If Loud Pipes Save Lives. Where is the documentation and facts?

Question

If loud pipes save lives. Where is the documention? Not a fantasy web site, but hard facts gathered by a credible orginazation.

Does Harley Davidson have and facts?

Does the American Motorcycle Association have any information?

Does the INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY have any information or facts?

Answer 1

None .... There is no data or facts.



Loud Pipes Save Lives is a fantasy created in an attempt to justify breaking the law and to inflate mini egos.



If bikers were so interested in riding safe. Why do helmet laws suck or why wear non DOT approved helmets?



Why do many wear ear plugs when riding?



Why can't they hear the surrounding traffic and emergency vehicles?



Why not wear brighter colored shirts or jackets?



Heck, when you buy a bike you should be aware of the perceived risk. If your too scared to obey the law...SELL YOUR BIKE or try the cool invention called a HORN.



Be truthful, its not about safety....its about performance and ego.

Answer 2

Loud Pipes Save Lives

Answer 3

I'm getting a freakin headache !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!... By the way some motorcycle rider deaths have been attributed to the rider wearing a helmet. Seems that there are times where the weight of the helmet and it's forward inertia when on your head will break a persons neck when the forward motion of the rider is suddenly stopped in some accident situations. Moral of the story it may save you, it may kill you. By the way did the "HURT REPORT" address when the rider of a motorcycle is traveling adjacent to an automobile, perhaps in the drivers blind spot? Defensive driving may save a motorcycle rider from an accident with another vehicle when the other vehicle is ahead of the motorcycle. Defensive driving isn't going to do much for you when your adjacent to a automobile and that driver decides he's going to change lanes because he don't see you. I'll keep my semi-obnoxiously loud pipes. Thank you very much!

Answer 4

Well first I want to say LOUD PIPES SAVES LIVES!!!!!!!!

Now in response to your first question, What do you mean by Harley Davidson HAVE AND FACTS? I don't understand "have and facts"

And for your last two questions, I don't know the answer.

BUT I can say out of ALL research done you only get the information that they want you to have. As an example, they tell you how many lives are saved by people wearing helmets. That like 100 people dead because they were not wearing a helmet. BUT tell me this. HOW MANY people dead who WERE WEARING helmets.? You don't know that, do you? And you don't know because they color the picture the way they want. So I will ask you this, How many lives were lost because the other driver DIDN'T see or HEAR the bike coming.?

The bottom line is your going into a subject that I can find a reason for EVERY single reason you come up with. ANY REASON at all. I can come up with one why I should have loud pipes, or NOT wear a helmet, or NOT wear a seat belt. I tired of ALL the COMMUNISM going on. Time to WAKE UP AMERICA hear HEAR US ROAR. LOUD PIPES SAVES LIVES.

Answer 5

I don't think there is actual documentation. From my personal experience when a motorcycle with loud pipes is headed your way you can barely hear it until it passes and then it is almost deafening. The simple fact is that most loud pipes are illegal in towns that have a noise ordinance. But you don't see many motorcyclists pulled over for that.

Answer 6

Excellent question. Another great question is why do cars have to abide by noise laws while motorcycles don't? It's almost like the cops are afraid of bikers. My own personal experience has shown me that situational awareness (something that loud pipes prevent) and not darting through traffic like an idiot saves lives.

Answer 7

Driving like every operator of a four or more wheeled vehicle is out to kill you saves lives! As for loud pipes, it's a performance issue. the more air a carburator takes in the better it runs, but taking more air in means allowing more air out, hence, more noise. Even then riding with a little thought of others means cranking the throttle wide open evrytime it needs to be cranked isn't really all that neccessary

Answer 8

There are probably some stats out there, but isn't it also just common sense that this would occur? Think about it...people in automobiles often behave as though they don't see bikes on the road...I've been on one many times and had someone decide to share my lane...if they can't see you (or don't) then at least making sure they can hear you gives you a little more protection...they might not see that nice quiet bike humming down the road near them, but if you've got pipes they can hear SOMEthing and will hopefully look around to determine exactly where that sound is, before changing lanes or running over you or pulling out in front of you.

Answer 9

what is the big deal?? some people like loud pipes...(I DO), and I have neither an inflated ego, nor "penis envy" as some people call it... Trucks have their jake brakes, cars have their thumping loud music, parents have their screaming, misbehaving children, and you have a small mind. What does it matter if there are numbers behind it? I'm sure you are some cager who likes to point all of the problems with everything. Just remember road rage kills, and you never know who the biker is on the bike with the loud pipes, or who they may ride with. Dude, let it go.......

Answer 10

Loud pipes on my motorcycle saved my life twice. A near miss was caused by the guy hearing me rev the engine just as he was pulling out, in front of me while I was crusing at 55 on the highway.

When we stopped and talked,he said the loud pipes caused him to take a second look in my direction and he stopped just in time. Yes-loud pipes do save lives.

Answer 11

Where is the documentation to prove that it Doesnt?



I dont see any cars running around here turning thier stereos down....So they dont have to abide by any noise laws. I see card drivers driving around with cell phone jammed in their ear at least 4 to 5 times in a day.



From what I can see from that Hurt report....it also doesnt say what kind of exhaust they were talking about. As long as the my Cycle travels slower than the speed of sound...the sound of my loud pipes will get there before I do thus alerting whoever is around.



Stop whining about loud exhaust...I like mine loud...it HAS saved my life.

Answer 12

Pulled this off the Hurt report....



17. The typical motorcycle pre-crash lines-of-sight to the traffic hazard portray no contribution of the limits of peripheral vision; more than three-fourths of all accident hazards are within 45deg of either side of straight ahead.



Now, that blurb does not break down if the crashes were single vehicle or involved a car turning infront of it.



However, because of the dopler effect...the odds of a left turning car hearing it before they see it are rather low.. they will see you before hearing...and anybody that rides knows the danger presented by left turning cars.



Loud pipes don't save lives...they just piss off the non riding public. And the non riding public that is inmature enough to take that to the next level...might just ruin your ride.

Answer 13

Harley itself doesn't support loud pipes, and in fact are against them.



I personally rely on RIDING SKILLS, and that really cool thing I had put on my bike. They call it a horn.



I practice defensive driving. That means that I watch the cars around me, and I use my horn proactively when it looks like someone is about to make a move. And I stay out of blind spots.



I cringe for everyone who is relying on noise to keep them safe. If they believe that, their other skills are likely to get rusty. I just hope I never encounter them when I'm driving my car!



Anyway, I haven't met a bike yet that can compete with Karmon Hardon. I mean, Harmon Kardon.

Answer 14

Loud pipes have saved my life numerous times. And it has also saved me from some pretty bad accidents. A dog once darted into the street and got scared and darted in the other direction when it heard me coming. Thank god for the VROOM VROOM!!!

Answer 15

In my opinion, the don't save lives.

We bikers just say that they do, because we dig it.

As a matter of fact pipes always shoot out near your rear fender. When your doing 50-180 mph there is no way someone can hear you coming if there are also doing over 55mph. Here are is article. Hope this helps out

http://www.virginiawind.com/byways/loud_pipes_save_lives.asp

http://personalpages.tds.net/~dsullivan/Articles/loudpipe.htm

Answer 16

It can't be documented because its a slogan and not a fact.



"Loud Hip Hop Saves Lives", now that's just self-evident. :-)

Answer 17

Next time you audibly become aware of a bike's presence in your blind spot, think about that statement.



For all these idiots who think horns are the answer, you're wrong. My horn only gets sounded AFTER some jackass cuts me off. It does nothing to prevent an accident. I suppose I could ride around all day sounding the horn. Point made?

Answer 18

I'm sure nobody keeps track, but think about it, if you can hear a bike 2 or 3 blocks away you'll be more apt to look out for it.

Answer 19

My point is simple!Go buy yourself a motorcycle with a quiet exhaust system and go ride around your town for,oh, let's say for about a half hour or so.If you don't make it home,we were right and you were WRONG.

Answer 20

all the cyclists still living...and whenever you're about to pull out and you hear something and stop...only to see a motorcycle drive by that you would have hit...theres your proof.

Answer 21

saved my life...