Loud Pipes

[kawasakirob]

I know... This has been talked and been debated on here before...so what.


I was driving home from school today with the windows down. My A/C is not the best so I generally have the windows down. I also check the rear view often to see what/who is behind me. This particular time I saw a cruiser. I don't mind cruisers, so I tried guessing what kind it was before it passed me( it's a fun game if your in a car). As it got closer, I notcied a guy in a blue t shirt and black half helmet. He accelerated as he went by and MY GOD! Those loud ass pipes made my head twitch and my jaw tightened up. UN GODLY loud. WTF!? I absolutely love motorcycles, but after hearing that, I even thought about supporting the banning of aftermarket exhausts. I can only imagine how people who don't ride, or don't like motorcycles feel. It was painfully loud, like standing on the grid at an NHRA event with no ear protection. I guess he was cool though...

[Wrider]

I know... This has been talked and been debated on here before...so what.


I was driving home from school today with the windows down. My A/C is not the best so I generally have the windows down. I also check the rear view often to see what/who is behind me. This particular time I saw a cruiser. I don't mind cruisers, so I tried guessing what kind it was before it passed me( it's a fun game if your in a car). As it got closer, I notcied a guy in a blue t shirt and black half helmet. He accelerated as he went by and MY GOD! Those loud ass pipes maid my head twitch and my jaw tightened up. UN GODLY loud. WTF!? I absolutely love motorcycles, but after hearing that, I even thought about supporting the banning of aftermarket exhausts. I can only imagine how people who don't ride, or don't like motorcycles feel. It was painfully loud, like standing on the grid at an NHRA event with no ear protection. I guess he was cool though...

I know exactly how you feel. My ears are physically sensitive to very loud noises because of a slew of ear infections as a kid. (You know how someone with a lot of ear infections gets a set of tubes to help relieve it? I had 7 sets.)

[madvlad]

Cruisers are ridiculous loud being straight piped, sportbikes only get loud with GP style pipes. Having noise is a bit of a plus with other cagers around you but too much of it can definitely do some damage

[asp_125]

Before I replaced the gutted can on the VFR, it was essentially a straight pipe. Good god it was loud! Like NASCAR loud. People would roll up their windows to talk on their cell phones, or change lanes to get away. In some respects the replacement can is much easier to live with.

[Darth Do'Urden]

Here's what I'll never understand about the "Loud pipes save lives" group: no one actually hears your damn pipes until you are ALREADY PAST THEM. It's like the concept of how sound travels is completely lost on these folks.

Loud pipes make being a motorcyclist harder than it has to be.

[sprtbkbabe]

You won't want to ride behind me then. I downloaded DB Meter Pro and the RSVR's re-cored pipes are cranking out 98 db

I love them pipes! They have saved me many a time from phone gabbing cagers

[Will the Thrill]

I agree cagers may not hear you from the back, but they can at least hear you when you are in their blind spot or side by side. Makes them actually check their blind spot. Makes them a little more aware.

[salsashark]

I had M4 Retro drag pipes on my ZX-14. That bike would put any loud-pied cruiser to shame.



never again!

[JonnyD]

Here's what I'll never understand about the "Loud pipes save lives" group: no one actually hears your damn pipes until you are ALREADY PAST THEM. It's like the concept of how sound travels is completely lost on these folks.

Loud pipes make being a motorcyclist harder than it has to be.

I agree, and if it weren't for wildlife running like they were going to die 100 yards ahead of me I would have changed the RC's pipes back to stock! Good thing deer don't cage it.

[dirkterrell]

Here's what I'll never understand about the "Loud pipes save lives" group: no one actually hears your damn pipes until you are ALREADY PAST THEM. It's like the concept of how sound travels is completely lost on these folks.

Please explain. My understanding of physics seems to be at odds with yours.

[kawasakirob]

[QUOTE=sprtbkbabe;695431]You won't want to ride behind me then[/]





I rode once with an R1 equipped with a BozBros tiny slash cut pipe. I felt like a tool riding with someone who's pipe was that loud. Especially in towns from light to light. They loved it...Just not for me. Good rider though.

I"ll work on posting something up about loud pipes vs. safety like Darth mentioned. I know it's out there I've read it also before

[kawasakirob]

When that guy passed me I only started to hear him once he was almost past my blind spot going about 65. True, you could argue that's safety....but who in their right mind would stay in a blind spot for more than just a split second? Even in heavy traffic?

[Spiderman]

[Bueller]

I like my pipes!
My race bike is my quiet bike now.

[Penadam]

Please explain. My understanding of physics seems to be at odds with yours.

He obviously is just driving 750 mph.

[Darth Do'Urden]

Please explain. My understanding of physics seems to be at odds with yours.

Not sure why it's hard to understand. An object that is moving forward that is producing sound that is being directed BEHIND said object that is traveling at any type of speed over 40mph (a guesstimation, I don't have empirical data on this point) is traveling IN FRONT OF said sound. Ergo, said sound will not be heard until the source of said sound (in this case the exhaust can) is nearly parallel with the listener. Hence, the stupid cager on her cell phone still isn't going to know you're anywhere near her until you're RIGHT THERE.

I've had this happen to me time and time again, in both the cage and the bike. Some HD jackass with pipes screaming at a sonicly-smooth 130db will creep up on me only to pass me...and then proceed to deafen me for the next 3 miles as he rides on ahead. So yeah, he's so amazingly safe with anyone that can actually hear him already BEHIND HIM.

I've had cagers "notice" me at the last second as well, and it wasn't because I had loud pipes. So attributing this reaction to some "loud pipes saved my life on more than one occasion" credo is hardly scientifically concrete evidence that they need to annoy the ever-living piss out of everyone else on the road.

[Zach929rr]

Aw shit somebody dropped the ergo bomb.

[birchyboy]

Not sure why it's hard to understand. An object that is moving forward that is producing sound that is being directed BEHIND said object that is traveling at any type of speed over 40mph (a guesstimation, I don't have empirical data on this point) is traveling IN FRONT OF said sound. Ergo, said sound will not be heard until the source of said sound (in this case the exhaust can) is nearly parallel with the listener. Hence, the stupid cager on her cell phone still isn't going to know you're anywhere near her until you're RIGHT THERE.

Are you saying that if I'm on a street and a motorcycle is down the street coming towards me I won't here the exhaust regardless of how loud it is until it's beside me? If so, my ears have been playing tricks on me my whole life, I could swear that I've heard this happen before.

[CaptGoodvibes]

Oh brother...

Someone fix this quick.

[CaptGoodvibes]

Not sure why it's hard to understand.

Because your theory is amusing to people that have passed physics.

[Spiderman]

Edit: Disclaimer - I'm not a physics expert!

Are you saying that if I'm on a street and a motorcycle is down the street coming towards me I won't here the exhaust regardless of how loud it is until it's beside me? If so, my ears have been playing tricks on me my whole life, I could swear that I've heard this happen before.

It depends on what's behind the motorcycle down the street. If there's something (ie: houses/buildings/parked cars) for the exhaust noise to bounce off of, then yes, you will hear it, but if you're on the open highway, and there's nothing for the noise to bounce off of, then no, you won't really hear it... at least nowhere near as loud as you will once they pass you.

[dapper]

Simple

Darth travels at the speed of sound.

[Darth Do'Urden]

Are you saying that if I'm on a street and a motorcycle is down the street coming towards me I won't here the exhaust regardless of how loud it is until it's beside me? If so, my ears have been playing tricks on me my whole life, I could swear that I've heard this happen before.

My statement assumed both the listener and noise-maker are in motion. If you're standing still down the street on a nice little quiet spring day, then yes, you'll certainly hear the cacophony. And for what? You gonna stay put even though you can't yet see the noise-maker? No, you're gonna proceed when you feel it's safe regardless of what you hear--that's assuming you're not enjoying the AC with the windows up and the radio playing lightly in your very well sound-insulated passenger cabin, thereby preventing you from hearing anything at all...until the noise-maker is right there anyhow.

Look, I'm not trying to start any shit. I just find the mentality to be exceptionally flawed, and ultimately detrimental to society's overall perception of motorcycles without any true empirical data stating that the noise is necessary and beneficial to a rider's safety.

[birchyboy]

Are you saying that if I'm on a street and a motorcycle is down the street coming towards me I won't here the exhaust regardless of how loud it is until it's beside me? If so, my ears have been playing tricks on me my whole life, I could swear that I've heard this happen before.

It depends on what's behind the motorcycle down the street. If there's something (ie: houses/buildings/parked cars) for the exhaust noise to bounce off of, then yes, you will hear it, but if you're on the open highway, and there's nothing for the noise to bounce off of, then no, you won't really hear it... at least nowhere near as loud as you will once they pass you.

So if a motorcycle is running in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does is still make sound?????