Not entirely true. Might I recommend: 1) Spend a day in urban California traffic on a bike with a silent, stock exhaust
2) Spend another day in CA traffic on the same bike, but with performance pipe 3) Report back. For the record, I've done this - over several years, SAME bike, same town, swapping back & forth between pipes (stock exhaust and bolt-on Yoshimura RS-3 pipe). People *do* hear you even if you're behind them, at freeway speeds. No, not everyone, but some is better than none before they whip over into your lane without looking! Remember - I am NOT talking about a Harley with no mufflers here! I hate those too! And I agree 1000% on the complete lack of driver training in the USA. But that's a whole 'nuther rant which I'd rather not get started on. And while there's no helmet law here in Spudland, I don't go out of the driveway without my armored Dainese leather suit, boots, gloves, and helmet. I prefer my skin where it is, not in a wire brush in Olga's hands at the hospital... :) -dm > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > Date: Thu, 26 Jan 2006 11:30:12 -0500 > From: John Ervine <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: [MBZ] Bike rider, loud pipes > > > That "Loud Pipes Saves Lives" mentality is based in junk science. The only > time > you can hear them at highway speeds is when the bike is in front of you, > because > the pipes point to the rear of the bike! All it is is pointless noise > pollution > thrust upon the general public in the name of saving lives by people who have > no > concept of the nature of sound waves or the Doppler Effect. > > The real problem is that drivers in cars are never taught driver > responsibility > or instructed in the proper operation of their vehicles - much less to be > aware > of pedestrians and motorcycles on or near the roadways. Until such education > is > required for obtaining a license, all the straight pipes in the world won't > save > the average RUB on his Harley from Sally Soccermom's suburban assault > vehicle.
