My angle on the loud pipes:

Over the years I've had a Katana 750 (sportbike) and a '77 Yamaha XS750 with straight pipes.

I rode the two back to back for a while when commuting to school on cincinnati's surface streets... I could watch the drivers turn their heads looking for me when I was on the straight-piped bike. It wasnt reliable, but there was no doubt in my mind that more people paid attention to me with a loud bike.

I still prefer the katana, pissing people off isnt the way I go about things.

-John

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2009 Kia Sedona
2009 Honda Odyssey EX-L
12006 Jetta Pumpe Duse
(insert Mercedes here)

Husband, Father, sometimes friend =)