Louder Pipes on a 125

[Ttaskmaster]

WHY?

Same old question.

And all you will manage is a 125 that sounds like a wasp on crack.

Louder pipes?

Get a bigger bike.

Until then, deal with teh fact that you're a learner and will sound like an insect with a volume control wherever you go.

It's all part of the experience.

Friday rant over.

[Cynic]

WHY?

Same old question.

And all you will manage is a 125 that sounds like a wasp on crack.

Louder pipes?

Get a bigger bike.

Until then, deal with teh fact that you're a learner and will sound like an insect with a volume control wherever you go.

It's all part of the experience.

Friday rant over.

Kids never understand the value of stealth. Fast as F but looking and sounding stock used to be my aim whenever possible at 17. Let the plods nick the flash lads. Then really rub it in by blasting past on your 'stocker'.

[Paulwhite]

And all you will manage is a 125 that sounds like a wasp on crack

id rather sound like that so ppl hear me and look to see where its coming from rather than not making any noise till the bmw at the junction plows into me cause they have there mobile attached to there ear.

but i can see where ur coming from. down my way there are about 5 ppl with modded peds buzzing up and down the streets its not cool and its not clever its just pathetic and annoying.

[Speedshop]

small bikes don't sound good on loud pipes. Like a lawn mower chain saw with a faulty silencer, as you can hear this noise, but it doesn't seem to be moving much, so you assuming someone is mowing their lawn or cutting down a tree.

[Ttaskmaster]

id rather sound like that so ppl hear me and look to see where its coming from rather than not making any noise till the bmw at the junction plows into me cause they have there mobile attached to there ear.

News for ya - If they be on their mobile, they won't be paying attention anyway.

My OH's car stereo is usually loud enough to drown out Police sirens and Harley pipes, so a noisy 125 won't make a damn bit of difference. My ex keeps crashing (thrice in the last year) because she believes "Loud Pipes Save Lives".

Woody's Tip: Learn to ride so you will be seen.

Read through a copy of Roadcraft: The Police Rider's Handbook.

It works for me.

[Myami]

I definitely see where you're coming from but personally, if you're planning to spend some time on a 125 then it just might be worth spending a bit on louder pipes...or taking the baffle out...for that extra "be heard" factor. My mate has loud race cans on his SV650 and gets far more attention from otherwise daydreaming road users that he ever would normally.

[UltimateJames]

I quite like the sound of a nice 2 stroke with loud pipes, must be geared tho not a scooter they are bad i agree.

My DTR is very loud when giving it some but is pretty quiet at low revs so best of both worlds, thats with a full dep system.

[Gas up - Let's Go!]

Woody's Tip: Learn to ride so you will be seen.

Read through a copy of Roadcraft: The Police Rider's Handbook.

It works for me.

It really doesn't matter how loud your pipe is, it's chucking most of the sound to where you've just come from. When you learn to use the whole road to your advantage you will;

a ) be seen (because you will also learn how to ride in a manner that attracts the eye to the bike)

b ) Be safe (because you will understand the value of space, and escape plans)

c ) Get from A to B faster, because you will see more of what is happening on the road ahead, and be in possition sooner to get past raffic in front

d ) Stay alive longer, becaue you will have more time to react to the anticipated moves of the hazard

Loud pipes do nothing to help with road safety, in fact quite the opposite. Speak to any Police Rider and they will tell you that drivers never hear anything, even a large bike covered in batterburg, with (directional, forward facing) blues 'n two's screaming won't be seen until the last second. It's the skill of the rider, not the noise they make that improves safety.

If you want loud pipes, just admit it, you want pedestrians to hear you and impress Bike-illiterate people. Like the colour of bike you choose, it's just about what you like - don't try to justify it with calls of 'i want to be heard in traffic'

Some bikes have awesome sounding pipes, but they aren't always loud, a well tuned pipe on a V-Twin is probably the best sound ever.

[Vez]

I agree with James,

a well tuned 2-stroke DTR or similar with a loud pipe on it sounds great, mine sounds like an asthmatic mouse without a good pipe on

Vez.

[up.yours]

iff you need to be heard,use your horn ,its what its for.

[LivetoRide]

Got a hole in one of my pipes leading to my exhaust on my rear cyclinder. For the first month, it was great! A ridiculously loud 125 Virago!

Then I heard a big bike go past, and the sound has such a better quality. I also agree that loud bikes don't really help save lives too much, if the person isn't concentrating they're just not concentrating, I've still been pulled out on a dozen times with my bikes sound.

It's getting fixed thursday.... =P I'll prefer the extra compression and slightly better performance...

[Russbiker]

iff you need to be heard,use your horn ,its what its for.

You cant really ride all the way to work filtering through slow traffic holding your horn on though can you? lol. I totaly agree with "Loud piped save lives". Obviously having a loud can doesnt mean you dont have to learn how to ride safe anymore! But it does help make SOME road users aware of your presence in SOME situations, so thats a good thing! No, it will not help get you noticed by some complete irresponsible tw#t who has his stereo on full blast/on mobile etc. I do lots of filtering through slow moving traffic and you can see people actually look in their mirrors to try and see what they can hear approaching. When I do the same trip on my other bike with no race can, people open doors on you etc... Loud piped "HELP" save lives. Fact

[up.yours]

]

You cant really ride all the way to work filtering through slow traffic holding your horn on though can you? lol.

they do abroad.

[Guest CardBoardDave]

I think its lights and steady riding that save lifes. Does any body else give a thanks for seeing and not killing me nod or

hand signal when going through some juntions?

[clarke]

I think its lights and steady riding that save lights. Does any body else give a thanks for seeing and not killing me nod or

hand signal when going through some juntions?

Yes I do... I also watch for eye contact from drivers at junctions, put my hand up when filtering for the cars that move out of the way, ride defensively and make good use of road position. I always plan for the worst but hope for the best

Just yesterday I was on the 1300 with my running lights turned on + wearing a hi-viz vest, clear day but I nearly had some idiot in a car not see me on a roundabout and pull out on me - she was approaching the roundabout too quickly, saw me last minute and slammed all on to stop. Now I'd seen her not looking at me + going to quick & had already started to brake just in case... I'm not sure louder pipes would have got me noticed anymore?

Having said that, I want some loud pipes on my 1300, not because I think they'll save my life but I just prefer the noise of a bit more rumble...(if they help me get noticed great, but if I ride as though I'm a car I doubt they'll prevent me being run over) but I don't want to be too loud as I want my neighbours to still like me...

I've just fitted my stebel horn to my 1300 (120dbs)- perhaps I'll ride pressing that & see whether I get noticed before my ears start bleeding

[Leatherat]

WHY?............WHY NOT?

If the guy or girl riding the bike wants to spend X amount of £'s on some shiny new loud pipes, who the hell are any of us to say they shouldn't. Of course there's the legal noise limit argument, but that's the same as the speeding argument, if they're willing to chance the pull from the rozzers..........

and don't assume that because the bike is a 50/100/125cc machine, the person riding it is a learner. Admittedly it's likely to be, but not everyone who rides a small capacity machine has not passed the test. My 125 dragstar gets me the 20 miles to work and back for a lot less than my 900 divi.

After reading several of the OP rants I have come to the conclusion that he really needs to get a life and live it, rather than posting his objections to the ways others live theirs.

[Russbiker]

WHY?............WHY NOT?

If the guy or girl riding the bike wants to spend X amount of £'s on some shiny new loud pipes, who the hell are any of us to say they shouldn't. Of course there's the legal noise limit argument, but that's the same as the speeding argument, if they're willing to chance the pull from the rozzers..........

and don't assume that because the bike is a 50/100/125cc machine, the person riding it is a learner. Admittedly it's likely to be, but not everyone who rides a small capacity machine has not passed the test. My 125 dragstar gets me the 20 miles to work and back for a lot less than my 900 divi.

After reading several of the OP rants I have come to the conclusion that he really needs to get a life and live it, rather than posting his objections to the ways others live theirs.

2b fair, I dont think he was objecting to people fitting race exhausts or the level of noise. He was finding it hard to understande why people fit them to 125s. Exhausts are usually changed to either up the performance or just because people like the sound. Neither of these really apply to most 125s because they dont gain power and they sound crap (imo)! lol. Each to their own though, if your new to bikes tinkering around with your 125 is a good place to learn before you get your hands on something bigger... not many people like having a bike that is standard, nice to make it your own.

[Ttaskmaster]

WHY?............WHY NOT?

If the guy or girl riding the bike wants to spend X amount of £'s on some shiny new loud pipes, who the hell are any of us to say they shouldn't.

Depending on their reasoning, we are the same people who might tell them they shouldn't speed.

Whether they do or not is up to them, but we are free to voice our opinion... More so if they are new to all this, since we are the voices of experience.

I have nothing against loud pipes (just the opposite, in fact), so long as people understand it's just for show. My own girlfriend rides a bike with pipes that sound like a bloody Spitfire rumbling past.

Nothing wrong with it - It just doesn't make your bike go faster, which is what many people seem to think it does...

and don't assume that because the bike is a 50/100/125cc machine, the person riding it is a learner.

I don't ever assume that.

However, the rant was in response to a recent spate of learners on tiny machines, all asking about loud pipes because they think it makes a difference.

I will always advise new riders against modding 50/100/125s, simply because it destroys the resale value they will likely want/need if ever they decide to get a bigger bike. End of the day it's just advice and opinion. No-one ever listens anyway, do they?

After reading several of the OP rants I have come to the conclusion that he really needs to get a life and live it, rather than posting his objections to the ways others live theirs.

I have opinions. But unlike many people, I'm not afraid to voice them... So what?

They're just that - Opinions. Much of mine are based on my own experiences. I just like bringing inconvenient truths to the forefront and making people think. It prompts disscussion, which is the point of a Forum, after all.

I have a life - I ride around 120 miles every single day, all weathers (on a Cruiser, no less), I do my best to post useful advice (see various page-long posts with detailed instruction on performing various maintenance tasks) as well as my particular brand of good old-fashioned British sarcasm.

Seriously, if I was that much of a horrible prick, I would have been banned by the Mods a long time ago, mate.

Lighten up and join in the fun!!

If not, take it to PM and I will happily have it out with you.

[Leatherat]

Depending on their reasoning, we are the same people who might tell them they shouldn't speed.

Whether they do or not is up to them, but we are free to voice our opinion... More so if they are new to all this, since we are the voices of experience.

Of course everyone's entitled to their opinion, but in my opinion your original post was very demeening to other people and that is the reason I sounded off.

I have nothing against loud pipes (just the opposite, in fact), so long as people understand it's just for show. My own girlfriend rides a bike with pipes that sound like a bloody Spitfire rumbling past.

Nothing wrong with it - It just doesn't make your bike go faster, which is what many people seem to think it does...

It matters not one jot why they do what they do, if it makes them feel good, that's the point

I don't ever assume that.

However, the rant was in response to a recent spate of learners on tiny machines, all asking about loud pipes because they think it makes a difference.

I think that the questions were pointed more to making their tiny machines sound bigger rather than go faster, a fault which can be laid firmly at the door to the manufacturers for building bikes which look far bigger than they are, without supplying a suitable sound track.

I will always advise new riders against modding 50/100/125s, simply because it destroys the resale value they will likely want/need if ever they decide to get a bigger bike. End of the day it's just advice and opinion. No-one ever listens anyway, do they?

I hope not, because the only way anyone really learns is by f%*king it up then having to rebuid, isn't it?

I have opinions. But unlike many people, I'm not afraid to voice them... So what?

They're just that - Opinions. Much of mine are based on my own experiences. I just like bringing inconvenient truths to the forefront and making people think. It prompts disscussion, which is the point of a Forum, after all.

I too have opinions which I'm not afraid to air, hence us jawing now

I have a life - I ride around 120 miles every single day, all weathers (on a Cruiser, no less), I do my best to post useful advice (see various page-long posts with detailed instruction on performing various maintenance tasks) as well as my particular brand of good old-fashioned British sarcasm.

Seriously, if I was that much of a horrible prick, I would have been banned by the Mods a long time ago, mate.

Lighten up and join in the fun!!

If not, take it to PM and I will happily have it out with you.

Ok, I was more than a little unfair, and I unreservedly withdraw that comment, but having it out? C'mon then, square go!

[wild foamy]

leave the lad alone, and prepare for another nostalgic tail from the memory bank of foamy .

my DT had a bigone exhaust with burnt out baffles and a bigone 'spansion pipe, no idea if it changed the performance because i never rode it with a stock pipe, but you could hear it coming a mile away, numerous people wandering across the road with their heads in the clouds would hear me coming long before i got a chance to mow them down anywhere near them, people would stop and look at me on my little blue dragon as i went past with all the grace of a three-pen*sed leprechaun, so there was no way they could claim the ol' "sorry mate, i didnt see you".

not only that, but all my mates would hear me coming on my way to school and have ample time to arm themselves with various projectiles and colourful language.

so it is my belief that loud pipes do save lives, but only because i was limited to such a speed where the cagers and numbnuts around me had adequate time to react