Loud pipes and gear

[rixchard]

Is there a direct inverse correlation between how loud pipes are and how much protective gear is worn?

[messenger13]

Although I replied 'Yes", I can think of times when this is not true. Race bikes rely on loud pipes to gain performance. But no street-legal pipes offers this gain...so I voted as to what I assumed was the implied meaning of the poll. I hope I was correct.

[hschisler]

At the other extreme of Joe's knowledge is me -- I don't have much technical/mechanical background, so I'm wondering what the poll question means. I assumed the question means "In your experience, do Harley riders wear less gear?", so I voted YES.

It's a generalization on my part, of course.

[ranks]

I voted no, because most people I know with bikes other than Touring bikes, replace the exhaust. Most of the replace with one (For off road use only).
IE not DOT approved, louder than stock.

Now, if we are only talking decibels and straight pipes, then I might vote yes !

[dandoble]

When you say loud that implies Harley. There are loud racing bikes but that is not what come to mind first. The Harley marketing mystique is based on a sound and a rebellious image. I am sure there are some out there but I have never seen a loud bike on the street or road where the rider was wearing armored duds. Some of the leather conceals armor better but In my limited experience I belive that safety gear is a stigma to the image implied with a loud bike except at the track.

I would assume you were not talking about the track or drag strip. Those people on the track have a clue about the repercussion of what "out of control" means.

[rixchard]

You are correct, I was refering to street riding and not racing and off road.

[rixchard]

Which brings up another question. Are the loud pipes primarily a Harley thing?

[eljeffe]

Aw come on, you don't count a wife beater t-shirt, shorts, flip flops, and a $800 Arai helmet ATGATT for sport bikes? Especially when "stunting" down the freeway at triple digit speeds? ;)

[messenger13]

Aw come on, you don't count a wife beater t-shirt, shorts, flip flops, and a $800 Arai helmet ATGATT for sport bikes? Especially when "stunting" down the freeway at triple digit speeds? ;)I think I saw that guy riding his MV Agusta (http://www.motorimania.it/moto/mv_agusta/images/2005-mv-agusta-f4-tamb-1.jpg) . . . and acting a fool. :D

[zippy_gg]

I answered NO because I was was thinking more of the racing type of loud pipes and not the Harley dudes (and dudettes!).

Keep in mind that I come from Europe where sport/sport touring, and touring bikes are legions, and there aren't that many cruisers... because they are pretty darn stupid with their footpegs forward and you cannot split lanes in that silly position (hey, what do you expect? I was a Parisian).

[davemoore]

What does ATGATT stand for? Why spell it our when a cryptic acronym will do just as well?

[meese]

What does ATGATT stand for? Why spell it our when a cryptic acronym will do just as well?All The Gear All The Time. Unfortunately, we have enough horror stories from this site alone to prove that anything else is just asking for trouble.

[rixchard]

What meese said, but the reason I did not spell it out was because poll questions have limited number of characters :(