Posted by George on March 23, 2001 at 15:11:20:
In Reply to: Does a loud exhaust save lifes or... is it showing off? posted by windrider on March 23, 2001 at 00:48:32:
I try to stay out of cagers' blind spots, but that's not always possible. More than once, when riding next to a car, I have observed that the driver intends to move into my lane and does not see me. (If you watch them, their body language can save your life: they look briefly where they want to move, look in the mirror, tilt their head, or turn the wheel slightly -- or you'll see the whole car sway a little in the direction of your lane, because some people can't get an idea to move without unconsciously beginning to implement it.) By making noise with the SuperTrapp, I have alerted them: sometimes, I actually see them become startled by the sound as I go by. The trade-off is that I do go by: I must open the throttle wide to make the noise, and that speeds up the bike. If that gets me out of the way, so much the better, but I suppose it could propel me into the path of the car if the driver goes ahead with the lane change. So far, I've been able to safely judge, based on my position relative to the car along with my observation of the driver and my awareness of the bike's available torque, whether to speed up noisily or to slow down and watch the airhead move into the space that would have been me. Of course, slowing down is not always possible: you might be too advanced relative to the other vehicle, or you might have some moron on your tail, so each incident is unique. Sometimes noise and torque are your only recourse.
Why not use the horn? First, it isn't loud enough; I hope to replace the stock horn this summer. Second, I don't want to be tooting the horn every time I think someone might be planning a lane change. Third, and most important, it's a distraction from the situation: it takes my attention away from the car and away from handling the bike appropriately. Every split-second is critical.
As for the argument that drivers of other types of vehicles could claim safety reasons for loud exhausts: they're not invisible. We are. Drivers constantly turn in front of us, cut us off, move into our space. Even making eye contact with them means nothing. If they can't let us live without noise, then they'll have to live with our noise. It's true that loud sound is no substitute for alert and skillful riding, but it is, or can be, a small part of such riding. And on a small bike like the Savage, a free-flowing exhaust provides a power boost that can, in itself, be life-saving. Making noise is a factor in our safety, and we need all the safety factors we can get.