1. I'm a motorcycle rider and I don't have loud pipes, because:
2. Most recent cars have good enough sound insulation that you can't hear loud exhausts without rolling down the windows - so all those loud pipes do is annoy the local residents and drive people away from motorcycling. To demonstrate how good modern sound insulation is, my friend and I took his 2014 Hyundai Genesis to Rick Fairless' Strokers - a famous Harley customizer and bar here in Dallas with hordes of loud piped bikes. We found the loudest straight pipe with megaphone resonator (to make it even louder) Harley and had its owner rev it up in the parking lot. We could not hear the bike inside the car from a distance of 30 feet. And that's just a $35K modern car. Guess how good something like a Mercedes S-class is.
3. Even *if* loud pipes alerted people to your presence, due to actual physics mostly the people behind you (who already see you) will be the ones hearing you. It's the people to the front and forward/sides (9:30-2:30 if using a 'clock' bearing) you need to alert to your presence and loud pipes won't do that - not without being loud enough to deafen the rider, which brings me to:
4. If your pipes are that loud, you can't hear other traffic or problems with your bike, both of which can be fatal. I can't count the number of crashes I've avoided by simply being able to hear other vehicles while being unable to see them.
Here is a large motorcycle accessory seller with their input on the subject:
Stop saying "loud pipes save lives" - RevZilla
More info:
Why Loud Pipes Don’t Save Lives
Loud pipes do not save lives. They just annoy people and deafen the rider. Oh, and attract cops by giving them probable cause to pull you over - cop cars can optionally come with decibel meters now.
Edit: I don't know where you're at, but here in Dallas, loud exhausts are definitely in the minority on two wheeled vehicles these days. Harleys and *some* sportbikers, that's about it. Far more common to see/hear stock, quiet exhausts.
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