[Rich]

Am I the only one who agrees with you? I bought a used bike a couple of years ago. The owner had replaced the mufflers with loud pipes. He acted as if they were a selling point. I bought the bike on the condition that he put back the original mufflers.

P.S., You certainly are correct about loud pipes making noise behind you but not in front of you. They do virtually nothing to make you more "visible" to people who might run into you.