Yeah, there I said it!!!!

The difference in the noise from riding the bike, to being behind the bike is major. The pipes go from sounding good to being unpleasant. He asked me why I kept getting in front of him and getting in the left hand side of our lane. When I told him his pipes where making my ears bleed, he laughed. So we swapped bikes. I got in front of him and blasted him like he was doing to me all day, and he even remarked that it made his ears ring. Funny thing was, he didn't think it was so funny then........

Will he change his pipes. Doubt it, cuz it sounds cool
Flame he all you want[sm=badbadbad.gif] But those are the facts

 

Ha! My kids live on the upper west side, and during my visits, I've often thought that if I ever ride in the Big Apple, I want a horn that sounds different and is LOUDER than the cabbies! I think the cab brake pedal must be interlocked with the horn! A set of Howards would do nicely.

 

Loud Horns are good, but Loud pipes in the city are "always" loud so everybody around you knows exactly where you are. A Horn only works in an emergency situation.

 

There have been alot of valid points posted here on both sides. I to prefer louder pipes as many here have posted. The problem is not the pipes that have some type of functioning muffler, the issue has always been pipes with no restrictions what so ever. There have been noise restrictions in the law books for as long as anyone can remember. The laws don't need changed or fixed. They need enforced. You wouldn't expect to see a funny car or top fuel dragster driving down your residential side street or taking off from a stop light in your town. The noise level would be offensive just as drag pipes or non restrictive pipes on a v-twin. As in everyother aspect you can think of, the actions of a few force changes for the majority. If change needs to be made, make the few come into compliance and leave the rest of us to enjoy the sounds of our machines. My opinion...

 

I have an 02 Fatboy with some kinda slip ons...The old owner forgot what brand. LEts say they are not screamin eagle. My bike is pretty loud. This is the first Harley I have owned, and I don't view it as too loud at all. I have ridden other motorcycles for a little over 10 years in the city of Los angeles on a daily basis, and for the majority of the day for many of those years. These pipes on my harley do get the attention of all the cagers around me quite well, with the exception fo the boom boom posers, who I can hear in my home as well. I have experienced cars jumping out of my way wehn they hear me recently(with the new bike) and find it quite relieving. While I was almost always safe on my other bikes(a few accidents never my fault) I feel that even those as*holes on the cell phones will pay attention now, and will be aware of my position on the road, as before maybe only 20% were aware of me at all. Many of ny other bikes also had modified exhaust systems, but just were not the same note as my harley and blended into the noise of the city. I still wear a full face helmet, as my head is worth a lot to me, and I still watch drivers in their mirrors to se of they are aware that I am next to them..etc., but I really do feel safer. Whenever I pass a cop around here(LOs Angeles) I wave, and they smile and wave back. I dislike them greatly, but if that is the price I pay for having loud pipes....so be it. Lets all band together and try to get the Boom Boom poser wanna be rap star radios banned first. That noise kills me.

[IMG]local://upfiles/7153/63213A45C30F4E9296630C13CF6EDC43.jpg[/IMG]

 

I have to say that I agree very much with this. Although I am the first to complain when the government tries to clamp down on something, I feel that they will have no choice if we don't tone it down a bit with our bikes. If we do some self-policing, maybe it won't get to the point where they clamp down too hard. Also, Harley "returning to the forefront" of motorcyle noise harkens back to the days when they used to advertise their "Silent Grey Fellow." Even though I wouldn't care for a silent bike, I can't stand straight pipes either and these are the pipes that are causing most of the trouble.

 

For me, It's pretty damn simple. Loud pipes do save lives and make people in cars take notice of you in the same way that a FIRETRUCKS wailing deafening sirens alert you to move out of the way. And if I am gonna risk my life using a motorcycle as my Daily Driver because of greedy gas prices, I am gonna make damn sure that people both hear me and respect the fact that I have as much right to being on the road and being safe as they do.

That being said, does this mean that I cant go into the Harley dealer and get a set of Cycle shack drag pipes? Or American Biker? Which "Slip ons" are best for letting others know that you are in the vicinity? Thanks.

 

Even if they didn't catch the attention of people in their cars, loud pipes DEFINATELY catch the attention of deer...I've witnessed it too many times, to dispute the fact. And a deer can kill a rider just as well as an inattentive driver....

SO IMO, LOUD PIPES DO SAVE LIVES.....BUT some jackasses take it too far and flog their hogs at very inappropriate hours of the night and such.[:@]

 

Yawn...

"And many who modify their bikes' exhaust systems simply want the noise, often for vanity's sake." Call me Mr. Vanity.

Butt...

I propose a maximum noise limit. How about 100 dB (C weighting) at 10 meters as a maximum standard?

 

Most of the bikes I've heard with straight pipes sound like they are exahusting through a garbage can, they just have this funny hollow popping sound. I like a set of decent sounding mufflers that sound good yet allow me to hear my stereo.