The RiderSite boys have been discussing the merits of after-market exhaust systems and the effect it may have on their insurance cover.
I have a strong dislike of loud race cans on bikes. This is twofold. On the one hand, I am aware of the negative impact it has on motorcycling’s reputation with the public at large. They will frequently start a complaint with the phrase "Noisy motorbikes….". On the other, I entirely agree with them. A noisy bike doesn’t impress me – on hearing one I just think briefly to myself that the rider is an exhibitionist fool. Good riding is about making progress unobtrusively not shaking everyones’ fillings out.
Of course, there are some folk who will try to argue that loud pipes are a safety enhancement.
I’ll wait while you pick yourself up and catch your breath. Yes, I did say that some folk will tout them as a safety enhancement. You see, the argument goes that many drivers fail to see bikes, so loud pipes mean that they will hear them. 
This is absolute bollocks of course – let’s see, they will hear them over the sound of their own engine, the stereo and whatever else is going on. Bearing in mind the noise will, for the most part, be behind the motorcycle and the hazards the rider is trying to avoid are in front.
Yeah, right. Much as I love motorcycling, there are times when I despair of my fellow riders. This is one of them….
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