Bad news for supporters of ‘loud pipes save lives’.

[98valk]

https://advrider.com/university-research-into-loud-pipes-myth/

The Romanian Pro-Motorcycle Association for the National Development of Motorcycling, together with the Polytechnic University of Bucharest and the noise emission specialist Enviro Consult, has conducted a study to determine how much of the motorcycle noise actually reaches the car.

Specifically, the question they wanted answered was where and when the motorcycle becomes audible in the passenger compartment. They found it difficult to measure this while driving with any scientific accuracy, so the research group conducted the tests while the car was stationary – but with the motorcycle at maximum revs.

At the same time, the car’s engine was kept between 2,500 and 3,000 revs and the radio was set to 20 decibels, a volume considered normal. The motorcycle was then placed first 15 metres behind the car, then ten metres, then next to the car and finally in front of the car.

The Romanian Pro-Motorcycle Association for the National Development of Motorcycling, together with the Polytechnic University of Bucharest and the noise emission specialist Enviro Consult, has conducted a study to determine how much of the motorcycle noise actually reaches the car.

Specifically, the question they wanted answered was where and when the motorcycle becomes audible in the passenger compartment. They found it difficult to measure this while driving with any scientific accuracy, so the research group conducted the tests while the car was stationary – but with the motorcycle at maximum revs.

At the same time, the car’s engine was kept between 2,500 and 3,000 revs and the radio was set to 20 decibels, a volume considered normal. The motorcycle was then placed first 15 metres behind the car, then ten metres, then next to the car and finally in front of the car.

[Jess from VA]

Well they obviously screwed up this experiment since they didn't have the driver's attention directed down to his phone texting and or talking. 

[Ramie]

 

Well they obviously screwed up this experiment since they didn't have the driver's attention directed down to his phone texting and or talking. 

 

[Sorcerer]

20db radio? When I can hear the music from the car to the side rear, side front  and we all have our windows rolled up and the heat, a/c blower on medium to high. Ya. Now add road noise from tires and wind noise made by the vehicle. It only down grades the loud pipes save life’s statement. 20+ years ago that statement had a slightly better chance. Cars now days have much better sound deadened body’s, even the lower priced vehicles. 

[Willow]

It was obviously a study done with the result already intended.

Hopefully no one has ever made the claim that load pipes save all lives.  One who has ridden with audible pipes and has ridden with whisper pipes can tell you from experience that the one bike is noticed more than the other.

The study is almost as meaningful as a study claiming that helmets don't save lives as we can prove that some people have actually died while wearing helmets.

You make your motorcycle sound like you want yours to sound.  I will do the same.  I won't comment on how or how much you ride and you can leave me alone for how I choose to ride.

What a stupid and unnecessary post.

[Jess from VA]

I don't mind loud pipes as long as you don't insist on riding next to me. 

Otherwise, we're good.   

You can save lives...... I want to save what's left of my hearing. 

[Willow]

...
You can save lives...... I want to save what's left of my hearing.  

Then take the windscreen off your machine.  It's where the noise bounces from and it makes laughable the use of the expression being in the wind.

BTW your hearing is threatened more by wind noise in your ears, if you have it, than the sound of anyone's pipes.  Wear ear plugs if you fear.

I don't mind loud pipes as long as you don't insist on riding next to me. 
...

Incidentally I don't insist on riding next to anyone.  Honestly there are only a few people I even enjoy riding with.

[Jess from VA]

I only wear half helmets with my corrective glasses.  If I ride without my windshield, my eyes tear up badly right away and I can't see.  Seeing is more important than hearing.  And that's not even considering rocks, dirt, bugs, bee swarms, birds, tossed cigarettes and driving rain.

I'm somewhat picky about who I ride with too.  And I put/keep space between me and unknown riders.

  

[Moonshot_1]

Simply based on my experience.

Had a Honda 1100 shadow years ago. Drag pipes. Hear this thing blocks away.

Did cage drivers hear it? Maybe.

There are times when I'm driving a car down the highway and a bike with rather loud pipes passes me.
I generally don't hear them until they are right beside me or slightly ahead.

When riding the Shadow one thing I did realize was I couldn't hear the traffic behind me over the sound of the loud pipes. This was rare as not many folks are ever in a position to pass me. But there have been a few and on the Shadow I could never hear them until they were beside me and I could hear the tire and wind noise if I could hear it at all.

Never really heard all the folks I passed. Pipes drowned them out too.

With the Valk, rather whisper quiet down the highway, I can hear the traffic behind me well in advance of them passing. Which is really nice.

Sound can be a great piece of information at the speed limit, which I always observe, of the highway.

[Chrisj CMA]

I’m not sure loud pipes are a safety factor. I’ve had loud and quiet bikes and can’t correlate any changes in potential incidents. But, Im convinced that the shiner your chrome the more visible and therefore the safer you are on the road. 

[cookiedough]

all I know is my 98 LOUD valk with cobra's helped the dingbat lady pulling over into my lane changing lanes without looking me few feet behind her near alongside her.  I put clutch in, revved the snot outta my LOUD Valk and she immediately looked behind towards me and got back into her own darn lane of traffic.  Not sure the VAlk stock horn would've done anything at all.

I do get some awful strange looks leaving it in 1st gear doing 20 mph thru downtown staring at me like what the F is that thing does not sound like a potatoe potatoe potatoe HD at all.   

[hubcapsc]

Honestly there are only a few people I even enjoy riding with.

You get grouchier every day.

-Mike

[Serk]

Honestly there are only a few people I even enjoy riding with.

...and even fewer you enjoy conversing with..... 

[Rams]

Hmmm,
Well, I'm not a proponent of loud pipes or them saving lives but, I also agree with Willow that each rider should be able to make that decision within certain acceptable sound decibel levels.   

No, I don't wish to ride right behind loud pipes but, if I'm behind, I get to decide how far back I am and I'm good with that.   

Rams   

[Beardo]

Ride whatever floats your boat. While you’re riding, stay out of cager’s blind spots and you probably won’t have a problem. A large percentage of videos on YouTube of near misses that result in a rider smashing off a car mirror could have been avoided if the rider hadn’t sat in a blind spot.

[MAD6Gun]

all I know is my 98 LOUD valk with cobra's helped the dingbat lady pulling over into my lane changing lanes without looking me few feet behind her near alongside her.  I put clutch in, revved the snot outta my LOUD Valk and she immediately looked behind towards me and got back into her own darn lane of traffic.  Not sure the VAlk stock horn would've done anything at all.

I do get some awful strange looks leaving it in 1st gear doing 20 mph thru downtown staring at me like what the F is that thing does not sound like a potatoe potatoe potatoe HD at all.   

 I agree with you on the stock horn. It is worthless. Way back when my bike was new I had a guy change lanes right in front of me. Hit the horn. Nothing. He didn't even look up. Soon after I installed a Rivco air horn. Not long after that a woman merging onto the highway wanted the lane I was in. I hit that horn (her window was down) she damn near crashed getting back into her lane.

 With that said. Tell me, in the situation you just described what would have been faster. Pulling the clutch in and "revving the snot outta" your bike or moving your left thumb to the horn button. When time is of the ecence I would think the latter would be faster. I'm not negating your experience just making a point.  I also want to point out that my bike has Viking exhaust. It's louder then stock but not really LOUD. I personally prefer the low tone rumble of the Vikings over the "cackle" of the 6 into 6 pipes like the Cobras but to each their own. Like Carl said you do you...

[Moonshot_1]

OOoo. Horn stories!

Like I said my Valk is whisper quiet going down the road and the stock horn is really kind of worthless in a dire situation.

So I wired up a couple of horns from a Dodge Caravan. Tip o' the hat to Big BF as I used his wiring diagram for the project.

Anyway, sitting at a stop light in the north bound lane. A guy was sitting at the stop light in the west bound lane (south bound had the green). The north bound light goes green as the guy in the west bound decides to make a right hand turn effectively cutting me off.

Battle horn engaged.

The guy keeps turning right, over the curb and almost into a pole.

It was glorious.

Back to the loud pipe issue. I don't mind someone with loud pipes. Had them myself.
My, lets call it concern, is that they drown out other noises that are helpful in keeping you aware of your
surroundings.

[Rams]

Back to the loud pipe issue. I don't mind someone with loud pipes. Had them myself.
My, lets call it concern, is that they drown out other noises that are helpful in keeping you aware of your
surroundings.

I agree with that also although, we all need to keep our heads on a swivel and our eyes scanning while riding.   Loud pipe riders, probably more so.   My own crash appears to have been because I wasn't paying enough attention to what was about to happen on my six.   So, I can relate to the statement above.

Rams

[Binkie]

I do believe louder pipes make your bike more noticeable. I do think it’s ironic that a bike can have straight pipes yet my hot rods require mufflers or else I would get ticketed for excessive noise. And yes I have been ticket for that in the past. What I object to is the 200+ loud bikes that go past my house on any given nice day. My house is on a road that connects the Dragon to the Cherohala Skyway. It also is between 2 ridges so sound bounces and does not disperse. And I’m getting older and crankier so there is that. So enjoy your pipes but stay off the throttle when going past my farm.