Do after market exhaust help with being seen

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kevincomanche14680

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I hear left and right that they help you stand out because people can hear you coming. Some people think this is not true, that the exhaust really isnt that loud enough for other drivers to hear you, even if the radio is on and windows rolled up.

I think they would help, in some cases, but like I said before, if someone is on the freeway and they have their windows rolled up and music on high, they might not hear you, but in town I really do think it would help in places where there are a lot of driveways and intersections.

What do you guys think.:confused:

Thanks! :cheer:
 
This comes up from time to time, and what it amounts to is "opinions may vary."

Some people think their bike sounds better with loud pipes and do it more for their own pleasure than for "safety." Some people swear by loud pipes because the brother of a friend of their dad's said he avoided an accident because he had loud pipes.

Others realize that the sound of the exhaust is focused at those behind you, and thus is no more effective than someone else's subwoofers as an alert system. (Though I read that somewhere out west they have been experimenting with subwoofers on emergency vehicles in addition to the sirens.)

Personally, I can't stand loud exhausts. I have been in way too many highway underpasses stopped at a red light and had some a$$hat (usually a herd of a$$hats) come in the opposite direction and rev to redline with either straight pipes or super loud exhaust, just so they could brag about how loud their bike is. :spank: Instant headache.
 
This is one of those topics that needs to be treated like oil threads:spank::spank::spank::spank::spank:
I agree with JD.
Nelly
 
In the city at low speeds it might help you get noticed but I don't believe it helps prevent people from pulling out in front of you or merging into you. A horn and headlights are more noticeable to traffic in front of you.
 
Quite simply put...just assume that you are invisible at all times irregardless of what you wear or what the bike sounds like.
 
My exhaust is very loud. There have been plenty of times where cars have heard me right next to them and slowed to merge, where before i had exhaust pretty much everyone would merge right into me. Thats why i always go slightly faster then traffic.

When cruising down the street lots of bystanders will look at me from a distance up the street so i know i am heard BUT doesnt mean squat. I still get the occasional cross three lanes to turn left in front of me even after my loud bike has been next to them for a quarter mile.

So in my opinion yea it does help a little maybe but it really doesnt matter lol. You still have to drive very defensively and act like no one can hear you.

I bought the exhaust because i like the sound, and no i do not rev my bike under bridges or at stop lights :rockon:
 
Re: Do after market exhaust help with being seen
Only if you Chrome it and Stamp "HD" on it! :BLAA:
 
Anyone that argues a loud pipe makes drivers notice them more is also arguing that they are psychic or that they've polled those drivers later in their rides, with those drivers saying "Yeah, I totally heard the noise coming from your bike before I saw you and your bike."

No one knows why or how drivers notice them. No one can use prior experience with a pipe to justify their experience after installing a pipe. It's a mental thing. Justify the purchase however you want.

I can tell you that I have not heard many a jack@$$ with a loud exhaust coming up behind me on the left doing triple digits while I'm driving along at over 90 listening to my music at a very enjoyable volume with my own car's exhaust wailing like a bat out of hell. But I damn sure saw the bike long before they were right behind me because I'm an aware and conscientious driver and rider. And I bet many of those jack@$$es thought his (yes, his, girls are generally a lil more reasonable and intelligent) loud pipe saved him from being sideswiped as he buzzed along.

I'm with jtarkany in believing at all times that I am invisible and I keep myself aware and cautious with that belief firmly embedded in my brain. I don't care how many db the pipe puts out or how many lumens my lights put out or how brightly colored my gear and bike are. The best mod you can do to your bike to make you more visible to drivers is RiderMod (more skills and experience).
 
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It all depends, how loud of a exhaust do you want? Is that person up ahead listening to music or on the phone? Is their window up or down? Are they driving a newer very well sound insulated car or a older car?

I have let a friend of mine drive my truck (06 chevy 3500hd) just for this reason while I was on my bike behind him just because I was curious and wanted to know just how loud it really was. With the windows up and music off he could clearly hear me when he was about 3 car lengths up, when he turned the music on (I have a Bose) he could only hear me about 1 length up, and when the windows were down and no music he could hear me about 5 lengths up.

Again though it all depends, even though he could hear me, he was listening for me. Someone not paying attention to their surroundings probably won't notice you until you pass them.
 
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on one hand people seem to move over for me if i ride with a loud exhaust without a baffle. On the other hand I had a pretty loud baffleless exhaust when i was hit by a car and the driver claimed not to see me

(i also had a bright headlight, red bike, white helmet, and contrasting dark leathers...)
 
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kevincomanche14680 said:
I hear left and right that they help you stand out because people can hear you coming. Some people think this is not true, that the exhaust really isnt that loud enough for other drivers to hear you, even if the radio is on and windows rolled up.

I think they would help, in some cases, but like I said before, if someone is on the freeway and they have their windows rolled up and music on high, they might not hear you, but in town I really do think it would help in places where there are a lot of driveways and intersections.

What do you guys think.:confused:

Thanks! :cheer:
Click to expand...

Loud pipes have only ever annoyed me when driving (unless they sounded awesome). I can never hear them until they are past me, at which point it doesn't matter. Get your pipes for the sound, or power, or whatever YOU like but in my experience, the safety excuse is only for getting wives to buy into the idea ;)

I think that headlight/taillight mods are the best thing you can do if you're concern is being seen.

My 2c.
 
wicrules said:
It is all about the Doppler effect- Doppler effect - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As can be seen by the animations and is explained in the article, the amount of sound received by people in front of the bike is a lot less than the amount received by those next to or behind. So in effect, the bulk of the noise is wasted on those next to and behind you.
Click to expand...

I think you are misunderstanding what Doppler effect is. It is the relevance of frequency change to the observer when a source of energy (sound in this case) is in motion, toward and then away from the observer.

Decibels are decibels. If sound is heard in any direction a 6 decibel increase in sound pressure will be in all directions not just forward of you or behind you.

Regardless of condition of the observer you as a motorcyclist must be aware that your observations are the most important factor in the science of riding. Obviously this means you can't count on anything but your skill and observation for making the decisions you'll make to travel amongst people that should be licensed for texting and operating a banana peeler, but not seriously operating a motor vehicle near you and your loved ones. :D
 
No but the pi$$ off a lot of people that end up getting out of your way or close to you... especially when they're on there cel phone. LOL
 
This has kinda been flogged to death, but i'll bite anyway.

Loud pipes might get you heard, but being heard doesn't always translate into being seen. Like others have said, i always assume that i'm invisible and ride accordingly.

i'm about to leave work in a few and join the crazy Friday evening traffic home. Pray that they see me..
 
Motogiro said:
I think you are misunderstanding what Doppler effect is. It is the relevance of frequency change to the observer when a source of energy (sound in this case) is in motion, toward and then away from the observer.

Decibels are decibels. If sound is heard in any direction a 6 decibel increase in sound pressure will be in all directions not just forward of you or behind you.

Regardless of condition of the observer you as a motorcyclist must be aware that your observations are the most important factor in the science of riding. Obviously this means you can't count on anything but your skill and observation for making the decisions you'll make to travel amongst people that should be licensed for texting and operating a banana peeler, but not seriously operating a motor vehicle near you and your loved ones. :D
Click to expand...

Take an ambulance as an example..... as they are coming up on you from behind, you hear them and move over (their siren is sounding forward). However, if you stop and think about it, as they pass you and continue moving away from you, the sound gets significantly softer immediately and dies away very quickly. It is the same thing with pipes.... except the noise is blasting out of their a$$ away from you to start with and then at you after they pass.
 
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