"REAL Bikers" Harley's and LOUD pipes..!

fzr100098 said:

Obnoxiously loud pisses people off, it doesn't save lives. My parents live in the western mountains of NC (some of the best motorcycling anywhere) and when the Harleys come by with their open pipes you just want to get out a 12 gauge and blow them off the road, ticks EVERYONE off

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Load pipes?....ha
All these Harley guys now have sound systems so load i here that coming before the sound of the pipes . Some even have subs enclosed in the saddle bags

"Loud pipes save lives" = fallacy

there's a difference between a nice sounding exhaust system, and an annoying bark of straight pipes.

and you should be wearing earplugs to deter high-frequency hearing loss, not for the loud pipes...

not just a load pipe thread but a good read about Harley d-bags

Why are the majority of Harley owner's so ignorant to other motorcycle brands?

centeroff said:

There is an anti social rebellious FTW aspect of Motorcycling, and Hot Rodding that seems to be slipping away. Having a fast loud motorcycle is COOL, having a fast loud Hotrod is COOL. When you start worrying that you might up set the neighbors with your loud bike, go by an electric two wheeled transportation appliance, and commend yourself on your new found sensitivity.

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Dumbest ....... comment in the thread.

But I will agree with the sentiment that loud pipes for the most part can save lives. Especially on bikes like ours where the exhaust exits through the side, it will have a bigger noise radius.

Increasing sound levels while in pursuit of either increased performance or enhanced sound quality is fair game. When attempting to produce a better breathing/flowing engine, or achieve that lusciously bass-rich exhaust note, the last thing I concern myself with is the possibility of riling up the neighborhood knitting club. That being said, additional noise just for the sake of being louder seems pointless. I always ride with the assumption that I am both invisible and inaudible to all others with whom I share the road.

Indiana Jones said:

I think the Pani is just loud enough. Very nice that when you spend 20k on a bike you don't have to add exhaust. I'm sure some would argue otherwise.

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Well I agree, the 2015 R is perfect for me, that homologated Akra sounds fantastic

I know that I can only really hear bikes in the car when they are in front of me; the sound travels behind the exhaust, not out and then forward

Bright dual headlights are really your best defense, as shilling already said - distracted soccer moms can still pull out in front of you

Duck41 said:

I always ride with the assumption that I am both invisible and inaudible to all others with whom I share the road.

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That's your ticket to ensure safety, regarding cagers.

I've even made direct eye contact with drivers and they STILL pull out/turn left in front of me.

Who makes eye contact and pulls out? Lmao.

People can't always tell where the sound is coming from. If in doubt when facing cagers wanting to turn, flash the brights.

Harleys - I have two of them and may get another. Either you get it or you don't (Harley character). I have seen plenty of good riders and plenty that aren't in the Harley camp (as well as other brands too). Harley riders are more noticeable because they are a lot more of them. They are fun to ride at relatively low speeds whereas the sport bikes start being fun at 80 plus which is hard to do on the street without cops ruining the fun.

The rebel thing I don't quite buy. There's a lot of conformance going on there. It's a bandwagon thing. The "badass" thing is very oversold. It's superficial so don't be distracted by it. The real badasses are the GP riders dragging their elbows!

It's hard to get the "right tone" without the loudness. It's easier with larger muffler volume but then that's another can of worms.

Oddly enough, when I wear assless chaps with an exposed ......., traffic keeps their distance and I always feel safe

I like the sound of the twin, my last bike was a TLR and it had a fantastic note, I love the crackle on the overrun, whether or not that makes any difference in traffic I don't know. I leave for work at 4 am, not on the bike, if I had a neighbour who was firing up his bike at that time I would walk next door and rearrange his exhaust for him, it's not rebelious and cool, it's just ....... inconsiderate.

When I had my 1199R with the Termis installed, I used to take it out of the garage then push it away from my neighbors before starting it up if I was leaving very early in the morning.

Duck41 said:

I always ride with the assumption that I am both invisible and inaudible to all others with whom I share the road.

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In fairness, I expect nothing from car drivers. If they just stay the same pace, same heading, I will pick my moment and go round them without unsettling anyone. Sure it's nice for them to pull over a little which I appreciate and give them a nod of approval, but just to know they have seen me and I'm on their radar is all I require, I will do the rest. When a car driver gets anxious because they know you're there and it visibly upsets them I will try to get past them as soon as I can giving them a wide birth, I don't see why they should worry, but I try not to hang around if it bothers someone either.

Like the gentleman already said, behave like they think you are invisible and always expect something stupid to happen as soon as you leave your house!!!