Do loud pipes save lives?
Although it hasn’t actually been proven to be true, many bikers believe this is a fact.

The motorcycle officers with the Oakland police department obviously believe it too! They have dumped the toned down stock Harley exhaust pipes and equipped all 45 of their Harley Davidson’s with pipes that put out a roar at 93 decimals, well above the federal standard of 80 decimals. In a statement explaining the department’s decision, Chief Dave Kozicki said, “There’s an old motorcycle adage that you are heard before you are seen.” I’ll bet those cops are happy campers!

Chief Kozicki also mentioned an incident where a motorcycle officer was struck, while riding a bike with the stock exhausts by a motorist who later claimed he hadn’t heard the officer coming.

I guess Oakland’s motorcycle cops are known to ride their Harleys with loud pipes, so much so they were labeled with the nickname “Rolling Thunder” until one officer reported having hearing loss problems. That along with citizen complaints caused the department to switch to stock Harley Davidson exhausts.

Many of the motorcycle officers then complained that they didn’t feel safe riding with the stock pipes. So the department and the cities risk management department did a study. The findings were unreliable. So they decided it would be in the officer’s best interest to switch back to the louder exhausts.

I remember speaking with a couple of Los Angeles motorcycle cops while I was at a local Harley dealer, they mentioned how they would feel much safer if they had some Vance & Hines or Pythons on their police Harleys. Yeah, they had their police bikes parked right out in front. They stopped by often checking out the bikes and Harley Davidson accessories. Most motorcycle cops ride in their free time also. What a great job!

Read the original here: Loud Pipes Save Lives!