Try a little experiment. Next time a fly is buzzing around - note how you can see it against the walls but you lose it when it goes across dark carpet or the like. It's a question of relativity - and bikes (as I mentioned) are losing the advantage of their headlight (which ain't that much really) to daytime running lights. So, if everyone was loud, the loud pipe advantage would go away, too.
You also assert that the majority of sensory input when driving is sight, not sound. "Hogwash" to you then. I am listening constantly - to my own car's noises as well as everything else. I'm sure many are busy listening to their stereo (or cell phone conversation), but I'd say the split of visual vs. auditory for me is more like 60-40. And for those that aren't listening around me, I'm glad that German carmakers tend to be serious about their horns. It's good that you see bikes - I do too. But that doesn't change my stance that someone on a bike needs every advantage they can get - no matter how small of an extra margin it provides - and I think, with ample evidence to back it up, that loud pipes (as others have mentioned, they don't have to be totally unmuffled Harley straight pipes, which are overkill and do irritate even me) are more than just a small margin. For pete's sake, maybe you should "listen" to the actual riders that have already chimed in on this topic. T > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Tom Scordato > Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2006 10:22 AM > To: Mercedes Discussion List > Subject: Re: [MBZ] Bike rider, loud pipes > > > T may have said "They let the idiot know you're there, when > they might well > miss you." > > So again my question if this theory holds true, why not have > every vehicle > loud, i.e. cars, trucks ships, airplanes ect.in every city > every town. The > whole place the whole country can sound like a pit at a > nascar race or the > space shuttle going off. Then we would all know where we > are. An it would > be safer right? > > Hog wash, I would guess 98% plus of what we sense when we > drive is from > sight not sound. > > I do 45,000 to 55,000 miles a year in a car and I never fail > to see a bike > coming, especially with head lights on. > > The noise is for the "look at me ego" thing. You loud > vehicle drivers (not > just Harleys mind you) will usually never admit that though. /Tom
