What is it with Harley riders?

[timster2]

The worst planes are the float planes. Seems they have three blade props of a shorter diameter and greater pitch. At the old place they would fly directly over the house, quite annoying, you could hear them coming and going for several minutes. On the weekends it was common for them to buzz the house early in the morning and late in the afternoon ferrying people from Manhattan out to the Hamptons. We called them the killer bees.

 

[jinman]

I'm not going to claim loud pipe riders never get killed. But come on people... It's not unreasonable to assume that someone somewhere didn't get run over when he might otherwise have because a cage driver heard him. There are some rare individuals such as myself who still prefer to drive with windows open and radio off. And if there ever was an individual save by loud pipes, he probably doesn't even know it because... well, because he was saved.

Again, I'm not arguing in favor of loud pipes. It's just a little bit surprising that some of you seem to be implying that no loud pipe could ever have possible saved anybody as if it's a law of physics or something.

xtn

Not impossible, but the TBN Mythbusters have ruled it "Highly Improbable." Maybe what we need is big boom boxes on motorcycles that amplify the sound of the loud pipes. That would work well for all the people who want to raise irritation to the perfection level.

 

[Bird]

Although, if motorcycles should have mufflers, so should planes...

Back in ancient times, when I was commander of the helicopter section, I guess the only complaints we got were for the noise of those old Bell 47 choppers. And there actually was a muffler on the market for them that would have made them much quieter, but it was terribly expensive. In reality, it was nothing more than an International truck muffler, but it had cost a bit of money to get it approved by the FAA. We never bought any.

 

[MossRoad]

Totally agree.
I can keep myself out of harms way when overtaking another car its the left turners in front that you really need to watch and there not going to hear loud pipes.
And to all the downshifters you must like wearing out that rear tire .

I've hit two cars with my bike that were oncoming and left turned into my path. Of course, I wasn't winding it out at through the straight tipped expansion chambers at 12k RPMs, so I guess it was my fault they didn't hear me. :laughing:

 

[aczlan]

I've hit two cars with my bike that were oncoming and left turned into my path. Of course, I wasn't winding it out at through the straight tipped expansion chambers at 12k RPMs, so I guess it was my fault they didn't hear me. :laughing:

And they wouldn't have heard you then unless you were going backwards...

Aaron Z

 

[MossRoad]

You've obviously never been around military jet aircraft on takeoff.

I've told this story before, but what the heck.... One stormy night, after numerous thunderstorms and tornado warnings and a destroyed trailer park a half mile away, I was finally in a deep sleep. I awake to the wind winding up again. It was getting louder and louder. The walls and windows start shaking. I was sure there was a tornado tearing the woods apart behind out house heading straight for us. I jumped out of bed, ran to the other side, grabbed my 5 months pregnant wife by the wrist, yanked her out of bed onto the floor and dragged her on her knees into the hallway screaming IT'S A TORNADO! IT'S A TORNADO! I dumped her in the hallway and ran into my 1st born child's room, picked her up and threw her over my shoulder, still screaming IT'S A TORNADO! IT'S A TORNADO!. I ran back into the hallway, grabbed my wife's hand again and headed towards the basement, child over my right shoulder, left hand dragging my wife across the house on her knees.... I've got the strength of 10 men and I'm going to save my family. IT'S A TORNADO! IT'S A TORNADO! IT'S A JET!!! IT'S A JET YOU MORON!!! LET ME GO!!! .............. huh? It's a jet you moron! says my wife. Uh oh..... wife's knees are bleeding from rug burn. Kid on my shoulder never woke up. My heart's pounding a mile a minute. Can't breath. Did I hurt the baby? What the heck happened..... Turns out the winds were out of the south that night and Fed-X used the runway over our house with their old 727. I called the FAA the next day to complain. They said they had already fielded many calls about it and were working with Fed-X to resolve the issue. Baby in wife's belly came out fine 4 months later. Anyhow, I've lived near the airport most of my life. I worked there for 6 years. Jets are by far way louder than piston or turboprop aircraft. I know from experience. :laughing:

 

[MossRoad]

And they wouldn't have heard you then unless you were going backwards...

Aaron Z

That reminds me of the time I was the passenger on the back of a Kawasaki H1 500 two-stroke triple seated backwards hugging the sissy bar pad to my chest. The driver did a wheely at about 70 and my face went towards the pavement for a few moments, then he brought the front end down and we took it up to 135. As I recall, even in that terrifying moment, my face just a couple feet from the pavement, mega-RPM rice rocket screaming through three expansion pipes surrounding me, I didn't hear a thing! :laughing:

 

[MossRoad]

Yes sir, I sure have. Over the years, I have had many 4x4 trucks that I have put my touch too. Got to add a lift and build the motor. Throw in a big cam and add some headers. I usually ran 3 inch pipe from the headers straight out the back ( I don't think that I have ever bought a muffler).

LOL, Go under a overpass or cross a bridge and the echo will rattle the windows. As far as hitting the throttle at a red light, that's what a clutch is made for.

I had an old GMC 3/4 ton with a 454 and straight pipes..... I cringed when I had to go into the parking garage a few times a year.... it would shake the building and set off car alarms. :laughing:

 

[RobertN]

There were some tests a while back with sirens, making them go low tone instead of high(Bass travels further) because people dont hear fire engines going code-3.....

That is why I stand by my opinion that loud pipes do not save lives, they just annoy other people, neighbors etc.

Sorry to a few posters, but again, if people don't see and hear fire engines with lights blazing and sirens/air horns blasting, or police cars with lights and sirens, they aint gonna hear a loud bike.

I have been around all four; sport bike with open Kerker megaphone header, Harley with open pipe, numerous Fire Engines, and a few Police cars. People just don't pay attention and dont hear/see them.

FWIW, around here I have been coming across Baggers with loud pipes, and big sub-woofers in their hard saddle bags.....

Not impossible, but the TBN Mythbusters have ruled it "Highly Improbable." Maybe what we need is big boom boxes on motorcycles that amplify the sound of the loud pipes. That would work well for all the people who want to raise irritation to the perfection level.

 

[caver]

Stolen from another forum LOUD FONTS SAVE LIVES!!!