Loud exhaust?

**pritch** · 23rd March 2013, 10:42

There is a school of thought, common in the States and copied here, "Loud pipes save lives."
I recently read a reply to the effect, "Imagine how many lives would be saved if they learned to ride properly."

If you wish to be noisy on occasion, buy a Stebel Nautilus.

**duckonin** · 23rd March 2013, 10:51

Originally Posted by DanCollins

Hey Guys,
My mate made the recommendation of a louder exhaust so I'm more visible.

I'm also open for other suggestions with dealing with these crazy and erratic drivers...

Cheers,

Dan

(1) change mates fast ! .

(2) keep your eyes open and brain engaged....By doing so 99.9% of your problem is covered.

**Subike** · 23rd March 2013, 11:23

Originally Posted by sinfull

Unless you keep watching them when they start to move !

Police for obvious reasons and bikers cause they generally ride aggressively and in pairs if not packs, just my opinion anyhow !

To the OP
I think you just don't like the sound of your bike and want it to sound better aye ?

Making your bike louder won't save ya from lane changers, what will, is being a little more aggressive (not saying ride flat out)
Work your throttle a bit more, don't creep up on the blind spots of cars and sit there, if they're going a few k's slower than you, get in a position you can see in their wing mirror and then just give it a touch more gas and get past them quickly before returning to your cruise speed !
If it's a line of traffic on your left and there is a gap in front of you, it's pretty obvious someone is going to pull out, so maybe use the vehicle in front of you as a block (though you run the risk of reeming him if he's quicker on the brakes when someone pulls out on him)

This was the only post so far in this thread that has made sense to me.
I am active in my lane when riding, Wander from side to side, not riding continuously in a straight line when behind traffic.
When driving a car, I glance at the interior mirror, see the vehicle behind me and drive on, nothing unusual. If I glance at the mirror and see something different from the norm, I Take Notice and look harder, a rider traveling in a straight line is a "normal" look, can be dismissed and forgotten, a rider moving around alerts my caution " what the fuck is he doing" and I am aware he is there.
So I apply that reasoning from driving to my riding, seems to work well.
Now OP. I have two XS1100 Yamahas, one with an almost std exhaust, one with a reasonably loud aftermarket exhaust. I have observed no difference at night when riding either bike because of the sound. So loud pipes save lives?, na. fools errand

**Fast Eddie** · 23rd March 2013, 11:29

I have loud pipes and I am still alive, Therefor loud pipes save lives.

I also have an anti-panther rock in my garden, there are no panthers in my garden..

**kiwi cowboy** · 23rd March 2013, 11:50

Originally Posted by Fast Eddie

I have loud pipes and I am still alive, Therefor loud pipes save lives.

I also have an anti-panther rock in my garden, there are no panthers in my garden..

i got a weather rock hanging in my garden and it works too

**DanCollins** · 23rd March 2013, 12:49

I've been weaving a bit more lately. By weaving, I mean within my lane just moving side to side. I also think it's a good idea to give the engine a rev before I overtake someone, so I will do that from now on. Rather than having a loud drone, it would be a short and sharp rev.

As for not liking the sound of my bike. I reckon it would sound worse with a loud pipe on it. When I got my CBR, it had a straight through pipe which sounded terrible. When I put the standard exhaust back on it sounded much nicer.

**BAD DAD** · 23rd March 2013, 13:14

On the way to the Neil Young concert the other night we ran into reasonably heavy traffic before reaching the motorway, and one of the things I noticed was how many bikes were able to enter the spaces in front and around me without me catching view of them. In some other similar thread way back in time I think I remember saying how a person like me that actively seeks out bikes just for the enjoyment of seeing them is still caught out continuously by lane splitters and the like. My point is; if it easy easy for you to sneak up on a train-spotter like myself then you haven't got a shit-show of being noticed by even the averagely attentive driver. Dayglo, loud pipes or even flashing blue lights can take some time to register when you are travelling in the same direction of someone whose mind is far, far away. As for drivers coming from the opposite direcction, hellfire, they even turn out in front of Kenworth trucks. And let's face it, most of us have been caught out ourselves from time to time.

**awa355** · 23rd March 2013, 13:49

Originally Posted by Fast Eddie

I have loud pipes and I am still alive, Therefor loud pipes save lives.

I also have an anti-panther rock in my garden, there are no panthers in my garden..

I have a quiet pipe on my bike and I'm still alive.

On the other hand,

I dont have an anti-panther rock in my garden and there's a big black cat curled up on the outdoor lounger.

Where can I buy an anti-panther rock from???

**Fast Eddie** · 24th March 2013, 11:56

Originally Posted by awa355

Where can I buy an anti-panther rock from???

fred flinstone..

ehehe

**Foxx** · 15th March 2014, 01:20

Oh yes louder the better but not crazy loud like on some hog. I've just recently fitted a pair of anodised black Neptune's to my ride ' vtr1000' real nice . Mufflers for a real nice price go & check him out you will be impressed

Sent from my GT-I8190N using Tapatalk

**oneblackflag** · 15th March 2014, 03:15

:

Originally Posted by Foxx

Oh yes louder the better but not crazy loud like on some hog. I've just recently fitted a pair of anodised black Neptune's to my ride ' vtr1000' real nice . Mufflers for a real nice price go & check him out you will be impressed

Sent from my GT-I8190N using Tapatalk

Cool thread dredge...

Contrary to most of the coments, I find my loud pipe gets much more attention from drivers I come up behind, even ones waiting at intersections (in town). Its just one of the tools in the belt though and I definitely dont rely on it.

Out of consideration (and lawliness) I've changed out the baffel from 98db to about 94db, of course just cruising in a higher gear makes it more plesent for other road users and

; but I will change down when I want to be heard. At 98db downshifting or accelerating everyone looks and you feel like a right cock

and plenty of that noise is going forward.... You wouldn't wanna ride behind me though.

Im on a dirt bike though (well dual sport), I don't think they sound right when quiet

**pritch** · 15th March 2014, 11:44

Originally Posted by sinfull

bikers cause they generally ride aggressively and in pairs if not packs, just my opinion anyhow !

No. It's because they are perceived as a potential threat. Same as the Police.

**SMOKEU** · 15th March 2014, 14:11

Nothing is effective against preventing crashes when stupid cagers are around. They still manage to pull out in front of trains and big trucks, so the chance of seeing/hearing a bike is almost nil if they're not paying attention.