Has anyone else noticed that many of the mags seem to have a coordinated press against loud pipes in recent months? I swear, every time I pick up a bike rag there's some editor or columnist spouting on about the virtues of quiet pipes and the "myth" that loud pipes. These people are supposed to have umpteen years, decades even, of riding experience yet not one of them has ever had a personal experience where even some reasonably loud pipes have saved their asses. then how is it that every year I have been riding I have at least one, usually more, experience where I know my pipes saved my skinny biker ass? There are how many of us that have been personally told by someone that they didn't see us but they heard us? So WTF is up with this seemingly full-court press for silent runners? Is it just me that's noticed this? It can be...
I can't count the number of times louder pipes have saved my a--.
Even in parking lots; I have had times when a "distracted" motorist has not heard my horn but will snap right to attention if I gave him a short rap on the pipes.
I've always made it a policy to short shift in residential areas and in town; but the ability to use a "rev" or two to prevent an accident is nice to have.
About the only time I've found that the extra sound doesn't seem to help is with tailgaters......which we seem to have an abundance of around central Illinois.......most of whom seem to be young ladies. Flashing the brake lights doesn't usually work either...it's either speed up and get ahead of them or slow way down and let them pass.
Hell I even had one try to pass me on an exit ramp on an interstate!!
That's why I posted my post, "LOUD PIPES SAVE LIVES". The hell with all those P.C. people that have given in to that kind of pressure. Maybe they should just quit riding instead of the cry game. Their argument about saving us from ourselves is B.S. There will always be people at each extreme on this issue. I guess the writers need to feel important so they jump on the P.C. band wagon. To me they just show where they stand, follow the crowd to play it safe. The hell with them! There are less and less people I can identify with these days, and if this is the direction most people are going then I guess I'm a social outcast and fool to them. I'm not going to give in to their hype, I'm just going to short shift in town and show respect to others, if that's not enough, they can jam it.
AMEN! Not only have loud pipes saved my ass on a number of occasions (especially when I lived in D.C.), but what the heck fun would it be to have an american V-Twin that sounds like a Honda? Who cares if some little old lady finds them "offensive?"
I haven't had near the problems here in Colorado Springs that I did when I lived in NoVa, but I'd still rather play it safe. People ignore horns. They don't ignore pipes.
Hey Bluebob
Nice post, good points, but don't assume an agenda in the press. If the writers are writing asbout it, it's because people are talking about it and that can lead to restrictive laws. I have also been saved by a bark that's worse than my bite. The problem is too many of us barking too much and that will bite us all in the end.
I try to be curteous about the neighbors and quiet neighborhoods, short-shifting when necessary.
I don't believe it's an actual agenda, per se, but it seems after this Devner crackdown that many of these bike advocates in the mags are wussing out. I might join ABATE if they can get their hackels up over pipes, and they can get over that I like helmets...
that loud pipes save lives - please...its almost like an oil thread - it is played
it does NOT make a difference - your volume will not save you - paying attention and being edumacated will - being lucky helps
as far as sound goes - if you live in a populated area, like the wanker clan does - you got to be repectful, its the only way to survive and thrive..if you stay low key and slip out the back, ride like a slippery snake, like the flatulent wind, like the..you get it - keep it quiet
...if you make a sonic spectacle of yourself, you deserve to have your sorry buttocks soundly thrashed and your pride and joy confiscated
wanker - who doesnt like being awakened from his peaceful slumber by some dunderhead coming home from the bar on his craptail with 1.75 ear splitters and an speastic throttle hand blasting away down the street
I have loud pipes. i love it, I am heard behind ignorant car drivers, who's not seeing or hearing smaller units than elephants and a flip on the throttle wakes them up from road unsafety slumber. i do not ride fast, 55-60 at maximum but some car drivers are really a pest to meet in traffic.
__________________ Live fast- live long and rides like hell- that's me
Loud pipes in the press 
Linear Mode
