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Exhaust Modified

  • <i class="fa--xf fal fa-check "><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" role="img" aria-hidden="true" ><use href="/data/local/icons/light.svg?v=1789222567#check"></use></svg></i> Discussion starter Discussion starter RhodriWalesUK
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kratedisease said:
When nuts like us do such evil things to an expensive beautiful exhaust system, its important to buy someone else's take off stock exhaust mufflers that they have discarded, after they themselves changed to aftermarket mufflers.

This way you can always revert the system back at any time.

Besides, everyone of my bikes has the mufflers gutted out ( except my Ducati Xdiavel) because it keeps the stock look, which I always prefer while making the stock system much much louder.

My personal belief is that loud pipes saves lives, IMO. I want my bike as loud as possible.
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I wish people would stop using the “loud pipes saves lives” excuse (because they definitely don’t make a rider any safer at all) and just admit they like loud pipes, it’s just a personal preference and that’s ok. Saying it’s because it “saves lives” is like saying ‘don’t use the front brake, it’ll flip you over the handlebars’.
 
DonC said:
I wish people would stop using the “loud pipes saves lives” excuse (because they definitely don’t make a rider any safer at all)
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Any statistical data on that or your personal opinion?

My experience based opinion as a car driver is that I often hear a louder bike coming and a neatly silenced one never.
That is in slow/slowish moving traffic thus with minimal noise inside. This also is lane splitting circumstances so I would say that maybe not life saving I think it does draw more attention from the tinned folk.
None of my own bikes is loud btw. Too tiring.
 
Petrus said:
Any statistical data on that or your personal opinion?

My experience based opinion as a car driver is that I often hear a louder bike coming and a neatly silenced one never.
That is in slow/slowish moving traffic thus with minimal noise inside. This also is lane splitting circumstances so I would say that maybe not life saving I think it does draw more attention from the tinned folk.
None of my own bikes is loud btw. Too tiring.
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100% my view as well but having said that, anyone in a car is not a threat to someone you can hear from 2 blocks away!

It's all about "tone" and "character" for me not about "loudness".
 
And from the pov that the motorbike the potential threat, louder pipes in mý experience are more likely to be noticed by pedestrians/cyclist having music in their ear/ears.

As a pedestrian/cyclist without music, I háte electric vehicle creeping up on me, so again a louder pipe has it's pro.
 
Petrus said:
Any statistical data on that or your personal opinion?

My experience based opinion as a car driver is that I often hear a louder bike coming and a neatly silenced one never.
That is in slow/slowish moving traffic thus with minimal noise inside. This also is lane splitting circumstances so I would say that maybe not life saving I think it does draw more attention from the tinned folk.
None of my own bikes is loud btw. Too tiring.
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Yes, lots of data to back that up along with personal experience from everyone who has ever driven a car. Haven’t you ever been driving and been startled when that loud motorcycle comes up beside you and you don’t hear it until it passes you? I wrote a book about motorcycle safety and moto specific first aid and as research for the book I read every study on motorcycle accidents and safety that was published in the US, Australia, and Europe. Lots and lots of data. Example: the most frequent two-vehicle moto accident is a car turning left in front of a motorcycle, those drivers never hear the loud pipes because the sound is directed behind the motorcycle not in front of it. Also, lower frequency sound is non- directional, so even when someone hears the loud pipes, they can’t pinpoint where it’s coming from. Studies have shown that visual identification (like fluorescent yellow or orange vests, jackets, helmets, etc.) are much more effective than sound in getting the attention of drivers.
There are only two reasons for loud motorcycles:
1: you like the sound, the louder the better
2: as a result of and in proportion to the maximizing of functional performance for that motorcycle in the environment in which it is used. Example: straight drag pipes only function as designed at full throttle. On street bikes there is a point where louder doesn’t improve overall performance, it degrades it.
BTW - my bike is louder than stock and I don’t wear fluorescent gear, but I don’t pretend those things make me safer.
 
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I'll admit that the only likely scenario where a louder exhaust helps me is when I'm passing through someone's blind spot. But you know what? That's another scenario where I mitigate my risk (of getting sideswiped).

It's no different than moving over when approaching the crest of a hill. The MSF course tells you to always stay in the proper tire track (ie. close to the middle yellow line). I almost got clipped once and have since started moving over.

Again, it's all about doing things to mitigate the risk for us riders.
 
LBV said:
I'll admit that the only likely scenario where a louder exhaust helps me is when I'm passing through someone's blind spot. But you know what? That's another scenario where I mitigate my risk (of getting sideswiped).

It's no different than moving over when approaching the crest of a hill. The MSF course tells you to always stay in the proper tire track (ie. close to the middle yellow line). I almost got clipped once and have since started moving over.

Again, it's all about doing things to mitigate the risk for us riders.
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Going through their blind spot, from where they don’t see you to where they do see you. A honk on a loud horn might be more effective at getting their attention rather than the constant drone of a loud exhaust (maybe). If it was all about mitigating the risk, we would all be wearing fluorescent gear. It’s really all about weighing personal preference vs. risk, IMHO.
 
I am limiting the positive effect of louder exhausts to slow moving traffic.
And add two more scenarios.
I agree with it potentially startling and yes it happens to me too. Then I realize that I had not been paying sufficient attention because I shoúld have seen it coming.

As to hi-viz gear.... well that is tricky. I was part of a team that researched this for the royal dutch motorcycle club.
The bottom line is that the extra safety is not all that large and almost balanced by the risk behavior of those who feel visible; the Peltzman effect.
The problem is that being visible does not mean being seen. The latter is entirely with the perception of the observer.
A confusing factor is that brighter car colors áre being noticed better. The crux is that the observer expects to see a car and not the motorcycle.

Then headlights.
The crucial visibility factors are flickering and too much brightness; molesting.
Over here any 'modulated' lights are prohibited.
On the brightness side the motto is best use main beam (undipped) during daylight.

Hi-viz gear, more sound, more light will all help a bit but the problem lies with the observers not observing, not registering a motorcycle because they do not expect it.
Most effective by far is to ride assuming that you are in stealth mode; that the rest of the users of the public space will see nor hear you. Assume you will not be given right of way, that your space on the road will not be respected etcetera. Ride defensively.

Ah and speed.
If you go significantly faster than the max indicated you add going faster than expected to not being expected at all.
Also the consequences of a collision relate to half the square of the speed.
Right and that brings us round. This train of thoughts was started by 'loud piped save lives' and I close it with 'speed kills´. It does not. Hitting something does.

For the rest ENJOY!!!
 
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DonC said:
Going through their blind spot, from where they don’t see you to where they do see you. A honk on a loud horn might be more effective at getting their attention rather than the constant drone of a loud exhaust (maybe). If it was all about mitigating the risk, we would all be wearing fluorescent gear. It’s really all about weighing personal preference vs. risk, IMHO.
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Regarding the horn, the problem is by the time I get my thumb to the horn and press it, they'll have taken me out if they move quickly. Again, my exhaust is hardly loud but it's loud enough to be heard by cars immediately around me. As i mentioned, the guy that can hear a loud H-D 2-blocks away is not a threat to him ... it's all about a balance.

I could ride pressing the horn all the time in those situations but the exhaust rumble is actually the more pleasant option.

And I do actually wear a hi-vis jacket during the spring ... it turns out to be my warmest one and it's worn at a time when cars are still not accustomed to seeing us on the road (we've had about 5 deaths so far in the city including 1 person I knew on Sunday who left behind a 12 yr old daughter. :cry:

You are right though about the personal preference vs risk balance ... some guys won't be caught dead wearing a hi-vis jacket. I'm okay with it.
 
Petrus said:
I am limiting the positive effect of louder exhausts to slow moving traffic.
And add two more scenarios.
I agree with it potentially startling and yes it happens to me too. Then I realize that I had not been paying sufficient attention because I shoúld have seen it coming.

As to hi-viz gear.... well that is tricky. I was part of a team that researched this for the royal dutch motorcycle club.
The bottom line is that the extra safety is not all that large and almost balanced by the risk behavior of those who feel visible; the Peltzman effect.
The problem is that being visible does not mean being seen. The latter is entirely with the perception of the observer.
A confusing factor is that brighter car colors áre being noticed better. The crux is that the observer expects to see a car and not the motorcycle.

Then headlights.
The crucial visibility factors are flickering and too much brightness; molesting.
Over here any 'modulated' lights are prohibited.
On the brightness side the motto is best use main beam (undipped) during daylight.

Hi-viz gear, more sound, more light will all help a bit but the problem lies with the observers not observing, not registering a motorcycle because they do not expect it.
Most effective by far is to ride assuming that you are in stealth mode; that the rest of the users of the public space will see nor hear you. Assume you will not be given right of way, that your space on the road will not be respected etcetera. Ride defensively.

Ah and speed.
If you go significantly faster than the max indicated you add going faster than expected to not being expected at all.
Also the consequences of a collision relate to half the square of the speed.
Right and that brings us round. This train of thoughts was started by 'loud piped save lives' and I close it with 'speed kills´. It does not. Hitting something does.

For the rest ENJOY!!!
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I absolutely agree. We are the biggest safety factor in our riding. Take classes to improve and maintain our skills, practice those skills on every ride, be mentally present and aware on every ride. Very early on, I got the best riding advice I ever got - “Ride like every car out there is trying to kill you”
 
The thing about R18s is that it's owner is really old, so for the most part has worked out how to stay alive riding on 2 wheels.

And as a living fossil.... loud pipes are really only a little bit loud these days since we never used ear plugs in the 70s.
 
Longshot said:
Amsoil is by far the best oil for any motorcycle
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There is a “White Paper” report from a study on motorcycle oil performance that is quite informative. Amsoil motorcycle oil does in fact perform better in every area - heat breakdown, resistance to shearing forces, etc - than other top quality oils. Anyone who wants to really know what they’re talking about re: oil performance should read it.
 
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