Is a noisy bike safer?

I agree with those who claim that loud noise will provide warning of the presence of motorcycles to motorists who are about to maneuver in a way threatening the safety of the rider. I don't feel the need to suffer with the noise all the time so I opted for a discretionary noise source.

My Stebel horn is always poised for use, it's output in a forward direction, it's just a convenient button press away. The advertised 139 db horn is not only loud, but the tone of it seems to make motorists take notice right away when it is activated.

The horn sounding only when needed makes the warning much more significant than a continuous low frequency noise IMHO.

Here's my two cents. After thinking about it for a while, I think it's less safe.

Here's my reasoning. When I'm driving and I hear a siren, I often do not immediately know the location and direction the sound is coming from. As such, it divides my concentration between normal driving and locating the source of the siren. Granted, I'm usually pretty aware of my surrounding and nothing really catches me too much off guard. But, it takes some time for me to determine if the ambulance/fire truck/police vehicle is and how I need to alter my course. While I'm doing this I'm at a greater risk of getting in an accident. I've never gotten into an collision under these circumstances, but my attention is spread thinner--as are all the other drivers on the road. I have a similar, but much shorter experience when I hear a car honking or a loud motorcycle (that's because I really don't have to locate the source). I hate to say it to those supporters, but the best thing you can do is not distract me while I'm driving because I need to concentrate on who and what's in front, to the side and rear of me.

At the wisconsin national in 07 I saw a old guy wearing a shirt with a picture of a airhead motor saying "loud valves saves lifes"

[QUOTE=rmarkr;430697]What I would like to see is some "awareness of motorcycles and how to respond to them" in driver ed and testing. Many younger drivers have absolutely no clue how to deal with motorcyclists.

[/QUOTE]

We have regularly scheduled "driver improvement" classes at work. I was asked to do a motorcycle awareness module. I was happy to do it and it went well.

I was also able to give the bikers present some good advice. As usual, some had never heard of counter-steering. :eek



Harry

Dear Friends.....loud pipes have NOTHING to do with safety...it is part of the "here I am...pay attention to me" syndrome.....not unlike the requisite removal of muffler cats on "rural" pick-up trucks.......nothing like 2 big duals makin' a racket to say "Here I am....look at me!"

A buddy of mine says " big, loud pipes mean teeny-weeny ________" (male body part)!!!:nyah

[QUOTE=bikerfish1100;429625][IMG]http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q13/bikerfish1100/HDShirt.jpg[/IMG]

i really need to find one of these.[/QUOTE]


I'll play,Had this one made in a shirt place ten took it to the MC show 2 years a go.
The funny thing was most of the HD riders agree with it.


[IMG]http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc118/ghostridery2k/101_0610.jpg[/IMG]

As much as we would like to think loud pipes aren’t safer because we hate the sound of them, it just ain’t true. Having had a couple of bikes that were loud, including my Norton and my GS with a Y pipe and Remus can, I can say with absolute certainty that lane splitting here in California was safer with on a loud bike.

Folks are almost never surprised you are coming up behind them and move over at a far greater rate when splitting if the rpms are kept up when riding a loud bike. On my current BMW, and my many other quiet bikes, I am/was constantly surprising the drivers and far less of them notice me in time to move over.

As a car driver at times, as much as I hate the annoyance, I can hear that loud sport bike or cruiser long before I see it when sitting in bumper to bumper traffic.

I’m also an avid bicyclist and quiet bikes like stock BMW’s surprise me all the time when approaching from behind in the mountains.

All that being said, do we/they have a right to annoy everyone on the road to be a touch safer, of course not. It is nice to see the ever increasing pressure to quiet down motorcycles.

[QUOTE=mikegates;750552]At the wisconsin national in 07 I saw a old guy wearing a shirt with a picture of a airhead motor saying "loud valves saves lifes"[/QUOTE]

loud valves are happy valves

ill have to admit, when I was young, loud was cool. starting with cards in the spokes, no mufflers on honda 50's blown glass packs on big block fords. working on race cars adn bikes ( tr, jag, morgan, honda, kawasaki, yamaslams)
loud rock and roll
then my life moved on to nail pounding for a living
no ear protection with skill saws etc,

Im a bit mellower these days, I have stock muffs on ym R80Rt, but my 318ic has a free flow exsaust, my cheby truck has flowmasters

my oldest son tole me he thought my computer wsa making a loud noise........huh ?

but when visiting my son and his family the othre day and I was working on his car..he turned to me and said..............you dont hear that ?

so now when IM wearing my helmet, I hope I do hear the car horns adn sirens as early as I need to

Here's a different take on loud motorcycles.

[url]http://www.southparkstudios.com/full-episodes/s13e12-the-f-word[/url]


I personally don't think loud bikes do anything other than piss off and startle other motorists.

Here's my 2 cents: We just lost another of the loud pipe boys a couple of weeks ago, less that a hundred miles for where I live. Night, four lane city traffic, loud pipes, alcohol, speeding, weaving back and forth in two lanes, lost control. The loud pipes did not have the desired affect. Could there possibly be other aspects to motorcycle safety that are more important?

I have found however, that noise is helpful if used properly. In my home area, the biggest road danger is dear (they seem to be suicidal). The dear don't seem to pay much attention to vehicle noise if it is constant. However, if I spot dear on the side of the road, and I change the sound of my exhaust by either backing off or increasing RPM, the dear take notice and bolt away from the road. If I maintain constant RPM, the dear normally pay no attention to me, which is scary! It helps that there is, for all practical purposes, no traffic in my County. Thus you, and the dear, can hear a vehicle approaching from a half mile away.

If my bike is making noise, then I put it in a very safe condition. I park it until I fix what is making the noise. After which it goes back to being quiet.

There have been numerous times when I've asked a loud-bike rider, "What's wrong with your bike? If my bike sounded like that I'd have it in the shop for repair." Then comes the dumb look, followed by, "It's supposed to sound like this!" Obviously they don't get it.

[QUOTE=brewmeister;750672]Whats bumper to bumper traffic? :stick:wave[/QUOTE]


:laugh

+1

[quote=glenfiddich;429426]loud pipes lose rights for all of us.

With all the loud stereos in cars these days, forget about being heard especially from the front. Thank you just the same, but i'll stay with my nice, respectfully quiet gs and settle for dressing loudly and riding responsibly.

Pete[/quote]

Sometimes all you can do is shake your head & hope not to be present when someone's ignorance & stupidity catch up with them