| Author | Message | ||
     Lukbrw06 |
I know it comes up from time to time with some guys having an exhaust to sell, but I haven't seen anything lately. Have had my 1125r for a few months now and the only thing I don't like is other drivers not paying attention on the highway. Firm believer of loud pipes saving lives. Anyone have an exhaust they would like to sell??? Don't want to spend an arm and a leg.....if not, maybe look at a new setup. | ||
| Joe7bros |
Here's one for you to consider: https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/mpo/6162055183 .html | ||
| Demoniktriple6 |
I have a beautiful 10/10 FMF carbon fiber Apex system and am considering going back to stock because it kinda messes with my motovlogging. Can you send me pics of your stock system so I can see if it is free from rust and doots? You'd have to reprogram your ECM I think. Overall, it sounds so deep and good, you'll get a stiffy when you blip the throttle. My exhaust was not selected on cost, or value, or horsepower. It was picked my a man who owns a Harley-Davidson and former Buell dealer, had nothing but disposable income and wanted looks and sound, beautiful, sweeet, Southern California tuned FMF pipe sound. Idle scares 4-bangers and grannys, it is quiet and mellow on the road. If you rev it at cars, they hear you. Cops do not give it a look. I live in an where you WILL get pulled over for rice-exhaust. It looks so god-damn good too. Will send you pics in the am. I do need to go stock I think, my motovlogs are a bit heavy with the bass from the bald eagles that surround my Buell as I ride, and the fireballs that exit the tail pipe, saluting everything American superbike that is Erik Buell. >salute< | ||
| Ratbuell |
Loud pipes don't save shit, all they do is piss off the neighbors and give all us riders a bad name. I have zero "pay attention" issues with my stock pipes. YOU need to pay attention because THEY don't. Simply putting out more noise still requires action on their part, and given the state of drivers these days I won't rely on them for a damn thing. | ||
| Hybridmomentspass |
Preach it Rat | ||
| Thefleshrocket |
I like a bike that has some bark, but not one that is annoyingly loud. Barker exhausts are cheap, perform well, and have some bark without being annoying. You can also get a DB killer should it be too loud. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Buell-1125R-1125CR-BARKERS -Aluminum-Slip-On-Exhaust-/190388107819?fits=Model %3A1125R&epid=1843079803&hash=item2c5403fa2b:m:m6_ hay76-wHYXmKEhgky_RA&vxp=mtr Dean Adams makes or used to make custom exhausts for Buells as well. Compared to the Barker, they were somewhat louder, but nicer fit and finish. I just went to his website and all of the categories in his store say "nothing to show here" or something like that, so maybe he has gotten out of the Buell exhaust business. http://ecommerce.deanadamsdesigns.com/index.php?cP ath=22 I have a Barker on my 1125R. I would have gotten a Keda RT3 if my budget had room for it, but it was a few hundred bucks more (including being polished) at the time, back in '10 or '11. While a louder muffler won't get you less attention, you don't want something that pisses off people nearby either. Like Ratbuell said, it's best to assume that they just won't see you and ride as defensively as possible. | ||
| Araignee |
"If loud pipes save lives, imagine what learning to ride that thing could do" Paige at PJ's Parts has a T-shirt with this printed on the back. It's a great conversation starter, which is what she intended. If you are looking at pipes, google the exhaust comparison on the forum for comprehensive analysis of several 1125 exhausts. In addition, several articles on modifying stock exhausts have been posted recently. Dean Adams sometimes offers his take on the modified stock exhaust, and of course makes the RT-3. I currently run an RT-3, which really pounds the air at idle but smoothes out when underway. Consider the significance of proximity, duration, timing, and courtesy. Sitting on top of an idling loud pipe, or in a nearby car waiting for the light to change -or for the neighbor to get geared up and get on with his commute at 6AM- highlights the annoyance exacerbated by proximity and duration. Yet many people who grumble about your loud pipe think nothing of letting their dogs bark all day and half the night, or run leaf blowers, lawn mowers, pressure washers, and chainsaws for hours whenever they feel like it. Nobody seems to mind the many diesel trucks with aftermarket exhaust systems designed to give that "big rig" sound, which are far more common than motorcycles, yet they are rarely cited by cops for excessive noise. A loud bike (or truck) leaves, and is seldom ridden or driven for hours in your yard or driveway next to the neighbor's deck on a holiday morning or during dinner. I rode a modified 1993 DynaGlide and 1984 XR-1000 when I lived in the UK, commuting 50 miles each way on rural back roads. I had to pass through 10-12 villages, and I always throttled down, both for noise abatement and safety reasons. Lot of kids considered the streets an extended play area. I used to see OAPs (old age pensioners) out walking their dogs, or nattering at the cafés. After awhile, they started WAVING at me when I rolled through, despite both my machines running Supertrapp pipes with lots of discs in them. I kind of like the idea of strangers connecting positively with me on a motorcycle, as opposed to covering their ears or shaking their fist or flipping me off or trying to get a plate number to file a complaint. Here in the US, I regularly ride a similar rural route, and have had farmers and pedestrians give me a wave or thumbs up, even when I rode by at elevated speeds or fairly dramatic lean angles. I don't get any thrill out of hitting super high speeds on straightaways, so I ride briskly, but without drama when not trying to buff my bike-handling skills. There's no percentage in riding ton-up in a rural area, with blind corners, hidden driveways, and farm vehicles dropping mud or produce. I once encountered a UK farmer whose tractor was pulling a trailer brimming with •••••••••••••• carrots, which had spilled all over the road when he hit a pothole. Best part was all the kids having carrot wars while grannies thronged the road for free vittles. Coulda sucked if I'd been operating my machine in a testosterone-addled manner... That's what track days are for. There will always be some folks growling about anybody doing anything on a motorcycle. Like it or not we have to share the roads with them, in addition to the many incompetent or addled drivers also in our midst. No point in increasing their numbers if we can avoid it while still improving our skills and enjoying the ride. Enough with the dick-waving in public already. | ||
| Janduinn |
If you're set on a loud pipe, I currently have an HMF Exhaust pipe on mine and I like it, though don't take it out at 5AM because it's VERY loud. | ||
| Fresnobuell |
Beware on the carbon cans. They can split. I have a Barkers and the race ECM and absolutely love the power curve. Everytime I get a hair to get a new bike, this motor just keeps me coming back for more....needless to say the exhaust/ECM has a lot to do with it. It is certainly loud, but I idle in an out of the 'hood, unlike my "look at me I have a Harley" neighbors. In this day and age, I am continually astounded at some people's cluelessness and/or assholeness. | ||
| Panshovevo |
Fresnobuell, there's nothing new about it, just more of them. I rode a '70 Ironhead Sporty with drag pipes for five years with no complaints from anyone, including the law...when I came to Florida in 1980, I rode the bike down, and not long after, met a guy who rode a '72 Sporty with 2" diameter drag pipes, that were about 32" long... (Mine were the more common 1 3/4" OD, 40" long. He was getting warnings or tickets about every week, it seemed. After riding beside him once for about 10 miles, I understood why. I was way ready to run him off the damn road if he persisted in riding beside me. The damn bike hurt my already damaged ears with a 3/4 helmet on! 1988, I think, I had just started school in Daytona the semester before '88 Bike Week. I came out of the Boot Hill at closing time, around 2 AM. It's cold out, probably 45 degrees. Some ••••••• fired up a shovelhead Superglide, and immediately twisted the throttle to the stop. And again. At that particular moment, I was embarrassed to be a Harley rider. Even though I was riding an '85 Electra Glide with stock mufflers with a one inch hole punched in the inner baffle plate to make a little noise on the highway, just enough so people could tell I was there. And I didn't do that until the third or fourth time I nearly got hit by cars I was passing, when I was in their blind spot. After opening the baffles just a little, it definitely made a difference. | ||
| Fresnobuell |
AS far as my take on the loud pipes save lives, I was originally a non-believer with an opinion like Ratbuells. HOwever, with many street miles on the Barkers pipe has opened my eyes to the fact that a loud pipe CAN save your bacon...I have had two recent experiences both involving a blind corner and a vehicle attempting to turn left on the other side of said blind corner. The real scary one was a big rig turning left right on the other side of a blind corner at the top of a rise. It a ride I do once, sometimes twice a weekend, and I never even knew there was dirt road that intersected the main road, let alone that a big rig would ever try to turn down it. Anyhow, when he heard me coming around the corner he waited. Thank God because if he started his left hand turn, there would have been nowhere to go. No doubt in my mind my loud Barkers pipe and an alert trucker saved me that morning. | ||
| Joe7bros |
What saved your bacon was an alert trucker; pipes only informed him, it takes a brain to make a decision. How many oblivious drivers have you seen who didn't realize there were emergency vehicles behind them, crossing an intersection, or any other scenario you could think of. | ||
| Fresnobuell |
The alert trucker correctly processed the information my pipe provided him that morning. Agreed. I ride exclusively in foothill twisties these days an I do feel like a louder pipe gives cagers more of a " hey heads up, a motorcycle is coming your way". Whether they process that correctly is out of my control, but I have seen it work to my benefit plenty of times. | ||
| Ratbuell |
It also helps that YOU now know there is a road there. As I said - *I* pay attention and have yet to have an issue with stock pipe bikes. I know where the roads are, and if I'm in unfamiliar territory, I use extra caution. I don't - and I refuse to start to - count on others to pay attention. I trust me. Period. | ||
| Nillaice |
sometimes I wish my bikes weren't as loud as they are, like when I wonder if there are any cops within ear-shot of me. Then I realize that the bike runs great with that exhaust, but that I shouldn't rip thru residential neighborhoods | ||
| Fresnobuell |
Ratbuell, I am all for defensive riding, but I don't ride in a vaccuum. Dealing with cagers is just a fact of riding a motorcycle on public roads. No matter how well you know the road, there are always going to be the jackasses that make that U-turn on a 2-lane road on the other side of that blind corner. Those random acts you cannot predict. What do the cagers say everytime they cause an accident--"I didn't see them coming." Well, I will take the help of the extra notification my Barkers pipe gives the cagers surrounding me. IF they don't see me, maybe they will hear me. I'm certainly not relying on it for my safety, but it can help under the right circumstances. | ||
| Ratbuell |
"A ride I do once, maybe twice a weekend...I never even knew there was a gravel road there..." So, who's not paying attention here? Preach all you want but if you don't know where a freakin' ROAD is, you're the one who needs to pay attention. A noisy bike is a crutch, no more, no less. | ||
| Bernhardgrave |
I am selling my Remus slip-on with EBR's ECM (~10kmiles, $300): She ran great with it and had a real nice growl, but I simply went back to the stock pipe because I now leave for work at 5am and don't want my neighbors to hate me, and because I have also been touring on the beast and found that all day with a loud pipe is fatiguing. I have better pictures if interested  | ||
| Lukbrw06 |
PM sent Thanks | ||
| Fresnobuell |
LOL Ratbuell. Must be nice to be such an omniscient motorcyclist that you can avoid situations with cagers simply due to your knowledge of roads and superior defensive riding style. You must ride in a world different than mine. Call it a crutch. That's fine, although it's not true as I am not relying on it for my safety. As long as it stacks the odds a bit more in my favor, bring it on. My only preaching is in line with your thinking--if you have a loud pipe ride be aware and adjust your riding style when appropriate. | ||
| Bernhardgrave |
Remus is sold... | ||
| Ratbuell |
Not a different world, just one where I pay attention. And you are exactly right - I ABSOLUTELY avoid situations with cagers due to my knowledge of roads and superior defensive driving style. Same world, I just take responsibility for my safety instead of relying on someone else to notice an annoyingly loud exhaust system. Try this sometime - when you're driving your car, some day you'll have motorcycles coming at you from the opposite direction. I'll bet you that regardless of how loud their exhausts are...you will NOT hear them until after they pass you. Physics. And directionality of sound. First, exhausts exit the back of any vehicle. Therefore, any associated noise also exits the back. Here's where physics comes in - you only hear sound when it is pointed at you (impossible if a motorcycle is coming towards you), or if it reflects off something. If the source is pointed away from you, in the middle of a desert or ocean or other empty space...you will barely hear it, if you hear it at all. Add in the noises of driving a car - wind noise, stereo, windows closed, HVAC blowers, etc - they'll drown out any reflected noise. Doesn't matter how loud the source is, if it's pointed away from you and there's nothing to reflect it back to you, you won't hear it. Same for a motorcycle exhaust on the road. If you're in front of the bike, the only way you're going to hear the exhaust is if it bounces off a car behind the bike; or houses that line the road; or some other solid object. So tell me...how does that "save lives"? For my money - and my life - I'll take paying attention, and relying on the one person I know for a fact that I can trust. Me. | ||
| Socoken |
Ratbuell, If youve never heard a motorcycle approaching your car from behind you (while its exhaust is still pointed away from you), you're either deaf or listening to your Kenny G far, far too loud. There is a lot of stuff that redirects, reflects, or propagates exhaust waves in all directions. If I shoot a gun, but its pointed away from you, do you hear it? Ill tell you where loud pipes make a difference - deer country. I have quiet bikes and loud bikes, and I see a LOT more deer on the road with my quiet bike. I feel guilty riding my loud bikes compared to my quiet ones sometimes, but if you dont think it makes a difference in getting peoples attention, youre missing a lot. | ||
| Ratbuell |
I disagree. My stock bikes haven't got me killed. They haven't got any deer killed (and I live in the heart of deer country, ride through it every day). And I don't piss off John Q Public sitting on his porch trying to enjoy his morning coffee, with my stock pipes. I just pay attention while I ride. It's actually pretty simple. I'm not deaf. The Metallica is usually around conversational levels. I get enough loud music when I engineer live concerts, I don't need it in my stereo too. And the only deer I've ever hit was with my 92 Cherokee with •••••• headlights, I couldn't see far enough in front of me to avoid it. The Cherokee now has HID bulbs in E-code housings and i can see 3/4 mile downrange on high beams - no more problems, and no noise involved. | ||
| Fresnobuell |
So you ride in an area completely devoid of cagers, period? Is this what you are asserting? Because this is the only way you could possibly make the statement you ABSOLUTELY avoid situations with cagers. Newsflash, sometimes shit just happens out there no matter how "safe" you think you are. And in my opinion, a pipe that gives more notice that you are coming is a safety advantage...and since I short shift in populated areas (and ride in mainly unpopulated areas), I make every attempt to keep the impact on John Q Public to a minimum. | ||
| Froggy |
This happens to me all the time, I don't hear the bike until they are right up next to me, then once they are past me I hear them until they get like a mile ahead. Thankfully due to headlights I do see them coming long before I hear them. I don't listen to music, I usually have a podcast going at a less than conversation level, as I doubt anyone else wants to hear the latest videogame news. I have some bikes that are loud, and some that are quiet. Without a shadow of a doubt there is a significant increase of people doing something to put me in danger when I'm on a loud bike. I've literally had people look me in the eyes and merge into me on loud bikes, yet I can't recall the last time I had a close call on a stock exhaust bike. | ||
| Socoken |
"I've literally had people look me in the eyes and merge into me on loud bikes, yet I can't recall the last time I had a close call on a stock exhaust bike." Thats interesting. You make it sound malicious? In either case, Im not a loud pipe guy, myself. I actually came to badweb the other day to look for a quiet replacement for my HMF. I dont think anyone is arguing that loud pipes create some sort of impenetrable force field. They just might make the difference between someone knowing you are in their blind spot before a hasty merge if traffic has created such a situation where defensive riding and staying out of a blind spot momentarily is unavoidable. I dont know what east coast deer are like, but in the midwest, loud pipes get them moving well ahead of time. Living in the country where we see deer in the fields along the road every night, you can see when they start moving because a car or bike is coming, and they usually get moving further ahead of time when they hear a loud vehicle coming. No one is arguing that loud pipes make you invincible, or that being loud is a replacement for good riding. Im not even arguing that its good policy as human being. It just makes you a little more visible, and anecdotal evidence aside, its hard to see how that can be MORE dangerous.} (Message edited by socoken on August 05, 2017) | ||
| Araignee |
Ah yes, the modern trend of road rage, which was of course evident in the conflict between horses and newly-minted automobiles long ago. I've experienced road rage while in a car, but have experienced mere cluelessness of other road users while on a motorcycle. However, the experience of road rage while on a bicycle is much more common. To the point that cops in London go undercover as commuters on bicycles to apprehend drivers deliberate swerving toward and otherwise menacing cyclists. Interesting to note a cultural linchpin to this: a common UK expression for "•••• off" or "get lost, loser" is "on yer bike". Haven't studied the question, but the expression and the attitude it portrays probably relate to the perceived low socioeconomic status of bicycle riders among road users. Usual caveats regarding self-reported anecdotes apply, but the UK expression does embody a derision toward lesser beings on the roads, who are thus "worthy" of ridicule or confrontation. Another ricochet from bad behavior on two wheels is the recent trend in the UK of teen thugs throwing acid on scooter riders, then stealing their machines to use in purse and package snatching. Acid being more available than knives or guns of course. Splits in the social fabric of dear old blighty seem to be multiplying, but at least the penalties for acid attacks are now being raised. Thus innocent scooter riders are now fair targets for acid-flinging thieves, fearful fellow road users -and cops. Undercover cops, even. Just to head off the predictable gun-loving American response, attempting to aim and fire at a threatening driver while taking evasive action on an 1125 or other sportbike is not advisable. Yeah, cowboy action shooters can pull off shooting and riding, but their speeds are lower and the horses don't immediately become unstable and crash if you let go of the reins, out of nothing more than self-preservation, one assumes. Some of us with military training may fancy ourselves expert shooters, but a bucking bike or boat or even a Blackhawk helicopter can challenge the best. And having to control throttle, steering and balance unhinge the equation dramatically. When I get caught in traffic and notice drivers giving me the stink-eye, I try to give a nod or wave, or shrug my shoulders in Gallic solidarity to our shared suffering. Raising your tough-guy approved opaque faceshield and smiling can also douse a smoldering driver. The rudest I ever got was toward an impatient driver I was next to who was livid with the resolute slow-poke holding him back. I was on a Moto-Guzzi V50, a sort of miniature Le Mans café racer, with mellow exhaust and maybe 35 bhp. I knew this fool would be making a snap move soon, probably into my lane, so I started moving onto the shoulder. When he pulled over without even a glance, I veered off, then calmly pulled close, knocked on his driver's window, and waved at him. He swerved away in shock, nearly losing control and headed for the other shoulder and exit ramp. His facial expression was cartoonish and priceless. If I had flipped him off, he could have easily clipped me over the guardrail, a nasty outcome as we were on an elevated section of freeway in Spokane. Hopefully, he just scared himself and will be more watchful. Deliberately pissing him off would have also made it easy for him to start buffing the "crazy biker attacked me" scenario and poisoning his audience with it. It's nice to hear that deer (and one presumes other animals as well) are becoming culturally evolved enough to see vehicles as a threat in the rural Midwest. Sadly, western deer and other wild critters have apparently been lulled into complacence, perhaps by the low traffic volume and pastoral/wilderness of the area. Urban deer are common, and have convinced most motorists that deer have the right of way, judging from the near pile-ups that occur when individuals or herds cross the roads in town. Animals living near the rural two-lane roads I prefer to ride are less arrogant, but still clueless about loud pipes. They just don't get it. I have had to dodge or slow dramatically to navigate deer, foxes, wild turkeys, turkey vultures, crows, millions of squirrels, an owl (swooping a squirrel, I suspect) skunks and possums, sheep in the UK, cows in Nevada, and tarantulas and armadillos in Texas. You do not want to hit these last two. Both can launch themselves into the air a good ways, and although my BSA of the time survived a tarantula impact (thoughtfully protecting me in the exchange), an armadillo is a heavy armored basketball, and could kill you. Maybe we could organize a training seminar in which the wise evolved eastern deer counsel their oblivious over-confident western brethren in the interest of shared self-preservation among all road users? We could have break-out sessions: teaching wild turkey moms and toms that the middle of the road is a bad place to walk the flock of 8 young-ins, or offer up some tough talk to the turkey vultures who haze youngsters by having them drag a raccoon solo across a rural road with a 60 mph speed limit. And some physics lessons for deer: understanding velocity and the threat to fawns, as well as for young bucks taking a victory stroll down the yellow line after some good rutting or vanquishing a rival. A look at the effects of gravity and momentum when descending steep trails next to a road with no shoulder might also save some lives. Of course, I've encountered several of the above behaviors during a single ride. Not to mention the drivers parked behind blind curves using cell phones, drivers left of center due to marveling at the wildlife, trucks pulling trailers which spill dirt or gravel around curves or on bumps, or pelt you with hay or rocks as they pass. The ubiquitous weaving cyclist(s) can be a surprise, but one of them inadvertently warned me of a hidden hazard, by making a sudden deceleration and violent swerve. He was about 100 yards ahead on the steeply dropping side of a rural road in a hilly wooded area. I slowed to about 30 mph, trying to figure out what he was about, when a deer leaped onto the road behind him -and into my path. Had I not seen something unexpected and slowed down, I might have hit the ignorant wanker at about 50 mph. The deer, that is. Sorry, didn't mean to get all bristly about it. Of course fall brings out school buses with the obligatory impatient drivers treating the end of the flashing red lights like the green of a Christmas tree at the dragstrip. Piles of leaves out for municipal pickup -and the sweeper trucks following- can also catch you out if you get too froggy on a route you think you know. Even wheelie bins put out on windy trash collection days can be threats, as they fall over onto the road, barfing in the street and laughing with their mouths impolitely open. Not to mention the garbage truck and the debris it inevitably scatters when lifting the bins. Never have I noted any of these hazards responding to my loud RT-3 as I approach. Still, it's early days for me riding Shalita the 1125, and as mentioned in previous posts, I'm pleased to have got some positive interaction already. Might be awhile before the local wildlife and inanimate objects get with the program. (Message edited by araignee on August 05, 2017) (Message edited by araignee on August 05, 2017) | ||
| Duanelr |
Loud pipes do more harm than good +1 Ratbuell | ||
| Ratbuell |
I was thinking about this as I put some extra decompression-miles on my stock-piped S2 after work today. With a thunderstorm top end, X1 cams, and S1W ignition...it may not be my CR, but it's no slouch for 22 years old, and I certainly hustle it around the back roads a lot faster than I probably should, if anyone asked Johnny Law. And it's so quiet I can hear the rockers tapping because of the higher lift cams. I can hear the wind, and I can hear other cars, even with earplugs in. Situational Awareness. I know what's going on around me while I'm riding. People thus far on here have slammed me because I "preach" about my riding style, like it's impossible for someone to take responsibility for their own safety, and their own actions, and actually MAKE THEMSELVES SAFER. Sadly, that's the case with most of society today - don't bother yourself with responsibility or accountability, there's always someone else you can blame. Problem in this situation is...once you have someone to blame for something, that something is generally death or dismemberment. There is rarely middle ground in a motorcycle accident. I prefer to avoid those situations, so I pay attention instead of relying on someone else. Then, there's the old adage "the car didn't see the biker". Well...was the biker blind? It goes both ways, you know. Sure, sometimes accidents are just that - accidents, unavoidable, shit happens. But in those cases it doesn't make a shits worth of difference if you're on a motorcycle, in a school bus, or driving a freakin' Panzer. But in the cases where there was time for reaction from a human being's alert brain...there's time for reaction from BOTH human beings involved - the cager, AND the biker. And cars are easier to see...and they're everywhere...and we all drive them when we're not riding our bikes so we're familiar with them (unlike non-riding cagers who aren't familiar at all with motorcycles)...and we can evade much more quickly than a car or truck EVER could...so...what's OUR excuse?? Nine times out of ten...if the biker was paying attention, THEY could have avoided the incident. I've certainly avoided plenty! Motorcycles in general have better handling. Lower overall weight, which means lower inertia (which makes it easier to change direction and velocity). Better brakes. Sportbikes, take all those advantages to the N'th degree because it's what a sportbike is all about. And we're a smaller package and we fit into smaller spaces like that spot between the yellow edge line and the guard rail, or in between lanes, or in extreme cases, a sidewalk or a median strip. If we're paying attention. Because if we're paying attention...we see it coming. And once we're in a habit of paying attention, and we do it for a long time...we start to see patterns, and we can PREDICT what's going to happen before it happens, because humans are creatures of habit and lots of times the lead-up to a dumb move is the same, regardless of state, race, color, or creed. Dumb is dumb, and pre-dumb generally looks the same. And after 20 years of riding, and a couple hundred thousand miles behind the handlebars...the patterns are pretty apparent. Because I pay attention. If we're not paying attention - if we're kicking back and zoning out because we assume our "hey check out the obnoxious ••••••• on the bike" loud pipes are parting the red sea for us...well...you aren't going to see the car because you are JUST AS GUILTY of not paying attention as the cager we all love to blame. You may not be texting on a bike...but you can be just as zoned-out and just as distracted...and carry just as much blame. Deer? I prefer to see them standing still, just like cars on a cross street. If a deer is moving, it can change direction quickly and cause problems in a hurry. Standing still, they crouch before they launch...and if they're standing still I have time to cover a brake and downshift...and PREPARE. Just like if I see the wheels of a car on a side street rolling, even a little bit (driver? who cares...I look at the WHEELS) - I cover the brake and plan for them to do something stupid. Because I'm paying attention to them. As I said - loud pipes (as far as safety goes) are a crutch. Period. There is no data to support their "safety" contribution other than the hearsay from those who swear they have to have them to keep alive, but there's plenty of data to support how people feel about asshats tearing through nice country roads blaring open exhausts, pissing off neighbors, and ruining an otherwise peaceful afternoon in the country. Aggression/road rage towards loud bikes? Possibly. More likely a subconscious target-fixation though. Draw the wrong kind of focus from someone and they can drive right towards that object, just like a motorcyclist burning into a turn too hot can focus on the small patch of sand or gravel...and drive right onto it, causing their own accident. They know better...but the brain locks for a moment at exactly the wrong time, and gravity takes over. But yes...I totally believe that some (if not many) motorcycle-car accidents are a form of road rage. In today's society? It's not much of a stretch. If you're hung like a gnat, and you just crave attention and feel the need to put yourself center-stage every time you throw a leg over a bike...fine. But be a man and admit it. Don't hide behind a bullshit excuse that being obnoxious makes you safer. PAYING ATTENTION makes you safer. This "paying attention" is a lot of work, I know...but it pays off. I stay safe, and I don't piss people off in the process. I'm a little more tired after a ride because I'm staying so alert...but I'm also alive, and happy because I just had a great ride. And by staying alert, I get to enjoy every foot; every INCH of the roads I was just on - and by noticing all those details this time? I remember where that patch of gravel is; where those new tar snakes are; or which ditch washed out in the last rainstorm...the NEXT time I ride those roads. Which keeps me even safer the next time around. |
