This is the main reason why I was considering getting the PeaceMakers pipes for my bike before I got my Dooleys. PeaceMakers enable you to control the sound coming out of the pipe.

..Then I found out RH Dooleys aren't that bad. My neighbor said he can BARELY hear me when my bike's on (through his windows and walls). ...still the best sounding pipes I've ever heard.

It never ceases to amaze me that some idiot will roll through crowded Nashville when it's really busy and continue to rap his pips over and over; usually doing this as he motors though town with his feet up on his hiway pegs or setting at the light.

Come on nit wit... everyone knows you have a motorcycle... and it's a harley.

Small town about 40 miles from here was stopping folks coming into town on a "safety" check. Made sure you had an DL for cycles. There are other communities in the IL area that do the same thing with sound levels. Some have even banned bikes. and you are right, it the few that go through town rapping them out that bring it down on everyone.

For the most part loud pipes do not save lives. You don't hear a bike in back of you until he is almost right along side of your car and then it is to late. The reason is you the person being on the bike and I the driver of a car are traveling away from the sound of your pipes. If i decide to change lanes at that point where I here the bike the bike is cut off because you are just about along side of me. You do hear bikes in front of you this might prevent me from turning left and cutting you off. The truth is most of us by loud pipes because we like the sound myself included.
If a biker is really interested in saving lives then where yellow or orange. I wear a yellow helmet. That gives me much greater visability. The next time you are on the road and you see a yellow car you will notice that car stands out even from a far off distance.
Now you might say hay a yellow helmet isn't cool. I would rather be a live uncool lookng bike rider then a cool looking corpse.
More lives would be saved by color then by sound. Loud pipes saves lives is just nonscence for the most part. But I do love the sound unless your one of these idiots that gun the bike when your in the middle of a town, and those actions will only bring heat upon all of us.
Ron

OK I agree with you on everything EXCEPT... there is NO WAY I would EVER wear a yellow helmet. The way I see it is if you ride, you are automatically risking your life to some extent. Most if not all of us are risk-takers to some extent. The minute we hop on our bikes, we're risking our lives - whether we wear flourescent yellow gear or not. So, what I'm ultimately saying is that if it's my time to go, it's my time. I won't leave this earth wearing flourescent gear though.

your choice but it might prolong your time riding. Like I said most say it is uncool I say I would rather be uncool alive and riding then cool and 10ft under. And even wearing a yellow helmet is no sure bet. At least I dont wear a glow vest with it. I figure the helmet alone gives me enough visability
It is each persons choice.

Ron

It's matter of ones own tolerance level for risk. To each their own. I would never slam someone for wearing safety gear. Just like I would never slam someone for not. Enough room in this world for all of us.

I have to say that I agree that exhaust noise generally is not heard by other drivers unless they are behind you. However, I know of an incident where the pipes on a bike saved a pedestrian. He was between two big vans steping out onto the road, he didn't see anything but he heard the bike!
I have said in other threads that I belive in lights! I have replaced the tail/stop and all of the turn signal bulbs with LEDs. I have replaced the front side reflectors with LEDs. I have installed a license frame with LEDs all around. I have a n LED on the rear backrest just above the sissy bar. I have put white strobe lights on the front strut tins just inboard of the turn signals and I have a headlight modulator.I also have PIAA high intensity bulbs for the headlight and passing lamps.I am also puting LEDs on the outside of the rear corner on my saddlebags. I have the Kury R-T-B controller so that I have eight Tail lights and eight stop lights with two turn signals for each side (when the saddlebag lights are finished there will be ten tail and stop lights with three turn signals.each side.

Clifford

Not trying to start a brawl here, but I already knew what some of the responses would be. I will beg to differ with you that you cannot be heard while you are behind the car.I know for a fact that my bike is heard by the cars in front of me. I have been told that. AND sound radiates out in a semitrical circle not just in one direction. So unless you are moving faster than the speed of sound...which I promise you that you are not, you will not outrun the sound wave. And I didnt say that pipes alone would save your butt, I said pipes, defensive driving, road tricks like not riding in the "kill zone" and positioning yourself to be seen. My question was....if you have the pipes as part of your "defense" system, are you prepared for some of the BS you have to go thru with Johnny Law? IMHO...to say that pipes in no way improve your chances for being seen and or recognized by other motorists is just silly. If you actually think that a "quiet" bike has a better chance of being seen, maybe you shouldn't be riding. Please dont get all offended...its just my opinion.Opinions are like what??????????? LOL

I will weight in on this, I have cobra long shots with no baffling what so ever. They are loud when I want them to be. I can crack the throttle and have em roar to life or I can be mellow and chug along. It all depends on where I am.
If I am on the road doing 45 to 70 then you get what you get. Most don't care,
When I'm in a parking lot or a residential area I am very easy on the throttle.
So I guess it all depends... I haven't been pulled over yet and I have ridden around a lot of cops.
Having a Masonic Symbol on the bike and a Patriot Guard Sticker probably dose not hurt either...