Loud Pipes...Save Lives?

"Mercedes Streeter" (smart) 06/30/2018 at 12:34 • Filed to: Two Wheels Good

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Admittedly I’m not a fan of the “loud pipes save lives” mantra, i t seems a rather silly approach to safety. That said , I still do like loud vehicles, so screw it . For nearly 100,000 miles, my smart practically had straight pipes. Now the Buell carries the torch...

Ground clearance is unchanged compared to the old muffler. However, this glasspack is centered on the frame and has a lot less surface area than the turbo muffler had. This should mean no scraping if I hit a bump in a curve and less scraping in general.

( Edit: Looks like I’ll  want to change my mounting option, oof.)

Additionally, I mounted the glasspack directly to the bike with a beefy U-clamp, so if I do scrape, it shouldn’t immediately be a death sentence.

And finally, since the glasspack is about the same size as the factory exhaust, I can put on the panels that protect the drive belt. Plus the exhaust is no longer just an inch from the belt as well.

It sounds like a loud Harley mixed with a dirt bike. The popping and burbling when you let off the throttle is so addictive. At low throttle input it’s actually not any louder than the muffler it replaced, my neighbours should like that.

Total cost for this project was $40! Awesome!

Before

During

After

bob and john > Mercedes Streeter 06/30/2018 at 12:47

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“ Additionally, I mounted the glasspack directly to the bike with a beefy U-clamp, so if I do scrape, it shouldn’t immediately be a death sentence.”

this sounds like a fantastic way to break the header...

Mercedes Streeter > bob and john 06/30/2018 at 12:51

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Oh god. Wait, are motorcycle muffler mounts designed to shear off ? If so, I’ll replace the u-clamp with something weaker?

Of course, I could just do better to avoid tall obstacles..

Katsumoto > Mercedes Streeter 06/30/2018 at 12:52

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Nice little Blast. I’ve got an 1125r myself.

Spanfeller is a twat > Mercedes Streeter 06/30/2018 at 12:54

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Horns and savvy riding  save lives, not loud pipes.

If you like loud pipes have em, just don’t use safety as an excuse. After all you’re rolling around u ntethered, in a two wheel gas canister.

Nibby > Mercedes Streeter 06/30/2018 at 12:55

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Drove behind the loudest Dodge Challenger today, it was so loud

winterlegacy, here 'till the end > Nibby 06/30/2018 at 12:59

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“Challenger” and “loud” are mutually inclusive

TheRealBicycleBuck > Nibby 06/30/2018 at 13:02

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The Hellcats are very loud. I was a few cars behind one on the freeway. I could hear him when he stepped on the gas, even with my windows up, the radio on, two cars between us , and at 75+ mph.

jimz > Mercedes Streeter 06/30/2018 at 13:02

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I don’t know if the Blast’s powertrain is rubber isolated or rigid mounted, but generally you want the muffler to attach to the frame via some method of isolating hanger so it has room to move around a bit. cars use these rubber hangers:

As for your title question, no I don’t buy into “loud pipes save lives.” The most I did on my Dyna was a slip-on Vance & Hines, but since the catalyst is still there it’s not that much louder than stock at idle and low engine speed so I don’t piss off my neighbors. Just has a bit of rumble and snort when I get on it, like the Flowmaster axle-backs I had on my Mustang GT.

I haven’t done anything to the FZ yet, and I’m not really sure I’m going to.  The sport bike exhausts I’ve personally heard are just as annoying as any straight piped Harley. 

benjrblant > Spanfeller is a twat 06/30/2018 at 13:03

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So do SNELL and CE certified safety gear.

jimz > Spanfeller is a twat 06/30/2018 at 13:05

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Horns and savvy riding save lives, not loud pi pes.

yep. the one piece of advice I’ve had hammered into my head which has been the most effective at keeping me safe is this:

“Drivers are looking for other cars. They can look right at a motorcycle and not ‘see’ it. Whenever you see a car waiting to turn left or pull out of a parking lot or side street, watch the front wheels. Don’t look at the driver, look at the wheels. And be ready to react if you see those wheels start to move.”

Mercedes Streeter > jimz 06/30/2018 at 13:06

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Honestly I have no idea. The Blast’s previous owner decided to tear apart the whole muffler system for his mod. That said, I think I can make a rubber hanger work with some of my own tweaking.

jimz > Mercedes Streeter 06/30/2018 at 13:07

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rubber mounting also adds some oscillation damping; the muffler hanging off of the header is basically a cantilever, and can vibrate like a leaf spring held at one end.  the rubber is compliant and non-resonant, so it’ll help quell vibrations which can lead to cracked pipes. 

Nibby > winterlegacy, here 'till the end 06/30/2018 at 13:15

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This was insanely loud, definitely louder than a motorcycle constantly revving

Nibby > TheRealBicycleBuck 06/30/2018 at 13:16

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It might've been one

Mercedes Streeter > jimz 06/30/2018 at 13:19

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F ound a diagram of how the factory exhaust worked:

Appears to be one whole unit, that explains why I couldn’t find anything.

Mercedes Streeter > jimz 06/30/2018 at 13:21

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After some quick digging, I think I’ll swap out the clamp for a well fitted hanger.

Captain of the Enterprise > Mercedes Streeter 06/30/2018 at 13:22

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That bike is so cool looking!!

Spanfeller is a twat > benjrblant 06/30/2018 at 13:26

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Mercedes Streeter > Spanfeller is a twat 06/30/2018 at 13:30

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I meant it more as a joke as I don’t buy into that mentality either . Yet, despite that I went super loud any way. lol

I actually have no actual idea on how loud it is. I’ve never heard a loud bike up close before. Usually it’s guys revving at intersections then roaring down the road .  

Spanfeller is a twat > Mercedes Streeter 06/30/2018 at 13:43

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I have a relatively silent bike and honestly, cars don’t care unless you blow the horn. The horn is the best way to stay safe from otherwise ignorant drivers. As a driver, I can also tell you why loud pipes don’t work: because of silent pipes!

I can’t tell how close or far a motorcycle is out of their exhaust sound because all bikes produce different dV levels, so it’s kind of irrelevant.

Also, when I say that you should have loud pipes, have something reasonable, because Loud Pipes don’t save lives, but they most certainly Risk Rights!

Mercedes Streeter > Spanfeller is a twat 06/30/2018 at 13:48

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High visibility gear also helps a lot too...Also riding with *at least* a helmet. But since Illinois is one of the few states where helmets aren’t required, it’s not uncommon to see people in a tank top, shorts, sandals, and sunglasses. That’s not going to be pretty even in a single vehicle crash!

bob and john > Mercedes Streeter 06/30/2018 at 14:32

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from what I remember, the rear muffler was held on solidly. but the motor was rubber mounted. so mosts Blasts would crack the stock system pretty quick.

rubber hangers. 

McMike > Spanfeller is a twat 06/30/2018 at 14:49

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She said she liked the noise, and wasn’t for safety.

..and I agree.

Mercedes Streeter > bob and john 06/30/2018 at 14:57

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You’re not wrong, I found this. There’s nothing that would suggest this can move around like say, a car muffler. Maybe this is why most Blasts I see on the net have a custom exhaust?

Where that number 15 bracket mounts is how the PO mounted the turbo muffler. It almost looks like he had someone with a saw cut off half of the bracket and he bent the remainder into a hook. I didn’t even scrape the bottom that bad but it was enough to shear it off. I’m happy that the muffler didn’t make contact with the drive belt while it was dangling.

I think I’ll adapt one of those rubber hangers used for sportbikes as the frame will support such a thing.

jimz > Mercedes Streeter 06/30/2018 at 15:41

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(as I’m zipping up my riding jacket)

“Aren’t you going to be hot in that?”

“Maybe.  I can wash sweat off of me, I can’t wash skin back on.”

ttyymmnn > Mercedes Streeter 06/30/2018 at 15:59

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I was moving left into the center lane at the same time a motorcycle was moving to the center from the left. I heard him before I saw him. 

itranthelasttimeiparkedit > Spanfeller is a twat 06/30/2018 at 16:49

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I had a 599 with straight pipes (bought it that way, I would never do that myself) and I will say that I had a shit ton more drivers notice me on that bike versus the other 4 I have had. I’d never do it again because its obnoxious and hurt my hears haha, but loud pipes definitely get more attention from drivers on the road ...

450X_FTW > Mercedes Streeter 07/10/2018 at 12:59

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I prefer a loud siren to save my life. Installed this on my bike and it’s way louder, high pitch, and get’s people’s attention far quicker than a “horn”

https://www.radioshack.com/products/radioshack-102db-piezo-siren

450X_FTW > Spanfeller is a twat 07/10/2018 at 13:00

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LOUD PIPES SAVE LIVES!!!!

-Guy riding his motorcycle with no helmet, t shirt, walmart jeans, shoe laces exposed.