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[MostlyBonkers]

I'm guilty of running loud pipes in the past. I had an Aprilia Shiver 750 with Akrapovic cans. It sounded lovely. I even took the baffles out, although that was short lived because the noise gave me a headache.

Then there was the Fazer 1000.  The baffle stayed out on that bike, although it wasn't as loud as the Shiver.

Skipping another couple of bikes, I landed on my Zero, which I've been riding almost every day for well over two years now.  I love the silence at traffic lights. Most cars are very quiet on idle these days, or just switch off.  So my enemy has become other motorcycles.  Even with stock pipes, they're often louder than their four wheeled counterparts.

Anyhow, I get plenty of time to think during my two hours of commuting each day. Yesterday I had a leap of intuition, although it must be taken in jest:

Who benefits from loud pipes? What purpose do they serve?  They don't save lives, imho. If anything they endanger them. I won't go into that here, but can later if anyone wishes.  They sound good, but that's really only going to please the rider. Everyone else just sees them as noise. An unpleasant distraction, an annoyance. I think that's true for 99% of the people within earshot. Especially those sat at home trying to enjoy some peace and quiet.  Who are the other 1%? Fellow bikers? No. I like the sound of an engine, but only if I'm running it.  That leaves one last segment of society that might think loud pipes on a motorcycle (or car) sound cool: Little boys.

That's all fine and good, until you go back to the main purpose they seem to serve. Attracting the attention of boys. It leads me to the logical conclusion that loud pipes are for paedos!

Perhaps Zero can use that as a marketing slogan... ;-)

[buutvrij for life]

Well, a lot of americans who are living in the past, tend to think that 'loud pipes saves lives'.
At least, those loud pipes took the lives of some 4500 US soldiers in the latest Iraq war.
They where just there to serv Big Oil needs.

[domingo3]

I think your logic is sound, MostlyBonkers.

[Richard230]

I know that the organ players at the (gone and not-so-much lamented) Pizza and Pipes restaurants loved loud pipes.    Not too sure if their customers enjoyed them as much, though.    Maybe that is why they are no longer in business. I wonder whatever happened to all of those huge pipe organs that were in each restaurant? 

As for the cruiser types that rattle windows and driving people crazy by playing their loud pipes both while riding and when stopped and needing to rev there engines like they used to do 100 years ago when bikes didn't idle very well, they just want everyone around them to notice them, their chrome-encrusted Harleys and their tough-guy-looking leather uniforms.

Meanwhile the sports-bike riders install loud pipes so that they can feel like they are racing and going faster a public highway than they really are.   

I, on the other hand, I have a loud pipe on my Royal Enfield so that I can hear each individual "pop, pop, pop" as I ride along at 35 mph in top gear.   

[Rugby4life]

The exhaust note of an ICE bike is its signature. I can recognize the make of motorcycle just by the sound of the exhaust. Even among Japanese inline 4s, there is a unique nuanced difference between Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha. A Ducati V-twin sounds completely different than an Aprilia. Harley and Indian? Not even close. Each is an expression of their individual personalities. When you hear that sound, you know what type of riding experience to expect.
I have enjoyed every "loud" bike I have owned, from Roadliner to Hypermotard to Interceptor to the "ring-ding-ding" of my 2-stroke RD350. As a matter of fact, I don't think I would enjoy the silent speed of my Zero if it weren't for the accumulated "noisy" experience of all those other bikes. So don't bash loud bikes if they aren't your thing, celebrate the diversity of experience they provide which amplifies the uniqueness of riding the Zero.

[Doug S]

The pedophile thing is a reach at best. I'd wager very few (if any) loud pipe fan are doing it to attract young boys.

I think the element that likes loud pipes thinks of themselves as "rebels" and/or "rabble-rousers". They're just "speaking out against the man" in one of few ways they can think to do so.

But in reality, they're drama queen attention whores who can't stand it when anybody's attention is on anybody but them. It's all about creating the biggest possible scene and getting noticed by everybody else. They literally will not let you ignore them.

[gborgan]

I know that the organ players at the (gone and not-so-much lamented) Pizza and Pipes restaurants loved loud pipes.    Not too sure if their customers enjoyed them as much, though.    Maybe that is why they are no longer in business. I wonder whatever happened to all of those huge pipe organs that were in each restaurant? 

Richard230, I normally lurk but had to reply to the Pizza Pipe organ comment since I have some expertise in this area.
The Mighty WurliTzer Theatre Pipe Organs were made to accompany silent movies. As such, one person could enhance all the emotions and drama seen on screen without the expense and difficulties of a live orchestra.  That could not be done with a flat response background sound as we hear on television today.  “Loud” is relative.  I’ve seen old folks dance with glee right in front of a truckload of Audio at outdoor concerts when the music was their favorite ‘40’s Big Band. These same people complain about loud organ music that doesn’t come close in dB.  I will wager if you take a dB meter to the average movie show today and measure it against one of those Pizza organs you would find the “Dolby” surround sound at higher decibels. 
We had four Organ Power Pizza restaurants in San Diego from 1974-1980.  I knew the Principals well. Sure some thought the music was loud but in reality it was no more difficult to talk to your friends than in any other live music/dinner situation.  Indeed, the party folk out-shouted the organist most of the time, making the listening experience unpleasant for those who wanted to hear the music. Most people I talked to did not like the Pizza!  Ask three people how they want their pizza and you get 3 answers.   Bottom line is they couldn’t sell enough food to pay the overhead.
organstoppizza.com in Mesa, AZ has managed to keep going for over forty years though I heard it is for sale. They developed a plan to cycle people through every hour rather than have constant playing all night. This model outlasted everybody.

The organs themselves have been relocated in some cases back to theaters, private homes and Chapter venues of the American Theatre Organ Society.

Getting back on topic, I m happy to own not only a silent Zero SR but also a 1986 Suzuki Cavalcade, easily the quietest ICE tourer ever.  Having rented some Indians and Harleys from Eagle Rider, all with stock exhaust, I find the sound energizing...for about half an hour. After that I grow tired trying to block the noise so I can think!
My opinion about who likes loud is these folks are just inconsiderate of others. There are many other examples but I’ll leave it at that.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MostlyBonkers]

I'm afraid I can be a bit immature at times...  Perhaps I'll tell my theory to the next guy with loud pipes that rolls up at the lights. See what happens... ;-)

[brose]

An episode of South Park deals with this issue in an entertaining way. Season 13 episode 12 "The f word".

[MrDude_1]

They're for the police... so they know you are coming and speeding.

[Say10 15FX 16FXS]

Loud pipes lose rights! Haha

[heroto]

What are loud pipes for?

Don't make me explain.

[stevenh]

They're for the police... so they know you are coming and speeding.

I swear the silence has saved me from at least a couple of tickets.  I took off from a light (probably too quickly) last week and saw a hidden officer as I was passing him at 60MPH in a slower zone (it just happens so fast .  He did not notice...

I don't miss the noise.

Steve

[MostlyBonkers]

What are loud pipes for?

Don't make me explain.

I think you're going to have to explain heroto... 

That's the second clue you've given and I just don't get it.  My manhood doesn't make any nose at all! Even when at full throttle when conditions are warm and wet...  ;-)

[T.S. Zarathustra]

Absolutely irrefutable logic there MostlyBonkers.