Loud pipes do not actually save lives. It’s been studied. And they absolutely would not have prevented or mitigated my own wreck (sideswiped in traffic), which has led me to an extended hiatus from riding.What did save my life and minimize my injury? Proper safety equipment.

A full-face helmet that was properly tested for regulatory approval is why I didn’t receive a TBI or need reconstructive surgery, as I high-sided and slid for a ways on my face, and got hit by my bike as it has more inertia.

An armored jacket with CE level 2 armor is why I suffered a nickel-sized abrasion as my only visible external injury (if it had impact armor covering my abdomen, my internal injuries may have been prevented).

A pair of armored, kevlar-mesh overalls are why I did not have a broken hip or need extra hardware (my hip does inform me when it’s cold, however).

A pair of tall, CE certified boots, that were close to needing replacement, are why I sprained, rather than fractured my ankle and why my shin was not fractured. My ankle appears to inform me when precipitation is likely though, so between in and hip, I’m almost a human weather station now :P

And finally, the piece of equipment that I think did the most to save my life are the CE-Cat 2 EN13594/2015 certified gloves, with hard sliders (steel and composite) that I was wearing. Not only did they prevent significant injury that my hands would have suffered, but they allowed me to gain control of my motion, turning my tumble into a slide and steer myself away from traffic that I would have otherwise collided with, very likely causing fatality.

Loud pipes really just annoy the piss out of people around the bike and force pedestrians and those in their homes and businesses to pay attention to said biker. There’s better ways to get attention in the community, like volunteer work or developing an impressive skill. Then, take the money that would be going towards loud pipes and spend it on actual, effective safety gear, not that leather vest nonsense.