> I should mention that a lot of motorcyclists feel that loud exhausts are a way of protecting themselves from distracted drivers.

Not a motorcyclist, but I’ve heard this from many places. Can say that as a bicyclist, my best pieces of biggest safety equipment were in roughly descending order of importance: having my head in a swivel (vigilance), perfecting a barking shout, really good brakes, and in last place, a helmet. If the helmet comes into play you’re already at least a little fucked.

If I could make bikes louder I probably would.

The one time I’m aware I cut off a motorcyclist, it was his engine that kept me out of his lane (to be fair, he was nearly in my blind spot, which is partly on him)

I’m confused. Did you not read my comment? I specifically addressed how they’re not two separate problems.

You need to accept some responsibility when deciding to ride a motorcycle. You're essentially saying you're okay with your body acting as the crumple zone in a crash. If it's so dangerous out there that you need to rumble around at 100dB then maybe it's time to reconsider. Many cars have impressive sound dampening and those that don't have wind noise drowning out almost anything else on the road.

Yes, I choose to have my body be the crumble zone rather then using some innocent child for that purpose from the comfort of a 2 ton piece of armor with blind spots the size of Manhattan. Cars are about the most selfish ways to haul your rump around. I personally don't have loud pipes, but in the context of the damage your car does the complaint is laughable.

Do you really think that you wouldn't kill a child if you crashed into one on a motorcycle, or that the visibility on your motorcycle makes that outcome impossible?

Car safety for occupants and pedestrians has improved dramatically over the last few decades. The same cannot be said for motorcycles.

Yes I do. And what's more, both statistics and my insurance company agree.

The simple fact that my own life is at stake, makes me much more aware of my surroundings. This is a well researched neurological fact. Also, a 450lbs projectile has a lot less impact then a 2 ton one at the same speed. It is also significantly harder to hit a child with a 3' wide vehicle then with a 7' wide one..

Car safety for occupants has increased and due to a side effect of aerodynamic design survivability of a pedestrian crash has marginally increased. Due to gigantic A pillars and a false sense of security, the amount of accidents has significantly increased and the safety of other road users is at an all time low.

Did you double check that your lower insurance rates aren't due to non-existant injury/medical and uninsured motorist coverage, reduced value of the vehicle, and the vehicle being classified as a recreational vehicle vs daily driver?

(450lbs motorcyle + 160lb rider) vs 60lb child = death.

Riding a motorcycle while impaired, is one of the leading causes of motorcycle fatalities. Failing to wear PPE accounts for a significant number of potentially non-fatal accidents becoming fatal. Distracted riding is also on the rise. This doesn't seem to imply motorcyclists are inherently more aware of their surroundings or making better decisions due to the increased danger.

Yes, I have all that. It's pretty much a legal requirement for any motorvehicle in any state I know off.

I am very aware of all the leading causes of death for motorcyclists. Your conclusion doesn't make sense though, there is a ridiculous amount of selection bias in there: they only looked at people who died... By and far motorcyclists are very safety concious people, they have to be: those who aren't tend to quit quickly, one way or another. Personally, I have ridden a motorcycle as my primary form of transportation for over 30 years without any meaningful incidents

>Whataboutism at its finest.

Your comment was, literally, "what about noisy motorbikes".