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Comment by phildenhoff | Hacker News Reader

Anecdotally, anyone who rides will you tell you this. It doesn’t matter how high your high viz vest is, or how loudly you rev your bike, someone will blindly cut you off and not realise you’re there until it’s way too late.

I’m glad to see the data to back that up. Maybe now my fellow riders can agree that their motorbikes are a bit too damn loud, and tone it down.

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>Maybe now my fellow riders can agree that their motorbikes are a bit too damn loud, and tone it down.

It would be awesome if the rest of us didn't have to rely on the possible good sense of a motorcyclist and, instead, noise pollution laws were strictly enforced. I highly doubt any Harley out there is even capable of operating below the legal limit in CA of 80dbA.

I literally feel pain in my ears every time a Harley pass by. I wish I could sue for damage all of those, because I'm pretty sure that's what's happening

> I highly doubt any Harley out there is even capable of operating below the legal limit in CA of 80dbA.

All Harleys that are sold comply with the legal limit. It's the owners that put on third-party exhausts that cause the noise.

Agree with you about loud pipes, but I am not sure why you had to throw high-vis clothing in there, unless the point is simply not to rely on any one advantage and to assume every driver is going to try to kill you. I do and heartily encourage every other rider to do as well. There is data to argue in favor of high vis clothing, and honestly given that the only downside to it is a perception of personal style I don't get why every rider isn't wearing it.

My point is that no matter what you do or wear, you should assume you are invisible and, like you said, ride like every driver is trying to kill you.

High viz vests CAN be beneficial. Don’t rely on them.

I used to ride in London every day. The difference in rate of almost-crashes before and after I get a different (yet still legal) exhaust was substantial.

> Anecdotally, anyone who rides will you tell you this.

Not really? Most folks in, e.g., /r/motorcycles think it is a bunk claim.

The stereotype is that it is mostly Harley riders who say it.

In my experience, there is a difference between something like a loud harley and a loud sportsbike. With a harley, I can't easily tell which direction the sound is coming from, but with a sportsbike I can.

Frankly, I don't understand how it is that there are so many obnoxiously loud bikes on the road. I've always assumed that it has nothing to do with safety and is more a reflection of the (deliberately) inconsiderate nature of some people.

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