It's funny how you let em talk and they defeat themselves. So you your pipes arn't real loud , but they are loud enough to blip and keep a cager 3ft from you from pulling into you? And to keep yourself safe from that NEXT LANE over you need either your not so loud pipes or a set of Air Horns?? You saying a quality horn in good working condition just wont do that,? Sorry Jack that boat won't flote!! At that distance they can hear my stock pipes with a good blip and/or my horn Beeping a steady blast gets them. I've had several close calls over the last 3 decades and staying out of blind spots, knowing yur surrondings, evasive manuvers and a good horn has and will work.
Maybe some of you guys can't hit the horn button under presure? Try some practice it will help. On your warm up routine, check your brakes, the brake lights flip the hi/lo beam switch and touch the horn buttom a couple times. Don't blow it just thumb to it fast.
Also, If your pipes arn't very loud them noone is talking about you!! If your takeing offense then it must be cause you KNOW yours are loud. And yes yu have a right ot loud pipes if you want, but cut the crapola about saveing lives!! 'that's a crock! If it actually caused more accidents then you wouldn't run them right, Bull crapola!! You like the sound you want the sound and nothing else matters!!
PS I had a 66 Mustang Conv GT with a 289 HiPerf engine 4speed w/some carb work an a set of headers run into Thrush mufflers hooked to tailpipes running back and out the bumper tailpan exhaust holes( the one's the GT had). And she had a great tone to her. And I's say she was about as loud as the 60 Sportster XLH with stock pipes I had then . Maybe the Detroit Iron arround your area ran alot of straight pipes? Funny I remember the cops back then lovein to catch guys with their headers open. I traveled alot and seen very few places that the cops didn't love the game of catching hot rodders, and loud open pipes were caught and ticketed quick!

 

Then again, my pipes are loud so perhaps that's why I don't hear anyone...lol.

Mark

 

Did your Sporty come stock w/V&H pipes? Must have, b/c the stock ones on my bikes are no louder than stock car exhaust. And there sure ain't no real noise coming from that. The tires make more noise.

My pipes are waaaay louder than stock. Baffled, but if I was some *** I would wake the neighbors coming home late or leaving in the morning. Dunno how you classify that, don't really care. AFA your constant drone that loud pipes don't save lives they cause them, how about YOU cough up some stats to back that up. I have personal experience where an intruder peeled back out of my lane when I used the throttle for attention. And OPEN pipes (headers for that matter) are vastly different than lightly muffled exhaust. And there was not a copy anywhere I lived that pulled you over for those unless you were those little boy racer wannbes that revved up at every light. If you want to limit your denunciation to that, then start your own thread of 'straight pipes kill'.

Stock HDs are far more muffled than the others (cept maybe Goldwings). As I said before, my cousins stock Aero is louder than my HD was stock, and also my stock Henderson.

 

Had to drag this back up again! Our town is doing a major highway reconstruction right now on the main road that is the only viable route through the place.
The area they are rebuilding has 20 to 25,000 vehicles a day running through it at peak travel.
They're funneling two lanes into one and it's a real circus...lots of retired people here...lots of people in a big hurry etc.
When I first got my bike I couldn't believe how ignorant people have become towards bikers.
20 years ago it seemed like they had more respect...course they didn't have cell phones back then either.
I ended up sawing the baffles out of my Sportster and I noticed a big difference when riding in tight traffic areas where there is a constant merge and you are always in someones blind spot.
I have to say it works.
The down sides...it's way harder to snaek the bike out of the yard at 6AM in the morning.
I have to go up a steep hill so there isn't much trottle feathering involved. The pipes are too loud now and are pi$$ing off the neighbours so I don't take the bike to work anymore.
I DON'T want to the an a$$hat who helps bring on "Anti Loud Pipe" legislation.
Another thing I've been having trouble with is wildlife. Seems like the louder pipes are scaring the crap out of deer and now a couple of bears.
This year the highway maintenance folks decided to cut the budget for mowing the grass out of the ditches. Lots of it is 4 or 5 feet high and has turned the same color as a deer now.
They are hiding in this stuff and it seems like they panic when they hear the bike. Had a few really close calls the last few weeks. It all started when we actually hit a deer. I didn't like that much.
Last night we missed a big doe by inches...doing 10km's UNDER the speed limit and both of us looking. I'm sure the pipes scared her and she panicked...jumped off a 4 foot bank on a corner right in front of us.
I've driven the same roads in my pickup and haven't had any trouble.
Early evening rides are on hold now.
I'm thinking of welding the baffles back in the pipes just to see if my theory is right.
Anyone else noticed this?
Thanks!
Russ

 

I feel loud pipes **** off more people than help....most of noise is usually behind you and not in front of you warning people.[:@]
I know I don't like hearing a bike or car 6 blocks away.
[sm=badidea.gif]

 

Hard to dissagree. Ride smarter when possible not with an attitude![sm=americanasmiley.gif]

 

They save lives because they increase your riding pleasure/experience which lowers your stress level, the leading cause of heart attacks and death in America. Sounds good to me.

 

Good point madcity...good point sir!

Todd

 

If Loud pipes save lives, WHY are there so many Train accidents involving pedestrians/autos/trucks ?

Maybe it's those Cagers (and others) who complain about the loud pipes that are causing this situation.
I like a nice rumble on a bike, but, in all honesty, some of these I hear 1, 2, even 3 blocks away is enough to make ME call the cops for infringement on MY rights to peace and quiet.

How many folks (and tired mothers/housewives) would like their 6 month old child awaken at 2 pm because of some Biker who thinks Loud pipes are super cool >?

Sometimes, Loud pipes and their owners are their own worst enemy when trying to convince the public that loud is cool.
There's more of THEM than there is you (those with extremely loud pipes).

We reap what we sow.

 

Boy, you DON'T KNOW WHAT LOUD IS.
This thread is taking two directions now. 1 do they save lives. 2 should they be banned. The saving live part is a catch phrase. What they do is prevent some accidents. Thats a fact that doesn't change because some people don't get it. When I grew up in NYC next to a particular 1% club thier sound would carry about 5 blocks in ALL directions (music to my ears).
The drag pipes I just took off my bike were tooo loud for ME (loudest exhaust I ever heard). I needed to ride with good hearing protection. I bought the exhaust for the LOOKS not the sound. I want a deep rumbe, thats it. But was I safer with the drag pipes on? YES. I still have the pipes and am looking for a way to quit them down. I've had idiots driving on my left start to turn into me (time after time) when I was STOCK. I knew they would do it and they did. I must be psychotic. After the drag pipes went on no one even wanted to be anyware near me (it was GREAT). The wind is louder than Screeming Eagles. LET THOSE THAT RIDE DECIDE (another catch phrase).