The need to REV your motorcycle at a stop

[ATOMonkey]

The katana must be the perfect tweener, because everyone waves at me. Maybe it's just because I exude so much awesome that everyone wants to be my friend.

Sometimes I don't wave when I'm riding the shadow, because it shakes like a bansee (stupid tire issues) and the forward controls and no fairings make holding on a priority.

 

[IndySSD]

Here:

It's a bike thing you wouldn't understand.
/thread

For those of you that don't like the noise, sorry get used to. Loud pipes get attention and save lives, is it enough percentage wise to matter I don't care as long as it saves a few of the riding brethren. I have had someone pull out in front of me and got to a full extension of almost flipping over the bike to try and get stopped because there was no time to lay it down. I have seen guys rear end someone that has pulled out in front of them and seen them come off the bike and completely clear the car they rear ended. It has cross my mind to never get on a bike again because of the things I have seen, but more than likely I will. So if loud pipes saves lives, and blipping the throttle keeps other drivers attention to the guy with the least amount of metal around him then so be it.

While traveling on busy streets mid day, Ok, I can kind of see your point.

Revving the **** out of your bike at 23:00-04:00 in a quiet suburban subdivision is just being a douche.

Really? So, I should straight-pipe my truck, rev it a every light, and ROAR down the road? Just to be safe, right?

If loud pipes saved lives, then the NTSB would require them on all new vehicles. I've yet to see a Honda Accord with factory "pipes"

I think any vehicle that is loud for the sake of being loud is obnoxious, and its rider/driver rude.

Sadly you and I are "old".... My Grandpa told me that I'd know I was getting "old" when the sound of the things I enjoyed as a young man would start to irritate me.

Yes I rode for a while, no I don't ride anymore, no I don't hate people who ride (actually quite a few of my family/very good friends still ride) but I do dislike strongly people who don't exhibit common courtesy. And that includes the cagers who don't pay attention to the bikes on the road as well as the (*)'s revving their engines waking up my kid and making my dog freak out in the middle of the night.

Don't punish my ears, drown out my music, and annoy everyone around you because you made a CHOICE to drive a vehicle that puts you in more danger.

Hmm, while I can see your thought process there, I'd say that cagers shouldn't put the lives of bikers in danger just because they can't be bothered to pay attention.

 

[desmodue]

I know who it is. XRs are based on the sportsters, per HD.

Yeah, sure they are. And Ryan Newman's NASCAR racer is based on a Chevy Impala. It all depends on just how loosely you are willing to accept what "based" means

 

[Rob377]

Yeah, sure they are. And Ryan Newman's NASCAR racer is based on a Chevy Impala. It all depends on just how loosely you are willing to accept what "based" means

It was a race-only Sportster. Just like a 996RS was a race only 996 with a crap ton of unobtanium go fast goodies.


/threadjack

you may return to loud pipe argument in progress

 

[fullauto 45]

I know with a Harley, if it is real hot, the oil pressure will drop. I would raise the idle a little in the city to keep pressure up at a light. Other wise, it is the noise factor.

 

[harleyindys]

I do it whenever I see someone using a cell phone , Those are the people who end up killing a biker not paying attention

 

[ElsiePeaRN]

I ride a Honda Shadow ...I've never (ever) HAD to rev at a light. I'll admit that there are times when I have ...mostly so I don't feel left out. There are times, when the bike is cold, that it needs to idle at a higher rpm, but that's not fixed by blipping the throttle. I think it's actually kind of funny, myself. It's even funnier when people think I'm riding a Harley ("Hey! Nice Harley!") ...even had a gas station attended give me a complement on my Indian when I was paying for gas ...now THAT was funny! ...shoulda sold it to her...

Ditto to all this I also have a Honda Shadow (Aero 750). I think some people think "Harley" is actually the generic name for any motorcycle, at least the cruiser types. But to be fair, the Shadows were made to look like Harleys.

I was going to answer this thread with "Oh.. those are Harley riders trying not to stall"

Since I don't have aftermarket pipes on my bike, revving the engine would not sound cool, just silly, so I don't do it since my bike idels just fine and I can shift just hunky dory without having to rev. I do rev sometimes as I'm slowing down to a stop, but that's because I'm power-shifting a little clumsily

 

[Rob377]

Ditto to all this I also have a Honda Shadow (Aero 750). I think some people think "Harley" is actually the generic name for any motorcycle, at least the cruiser types. But to be fair, the Shadows were made to look like Harleys.

I was going to answer this thread with "Oh.. those are Harley riders trying not to stall"

Since I don't have aftermarket pipes on my bike, revving the engine would not sound cool, just silly, so I don't do it since my bike idels just fine and I can shift just hunky dory without having to rev. I do rev sometimes as I'm slowing down to a stop, but that's because I'm power-shifting a little clumsily

Few things in life more satisfying than a perfectly rev-matched downshift.

 

[edporch]

INGOers,
-Snip-
What is the point of "reving" your bike at a stop..... I notice this phenomenon is especially prominent with the Harley crowd followed by the crotch rocket crowd
-Snip-
I find myself rolling my windows up in these months as I'm not impressed with the sounds. What is the point?

I ride and have never understood it either.

When I start my bike cold, I just give it some seconds for the oil to get pumping, put it in first gear and just take off.

When at a stop light, I just idle til the light turns green, then let out on the clutch and go.

There's a hilarious episode of Southpark about this entitled "The F Word"at:
The F Word (Season 13, Episode 12) - Full Episode Player - South Park Studios

 

[Disposable Heart]

lol, my old beat to crap Kawasaki I drove DAILY in high school (even in rain/snow) was rebuilt twice on my card table and REQUIRED throttle flips to keep running. Then again, I horsed with my friend's Buell Blast once recently and a thumper sounds like crap at a light.

Gawd, I miss that bike. Looked like crap, ran well and started reliably.

 

[Fenway]

The F Word (Season 13, Episode 12) - Full Episode Player - South Park Studios

 

[danielocean03]

I ride and have never understood it either.

When I start my bike cold, I just give it some seconds for the oil to get pumping, put it in first gear and just take off.

When at a stop light, I just idle til the light turns green, then let out on the clutch and go.

There's a hilarious episode of Southpark about this entitled "The F Word"at:
The F Word (Season 13, Episode 12) - Full Episode Player - South Park Studios

I'd rep you for sharing that if I wasn't out, I love that episode!!!

 

[FutureButterBar]

I rev my engine for a few reason
1) i accidently hit the throttle
2) because i would like you to pay attetion to me giving you the finger
3) balance between throttle and clutch (usually misbalance)
4) my engine spinning will balance out the bike
5) set off the decectors
6) cause the chicks dig it
7) have you ever heard a bike horn, it doesn't work very well

i don't do it to be annoying, there is a functional reason im revving my throttle
even for those of us who ride, people stupidly reving their engines annoy us too

It's an odd day if i don't give someone the finger

as outlined here - there are reasons for revving the engine. but sitting there with the exhaust roaring doesn't do much.

loud pipes saves lives. i think someone commented about that eariler. people don't look for bikes. when you hit my bike, i die. when my bike hits u, i die. either way it is me. and some times they try to hit us. i've had it happen. that is why i carry a gun when i ride.

and the wave-- riders wave at riders. crusiers wave to sportsbikes. sportsbikes wave back. yes, there are some jerks in both groups. almost everyone waves to me though. maybe its the Patriot Guard Rider sticker or the Marines sticker.

 

[SirRealism]

There's a hilarious episode of Southpark about this entitled "The F Word"at:
The F Word (Season 13, Episode 12) - Full Episode Player - South Park Studios

Echo?

 

[edporch]

-Snip-
loud pipes saves lives.
-Snip-

I've heard this for many years, but I respectfully disagree.
I believe being visible is more important than relying on being heard.
I wear full riding gear and have a DAY GLOW YELLOW Tourmaster Intake jacket and have my double headlight bright lights on in the daytime.
Even so, I ride as if I'm INVISIBLE.

When I'm driving my car, and could potentially injure somebody on a motorcycle if I hit them, I don't HEAR the pipes until they're pointed at me.
By that time they're past me and out of potential danger.

Even in the case of somebody with loud pipes passing me on the interstate, I don't hear the pipes even when they're in my blind spot, until they pass me enough to be where their pipes are pointed at me.
By then I see them.

With so many people driving with their windows rolled up, and often a radio on, they're not going to hear you until you're past them and your pipes are pointed at them.
I KNOW I don't...

Be safe :-)

 

[FutureButterBar]

Gotta go with kickbacked on this one, I see it all the time from the seat of my "shudder" yamaha. The funniest thing I see though is the BMW riders, I've never seen one wave to anything but another beemer. Glad I don't runwith that crowd.


And whilst I'm soapboxin' I've noticed that the "Loud pipes save lives" bunch are barely audible until they are directly in front of me or have passed me. Based on that I would say if you're depending on loud pipes to save your life they may be scraping you from somebodies front bumper before they hear you.

when im on my throttle you can hear my bike for a mile. when im riding with my buddy, its about 1.5 miles.
when im not on my throttle, my bike is not excessively loud.
and yeah, i wave at anything that isn't a moped or a can-am.

 

[FutureButterBar]

I also have 55W 6000K HID headlights that light up to about 0.5 miles out.

 

[kickbacked]

I also have 55W 6000K HID headlights that light up to about 0.5 miles out.

wait let me guess gsxr ?

 

[philagothon]

I got my first bike (1980 Suzuki GS550L) earlier this year. I still have a lot to learn. As far as revving the engine at lights, I know if I don't it will die; happened today on the way home from work, in construction, just before the light turned green. I'm sure I looked like a real goofball trying to roll start my bike in the few feet before the intersection (unsuccessfully I might add). I was trying to be polite to the traffic around me by not revving, that's the last time that will happen. It only needs to be revved to ~2k, but with drilled out baffles (previous owner) it's not super quiet.

As far as the wave... I wave to everyone but the DUI scoots. Crotch rockets are far and away less likely to wave back (at least to me). It seems they think that if you can't pull 120mph in 2nd gear you're not worthy. Most of the cruiser crowd seem happy to see another person enjoying the freedom of the ride. I definitely don't look like a hard core rider, but I was out there when it was 32* in March and will be out there when it's 40* in October. I do generally leave it at home though when there's >40% chance of rain.

 

[vitamink]

I rev for several reasons.

#1 my butt itches and it needs scratched. The vibration helps to chisel off the dingleberries.

#2 my genitalia is abnormally substandard, however my engine is quite substantial and i want you to know about it.

#3 I only ride one day a year, only during "shuttle launch" conditions, and only for a 5 minute trip downtown. I pose on my bike for several hours on the circle before the ride back. I want you to know that i actually am riding, and if you're not looking, i'm going to be as noisy as possible until you do.

#4 To cover flatulence.

By the way if you call me out on any of the above reasons, i will deny and explain that the sole reason i'm reving is because my muffler bearing is bogging down the air fuel mixture causing my flux capacitor to overheat and become unstable...by not reving the engine at stop lights or under bridges the consequences could be dire. They club a baby seal and we lose an acre of rainforest for every missed opportunity to rev.