I prefer this as well.

Yeah. I get it. There are some people out there with loud bikes and they’re annoying - even rude with their loud exhaust. My neighbor is one of those. There are definitely times of the day (or night) that it’s magnified because they are literally shattering the silence.

But consider that there are times in traffic where that can be an aide. I’ve been a motorcyclist for nearly 20 years. I’ve never had a bike with those super loud exhausts. Last August I was hit by a car on a bike that was completely stock (so no loud exhaust). It’s now June and I’m finally pretty healthy and thankfully completely mobile. But that accident was also really traumatic and I’m still dealing with it emotionally. Now there is no scientific evidence that I’m aware of that “loud pipes saves lives”, and it may not have helped in my situation with that driver doing something super illegal and unsafe. But its possible that it could have helped. My current motorcycle has a stock exhaust, but it is louder that my other one and I will bleep it, beep my horn, and flash my lights if a person doesn’t see me. I will use it as a tool to get a distracted driver’s attention because I don’t want to be hit again.

Not all motorcyclists are stupid assholes. The one you experienced last night certainly may be. But also please consider that perhaps other people may do things with their bikes to make them more visible. We’re squishy meat sacks on 2 wheels - it’s far more dangerous out there for us, but damn…it’s also an amazing feeling being on a bike and a way of life that I love.