Monday, June 16, 2008

Loud Pipes Save Lives?


It’s 1:30 AM on a warm night and I’m sleeping in bed with my windows open. I wake up to hear it coming from what seems like a mile away. Louder... louder... louder! Holy shit I think my windows are actually rattling! What an asshole I’m thinking. Who the hell needs pipes that loud on the street. Loud pipes save lives? If I could have gotten a hand on the jerk with those pipes, they may cost him his. Now I’m not an anti loud pipes guy. It’s not like my bike is particularly quiet. Mine are baffled and pass legal limits in NH at 103db which is fairly loud but my Supertrapps are not un-baffled drag pipes loud. There is a local movement in individual communities to crack down on these bikes. There should be. IMO they are totally ridiculous. The latest is the nearby town of Milford. There is a lot of buzz about their crackdown. Unfortunately if we can't in the biker community show some restraint then local communities will force something much more extreme down our throats. Something along the lines of No exhaust modifications from stock of any kind. Something most of us would prefer not happen. Unfortunately I doubt we can show restraint. So enjoy your mods, I don't think it will be long before they are outlawed.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I like when people say "Loud Pipes save Lives." I have a friend that touts the safety benefits of his unbaffled pipes all of the time. His bike is ear splitting "for safety," then he wears shorts, a tank top, no eye protection and certainly no helmet. EVERY time he tells me how "Loud Pipes Save Lives" i respond with "So do helmets and protective clothing." I am not against a cool sounding "deep" exhaust note, but don't get crazy with it. you are right, it is these guys that are causing more and more legislation to take care of something we should take care of ourselves.

The other thing is this, I think that most people who have these pipes just like the sound, but use the safety excuse. If you like the sound, just say "I did it because I like it." I don't think that most guys (or gals) truly believe the safety part of it. I ask my buddy all of the time "How can you ride that loud thing" and he always tells me how it is not that loud while riding it, because all of the sound is sent backwards. How will that keep a car 1/2 of a block ahead from pulling out in front of you?