![]() ![]() We hear and feel the vibrations our own pipes even with earplugs on, which is why a pleasing exhaust note matters-just like it will to people who otherwise might kill you had they not seen, heard you or both. Gee, I guess if we can't hear those pipes we just like wasting your money to reduce power and weight, right? Nope. In fact, some people get the slip-on or full-exhaust simply for their own pleasure. You may notice that cagers can perceive you better.especially in low-speed situations. ![]() There's a reasonable cost/benefit to be had here.įor noise, wear earplugs as mentioned in this thread, because the wind will destroy your ears long before an exhaust will. This is why horns matter and so too, your default and always-on signature matters.but that doesn't mean you're on a Harley with a straight pipe either. The only reason humans can hear at all is because evolution selected for this trait in individual survival. They're not driving blind, we presume, so we know that the human brain doesn't always perceive what's around it or doesn't always register what it isn't looking-for (cars/trucks/threats). ![]() The first thing cagers will often say after nearly killing us is 'I didn't see him', and these are people who are driving and have passed DMV eye-exams at some point in their lives. Even if your sound signature prevented a *single* incident with another motorist who didn't 'see' you then it was worth it. Some people ignore this, but it sure can't hurt.Īn audible pipe won't necessarily help *all* the time (nor does anyone claim such a thing)-but it will matter enough to possibly save your life and that's what counts. High-viz gear.that's part of being seen as well. Best-practices (includes being seen via positioning) AND being heard AND a great horn doesn't hurt when you need to wake someone up. So, it's not an either/or proposition when it comes to life-saving ways of being noticed, but a both/and scenario. It's objectively better to be seen AND heard than merely 'seen' by cagers who aren't looking for us, are looking at us but don't 'see' us (perception problem) or are distracted by the bazillion mobile devices they use whilst driving. On-balance, it's objectively better to be seen than not seen. People continually confuse 'best-practices' with the 'loud pipes save lives' argument, because they don't understand that 'best-practices' is an 'always-on' proposition. This means riding in a way as stated above where you position-yourself optimally to be detected by threats (cagers, peds, etc.). Being 'seen' is part of 'best-practices'. ![]() Likewise, if one is riding as well as possible AND is heard and optimally-seen, this is the objectively superior combination.Ģ. Best-practices is an 'always-on' condition long before we worry about being audible, and nobody should assume that they can rely on being heard but ride sloppily. Not everyone is good at this, but it's a skill that can be learned. It means having enough situational awareness to predict how others will or won't see you in ever-changing conditions. Best-practices in riding includes riding in a way that allows you to be seen by cagers.and so you're not letting people block you from the sightline of other motorists. You want all the gear all the time, regardless if you're on a Kawi H2 or a scooter. Best-practices in riding apply everywhere, all the time. One mistake people continually make is to confuse categories when it comes to best-practices for riding, being seen and being heard.ġ. A slip-on will definitely help with your sound signature, though I run a full-exhaust with ECU tune and prefer that. ![]()
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