Pipes - Loud or loser?

[NZsarge]

We have discussed this topic at length in the MAG forum and the general consensus is no.
From personal experience, I dont even hear a bike until the chick riding it is along side me.
Visual wins everytime over sound where this is concerned.

Sweet, is that an excuse for me to bling the 14 out in LED driving lights then?
I'll be loud and bright!

[Maha]

Sweet, is that an excuse for me to bling the 14 out in LED driving lights then?

Hell yeah!
But those 14's look like a Kenworth at night anyway dont they?...

[Oakie]

If you think loud pipes are going to improve your chances of being noticed by the guy who is going to hit you I think you are deluding yourself. Also that feeling of comfort that thought gives you may just take the edge off your alertness and be the difference between avoiding trouble and becoming a statistic.

[bogan]

Hell yeah!
But those 14's look like a Kenworth at night anyway dont they?...

dunno bout you, but I wouldn't turn in front of a kenworth, so must be a good thing!

reckon different shapes/colors are the way to go, LED indicator DRLs compleneted by a CCFL halo around a bi-xenon projector bulb is my plan

[NZsarge]

Hell yeah!
But those 14's look like a Kenworth at night anyway dont they?...

Hmmm, i'll let that one slide...
I reckon some strategically placed LED's might be mint, sooner or later they'll be coming out standard on new bikes anyway. Only a matter of time.

[DMNTD:Me]

If you think loud pipes are going to improve your chances of being noticed by the guy who is going to hit you I think you are deluding yourself...

Sure ok, I'll take your guys' point of view there however surely a louder than standard pipe will be heard a lot sooner by a pedestrian,fact.
Please tell me you lot think the only hazard on the road are another vehicle?
The question on the poll asked whether they added a safety aspect.

[Usarka]

+1 pedestrians.

And how many car drivers notice you are there even when you are level with them? Sure, if they start changing lane you can usually fang it, but once in a while even us 2-wheelers have a lapse in situational awereness.

[Rockbuddy]

if my pipes aren't loud how will my garage door opener hear when im home

[MadDuck]

The answer to the original question in my opinion is no. BUT damn it is great setting off car alarms when passing them parked on the side of the road.....

[AD345]

In the urban echo chambers of the AKL motorway system (when its open) they certainly do make a difference to being noticed. Most especially when traffic is heavy and crawling and bikes are splitting.

Outside of that - only on the way past

[DMNTD:Me]

The answer to the original question in my opinion is no.

So do you believe that a pedestrian could hear a bike with a quiet set of pipes coming as easy as they could hear a set of Akro's on a Duc?

BUT damn it is great setting off car alarms when passing them parked on the side of the road.....

Dang straight Ducky!

[MadDuck]

[B]So do you believe that a pedestrian could hear a bike with a quiet set of pipes coming as easy as they could hear a set of Akro's on a Duc?

Like car drivers .... some pedestrians wouldnt even hear or notice an ambulance with flashing lights and sriens. I blame Ipods

[cowboyz]

Sure ok, I'll take your guys' point of view there however surely a louder than standard pipe will be heard a lot sooner by a pedestrian,fact.
Please tell me you lot think the only hazard on the road are another vehicle?
The question on the poll asked whether they added a safety aspect.

I have spnt a great deal of my life working around heavy machinery.. There was a recent case of a guy being run over by a reversing steam roller. - they move at about 5km.hr and are not exactly inconspicous... and have really loud beepers whne in reverse.
The facts are that noise... an noise.. these days are increasingly being tuned out as ambient noise. loud pipes do nothing for safety. The do however .. fuck your neighbours off at 3am...

[rustic101]

My observations are:

As a pedestrian in a built up area they echo and takes seconds to locate
In my ute as a driver I never hear them until they pass me
On my bike as a rider I hear even less and only once past me and only for a brief few seconds

So based off my experience, no they do not appear to 'act as a safety measure'.

[Blackshear]

Mine has saved me several times from visually or mentally impaired pedestrians/vehicles.
I know this, because I ride my bike, and I see these people take notice and stop halfway through their 'I didn't see you almost get t-boned by me' turns etc when I give a sharp rev.
Same goes for pedestrians about to run across the road without using a crossing.
Also very helpful for filtering.

That being said, mine is not warrant-able and as such will be fixed in the next two weeks. But only the tip