Loud pipes and what saves lives
It's very common to see the claim that loud pipes make you more visible due to the noise, and on face value it's self evident, right?
Unfortunately the reality is not that simple and it tends to point to the otherwise, and there are both articles and studies to show it.
To get some quick points out for those that don't want to read either, these are the conclusions:
- Noise is directional, a noisy exhaust does increase the sound you make but it's only noticeable behind you, the noise difference is minimal for the traffic in front of you.
- At 50 meters, a stationary car will not be able to pick up your noise at all, while at 30 meters it will be able to pick up some noise, but due to the low pressure of it, the sound will be hard to hear and position in space.
The study claims that at a distance of 50 meters, you'd need to produce 135 DB for the car in front of you to hear you, making you louder than a plane taking off.
The full study on it is available, though in romanian, so I will leave some english language articles on it for those who don't want to chance it on translate to do it justice:
https://greaseculture.com/do-loud-pipes-save-lives/
https://www.advrider.com/university-research-into-loud-pipes-myth/
https://www.hemmings.com/stories/loud-pipes-save-lives-myth-or-fact/
Now, if loud pipes don't make you safer, what does?
Firstly, riding skills and knowledge, especially defensive knowledge. Get your motorcycle license or course equivalent where applicable. Practice, and not just in a parking lot, but also on roads and in different weather types and light levels (ex: night riding) so you don't find yourself unprepared when you're out on long drives.
Secondly, protective equipment. Gear is there when it matters most, be it either because you make a mistake at speed or something outside of your control happens. There are many threads on how to pick specifics items so I won't go into specifics but get it, even if you have to buy it piece by piece for financial reasons.
Edit: It's funny to see people try to bring up things that either the post or the articles debunk.