I almost had a Semi run over me on a side street once, and when I gave him a good long burst of my pipes he looked down at me with this dumb ass look on his face, but at lease he saw me then!
Keep in mind there is loud, and then there is......Turn that damn thing off for crying out loud!!!!!
Dragon

Mike have you ever rode in one them Hybrids?

Them dam things are deadly quite. I can see a blind deaf person trying to cross the street not even know one is near or close. When a hybrid car pulls out from a complete stop the engine is not running. The car moves on battery power until it reaches certain speed and then the engine kicks in and yeah they definitely need noise of some sort when sitting still. I would not own one of those things at all, more dangerous than a bike.

Maybe they could get this and play it thru a PA speaker under the hood

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/engine-sounds/id307402554?mt=8 />

Ya know I started riding these Harley Fergusons in the late 60’s ran drag pipes sorties dumps and traveling at 60 the people in the cars you come up on cant hear you, the people in the cars at the intersection are not going to hear you because they have there stereo on and windows rolled up AC going. Pedestrians can hear you, the people you just passed can hear you. Setting at a stop sign people can hear you.
I enjoy loud pipes, I have to admit over the years I walked away from drag pipes for a tuned exhaust, still loud but not as loud, they will still set off car alarms and I enjoy that. When I’m in the big city I enjoy running through parking garages and rapping the pipes. It’s kind of like I’m creating a symphony of alarms. But I will admit that I enjoy ******* with the people and have no qualms about pissing them off. But I just can’t get on this loud pipes saves lives band wagon, don’t need an excuse to be rude just am

This is some of the best answers yet to this debate....kinda like listening to a siren on an emergency vehicle...you can here it coming, when its next to you then it fades fast as it goes past and away...yet people in cages can't seem to hear them at all...no matter what pitch they use...

I will not disagree with the fans of loud pipes. But because of the "omnidirectional" sound it can be difficult to figure where they are coming from. Usually it is when the bike passes the car that that car can hear the pipes as the bike moves ahead. I have installed a "Banshee Air Horn, 140db. You can use the OEM horn to just "beep beep", but if you hold your horn button the air horn kicks in as well as a pulsing high beam. This has always gotten the attention of those that are oblivious to us. My riding partner has a Harley with no mufflers, Phew, and he says people in front or on his sides really do not look until he passes them.
I like to hear what is going on around me also, so I just has stock setup.

Also you get more unwanted attention from the police if they are loud.

Just my 2 cents Richie aka DocLubo