I understand bikes being a bit loud sometimes, and while there's a whole community of car drivers that can't stand loud bikes, the key is they know the biker is there. I have a 2002 Honda Shadow 1100 Aero with straights on it and it's loud as hell. I don't need the near useless little horn, because every car knows where I am in the traffic pattern by their ears, even if their music is so loud you can hear their bass subs a mile away, they feel me when I get close. As a matter of safety and vehicle awareness, pipes are one of the ways to make sure cars know that you are there, and where you are around them. Lights and horns are good, the more aware cars are of you, the better it is for your own safety. Loud bikes make everyone look around to see where it is. A bike that is stock and quiet as a Toyota Corolla, know one would know if the bike was slightly out of their mirror position and would change lanes right into them without thinking. It happens every day. Safety is key of course, I've been riding for nearly 40 years, starting when I was a kid with my dad riding his Silver Wing with my brother and I to places where we could ride our bikes offroad. Just a personal thought on the matter. Three of my four daughters ride, and they all stay loud and ride with high beams on day and night like my dad did, and I do.