Motorcycle Urban Myths

[Zedhed]

Well, if safely is your excuse for making everyone within 2 miles angry about the NOISE your pipes make, what will happen when they outlaw (already illegal anyway) them?

Nearly all those pipes clearly say they are for off-road, or racing use only. and many towns are passing regulations to ban them.

You guys that use them willy-nilly are "cutting off your noses to spite your faces"

This is the kind of stuff that turns people against motorcyclists in general. It's a free country, as long as people don't infringe on other people's rights. People have a right to peace and quiet in their own homes.

I wish the law would begin to enforce current noise regulations...

If you don't wear a helmet, you're are just fooling with your own life, but making lots of noise affects the rest of us -- but that doesn't really matter to you, as long as "your pipes save your life?"

 

[Zedhed]

Here's some reading from the disturbed public:

http://www.noisefree.org/newsroom/noise-display.php?id=175

 

[boraticus]

Originally Posted By: cfromc
For those that have never heard a loud bike coming towards you, or behind you, or to the side, perhaps you should get your hearing checked. The sound wave travels at about 768 MPH. The Doppler effect alters the sound as the direction of the origination of the sound changes, but it does not eliminate that sound prior to its "passing". The pipes may be facing the rear but the sound eminates in all directions once out of the pipe. It also bounces back in varying amounts off of objects based on the angle and sound-wave absorption abilities of the object.

Its an easily proven fact that the sound waves travel forward of the bike. On a barren highway with dirt fields on both sides, travelling at 70 MPH, I can hear my pipes and I'm sitting in front of the exhaust outlet.


You have to help us out here.

What's keeping those of us with quiet exhausts alive?

 

[dwendt44]

Loud pipes inhance the 'HEY LOOK AT ME!" factor and little else.

 

[dwendt44]

There were a few old classic (late 50's) Harleys that no matter how hard you squeezed the front brake, you certainly weren't going to lock up the front wheel.
In a heavy rain-maybe.

 

[boraticus]

Originally Posted By: Zedhed
Here's some reading from the disturbed public:

http://www.noisefree.org/newsroom/noise-display.php?id=175


Good read.

Think I'll start putting pressure on the local municipal government to start cracking down on unnecessarily loud bikes/cars around here.

I suggest to those who will be deprived their daily dose of decibels to get themselves a steel five gallon pail and a ball peen hammer. They can put the pail over their heads and assault their ear drums with a ten minute session of pounding on the pail in their back yards before they go for a ride. They can still gather up for this occasion as they would for their rides. They can all sit in a circle, put their pails on and pound on the pail next to them. They can look at it as another form of "bonding" session.

Hopefully, this straight pipe nonsense will come to an end and soon!

 

[cfromc]

Originally Posted By: boraticus
You have to help us out here.

What's keeping those of us with quiet exhausts alive?


I wasn't directly responding to the "loud pipes save lives" argument. I was responding to the incorrect statements below:

Originally Posted By: grampi

That one always cracks me up. How do loud pipes, which are facing away from oncoming and potentially dangerous traffic, make you more noticeable? They aren't going to hear you until after you've gone by. Loud pipes have nothing to do with safety and everything to do with image.

 

[GMBoy]

Originally Posted By: boraticus
Originally Posted By: GMBoy
Originally Posted By: boraticus
Don't agree with the loud pipe charade either.

Why not just install a loud horn so that the obnoxious noise is only briefly imposed upon the rest of the world when required.




Because blowing a horn while the car is already cutting you off may be too late.


If what you're saying is true about "loud pipes saving lives", shouldn't the streets be stacked knee high with dead and injured bikers that use quiet pipes?

Or could it be that people who use loud pipes need them to compensate for poor riding skills.

Loud pipes offend people and generate animosity toward motorcyclists as a whole.

The "loud pipes save lives" theory is easily debunked.



I did not mention anywhere in this post nor was I defending "loud pipes save lives" so don't brand me as the one starting it. I was just offering some reasons behind it. But, for the record, my Softail does sport some awesome Vance & Hines Big Radius pipes...

 

[wileyE]

loud tires save lives (dual sport bikes)

loud clutches save lives (ducati)

loud valves save lives (triumph)

 

[GMBoy]

On the opposite end of the loud pipes spectrum is pedestrians getting hit by Hybrid vehicles because they couldn't hear them and stepped in front of one....

 

[boraticus]

Originally Posted By: wileyE
loud tires save lives (dual sport bikes)

loud clutches save lives (ducati)

loud valves save lives (triumph)


Loud colours save lives (all of the above)

 

[GMBoy]

Originally Posted By: boraticus
Originally Posted By: wileyE
loud tires save lives (dual sport bikes)

loud clutches save lives (ducati)

loud valves save lives (triumph)


Loud colours save lives (all of the above)



And loud Farts will clear the way, too.

 

[OnTheFence]

Myth: Motorcyle batteries are special. Without a tender they will die an untimely death.

Myth: You meet the niceset people on a Honda.

Myth: Amsoil never shears out of grade.

 

[Panzerman]

I use the front brake everytime I stop. I dont alaways have too, but I get in the habit of it, so when I really need to stop, I know how and what to expect. The front brake is 70% of the bikes stopping power. I tried to tell a girl rider this and she argued that they told her at the dealership to never touch the front brake, imagine that. She hit the back of a car about a month later, wasnt hurt. She said her back tire just skidded, she now uses both brakes, so she is familar with them. The biggest rumor, that I can debunk, is that two strokes wont last as long as a four stroke and that they need rebuilt constantly. The truth is two stroke race bikes do for max. performance, but a two stroke street bike, properly maintained with good two stroke oil will run forever, usually without as much maintence as its four stroke, since it has alot less moving parts.

 

[V1]

Making noise with a Harley is pretty much the status quo, but it's not the bike's fault. It's the rider abusing his noisy pipes. Incessant revving of engine, repetetive throttle movements, WOT acceleration at inappropriate times. He is "that guy," and that's what makes people shake their heads at Harleys in general, I think.

On the other hand, noisy bikes are definitely more noticeable. I can usually hear loud bikes approaching from behind. The blind spot issue is a real issue that does cause some accidents. I don't have the accident statistics, but the bottom line is that loud bikes do get people's attention. The quote that "Loud pipes save lives" is probably a little extreme, but I tend to agree with it.

 

[boraticus]

Originally Posted By: GMBoy
On the opposite end of the loud pipes spectrum is pedestrians getting hit by Hybrid vehicles because they couldn't hear them and stepped in front of one....

Was the person blind? Or is it possible that they were listening to their Ipod or Bluetooth ear piece?

Maybe their hearing had been momentarily impaired by being exposed to a very loud noise just prior to being struck?

Our vision is our first and most important sense. That's why we have traffic "lights" and traffic "signs" and are gifted with eyes to see them. Ever wonder why eyes are on the front of the head instead of our years.

 

[boraticus]

Originally Posted By: V1
Making noise with a Harley is pretty much the status quo, but it's not the bike's fault. It's the rider abusing his noisy pipes. Incessant revving of engine, repetetive throttle movements, WOT acceleration at inappropriate times. He is "that guy," and that's what makes people shake their heads at Harleys in general, I think.

On the other hand, noisy bikes are definitely more noticeable. I can usually hear loud bikes approaching from behind. The blind spot issue is a real issue that does cause some accidents. I don't have the accident statistics, but the bottom line is that loud bikes do get people's attention. The quote that "Loud pipes save lives" is probably a little extreme, but I tend to agree with it.


I have a couple suggestions for blind spot issues. Stay out of the blind spot. If that cannot be avoided for some reason, alway be prepared to have your space invaded by the blind spot vehicle and leave yourself an escape route. Bad driving habits or inexperience are not valid reasons for imposing unnecessary noise on the rest of the wold.

Loud pipes are nothing more than a pathetic attempt to draw attention to one's self. Feeding the ego. Nothing more.

 

[V1]

It is impossible to avoid the blind spot 100% of the time. People fail to check their blind spot when they change lanes on a regular basis. Sometimes the victim is a motorcycle. Not that often, but it happens. Do the louder pipes help reduce that chance? The jury is out on that one. My vote is 'yes.'

At some point the noise becomes excessive though. It will be up to the law to regulate the cool guy and his loud chopper.

 

[V1]

Originally Posted By: boraticus
Our vision is our first and most important sense. That's why we have traffic "lights" and traffic "signs" and are gifted with eyes to see them. Ever wonder why eyes are on the front of the head instead of our years.


Do they let deaf people drive now?

 

[boraticus]

Originally Posted By: V1
Originally Posted By: boraticus
Our vision is our first and most important sense. That's why we have traffic "lights" and traffic "signs" and are gifted with eyes to see them. Ever wonder why eyes are on the front of the head instead of our years.


Do they let deaf people drive now?


By the noise emitted by some bikes, I'd have to say yes.