Gilligan's Island & Meowing

[Half Fast]

Per this study, it's just not effective.

Actually, Loud Pipes Don’t Save Lives

Despite what the bumper sticker proclaims, it’s totally not true.

www.autoweek.com

Do Loud Pipes Really Save Lives? No​

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Researchers found that even the loudest pipes are very hard to hear in a modern car.​

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At 50 feet behind the car, “none of the motorcycles in the test can be heard inside the car.” At 33 feet behind the car, “even the noisiest motorcycles tested can hardly be heard inside the car.” With the motorcycles’ front wheel next to the car’s rear wheel, one of the motorcycles can be heard inside the car and three motorcycles can almost be heard but, “unfortunately it is too late to be safe.” With the bikes 13 feet in front of the car the motorcycles cannot be heard. “Car sound isolation in front is better than sound isolation from the side.”​

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The conclusion of the study specifically says that the assumption “loud pipes save lives” is false. The driver of the car cannot hear a motorcycle if it is more than 33 feet behind the car, and as it gets closer than 33 feet to the car “even if the car driver hears you, it is too late to react safely. So we consider that noise is not a warning for the car driver. It can even be considered a danger because you will not have time to adapt to the new reaction of the driver.”​

Flawed study. Motorcycles behind cars are not the riskiest scenario. Having the two vehicles at right angles (like a car pulling away from an intersection with a bike going through) would be more meaningful.

 

[jsstevens]

My experience with motorcycles and loud pipes is (even in my convertible with the top down) I rarely hear them coming up from behind, but they are greatly startling when they pass by and annoying loud beside or in front. Even coming from in front facing towards me they are not that loud until they pass.

I rode motorcycles for some years and am generally much more attentive to them than I suspect many car drivers are, but the loudest part of loud pipes is behind the motorcycle. Not the place where it helps much. The idea (though tongue in cheek) of facing them forwards would actually help...

 

[ElPaso Pilot]

Flawed study. Motorcycles behind cars are not the riskiest scenario. Having the two vehicles at right angles (like a car pulling away from an intersection with a bike going through) would be more meaningful.

I'll still argue that any pipes loud enough to be noticed from a closed car at any effective distance are just plain inappropriate and only pizz off everyone along the route the bike took to get to that intersection.

 

[MRC01]

Per this study, it's just not effective.
...

Replication crisis - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

My first-hand experience back in the 1990s in CA after installing V&H exhaust on my Honda Magna, was night & day obvious. Before (OEM exhaust), splitting lanes was tight & dicey, none of the cars knew I was there or made room, had to stop or slow on a dime a few times when cars changed lanes or threw stuff out their window. After (V&H exhaust), the cars in front of me pulled aside a few inches to make room, like Moses parting the waters of the red sea. And that's just one example. I also got a lot more eye contact from drivers about to turn into my lane, fewer close calls with cars illegally cutting me off.

That V&H exhaust was a bit louder than stock, but not super loud. It was completely legal and many other cars and bikes were much louder than me. But it was enough louder to really make a difference.

 

[IK04]

5). Most disturbingly, however, is the decline in professionalism within our society and country.

FTFY,

Notyourbro

 

[Roger Wilco]

FTFY,

Notyourbro

YDAFAFM--YMUMMTMYOS

TFNBAB

 

[IK04]

YDAFAFM--YMUMMTMYOS

TFNBAB

Google couldn't help me with any of those, so your intent was lost to me.

I'll assume it means "Thank you for your insightful remarks and have a nice day!"

 

[Zeldman]

Back in the early 80s I bought a '72 Honda CB350F from a garage sale. After a little work I got it running and rode it home. Well, the exhaust was rotted thoroughly. By the time I got about halfway home, the exhaust had pretty much completely fell off, leaving maybe an inch coming off the head.

Man, traffic parted like the Red Sea in front of me...

I ended up with drag pipes on it, and moved the noise behind me.

Unfortunately I did not know what I had, and later on I sold it to someone that made a dirt bike out of it.

 

[MRC01]

Back in the early 80s I bought a '72 Honda CB350F from a garage sale....

I too had a 1974 CB350F - four very tiny cylinders, my first motorbike, bought used in the 80s. And the OEM exhaust did rust through.

 

[Daleandee]

Flawed study. Motorcycles behind cars are not the riskiest scenario. Having the two vehicles at right angles (like a car pulling away from an intersection with a bike going through) would be more meaningful.

I wouldn't use loud pipes for safety. Some folks like their cars & trucks to have a bit of rumble to give it some character. I like that with my bike. Nothing loud or annoying but just opening it up a bit to let it breathe.

Safety is on the rider. I see those that claim "loud pipes saves lives" riding along without a helmet on their melon. Makes no sense to me ...

 

[Roger Wilco]

Google couldn't help me with any of those, so your intent was lost to me.

I'll assume it means "Thank you for your insightful remarks and have a nice day!"

To simplify: YDFTFM, YFTFY (You Didn't Fix That For Me, You Fixed That For Yourself). Whereas IWWIMAMWIW (I wrote what I meant and meant what I wrote).

That said, I unequivocally agree with you. And thanks--every day is a little bit nicer when no one says "have a nice rest of your day."

 

[DaleB]

Replication crisis - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

My first-hand experience back in the 1990s in CA after installing V&H exhaust on my Honda Magna, was night & day obvious. Before (OEM exhaust), splitting lanes was tight & dicey, none of the cars knew I was there or made room, had to stop or slow on a dime a few times when cars changed lanes or threw stuff out their window. After (V&H exhaust), the cars in front of me pulled aside a few inches to make room, like Moses parting the waters of the red sea. And that's just one example. I also got a lot more eye contact from drivers about to turn into my lane, fewer close calls with cars illegally cutting me off.

That V&H exhaust was a bit louder than stock, but not super loud. It was completely legal and many other cars and bikes were much louder than me. But it was enough louder to really make a difference.

My first-hand experience was also pretty striking. We were worried about cars, naturally, but out on the open road it was even more about the damn deer. Several of our sewing-machine-quiet Honda Goldwing riding friends had had very close encounters with them, including a fatality. We saw plenty of deer; my wife sat behind me with an eagle eye for the field rats. We'd see them from a quarter mile off moving toward the road... and by the time we were getting close, they would turn and go back where they came from. We never did have one run into the road in front of us.

There are loud pipes, and then there are LOUD PIPES. Ours were V&H and quite frankly a little louder than I would have put on (they were on the bike when I bought it). We once rode with a guy who was running six straight open pipes on a Honda Valkyrie... that was an experience we swore not to repeat.

 

[MRC01]

... There are loud pipes, and then there are LOUD PIPES. Ours were V&H and quite frankly a little louder than I would have put on (they were on the bike when I bought it). We once rode with a guy who was running six straight open pipes on a Honda Valkyrie... that was an experience we swore not to repeat.

Yeah, I'm not talking about open pipes. There is no reason for that. I'm talking about exhaust systems that are a louder than stock but within legal and common sense limits. The V&H on my Magna were glasspacks and I kept them properly maintained and repacked so they were just loud but not LOUD. It gave the bike more rumble, less buzz, like the sound like a classic old small block V8. Once when I was repacking I ran the engine with no packing just to measure the difference with an SPL meter; it was 16 dB louder and the tone quality was splatty & buzzy, absolutely terrible. That fiberglass packing not only makes it much quieter but also kills the annoying high frequencies.

 

[Dana]

I rarely hear them coming up from behind, but they are greatly startling when they pass by

And then you flinch from the startle, potentially swerving into the bike...

splitting lanes was tight & dicey, none of the cars knew I was there or made room

Fortunately splitting isn't legal around here. Not that it stops people.

 

[Daleandee]

And then you flinch from the startle, potentially swerving into the bike...

Fortunately splitting isn't legal around here. Not that it stops people.

Lane splitting isn't legal where I live and I'm thankful for that. Call me special but that seems like a great way to get hurt ...

 

[asicer]

And then you flinch from the startle, potentially swerving into the bike...

Fortunately splitting isn't legal around here. Not that it stops people.

So the flinch results in an accident, who would be at fault?

 

[Half Fast]

So the flinch results in an accident, who would be at fault?

A less important question than, "Who would be dead?"

 

[Albany Tom]

The loud pipe thing may have made some sense back in the 50's, when nobody used air conditioning, and cell phones didn't exist. Today I think the best would be one of the headlights that pulses a bit, like the alternator is flaky, and a brake light that blinks a bit. The thing I'm mostly worried about when I'm on a bike is someone turning left in front of me, either at a light where I'm going straight on green, or from the right, where there's not much reaction time.

I think it would be relatively safe to ride a bike on gilligan's island, though, as there was very little traffic.

 

[Pinecone]

A lot of Harley (and other riders) don't wear a brain bucket which reminds me of the quote, "If you think your brain isn't worthy of a helmet, you're right!"

A very sad & tragic accident years ago with a young lady on the back of a Harley in terry cloth shorts, a halter top, and flip flops. The driver gunned it getting on the interstate from the ramp. She came off the back & her pretty head hit the pavement without a helmet. She lived a few hours in agony before it was over ...

Medical people call people not wearing helmets, "Organ Donors."

But even with one, you might not be happy. Sliding down the road is similar to very bad burns, with the addition of having the wound packed with dirt, rocks, etc.

 

[Bill]

Medical people call people not wearing helmets, "Organ Donors."

But even with one, you might not be happy. Sliding down the road is similar to very bad burns, with the addition of having the wound packed with dirt, rocks, etc.

Some of us actual wear good gear all of the time. And yes, a long time ago I tested similar gear in a 60mph get off. No road rash.

 

[cowman]

Some days I think I‘m the only one riding with full gear. Thing is I’m an old married guy with a kid so I no longer need to care about looking cool.

 

[Daleandee]

Medical people call people not wearing helmets, "Organ Donors."

But even with one, you might not be happy. Sliding down the road is similar to very bad burns, with the addition of having the wound packed with dirt, rocks, etc.

A bit over 10 years ago I was struck from behind by an SUV while on the interstate riding my 800 Suzuki Intruder. Never seen him coming. The Grace of God and a helmet saved my life. I almost didn't put my jacket on that morning as it was warm but I did have it on with my helmet and riding boots. Once knocked off the bike I had the presence of mind to "tuck and roll" and it seemed like an eternity before I stopped tumbling while thinking that I would need to get out of the road if I ever got stopped so I wouldn't get run over.

Once I was stopped near the white line I couldn't move as the pain was pretty great. Unbeknownst to me at the time was a collapsed lung along with some cracked ribs causing much of the pain. I did have some road rash, mostly on my hands, as I was not wearing riding gloves and I used my hands to break my fall when the road came up to meet me at the high rate of speed. I have and use them now!

Good gear goes a long way to protect the rider but it has to be used to work. Nothing like seeing a donor with a nice helmet strapped to the back bar while they ride along exposing their brainless tender melon and it not being properly protected. It was seven years before I bought another bike and I practice often and study safety but I'm acutely aware that the best of men are men at best and accidents will happen. Yet my safety relies on me. I have to take charge of it.

To this day I still wonder how in the world someone got me from behind and I didn't see it coming. My best guess (I was in the far right lane) is that he came out from behind a truck in the left lane, not seeing me, in an attempt to pass in the right hand lane. Still I've should have seen him. Lesson learned ...

 

[MRC01]

... Today I think the best would be one of the headlights that pulses a bit, like the alternator is flaky, and a brake light that blinks a bit. ...

I tried one, and had a couple of cars pull out in front of me because they thought I was flashing my headlights to signal them to do so. No more. But the flashing brake light is a good idea. I always blipped it manually a few times myself, and when stopped paid attention to cars coming up behind me, and gave myself room in front of me to pull aside if I was about to get rammed.

... The thing I'm mostly worried about when I'm on a bike is someone turning left in front of me, either at a light where I'm going straight on green, or from the right, where there's not much reaction time.

Indeed. This is how my brother was killed by an inattentive driver. Nothing he could have done about it.

 

[MRC01]

A bit over 10 years ago I was struck from behind by an SUV while on the interstate riding my 800 Suzuki Intruder. Never seen him coming. The Grace of God and a helmet saved my life. ...

This is how a friend of mine was killed last year. A truck hit him from behind while on the freeway. He was wearing full leathers and a spine protection pad, but it still broke his back and he was crippled. A couple months later while in rehab he decided he didn't want to live that way.

 

[FORANE]

Meow

 

[cowman]

Isn't it really hot in hot weather? I would think that would take all the enjoyment out of it.

After a couple of bike crashes I now stick to safe things like experimental airplanes.

You’d think that but I have a summer riding jacket that’s basically a mesh material that lets air flow through it. Under that I have one of those athletic t-shirts that wicks away moisture. Normally I wear riding jeans with that but on a really hot day I have some pants with a similar mesh material.

Sitting still can get a little hot but just a little bit of speed and it’s nice and cool- any sweat that starts instantly cools and it almost feels like air conditioning.

I don’t judge anyone for what gear they do or don’t wear, my preference is driven by riding a lot of gravel and a little off road where taking a spill is more likely. All I can say is it works for me.

 

[Bob Noel]

Hot in NH is different than the hot in Florida or Arizona...

 

[kaiser]

Every time I hear it on freq I think of this scene from Super Troopers

 

[Albany Tom]

I tried one, and had a couple of cars pull out in front of me because they thought I was flashing my headlights to signal them to do so. No more. But the flashing brake light is a good idea. I always blipped it manually a few times myself, and when stopped paid attention to cars coming up behind me, and gave myself room in front of me to pull aside if I was about to get rammed.


Indeed. This is how my brother was killed by an inattentive driver. Nothing he could have done about it.

Sorry to hear about your brother, very sad. I've been fortunate not to have lost any friends or relatives to a bike accident. Aircraft not as lucky.

The headlight thing I saw once wasn't quite a flash, it was more like a sort-of gradual increase and decrease in intensity and color temperature...back when the lights were all just incandescent. At first I thought he just had a bad voltage regulator that was "hunting", but then I noticed it was so regular that it almost had to be on purpose. Kind of a "thousand one thousand two" ramp up, and equal down. I think with LED that could be relatively easy to do, but don't know how much it would really help.

I do the 'blip' thing myself, that even carried over to driving a truck.

 

[DaleB]

I do the 'blip' thing myself, that even carried over to driving a truck.

I've noticed some newer vehicles do that automatically -- blink the high-mounted brake light a few times.

When I had the Harley, I built a brake light blinker. When you applied the brakes it would flash them a few times before lighting up solid. If you were stopped at a light with the brakes on, it would flash them a couple of times every few seconds. I figured that might make the bike a little more noticeable to idiots who might otherwise ignore the presence of a big-ass motorcycle with people on it.

Two friends of mine were hit from behind while stopped on their bikes. One was at a light; he saw headlights behind him that weren't slowing down and launched himself off the bike as hard as he could. The Gold Wing got plowed under by a 1-ton pickup doing 50. He was OK by virtue of being essentially airborne when it happened.

The other I'd known since the first grade. He was on his way to our 30 year class reunion and was stopped behind a car at a toll booth when a semi plowed into them. He didn't survive.

 

[MRC01]

Motorcyclists and pilots all know people who have been killed doing this thing. Even if the overall risk is in the same ballpark, it is not symmetric or comparable. When motorcycling, your life & safety depends to a large extent on the actions of other drivers around you. You can improve your odds with safe riding skills, but only so much. With flying, your fate is much more in your own hands. There are relatively fewer scenarios where the actions of others can harm you.

 

[Bill]

I put some space between me and the cars in front when I stop and angle towards the best gap. If it looks like the vehicle behind isn’t stopping, I’m heading into the gap.

 

[MRC01]

I put some space between me and the cars in front when I stop and angle towards the best gap. If it looks like the vehicle behind isn’t stopping, I’m heading into the gap.

Yep, that's one of several standard safety practices for motorcyclists. Also don't put it in neutral unless there is another car stopped behind you. Until then, leave it in gear so you can scoot quickly if necessary. And when you see that first car approaching behind you, blink the brake light several times. Gosh the list goes on... sometimes I think every driver should be required to ride a motorbike for a while and if they survive, they will be safer more defensive drivers.

 

[RyanShort1]

Splitting the topic into different threads about meows vs motorcycles would seem to be the professional thing to do...

 

[Zeldman]

Splitting the topic into different threads about meows vs motorcycles would seem to be the professional thing to do...

Or about cats riding motorcycles...

 

[ElPaso Pilot]

Splitting the topic into different threads about meows vs motorcycles would seem to be the professional thing to do...

Yes.

Diving further into exploring the fine details and facts about professionals meowing on frequency would be very professional….

 

[RyanShort1]

The Cong-rats-sional Reps and Sin-ators should definitely fund a study on this.

 

[Daleandee]

How 'bout a cat motorcycle ...

 

[cowman]

I heard someone meow on frequency today, followed up by some genius claiming to be the “FCC monitoring”.

I require large amounts of liquor on a tropical beach to recover from this injury. I’ll be setting up a gofundme shortly.

 

[Albany Tom]

This thread is a bit of somber tossed in with the humor and suggestions. Betting because most everyone here has lost a friend on either a bike or in an aircraft over the years, and that keeps the tone right.

The taillight bit is reminding me of one of the dangers. Drivers can't judge distances from motorcycles well, especially at night. Is that light a half mile away, or 25 yards? Someone who is sensible assumes it's really close until proven otherwise.